Welcome to the The Galactic Databank[]
A consolidated informational source about all of the information written about in "Twice-Shadowed Saint" and other works by Philip A. Troy, including racial phylogeny, technical overviews, coordinates and numerous other facets of everyday life in the Cosmos.
Philip is the author of several books, including the much-loved "Twice-Shadowed Saint", and has written stories which provide glimpses into a vast and ever-changing universe, filled with dynamic characters, lifelike scenarios, rich cultures, fierce creatures, beautiful environments and the wide array of assorted heroes, villains, civilians and soldiers which populate it. This Wiki will help keep track of all the information his works provide us about the world he has shown us.
On July 5th, 2013, Twice-Shadowed Saint Part I: The Soldier will officially go into print, and can be purchased from any major retailer or online from many outlets such as Amazon or Barnes & Noble. The best place to buy it, however, will be on the Lulu Marketplace at http://www.lulu.com following its release.
A Brief (Re)Introduction to Science Fiction[]
Many a man has looked to the heavens and wondered what lies beyond the sky above him. Some of these men, long ago, picked up quill and pen and began writing what they surmised to be there. They spun tales of canals on Mars (Giovanni Sciaparelli, 1887), but do not believe that the concept of "Science Fiction" began there. It is widely believed that the Sumerian "Epic of Gilgamesh" (2000-2150 BCE) is the first example of Science Fiction as well as the earliest surviving example of literature as a whole. Even if one chooses to discount it, "Science Fiction" could then be arguably dated back to the Scientific Revolution and the discoveries made by Galileo (1564 - 1642) and Newton (1642 - 1727) in fields such as astronomy, physics and mathematics. Other people claim Science Fiction began with the gothic horror novel "Frankenstein" (1818), by Mary Shelly.
Nowadays, Science Fiction is mostly considered a minor genre with multiple jokes attached to it. Serious investigators who attempt to unravel the source of Science Fiction by studying claims to alien activity on Earth or UFO sightings are often laughed at without a second thought due to the actions of a few lunatics who have, quite literally, spoiled the subject for those honestly interested. The media is more than willing to presume any and all alien life is hostile - there are far too many sources to list, but as recently as 2011, "The Thing" (a prequel to a 1982 movie by the same name) portrays a shapeshifting, plant-like organism which preys on humans at an Antarctic research station by killing and impersonating them... often with horrific results when unmasked.
With this in mind, what is Science Fiction now? Has the genre dating back to the greatest minds of science been reduced to nothing more than a common joke or a cheap horror film? Science Fiction lacks many of the elements of real life that are certain to be present. Cultural conflicts between species in mainstream Science Fiction focus solely on how different races are from one another. Writers make mockery of Science Fiction cultures by assuming an alien would act like an idiotic human (Paul, 2011) even as they try to make it out to be nothing more than a violent, bloodthirsty killing machine. Humans are either elevated to godhood as they were in the 2005 XBOX game "Advent Rising", or are stomped and kicked around and made to look weak and helpless (in games such as the Halo franchise, where humans would be wiped out completely without the aid of genetically engineered super soldiers) or humans are made to look like nothing more than dumb cattle (Destroy All Humans, 2005).
So if you're tired of the same rehashed Science Fiction that has circulated ever since 1980, why not look for something new? Why not look for a world where the so-called Senate running the Galaxy may not be as pure as it seems. A universe where alternate realities provide opportunities to see how the Earth could survive if the entire universe existed inside out? A world filled with N-Dimensional machine life or nigh-immortal monsters made of liquid iron? Why settle for a Science-Fiction novel in which Humans are the sole villain or hero? Contrary to what people tell you, you CAN have it all. And that is what Philip A. Troy has created. A universe in which the Laws of Physics don't always have to be absolute. A universe in which life is as wide and varied as it is on Earth. So now only one question remains:
What are you waiting for?