Darkover series

The Darkover series consists of several novels and short stories set in the fictional world of Darkover as created by science fiction author Marion Zimmer Bradley.

Spoiler warning: Plot or ending details follow.
Contents
1 Darkover chronology

1.1 The Founding
1.2 The Ages of Chaos
1.3 The Hundred Kingdoms
1.4 Recontact (Against the Terrans: The First Age)
1.5 After the Comyn (Against the Terrans: The Second Age)

2 Darkovan Humans - The Comyn

2.1 Hastur of Hastur
2.2 Hastur of Elhalyn
2.3 Alton
2.4 Ardais
2.5 Aillard
2.6 Aldaran
2.7 Ridenow of Serrais
2.8 Minor families

2.8.1 MacAran
2.8.2 Delleray
2.8.3 Leynier
2.8.4 Lanart
2.8.5 Di Asturien
2.8.6 Lindir
2.8.7 Storn
2.8.8 Syrtis
2.8.9 Rockraven

3 See Also

Darkover chronology

See also: List of Darkover books for a complete chronological bibliography of Darkover books, anthologies and series by date of publication.

Although the following Darkover chronology includes a book list for novels set in specific time periods, each was written to stand as a separate story and the individual novel plots are not dependent upon one another. Bradley herself recommended that the books be read in the order in which they were written, rather than the Darkovan chronological order, as her writing style changed considerably over her career.

The Founding

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The above illustration shows Darkover as the planet on the left with its four moons: Liriel, Kyrrdis, Irdriel and Mormallor. In the background is a representation of the Cottman red giant star.

During the early years of space exploration and colonization, Earth-based humans planted a colony on Darkover, a planet which circles a red giant. Through an unpreventable mishap, contact between the colonists and Earth was lost. The ethnic background of the colonists was Celtic and Spanish, and included both pro-technology scientists and techophobic back-to-nature zealots. As years passed without contact from Earth, colonist races and ideologies blended as they developed an independent, distinct Darkovan culture. The human gene pool was also expanded as the colonists and their descendants interacted and sometimes interbred with the native chieri of the planet.

Books of this era:

The Ages of Chaos

As the centuries pass, descendants of the original colonists evolved strong psychic abilities, called "laran." These abilities became integrated into their cultural caste structure. The history of Darkover was marked by human breeding programs, laran abuse, and eventual control of the psychic powers. Those who had strong telepathic and other laran abilities became a ruling class and technological elite, known as the comyn, who were usually marked by genetically linked red hair. During this time, laran-based technology was the basis of feudal arms races that led to disastrous results until one king united the people of Darkover under a compact.

Books of this era:

The Hundred Kingdoms

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A map of the habitable part of Darkover showing major settlements and landforms. Larger detailed version

Books of this era:

Recontact (Against the Terrans: The First Age)

Eventually the planet was rediscovered by a revitalized human space traveling civilization and a spaceport was established near Thendara, the only large city on Darkover.

Books of this era:

After the Comyn (Against the Terrans: The Second Age)

Books of this era:

Following Bradley's death in September 1999 a number of works which were in progress at the time have been published posthumously or are reported as planned for publication, including: Thunderlord, The Fall of Neskaya, Zandru's Forge, A Flame in Hali, and Reluctant King.

In addition to the above books, several anthologies written by the Friends of Darkover and edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley were also based in the Darkover universe.

Darkovan Humans - The Comyn

The comyn are the seven laran-gifted families of Darkover, the descendents of human-chieri pairings. The comyn learn to use native matrix stones to help focus and strengthen their laran powers to duplicate and sometimes surpass science-based technology. Each comyn family controls a domain, but strategic inter-marriage and feudal land issues result in fluctuating domain borders. The seven families include:

Hastur of Hastur

Gifted with the power of the living matrix, some born into this Hastur family are able to achieve great laran power without the need for an artificial matrix stone.

Hastur of Elhalyn

Gifted with the power of foresight, some born into this family have the ability to see all possible outcomes from every decision made or choice presented. This gift is viewed by a curse by some as the foresight shows as many gruesome as positive outcomes.

Alton

Gifted with the power of forced rapport, some born into this family have the ability to force their way into an unwilling mind to establish a painful telepathic link of minds. This has caused much distrust between the Altons and other families, especially the rumors that an angry Alton has the ability to kill with his or her mind.

Ardais

Gifted with the power of laran catalyst, some born into this family are able to switch on latent laran powers in others.

Aillard

Gifted with a mysterious power lost to the ages, the Aillards keep to themselves. They are also the only Domain ruled by women.

Aldaran

Gifted with true sight, some born into this family have the ability to see what will come to pass.

Ridenow of Serrais

Gifted with empathy, some born into this family have the abilty to sense alien intelligences.

Minor families

MacAran

Delleray

Leynier

Lanart

This is a more militarized branch of the Alton clan. Their sons traditionally run the military in Thendara, especially in the absence of an Alton lord.

Di Asturien

Lindir

Storn

Syrtis

Rockraven

See Also

See also: Darkover series, Blood feud, Caste, Celtic, Civilization, Culture, Darkover, Darkover Landfall, Elite