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Overview
This is the third novel, after Sun of Suns and Queen of Candesce, to be set in Virga, a bubble universe artificially separated from our own future universe. “Schroeder's Virga series is highly reminiscent of the Golden Age of SF, when A. E. van Vogt, Isaac Asimov, and E. E. “Doc” Smith were all mixing the pulp heritage with high adventure and innovative scientific projections to create interesting worlds, peoples, and stories.” (The Sacramento Book Review).
Chaison Fanning, the admiral of a fleet of warships introduced in the first book, has been captured and imprisoned by his enemies, but is now rescued and set free. He must flee to his home city to confront the ruler who betrayed him. Perhaps while there he will also regain his lovely, powerful, and subversive wife, Venera. He has not seen her since she fled, careening off into the air of Virga, with the key to the artificial sun, Candesce, at the center of Virga. In Pirate Sun, Schroeder sets a whole new standard for hard SF space opera.
Synopsis
Return to Virga, a bubble universe artificially separated from our own future universe, and the setting ofSun of Suns and Queen of Candesce.
Chaison Fanning, the admiral of a fleet of warships, has been captured and imprisoned by his enemies, but is suddenly rescued and set free. He flees through the sky to his home city to confront the ruler who betrayed him. And perhaps even to regain his lovely, powerful, and subversive wife, Venera, who he has not seen since she fled with the key to the artificial sun at the center of Virga, Candesce.
With Pirate Sun, Schroeder sets a whole new standard for hard science fiction space opera.
Editorials
From the Publisher
"Oh, what world-building! Schroeder is a master."—Cory DoctorowPraise for Sun of Suns (Kirkus Reviews Best of 2006; An RT Book Reviews Top Pick)“Outrageously brilliant and absolutely not to be missed.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“I loved it. It never slowed down. The background is fascinating and the characters held my attention. It reminded me a little of The Integral Trees, with technology a little more advanced.”—Larry Niven
Praise for Queen of Candesce:“One of our most ingenious devisers of exotic, fantastic settings as well as a spinner of ripping yarns.… Schroeder's world-building, storytelling, and character-drawing chops seem strong enough to give even Known Space run for its money.”—Locus
Publishers Weekly
This fast-paced virtuoso exercise in world-building is the third novel (after 2007's Queen of Candesce) set in Virga, a 5,000-mile wide balloon with a central artificial "sun" and many nations clustered around their own smaller suns. Admiral Chaison Fanning, imprisoned for a daring raid that foiled an attack on his home nation of Slipstream, is rescued by his wife, Venera, but finds he's now regarded as a traitor. Fighting alongside Antaea Argyre, a mysterious woman from the dark far edges of Virga, Fanning learns more about the universe outside and the powers of Candesce, the central sun. Virga is wonderfully imagined, with itinerant gravity sellers, floating farms in nets of dirt, and battles in which one town invades another as buildings smash together and people gather at windows with homemade weapons. The intrigue surrounding a brewing revolution and the threat of invading forces carry readers quickly through this adventure and on to the next installment. (Aug.)
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