People
have told me they like the way Earth is portrayed in the Convergent Space
books. Every writer likes to be original
so I'm quite pleased a lot of people have latched onto this aspect of my books
in their reviews and comments.
Often
in sci-fi, Earth is either the main force in the story or – in galaxy-spanning
Space Opera's like those of the late Iain M. Banks – it doesn't feature at all.
The latter is actually safer if you're
trying to write an original imaginative story because as soon as you make your
book about Earth you fall foul of real history - and the present. That can be limiting and no sci-fi writer
wants that!
In
the Convergent Space universe, Earth is neither powerful nor absent. When we pick up the story, Earth is
downtrodden and pretty much hated by everyone (and there is a reason for this).
Don't
get me wrong, in all three books in the series, the main characters are from
Earth, and the actions of humans have a profound effect on the destiny of the
galaxy but Earth itself isn’t powerful, respected or relevant as a political
force. It looms in the background, thwarted and frustrated, hoping to regain
past glories.
And
maybe it will...
