Is this futurology rather than fiction?

GLOUCESTER, U.K. - Oct. 3, 2018 - PRLog -- Science-fiction author, Stuart Aken, is celebrating the completion of his Generation Mars trilogy. The final book, Return to Dust, launches at FantastiCon 2018 in September. But Aken is the master of many genres. Is this fiction based on imagined future advances (science fiction) or does it deal with future possibilities based on current trends (futurology)? His story began in Blood Red Dust when mankind had to flee an Earth made uninhabitable by the ravages of self-inflicted climate change.

The first settlers on the blood red dust of Mars struggled to restore civilisation, determined to learn lessons and build a fair and equal society. Again they faced extinction, now with nowhere left to run, when the historical clock spun at lightning speed rerunning the mistakes of history, but now with modern technology to hand.

The story of a new generation unfolds across the first two books, Blood Red Dust and War Over Dust. In the final instalment, Return to Dust, centuries have passed and the recovering Earth can once more sustain human life – just – whilst the people on Mars, having weathered the storms of their fresh start, now live in the Utopia those original settlers had always envisaged. Or do they?

Aken's inspiration for the trilogy came from his own environmental and political convictions. 'People have plenty of cash for luxuries,' he says, 'but not enough, apparently, to care about the planet.'

His first Martian generation has the chance to start afresh. As he says in relation to planet Earth in the 21st century, 'We've had decades of expensive, unreliable tech, polluting, dangerous and with no way of dealing with the tons of toxic waste. If it weren't for vested interests, there would be no contest whether to replace with renewables.' And he gives his new Martian civilisation the very best of everything in order to build the best society they can whilst securing the future for coming generations. They secure their future by creating a guardian that embodies the very best of human nature and endeavour. But the very best of human nature turns out to be indivisible from the worst, and they find they have created the ultimate monster.

Dan Grubb, CEO of East Yorkshire publishing house, Fantastic Books Publishing, says, 'We have now published two of Stuart's trilogies and a standalone novella. He is a master of whichever genre he picks and writes fast-moving page-turners with incredibly well drawn characters. Generation Mars is up there with his best. Once started, you won't be able to put it down.'

'I love storytelling and feel honoured to be part of a tradition going back to man's earliest days around the campfire,' says Stuart who adds that he has been 'writing for as long as I could hold a pen.'

Return to Dust was officially launched at FantastiCon, an annual fantasy, science-fiction and gaming convention run by Fantastic Books.

Further information about the book and the author

Return to Dust: http://viewbook.at/ReturnToDust

The Generation Mars trilogy / series: http://viewbook.at/GenerationMarsSeries

Stuart Aken: stuartaken.net

Fantastic Books Publishing: www.fantasticbooksstore.com

Contact details

Dan Grubb, Fantastic Books Publishing: email fbp-publicity@outlook.com

Phone: 07415 388882