Many years ago, Unique Miranda was sold a dream of immortality, but received an incurable disease. Forced to cryogenically freeze herself until a cure was found, she wakes in the future, in a far galaxy, and finds that she’s stranded on a remote moon, deep in debt and indentured to a corporation until she repays it. As she labors, she finds herself falling deeper and deeper into debt and depression, and realizes that something must change.
Each of her neighbors on the moon have their own methods of coping. A highly motivated siren, in the boardroom as well as the bedroom, a jaded do-nothing, and a talented gamer and his sensuous A.I. partner.
When one of them shares a secret plan to escape, Unique must decide whether to play safe with her new life or risk it to make a better one.
A Dystopian Page-Turner, an Epic Adventure Space Opera, Sycorax is the first book in the Unique Miranda Trilogy by H. W. Taylor, author of the sci-fi short story collection Progeny.
Targeted Age Group:: 18+
What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
The basic premise spawned the whole trilogy: What happens to people in the future who freeze themselves?
I wondered who would take on the financial burden of restoring the lives of all these people and that lead me to the Unique Miranda Trilogy. I plugged in names from Shakespeare's The Tempest and the film Aliens and set to work.
How is writing Science Fiction different from other genres?
I love sci-fi because worlds can be leaped, technology speculated, and the moral questions can be worked through prior to their invention. The whole quandary of "We were so focused on doing it, nobody asked whether we should do it." Science Fiction is in the world for that reason.
How Did You Come up With Your Characters?
For Sycorax, I placed Unique Miranda among three other refugees on the planet. I wanted them to contrast with each other so one was highly motivated, but subject to steep depression, another was more even keeled and laid back, and the third was embittered and rude.
At first their characteristics were basic, a gamer, a vixen, but then they began to surprise me as they developed. The gamer, who had purchased a soulbot for companionship, turned out to be an insecure, momma's boy. The vixen surprised me with her intelligence and drive. They started to break out of these tiny boxes I first put them in and took me on a much more wild drive than I had foreseen.
That's the thrilling thing about being a writer. Discovering the characters is one of my favorite things.
Book Sample
Unique grimaced in sympathy. “Ooo, looks like you won’t be space surfing any nebulae in the near future.”
Ferdi frowned. “Learn science, please.”
“Guess what this means?” Unique moved to the kitchen nook and brought out the screen.
Ferdi strained from her seat. “What are you doing over there? Are you shopping?”
“I can’t send you back to that dirty, junky dome by yourself. So we’re roomies now.” Unique made a few flicks at the screen. “I just bought you a pillow.”
Ferdi bared her teeth. “Do not buy me a pillow, Neek.”
“Too late, roomie. Easier to buy you new toiletries than drive back to your dome to get them.”
“I don’t have any toiletries.”
Unique made a little vocal pip, signaling her nonsurprise.
“Oh. I get it.”
Unique fluttered her eyes at Ferdi, feeding off her annoyance. “Get what?”
“I get that you want me to pound you into Nutribean.”
Unique completed her order and pushed away the screen. “You say that now, but you’ll change your tone once we cuddle.”
“You’re sleeping on the floor.” Ferdi said, crossing her arms.
“I cuddle really good.”
“New plan. I kill you.”
“No killing, Ferdinandra. You promised.”
“Does killing myself count?”
About the Author:
H. W. Taylor was born in LA and watched Empire Strikes Back from his mother's lap. He writes, he teaches, he dreams vividly. He owns a tiny island in a pond. He is married and has five sons.
Links to Purchase Print Books
Link to Buy Sycorax: Book I of the Unique Miranda Trilogy Print Edition at Amazon
Links to Purchase eBooks
Link To Buy On Amazon
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