Darkover series

## Genre Information

Epic Fantasy
Sci Fi Colonization

Lost Colony

 (Series Content Ratings Click on Explicit Ratings for details.)

## About the Series

* **Genres:** Epic Fantasy, Sci Fi Colonization
* **Theme:** Psychic powers, treated as a science,
* **Narrative style**:

## Series Description

The Darkover series is a science fiction-fantasy chronology consisting of several stand alone novels and short stories set in the fictional world of Darkover as created by author Marion Zimmer Bradley. Occasionally, Bradley collaborated with other authors, and she also edited and published Darkover stories by other authors in a series of anthologies. After Bradley's death, the series was continued, mostly by Deborah J. Ross with the permission of the Marion Zimmer Bradley Literary Works Trust.

At the end of the 21st century, Earth sends colony ships out to the stars. One of these ships becomes disabled and crash-lands on Darkover, the fourth planet in a red giant solar system. Unable to repair their ship and equally unable to make contact with Earth, the survivors establish a colony.

The colonists are primarily Celts and Spaniards, and this mix is reflected in the resultant blended culture. Bradley uses a standard "lost colony" trope: to maintain the available gene pool and maximize the chances of colonial survival, the colonists intermarry extensively and produce as many children with as many different partners as possible. Psychic and psionic abilities are acquired through interbreeding with the indigenous people, the Chieri.

## Authors

### Marion Zimmer Bradley

Creator of the Darkover series. The first book "Planet Savers" was first published in 1958, chronologically it is not the first book in the series but fits in well after *Rediscovery*. See chronological list below.

### Deborah J. Ross

worked with Marion Zimmer Bradley on several books before her death and has continued the series some of which is based on MZB's notes.

## Darkover Series

### Publication Information

The original novels are all out of print. Many of the oldest books have been reissued in Omnibus editions, both in print and ebook formats. Many of the earliest books can also be found in paperback editions on the secondary market.

### Omnibus eBook and print

Heritage and Exile (Darkover Omnibus Book 1)
The Heritage of Hastur (A Darkover Novel)
Sharra's Exile (A Darkover Novel)
The Ages of Chaos (Darkover Book 2)
Set during the lawless Ages of Chaos, when the ruling families of the Seven Domains of Darkover ruthlessly inbred their psychic offspring to gain powerful and fearsome talents, two young women are born with "wild" psychic gifts. These stories— Stormqueen! and Hawkmistress!, one tragic and one triumphant—combine to give the reader a vivid and poignant picture of a devastating time period in the history of this fantastic world.
*Stormqueen!* (1978)
*Hawkmistress*
The Saga of the Renunciates (Darkover Book 3)
In the three novels which comprise THE SAGA OF THE RENUNCIATES, Marion Zimmer Bradley tells the masterful tale of two valiant women who face and try to break the invisible chains of custom, convention, habit and expectation with which society binds women, and women bind themselves.
*The Shattered Chain* (1976), (Reprinted as Oath of The Renunciates, the 1983 omnibus of The Shattered Chain and Thendara House)
*Thendara House* (1983), (Reprinted as Oath of The Renunciates, the 1983 omnibus of The Shattered Chain and Thendara House)
*City of Sorcery* (1984), (Reprinted as Oath of The Renunciates, the 2002 omnibus of The Shattered Chain, Thendara House, and City of Sorcery)
The Forbidden Circle (Darkover Omnibus Book 4)
These two classic Darkover novels tell the epic tale of four people who challenged the ancient laws of the matrix towers.
*The Spell Sword*
*The Forbidden Tower*
A World Divided (Darkover Omnibus #5)
An omnibus volume of three classic, long-unavailable Darkover novels--tell of two men of mixed Darkovan ancestry, who must choose where their true allegiances lie.
*Star of Danger*
*The Winds of Darkover*
*The Bloody Sun*
Note - The Bloody Sun should be read after *The Winds of Darkover*, they may be out of order in the Omnibus edition. (please let me know if this is true or not)
Darkover First Contact (Darkover Omnibus #6)
This omnibus features two classic, long-unavailable Darkover novels- Darkover Landfall and Two to Conquer-in one volume for the first time.
*Darkover Landfall* - Chronologically the first book.
*Two to Conquer* - Chronologically the fifth book.
To Save A World (Darkover Omnibus #7)
An omnibus volume of two of Marion Zimmer Bradley's classic, long-unavailable Darkover novels, including the first Darkover novel ever written!
*The Planet Savers* (Novella)
*The World Wreckers;;*
*The Waterfall* (Short Story)
## Darkover series in publication order

1. The Planet Savers (A Darkover Novel) (1958 in *Amazing Stories*; 1962 as novel)
2. The Sword of Aldones (A Darkover Novel) (1962)
3. The Bloody Sun (A Darkover Novel) (1964)
4. Star of Danger (A Darkover Novel) (1965)
5. The Winds of Darkover (A Darkover Novel) (1970)
6. the World Wreckers (A Darkover Novel) (1971)
7. Darkover Landfall (A Darkover Novel) (1972)
8. The Spell Sword (A Darkover Novel) (1974)
9. The Heritage of Hastur (A Darkover Novel) (1975)
10. The Shattered Chain (A Darkover Novel) (1976)
11. The Forbidden Tower (A Darkover Novel) (1977)
12. Stormqueen! (A Darkover Novel) (1978)
13. Two to Conquer (A Darkover Novel) (1980)
14. Sharra's Exile (A Darkover Novel) (1981)
15. Hawkmistress! (A Darkover Novel) (1982)
16. Thendara House (A Darkover Novel) (1983)
17. City of Sorcery (A Darkover Novel) (1984)
18. The Heirs of Hammerfell (A Darkover Novel) (1989)
19. Rediscovery (A Darkover Novel) (1993)
20. Exile's Song (A Darkover Novel) (1996)
21. The Shadow Matrix (A Darkover Novel) (1998)
22. Traitor's Sun (A Darkover Novel) (1999)
23. The Fall of Neskaya (A Darkover Novel) (2001)
24. Zandru's Forge (A Darkover Novel) (2003)
25. A Flame in Hali (A Darkover Novel) (2004)
26. The Alton Gift (A Darkover Novel) (2007)
27. Hastur Lord (A Darkover Novel) (2010)
28. The Children of Kings (A Darkover Novel) (2013)
29. Thunderlord! (A Darkover Novel) (2016)

## Darkover series in chronological order

### The Founding

* *Darkover Landfall*  - (Omnibus Book 6)

### The Ages of Chaos

Bradley's books constantly refer back to the Ages of Chaos, but few books are actually set in this era. In this era, the descendants of the original colonists have organized themselves into a feudal-type society, with laran (psionic) abilities as the determiner of which individuals are part of the aristocracy and which are commoners. This period is marked by incredible creativity, the development of laran-based technology and weaponry, and the creation of the system of Towers, where those with exceptional laran abilities are housed and trained. All of these dominate political and social life. Unfortunately these developments are accompanied by a period of nearly constant civil war, in which the Darkovans seem determined to exterminate themselves. Walter Breen's The Darkover Concordance indicates that the Ages of Chaos period begins about a thousand years after the colonization of the planet and lasts a full thousand years.

* *Stormqueen!* - (Omnibus Book 2)
* *Thunderlord!* (2016), by Deborah J. Ross

### The Hundred Kingdoms

Many of Bradley's books, and a large number of the short stories, are set at the tail end of the Ages of Chaos, in a period she called the *Hundred Kingdoms*. The distinction between The Ages of Chaos and The Hundred Kingdoms is not well-defined, creating controversies about the chronology. By this era, the *laran* breeding programs had been abandoned, and the many small principalities were beginning to consolidate into the seven domains that survived into Darkover's modern era. Bradley's innovation, the adoption of "The Compact," is a turning point in the development of Darkover's social order. The Compact, promulgated by the recurring historical character Varzil the Good, bans all weapons that can be used without bringing the user into equal danger, effectively banning *laran* weapons, but allowing swords and knives. The Hundred Kingdoms may be read as commentary on the use of weapons of mass destruction in Earth's own endless conflicts.

* The *Clingfire* Trilogy by Deborah J. Ross
	+ *The Fall of Neskaya* (2001), DAW Books,
	+ *Zandru's Forge* (2003), DAW Books,
	+ *A Flame in Hali* (2004), DAW Books,
* *Hawkmistress!* - (Omnibus Book 2)
* *Two to Conquer - (Omnibus Book 6)*
* *The Heirs of Hammerfell*

### Recontact

Eventually Darkover is rediscovered by the Terran Empire, which establishes a spaceport, first at Caer Donn, and later at Thendara, the only large city on Darkover. This re-contact takes place a little more than 2,000 years after the events described in Darkover Landfall.

* *Rediscovery* (1993 - with Mercedes Lackey)
* *The Shattered Chain* - (Omnibus Book 3)
* *The Spell Sword*  - (Omnibus Book 4)
* *The Forbidden Tower*  - (Omnibus Book 4)
* *Thendara House* - (Omnibus Book 3)
* *City of Sorcery*  - (Omnibus Book 3)
* *Star of Danger*  - (Omnibus Book 5)
* *The Winds of Darkover* - (Omnibus Book 5)

### after the Comyn

(Against the Terrans: The Second Age)

* *The Bloody Sun*  - (Omnibus Book 5)
* *The Heritage of Hastur* - (Omnibus Book 1)
* *The Planet Savers* (novella) - (Omnibus Book 7) November 1958 issue of the magazine *Amazing Stories*. Published by Ace in 1962 with *The Sword of Aldones*. Re-issued in 2010 as an ebook, print in 2015.
* *Sharra's Exile* - (Omnibus Book 1) - (1981) rewrite of and official replacement of *The Sword of Aldones* (1962)
* *The World Wreckers* (1971) - (Omnibus Book 7)
* *Hastur Lord* (2010) (with Deborah J. Ross) -
* *Exile's Song -*
* *The Shadow Matrix -*
* *Traitor's Sun -*

### Modern Darkover

At the conclusion of *Traitor's Sun*, Bradley/Ross describes the Terrans abandoning their foothold on Darkover, and the restoration of Comyn control over the government. Books after *Traitor's Sun* therefore fall in their own category, which the publisher is calling Modern Darkover, written by Deborah J. Ross

* *The Alton Gift* (2007), DAW Books
* *The Children of Kings* (2013)
* *The Laran Gambit* (*forthcoming*)

## Anthologies and Collections

The publication of the anthologies of Darkover restarted in 2013, edited by Deborah J. Ross

1. The Keeper's Price and other stories (A Darkover Anthology)
2. Sword of Chaos The Keeper's Price and other stories
3. Free Amazons of Darkover (A Darkover Anthology)
4. The Other Side of the Mirror (A Darkover Anthology)
5. Red Sun of Darkover (A Darkover Anthology)
6. Four Moons of Darkover (A Darkover Anthology)
7. Domains of Darkover (A Darkover Anthology)
8. Renunciates of Darkover (A Darkover Anthology)
9. Leroni of Darkover (A Darkover Anthology)
10. Towers of Darkover (A Darkover Anthology)
11. Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover (A Darkover Anthology)
12. Snows of Darkover (A Darkover Anthology)
13. Music of Darkover Music of Darkover (Darkover anthology Vol. 13) (with Elisabeth Waters) (2013)
14. Stars of Darkover (Darkover anthology Vol. 14) (2014)
15. Gifts of Darkover (Darkover anthology Vol. 15) (2015)
16. Realms of Darkover (Darkover anthology Vol. 16) (2016)
17. Masques of Darkover (Darkover anthology Vol. 17) (2017)
18. Crossroads of Darkover (Darkover anthology Vol. 18) (2018)
19. Citadels of Darkover (Darkover anthology Vol. 19) (2019)

### Darkover Collection

* *A Heat Wave in the Hellers: and Other Tales of Darkover* (2019)

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 The Darkover series wikipedia