f i c t i o n

The World Is Your Prison

"...Suddenly a battle cry sounded from the gate. The commander, with two more officers escorting him, broke through the thinning line immediately next to the wall, and headed Wyanne's way. She cursed at the ball-lightning gun, a whining static noise, and no ready light. She holstered it, and then slipped another arrow in her bow. Aiming at the commander, his face tortured in another battle cry, she hesitated for a moment, true fear gripping her for the first time since battle was joined. The arrow was launched but it missed the target, sailing inches to the right of his shoulder.
A volley of arrows descended from her archers on the roof, and the rider to the right went down. The commander was only yards from her now. She pulled another arrow, loaded it, launched, the rider to the left went down. She wasn’t thinking quite right. She should have targetted the commander, but her earlier hesitation had caused her to second guess herself. Going for his lieutenant seemed to be the easier choice, somehow.
But now the commander was upon her, and she hadn’t the time for another shot..."

Imagine a world cut off from the rest of the galaxy by a corrupt and degenerate empire. Exiled from the community of the fifty planets of the Nearstars Federation for one simple reason - to dump criminals, rebels and other undesirables in the eyes of the rulers of this sector of the galaxy.

But over hundreds of years, life upon the world of Blike has evolved on its own. Governments, societies, trading routes and unique customs have sprouted where there once was only the cold winter of a desolate ice-age planet.

Into this world is sent Penn Loqq, chat-show host and all-round celebrity of the Federation media and online networks. He did something to upset the authorities, and so now he finds he's stuck on what he sees as a backward world, separated from his family, with no friends, his previous talents useless.

But Penn soon befriends Wyanne, an army captain of the local kingdom, and fellow exile Otho. With Otho's help, Penn does everything he can to escape the gravity of this prison planet. But for reasons of her own, Wyanne soon wishes Penn could stay.

None of them, however, are quite prepared for a chilling discovery that is made upon a nearby glacier, and how this discovery would be ultimately be linked to an ancient alien power at the heart of the galaxy...

This 310,000 word labor of over 12 years writing brings together elements of science-fiction and historical fantasy in a dynamic fusion of ideas and a clashing of cultures. From mind-reading electronics to gunpowder plots, galactic empires to tiny fiefdoms, palace intrigue to ancient spiritual revelation, The World Is Your Prison will have you guessing at every turn. But the final choice must be made by Penn. Will he choose wisely?

The first draft of this epic is now complete, with a second, more polished version expected by the end of 2007. Stay tuned!