Purpose
This website focuses on the science fiction works of Glenn Roush. Here you will find details about the Tykhe Universe book series. All stories are in beta stages until the upcoming launch. I have provided links to select chapters and encourage you to preview my world. As a lifelong learner, I welcome constructive feedback.
You will find numerous features of my process, to include my concept art (I’m an amateur, don’t judge too harshly), a living wiki glossary of terms, My Reading list to include works that aided in my research for development, and also a blog where I explore various topics pertaining to writing, science, space, and other random things. This site is a continued work in progress. Check back frequently for updates. Enjoy.
Who or what is Tykhe?
Tykhe (Tyche) is the Ancient Greek goddess of good luck, fortune, and fate. In Roman mythology she is depicted as Fortuna who dispensed both good and bad luck. In my series, Tykhe is a planet.
Introduction to the Tykhe Universe
Humanity has expanded to newly habitable planets outside the Sol system. The nearest is four-light years away…
Tykhe is rich in mineral resources, in particular exoticmatter that fuels the newly developed Einstein-Rosen relays. For all its bounty, Tykhe is a temperamental world. Short severe seasons, elongated days, heightened gravity, vicious wildlife, and tribal conflicts deter all but those without another option for survival. Most will toil under harsh environmental conditions. Inhabitants live under the thumb of their corporate overlords for the hope of one day accruing enough points to retire to paradise.
That paradise is Kýrios Kósmos. The Master World is the restrictive congregation for the universe’s elite. Kyrios is strictly divided between Northern and Southern hemispheres. The North is exclusive to the natural born or the wealthiest off-worlders. Portions of the South is designated for all other immigrants and the pre-existing citizenry of the region.
Besides Earth, Kyrios Kosmos and Tykhe, humanity occupies several lesser planets, moons, and space stations. Mars exists as a failed terraforming experiment, still lacking an adequate atmosphere. Gath is the home of giants, genetically engineered to endure the oppressive gravity. Everyone else lives amongst the void on starships and space stations.
Four years ago, the orbital relays came online, linking the planets with one another. What once required centuries aboard a cryostasis hauler, now requires days. The universe just got a lot smaller…
My Books (Beta)
Escher Book I
Marine Raiders, Captain Alison Haavik and Gunnery Sergeant Jace Riken have spent a grueling decade bouncing between Earth conflicts. They have forged an inseparable bond in sweat and blood. Their new mission promises to be more peaceful: assist in terraforming the desolate planet Tykhe—four light years away. After spending nearly 200 years in cryostasis, the Raiders awake to find themselves as women out-of-time. Both technology and civilization have advanced faster than their elongated journey across galaxies. Break the guns out of storage and dish out the ammo, Tykhe is alive and hostile! Alison and Jace are immediately pitted against a world of hungry beasts and guerilla warfare.
Escher comes from a planet of engineered giants. He finds lucrative employment with mining magnates, serving as a security contractor in the remote jungles of Tykhe. His job: make sure nothing interferes with the company’s efforts to extract precious fuel for mankind’s latest achievement, the space-bending Einstein-Rosen relays. Except Tykhe and the local populations are not going to make this easy for him or the other off-world, capitalist colonizers. Separated from his team, and left for dead, Escher must rely on the marooned Earthers if he has any chance of making it out alive.
Check out the first eleven chapters in the Escher menu tab.
Jillian Book II
John Parker was another anonymous employee working for one of the wealthiest corporations in the galaxy. He killed himself and no one cares. Except his family is convinced there is more to their son’s end than Hyalite Technology Corp is willing to admit.
Junior detective Jillian Kahr accepts the assignment nobody wants. She is dispatched to the crime scene at a secluded research-facility-turned-archeological dig. After a decade extracting humanity-altering alien technology, the project is nearing its end. Only a skeleton crew remains, and of those, most are fiercely loyal to their director and her insistence that the greatest secret is yet to be discovered.
Detective Kahr’s investigation quickly becomes secondary as she battles the isolation of an untamed planet Tykhe with all her temperamental wildlife and weather, mixed with the colorful lot of suspects used to living outside the jurisdiction of the law. Solving the case becomes secondary to surviving it.
Check out the first ten chapters in the Jillian menu tab.
Tribute to The Expanse
The Expanse is one of the best Science Fiction series of all time. James S.A. Corey (technically Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck) is(are) absolutely brilliant! I was amongst the many fans thrilled that Amazon finished the canceled SyFy program. As is the case for any book-to-screen adaptation, there are certainly differences, but quite frankly, I love both. The books are amazing! The show is amazing! I cannot endorse either enough.
What drew me to The Expanse, was the central focus on everyday characters. Sure, there is the authority figure of UN Chrisjen Avasarala, some rich people, and a few generals, but for the most part the series focuses on lower- and middle-class people and their contributions to events on a galactic scale. Most of the people in power worked their way up from the bottom. This is not the story of inheritances…emperors, kings, or queens. No one has superpowers. Just grit and determination. Words cannot express how much I appreciate that.
In The Expanse, things break and need repairs. Guns run out of bullets. Space-travel is bound by physics (until the Ring Gates). There are no magical force fields or laser weapons. Alien species are limited. And the majority of humanities problems are the result of us repeating the same age-old mistakes. Abraham and Franck have constructed a space-centric world that feels incredibly tangible.
If you’ve only watched the show, read their books. And if you enjoyed The Expanse, I encourage you to read my series. It was my greatest inspiration. I have created The Tykhe Universe as a separate world space from The Expanse. However, I adhere to many of the same principles as James S.A. Corey, with a focus on average people trying to endure crappy situations.
My Reading List
01
Non-fiction
This book is a must-read for anyone who writes about space-themed Science Fiction. It is technically pop-culture, meaning it allows humor to highlight the difficulties of trying to live anywhere outside of Earth. Even if you don’t feel like taking the dive into hard science fiction, this is a great resource for Sci-Fi enthusiasts and writers. For a more in-depth review, check out my Blog for the post.
02
Non-fiction
Annie Jacobson is a journalist by trade and one of my favorite non-fiction authors. Everything she writes is thoroughly researched with methodical bibliographies. This isn’t Joe Hick’s take on conspiracy theories, this is actual insights into some of the government’s most protected secrets. Contrary to the misguided belief of the masses, Area 51 primarily developed cutting edge aircraft and nuclear weapons with a little bit of mad-science. It does shed some light on the alien conspiracies, which I found fascinating mixed with, “well obviously that’s what it was.” I strongly recommend Area 51 to anyone who enjoys aviation and government secrets.
03
Non-fiction
I’m pretty sure this book is required for all future astronauts. It provides a fascinating insight into the early days of the space program. This book is a mixture of, “That’s incredible!” and “I can’t believe they did that, or were allowed to!” Be it inspirational or a historical references, anyone who finds space travel intriguing must read The Right Stuff.
03
Non-fiction
My characters don’t spend a lot of time in space, but I wanted it to seem believable when they did. Terry provides great perspective about all the details of being an astronaut and life on the International Space Station. Each chapter is self-contained and doesn’t need to be read sequentially (though I did). Pick and choose the content that interests you. I found it all interesting.
04
Non-fiction
If you want to know what living is space is like, ask an astronaut. I loved Scott’s voice in Endurance. While I’d still love the opportunity to go to space, I’m not sure that I have any desire to spend a year up there after reading his account. His descriptions about things like CO2 levels, air purifiers and the micromanagement of NASA on the ground were eye opening.
05
Science Fiction
First Released in 1997, I only recently discovered this series. As a Marine, I have biased affinity for stories about them. Both authors served in Vietnam, but David is the Marine. He weaves his experiences throughout his narrative set several hundred years in the future. Oohrah and firefights heavy, it’s a great take on future conflicts, advancements in weapon’s technology and no matter what century, war never changes.