A Mighty Fortress: A Science Fiction Novella
About this ebook
Or die trying.
On board the interstellar ship, Theodore wakes from forty years of suspended animation, eager to transform a barren, rocky planet into a living world.
The plan: move an icy asteroid billions of miles, convert the ice into new seas and a breathable atmosphere, then seed the surface with life.
But some among the crew want to speed up the process. By taking risks with nuclear explosives. A dangerous revision, but one supported by the mission's commander.
Competing plans divide the crew into rival factions. With Earthly help over eight light-years away, Theodore must search alone for allies among oppressed workers, spiritual advisors, and the ship's artificial intelligence to save the mission—and stop the commander from seizing absolute power.
Scientists and politicians, ideals and tyranny clash when the hidden agendas of Theodore, his foes, his friends, and the ship's AI reveal themselves in a riveting, ultimate confrontation.
About the author
Raymund Eich is a science fiction and fantasy writer whose middle American upbringing is a launchpad for journeys to the ends of the universe.
His most popular works are military science fiction series The Confederated Worlds (novels Take the Shilling, Operation Iago, and A Bodyguard of Lies) and the Stone Chalmers series of science fiction espionage adventures (novels The Progress of Mankind, The Greater Glory of God, To All High Emprise Consecrated, and In Public Convocation Assembled).
He has over ten other published book-length works and more than forty published short stories. His short fiction has appeared in Odyssey, Analog, Boundary Shock Quarterly, and the anthology Surviving Tomorrow, and has earned honorable mentions and a semi-finalist award in the Writers of the Future contest. His works are available worldwide in ebook, trade paperback, and audiobook editions.
After circling the world by age five, he grew up in the Ozark Mountains of southwest Missouri. He earned a B.A. and a Ph.D., both in biochemistry, from Rice University. Though he’s no longer a working scientist, hundreds of papers cite his graduate research.
In addition to his writing career, he works in patent law, won a national quiz bowl championship, is a husband and father, and affirms Robert Heinlein's dictum that specialization is for insects.
He lives in Houston with his wife, son, and daughter. His last name has one syllable and is pronounced “eye-sh.” He can be found online at https://raymundeich.com.
