**Whakataukī Among the Stars**
When the future gets loud—ash storms, dying stations, hungry systems, strange planets, stubborn bureaucracies, first contact gone sideways, and silences that definitely have teeth—old wisdom does not become quaint.
It becomes a compass.
Whakataukī Among the Stars is a science-fiction short story series guided by Māori proverbs, where each story begins with a whakataukī, its translation, and its meaning, before being launched into new worlds where that wisdom has to do real work.
Across five volumes, these stories travel through wrecked Earths, living stations, deep-space voyages, forbidden books, floating markets, generation ships, alien weather, solar storms, ancient reckonings, and planets that may have developed very strong opinions about whether humanity deserves to keep living on them.
There are fathers and sons walking beneath bruised skies toward rumours of green. Pilots chasing once-only comets. Survivors arguing with smart appliances during the apocalypse. Crews edging toward impossible lattices where reality appears to have read the manual and filed a complaint. Communities holding the line with kindness, stubborn hope, truth, accountability, and occasionally a properly timed cup of tea.
There are stories about generosity that cannot be owned, grief turned into starlight, leadership arriving like a parcel nobody ordered, and official forms that really should not exist. There are moments of tenderness, absurdity, danger, and consequence — because the future may be vast, but people are still people, and someone will absolutely try to bring a goat through security.
Inspired by the vastness of Peter F. Hamilton, the deep-time imagination of Stephen Baxter, the cosmic awe of Arthur C. Clarke, the humane intelligence of Ursula K. Le Guin, and the sharp, sideways wit of Terry Pratchett, these stories are for readers who like their science fiction thoughtful, strange, funny, rooted, and just a little bit haunted.
At its heart, Whakataukī Among the Stars asks one question in a hundred futuristic disguises:
What do we choose to carry forward?
Old wisdom. New worlds. No easy outs.
For readers who enjoy science fiction with heart, humour, sharp edges, deep roots, and the occasional “put the kettle on, this may take a while” energy, welcome aboard.
Whakataukī Among the Stars — Volumes I–V are Short science fiction stories guided by Māori proverbs.
Rebecca Vardy on Amazon
Stories, stars, strange futures, and a little mischief between the galaxies.
Comments
Post a Comment