Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Debut Showcase: The Mirrored Heavens

The Mirrored Heavens (Amazon UK, Canada)
by David J. Williams (website, blog, blog)
Bantam Spectra
Trade Paperback
Excerpt

Blurb:

In the 22nd century, the first wonder of a brave new world is the Phoenix Space Elevator, designed to give mankind greater access to the frontier beyond Earth. Built by the U.S./Pan-Asian Coalition, the Elevator is also a grand symbol of superpower alliance following a second cold war. And it’s just been destroyed.

The South American insurgent group Autumn Rain claims responsibility for the attack, but with suspicions rampant, armies and espionage teams are mobilized across the globe and beyond. Enter Claire Haskell and Jason Marlowe, U.S. counterintelligence agents, and former lovers—though their memories may only be constructs implanted by their spymaster. Forced to set aside the enigma of their past, their agenda is to trust no one. For in a time of shifting loyalties, the enemy could be anyone—from a shadowy assassin working a questionable mission on the dark side of the moon, to a Euro data thief working under deep cover and wooed into a dangerous pact.

As the crisis mounts, and the search for Autumn Rain spans both Earth and Moon, the lives of all those involved will converge in one explosive finale—and a startling aftermath that will rewrite everything they’ve ever known—about their mission, their world, and themselves.

The website for this novel is absolutely fascinating, and even has a "Treaty of Zurich," complete with fourteen articles. It also has maps, timelines, "Earth-Moon System Lagrangian Points," and an illustration of the Phoenix Space Elevator. This appears to be hard science fiction at its best, along with spies, a love story and possibly-cloaked memories. Now I want a copy.

8 comments:

Heather Massey said...

Wow, this sounds like the George R. R. Martin of SF! Will have to check it out.

Tia, thanks so much for adding The Galaxy Express to your site. You rock!

Tia Nevitt said...

Wow; thanks!

Anonymous said...

I will go and get a copy of this book. I try to read as much fiction as I can - that has anything at all to do with Space Elevators.

If you would like another look at the concept behind an Elevator to Space, you might want to look at our book: http://www.amazon.com/Liftport-Space-Elevator-Opening-Everyone/dp/1592221092/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1211475437&sr=8-1

I am not trying to make this a 'self-serving advertisement'. If you don't think it's appropriate, feel free to delete the link above. But since you linked to an out of stock CD of music about a Space Elevator, I thought you might want an actual book to reference.

Thanks for your insight on this story, and I will find the book. This is exactly the kind of fiction I like to read, a good story mixed in with interesting advanced technology details.

Take care,
MJL
President,
LiftPort Group
www.liftport.com

Tia Nevitt said...

That does it. I'm removing the Amazon auto-linker thing. What a worthless piece of junk. Thanks for pointing the bad link out to me and I hope you enjoy the novel.

Robert said...

Not sure about the GRRM comparison, but "The Mirrored Heavens" is an exciting, action-packed blend of cyberpunk, military SF and espionage. Reminded me of William Gibson, Neal Asher, Richard K. Morgan, Halo, etc. There's not much of a love story and the altered memories angle is under-explored...

Tia Nevitt said...

Really? The altered memories angle was one of the strongest parts of the hook for me. That and the destroyed space elevator.

David Constantine said...

I'm a little late to the party here, but . . thanks for the very kind review, Tia! Much appreciated!

Tia Nevitt said...

You're welcome, David. However, this wasn't a review--just a showcase. Your novel sounds fabulous, though.