FAQS
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to start with Book 1?
No – with one caveat. Books 1–3 are really a single story split into three volumes, so those three must be read in order. Everything after them is fully self-contained: pick whichever blurb interests you and start there. Book 8 harkens back to the opening trilogy and gains depth if you’ve read it, but still stands on its own.
Every book resolves its own story. Nothing is left hanging to force you into the next volume – you can dip in and out as you please.
How can books share lead characters and still stand alone?
“Reality” in this series is a simulation. The two lead characters, Alex and Daniel (Oslac and Eridar), are Eternals who choose an adventure, live it as a new species in a new time with no knowledge of their true nature – and the risks are real. When they die, they return to Oestragar and choose again. Each book is one adventure; the reader picks which adventures to join them on. Because they live each life fresh, their characters differ from book to book – bits carry over, other bits change.
What kind of science fiction is this?
Philosophical SF – which sounds more intimidating than it is. The characters face problems and find solutions, and the reader is shown not just what they decide but how – a thought experiment with a lived-in setting, alongside characters you’ve grown to care about, instead of a trolley and some tracks.
They are also dialogue novels: the story is told through the characters’ interactions, with just enough description to place you in the scene – closer to a movie you’re listening to than a conventional novel. Fast-paced, with humour, twists, and no deus ex machina: the characters win because they work out an approach and adapt when it goes wrong.
Themes across the series include AI and machine sentience, simulation theory, brane universes, slavery and emancipation, planetary exploration, corporate greed, corruption, extreme ideologies, and plain survival against the odds.
Which authors is this comparable to?
Honest answer: none, exactly. Readers and family have suggested Ursula K. Le Guin, and somewhere behind the scenes you may sense the influence of C.S. Lewis, Robert Heinlein, Anne McCaffrey, Ray Bradbury, Tolkien and Terry Pratchett – but these books are not imitations of any of them. If you enjoy science fiction that moves fast, makes you laugh, and leaves you thinking, you’re in the right place.
What’s the reading order?
Books 1–3 in order (one story in three volumes); after that, any order you like. All books are available in paperback and ebook.
- Entrapment in Oestragar (2019) – Book | Free preview
- The Anquerian Alternative (2019) – Book | Free preview
- Ystrian Dreams (2020) – Book | Free preview
- The Dragons of Mithgryr (2021) – Book | Free preview
- Siphian Syzygy (2021) – Book | Free preview
- Rise of the Deyarim (2022) – Book | Free preview
- Powershift (2022) – Book | Free preview
- Eternity Beckons (2023) – Book | Free preview
- G.R.A.I. Matters (2023) – Book | Free preview
- Hollow Lives (2024) – Book | Free preview
- Unnatural Selection (2025) – Book | Free preview
- Memories of Mithgryr (2025) – Book | Free preview
- Shell Games (2026) – Book | Free preview
How long is the series? Is it ongoing?
Thirteen novels and over 2,650,000 words so far, published since 2019, with new books arriving roughly every six months. The series is ongoing and very much alive.
Are the books written by AI?
No. Every book is written by a human author, at around 1,300 words a day, every day. The author writes, formats and lays out each book; six volunteer human editors then work through every manuscript in turn; the covers are original art by Emmalee. Human all the way through.
Who is S.E. Ney?
S.E. Ney spent some thirty-five years teaching philosophy at universities including Durham, Leeds, and the University of Michigan–Flint, before turning to fiction full-time. She holds a PhD from Durham on the logical impossibility of time travel, work cited in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. She lives in Surrey, England.
Where can I buy the books, and can I read a sample first?
All books are available on Amazon in paperback and ebook, and are free to read with Kindle Unlimited. Every book has a substantial free preview of the opening chapters – use the “Free preview” links in the reading order above.