League of Peoples

James Alan Gardner has been called "one of the most engaging reads in SF." His debut novel, Expendable, was acclaimed by some of science fiction's most esteemed authors. Now, in Gravity Wells, he brings together some of the stories that have helped solidify his reputation as one of the greats in speculative fiction. This collection consists of stories making their debut, previously published stories that have won the Aurora Award, the grand prize in the prestigious Writers of the Future contest, and tales that have been nominated for Hugo and Nebula Awards.

In Expendable, the first volume of the League of Peoples, Festina Ramos is assigned to escort an unstable admiral to planet Melaquin. Little is known about Melaquin, for every explorer who's landed there has disappeared. It's come to be known as the "planet of no return," and the High Council has made a habit of sending troublesome admirals there in an attempt to get rid of them. It's clear that this is intended to be Ramos's last mission, but she doesn't plan on dying, no matter how expendable she may be.

After most of Earth's population has left for other planets, life is simple in the isolated village of Tober Cove. Fullin, a twenty-year-old musician, lives well off of his craft. But soon he must make a life-changing decision that all residents of Tober Cove must make. Up until their twenty-first birthdays, the people of Tober Cove change gender every year. But at the age of twenty-one, they must commit to being male, female, or a Neut (essentially a hermaphrodite) for the rest of their lives. As Fullin nears the moment of decision, his faith becomes shaken when he uncovers secrets that distort his beliefs.

In the twenty-fifth century, under the leadership of the League of Peoples, war and crime are things of the past and life is held sacred. That is, as long as you are healthy and beautiful. But those who are deformed or flawed, or who appear to be misfits in any way, are destined-or is "doomed" a better word?-to become Explorers, crews assigned to probe worlds so hostile, the chances of returning are somewhere between slim and none. In Vigilant, the third volume of the League of Peoples series, a deadly plague has struck planet Demoth, wiping out millions of the winged Ooloms. Humans, however, were left completely untouched. But before the Oolom population was utterly devastated, Dr. Henry Smallwood found a cure. He lived as a hero for only a year before dying in a mining accident. Having grown up without a father, Dr. Smallwood's daughter Faye attempts to escape her troubled past by joining the Vigil, a planetary organization that monitors the government. But on her first assignment, things go terribly awry and she and her team are targeted by android assassins. Uncovering a conspiracy that threatens the fate of Demoth, Faye turns to the only person she can trust-Festina Ramos.

In the fourth volume of the League of Peoples series, Alexander York is one of the High Council's most iron-fisted admirals. When his children, Samantha and Edward, were born, he paid top dollar to have their DNA altered to insure they grew up perfect physical and mental specimens. But when Edward ended up with a faulty brain, his father sentenced him to join the Expendables, a band of misfits and the deformed mandated to explore the most dangerous parts of the galaxy. Accompanying his sister on a mission to Troyen, an anguished planet and home to the Mandasar, Edward finds himself in the middle of a civil war and is ultimately exiled. As violence escalates, Edward struggles to navigate a treacherous path with the assistance of none other than Festina Ramos-the greatest Explorer of all.

Four years after Festina Ramos left Melaquin, the "planet of no return," Uclodda Unorr arrives. Unorr is a hired smuggler tasked with gathering evidence of misconduct of the Technocracy's Outward Fleet. Much to his surprise he discovers that Oar, a resident of the planet and last of her kind, is still alive. Though Oar's glass-like body is indestructible, her mind grows weak and will soon fall victim to "apathetic hibernation." Along with her old friend Admiral Festina Ramos, Oar must reveal the true history of Melaquin and expose the ugly deeds of the Outward Fleet before her weary mind surrenders.

Life on Old Earth is simple. Under the rule of the Spark Lords, most chaos has been brought under control. Five unsatisfied teachers out for a night of drinking is nothing out of the ordinary . . . until they find one of their students has been murdered by an unknown alien organism. When it is discovered that the murdered student's boyfriend has gone missing, these misfits find themselves tangled in an unofficial homicide investigation that uncovers things they had never imagined. The hunt for a murderer unveils a horrifying conspiracy that may involve everyone from the Spark Lords to the League of Peoples . . . and a force more sinister than anything they could have imagined.

In the 25th century, under the leadership of the League of Peoples, war and crime are a thing of the past and life is held sacred. That is, as long as you're healthy and beautiful. But those who are deformed, flawed or misfit in any way are destined - or is "doomed" a better word? - to become Explorers, crews assigned to probe worlds so hostile, the chances of returning are somewhere between slim and none. A qualified member of the expendable Explorer Corps due to her untreated facial blemish, Youn Suu sets out on a standard suicidal mission. Along with her partner, Tut, Youn is tasked with investigating a sudden infestation of the Balrog--a sentient red moss that can form parasitic, symbiotic relationship with its host--on the home world of the Cashlings. The mission takes a turn for the worse when Suu is infected with the Balrog. But just before all is lost, Suu and Tut are rescued from the planet by legendary Expendable Admiral Festina Ramos. Aboard an Outward Fleet starship, they find that the Balrog is far more intelligent and sinister than they ever could have imagined. It is only then that the scope and danger of this nightmare is truly revealed.

Three "riveting" novels of space adventure set in a dystopian future from a Hugo and Nebula Award–nominated author and "brilliant" voice (David Feintuch). In the twenty-fifth century, sentient races are ruled by the League of Peoples. War has been eliminated and killing is forbidden, but insidious secrets are concealed in the dark corners of this would-be utopia, in these three action-packed novels. Expendable: Festina Ramos serves in the Explorer Corps-better known as the Expendable Crew Members-whose mission is to risk their lives on potentially hostile unexplored planets. When the Admiralty finally sends her on a suicide mission, Festina is determined to escape certain death, but the consequences of defiance are beyond what she ever imagined. Commitment Hour: When citizens of Tober Cove-one of few settlements left on Earth since interstellar travel became possible-turn twenty, they make a permanent decision affecting the rest of their lives. As Fullin reaches the age of commitment and considers the ramifications of his choice, the village is shaken by the arrival of a Spark Lord-a being charged by the League with maintaining order on Earth-who has the unusual request to observe the Commitment Day ceremony. Vigilant: Humans and Ooloms-a race of flying squirrel–like humanoids-share the planet Demoth. When Faye Smallwood was a teenager, a plague almost wiped out the Oolom population before her father developed a cure. As an adult, Faye wants to make a difference on Demoth and joins the Vigil, a watchdog group that can link into government data. When she uncovers a conspiracy around long-abandoned alien technology, her life is endangered and she finds an unexpected ally in an outcast admiral.