Viridian System Sampler: 8 Short Stories

Viridian System

by Jemima Pett

This anthology of eight short stories starts with what turns out to be the genesis of the Viridian System series, a science fiction adventure starring two asteroid miners, Big Pete and the Swede.


Each comes with an explanation of how the story came about - most are in response to an online flash fiction prompt. As the weekly exercises continued, so two characters demanded to be heard, developing their motivations, interests, and exploring the world, or system, in which they live. These short stories tend to have twists and narrow escapes that might not be sustainable in the series. Zito, who runs a bar and an escort agency on the primary planet, Pleasant Valley, features large in these tasters. Later ones include back story, and first appearances of characters who became important to the series.


The story titles in the second (2017) edition are:


The Orichalcum Library
The Appeal of Alpha Kenworthy (new)
Disappearing Act
Auburn Moon, Vermilion Tides
Upwelling
The Coprolite Conundrum (new)
The White Rose of York (new)
The Inspector Calls (new)


This sampler gives science fiction readers a taster of the series, in advance of the re-issue of The Perihelix, book 1 of the Viridian System series. Book 2 is also in preparation.


Please note that this sampler may be revised to include different stories from time to time. You should be able to update your copy to the latest version from your purchase site.

Genres: Science Fiction

ebook

First published September 28, 2015

About the author

Jemima Pett has been living in a world of her own for many years. Writing stories since she was eight, drawing maps of fantasy islands with train systems and timetables at ten. Unfortunately no-one wanted a fantasy island designer then, so she tried a few careers, getting great experiences in business, environmental research and social work. She finally got back to building her own worlds, and wrote about them. Her business background enabled her to become an independent author, responsible for her own publications.

Her first series, the Princelings of the East, is now complete, with ten mystery adventures for advanced readers set in a world of tunnels and castles. There's a strong element of time travel, and relies on thinking yourself out of difficult situations! Jemima does chapter illustrations for these.

Shehas also published two volumes of Christmas stories for young readers, the BookElves Anthologies, and her father's memoirs White Water Landings, about the Imperial Airways flying boat service in Africa. Her current work-in-progress is the third in her (adult) science fiction series set in the Viridian System, in which the aliens include sentient trees.

Jemima now lives in Hampshire with her guinea pigs, the first of whom, Fred, George, Victor and Hugo, provided the inspiration for her first stories, The Princelings of the East. She is currently writing short stories for anthologies, and working on ideas for a new climate-related fiction book.

See my blog at jemimapett.com
The Princelings series at Princelings of the East series
My science fiction books at Viridian System series

Reviews

[Jyoti Dahiya · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a sampler from the ‘Viridian star system’, where asteroids are mined for orichalcum, no less, and the miners go for recreation to a planet with a double fast rotation, two suns and three moons.

Far in the future, yet it has male miners hiring female 'miner-suppliers' for company, sex and service, from what can only be a pimp. Eyeroll and loss of stars!

Well written shorts despite that major drawback, they do draw you in, and you may be tempted to read more about the system in the rest of the books in the same world.

[Chris The Story Reading Ape · Rating 3 out of 5]

Several good stories about Big Pete, The Swede, Dolores, Maggie and other characters in the Viridian System books.

See my review also at:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...

[Rebecca Douglass · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since I follow Jemima Pett's blog, I have read all these stories before now, as they came out. But I still enjoyed re-reading this short anthology of the flash fiction that inspired her forthcoming book, The Perihelix. These stories range over several genres (despite being all set on distant planets!) and all are enjoyable. Although Ms. Pett has primarily published for children and young adults, these stories reminded me that she spins a good yarn for the adults, too.

Since Pete and Lars are favorites of mine, I can't wait to read the whole Viridian System series (note: I was privileged to be a beta-reader for The Perihelix, and enjoyed it immensely). And in the interests of full disclosure: I consider Jemima Pett to be a friend, but that does not change the fact that I genuinely enjoyed these tales.

[Victoria Zigler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great little collection of flash fiction stories, which are perfect to give you a taste of the world, while making you want to know more. The little explanations of how the stories came about were a nice touch too.

[Jemima Pett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a free sampler of stories that led to and give some back story about my new scifi series The Viridian System. The first book in the series, The Perihelix, will be out in January 2016.