Five Fun Facts About Under a Fallen Sun
Celebrating five years since publication through Samak Press
My debut science fiction novel Under a Fallen Sun turned five years old this month.
Under a Fallen Sun gets lost in the shadow of my more popular and successful Alien People Chronicles trilogy at times. I wish it received a little more love. The novel holds a special spot among my published stories. The original short story I adapted Under a Fallen Sun from is one of a handful of stories my mom read before succumbing to cancer two decades ago. Her feedback on my first story ultimately helped shape the novel into what it became.
To celebrate the fifth anniversary of Under a Fallen Sun, I have compiled five fun facts about the novel.
(Warning: some spoilers follow for both Under a Fallen Sun and Alien People.)
Under a Fallen Sun was adapted from a short horror story.
My mom read the original draft for this novel when it existed as a short story. It also wasn’t a science fiction tale at the time.
My original version was a horror story I wrote circa 2001 titled Village of the Gargoyles. It shared a similar central premise – four college students trapped in an isolated Texas town – as Under a Fallen Sun. Several primary characters also existed in a much less-defined form.
Village of the Gargoyles differed wildly from the final story. Paige and her friends encountered residents who were monsters because of a demonic curse placed on the town. They had to flee before the next sunrise, or they would fall victim to the same curse. This is in stark contrast to aliens invading in Under a Fallen Sun and isolating the town from the outside world while they conducted genetic experiments.
I’m happy I changed genres. The original story wasn’t remotely scary and was riddled with embarrassing cliches.
Events in Under a Fallen Sun directly influence how Alien People unfolds
Under a Fallen Sun lingered in development hell for many years until I tied it to Alien People. Multiple plot threads connect the two novels, and a key character appears in both stories.
The original draft of Alien People is the first novel I ever wrote. Alien People, along with outlines for multiple sequels and prequels, existed both in my mind and on my computer long before Under a Fallen Sun evolved beyond a short horror story.
So how are the two novels connected?
Paige Beck, a protagonist in Under a Fallen Sun, features in Alien People as a leader in the Earth Defense Bureau. The alien invasion chronicled in the earlier novel directly influences how first contact with Earth unfolds for Calandra Menankar and Xttra Oogan in the latter novel.
Stray is based on a family pet
An orange tabby cat makes a brief appearance late in Under a Fallen Sun, helping survivors find their way through the corridors of an alien spaceship as they seek a quick escape after sabotaging the vessel. The cat, who Paige later adopts, and names Stray, is based on a real-life family pet.
In the real world, Stray lived in a feral cat colony at my dad’s house. He had some serious health issues, so my sister devoted extra time and attention to caring for him. Stray’s life was tragically cut short when a cougar killed him in 2019. I always planned to feature a guide animal late in the narrative. I chose Stray to be this character as a gift to my sister amid her grief.
Rubrum is a key planet in the Alien People Chronicles
Under a Fallen Sun introduces readers to antagonistic aliens who fled from a dying planet called Rubrum. One Rubrumian cell invades Earth and seeks to adapt their bodies to the Sun in a desperate bid to survive on our planet. They perform genetic experiments on residents of Travis, Texas — while isolating the town from the outside world – to learn how to make their bodies withstand prolonged exposure to sunlight. Their experiments cause nightmarish changes in their human captives.
Rubrum is an antagonistic planet which influences other corners of my Alien People Chronicles universe. Rubrumian scientists provided the means for Ra’ahm to win the Separatist War on Lathos. Aliens from Rubrum have inspired frightening folklore on multiple worlds because of a reputation for abducting other aliens for the purposes of genetic experimentation. Rubrum is feared and hated on many worlds.
Under a Fallen Sun Introduces the Earth Defense Bureau
Several science fiction stories I’ve published involve characters connected to the Earth Defense Bureau — a US government agency established to defend Earth from extraterrestrial incursions. Readers are introduced to the bureau during the final act of Under a Fallen Sun. Paige is recruited into their ranks after narrowly surviving her ordeal in Texas.
The Earth Defense Bureau occupies a definite gray area in many of my stories. While the bureau does an admirable job of fending off hostile aliens, agents and leaders in the bureau are not above harming peaceful aliens and employing questionable tactics to achieve their agenda.
If you liked these five fun facts about Under a Fallen Sun, check out similar features on Alien People and Pandora Reborn in the archives.
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