Karl Schroeder
Karl Schroeder () (born September 4, 1962) is a Canadian science fiction author and a professional futurist. His novels present far-future speculations on topics such as nanotechnology, terraforming, augmented reality, and interstellar travel, an ...
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Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, language =
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
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Science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
, publisher =
Tor Books
Tor Books is the primary imprint of Tor Publishing Group (previously Tom Doherty Associates), a publishing company based in New York City. It primarily publishes science fiction and fantasy titles, and is the largest publisher of Chinese scien ...
Paperback
A paperback (softcover, softback) book is one with a thick paper or paperboard cover, and often held together with adhesive, glue rather than stitch (textile arts), stitches or Staple (fastener), staples. In contrast, hardcover (hardback) book ...
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, pages = 672
, isbn = 0-8125-7635-7
, isbn_note = (Paperback edition)
, oclc = 48475768
, preceded_by =
, followed_by = Lady of Mazes'' (
prequel
A prequel is a literary, dramatic or cinematic work whose story precedes that of a previous work, by focusing on events that occur before the original narrative. A prequel is a work that forms part of a backstory to the preceding work.
The term " ...
)
''Ventus'' is a 2000
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
novel
A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...
by
Karl Schroeder
Karl Schroeder () (born September 4, 1962) is a Canadian science fiction author and a professional futurist. His novels present far-future speculations on topics such as nanotechnology, terraforming, augmented reality, and interstellar travel, an ...
. It was Schroeder's debut solo novel, and introduced his concept of '' thalience''. The novel is available for free under the
Creative Commons
Creative Commons (CC) is an American non-profit organization and international network devoted to educational access and expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share. The organization has release ...
license at Schroeder's website. Its prequel, ''Lady of Mazes'', was published in 2005.
Backstory
In preparation for the arrival of human colonists, the planet Ventus was seeded by an autonomous probe with a suite of
terraforming
Terraforming or terraformation ("Earth-shaping") is the hypothetical process of deliberately modifying the atmosphere, temperature, surface topography or ecology of a planet, moon, or other body to be similar to the environment of Earth to make ...
nanotechnology
Nanotechnology, also shortened to nanotech, is the use of matter on an atomic, molecular, and supramolecular scale for industrial purposes. The earliest, widespread description of nanotechnology referred to the particular technological goal o ...
. To coordinate the terraforming effort, advanced
AIs AIS may refer to:
Medicine
* Abbreviated Injury Scale, an anatomical-based coding system to classify and describe the severity of injuries
* Acute ischemic stroke, the thromboembolic type of stroke
* Androgen insensitivity syndrome, an intersex ...
called “Winds” were created. Using raw materials from the planet, the Winds slowly changed the planet’s
atmosphere
An atmosphere () is a layer of gas or layers of gases that envelop a planet, and is held in place by the gravity of the planetary body. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. A s ...
and
soil
Soil, also commonly referred to as earth or dirt, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, liquids, and organisms that together support life. Some scientific definitions distinguish ''dirt'' from ''soil'' by restricting the former te ...
, transforming it from a lifeless, poisonous world to a veritable garden, with pre-built cities and mansions ready for their human masters to arrive. The Winds toiled away over the years, maintaining the fragile artificial
ecosystem
An ecosystem (or ecological system) consists of all the organisms and the physical environment with which they interact. These biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Energy enters the syste ...
of Ventus – without their efforts, the planet’s livable environment would degrade and become poisonous once more.
Centuries later, the colonists arrive to populate the planet. But something has gone wrong: the Winds no longer recognize mankind, and begin attacking all human ships and technology as threats to the precarious ecosystem. Individual people, seen by the Winds as simply “wildlife” (and thus part of the ecosystem) are left alone, but all their technology is destroyed, leaving them helpless.
Fast-forward to the present, where the descendants of the colonists live in ignorance of their past, existing in a perpetual
pre-industrial
Pre-industrial society refers to social attributes and forums of political and cultural organization that were prevalent before the advent of the Industrial Revolution, which occurred from 1750 to 1850. ''Pre-industrial'' refers to a time before ...
state. Seeing the Winds as capricious
gods
A deity or god is a supernatural being who is considered divine or sacred. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines deity as a god or goddess, or anything revered as divine. C. Scott Littleton defines a deity as "a being with powers greater ...
who destroy anything and anyone who advances technology too much, the people have reverted to superstitious monarchies and aristocracies. Ventusians simply see themselves as living in a world filled with
magic
Magic or Magick most commonly refers to:
* Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces
* Ceremonial magic, encompasses a wide variety of rituals of magic
* Magical thinking, the belief that unrela ...
, and live their lives in awe and fear of the Winds.
In the rest of the galaxy, though, humanity has other problems. A gargantuan war between AI’s is fought, between the “Archipelago” (representing the bulk of humanity) and the malicious “3340” (described in detail in the prequel ''Lady of Mazes''). Ultimately, 3340 is destroyed, but not before it sends “
Resurrection
Resurrection or anastasis is the concept of coming back to life after death. In a number of religions, a dying-and-rising god is a deity which dies and is resurrected. Reincarnation is a similar process hypothesized by other religions, which ...
Seeds” of itself throughout the galaxy. The Archipelago starts a long process of tracking these Seeds down, lest 3340 rebuild itself anew.
Unfortunately, one of these Seeds has landed on Ventus, in the form of former-
demigod
A demigod or demigoddess is a part-human and part-divine offspring of a deity and a human, or a human or non-human creature that is accorded divine status after death, or someone who has attained the "divine spark" ( spiritual enlightenment). A ...
Armiger. Packed with nanotechnology, Armiger secretly installs implants in several unknowing humans around the planet, in an effort to
reconnoiter
In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities.
Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmishers, ...
the Winds. He begins a campaign of warfare, intending to first take over the human population, and then attack the Winds head-on, but inadvertently alerts the Winds when he uses forbidden technology during a battle and is subsequently destroyed by them. Entombed by his former soldiers, his nanotech slowly pieces him back together.
A young adolescent named Jordan Mason begins having visions of being Armiger, seeing and hearing everything that Armiger does. Frightened by what is happening to him, Jordan runs away from home. He is soon intercepted by the mysterious Calandria May, who, unbeknownst to Jordan, has been sent by the Archipelago to Ventus to track down Armiger. Along with her partner Axel, Calandria intends to use Jordan to get to Armiger.
The novel explores the mystery of why the Winds have rejected humanity, and also explores the themes of Platonic Ideals and
identity
Identity may refer to:
* Identity document
* Identity (philosophy)
* Identity (social science)
* Identity (mathematics)
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''Identity'' (1987 film), an Iranian film
* ''Identity'' (2003 film), ...