Belter World
About this ebook
When the promise of AI turned into every bad trope that Hollywood movies had warned us of, the disenfranchised rose up and pulled the plug. It was messy for a while, but humans are adaptable, and now, 160 years later, humanity thrives in an AI-free solar system full of life and hope.
The year is 2185. A third of humanity now lives within the massive metal asteroid known as Psyche. This is a world of clones, genetically engineered for life in space from the DNA of Earth’s legends.
It’s not easy being a clone. The feeling that your destiny is not your own is an ever-present itch.
When a young prospector happens across an arcane relic out among the asteroids, he sees a way to write an unscripted destiny for himself. He enlists the help of a quirky, earth-born astrobiologist to help decipher the enigmatic object. Together, they science their way through the artifact while finessing our clockwork universe, future bureaucracies, and treacherous adversaries. With echoes of Firefly and the high-stakes drama of The Expanse, this pulse-pounding adventure explores what it truly means to be human in a universe full of danger and uncertainty.
“This is a compelling book of fresh ideas in the best traditions of speculative fiction.”
Brian McKernan - Former Editor at Omni Magazine
“This advanced human society among the asteroid belt comes across as vivid and realized from the moment we first find ourselves in it”
Coverfly
"Loved it!
This author has spent a great deal of creativity and effort to create a 200-years-in-the-future solar system. Fine world-building, great characters, and plenty of wonderful technology.”
Gordon Long - Reedsy Reviews
"Written with the pace of a feature-length film, Billups’ novel is at once captivating, thought-provoking, and just cool. Lovers of hard sci-fi will not be disappointed."
Michael Candelario - Goodreads
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About the author
Scott Billups divides his time between the motion picture industry and the defense/aerospace sector, frequently serving as a consultant or team member on initiatives for NASA, DARPA, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and other NGO contractors.
In addition to serving as Chief Technical Officer for the game industry’s leading supplier of AI, Scott is an award-winning cinematographer, visual effects creator, game developer, and author of several best-selling books on cutting-edge media production. When he's not working, you can generally find him sailing, surfing, or skiing.
Scott’s long list of innovations has earned him a reputation for what WIRED Magazine calls, "Hollywood's baddest pixel-packing cowboy, riding the fringes of an industry that views him with interest, admiration, and some degree of incomprehension."
