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The Fallen Sun
A world where the sun never sets; where there is no day and no night; and where shadows never move. Beyond an oasis of light, the freezing outer darkness stretches far away. In this strange environment we follow the stories of three remarkable young people. Together, these three must struggle to save their world. And in saving it, they change it and themselves forever.
400 pages, Paperback
Published September 10, 2018
10 people want to read
About the author
David R. Grigg
26 books18 followersI’m a writer and retired software developer who lives in Melbourne, Australia. I worked in the field of interactive multimedia for over two decades, and have also worked in public relations and as a journalist and sub-editor.
During the 1970s and 1980s, I was deeply involved in the science fiction fan community, publishing fanzines and helping organize SF conventions, eventually becoming Chairman of the 43rd World SF Convention held in Melbourne in 1985.
I was extremely fortunate to have attended the Writer’s Workshop held by Ursula Le Guin at Booth Lodge in 1975, an amazing and transformative experience.
Since retiring, I've returned to my first love of writing fiction. My SF novel "The Fallen Sun" was published in September 2018.
During the 1970s and 1980s, I was deeply involved in the science fiction fan community, publishing fanzines and helping organize SF conventions, eventually becoming Chairman of the 43rd World SF Convention held in Melbourne in 1985.
I was extremely fortunate to have attended the Writer’s Workshop held by Ursula Le Guin at Booth Lodge in 1975, an amazing and transformative experience.
Since retiring, I've returned to my first love of writing fiction. My SF novel "The Fallen Sun" was published in September 2018.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 1, 2018
This is an excellent book. It’s got interesting technology, good world building, a collection of characters that you care about, and some mysteries that keep you reading to the end. (And when you get there you want to start the next instalment straight away, except it hasn’t been written yet. Hopefully David Grigg is not the new George Martin.)
The world of Sunfall is one of perpetual day. The sun isn’t in the sky, but on top of a tower. Think Tolkien’s vision of Arda, except on Sunfall the power of the sun does not wax and wane, and there is no moon. So not really very similar, I guess... The locals believe that God put the sun there because it had been too far away from the planet to provide sufficient light, but it’s reasonably apparent that it’s an artefact of an earlier civilisation. I can’t help asking myself whether the people responsible for the “fallen sun” wouldn’t have contrived to make it wax and wane, but then the story would have been quite different, so it’s best to decide that they must have had a reason.
We don’t find out all there is to know about the science behind Sunfall and it’s entirely likely that more will be revealed in subsequent episodes. The planet is clearly orbiting a star that doesn’t provide a lot of energy. Is that because it has aged to the point where it is low on fuel? We are given evidence that at some point the planet supported more life. It has a breathable atmosphere, which suggests that a lot of plants expired a lot of oxygen over a long period. Is that atmosphere gradually bleeding off, as has been speculated was the case with Mars? Does the planet rotate? I’m curious about how much heat exchange goes on between the habitable area around the “fallen sun” and the rest of the planet. Is there a pattern of prevailing winds, and if there is, would the fallen sun system in fact work. Wouldn’t the heat just dissipate?
The human society on Sunfall is patriarchal and clan based. The clans are formed around industries or professions. The clan of the main character, for instance, is that of the Bellringers who are responsible for timekeeping. The society is also stratified; there are the “Brights”, or the aristocrats, and the “Dims”, who are the menial workers. Almost all the main characters are Brights. Among the Brights women are not allowed to do anything of any significance, but of course this doesn’t apply to the working class. There is gender-based tension and class-based tension.
It’s hard to say a lot about the social situation on Sunfall without giving away too much about the plot, so I won’t. Suffice it to say that change is imminent, and that the story is mostly concerned with what sort of change that will be, and whether it will be good change or bad change.
“The fallen sun” is well worth reading, particularly if you like science-based science fiction.
The world of Sunfall is one of perpetual day. The sun isn’t in the sky, but on top of a tower. Think Tolkien’s vision of Arda, except on Sunfall the power of the sun does not wax and wane, and there is no moon. So not really very similar, I guess... The locals believe that God put the sun there because it had been too far away from the planet to provide sufficient light, but it’s reasonably apparent that it’s an artefact of an earlier civilisation. I can’t help asking myself whether the people responsible for the “fallen sun” wouldn’t have contrived to make it wax and wane, but then the story would have been quite different, so it’s best to decide that they must have had a reason.
We don’t find out all there is to know about the science behind Sunfall and it’s entirely likely that more will be revealed in subsequent episodes. The planet is clearly orbiting a star that doesn’t provide a lot of energy. Is that because it has aged to the point where it is low on fuel? We are given evidence that at some point the planet supported more life. It has a breathable atmosphere, which suggests that a lot of plants expired a lot of oxygen over a long period. Is that atmosphere gradually bleeding off, as has been speculated was the case with Mars? Does the planet rotate? I’m curious about how much heat exchange goes on between the habitable area around the “fallen sun” and the rest of the planet. Is there a pattern of prevailing winds, and if there is, would the fallen sun system in fact work. Wouldn’t the heat just dissipate?
The human society on Sunfall is patriarchal and clan based. The clans are formed around industries or professions. The clan of the main character, for instance, is that of the Bellringers who are responsible for timekeeping. The society is also stratified; there are the “Brights”, or the aristocrats, and the “Dims”, who are the menial workers. Almost all the main characters are Brights. Among the Brights women are not allowed to do anything of any significance, but of course this doesn’t apply to the working class. There is gender-based tension and class-based tension.
It’s hard to say a lot about the social situation on Sunfall without giving away too much about the plot, so I won’t. Suffice it to say that change is imminent, and that the story is mostly concerned with what sort of change that will be, and whether it will be good change or bad change.
“The fallen sun” is well worth reading, particularly if you like science-based science fiction.
October 12, 2019
There are many dystopian books out, each with their own niche and some of them stand out. This is one such book. The most unique thing about the story is not the fact that they have the sun shining on them all the time, or that they have adapted the society to divide the work in running life or even the fact that they have adapted living conditions, houses, and windows to use the light when required. The most unique thing (I felt) was the concept of time.
We are taught early on in our schooling or even before about how time exists because of the rotation and revolution of our planet. This dystopia puts a spin (pardon the pun) on it because the situation is not as we know are used to in real life. There are multiple self-assessments with regards to what time means when our main male protagonist Candens is running for his life and gauging what it means to him. The world-building is very interesting and intricate, in this situation we first concentrate on one family and two women/girls connected to the family: Campana and Adura(apart from Candens). Each of the three names I have mentioned has their own grievances until a bigger problem is thrown at them and they become enmeshed in a bigger conspiracy. It was an easy read and although I could put it down in the first half, by the time I reached the second half and the story was well on its way- I had to finish before I could move on to anything else.
I look forward to finding out what happens in the next book because the story essentially ends as a cliff hanger with a very delicate peace and a lot of unknowns. I have my fingers crossed for the next installment because it has to work very hard to keep up with the arc that the background story took by the time this story ended.
I am actually surprised at the lack of people who have picked this book up, considering its content I would have thought a much wider audience would find this appealing.
I received an advance reviewer's copy of the book thanks to the publishers and NetGalley but the review is completely based on my own reading experience.
We are taught early on in our schooling or even before about how time exists because of the rotation and revolution of our planet. This dystopia puts a spin (pardon the pun) on it because the situation is not as we know are used to in real life. There are multiple self-assessments with regards to what time means when our main male protagonist Candens is running for his life and gauging what it means to him. The world-building is very interesting and intricate, in this situation we first concentrate on one family and two women/girls connected to the family: Campana and Adura(apart from Candens). Each of the three names I have mentioned has their own grievances until a bigger problem is thrown at them and they become enmeshed in a bigger conspiracy. It was an easy read and although I could put it down in the first half, by the time I reached the second half and the story was well on its way- I had to finish before I could move on to anything else.
I look forward to finding out what happens in the next book because the story essentially ends as a cliff hanger with a very delicate peace and a lot of unknowns. I have my fingers crossed for the next installment because it has to work very hard to keep up with the arc that the background story took by the time this story ended.
I am actually surprised at the lack of people who have picked this book up, considering its content I would have thought a much wider audience would find this appealing.
I received an advance reviewer's copy of the book thanks to the publishers and NetGalley but the review is completely based on my own reading experience.
September 11, 2018
A fallen sun, a whodunit and mindbending world-building. What more could you want?
I’ve read several short stories by David Grigg and his short novel A Twist of Fate. I thought he had set high standards.
The Fallen Sun has just raised those standards further. It’s going to be difficult to avoid spoilers, because I’m so keen to share the wow moments in this book’s plot, but I shall control myself.
Three young people come of age (we’d call them older teens, but in the world of Sunfall, they are about ‘7 or 8 millends old’) and are faced with having their comfortable if unexciting worlds turned upside down, in a civilisation that is thousands of years old and has totally fossilised its working and culture. Candens and Campana of the Clan of Bellringers are brought up very differently. Only boys like Candens get taught the work of the high-class Clans, and girls like Campana have to content themselves with make-work like embroidery. Because, hey, they will get married and leak the Clan secrets. (Not that Candens, as a second son, has much joy of it either, bitterly watching his elder twin become an addict and wastrel.)
Campana’s friend and Candens' pledge, Adura, will have none of it. She is not keen to be traded as a pawn in clan politics, and joins a secret group. Which has an even more secret agenda.
Things go from bad to worse for our trio, as they get accused of murderous intent, get enmeshed in kidnapping, and get thoroughly framed by the real villains.
This is not a fantasy story, as you’d think at first, fallen sun and so on, but a well plotted sci fi with a fast pace, mindbending world-building, a carefully realised culture, wicked but human villains, a plot with plenty of twists, and whatever else you could want in a sci fi adventure of the very far future. All the while, David Grigg slowly pulls the world itself into sharper and sharper focus. Like any good sci fi, the world itself is a character. (Okay, okay, I promised no spoilers). There are plenty of wow moments as you realise what is really going on. The familiar becomes strange, and the strange becomes familiar as the book goes on. The characters grow upon you, and their flaws become endearing. By the time they are fully tangled in the web of deceit, you’re rooting for them all the way, and turning pages frantically to find out: what next??
The motives and methods of the villains are difficult to imagine until they slowly become revealed and perfectly logical after all. Like any good mystery, you go ‘of course!’ once you know the answer, and yet, like any good mystery, you can guess and guess and mostly guess all wrong.
This is sci fi of very high quality. You won’t be disappointed.
Read The Fallen Sun if you like... Terry Pratchett, especially if you liked Strata better than the Discworld books; M John Harrison’s The Pastel City; Jack Vance’s Dying Earth books, but you didn’t like that much callousness; historical mysteries and alternative history sci fi of the far past; sci fi that borders on fantasy; epic fantasy which makes sense (no magic); JRR Tolkein, but you would have preferred a faster read with real humans and less Destiny; YA; or sci fi with horses. It’s difficult to say more without spoilers, but this is hard sci fi though it initially reads closer to fantasy.
Disclaimer: I was a beta reader for the book (too greedy to wait for a David Grigg book to be officially released). Let me tell you, the draft version was compelling, but the final version had me spellbound--it blew my socks off, and I grudged my eating and sleeping time.
I’ve read several short stories by David Grigg and his short novel A Twist of Fate. I thought he had set high standards.
The Fallen Sun has just raised those standards further. It’s going to be difficult to avoid spoilers, because I’m so keen to share the wow moments in this book’s plot, but I shall control myself.
Three young people come of age (we’d call them older teens, but in the world of Sunfall, they are about ‘7 or 8 millends old’) and are faced with having their comfortable if unexciting worlds turned upside down, in a civilisation that is thousands of years old and has totally fossilised its working and culture. Candens and Campana of the Clan of Bellringers are brought up very differently. Only boys like Candens get taught the work of the high-class Clans, and girls like Campana have to content themselves with make-work like embroidery. Because, hey, they will get married and leak the Clan secrets. (Not that Candens, as a second son, has much joy of it either, bitterly watching his elder twin become an addict and wastrel.)
Campana’s friend and Candens' pledge, Adura, will have none of it. She is not keen to be traded as a pawn in clan politics, and joins a secret group. Which has an even more secret agenda.
Things go from bad to worse for our trio, as they get accused of murderous intent, get enmeshed in kidnapping, and get thoroughly framed by the real villains.
This is not a fantasy story, as you’d think at first, fallen sun and so on, but a well plotted sci fi with a fast pace, mindbending world-building, a carefully realised culture, wicked but human villains, a plot with plenty of twists, and whatever else you could want in a sci fi adventure of the very far future. All the while, David Grigg slowly pulls the world itself into sharper and sharper focus. Like any good sci fi, the world itself is a character. (Okay, okay, I promised no spoilers). There are plenty of wow moments as you realise what is really going on. The familiar becomes strange, and the strange becomes familiar as the book goes on. The characters grow upon you, and their flaws become endearing. By the time they are fully tangled in the web of deceit, you’re rooting for them all the way, and turning pages frantically to find out: what next??
The motives and methods of the villains are difficult to imagine until they slowly become revealed and perfectly logical after all. Like any good mystery, you go ‘of course!’ once you know the answer, and yet, like any good mystery, you can guess and guess and mostly guess all wrong.
This is sci fi of very high quality. You won’t be disappointed.
Read The Fallen Sun if you like... Terry Pratchett, especially if you liked Strata better than the Discworld books; M John Harrison’s The Pastel City; Jack Vance’s Dying Earth books, but you didn’t like that much callousness; historical mysteries and alternative history sci fi of the far past; sci fi that borders on fantasy; epic fantasy which makes sense (no magic); JRR Tolkein, but you would have preferred a faster read with real humans and less Destiny; YA; or sci fi with horses. It’s difficult to say more without spoilers, but this is hard sci fi though it initially reads closer to fantasy.
Disclaimer: I was a beta reader for the book (too greedy to wait for a David Grigg book to be officially released). Let me tell you, the draft version was compelling, but the final version had me spellbound--it blew my socks off, and I grudged my eating and sleeping time.
May 10, 2019
his was an enjoyable read with likeable characters and plenty of conflict and tension to keep me reading as Candens, Campana and Adura became swept up in a conspiracy that would rock the foundations of their world. Set long after an apocalyptic event, the inhabitants of Sunfall have lost all knowledge of the civilisation that came before them. With the light of a constant sun beating down on their section of the world, they have adapted in such a way that they have segregated into clans, jealously guarding their secrets from one another. But secrets have a way of being uncovered, as the main characters soon discover.
Told from three points of view, the story starts with Candens, before his sister and the young woman he is pledged to are also drawn into his troubles. While there were times I shook my head at their actions, unable to believe they could be so blind to what was happening around them, it didn’t distract from the story overall. But for me the real star was the world building. It flowed seamlessly, making me believe that there could one day be a society like this, living in such a harsh and yet beautiful environment. The way the inhabitants dealt with the difficulties of a world where the sun shone constantly was imaginative and thoughtful, as was the designation of the citizens as Brights or Dims, based on their status. All the little hints about the past were also seamlessly woven in. In all, this was a fun read that would be sure to delight any fan of post-apocalyptic fantasy.
Told from three points of view, the story starts with Candens, before his sister and the young woman he is pledged to are also drawn into his troubles. While there were times I shook my head at their actions, unable to believe they could be so blind to what was happening around them, it didn’t distract from the story overall. But for me the real star was the world building. It flowed seamlessly, making me believe that there could one day be a society like this, living in such a harsh and yet beautiful environment. The way the inhabitants dealt with the difficulties of a world where the sun shone constantly was imaginative and thoughtful, as was the designation of the citizens as Brights or Dims, based on their status. All the little hints about the past were also seamlessly woven in. In all, this was a fun read that would be sure to delight any fan of post-apocalyptic fantasy.
March 20, 2020
Engaging, original story with good pacing. The English is simple and clear, which is perhaps by design and is an attractive feature for some readers. (Personally, I prefer prose that is a little more ornate.)
August 4, 2019
This is a good story that unfolds in a terrific way with interesting technology, well-written characters, and some mystery thrown-in. Very well done; Recommended. I look forward to his future work.
I really appreciate the advanced copy for review!!
I really appreciate the advanced copy for review!!
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February 4, 2019This book is an entry in the 2018 Aurealis Awards, for which I am a judge. Any review will be withheld until the results of the awards are announced.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews