Thursday, September 22, 2016

Pippa Jay talks crystals, then shares Gethyon: A Travellers Universe Novel

I've always had an obsession with shiny things, and especially crystals. Just like a magpie, anything with a bit of sparkle attracts me. I dabbled in alternative therapies and witchcraft as a teen, an area where the mystical properties of crystals play a part. And reading (and adoring) Anne McCaffrey's Crystal Singer trilogy introduced me to the idea of using crystals in scifi. Quartz crystal is used in a lot of modern tech already - who hasn't heard of quartz watches? - and it’s used in radios, radar, sound equipment and television. A more recent innovation is the use of nanocrystals for memory storage. The mineral's versatility comes about because it has piezoelectric qualities, which means it takes on a charge when stressed.
 So when deciding on a particular type of technology for Gethyon's universe, it was a logical choice. Crystophile technology is the norm, and a field Gethyon himself excels in. At one stage in the story, his knowledge pays his way. But at the beginning, it's a piece of crystophilic technology - a CHI (Crystalline Holographic Imager) device - that lands him in trouble in the first place. While meant purely for displaying 3D moving images, Gethyon’s unusual talents coupled with the device lead it to opening a pathway through space...attracting the attention of a dark force seeking just such a talent. Technology isn’t always a good thing...

More facts about quartz - it belongs to the trigonal crystal system and the ideal shape is a six-sided prism ending in six-sided pyramids (the CHI in the story just happens to be a hexagon to follow that idea of the perfect crystal shape). Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in Earth's continental crust, with an overall chemical formula of SiO2. Aside from its usefulness in technology, it's also the basis of several semi-precious gemstones such as agate, carnelian, onyx, amethyst, citrine, and milky, smoky and rose quartz. So it’s not just incredibly useful, but pretty too. And I clearly can’t resist it.

Gethyon: A Travellers Universe Novel

Abandoned. Hunted. Out of control.







Pre-order Links:
Print coming soon!

 Gethyon stumbled and fell. Light burst across his vision, a violent assault of color, and he threw up an arm to defend himself. Something brushed against him, spun him, and then another bruising impact sent him backward.
“Watch where you’re going,” someone scolded.
Gethyon dropped his arm and squinted, fighting to keep his balance. People flowed around him, but the man who’d spoken was already moving away, a reproving frown on his face.
Soft sunlight gleamed from smooth marble, a blend of gray, green, and white beneath his feet. Humans bustled in different directions, each intent on their own concerns, with only the odd, inquisitive glance thrown his way as he stood, alone and bewildered, in their midst. He faced a distant horizon framed by the jagged spires of mountains. To either side of where he stood, the mountains ran in tooth-like bronze spines. The plaza seemed to be a main pedestrian thoroughfare in the middle of a wide valley. He stared. Where was he?
Gethyon dragged his head around toward the speaker, forcing his eyes to focus. Buildings in the same pastel marble filled the valley ahead. Cold shock drenched him at the sight of two uniformed men between him and the nearest edifice, one warden aiming a finger straight at him.
“Hey, no unauthorized teleportation in the plaza!”
What happened?
He’d done it again—sent himself elsewhere—but how? And why could he do it? What was he?




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  1. I see Pippa is employing her chemistry background in describing crystals.


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