Larklight
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| Author | Philip Reeve |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom, United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Science Fiction/Fantasy |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury |
| Released | 2006 |
| Media type | Print Hardcover |
| Pages | 250 |
Larklight is a young adult novel by author Philip Reeve. It is illustrated by David Wyatt. It is the first in a trilogy.
Contents |
[edit] Plot Summary
Larklight is set in a neo-Victorian universe, similar to Space 1889, where mankind has been exploring the solar system since the time of Issac Newton. The story consists of Arthur Mumby and his sister Myrtle, who live in a house orbiting the moon, having their house invaded by white spiders of unearthly origin. They crash land on the moon. They encounter the pirate Jack Havock and his crew, who help them discover the origin of the spiders. Myrtle is kidnapped and taken to Mars, where she is prisoner of Sir Waverly Rain, who factories span almost all of Phobos and Deimos. She escapes with a Martian maid by the name of Ulla. They realize that Sir Waverly Rain was taken by the spiders and replaced with an automaton, and believing that the queen too has been replaced, make way for Earth. Jack and Arthur, meanwhile are on the moon Io, of Jupiter. They descend into Jupiter’s atmosphere, where they encounter the Great Storm who tells them to keep the key of Larklight safe. Not knowing what this is, they attempt to leave Jupiter, only to have the man who brought them there abandon them. They then head for Saturn to attempt to find if the white spiders live there or not. They do and they discover that they are attempting to use Larklight to destroy the worlds of Sol. They head for Larklight, and after a short skirmish, use it to arrive at Earth, where a huge mechanical spider is wreaking havoc by destroying buildings all over London. Myrtle manages to capture the machine, and kill the spider controlling it, therefore ending the chaos, and saving London and the Empire.
[edit] Planets
Of the planets in Larklight, almost all have a breathable atmosphere for humans.
[edit] Mars
Mars is home to an elvin humanoid species, which in the past commanded great empires. They are russet skinned and create almost all their possessions from paper made from Rufous Knotweed, a plant native to Mars. They apparently may be the ancestors of humans, perhaps due to the Martians having a colony on Earth. They are one of the original colonies of the British Empire.
[edit] Jupiter
Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system. It is inhabited by many beings such as hoverhogs, whales, and octopuses. Many of its moons (Io is the most prominently featured, though several others are mentioned) are part of the British Empire.
[edit] Venus
Venus is a lush, verdant planet. It is also where Jack Havock was raised. During the stay on Venus, it is learned that a certain species of trees causes a mutation in humans, turning them into the same type of tree. Jack is the only one of his colony to survive this. It also has several small mining operations in the poles.
