According to ancient Greek mythology, there were two levels to Hell. The upper level was known as Erebus, the lower, Tartarus. Whatever you chose to call it, Hell isn't a very nice place. You certainly wouldn't want to be trapped there for life, especially not by choice.
So why on earth did I name one of the alien planets in my SF trilogy "Tartarus"? ( And by the way, I chose the name of my planets well over forty years ago. )
If you've read Book One: Judgment on Tartarus, or either of the two books that follow, you know that even the "temperate" zone of the planet is well-below zero. Its ice-covered, barren plains stretch between rugged mountain ranges capped with age-old ice, and glaciers flow inexorably between the peaks. Only deep, dark chasms interrupt the snow fields. The entire planet is literally one hell of a place!
No wonder the Terran explorers who discovered the planet gave it the name Tartarus---and its Twin Moons, Erebus and Cerberus---the name of the three-headed dog that guarded the gates of Hell. Terrans refer to the people who inhabit this planet as Tartarians. These people aren't native to this planet. They arrived centuries ago on a sleeper-ship. They were desperate to escape their distant homeworld, which was plagued by violence, wars, and lawlessness. Upon reaching the first habitable, but uninhabited, world, the ship awakened its "sleeping" passengers.
At first, the Twelve Clans dwelt upon the surface of the planet, eking out an existence, until a deepening ice-age drove them far beneath the surface---permanently. Tartarians employed the advanced technology that had brought them to their new world to establish sophisticated underground cities, complete with subterranean transportation networks. Rejecting lives of ease and luxury, Tartarians lived according to the strictest of Laws and punishments.
The planet Tartarus provided an environment without light, without warmth, without love or mercy or compassion. Therefore, I found it highly appropriate to name this planet Hell.
Keep reading---keep writing!
MRTighe
No comments:
Post a Comment