It is the 50th Century, humans have expanded through the stars, found the remnants of the forerunner Anunnaki, built a great republic that combined humanity’s greatest technological and social achievements, and have collapsed back into a near feudal state where the remaining known worlds still linked by jumproads are but a fraction of all of the worlds once known. This collapse has been accompanied by the fading of the suns. This setting of nobles and priests attempting to rebuild in the face of the encroaching darkness is the
Fading Suns universe and the subject of
The Sinful Stars short story collection
I usually don’t read game fiction, but I picked up The Sinful Stars as a way to get a better idea of how to present stories and adventures in the Fading Suns universe. The Sinful Stars succeeds on that front by presenting stories from the diverse points of view of priests, merchants, nobles, aliens, and others. The settings range from metropolitan worlds to primitive communities to ancient ruins. Overall, the stories met my objective of providing me with material and inspiration for presenting stories and settings within the Fading Suns universe.
The Sinful Stars is a trade paperback that includes eighteen short stories, an overview of the Fading Suns Universe (available at www.fadingsuns.com), a glossary, and a map showing the jumproads of the known worlds. The cover features a priest and a Brother Battle monk before a great statute that is one of the ancient artifacts left by the forerunner Anunnaki. The statue is reminiscent of Cthulhu, which is not an association that I had made before, but the painting is by Bill Bridges, one of the Fading Suns creators. My wife said that the title of the collection sounded like Catholic pulp fiction, which is not a bad way to look at Fading Suns.
The first story, Fragments by Bill Bridges, is an entry from Alustro’s Journal. Alustro is a young Eskatonic priest that travels in the retinue of a young Li Halan noble, and his journal entries are used to introduce most Fading Suns supplements. Alustro’s entries have been collected and are available at www.fadingsuns.com.
The better stories in The Sinful Stars stand on their own and provide insightful portraits into the Fading Suns universe. The Hidden Martyrs, by Changchup Riwo, examines noble house intrigue. Dark Places by James Moore highlights both the allure of Second Republic technology and the danger presented by the darkness between the stars. Worldsong, by James Estes, focuses on the threat posed by travel along the jumproads. Valukeydir: Shadows and Time, by Rustin Quaide, presents some of the conflicts between humans and the alien Ur-Ukar. The last and most unique story is Alyward Allmen by Rustin Quaide and Sam Inabinet, a morality play designed to instruct the faithful on fidelity to the Orthodox Church and the dangers that threaten those that wander far from home.
Other stories that come close to effectively and consistently presenting the Fading Suns universe include Transfiguration by Jackie Cassada, The Noble Essence by Alan Bryden, Hot Ambition by Edward Carmien, Rainy Season by Christopher Howard, and Blessed Protection by Andrew Greenberg. Seven other stories round out the collection.
If you are interested in the Fading Suns universe, The Sinful Stars is worth the read.
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