Karl Schroeder Is Serializing His New Novel

SF author and futurist, Karl Schroeder, is serializing his new novel, The Fallow Orbits,  on his blog, Unapocalyptic. 

Today I’m proud to launch the serialization of my short SF novel, The Fallow Orbits. This book is an homage to the inspiration of my youth, the late great Andre Norton.

As many of you know, I discovered science fiction through Norton’s books. Her books are still my sick-day go-to reads, even if I spend the rest of my time trying to keep up with the astonishing and beautiful works being produced by current authors like Ada Palmer, Karen Lord, Deji Bryce Olukotum, and so many others. Norton was a born storyteller, and what I know about narrative momentum and pacing, I learned from her.

The Fallow Orbits may be honoring an older style of science fiction—and it’s definitely in the Atompunk genre, with no tech higher than 1960s-era—but it’s packed with modern ideas. In particular, I’ve replaced the usual vague hand-waving about why we would want to build a Dyson Sphere (“for the real estate!”) with an actual, solid reason. It’s a really fun one, too—I think you’ll like it.

He's putting the first chapter of the book up for free; if you want to read more, you'll have to subscribe to his blog. 

In a post earlier this week, he describes the genesis of the novel.

Then I stumbled across an ad for the SciFidea Dyson Sphere contest. Write a story about a Dyson Sphere, get $20,000. Hmm. Tough decision. I’ve never entered a writing contest and never planned to, but the prize looked nice. And, hey, I had this world I’d been developing that, while not exactly about a Dyson Sphere was, shall we say, Dyson-Sphere-adjacent.

So what the hell. I already had a spacefaring civilization that was naturally and believably low-tech, as well as the characters, and the scenario. I figured I’d write a 30,000-word novella and submit it.

It turned into a 60,000-word novel.

Which didn’t win the contest.

This did not bum me out the way you might expect; after all, I’m an award-winning, widely translated novelist, I know I wrote a fun story, and it’s perfectly fine that it wasn’t the kind of story the contest was looking for. It might just be the kind of story you’re looking for, to help you through this dark and gloomy January—if you’re interested in a classic space opera packed with loquacious aliens, nuclear-powered spaceships, free traders, a thieves’ guild, space pirates, secret societies, abductions, sword fights, disguises, intrigue, and an ancient secret so explosive that it could topple an entire civilization…

Best of all, you can read The Fallow Orbits right here, if you’re a paid subscriber.

 Do check it out, and if you like it, subscribe. 

Fair disclosure: I've known Karl through the SF fan community in Toronto for many years. He's a brilliant thinker, an accomplished author, and I've enjoyed everything I've read by him. If you haven't read his books and you're looking for a good place to start, I'd recommend his Virga series, starting with Sun of Suns. (Please, please, please, will somebody film this!).