What Would You Rather Read?

[Darth Raptor]

I'd really like to start an original work. I have three vastly different ideas I've been kicking around; and all of them seem equally appealing (well, to me anyway). So, because this is the only place I'd post original fiction (FFN's out because it's not based on anything) I leave it up to you. I will let popular opinion dictate my next summer-consuming project: Which premise appeals to you more?

1) The Sister Star: This story is set in the distant future, tens- perhaps hundreds of thousands of years. War, death and hardship are a distant memory as humanity has achieved a virtual apotheosis; but not all is well in this seemingly perfect utopia. The increasingly small minority Natural population is at odds with the majority Transhumans; who treat the unaugmented homonids as inferior second-class citizens. The Transhuman Terran Emperor's influence over his duplicates begins to erode as they conspire against him; threatening to overthrow the stable civilization that has stood for countless generations. On the colony world of Alcent, a young female scientist is on the verge of a breakthrough that would link Sol with its colonies and allow the Terran Empire to expand to conquer the entire galaxy. The government, the usurpers and a group of Natural cyberterrorists all want her for themselves; the fate of civilization depends on her work.

2) The Phoenix Program: The Cold War got hot in the 1960s, and World War III left the former superpowers of the East and West devastated. After the war, the planet was in a state of constant anarchy as the survivors vied for supremacy. As the radioactive dust settles and the world begins to recover, global geopolitics are still split into two: The libertarian Alliance of Free States and the socialistic Chinese Hegemony. As tensions mount, the disenfranchised losers of the post-war era pull the strings from behind the scenes; hoping to restore themselves to their former wealth and power. Who are the Grand Cabal? And what exactly is the Phoenix Progam? An Allied intelligence agent is ordered to investigate. Naturally, he has no idea what he's getting himself into.

3) Trial by Blood: Perhaps the most exotic of the three, this is primordial fantasy. 65 million years ago, a massive asteroid crossed Earth's orbit; missing the planet by a wide margin and having no effect whatsoever. Eons later, civilization is in its infancy; but humanity is nowhere to be seen. On the island Queendom of Scillantos, four young Dromes prepare for their brutal coming of age ceremony. According to tradition, the gods dictate that they must become hunters before they can claim their place as adults. A tale of struggle and survival, they will be driven to the breaking point as they attempt to endure in the inhospitable wilderness. Between moments of sheer terror are long hours of hardship and dispair, during which their will may be broken and their faith may be shattered. There is only one certainty: The children will die; but whether they will survive as adults remains to be seen.

I plan to do all three of these eventually, but I throw myself at the mercy of democracy to decide which one I do first. Any and all imput would be appreciated, general comments and questions are also welcome. If all three of these suck ass, let me know.

[Ford Prefect]

The Sister Star; it has the air of a thriller.

[Noble Ire]

I agree; the first does sound as if it has a lot of potential.

[Duckie]

I'd say one sounds like the best to my ears. I like Alternate History, but two just seems wrong to my historicity-sense.

[Darth Raptor]

I like Alternate History, but two just seems wrong to my historicity-sense.

It will definately have the highest WTF factor of the three, I promise. And that's saying a lot.

[Pick]

Honestly? The fantasy fan in my screams to be heard... Trial by Blood .

[Darth Raptor]

Honestly? The fantasy fan in my screams to be heard... Trial by Blood .

I'm glad you're intrigued! Since I lack your artistic prowess, I'll give an example of the kind of anthropomorphic artwork that inspired this race:



Most extreme example of convergent evolution ever? Bah, still not as bad as Star Trek.

"Drome" is just their working name, I'm not sure if I'll actually use it. My race will be pretty much like the specimen pictured above- with some slight differences: Three fingers instead of five, no external ears and, of course, no nipples. Females will be distingusihed from males by their relatively larger build and drab coloration.