First published 1977
The colonists on Ishtar know their world follows a brutal pattern. Every few thousand years, the planet swings closer to its primary star during a catastrophic period called Fire Time. Temperatures soar, ecosystems collapse, and civilizations burn. Now the cycle approaches again. The human settlement struggles to survive as native species prepare for the coming inferno through migration, hibernation, or death. Some colonists want to flee offworld. Others believe they can endure the furnace that destroyed previous inhabitants. The planet's indigenous peoples, who have survived multiple Fire Times through hard-won knowledge, watch the newcomers with mixture of pity and curiosity. As stellar mechanics bring doom closer, humans must choose between abandoning their new home or gambling everything on unproven survival strategies. The decision will determine whether human presence on Ishtar represents just another failed civilization or the first to break the planet's cycle of destruction.
Genres: science-fiction, adventure, planetary-science, apocalyptic
Vibes: atmospheric, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Ishtar
Period: Fire Time
255 pages · Paperback · Panther Books Ltd