Author's Notes
—
The Eylau Sequence is a science fiction story about human civilization during a
period of rapid change and discovery. While it is technically post-apocalyptic,
the main story line occurs so long after the disaster that everybody is well
past the original traumatic event and its horrific aftermath. The average
person living in the ES universe thinks about the comet strike of many
hundreds of years before about as often as a 21st century person thinks about
The Black Plague of 1347. In other words not much.
In that respect, the
society portrayed in the story is neither utopian nor dystopian. I would call
it syntopian: People making the best with what they've got, which isn't
too bad even though things could always be better.
An important detail
about the combat depicted in these stories; it is all conducted by unmanned
vehicles. In fact it is not really safe for humans to approach within 10 or 20
kilometers of a ground combat zone, even in armored vehicles. All frontline
combat is controlled at a distance, which is why brigade and division level
officers are commonly referred to as "controllers."
FAQ
List
— Q: How far into the future does The Eylau Sequence take
place?
A: Many hundreds of years. Probably less than 1,000. The number of
generations that have passed are 13 or 14, but the last several generations
were people who increasingly lived more than 150 years. So the typical
generation count does not play out normally.
Q: Why doesn't The
Eylau Sequence include any of the following common sci-fi
elements:
Power Armor - In the ES universe standard ground
weapons are so powerful that even if a direct hit didn't penetrate the armor,
the occupant would die of blunt force trauma. Also, power armor is far too
large and conspicuous of a target for how slowly it could possibly move. It's
just not a survivable format for the "modern" battlefield.
Sidearms - A military sidearm is useless in the ES Universe because
prospective human enemies are nearly always at a great distance. On the rare
occasions that one might find themself within close range of enemies, they
would likely be numerous unmanned vehicles that would be totally unaffected by
a sidearm. The only time you encounter a human enemy is if you are captured or
in face-to-face negotiations, and neither of those situations requires a
sidearm. In the ES Universe, carrying a sidearm in a military context is seen
as cowardly, because it is a precaution that is ridiculously unecessary. This
does not apply to private travel in remote areas, where personal defense
against wild animals may still require sidearms or pest supressants.
Large Robots - Small robots are more dangerous.
Large
Spaceships - Small spaceships are more dangerous.
Cyborgs -
Robotic systems are more robust. Cyborg systems are weaker and don't last as
long (IE - commercially inefficient).
Androids - In the ES
Universe there is no need for a human shaped robot any more than there is a
need for a tree shaped robot. It's just not something that is required for
anything more than a curiosity. They exist, but don't mean much.
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PO Box 3943
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92307
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— Planetary images are courtesy of the
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