Greatwinter
Encyclopedia
The Greatwinter Series is a series of science fiction
novels by Sean McMullen
. In Australia
, the home country of the author, the first book was released as two separate novels, Voices in the Light and Mirrorsun Rising. In the United States
, the series was a trilogy
, composed of the following books:
The series is set in the 40th century, with action taking place in both North America
and Australia, called "Australica". The Greatwinter Series has certain steampunk
-like elements, such as a rejection of electrical and steam
or combustion technologies throughout the series, focusing instead on wind
-, solar
-, or man-powered devices and technologies. This is achieved through the plot device of orbiting machines which destroy anything detected as electronics, assumed created during a war at some point earlier.
At the same time, a ring of manned nuclear satellites used to enforce world peace is in place. The military commander, seeing the world collapse into chaos and not understanding its full nature, overrides all human operators, and programs the system to destroy all vehicles over a certain size, or moving over a certain speed, and all electronic signatures. This does nothing to stop the cetaceans, and leaves a satellite defence system in place for millennia that will keep the survivors in the technological Dark Ages by force.
The main surviving scientist links up with other survivors and, seeing that birds are not affected by the Call, engages in a genetic experiment to try to give the next generation immunity from the Call by blending bird DNA with humans. Millenia later their descendants will be immune, but also ignorant of their origins, and feared by all "normal" humans although believed to be a myth.
While these events were underway, a long term project to counteract global warming was underway. Robotic miners on the moon were manufacturing a space based ring of mirrors that would also diffuse the sun and cool the Earth. Slowed by the collapse of civilization it continues its task, also building a computer control system that will eventually become sentient.
It is this world 20 centuries later, having adapted to these new rules of existence which it has forgotten the causes of, that change begins to come to in the trilogy.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
novels by Sean McMullen
Sean McMullen
Sean Christopher McMullen is an Australian science fiction and fantasy author.-Biography:McMullen has a degree in physics and history from Melbourne University , a postgraduate degree in library and information science, and a PhD in Medieval Literature...
. In Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, the home country of the author, the first book was released as two separate novels, Voices in the Light and Mirrorsun Rising. In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the series was a trilogy
Trilogy
A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected, and that can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, or video games...
, composed of the following books:
- Souls in the Great MachineSouls in the Great MachineSouls in the Great Machine, by Sean McMullen, is the first book in the post-apocalyptic Greatwinter Trilogy. The book was published in June 1999....
(1999) - The Miocene ArrowThe Miocene ArrowThe Miocene Arrow is a post-apocalyptic novel by Sean McMullen. It is the middle book of the Greatwinter trilogy.-Plot summary:In isolated pockets of what used to be America, humans fight stylized duels in small, biodiesel-powered airplanes...
- Eyes of the CalculorEyes of the CalculorEyes of the Calculor is a post-apocalyptic novel by Sean McMullen published in 2001. It is the third part of the Greatwinter trilogy.-Plot:Mirrorsun, which orbits earth and prevents electrical machines from functioning, had been defunct for some time...
The series is set in the 40th century, with action taking place in both North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and Australia, called "Australica". The Greatwinter Series has certain steampunk
Steampunk
Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, and speculative fiction that came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s. Steampunk involves a setting where steam power is still widely used—usually Victorian era Britain or "Wild West"-era United...
-like elements, such as a rejection of electrical and steam
Steam
Steam is the technical term for water vapor, the gaseous phase of water, which is formed when water boils. In common language it is often used to refer to the visible mist of water droplets formed as this water vapor condenses in the presence of cooler air...
or combustion technologies throughout the series, focusing instead on wind
Wind
Wind is the flow of gases on a large scale. On Earth, wind consists of the bulk movement of air. In outer space, solar wind is the movement of gases or charged particles from the sun through space, while planetary wind is the outgassing of light chemical elements from a planet's atmosphere into space...
-, solar
Solar power
Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation, along with secondary solar-powered resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass, account for most of the available...
-, or man-powered devices and technologies. This is achieved through the plot device of orbiting machines which destroy anything detected as electronics, assumed created during a war at some point earlier.
Background
In the early 21st century a scientific experiment is carried out in Sydney, Australia to recreate a recently discovered ancient whale, or cetacean, using preserved DNA. The experiment backfires with apocalyptic effects. The whale had been a member of an ancient species with telepathic powers. It escapes with 2 other cetaceans and teaches other cetaceans how to use its ancient weapon of telepathy to devastate the human race that has caused so much harm to them. Copying the emotional longings of one of the scientists it felt, the recreated whale creates a telepathic "Call" that makes humans and most large mammals walk lemming like towards the source of the Call, the ocean. Society is quickly devastated as the majority of the population literally walk to their death in the ocean. Military attempts to destroy the cetaceans come to nothing, but are also diluted due to various world powers believing the Call is a pre-emptive attack by others and launching strikes.At the same time, a ring of manned nuclear satellites used to enforce world peace is in place. The military commander, seeing the world collapse into chaos and not understanding its full nature, overrides all human operators, and programs the system to destroy all vehicles over a certain size, or moving over a certain speed, and all electronic signatures. This does nothing to stop the cetaceans, and leaves a satellite defence system in place for millennia that will keep the survivors in the technological Dark Ages by force.
The main surviving scientist links up with other survivors and, seeing that birds are not affected by the Call, engages in a genetic experiment to try to give the next generation immunity from the Call by blending bird DNA with humans. Millenia later their descendants will be immune, but also ignorant of their origins, and feared by all "normal" humans although believed to be a myth.
While these events were underway, a long term project to counteract global warming was underway. Robotic miners on the moon were manufacturing a space based ring of mirrors that would also diffuse the sun and cool the Earth. Slowed by the collapse of civilization it continues its task, also building a computer control system that will eventually become sentient.
It is this world 20 centuries later, having adapted to these new rules of existence which it has forgotten the causes of, that change begins to come to in the trilogy.