Stellar Hidden Sunlight

Stellar · December 14, 2012

This story is amazing. Such in depth detail and research. I love Mira's character, and I like that the plot is completely unpredictable. Can't wait for the next chapter (:

Thank you! Mira is cherished, it seems. I admit, he holds a special place in my affections too!

Next chapter is a way off yet but is in production now.

Stellar · January 25, 2013

Well, for all those paying attention to this thread, I just recently realised that Mira was nominated by a couple of readers for best protagonist/hero in the 2012 GA Readers Choice awards. Truth be told, this has both surprised and amazed me, mostly because Shay is, of course, the main protagonist. Clearly my readers regard Mira as being equal in this role too, which is both fitting and delightful to me. Honestly, I am happy that he was mentioned on this list, never-mind actually winning anything.

So, this is a roundabout way of saying: if you're a loyal reader and you love him too, make your voice heard. Send in a nomination and/or vote! The nominating process continues to January 27th according to the forum post. Presumably some time not long after this the actual voting will begin. It would be fantastic if he won the award, though if anyone is expecting him to make any kind of acceptance speech .. well, uh, don't hold your breath

You can find the thread here:

https://www.gayauthors.org/forums/topic/36229-2012-readers-choice-nominations/

Stellar · July 17, 2013

Hello, dear readers. You are here no doubt because you have finished Hidden Sunlight. I will address that in a second, but first ... here is a bunch of trivia about the story. If you aren't interested or don't care, I'm not entirely sure why you're reading this post in the first place However, in case of TLDR and if you just want me to get to the point, please skip to the end of the bullet points.

yes, the wording about Lucere in the epilogue was correct. The pre-outbreak population of the planet was just a little more than a billion people. The total death/mutation toll for the Sharpe virus in 2104 including the other colonies was in the billions. Humanity got majorly screwed over in just a couple of months.
it follows that you'd be curious about the home planet and if there are piles of corpses and mutants roaming the streets or ... whatever! Am I going to tell you anything about what's been happening on Earth? Nope! I'm not. At least, not in *this* part of Hidden Sunlight
there was a joke about Twilight in chapter 14, but I'm not sure how many of you picked it up. It was more blatant originally, but during beta I was encouraged to make the humour more subtle and as a result I think I made it *too* subtle and it flew past most people. Ooops!
Le Renard's name is a tip-of-the-hat to The Day of the Jackal. Translated from French, it means: The Fox. The principal villain from that book was of course named The Jackal.
who's a fan of Portal and Portal 2? Bonus points if you noted the 'A deadly disease! For Science!' comment and recognised that it came from the aforementioned games.
the reason Lily called Konstantin 'Dimi' all the time was because when she was little, she couldn't pronounce his name, but she could say his middle name, Dmitri. That became shortened to Dimi and it stuck.
it wasn't mentioned anywhere, but Lily's family was from Canada not the United States, though at the point in Lucere's history they were at, Shay likely couldn't tell the difference or never noticed it.
along the same lines, the ancestor Konstantin refers to in chapter 3 was none other than Yuri Andropov, a real historic figure who was chairman of the KGB and General Secretary of the CPSU, leader of the Soviet Union in the early 1980s.
a number of times I used the terms 'clip' and 'magazine' interchangeably but mostly in the earlier chapters. They do have different meanings, and anyone who knows guns may have noticed the indiscretion. The rest of you probably don't care - but hey, I'm a details guy. If it's not right, it bugs me!
Konstantin is somewhat inspired by the gun-dealer Marcus Kincaid from Borderlands 2 (passing resemblance only, Konstantin only shares Marcus' love for guns, but none of the mercenary capitalist attitude and questionable morals) but much more by Father Grigori from Half-Life 2, the shotgun-wielding priest in Ravenholm who is living alone in a town full of headcrab-infested human zombies. He's unusually happy given his rather disturbing congregation and possibly a bit crazy to boot, but I liked him so much I even stole one of his better quotes and modified it for Konstantin to use.
the religious theme, incidentally: just for anyone who is curious, I'm not a Christian. However, I quite enjoy writing characters that are contrary to who I am, regardless of my own view on the issue. Faith is an important part of Konstantin's life, so the text reflected that.
while we're on the subject of zombies, the original idea for Shay's stasis was inspired by ... The Walking Dead! The pilot episode, Rick Grimes, the main protagonist and a police officer, gets shot during a robbery and goes into a coma in hospital. He awakes (I think three?) weeks into the zombie apocalypse, in a ruined hospital with no effing clue what has happened. I knew as soon as I saw that show that I wanted to write something like that in a science fiction setting, only I went to the extreme end of the scale and made it centuries instead of weeks.
incidentally, the original time period for Shay's sleep was much longer - 600 years not 200. I cut that down a lot though, rationalising that even with the best possible conditions on hand from aqumi, there wouldn't be any people left after that long. Also, that even the best technology would probably have stopped working by then, regardless of how great Lucere was at manufacturing.
continuing on that theme, the numbers 2 and 14 crop up with surprising frequency. They are found together in combination in various points in the story. The obvious one is 214 years, but there are quite a few examples if you were paying close attention. How many did you spot or can you recall?
the names of Aurum's provinces are almost exclusively scientists from Earth's history. Tesla is the obvious example, though every other named location in the Capital Arm apart from Aspira and Palatus also fall into this category.
yes, the kitten is still with them. It was just safely deposited inside Shay's backpack for most of the plot's climax and denouement. A murderous warzone is no place for such a thing to be running around.
names of major characters and their meanings. Names are important to me, and I chose most names accordingly.
- Shay: his name has Irish roots. It means 'hawk-like' or 'admirable', though the Hebrew variation could also be appropriate: 'gift'
- Konstantin: a Russian or German name, it's derived from the Latin Constantinus. The name means more or less what it sounds like: 'constant', 'steadfast' or possibly 'loyal'.
- Carlos: the Spanish variation of Charles, itself derived from the Germanic Karl, meaning 'strong' or 'manly.' The old Anglo-Saxon 'ceorl' was a related term, being used in England as a term referring to the lowest rank of free man since before the 12th century.
- Klaus: a shorthand German version of Nicholas, origins in the Greek Nikolaos; 'victory of the people'.
- Miles: English name from the older Germanic Milo, Latin Milos. The roots of the Germanic origin are tied to the Slavic word fragment mil- which is 'gracious' or 'merciful'. While I'm sure this is line with the sort of image Hartley wanted to portray, the more accurate root is the Latin one, which is derived from militatus - a soldier or warrior.
- Lily: she is, of course, named after the flower. The etymology for the word traces all the way back to Egypt, and originally meant none other than 'flower.' White lilies especially were seen as a symbol of purity. There was a good reason why Mira gave her a flower in chapter 17
- and of course, I could not forget Mira himself. His name origin is probably the most apt out of all of them. While the name is usually in a feminine form when spelled Mira (the masculine form being Miro) this is because of the word it was derived from: miracle. This word was typically taken to mean a marvellous event caused by God, something to wonder at. Indeed, mirari and mirus as origin forms invoke 'astonishment', 'wonder' and 'amazement'; if this is taken further back, there are deeper roots in Sanskrit, Greek and liturgical Slavic that describe 'smiling' and 'laughing'. A friend also pointed out to me not long after I named him that mira in Spanish is also the verb for 'look', which makes perfect sense when you relate that back to the meaning of 'miracle.' Considering his preference for communicating with Shay through sight and not speech, I don't think I could have chosen a better name.
for the perverted among you, Shay is Slightly-Above-Average, while Mira is Significantly-Larger-Than-Average but a little short of Porn-Star-Ridiculous. He inherited fantastic genes from Synnove and is the sort of teenager who would cause insecurities of Freudian proportions in many grown men if they ever glimpsed him undressed. There you have it, and if you deny wanting to know that, I shan't believe you. Everyone always wants to know more than the rather ambiguous descriptions in the text ... or at the very least, you were thinking it.

Now this is where I say:

This ... is how I tell a story. Thank you for sticking with me and reading it, if you have made it this far. If you want to say 'thank you' to me for writing it, there are three things you can do:

I dislike the reputation system on here and I think it's flawed, but it's the only material way of measuring 'approval.' So I would ask that if you loved Hidden Sunlight, then please go through and like each chapter and the story itself if you have not already done so. Any registered user can do this. If you don't, I won't be upset or anything, but anything that helps raise my profile as an author is valuable to me, as well as being a token of thanks. Reputation is one of those ways.
The other way is to simple tell me what Hidden Sunlight was like to read, for you. Seriously. Send me a PM or write it here, whatever you feel you'd like. I love hearing from people about my work, what they enjoyed, what they didn't and why. Reader reaction gives me enormous satisfaction. Don't be shy, I won't bite or be rude.
Both of the above, not just one or the other.

I also want to give thanks to my betas for all the work they have done for me over the past year or so. Cassie, Rob and Paul -- you guys have been awesome and I'm glad I had you along.

Lastly: yes, there WILL be a sequel. The epilogue pointed towards it, as did the final chapter. The question is, dear readers, do you want to see me write this sequel first or move on to something different? Because, and this is a warning, I don't do anything by halves. If I take a break to do anything else it will in all likelihood be something equally time intensive and demanding and it could be a long while before you see anything relating to a book two for Hidden Sunlight.

So, there you have it.

Edited July 17, 2013 by Stellar

Former Member · July 18, 2013

Copy/paste review: I am so glad I took the time to read this. It was undoubtedly one of the greatest things I have read on this site. I really encourage you to look at publication. It wasn't just a love story and it wasn't just a sci-fi novel. It was the wondrous marriage between the two and your attention to detail and mapping out just how everything worked was amazing. And you didn't bog down the reader with all the detail either. It was truly fabulous and I can't wait for whatever your next project might be. I have a feeling that even the sequel will be something not quite the same as what Hidden Sunlight was. There's a lot of promise and I will wait - mostly patiently - for you to come around and write more. Thank you for this! You should definitely be recommended for a feature I think! Hidden Sunlight is one of those things that just needs to be read.

Great job and all the best!

MYIEGE

Stellar · July 18, 2013

Copy/paste review: I am so glad I took the time to read this. It was undoubtedly one of the greatest things I have read on this site. I really encourage you to look at publication. It wasn't just a love story and it wasn't just a sci-fi novel. It was the wondrous marriage between the two and your attention to detail and mapping out just how everything worked was amazing. And you didn't bog down the reader with all the detail either. It was truly fabulous and I can't wait for whatever your next project might be. I have a feeling that even the sequel will be something not quite the same as what Hidden Sunlight was. There's a lot of promise and I will wait - mostly patiently - for you to come around and write more. Thank you for this! You should definitely be recommended for a feature I think! Hidden Sunlight is one of those things that just needs to be read.

Great job and all the best!

MYIEGE

Your response is high praise to me and I approach any words of conviction with the greatest respect. Any good tale should capture both the mind and heart in as many ways as it can; and to weave a story with layers to it that has elements of the mundane and the fantastic within the component parts. All the language I have available to me sometimes seems to be too petty to describe the richness I imagine when I dream of worlds like this. Feeling that I have succeeded in sharing even a small part of that ethereal depth is fantastically rewarding. Especially when I know that there is so much more to come and that I want to show it to others, to let them see what I see.

So, I thank you, for your understanding. This is a big part of what I write for and I wouldn't have it any other way.

sandrewn · July 21, 2013

Stellar

By all means, sequel first. I usually go back to read a story again several years later. Yours I have already started to. Thanks for saving the kitten. I will let you know the count of that 2 / 14 thingy.

Regards,

Sandrewn

codeman6100 · July 21, 2013

Stellar,

First of all excellent stroy. I waited for every chapter like a child waiting for Christmas Day on Christmas Eve. It is rare that I find a story so thouroughly put together and combined with science. I am an astronomer myself and your story was quite exciting and accurate to its plot. I look forward to you continuing the story, soon please. :-)

I would love to by a copy of your story if you have it availble anywhere or intend to in the future.

Keep up the great work,

Codeman

LadyDe · July 22, 2013

Bravo!!! This is one of the best stories I've ever read. And I've been reading for a long long time. I love scifi and this had the most amazing plot!! I don't know where to start. You were able to have me emotionally invested in the characters as soon as they appeared. And really upset when they died. And Mira?!! (big sigh) If you've got the plots now for part two, go ahead and start writing. I want, no, need to know when they get to Earth. You made it sound like Earth was expecting them or something. And the two who woke up?? Don't make us wait too long!!!!

Oh and thanks for the trivia. I love extras. You write 'em, I'll read 'em.

Stellar · July 22, 2013

Stellar

By all means, sequel first. I usually go back to read a story again several years later. Yours I have already started to. Thanks for saving the kitten. I will let you know the count of that 2 / 14 thingy.

Regards,

Sandrewn

Likely the sequel will be the next thing I write, as all my other bigger long term projects are unduly complex to get involved in straight away.

You will see that kitten again. I can assure you of this.

Stellar,

First of all excellent stroy. I waited for every chapter like a child waiting for Christmas Day on Christmas Eve. It is rare that I find a story so thouroughly put together and combined with science. I am an astronomer myself and your story was quite exciting and accurate to its plot. I look forward to you continuing the story, soon please. :-)

I would love to by a copy of your story if you have it availble anywhere or intend to in the future.

Keep up the great work,

Codeman

Thank you, I am glad you enjoyed it. The real science and plausibility of the fictional science, is important to the genre, I believe. It certainly will continue, though I hesitate to place any time-frame on when that will take place.

Publication is something to be considered. It would depend on a lot of things, I think, but that is my end goal.

Bravo!!! This is one of the best stories I've ever read. And I've been reading for a long long time. I love scifi and this had the most amazing plot!! I don't know where to start. You were able to have me emotionally invested in the characters as soon as they appeared. And really upset when they died. And Mira?!! (big sigh) If you've got the plots now for part two, go ahead and start writing. I want, no, need to know when they get to Earth. You made it sound like Earth was expecting them or something. And the two who woke up?? Don't make us wait too long!!!!

Oh and thanks for the trivia. I love extras. You write 'em, I'll read 'em.

Ah, making people feel and believe when they read something I've written; that is a truly wonderful experience! There are few things that compare to the sort of happiness that brings. And yes, indeed, Mira! Who wouldn't fall in love with him? Who wouldn't be insanely jealous of Shay?!

Again, I must say that I won't set any time frame on when you can expect to see the next part of this story, just that it will come and will be nothing short of major.

Thank you so much for reading and I'm glad you enjoyed it so thoroughly

Lagnar · August 27, 2013

I have been reading works posted on gay authors now for quite some time but until now I have never been COMPELLED to register and then post any comments.

This story is simply some of the BEST fiction I have yet read, and I have read a lot. From the first chapter I was completely sucked in; to this alien world and to Shay’s life and adventures. I love science fiction and have read the best. Heinlein, Clark, Asimov, Pohl, Niven, you name it.

I was wondering what you do in your *real* job because your talent for creating characters that are impossible not to love, your ability to drag the protagonists through gut-wrenching conflict which leave the reader emotionally exhausted is amazing. Talk about a roller coaster. One cliff hanger after another.

You dole out plot secrets at just the right times keeping the reader wanting more and more.

You left me in tears after chapter 11, devastated, ready to abandon the story as being just too cruel and depressing to continue and was ready to tell you so. Nobody reads fiction with the sadistic expectation that your favorite and much loved characters get KILLED for God’s sake. But like you said, it didn’t make sense to kill off Mira just when the story was getting good and with so many questions un-answered, so I read on. Mira is one AMAZING dude. Best protagonist ever.

I am also very happy to see Shay grow and develop from a scared and somewhat helpless 14 year-old into a confident young man.

Another thing I love about your writing is that the bad guys really get what’s coming to them. After all the pain and suffering they inflict upon Shay and Mira, it is so very satisfying to see them taken out in a violent and messy way. Of course just like you couldn’t kill off Mira, you also can’t kill off the arch villain until just the right time. I am looking forward to it though. In other stories I have read, EVIL just seems to get away time and again with no real consequences. Sometimes evil is just that and needs to go away.

I love a steamy love scene as much as anybody but I don’t read gay fiction to jerk off to. I read for the STORY and the characters and the plot, the sex is just icing on the cake. You have just the right amount of non-graphic leave-it-to-the-imagination LOVE to make Shay and Mira real.

You have a real command of the English language which puts other authors to shame.

Terrific story and I hope you have a sequel in the works because Shay and Mira really ought to have some more adventure together. Please?

Lagnar · August 29, 2013

Having finished “Hidden Sunlight” I have to add some further comments.

************************SPOILER BELOW*********************

Overall I *REALLY* enjoyed the story. I love the SciFi genre and you did a great job with the science part. I loved that the cities were named after famous scientists and you created a vivid world that has been almost completely lost. The bond between Shay and Mira was wonderful and THAT was what really kept me going after Chapt 11 and then Chapt 17. I never expected the ending; at all.

I guess the most disturbing part of the whole story besides Chapt 11 (which was resolved) was that Shay was the one who killed Lily. How would you ever get over something like that?

Here are a few questions:

Were there any other humans besides Konstantin, Lily and Hartley’s gang living on the planet that had escaped the transformation into sharplings?

Was there any wildlife? The kitten indicates that some domestic animals were left.

Maybe you could name the cat Schrödinger? Heinlein named his kitten Pixel. “The Cat Who Walks Through Walls”.

The sharplings were in fact slaves and the virus was intentionally planted to provide those slaves for the arbiters? After all the humans are gone what use are the slaves/sharplings?

How many arbiters are there on Aurum?

Mira was cured, Konstantin was cured, so it seems to me everybody could potentially be cured except for poor Lily (still struggling with that). Actually the last paragraph says exactly that. Right?

Once Shay and Mira are off Aurum do they still have some of their aqumi powers? I would guess not.

Again I loved “Hidden Sunlight” and am eagerly awaiting the sequel. It looks to me like there are dozens of directions you can go with the foundation you have created.

You need to get published, dude. Really!

Oh, by the way, you have completely spoiled me. Other stories on here and other sites just aren't up to snuff anymore. <g>

Edited August 29, 2013 by Lagnar

CassieQ · August 29, 2013

There you go Stellar. Spoiling readers for the rest of us

Stellar · August 31, 2013

I have been reading works posted on gay authors now for quite some time but until now I have never been COMPELLED to register and then post any comments.

This story is simply some of the BEST fiction I have yet read, and I have read a lot. From the first chapter I was completely sucked in; to this alien world and to Shay’s life and adventures. I love science fiction and have read the best. Heinlein, Clark, Asimov, Pohl, Niven, you name it.

I was wondering what you do in your *real* job because your talent for creating characters that are impossible not to love, your ability to drag the protagonists through gut-wrenching conflict which leave the reader emotionally exhausted is amazing. Talk about a roller coaster. One cliff hanger after another.

You dole out plot secrets at just the right times keeping the reader wanting more and more.

You left me in tears after chapter 11, devastated, ready to abandon the story as being just too cruel and depressing to continue and was ready to tell you so. Nobody reads fiction with the sadistic expectation that your favorite and much loved characters get KILLED for God’s sake. But like you said, it didn’t make sense to kill off Mira just when the story was getting good and with so many questions un-answered, so I read on. Mira is one AMAZING dude. Best protagonist ever.

I am also very happy to see Shay grow and develop from a scared and somewhat helpless 14 year-old into a confident young man.

Another thing I love about your writing is that the bad guys really get what’s coming to them. After all the pain and suffering they inflict upon Shay and Mira, it is so very satisfying to see them taken out in a violent and messy way. Of course just like you couldn’t kill off Mira, you also can’t kill off the arch villain until just the right time. I am looking forward to it though. In other stories I have read, EVIL just seems to get away time and again with no real consequences. Sometimes evil is just that and needs to go away.

I love a steamy love scene as much as anybody but I don’t read gay fiction to jerk off to. I read for the STORY and the characters and the plot, the sex is just icing on the cake. You have just the right amount of non-graphic leave-it-to-the-imagination LOVE to make Shay and Mira real.

You have a real command of the English language which puts other authors to shame.

Terrific story and I hope you have a sequel in the works because Shay and Mira really ought to have some more adventure together. Please?

Thank you so very much!

You know, it's a thrill for me when someone like you registers and makes their first post or two because of Hidden Sunlight. I want to inspire people to fall inside the fiction so completely that they must tell me about it. That's a good feeling.

I have been placed in some exulted literary company by a couple of readers, and will admit I still have some trouble believing that I can be seen this way. Black Sheep Syndrome, you might say. Yet I suppose it is just that I know what science fiction should be like, in my mind, and I strive to emulate that sort of ideal and make it exist within what I create. Therein lies the trick of it.

You would be surprised to learn how utterly mundane my employment is. Yet I do spend as much time as I can get away with at work actually writing notes for this kind of stuff. It has crept into my 'offline' life to a rather terrifying degree, as I knew it probably would.

Mira and Shay as characters have both evolved, from their conception and what I intended them (Mira more than Shay on that count) to their progression and emotional maturity as boys, lovers and protagonists. Shay has quite a complex morality surrounding him and his sheltered simpler understanding of things in the beginning must comes to terms with reality turning into a downright horrible place. Whereas Mira ... well, you said it right. He is AMAZING. He is also, I want to add, NOT meant to be any kind of Mary-Sue, the perfect in all ways hero. He has flaws of his own and does not simply survive everything. In fact, if it wasn't for Shay, he *would* be dead.

Given that you have finished the book now -- yes! The villains do get their due. There was the consideration that Hartley perhaps could have suffered more, but it is not in Mira's character to torture anyone, not of his own volition. Even someone as reprehensible as the big antagonist. I think being pierced by a weapon that is on fire would count as painful enough. Similar to say, being blown up?

The love-scene thing I spent more time than was probably sane playing with, at each applicable point in the plot. Didn't want too much graphic, but really wanted to portray how they felt, the power of the emotional attraction and that both of them really dig each other. Like, the you-are-the-most-extraordinarily-beautiful-person-I've-ever-met-and-I-just-want-to-stay-in-bed-naked-with-you-all-day type of 'dig each other. As soon as the adventures are over, I get the feeling they will want to be somewhere rather secluded for quite some time. No more interruptions!

Having finished “Hidden Sunlight” I have to add some further comments.

************************SPOILER BELOW*********************

Overall I *REALLY* enjoyed the story. I love the SciFi genre and you did a great job with the science part. I loved that the cities were named after famous scientists and you created a vivid world that has been almost completely lost. The bond between Shay and Mira was wonderful and THAT was what really kept me going after Chapt 11 and then Chapt 17. I never expected the ending; at all.

I guess the most disturbing part of the whole story besides Chapt 11 (which was resolved) was that Shay was the one who killed Lily. How would you ever get over something like that?

Here are a few questions:

*** EDIT: Snip! Questions are below in the response ***

Again I loved “Hidden Sunlight” and am eagerly awaiting the sequel. It looks to me like there are dozens of directions you can go with the foundation you have created.

You need to get published, dude. Really!

Oh, by the way, you have completely spoiled me. Other stories on here and other sites just aren't up to snuff anymore. <g>

So! To address your questions, in the order they were asked:

Were there any other humans besides Konstantin, Lily and Hartley’s gang living on the planet that had escaped the transformation into sharplings?

Yes, of course. They are just scattered and holed up, spending most of their lives trying to find food, water and hiding from sharpelings. Life on 24th century Lucere is a cruel existence.

Was there any wildlife? The kitten indicates that some domestic animals were left.

Yes. Though domesticated farm animals aren't that common any more (the Andropov household is the exception to this rule as it possesses the ability to protect those animals with the security fence) because they are easy prey for sharpelings, creatures such as cats and dogs are still around, wherever they can survive. Aurum in particular didn't have much in the way of native fauna that was big enough to be noticed, and not many introduced 'imported' Earth species either.

Maybe you could name the cat Schrödinger? Heinlein named his kitten Pixel. “The Cat Who Walks Through Walls”.

Aha! The kitten's name. We will get to that! I wouldn't want to spoil Book Two.

The sharplings were in fact slaves and the virus was intentionally planted to provide those slaves for the arbiters? After all the humans are gone what use are the slaves/sharplings?

While the creation of sharpelings was clearly engineered by someone, the question still remains as to whether the arbiters themselves were responsible for that act ... or not! So one must wonder then what purpose the sharpelings have for their creators! Me saying what that is would probably spoil things a little too much

How many arbiters are there on Aurum?

More than one, less than a million!

Mira was cured, Konstantin was cured, so it seems to me everybody could potentially be cured except for poor Lily (still struggling with that). Actually the last paragraph says exactly that. Right?

Mira was not 'cured' in the same sense as Konstantin was; he gained permanent immunity via aqumi when it was linked into his DNA. Konstantin was cured in that the virus was removed from his system, but it was done as he was leaving Lucere and not in a position where he could be reinfected. Like all humans (excepting Shay and Mira) he is still susceptible to the virus and could potentially be reinfected if he returns to a place/situation where it could get into his body. As it lies, the virus has no 'cure', not thus far; not one that qualifies as a full lasting solution to the pandemic -- aqumi is not yet something that can be used this way. Also, the last two, the ones at the end of the epilogue: if Shay's nova of aqumi energy had been able to 'cure' two random humans, it would also have done so to everyone with the nova's radius! This is not the case, as that would translate to THOUSANDS of sharpelings becoming people. In any event, that nova of quantum energy is not nearly concentrated enough to wipe a person clean as Konstantin was (it bears repeating that what he experienced would kill many people outright anyhow) ... BUT ... it **is** enough to awaken or perhaps ... jumpstart ... a dormant DNA activator sequence

Once Shay and Mira are off Aurum do they still have some of their aqumi powers? I would guess not.

Their aqumi ability is functional anywhere as it is woven into their bodies. When I describe Shay in the text as being a 'beacon' or similar language with reference to how he appears in aqumi, it is because his body generates it. So does Mira's, though I will refrain from describing any operational differences between the two boys. It is not necessary for either of them to be within the planetary field that covers Lucere's surface to use it. The best example of this is near the end of chapter 20, when Shay uses it at the orbital gate. They are in space, some distance from even the atmosphere of the planet, when he does this.

And .. yes, I do want to be published! It will happen at some point, I'm sure. Should I apologise for spoiling you or be flattered? I best not antagonise the other authors

There you go Stellar. Spoiling readers for the rest of us

I know, I'm just a killjoy Please don't hate me!

Edited August 31, 2013 by Stellar

Lagnar · August 31, 2013

Thanks Stellar, great answers to my questions. Can't give away the sequel, right?

I didn't mean to put down other authors, it's just that a person has to wade through so much stuff to find great fiction. I have read other great fiction on Gay Authors. It's just that I am a SciFi junkie and am so happy to have found Hidden Sunlight. There are a couple of other stories that I am now reading (great ones too) but they are not complete yet (dang) so I will keep searching.

By the way, I just finished Heinlein's "Tunnel In The Sky" last night. I am pretty sure I read it back when I was a teenager (oh my) and figured I'd see what it was about his writing that got me into science fiction. It is a classic but I was a bit disappointed in the lack of character development. I didn't really get all that attached to any of them. And when some of the characters were killed it was like there was no big deal. The protagonist, Rod, might even have been gay. <g> He never married, though his friends did.

A person has to be pretty lucky and brave to be able to make a living doing what they love. I wish you the very best.

Thanks agin.

Mark

lathe_biosas · September 11, 2013

Stellar.. I just spent the last two nights soaking in this treasure through midnight eyes. Thank you so much for all the work you put into Hidden Sunlight. I had to go to work half way through, but I went through my day feeling strengthened at the idea of such noble characters, facing such dark challenges, and the possibility of love and hope prevailing against all odds.

The way you paced the chapters was riveting, with big gulps of despair and bright hopeful hooks. Thank goodness I found Hidden Sunlight in complete form. I found it hard to stop reading.

It is fascinating how human colonies might evolve around different cultural and environmental factors. While the whole book is about one such story, your Epilogue opened up that kind of exploration for 13 other colonies and the sketches of your larger Universe get me excited to read more.

Your description of characters and settings came alive from the way you described them (in fact it triggered video game memories - Metal Gear? Silent Hill clues? Haven't played Half-life...).

It's easy to get attached to Mira and Shay from the way you dive into their emotions, but even better, the emotions of Mira and Shay are a crucial part of the solution to a scientific puzzle; it would have seemed a bit too alien-programmed if they had just fused together with no resistance but Shay's shyness provided that. I did think a few times that Shay comes close to taking Mira's devotion for granted, but he never fully loses his wonder about it, and why begrudge him the love and confidence that supernatural-dom brings him? The first few times that Mira speaks are moving because of their rarity and brevity ("we", "no", etc.) The revelation that Mira and Shay are some kind of defiling force for the virus, its Song, its arbiters and its hinted evolutionary architects is a gritty anti-hero move which made me grin.

Konstantin Is my favourite character because of his humanity, principles, fearlessness, platonic/paternal love, and kick-butt abilities. That he would choose a farm, not a fortress, as a haven is logical and personally endearing.

At the beginning of Leagues of Night, Shay says he would leave Memorial Accession Plaza with a concrete lesson: "Power - real power - shows a person's true nature". I'm curious what you believe that whole episode shows about Shay's true nature. Perhaps that he is still a bit immature, even as he realizes he is an adminstrator to the core? I kept on wondering why he didn't try to heal everyone by burning away the virus, instead of throwing buildings around and setting off orbital nuclear detonations.

I'm glad to have discovered your creation here. It's inspiring. I vote for sequel next.

Lathe

Edited September 11, 2013 by lathe_biosas

Stellar · September 13, 2013

Stellar.. I just spent the last two nights soaking in this treasure through midnight eyes. Thank you so much for all the work you put into Hidden Sunlight. I had to go to work half way through, but I went through my day feeling strengthened at the idea of such noble characters, facing such dark challenges, and the possibility of love and hope prevailing against all odds.

The way you paced the chapters was riveting, with big gulps of despair and bright hopeful hooks. Thank goodness I found Hidden Sunlight in complete form. I found it hard to stop reading.

It is fascinating how human colonies might evolve around different cultural and environmental factors. While the whole book is about one such story, your Epilogue opened up that kind of exploration for 13 other colonies and the sketches of your larger Universe get me excited to read more.

Your description of characters and settings came alive from the way you described them (in fact it triggered video game memories - Metal Gear? Silent Hill clues? Haven't played Half-life...).

It's easy to get attached to Mira and Shay from the way you dive into their emotions, but even better, the emotions of Mira and Shay are a crucial part of the solution to a scientific puzzle; it would have seemed a bit too alien-programmed if they had just fused together with no resistance but Shay's shyness provided that. I did think a few times that Shay comes close to taking Mira's devotion for granted, but he never fully loses his wonder about it, and why begrudge him the love and confidence that supernatural-dom brings him? The first few times that Mira speaks are moving because of their rarity and brevity ("we", "no", etc.) The revelation that Mira and Shay are some kind of defiling force for the virus, its Song, its arbiters and its hinted evolutionary architects is a gritty anti-hero move which made me grin.

Konstantin Is my favourite character because of his humanity, principles, fearlessness, platonic/paternal love, and kick-butt abilities. That he would choose a farm, not a fortress, as a haven is logical and personally endearing.

At the beginning of Leagues of Night, Shay says he would leave Memorial Accession Plaza with a concrete lesson: "Power - real power - shows a person's true nature". I'm curious what you believe that whole episode shows about Shay's true nature. Perhaps that he is still a bit immature, even as he realizes he is an adminstrator to the core? I kept on wondering why he didn't try to heal everyone by burning away the virus, instead of throwing buildings around and setting off orbital nuclear detonations.

I'm glad to have discovered your creation here. It's inspiring. I vote for sequel next.

Lathe

Thank you. At times writing this has been a labour of love, so these responses are in many ways my pay-off. Not that I don't take satisfaction from doing something well, just that it can be extraordinarily taxing. Artistic creation is rewarding but hard work!

The other human colonies are not entirely segregated along cultural lines, as 22nd century Earth was an intermixed racially-diverse place, much more so than today. Yet, there is an abiding sense of community and safety in seeking out ethnic familiarity, so that is reflected in the naming and demographic makeup of the worlds that humankind has colonised. The environmental factor also; Lucere is a temperate Earth-like world, with a variety of biomes present (part of what made it such a popular location as it was highly suitable for human habitation) but the other planets were varying types.

The curious thing about Mira speaking is that the reader never sees the effect of it on anyone that isn't Shay. Rather, I should say that his voice is heard by three other people, but never in a situation where it can be observed. Two die shortly thereafter (León and Morgan, respectively) so their responses cannot be gauged, and for the third, Konstantin's reaction is not shown merely because Mira's words are the very last line in the book. Thus, one does have to wonder whether Shay's reaction is limited to his emotional attraction to Mira or whether Mira can actually cause empathic responses merely by speaking. Food for thought.

It's also interesting to note that 'evil', as we would regard it, seldom views itself as incorrect or wrong. Morality is a human concept and can be quite relative; thus it is that the virus and the progeny it bore have no inkling of moral doubt at what occurs. To them, their 'way' is the only palatable one. Converting humanity and burning the civilisation to the ground is, in fact, not seen as a disservice, but as as their own version of enhancing the greater good. Shay and Mira are unique, because they are more than just cannon fodder; they are an overt threat to that 'way.' They represent the undoing of a magnificent undertaking and this is what fuels both the arbiters' zealotry in finding them, and the disgust at what they are. Just as the arbiter at the square tells Shay he is 'a blind child treading the footsteps of titanic demons' because he is, to their estimation, indelicately and hatefully smashing through a work of art like a brutish savage. The story told from the antagonist's perspective would make humanity look a very backwards race indeed!

Konstantin is much-liked! Though I do have to say the choice of home was not his own; he was stuck with it whether he liked it or not. It is quite clear he loves his family house though, and did not wish to leave it easily.

The reference to true power is as much about Mira or even Hartley as it is about Shay. Though Hartley did not possess power of the same sort as the two boys, he still did terrible things with the inherited authority he had, and it clearly defined his nature in those same terms. A dictator and a murderer, not a saviour nor a benevolent ruler as he proclaimed. Mira also; one to one, he was arguably the most dangerous individual on the planet and there were a great many things he could have done on Lucere with his fantastic ability. He could have mercilessly tortured Hartley for what he did to Shay and by rights, Hartley would have deserved that. Yet, his actions spoke otherwise; it was clean and relatively fast, the justice unwavering. Ultimately though, it is still Shay to whom this is most applicable. To be fair, he had neither the time nor the opportunity to heal an entire city full of sharpelings, nor really the understanding to attempt anything on a mass scale as he did near the end of chapter 20. His response was to the situation at hand. So what did he do? He saved his friends who were stranded on Lancaster. He began to disrupt the mass of incoming sharpelings, albeit taking some joy from that - though who could blame him on THAT count? The aqumi explosion was not something Shay could control either, but he had enough foresight to direct it well away from everything else, consequently saving everyone from what could have been a rather terminal situation. What would his behaviour have told you about him had that explosion not happened? I won't tell you, but you may get to see in the next book. Scratch that, you will get to see it.

Once again, thank you for the time taken for a detailed response! I'm happy that you've enjoyed Hidden Sunlight so much and do hope you will stick around for what's to come.

Edited September 13, 2013 by Stellar

lathe_biosas · October 6, 2013

.. So what did he do? He saved his friends who were stranded on Lancaster. He began to disrupt the mass of incoming sharpelings, albeit taking some joy from that - though who could blame him on THAT count? The aqumi explosion was not something Shay could control either, but he had enough foresight to direct it well away from everything else, consequently saving everyone from what could have been a rather terminal situation. What would his behaviour have told you about him had that explosion not happened? I won't tell you, but you may get to see in the next book. Scratch that, you will get to see it.

Thanks for the response Stellar - that helps me not to take Shay's heroism for granted. It does reveal a lot about his character that he was brave enough to forge ahead into the unknown with so much at stake.

I will absolutely be here anticipating the sequel. Can't wait to find out what Shay can do on the other side...

knotme · November 18, 2013

Any ill-advised notion that Stellar is not devoted to writing would be crushed by the obvious effort put into this topic. Essential reading. I'm glad I didn't attempt a story review before reading here. I had been wrong about a lot. For instance, I had guessed that "Mira" implied androgeny.

I shall go through as requested and Like most chapters. I didn't enjoy all of them, so I must review them before Liking. I should do anyway before attempting a story review. As I recall, some chapters arrived after along waits and didn't advance plot lines enough to suit me. That complaint may go away on review.

Vocabulary, external references, and metaphors keep me an active reader, and I ended up appreciating most of them. Apologies for the forward reference: When I say in my review of the first chapter of the sequel that I struggled with Hidden Sunlight, I refer mainly to unspeakably alien and exotic ideas being communicated. ("Glorious struggle" I said, in retrospect over the top, but I can't edit, so it stays.) I try to fully understand fiction unless I receive a clear signal from the author that vagueness is intentional and any clarification I dream up will be my own. When in doubt, I strive to clarify, and I struggled with Hidden Sunlight in places.

I hope to return to this post, edit it, and try out some of the story review, because here I can edit (I see than others can--I haven't tried yet), while reviews are cast in stone. For now, let me simply say "me, too", to much of what is written by other readers.

Stellar · November 19, 2013

Any ill-advised notion that Stellar is not devoted to writing would be crushed by the obvious effort put into this topic. Essential reading. I'm glad I didn't attempt a story review before reading here. I had been wrong about a lot. For instance, I had guessed that "Mira" implied androgeny.

I shall go through as requested and Like most chapters. I didn't enjoy all of them, so I must review them before Liking. I should do anyway before attempting a story review. As I recall, some chapters arrived after along waits and didn't advance plot lines enough to suit me. That complaint may go away on review.

Vocabulary, external references, and metaphors keep me an active reader, and I ended up appreciating most of them. Apologies for the forward reference: When I say in my review of the first chapter of the sequel that I struggled with Hidden Sunlight, I refer mainly to unspeakably alien and exotic ideas being communicated. ("Glorious struggle" I said, in retrospect over the top, but I can't edit, so it stays.) I try to fully understand fiction unless I receive a clear signal from the author that vagueness is intentional and any clarification I dream up will be my own. When in doubt, I strive to clarify, and I struggled with Hidden Sunlight in places.

I hope to return to this post, edit it, and try out some of the story review, because here I can edit (I see than others can--I haven't tried yet), while reviews are cast in stone. For now, let me simply say "me, too", to much of what is written by other readers.

You need only do what you feel you would like; I don't ask any more than that Nor do I expect that every single chapter will be 'enjoyable' from the perspective of offering the ideal reading experience, in terms of emotions, language and structure. In my mind there is a trade-off between some parts of the story being regarded that way in order to let other parts be set up to have extra punch. Those moments are key, because they will be plot defining, often quite unexpected and momentous. There were some places in the story that I slogged through writing but knew it had to be that way in order to create the framework for what were subjectively more interesting and more exciting events.

Ah, well, yes, I think I have noted in response to other reviewers that I have a tendency towards very different atypical use of the English language - the reasons for this can be glimpsed on my profile page too. That tendency does set me apart and cannot be easily 'turned off'. It results in those same alien and exotic ideas being described in a very abstract metaphorical way, sometimes because it's how I best express myself and sometimes because there *is* no literal description that would fit the given scenario. Then again, sometimes vagueness is intentional and sometimes it isn't - this doesn't help very much, right? Though, when it counts, I try to make it explicit and obvious as I can to the audience.

Be aware that editing a post has a time-limit attached to it. After too long, it will be locked and the text in it will be permanent. Reviews are indeed cast in stone and I have to go over them with a fine-tooth comb to make sure it's perfect before I post a review or a reply to one.

Thank you

Edited November 19, 2013 by Stellar

Hell_5pawn · June 19, 2015

Quick question: Is Carlos' brother related to Shay? I mean, they look alike, and it is entirely possible that Shay's parents had another child post-virus... So, could Say's possible sibling have children, then they have children... all the way to Estie? (I'm assuming that Carlos' 'stepfather' was a decadent of Shay's parents, not Carlos' parents.) Well, Apparently that question wasn't so quick after all.

Stellar · June 23, 2015

Quick question: Is Carlos' brother related to Shay? I mean, they look alike, and it is entirely possible that Shay's parents had another child post-virus... So, could Say's possible sibling have children, then they have children... all the way to Estie? (I'm assuming that Carlos' 'stepfather' was a decadent of Shay's parents, not Carlos' parents.) Well, Apparently that question wasn't so quick after all.

Ah! I didn't realise I had not responded to your question! Sorry about that, but here we go.

The answer is simple: they are not related. Marcus and Beth Andersen did not live all that long into the pandemic. Over 90% of Lucere's population was either dead or mutated after the first year of infection; the likelihood of them surviving longer than that to have another child was infinitesimal -- and that's exactly why they didn't. It's not a pretty topic to talk about, because I am not-that-ambiguously stating here that their fate was no walk in the park. Ultimately it was probably for the best that Shay never learned their fate. It would do nothing for his peace of mind nor for his sanity.

Esteban's resemblance to Shay was a combination of luck and genetics. It's not due to any sharing of ancestral DNA.

Edited June 23, 2015 by Stellar

Hell_5pawn · June 25, 2015

You need to get published. Just some friendly advice.

Ashdaw · November 27, 2015

No hatred from me, but just a tad more interested. You are spinning a good tale.

Stellar Hidden Sunlight

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