Since it's more - much more - than a week after we started GS, I
have decided to show my comments about Chapter 1:
---
Glory Season Part 1 Chapter 1
The Chapter is preceded by a quote from _Lysos_, who is a kind
of half-goddess/prophetess of Stratos. We will read lots of
Lysos quotes. Hmmm... This sounds familiar, doesn't it?
Chapter 1 is a slow description of Port Sanger, just before
the action rushes in the next chapters. Hmmm... Sounds familiar,
doesn't it? We are presented to a pastoral, peaceful, ecological,
and isolated society, that is rocked by a ship that comes
from a Star-Faring Civilization. Hmmm... Sounds familiar, doesn't
it? Lysos urged preserving the natural life. Hmmm... Sounds
familiar, doesn't it? :-))))))
All page references refer to the Bantam June 1994 paperback edition.
== Timelines ==
The whole action begins with Sunrise, and ends just after Sunset of
the same day.
We learn that the "Summer fivers" like Maia and her half-sisters
are about 15 years old by the old calendar [p.19]
It's Autumn [p.12, p.20, p.27, p.32]
2 seasons ago, Uriel observed the Rothen ship in the sky [p.13]
Maia and Leie expect to be 20 *standard* months at Sea, before
the next "rut" season, or next Summer [p.32]. So, maybe we can
assume that "months" are references to "Standard Earth Months" -
even if it doesn't make much sense to use Earth's crazy system
of 28/29/30/31 Days per Month.
== Astronomy ==
There is a celebration in Mid-Winter's day [p.17], this is probably
the same as the Far-Sun Day [p.23]
In the Summer, there are Auroras in the sky, and Wengel star is
near [p.25]
The Stratoin Year is a little more than 3 standard Earth years [p.30]
Now, storm season is over [p.29].
== Characters ==
Leie, Maia's twin sister, is a mirror twin. She's left-handed
[p.11]
Coot Bennett: an old retiree sailor [p.13]
Clevin: a sailor, Maia and Leie's father [p.36]
Maia and Leie's mother is dead [p.36]
Captain Jounine, a Sheldon cop of Port Sanger [p.23]
== Clans ==
There are 17 major and 90 minor clans in Port Sanger [p.19]
Clan Lamatia is Maia and Leie's mother's clan.
the Ortyns: pug-nosed, pale-skinned, their niche are tasks that
require strength. They are almost telepathic with each other [p.19]
clan Pasarg: musical crafstwomen, sallow-faced, long-fingered [p.20]
clan Charnoss
Jorusses, Kroebers, Sloskies [p.21]
the Sheldons: dark-skinned, kink-haired, a head taller than the Ortyns,
they trap fur beasts in the tundra marshes or become cops [p.21s]
the Poeskies: long-fingered [p.22]
the Groeskies: near cousins to the Poeskies [p.22], took root a few
generations ago, there are about 40 of them. Their ancestor was a
half-Poeskie
clan Mizora: doe-eyed, in decline, still counted among the great
clans, their niche is shopkeeping [p.22]
Usisi, Oeshi: upstart clans, shopkeepers [p.22]
Wylee have a distinctive jaw [p.29]
a Felic [p.30] is bluff-faced and a shop-keeper.
Tildens [p.33]
clan Bizmai: stooped, sallow-skinned. They are miners [p.37]. Half
of the Bizmai are pregnant with Summer Pregnancies. Most of these
babies would be abandoned to die in the tundra [p.38]
== Natural Life ==
Lugars are a kind of beast that carries heavy loads [p.11]
The Zoon-Floaters are flying creatures [p.17]. One laggard
[is this an adjective for one zoon-flyer, or is this another
species? damn ambiguity] is a "baby"; it resembles a filmy,
bloated jellyfish with dangling, iridiscent feelers 20 meters long.
It has tentacles [p.28]
Sash-horses [p.19]
Stratoin hiss-lizards [p.20]
Llamas [p.20], may be Earthling creatures
Fire drakes. extinct [p.23]
Tricorns, extinct [p.23]
== Technologies ==
There are navigation satellites [p.13]
A rocket is used for signalling [p.40]. Hmmm.... Sounds familiar, doesn't
it?
Long ago, there were airplanes and zeppelins in the sky. Now, there
is a weekly dirigible, that carries mail to/from Caria City. [p.28]
== Theologies ==
We heard about the Perkinite heresy [p.16]
Of course, Lysos's teachings are the Ortodoxy :-)
Alberto Monteiro
