“Edward M. Lerner’s InterstellarNet is one of the most original and well-thought-out visions of an interstellar civilization I’ve ever seen.”
— Stanley Schmidt, Author of Argonaut
Where the Fleet of Worlds series is high space opera — with all the gee-whiz, far-beyond-our-ken technology that implies — Ed rooted his InterstellarNet series in more familiar science. As he explained in a science-behind-the-story essay for Analog:
We are not alone. Now what?
InterstellarNet began in musings about a far-future, star-spanning, human civilization. I presumed the pesky constraints of relativity: no FTL travel.
One thing led to another … soon I was pondering a comm network that functioned across the light-years. And, we homo saps being a tad competitive — about interstellar cyber attacks.
As long as it isn’t real, who doesn’t like a clever cyber attack? Especially once a bunch of sneaky aliens are added to the mix?
“A wonderfully thought-provoking story … Lerner’s world-building and extrapolating are top notch.”
— SFScope
“An excellent series.” — Galaxy’s Edge
Machiavellian? That’s kids’ stuff!
Where InterstellarNet: Origins revolves around issues of First Contact and the vulnerability of linked-by-network civilizations, InterstellarNet: New Order introduces a whole new set of challenges. It’s a startling adventure of Second Contact, up-front and in-person, wherein humanity discovers that meeting aliens face to face is very different — and a lot more dangerous — than sending and receiving messages.
” … A twisted plot complete with conspiracies, alien psychology, antimatter physics neep, AI spies, and plenty of shooting action at the end.”
— Internet Review of Science Fiction (on the serialized version)
“… A well researched hard science fiction series. Building from today’s technology into a believable tale of the not-so-distant future of characters, ships and planets, I really enjoyed it.”
— Abyss & Apex
Humanity once feared that we might be alone in the universe. Now we know better. Now we know there are worse things than being alone.
Winner of the 2015 Canopus Award!
And mostly recently released: InterstellarNet: Enigma. This next stage of the star-spanning InterstellarNet saga makes clear that scary as the neighbors can be, sometimes they’re all we have. And we have to hope they’re enough …
“When people talk about good hard SF — rigorously extrapolated but still imbued with the classic sense-of-wonder — they mean the work of Edward M. Lerner, the current master of the craft. InterstellarNet: Enigma is Lerner’s latest gem, and it’s up to his usual excellent standards; a winner all around.”
— Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo Award-winning author of Red Planet Blues
“One of the most rewarding SF reading experiences anyone could ask for, on both an intellectual and emotional level.”
— Tangent Online
The novel incorporates the Hugo Award-nominated novelette “Championship B’tok.”
On the fence? Then try out InterstellarNet: Enigma in ebook serial form! It’s running (at Amazon and other venues) even as I type.
You’ll find plot synopses and favorite blurbs over on the bibliography page.
As novels come out, Ed (of course) blogs about them. For more background about books in the series, check out these posts:
Have you read some of the series? Maybe you’re just curious. Either way, why not head over to SF and Nonsense and join the conversation? You’ll find an InterstellarNet label to steer you to many posts touching upon the topic.