Liaden universe

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The Liaden universe is the setting for an ongoing series of science fiction stories written by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller.

Contents

[edit] History of the series

The series is notable because it almost failed to take flight, and probably would only be three books long except for the Internet. The authors had written the first three books (Agent of Change, Conflict of Honors, Carpe Diem) but were told that sales were not sufficient to justify continuing.

Unbeknownst to them the books had caused such a stir on the Usenet group rec.arts.sf.written that they were added to the group's FAQ. Upon gaining Internet access, the authors were surprised to find so many people looking for the next book, and even more surprised that its title was already decided upon: Plan B. They published some chapbooks to stave off the hungry fans and started writing: Plan B and a further three books followed in due course to complete the "Agent of Change" sequence. There are also a number of short stories, some filling in gaps between novels, some providing background on minor (and not so minor) characters. The series is ongoing as of 2006.

[edit] Overview

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The series is set at some unspecified time in the future. There is a reference to the planet named "Terra" not being the first planet to bear that name; however, the familiar names and cultural references in the core books (coupled with a lack of them in the Crystal books) suggest that it is "our" earth nonetheless. In the wake of a diaspora from a collapsing universe that was mankind's prior home, the human race is divided into three major sub-races: Terran, Liaden and Yxtrang. (There are also numerous isolated colony planets that have backslid technologically and are held as protectorates until their civilizations regain enough advances to cope with extraplanetary contact.)

The seven-book "Agent of Change" sequence tells of the struggle between Clan Korval, a Liaden Clan of much note, and the mysterious "Department of the Interior".

The eighth novel Balance of Trade is set some centuries earlier. It features Jethri Gobelyn, a young Terran trader who is adopted by a Liaden Master Trader to the scandal of almost everyone.

The ninth novel Crystal Soldier, published in February 2005, takes place even earlier still: it is the first half of "The Great Migration Duology", and tells the story of Cantra yos'Phelium, who piloted the original exodus to Liad, and her partner Jela. The sequel, Crystal Dragon, was published in 2006 and takes the story up through the founding of Liad.

[edit] Books in the series

The novels have been published by Meisha Merlin, who have also anthologised the earlier novels, and re-issued by Ace Publishing.

All books and stories were formerly available in electronic form from Embiid Publishing. However the Embiid site says "Embiid Publishing is Out of Business" and "The rights for all our books have reverted to their authors."

January 12, 2007 Lee & Miller announced an arrangement with Baen Books to publish the first 10 Liaden novels in electronic form starting in early 2007.

[edit] Novels

The "Agent of Change" sequence (sorted by internal chronology, not publication date):

Further books:

[edit] Anthologies

  • Partners in Necessity (2000, ISBN 1-892065-01-0 trade paperback)
    • Contains Conflict of Honors, Agent of Change, and Carpe Diem
  • Pilots Choice (2001, ISBN 1-892065-02-9 trade paperback)
    • Contains Local Custom and Scout's Progress

[edit] Short stories

These also include stories about Lute and Moonhawk, the earlier incarnations of two major characters in the books.

  • To Cut An Edge - Val Con meets Edger
  • A Day at the Races - Shan and Val Con outrage Aunt Kareen
  • A Matter of Dreams
  • Moonphase - the 55th tale of Lute and Moonhawk
  • Where the Goddess Sends - the first tale of Lute and Moonhawk
  • A Spell for the Lost - the second tale of Lute and Moonhawk
  • Balance of Trade (expanded for the novel)
  • A Choice of Weapons - Daav has a bad time at a party
  • Pilot of Korval - Daav and Er Thom must take up their responsibilities
  • Breath's Duty - Daav must take up a painful task
  • Naratha's Shadow - a Scout must control an ancient artefact
  • Changeling - How Ren Zel became a pilot and what befell him thereafter
  • The Wine of Memory - Lute and Moonhawk must save one of his oldest friends
  • Certain Symmetry - Pat Rin must execute a friend's will — at considerable risk to himself
  • Phoenix
  • Veil of the Dancer
  • Quiet Knives
  • Sweet Waters
  • Heirloom - Pat Rin must play a perfect game—without rules
  • This House - A retired Healer is presented with his most challenging case: a young lady who only he might be able to help—who also happens to be his ex-lover's new lover.
  • Lord of the Dance - Pat Rin hosts a dance on Surebleak for his subjects as Boss and his Korval family, with surprises in store for everyone—not least of all, Pat Rin himself.
  • The Beggar King - Young Daav yos'Phelium and a Juntavas boss work together to solve a mystery of disappearing pilots in the Low Port.
  • Necessary Evils - In the time of the Crystal Soldier/Crystal Dragon prequels, a meeting between an enslaved scientist and genetically-engineered indentured workers may mean freedom for both.
  • The King of the Cats (non-canon, cross-over with other stories by Steve Miller)
  • Prodigal Son - Val Con returns to Vandar, the primitive world where he and Miri lived for a while, to tidy up one last loose end with the Department of the Interior.
  • Fighting Chance - The story of the young Miri Robertson's last days on Surebleak.

These are available from SRM, Publisher in chapbooks. The Liaden chapbooks are:

  • Two Tales of Korval: To Cut An Edge, A Day at the Races
  • Fellow Travellers: Moonphase, Where the Goddess Sends, A Spell for the Lost
  • Duty Bound: Pilot of Korval, Breath's Duty
  • Certain Symmetry: Certain Symmetry, The Wine of Memory
  • Changeling: Changeling
  • Trading in Futures: Balance of Trade (the short story), A Choice of Weapons
  • Loose Cannon: A Matter of Dreams, Phoenix
  • Shadows and Shades: Heirloom, Naratha's Shadow
  • Quiet Knives: Veil of the Dancer, Quiet Knives
  • Necessary Evils: The Beggar King, Necessary Evils
  • With Stars Underfoot: This House, Lord of the Dance
  • Allies: Fighting Chance, Prodigal Son
  • Liaden Universe Companion Volume One (2005, ISBN 0-9722473-8-6 hard cover, ISBN 0-9722473-9-4 trade paperback)
    • contains the following
    1. Pilot of Korval
    2. A Choice of Weapons
    3. To Cut an Edge
    4. A Day at the Races
    5. Certain Symmetry
    6. Breath's Duty
    7. Where The Goddess Sends
    8. A Spell for the Lost
    9. Wine of Memory
    10. Moonphase
    11. Balance of Trade (short story)
    12. King of the Cats

On December 1, 2006 a new project, Fledgling, was announced. This story will be written as a serial on the internet. More information is available at http://www.korval.com/fledgling/

[edit] Characters

As mentioned above, there are three main divisions of the human race which appear in the stories. There are some notable non-humans also.

[edit] Liaden

Home planet "Liad". Liaden (singular and plural are the same) are usually shorter than the Terran norm, often with golden skin. They are deeply concerned with their melant'i which roughly corresponds to the concern with "face" for which Japanese Samurai are famous. Some are almost rabidly isolationist; it is not uncommon for Liaden to refer to those of other races as "it" likening them to animals. Several characters are part- or even half-Terran: this does not endear them to the isolationists.

Liaden society is clan-based, each Clan being made up of one or more families ("lines"). The Head of a Clan is the "Delm", the head of a line is the "Thodelm"; either might be male or female as circumstances dictate.

Some Liaden are trained as explorers: the Scouts. They are regarded with distaste by the more isolationist within Liaden society.

Most of the stories thus far centre on members of Clan Korval, made up of the yos'Phelium and yos'Galan lines. Scouts also appear often.

Korval

  • Val Con yos'Phelium - ex-Scout, husband to Miri
  • Shan yos'Galan - Master Trader, foster-brother to Val Con (current incarnation of Lute)
  • Priscilla Delacroix y Mendoza - wife to Shan (current incarnation of Moonhawk)
  • Daav yos'Phelium - Scout, father to Val Con and Theo Waitley
  • Aelliana Caylon - wife to Daav, mother to Val Con
  • Er Thom yos'Galan - Master Trader, husband of Anne Davis, father to Shan, Nova and Anthora
  • Pat Rin yos'Phelium - cousin to Val Con
  • Kareen yos'Phelium - sister to Daav, mother to Pat Rin, expert on "proper conduct"
  • Anthora yos'Galan - sister to Shan and Nova, with preternatural abilities
  • Ren Zel dea'Judan - husband to Anthora
  • Nova yos'Galan - sister to Shan, Anthora and Val Con
  • Theo Waitley - recently discovered (to the rest of the Korval) daughter to Daav yos'Phelium

Others

  • Jan Rek ter'Astin - Scout Captain, friend of Jethri Gobelyn
  • Clonak ter'Meulen - Scout, friend of Daav and Val Con
  • Shadia ne'Zame - Scout, friend of Clonak

[edit] Terran

Home planet known as "Terra". As remarked above, there is a brief reference to the possibility that this planet is possibly the fourth of that name. At least one prior Terra would have been destroyed along with the war-torn universe from which mankind fled in Crystal Dragon. From cultural references, familiar English names, and references to regional linguistic dialects that appear in the core books, it seems likely that this Terra is nonetheless our own Earth. There appears to be some resentment that the "younger" races (usually Liaden) hold more power in the realm of shipping and commerce than Terra; there is reference to at least one political party involved in less-than-legal operations.

The Juntavas are an organised-crime "clan" who appear in various guises, sometimes as antagonists, sometimes as allies of the main characters. The planet Surebleak appears to be inhabited in the main by Terrans.

Gobelyns

  • Jethri Gobelyn - apprentice trader, apprenticed to Norn ven'Deelin
  • Iza Gobelyn - Captain of Gobelyn's Market, mother to Cris, Seeli, Jethri
  • Arin Gobelyn - deceased, husband to Iza, father to Jethri, related to Uncle
  • Cris Gobelyn - first mate of Gobelyn's Market, Iza's eldest child
  • Dyk Gobelyn - junior on Gobelyn's Market, cook
  • Khatelane Gobelyn - pilot on Gobelyn's Market
  • Mel Gobelyn - on Gobelyn's Market
  • Paitor Gobelyn - trader on Gobelyn's Market, brother to Iza
  • Seeli Gobelyn - admin on Gobelyn's Market, Iza's second child
  • Zam Gobelyn - on Gobelyn's Market
  • Grig Tomas - back-up everything on Gobelyn's Market, Arin's cousin, related to Uncle

Korval-linked

  • Cheever McFarland - Master Pilot, messenger to Korval, then Pat Rin's partner
  • Anne Davis - wife to Er Thom, mother to Shan, expert linguist
  • Miri Robertson - ex-mercenary, wife to Val Con

Others

  • various Juntavas
  • various people on Surebleak

[edit] Yxtrang

Home planet unknown at this time. Usually much larger than the Terran norm, they are a war-like people who live for conquest. They are almost universally prone to thinking of the other human races as animals.

References in Crystal Soldier and Crystal Dragon suggest that the Yxtrang are the descendants of a group of "X Strain" and "Y Strain" genetically-engineered soldiers who served in a platoon with Jela and accompanied the human migration to the new universe. Some of them venerate Jela for his skills as a warrior.

It is not known whether they can interbreed with Liadens or Terrans, though given their common genetic origin there is no reason why they should not be able to; the likely lifespan of such offspring is short, not for merely biological reasons.

  • Nelirikk - ex-Explorer (equivalent to Scout), subsequently sworn to Line yos'Phelium, becomes Miri's bodyguard; aka "Beautiful"
  • Hazenthull Explorer - junior Explorer, subsequently sworn to Line yos'Phelium

[edit] Clutch Turtles

These non-humans are even larger than Yxtrang and very long-lived; they appear much like turtles walking upright, hence the name. Their names are correspondingly long: Edger's full name apparently takes some hours to recite. They are usually slow to act but are very dangerous when angered.

Clutch turtles travel in starships made from hollowed-out asteroids, using an electron substitution drive whose use can have hallucinogenic effects on the human nervous system. They are able to command forces of great destructive or healing potential by singing. Clutch turtles are greatly feared and avoided by the Yxtrang as the result of a resounding defeat in battle many years prior to the timeframe of the story.

The Clutch turtles encountered in the "Agent of Change" sequence make up a "market research" team on behalf of their clan, who are known for manufacturing crystalline blades of extreme sharpness and durability by growing them in caves over a timespan of decades.

  • Edger
  • Sheather
  • Watcher
  • Selector
  • Handler

[edit] Cats

There are many cats which appear in the stories, usually by name, often taking an active part in the proceedings.

  • Flinx - at Tarnia's Clanhouse
  • Lord Merlin - Anthora's cat, very active in I Dare
  • Patch - Binjali Repair Shop's resident cat and "co-owner"

[edit] Trees

An unusual character is Jelaza Kazone (a term that has been translated as "Jela's Promise," "Jela's Contract," or "Jela's Dream," among other variants) and the seedlings thereof (of which only one has thus far appeared in narrative). This very large tree lives in the grounds of Clan Korval's primary residence (also called Jelaza Kazone) and is in the habit of communicating its likes and dislikes to senior members of that clan; it has particularly been noted to have an interest in the likely parents of future children of the Clan.

As a young soldier, Jela found the tree on a desert planet on which his ship had crashed. Though barely a stunted seedling and the last member of a dying race, the tree was by itself able to repel invasion of the planet by the enemy Sheriekas. As an act of trust, the tree gave its only seed pod to feed the starving Jela. When Jela's rescue came, he refused to leave the tree behind.

The tree proved to be intelligent, and able to communicate via mental images. It also had the ability to manipulate the chemistry of its seed pods to create useful pharmaceutical compounds. Both these powers proved useful as Jela and Cantra searched for information necessary for mankind to escape its collapsing universe.

The name Jelaza Kazone refers to the promise Cantra yos'Phelium made to Jela, who knew he was destined to die before the migration could be complete, to see the tree through to safety on the new human homeworld.

[edit] Concepts

[edit] Melant'i

... more detail to follow

[edit] Space travel

Human ships are able to travel quickly between planets by "jumping"; different technologies exist but are all fairly quick; journey durations are comparable to swift sea-travel here on Earth. Only the Clutch Turtles use a different method, with predictably idiosyncratic side-effects (of which few details are available).

[edit] External links

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