A gripping science fiction space opera from two of Australia's most respected and popular authors. this duology is just as thought-provoking as the Orphans trilogy; it extrapolates from existing science in a similar way, but it is not as bleak as Orphans. Characterisation is given the same importance as the science and technology, as with all Sean's stories.Ascent will portray humanity's uncertain beginnings as an interstellar power. When confronted by an alien artefact of unknown origins, those beginnings are threatened, not so much by the artefact itself as by people's reactions to it. Ascent shows the consequences of those reactions, not only writ large across the universe but also on an intimate, personal level. the fates of the main characters are not lost in humanity's grand progression to lords of the universe, nor in its inevitable fall.Set in 2488, the series explores the possibilities of space colonisation and the ways in which humanity may travel the vast gulfs between the stars. Nanotechnology, exotic states of being and the unusual relationships created by scientific developments of the human state of being all combine in grand adventure, love and loss, and the grab for power engendered by discovery. A unique and skilfully woven story.