Chapter 1 of “Faraway Star,” my new science fiction novel.

You may know that my science fiction book, Faraway Star, is finally ready for release. It comes out June 11, and you can preorder it (on Amazon Kindle) here. There will, beginning on June 11, also be a paperback version, and places other than Amazon where you can order an ebook or paperback copy. But for those of you who are members and subscribers to the Garden of Memory, I’ve reproduced the entire first chapter of Faraway Star here in this article.

I hope you enjoy it. And please spread the word about the book!

Faraway Star – Chapter 1: Goodbye, Algeron.

NOTE: This book was compiled from a series of letters which were transmitted, via GalNet text mail, to a now-defunct address on the planet Caprion belonging to one Noral Joltibal. The letters have been edited lightly for clarity, or occasionally when alien phrases or concepts are untranslatable into human language an analogue phrasing has been substituted. Besides these changes, all the words are basically as they were written.

16th day of Jitau, Cycle Naal 893.

Dear Noral:

Hey! This is Raljebi, your cousin. How are you, man? I know it’s been a long time since you had a message from me, and even longer since we saw each other. I think the last time was when your family came to visit half a cycle ago. It was a little awkward and we didn’t talk much then. I can’t really say what it is that made me want to get back in touch with you after all this time. But here I am in your inbox.

Well, I guess I can say, and it’s the war. My dad told me you joined the Army. I’m not going to say ‘don’t get into any battles,’ because I know you got no control over that. But if anything happened to you, I’d feel kinda bad if we left it the way it was the last time we talked.

I’m not in the Army or Navy. Maybe you know that, maybe not. I’m living on the planet Algeron. My mom pulled a bunch of strings to get me a college deferment. I’m studying music theory at Xihau University here on Algeron. Its technical name is the ‘Xihau Academy of Extreme Educational Excellence,’ can you believe that? Started here at the beginning of the cycle. This is mostly a liberal arts school. As for my major, you know me, I always wanted to be a rock star! My mother was against it, but I had to pick a major quickly. She lectured me, of course. ‘What are you going to do with a degree in music theory? Be a music teacher? We’re at war, in case you haven’t noticed!’ She suggested I study economics or political science or military strategy, something useful, and said she’d cut off my tuition and bring me right home unless I didn’t switch majors. I didn’t. I’m still here. I think she doesn’t want to pay to bring me home. The spaceline fare to get me here was really expensive.

Algeron is dreadful. This is a very cold planet. Here there’s nothing like the deserts and prairies and beaches back on Caprion. Algeron’s just a tundra. It snows nitrogen here. Literally.

The campus is incredibly boring. The only place to get a drink is a little run-down station on one of the moons. But at least Algeron’s not at war and it’s very far away from home.