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Darkover series

The Darkover series consists of several novels and short stories set in the fictional world of Darkover as created by science fiction author Marion Zimmer Bradley.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Contents

Darkover chronology

See also: List of Darkover books for a complete chronological bibliography of Darkover books, anthologies and series by date of publication.

Although the following Darkover chronology includes a book list for novels set in specific time periods, each was written to stand as a separate story and the individual novel plots are not dependent upon one another. Bradley herself recommended that the books be read in the order in which they were written, rather than the Darkovan chronological order, as her writing style changed considerably over her career.

The time periods the books belong in, particularly the ones in the Ages of Chaos and the Hundred Kingdoms Era, are blurred. Reflecting on that some books state they are in one era, and then there is evidence with story lines lining up to support where it goes while the chronology in the books state there are a different era, the books are in order as their story falls into place. (Not the chronology in the beginning of some of the books.)

The Founding

Darkover series:The above illustration shows Darkover as the planet on the left with its four moons: Liriel, Kyrrdis, Irdriel and Mormallor. In the background is a representation of the Cottman red giant star.
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The above illustration shows Darkover as the planet on the left with its four moons: Liriel, Kyrrdis, Irdriel and Mormallor. In the background is a representation of the Cottman red giant star.

During the early years of space exploration and colonization, Earth-based humans on their way to a new colony planet crash-land on Darkover, a planet which circles a red giant. They are unable to repair their ship and can not re-establish contact with Earth. The ethnic background of the colonists was mostly Celtic and Spanish, and this mix is reflected in the resultant blended culture(s). To increase the available gene pool and maximize the chances of colonial survival, the colonists intermarried extensively and produced as many children with as many different partners as possible. Psychic and psionic abilities were introduced through mutation, external stimulants, and/or interbreeding with the native chieri of the planet.

Books of this era:

The Ages of Chaos

1,000 years after the original landfall settlement, society has returned to the feudal level. The Darkovans, their Terran technology renounced or forgotten, have turned instead to freewheeling, out-of-control matrix technology, psi powers and terrible psi weapons. The populace lives under the domination of the Towers and a tyrannical breeding program to staff the Towers with unnaturally powerful, inbred gifts of laran.

Books of this era:

The Hundred Kingdoms

Darkover series:A map of the habitable part of Darkover showing major settlements and landforms (Larger detailed version)
Enlarge
A map of the habitable part of Darkover showing major settlements and landforms (Larger detailed version)

An age of war and strife retaining many of the decimating and disastrous effects of the Ages of Chaos. The lands which are later to become the Seven Domains are divided by continuous border conflicts into a multitude of small, belligerent kingdoms, named for convenience "The Hundred Kingdoms." The close of this era is heralded by the adoption of the Compact, instituted by Varzil the Good. A landmark and turning point in the history of Darkover, the Compact bans all distance weapons, making it a matter of honor that one who seeks to kill must himself face equal risk of death.

Books of this era:

Recontact (Against the Terrans: The First Age)

Eventually the planet was (re-)discovered by a human space traveling civilization and a spaceport was established near Thendara, the only large city on Darkover.

To account for the apparent discrepancy between the length of (recorded) history on Darkover and the length of time that had passed for the rest of humanity, the author mentions that early FTL drives could cause dislocation in time as well as in space when mishaps occurred. Thus, the ship of the original colonists was not only thrown off course, but also backwards in time, allowing for the long history of Darkover to coexist with human history.

Books of this era:

Bradley also published Oath of The Renunciatates, a combination of The Shattered Chain and Thendara House.

After the Comyn (Against the Terrans: The Second Age)

Books of this era:

Following Bradley's death in September 1999 a number of works which were in progress at the time have been published posthumously or are reported as planned for publication, including: Thunderlord!, The Fall of Neskaya, Zandru's Forge, A Flame in Hali, and Reluctant King.

In addition to the above books, several anthologies written by the Friends of Darkover and edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley were also based in the Darkover universe.

Darkovan Humans - The Comyn

The Comyn are the main seven laran-gifted families of Darkover, the descendants of human-chieri pairings. The Comyn learn to use native matrix stones to help focus and strengthen their laran powers to duplicate and sometimes surpass science-based technology. Each Comyn family controls a domain, but strategic inter-marriage and feudal land issues result in fluctuating domain borders. The seven families include:

Hastur of Hastur

Gifted with the power of the living matrix, some born into this Hastur family are able to achieve great laran power without the need for an artificial matrix stone. This branch of the Hastur family also holds regency and most real power throughout most of Darkovan history (especially in later years). Their family crest is a silver tree on a blue background.

Hastur of Elhalyn

Gifted with the power of foresight, some born into this family have the ability to see all possible outcomes from every decision made or choice presented. This gift is viewed by a curse by some as the foresight shows as many gruesome as positive outcomes. The Elhalyns are also acknowledged as the 'ruling' family of Darkover, though most Darkovans accept Hastur of Hastur as the real power behind the throne. Though most upper-caste Darkovan families have problems with mental stability (due to inbreeding to keep laran as strong as possible), the Elhalyn line suffers from this badly in every generation.

Alton

Gifted with the power of forced rapport, some born into this family have the ability to force their way into an unwilling mind to establish a painful telepathic link of minds. This has caused much distrust between the Altons and other families, especially the rumors that an angry Alton has the ability to kill with his or her mind. Due to this power, and wealth, the Altons are second in influence only to the Hasturs.

Ardais

Gifted with the power of laran catalyst, some born into this family are able to switch on latent laran powers in others. However, this particular gift was thought to have died out, until Danilo Syrtis-Ardais proved to possess it.

Aillard

Gifted with a mysterious power lost to the ages, the Aillards keep to themselves. They are also the only Domain ruled by women. Possibly their gift is what makes the Aillards more fit to be Keepers since many of the powerful female Keepers were Aillard. Their family crest is the feather.

Aldaran

Gifted with true sight, some born into this family have the ability to see what will come to pass. This particular clan is distrusted by most other Darkovans, supposedly due to some great crimes in the past. Though there are references and hints, the true reason is never fully given.

Ridenow of Serrais

Gifted with empathy, some born into this family have the ability to sense alien intelligences. This clan was originally only the Serrais, but Dry-Towners interbred with the Serrais women (whose clan was dying out in the Ages of Chaos) to rejuvenate the strain.

Minor families

MacAran

Delleray

Leynier

Lanart

Di Asturien

Lindir

Storn

Syrtis

Rockraven

Note

The particular laran powers were brought into existence by a process not unlike genetic engineering and was continued through a breeding program. A few laran powers such as the Rockraven Families abilities changed over time. The Rockraven's power of weather control was at one point deemed unsafe and out of control and is not heard of much in the books

See also

Categories


Darkover | Series of books

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