More concept art for “Faraway Star” is out!

My latest novel, Faraway Star, is inching closer to creation. I’ve done a couple of articles about this project, and as is now customary I’ll put an index with links to them at the end of this article. But in the meantime I’m excited to share with you this magnificent illustration, by artist Doris Snow, of a scene from Chapter 1 of Faraway Star. I commissioned this picture several weeks ago and I’m thrilled at how well it came out and how perfectly Doris was able to capture what I had in my head when I was writing the book.

As you may know from previous articles, Faraway Star, a science fiction novel, is the story of a young man, Raljebi, a humanoid from the planet Caprion, who is attending college on a distant backwater planet. His world is involved in a war with the reptilian Menkarian Empire, a war that he opposes; his whole point of going to college is to obtain an exemption from the military draft. His best friend Quilq, who happens to be a Menkarian, tells him about a peace movement that’s growing on another planet, Mira, and he (Quilq) has decided to drop out of school to join it. Raljebi declines Quilq’s invitation to join him. Dejected at the coming loss of his best friend, he goes to a bar called Club Q to drown his sorrows. There he unwittingly crosses paths with a couple of belligerent Menkarian merchant mariners. What transpires in the bar is the inciting incident of the whole story, as it convinces Raljebi to change his mind and accompany his friend to the peace commune. Then, we’re off and running.

This picture is a vivid illustration of what I had in mind for the scene. Not only did Doris Snow capture the character of Raljebi, but she visualized the Menkarian harassers in all their grotesque glory. The vivid colors are also exactly what I wanted. Part of the inspiration for Faraway Star, which I began writing more than 30 years ago when I was in college, was the aesthetic of the original Star Trek series, which popped and blazed with brilliant reds, greens and purples in a way unlike the washed-out, monochromatic look of later science fiction (including many of the Star Trek movies and spinoffs).

A release date for Faraway Star hasn’t been set yet, but things are in motion behind the scenes and you all, readers of the Garden, will be the first to know where you can preorder the book. There will be an ebook, paperback and audiobook version available. I may also run some excerpts, including the first chapter, here on the blog at the paid tier membership. So, stay subscribed!

Here are my previous articles regarding Faraway Star:

• The books I’m working on: Faraway Star and Wild Among the Moons (an introduction to the concepts of the books).
• Choose your weapon: The tech of my science fiction book Faraway Star (specifically about the role of technology in science fiction and storytelling).
• Strange synchronicity: Finishing an antiwar novel in a time of war (related to the outbreak of the conflict with Iran, and the antiwar message of Faraway Star).
• The first concept art for Faraway Star is out! (showcasing a previous image of the main character and an early setting).

Illustration by Doris Snow, all rights reserved.

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