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Alpine Duty
Centuries after the Plague, detailed in Humanicide, humanity lives on...
Charles Fasail was born to be a student on the island nation of Alp, a colony of scholars on an illiterate world—the terraformed Luna. For seven years he survived as an indentured dockworker after his home was destroyed in a cataclysmic firestorm. Earning his way out of servitude and joining a wagon train into the interior lands to find a place of his own should have been his bright, new beginning. All that was lost to an attack by the forest dwelling Kimmer and the betrayal by his older brother. It left him on a solitary path, struggling to be the Alpine scholar he was born to be. He had to wander a fascinating world similar to Far Earth in the sky above, but shaped by the lighter gravity, the 48-hour days, and the oxygen-rich atmosphere created by its transformation. All he had was his early training and, hidden in his backpack, his father’s impulse gun, a relic from the ancient days of lost technology.
Alpine Duty is the first book of the Lunar Alpine trilogy.
Henry Melton has been crafting the Project history line since the 70s, building an alternate history of mankind that stretches from the current day to a new destiny among the stars.
Charles Fasail was born to be a student on the island nation of Alp, a colony of scholars on an illiterate world—the terraformed Luna. For seven years he survived as an indentured dockworker after his home was destroyed in a cataclysmic firestorm. Earning his way out of servitude and joining a wagon train into the interior lands to find a place of his own should have been his bright, new beginning. All that was lost to an attack by the forest dwelling Kimmer and the betrayal by his older brother. It left him on a solitary path, struggling to be the Alpine scholar he was born to be. He had to wander a fascinating world similar to Far Earth in the sky above, but shaped by the lighter gravity, the 48-hour days, and the oxygen-rich atmosphere created by its transformation. All he had was his early training and, hidden in his backpack, his father’s impulse gun, a relic from the ancient days of lost technology.
Alpine Duty is the first book of the Lunar Alpine trilogy.
Henry Melton has been crafting the Project history line since the 70s, building an alternate history of mankind that stretches from the current day to a new destiny among the stars.
340 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2019
About the author
Henry Melton
60 books14 followersHenry Melton is often on the road with his wife Mary Ann, a nature photographer and frequently captivated by the places he visits. This has inspired his latest series of novels; Small Towns, Big Ideas. Formerly a programmer specializing in database work and web design, he pioneered Internet use for a Fortune 500 company until the tech bubble collapse. In the early days of home computers, he created one of the earliest commercial word processing programs, and built his own computers back when that meant wiring the chips together by hand to his own schematics.
Henry's short fiction has been published in many magazines and anthologies, most frequently in ANALOG. Catacomb, published in DRAGON magazine, is considered a classic, and by the continuing fan mail twenty years later, a formative influence among modern computer gaming programmers. Many of these are available for free on his website.
Other than an occasional short story, most of his time is spent writing science fiction YA novels. Currently being published by Wire Rim Books are the Small Towns, Big Ideas series of books, where high school aged heroes of the here and now are confronted with classic science fiction themes. The first, Emperor Dad, was the winner of the 2008 Darrell Award for Best Novel.
Sharing what he's learned about the art, craft, and business of writing has been an on-going part of his life, from grade school readings to teaching formal classes and veranda coaching for the students of George Benson Christian College in Zambia during his 2007 trip to Africa.
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Henry's short fiction has been published in many magazines and anthologies, most frequently in ANALOG. Catacomb, published in DRAGON magazine, is considered a classic, and by the continuing fan mail twenty years later, a formative influence among modern computer gaming programmers. Many of these are available for free on his website.
Other than an occasional short story, most of his time is spent writing science fiction YA novels. Currently being published by Wire Rim Books are the Small Towns, Big Ideas series of books, where high school aged heroes of the here and now are confronted with classic science fiction themes. The first, Emperor Dad, was the winner of the 2008 Darrell Award for Best Novel.
Sharing what he's learned about the art, craft, and business of writing has been an on-going part of his life, from grade school readings to teaching formal classes and veranda coaching for the students of George Benson Christian College in Zambia during his 2007 trip to Africa.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 15, 2023
Charles and Rad are finishing up their indenture. They survived when Alp burned, but their rescuers sold them [basically] into slavery. Seven years later they are free, have a wagon and are heading to a new life. Well, it's Rad's dream at least. He's found a [non-Alpine] girl and he's going to settle down with her. Yeah, Charles is all about Alpine tradition, which includes only marrying Alpine women. On the trek they are attack by the Kimmer natives who want to steal the cannon that was secretly being transported.
Back track a litte. They are on the moon which has been terraformed, but most of the oldman technology has been lost. The Alpines were all about being a repository of knowledge. The Hercs and Serenites have settled nearby areas and the Kimmer are nomadic living in the forests. Later we learn that the Alpines are neutral. Charles besides just not wanting to kill anyone, has this second reason of neutrality.
The laser cannon which was to be delivered to Stampz is now on it's way there to destroy them. There are too many guards, the only hope is to destroy this piece of oldman technology before it can be used against them. It is, but the resulting explosion blocks the river and is now slowly flooding them. The Duke of Stampz enlists Charles to solve the blockage. When it can't be done with the tools they have he sends Charles on a diplomatic mission to get more gunpowder. Oh and Charles now has a Kimmer boy, one that would probably have been executed, and it now his slave.
We learn about the different cultures on Luna. Charles has to find a way to get along with Darkwind while on his mission to find the means to keep Stampz from flooding. It was hard to believe Charles' patience when Darkwind was actively hindering his mission. The story ended a bit better. 4.1 stars. Although touted as the first of a trilogy, this has a tidy conclusion.
Back track a litte. They are on the moon which has been terraformed, but most of the oldman technology has been lost. The Alpines were all about being a repository of knowledge. The Hercs and Serenites have settled nearby areas and the Kimmer are nomadic living in the forests. Later we learn that the Alpines are neutral. Charles besides just not wanting to kill anyone, has this second reason of neutrality.
The laser cannon which was to be delivered to Stampz is now on it's way there to destroy them. There are too many guards, the only hope is to destroy this piece of oldman technology before it can be used against them. It is, but the resulting explosion blocks the river and is now slowly flooding them. The Duke of Stampz enlists Charles to solve the blockage. When it can't be done with the tools they have he sends Charles on a diplomatic mission to get more gunpowder. Oh and Charles now has a Kimmer boy, one that would probably have been executed, and it now his slave.
We learn about the different cultures on Luna. Charles has to find a way to get along with Darkwind while on his mission to find the means to keep Stampz from flooding. It was hard to believe Charles' patience when Darkwind was actively hindering his mission. The story ended a bit better. 4.1 stars. Although touted as the first of a trilogy, this has a tidy conclusion.
September 2, 2024
Set on the terriformed and colonized moon, a number of separate villages are growing and, humans being humans, are jealous and resentful of each other with skirmishes occuring often. Our hero, Charles, lived on an island where, unlike the rest of the moon, learning and reading flourished. But the island, Alp, has blown up and he and his brother might be the only survivors. The book chronicles his attempt to find someplace to survive, fit in, and even make peace if possible. I always enjoy Henry Melton's books which make me think.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews