Dragon Sun is out

michael_ely · August 28, 2001, 10:11

Hi everyone

Dragon Sun, the second SMAC book, is now out. I saw it in my local Barnes and Noble (sometimes they put it in the main sci-fi section adn sometimes they put it with the serialized Star Trek and Star Wars book, so it can be a little tricky to find).

I'll be sending a sample chapter to Apolyton to post so you can try before you buy. Let me also give my deepest apologies for the very lame typo that appears in the opening section of the book.

Here's the description of the book from the back cover:

"Years after the war that threatened the last remnants of humanity, the divided colonists of the planet Chiron became immersed in new crises as the secrets of their world begin to emerge...

"Beneath the surface of the planet, a growing rebellion threatens Sheng-ji Yang's dreams of immortality, as the former executive officer of the Unity finds his carefully controlled world unraveling. Across the ocean, Lady Deirdre Skye's very life is in jeopardy as the Planetary Council withholds vital supplies, demanding that she turn over her research concerning the mysterious life force that is awakening on Chiron.

"Though an ocean apart, Yang and Skye seek an alliance to overcome the forces arrayed against them. The stakes are high: power, survival, and the future of human life on Chiron. And in the end, only one of them will survive Yang's Dragon Sun."

let me know what you think,

michael ely

MarkG · August 28, 2001, 11:21

here it is guys!

http://apolyton.net/smac/frame.shtml...nexcerpt.shtml

thanks Mike!

MarkG · August 28, 2001, 13:47

and in rtf format....

http://apolyton.net/smac/Tales/DragonSunexcerpt.rtf

Jonny · August 30, 2001, 22:38

I've got the book and I've read the first 100 pages or so. It's a great book so far.

Good job Mike!

SerapisIV · August 31, 2001, 11:59

Thanks Mike, I'm waiting for the USPS to finally drop off my copy.

By the way...woo hoo...Deirdre's a lush !!

MarkG · August 31, 2001, 15:47

from the 1st chapter

Quote:

Finally the rover reached a low ring of hills, and three citizens in simple gray-green uniforms appeared and pulled red camo netting off two long metal doors. They moved quickly, jerking the doors open, and Yang took one last look at the cold vault of the sky before the rover passed into the throat of the base known as the Hive.

Inside, his hiveguard opened the rover hatch, and Yang dismounted. Two more guards stood in the large, low-ceilinged rover bay, along with a stocky man in a red and gray uniform. The man stood at a respectful distance, but Yang could feel his impatience.

"What is it, General Markos?"

The man approached, scowling. "I think we should talk about your plans, Chairman. We're fighting a battle on two fronts, if what I read in your last decree is true."

"Is this base secure?"

General Markos hesitated, adjusting to Yang's unexpected question. "Of course."

"Is the loyalty of the hiveguard at each key entry point unquestioned?"

He nodded. "In this base, yes."

"Then we're safe, General, and whatever battles we fight will be by our own choosing. Assemble the advisors and we'll discuss your concerns."

General Markos bowed, still frowning. "Very well, Chairman." He turned away and started barking orders into his quicklink.

SerapisIV · August 31, 2001, 16:23

Great, I'm posting to a forum run by a general from a brutal communist dictatorship. Where's the great purge of military leadership when we need one

SerapisIV · September 2, 2001, 11:08

Hey Mike, is it possible to get a SMAC map (or even drawn) that shows where events are occurring? Maybe even some save games showing where the armies are? Great book so far, I'm only a quarter of the way through it though as I got dragged away from it for a football game (Go Blue!)

michael_ely · September 6, 2001, 16:32

Yo Serapis

Glad you like the book so far. Here is a very crude map that lays out the rough positions of the faction leaders in book 2. Does this help at all? Naturally Morgan's armies come in from the east, and Yang's cross the ocean from the west.

(Did I mention the map was very crude?

)

michael

MarkG · September 6, 2001, 16:41

"crude"?
that will sell on our news

SerapisIV · September 7, 2001, 19:54

Thanks for the map. How dense is the map? As each faction have 4-5 bases, how much wilderness is left on the main continent?

Finished the book a few days ago. I like the ending. I especially like the way that the tech tree has been divided up amongst players, not the way the game has it. It makes more sense that each leader would have different techs that other leaders wouldn't have even if the game requires them, i.e. skyfarms but no airpower.

I'm really looking forward to the next book. I hope there isn't too much emphasis on transcendence and the leaders all duke it out in the end for superiority. Are you going to explain how Miriam suddenly dropped out of sight after the first book? How she stayed hidden on the main continent?

SerapisIV · September 7, 2001, 20:00

Oh yeah, Michael are there any plans for a future series of Alpha books including the SMAX factions or being longer then the current 3 part series?

michael_ely · September 11, 2001, 00:20

Hi Serapis

Thanks. Glad you liked it! There are no plans right now for a SMACX series, although that could certainly be interesting.

Book 3 will not deal with transcendence. I feel that's been done before, in the game story. Book 3 will definitely lean more to the duking it out path, and with a special twist at the end. Miriam and Zakharov are the stars, but the Hive plays a role again, and some other factions as well.

thanks again,
michael

Leonidas · September 12, 2001, 18:53

Thanks for the heads up

Alynzia · September 15, 2001, 01:07

We (that is me & my brother) bought your book as soon as it came out in the States because we were on holiday there late August. It wasn't hard to find in Barnes & Noble, actually, but I'm used to skulking around the sci-fi books anyway!

He read it first, on the plane and then at home, then I got it. It was really good, I would say better than the first one, but only because of the concepts it dealt with. Deirdre was lovely and suprisingly human, despite her high minded ideals. (I'm a little worried we had descriptions of both Santiago's & Deirdre's breasts so far, PLEASE not Miriam's next!!)

We are really looking forward to the final instalment, and that is very cruel of you to tell us it has a special twist at the end so bloody long before it comes out!

Alynzia.

Frankychan · September 18, 2001, 19:14

I've finished the book about a month ago. Man, that was a tough 4 days! I couldn't put the book down.

Dealing with Chairman Yang (my hero

) He was even better in the book than I imagined him to be! The only thing that pissed me off is the end.

Well, the only thing that I don't understand is if the journal entries are at that present time, or a reflection of the past?

Other than that...I hope the Chairman reappears again in the third book and gives Miriam, Deidre, and Lal a good whuppin'!

Clear Skies · September 26, 2001, 13:05

Wow!

Just incredible. I read non-stop - I even engaged in submensical literacy (reading under the desk for those of you who don't understand Latin derivations

) during lessons. Finished the entire book (plus rereading) in a day, which I was quite pleased with. I've done better though - my record was Pratchett's Thief of Time (great book) thrice through in a day.

Great twist in the end by the way!

michael_ely · September 27, 2001, 13:03

Hi guys

Thanks for the kind words. Glad you liked the book, and I hope you like book 3 just as much. I've already finished it but it's being edited and typeset and all that and it will be released in february of 2002. Maybe I'll drop a hint or two about it here in advance. Actually here's the first hint, for Alynzia...Miriam's breasts do not make an appearance, but unfortunately Morgan's do (just kidding).

Glad you like the Yang characterization. He's my favorite faction leader as well, and the Hive does play a role in the final book, including Yang's daughter.

Lastly, for frankychan, the journal entries are intended to be from the time just following the events of the book.

catch you later!
michael

Jools · September 30, 2001, 14:09

Is this groovy or what? The book itself is good but thinking that it originated here is even groovier

^Runs butt naked around neighbourhood screaming ... "I know the author, I know the author, I know the author... I am sooooooo special!

Can I be a hero in any of your books? I'd buy a copy for each of my friends!!! Really!

"Admiral Jools?"

"Huh? Yeah, wha?"

ADDED:
Hey did I mention I was Apolyton's First Centurian Tales Teller???

I got fired soon because I had no connection to the NET... Fired... nah replaced...

BTW, I love the Viking Scribes and the Smac Tales. There are many talented writers here.

Sprayber · October 7, 2001, 00:23

I've gotten half way through the book and I really do like it so far. The first one is still by favorite simply cause the Spartans are my favorite faction. I do like the descriptions of Yang so far. I also like the descriptions of the Special Projects. I can't wait for the final book and hope that some kind of series set in the SMAC universe does come to be. I belive that SMAC could be a rich source for many books. Just look here on the AC fiction forum and you will see. Just like in the game, there are countless possibilities.

Great book so far and I look forward to the third installment.

edit: Another thing I look forward to is someone here creating a secenerio.

Transcend · October 10, 2001, 17:30

Dragon Sun is a lot better than the Centauri Dawn. I really love the way faction ideology, tech advances, and secret projects are described in the book. However, I think the Empath Guild in the book is way too overpowered compared to the already super-powerful Empath Guild in the game. Neural Grafting is considered a fairly normal tech in the game, but seems to be some sort of evil in the book.

Well, that's all I can say about the Dragon Sun, and I'm looking forward to the next book.

MarkG · October 11, 2001, 14:17

hey Michael,

when do you think we'll see a game like the one Yang is playing?

Bruce205 · November 18, 2001, 22:33

Michael,
Love book so far (Chapter 2) !!
Not a criticism but could you include maps/drawings?? I just feel it would add an extra level of immersion to story.
I just purchased SMAX two nights ago and love it so far but I am a total Newbie!!
Thanks for all your hard work and I hope you continue with series.

Basilisk · November 28, 2001, 02:46

Wow this book sounds really cool.... of course I would have to get the first one first... but... the books aren't in New Zealand!!! NO!

Sprayber · December 13, 2001, 00:59

Quote:

Originally posted by Basilisk
Wow this book sounds really cool.... of course I would have to get the first one first... but... the books aren't in New Zealand!!! NO!

Ouch

Shipping would be more than the price of the book.

Alynzia · January 18, 2002, 08:07

Is 'Book III: Twilight of the Mind' coming out next month, or was February 2002 provisional?

Alynzia.

Shai-Hulud · January 29, 2002, 12:40

Very positive surprise for a book based on game. I've seen so many bad book-turned-movies and likewise that I had almost given up hope. One problem with a serie is that there is so much to tell about. You can hardly include it all in three books, but the essentials are there. Maybe a bit more improvisation and depth to the technology. There are a lot of themes that SMAC universe offers and not all of them are fully exploited in the story.

Friend of mine said that he felt you were presenting your own ideals by portraying Yang as an egoist dictator. Then again, aren't all dictators egoists? However, the profile of Yang in the book is different...more crude when compared to SMAC and Journey to Centauri. I suppose we've always thought that Yang was harsh and cruel, but also an idealist of some sort. In the book he is described more as a completely self obsessed dictator who is losing power over his subjects. A failure, unlike other faction leaders.

As a Free Market emphatizer I'm little disappointed that there won't be much focus into Morgan's ultra-capitalist society. It would have been nice to see your vision of that one.

But all together, very nice work with the SMAC universe. I'm grateful to be able to read novels based on my favorite game.

Googlie · February 6, 2002, 23:20

^

Mr. President · February 15, 2002, 03:30

I just read the book (Borders in Australia finally got Dragon Sun, but neither of the other two), and I have just one question: Did anyone else think that Deirdre was (also) wrong?

King_Kristian · February 18, 2002, 09:03

Quote:

Originally posted by Shai-Hulud

As a Free Market emphatizer I'm little disappointed that there won't be much focus into Morgan's ultra-capitalist society. It would have been nice to see your vision of that one.

Capitalism is great

Hands up to you Shai-Hulud!
Morgan should get his own book soon, maybe a book about his righteous self defence crusade against the evil Gaians that keep sending their mindworms to destroy their precious borholes and condensers and mirrors.