Heritage Trilogy
Encyclopedia
Heritage Trilogy is a series of military science fiction
books written by Ian Douglas
that focus on the United States Marine Corps
. It is followed by the Legacy Trilogy
and the Inheritance Trilogy
.
. The Marine Mars Expeditionary Force
, a 30-man weapons platoon, has been dispatched from the United States Marine Corps to Mars to protect American civilians and interests with lethal force if necessary. The discoveries on Mars, however, start a global war. The United States and its allies fight against most of the member nations of United Nations
.
As the war drags on it is discovered that Mars is not the only place that holds ruins of an alien civilization. In Luna Marine it is discovered that the Earth's own Moon
contains mysterious technologies of long vanished species. The US attempts to take those ruins currently held by the UN using another Marine force made from veterans from Mars, supported by the first antimatter
-powered starship
. The UN, however, plans to end the war by dropping an asteroid
on the United States. Though an Aerospace Force nuclear missile strike is able to divert the asteroid itself, they are unable to prevent the wreck of the UN starship shepherding the asteroid from crashing on Chicago
, destroying part of the city. Meanwhile the alien ruin on the Moon is captured and humanity learns a second alien race not only taught them the elements of civilization but also enslaved them. The war ends with the UN suing for peace before it eventually collapses.
Twenty years after the UN War, the Earth's nations continue to fight in space for scraps of alien technology. In Europa Strike a strange artifact lies imprisoned beneath the ice-locked oceans of Europa
. Both a Chinese task force and a Marine Expeditionary Unit race to secure the artifact. It turns out it is a starship is called "The Singer" for the eerie tones it emits. Crewed by an ancient artificial intelligence
, in turns out that this ship belongs to a third race that is responsible for the destruction of the other two alien civilizations that once inhabited the Solar System
.
Military science fiction
Military science fiction is a subgenre of science fiction in which the principal characters are members of a military service and an armed conflict is taking place, normally in space, or on a planet other than Earth...
books written by Ian Douglas
William H. Keith, Jr.
William H. Keith is an American author. He served during the Vietnam War in the United States Navy as a hospital corpsman. He became a professional artist, working in the game industry with his brother Andrew, before becoming a full-time author...
that focus on the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
. It is followed by the Legacy Trilogy
Legacy Trilogy
Legacy Trilogy is a series of military science fiction books written by Ian Douglas that focus on the United States Marine Corps. The trilogy is the sequel to the Heritage Trilogy and is followed by the Inheritance Trilogy....
and the Inheritance Trilogy
Inheritance Trilogy (science fiction)
Inheritance Trilogy is a series of military science fiction books written by Ian Douglas that focus on the United States Marine Corps. The trilogy is the sequel to the Heritage Trilogy and the Legacy Trilogy.-List of novels:*Star Strike...
.
Background
The events of the Heritage Trilogy span from 2040 to 2067. In Semper Mars, evidence of an alien civilization that may have intervened in human evolution threatens to throw the Earth into chaos and war when discovered by scientists in the subterranean ruins on MarsMars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
. The Marine Mars Expeditionary Force
Marine Expeditionary Unit
A Marine expeditionary unit , formerly called Marine amphibious unit , is the smallest Marine air-ground task force in the United States Fleet Marine Force...
, a 30-man weapons platoon, has been dispatched from the United States Marine Corps to Mars to protect American civilians and interests with lethal force if necessary. The discoveries on Mars, however, start a global war. The United States and its allies fight against most of the member nations of United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
.
As the war drags on it is discovered that Mars is not the only place that holds ruins of an alien civilization. In Luna Marine it is discovered that the Earth's own Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
contains mysterious technologies of long vanished species. The US attempts to take those ruins currently held by the UN using another Marine force made from veterans from Mars, supported by the first antimatter
Antimatter
In particle physics, antimatter is the extension of the concept of the antiparticle to matter, where antimatter is composed of antiparticles in the same way that normal matter is composed of particles...
-powered starship
Starship
A starship or interstellar spacecraft is a theoretical spacecraft designed for traveling between the stars, as opposed to a vehicle designed for orbital spaceflight or interplanetary travel....
. The UN, however, plans to end the war by dropping an asteroid
Asteroid
Asteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...
on the United States. Though an Aerospace Force nuclear missile strike is able to divert the asteroid itself, they are unable to prevent the wreck of the UN starship shepherding the asteroid from crashing on Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, destroying part of the city. Meanwhile the alien ruin on the Moon is captured and humanity learns a second alien race not only taught them the elements of civilization but also enslaved them. The war ends with the UN suing for peace before it eventually collapses.
Twenty years after the UN War, the Earth's nations continue to fight in space for scraps of alien technology. In Europa Strike a strange artifact lies imprisoned beneath the ice-locked oceans of Europa
Europa (moon)
Europa Slightly smaller than Earth's Moon, Europa is primarily made of silicate rock and probably has an iron core. It has a tenuous atmosphere composed primarily of oxygen. Its surface is composed of ice and is one of the smoothest in the Solar System. This surface is striated by cracks and...
. Both a Chinese task force and a Marine Expeditionary Unit race to secure the artifact. It turns out it is a starship is called "The Singer" for the eerie tones it emits. Crewed by an ancient artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
, in turns out that this ship belongs to a third race that is responsible for the destruction of the other two alien civilizations that once inhabited the Solar System
Solar System
The Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
.