Post #211 April 27 2020

“The Farpool Stories Redux”

Like many writers, I have to plan ahead for what I want to do next.  Sometimes I plan ahead several years.  This year I am working on two projects: the series Quantum Troopers Return (Episodes 1-3 already available) and my science fiction novel Monument.  My next project will be an alternate-history novel entitled The Eureka Gambit, available sometime in mid to late 2021.

Then what?

After some thought about this, I’ve decided to return to the world of The Farpool Stories.  As of this week, there have been some 6351 downloads of titles in this series.  Here are the available titles: The Farpool, The Farpool: Marauders of Seome, The Farpool: Exodus, The Farpool: Convergence and The Farpool: Union.  It’s time I went back to this world and extended it.

 Here’s how I introduced this series to new readers:

Chase Meyer and Angie Gilliam seem like normal teenagers…until a waterspout catapults them across the Galaxy to an ocean world called Seome.  It’s a world with an intelligent marine civilization, but riven by conflict, host to a Uman base fighting a menace from deep space. Now Chase and Angie find themselves in the midst of an existential crisis.  Chase wants to stay behind to work with his new–found Seomish friends, to help the Umans fight off their enemy before the Coethi attack again. But the challenge is this: the Umans are losing against the Coethi and the star-sun Sigma Albeth B is doomed to supernova, obliterating Seome and its ancient civilization. The only hope for the Seomish is mass emigration, through the Farpool, to the oceans of Earth. 

The decision Chase and Angie make may send them safely back through time and space to their home world.  But that same decision may well doom their Seomish friends to complete annihilation at the hands of the Coethi. 

It will be the hardest decision Chase and Angie have ever made.

Re-starting an existing series after a several-year hiatus won’t be easy.  I need to re-read the existing works and much of the background material to get my head back in this imaginary universe.  I need to decide where to take the story arc from where I left it.  What about timelines?  Do I keep the same main characters?  Are they even alive or have their descendants taken over the story?  So many questions.

Here’s what I am thinking about to continue this series:

Three more titles to follow about fifty years from the conclusion of The Farpool: Union.  Here are the proposed titles and capsule descriptions of the stories…

The Farpool: Plague -in this story (circa 2195 AD), much of Humanity is lost to plague; Amphibs have infected Man but survive and inherit most of human civilization, including leadership roles in many fields.

The Farpool: Diaspora – in this story (circa 2200-2285), Amphibs and a few humans expand and settle the solar system; major base at Europa

The Farpool: Destiny – in this story (circa 2290-2345), Amphibs expand to and explore nearer star systems; encounter and battle the Coethi; eventually, enter into a treaty with Coethi to stop the conflict; galactic spheres of influence are created; first extra-galactic expeditions planned with Coethi alliance and assistance.

These titles and stories are just a first cut at extending the series The Farpool Stories.  I don’t anticipate getting to these projects until late 2021 or early 2022.  The first title likely wouldn’t be available until late 2022.

Stay tuned for more details.  By the way, I just updated my downloads for calendar year 2020 and as of this blog post, some 2547 downloads have been done of my titles.  I have put a small price of $0.99 on Quantum Troopers Return, with (so far) just minimal downloads of these.  All other titles are doing well, however.

The next post to The Word Shed comes on May 4.

See you then.

Phil B.