Diaspora

DiasporaWhen your only weapon is reasonSebastian Chard, near retiring Professor of History at Bornkester Univerity, witnesses the destruction of his college by alien spacecraft. Not only that, every cultural facility on the planet – Museums, Art Galleries and Humanities Departments – have been crushed into the ground. There is no longer any record of his world's history or culture. The only thing that remains are his powers of reason and debate, and with these he sets out to confront his alien foes.On the way he discovers some painful truths about his own planet and its people.Diaspora is a story about humanity and our imposition of ideas upon other cultures. Steve Carroll is a teacher of Art and Art History, as well as being a painter, printmaker and writer. In the Diaspora series he discusses the importance of culture and history in shaping society and the dangers of neglecting the past. He loves science fiction's ability to discuss the larger ideas in life.

Thirteen years have passed since Earth's population was annihilated by a weaponised virus. Those who inadvertently brought the virus to humanity's home planet are hiding at the edge of a city on the planet Iensein. A generation has passed – the only remaining renegades from the Party are Jaanus and Roger who endeavour to fix the destruction of a planet's culture. Jaanus is married to Revd. Benjamin King, raising their adopted sons, Abel and Isaac. Meanwhile the deadly Earthcluster, a ship with the potential to destroy planets is still at large in the galaxy.This is the story of teenagers Abel and Isaac – Abel, the oldest, a cynic looking for a cause and prepared to do anything to find it; Isaac a bookish lad, just wanting to observe and learn. As the people of Iensein wage war on the Earthcluster the two boy's lives take opposite directions, leading to a deadly showdown.At the same time discoveries are made as to why the people of Earth destroyed the cultures of the colony planets – is there another sinister force at large in the galaxy? Steve Carroll is an artist and art history lecturer. In the Diaspora series he describes a universe not unlike our own where the value of the past is questioned.

It is nearly two decades since a weaponised virus decimated the Earth, but with the manufacture of the antivirus, it is possible to walk upon the home planet. But what is discovered is far from dead, it is a fearfully dangerous world. The big question is, who transmitted the signal ordering Party members to destroy the cultures of the colony planets? Isaac, Horbury and the Triblian scientists take on the task no-one else is prepared for, to find who still transmits the signal. On Earth they find a more terrifying foe than they have ever encpountered, with eyes still fixed on the colony planets. Steve Carroll is a teacher of Art and Art History, as well as being a painter, printmaker and writer. In the Diaspora series he discusses the importance of culture and history in shaping society and the dangers of neglecting the past. He loves science fiction's ability to discuss the larger ideas in life.