Marc Miller's Traveller Novel
I have always wanted to show my vision of the Traveller universe in a fiction format: from the earliest days of role-playing (that would be the late 1970’s, for those of you who are counting), the thought of a sprawling, star-spanning adventure through the Imperium has been there in the back (and sometimes the front) of my mind. With the completion of the Traveller5 core rules, and with all of its concepts fresh in my mind, the inspiration came to me in a flash this past June, and it has been pouring from my fingertips ever since.
This project is the publication — ebook, dead-tree hardcopy version, and hardcover limited first edition, and perhaps more — of my first novel: Agent of the Imperium.
Jonathan Bland is a Decider, empowered by the Emperor himself to deal with the inevitable crises of empire. In the service of the Empire, he has killed more people than anyone in the history of Humanity, to save a hundred times as many. He died centuries ago, but they re-activate his recorded personality whenever a new threat appears. When the crisis is over, they expect he will meekly return to oblivion.
He has other ideas.
This 80,000+ word (about 250 to 300 pages) novel is faithful to the OTU Original Traveller Universe in the way that only the originator and chronicler of the universe can make it. Along the way, this novel reveals secrets of the history of the empire that have never before been revealed. It spans 400 years from early Imperium (about 300) through the mid-post Civil War period (about 700) touching known and unknown events you may have encountered in your own reading of the Imperium: everyday events, political intrigue, deadly dangers, Arbellatra, Capital, Encyclopediopolis, the Karand's Palace, and a Tigress-class Dreadnought.
For the Uninitiated: The Traveller universe is one of the most documented and fleshed-out futures ever contrived; the product of hundreds of writers and thousands of players who have enjoyed its detail and its gaming adventures since 1977. Agent of the Imperium is set in the vast star-spanning Third Imperium and its ten thousand worlds. The novel is more than just a fast-paced adventure that saves the empire several times in the first hundred pages; it immerses readers in the day-to-day life of the empire. The Traveller5 Core Role-Playing Rules (our previous Kickstarter) define the universe: this read shows readers what it looks like, feels like, how it functions, what it does.
About The Author: Marc Miller is the original creator of the Traveller science-fiction role-playing game system at GDW Game Designers’ Workshop. He is the designer of more than 80 game titles across the broad spectrum of gaming: historical wargames, miniatures, science-fiction, and role-playing. He has won just about every award for gaming excellence, and is a member of the Adventure Gaming Hall of Fame twice! once personally, and again as the designer of Traveller.
This is Marc’s first novel, but not his first writing: he has over a million words in print.
Finally, there is an excerpt posted here just to get you started: http://www.traveller5.net/novels.html
Do I Need To Play Traveller? No! We think that Traveller players will enjoy this vision of the Traveller universe, of course, but this is a stand-alone compelling vision of the far future that any SF reader can enjoy. We hope you will too, whether you are a gamer or not.
The Softcover Edition. The softcover edition is basically a reader's copy: it is intended to be read in the satisfying old style, and then kept on the shelf or shared with a friend. But you are also participating in a special event with me. I am not restricting inscriptions and autographs to the Hardcover (below); the survey will ask about inscriptions and I will autograph and inscribe regardless of softcover or hardcover.
The Hardcover Edition. This publication is a special event and we're producing a limited number of hardcover copies, custom bound by a local bindery. We're going to produce some of these no matter what (if only because I want one on my own shelf), and thus we have the opportunity to make them available to you as well. Each book will receive a custom inscription and author signature.
Shipping: The ebook has no cost to ship. The Paperback and the Hardcover cost to ship, and I have allowed about $5 in each pledge to cover shipping (and packaging materials). For shipments outside the USA, the cost is closer to $20 and that explains the $15 surcharge.
Export Customs Statements: When I complete customs forms for Kickstarter Rewards as they are shipped to backers, I declare Book $15. I inscribe each book to the specific backer and I declare it as a gift, in sincere appreciation to the individual.
Extra Copies of the Paperback. You can increase your pledge by $15 and receive an additional copy of the Paperback book.
Extra Copies of the Hardcover. You can increase your pledge by $50 and receive an additional copy of the Hardcover book.
DRM-Free: The electronic editions of this novel are supplied DRM-Free as files through DropBox link or a coupon for a download from DriveThruRPG.
Risks and challenges
The manuscript for this novel is complete and edited; it only awaits its publication date.
The printed rewards are subject to potential printed and binder delays, we do not expect problems that we cannot handle.
I could die (unexpectedly) but copies of the files are in the hands of trusted associates who will fulfill if I cannot.
I have managed one previous Kickstarter and we fulfilled successfully.
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Former FANGORIA Forum Moderator Kyle Everett FUBAR Sember brings you breaking news on horror, movies, books, comics, television, RPG's, Video Games, NOTLD, Call Of Cthulhu, Trail Of Cthulhu, Arkham Horror, Day Z, The Walking Dead, World War Z, AFMBE, Left 4 Dead, Elder Sign, Mansions Of Madness, horror and zombie games, Dungeons & Dragons, and all things Lovecraftian!-
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