The Threshold Bookcast : Introduction & Chapter I – Homeworld

[Christopher Stewart]

The Bookcast

I was more than surprised this morning when I googled the terms “bookcast” and “bookcasting.” I had imagined that what I was expecting to see in the results would have been common practice in this day and age, and yet I actually saw very little of what I had in mind. Moreover, I couldn't find entries for the words in Wikipedia, nor in the Wiktionary. In fact, this is the best definition I stumbled upon :

« The goal of a bookcast is to cast as in “to set forth or let loose” a response to the book that shares not the story of the book but something that the book brought out in you, perhaps what you felt or learned through the reading and reflecting. » – BookHenge

I had supposed that bookcasting was closer in intent to other forms of webcasting, like podcasting for instance. That is to say, I had assumed that a bookcast was a means of broadcasting the story itself, and not merely impressions evoked by the story, just like music podcasts generally include the music itself, and not only comments about the music.

That being said, I haven't altered my plans one iota in light of the finding. Via this bookcast, I will thus release the first book of The Threshold series. Each episode will consist in a complete chapter that will be available for online reading.

This is obviously an experiment for me. Let's see where this leads to.

The Series

The Threshold relates the saga of the Ovelian civilization, a society very similar to our own, as it heads towards one of the most dramatic chain of events of its history.

The first book, « 2206 : Window Onto A New World, » focuses on the end of the year 2206, which culminates on an important federal election that will be impacted by the discovery of an anomaly in the nearby outer space.

Here's the synopsis of the first book, which also outlines some of the majors arcs of the entire series :

At the turn of the century, Ovel must face the consequences of its accelerated growth. One hundred and twenty seven federated countries and eleven sovereign nations, spread across the homeland and in colonies settled onboard orbiting stations and on a nearby planet. Fourteen billion inhabitants struggling to thrive under the rule of a corrupted Global Government, in power for over forty years.

Fuelled by a recent scientific finding, the once in a lifetime discovery of a discontinuity in the cosmic fabric of the neighbouring space, a coalition of politicians is willing to stand up for the people and radically change things.

Now relegated to the ranks of an obscure sect, the once dominant Community and its disciples must effectively handle the requirements of the Celestials to ensure that the most favourable of all possible destinies comes to pass.

Meanwhile, halfway across the world, a young monk must learn to collaborate with the Enlightened Ones in order to successfully discharge the essential task he has accepted to fulfil in behalf of his monastery.

Will the crucial 2206 electoral campaign climax on the emergence of a charismatic Progressive leader, or will the decried Chancellor prevail despite the many forces scheming for his downfall ?

On a background of environmental and financial crises, and religious influences intertwining with political manoeuvres to determine the fate of the overpopulated orb, The Threshold chronicles the evolution of the Ovelian civilization as it heads towards unprecedented upheaval.

For more details about the series and the bookcast, please see the introduction.

The Chapter

The first chapter, « Homeworld, » introduces one of the main protagonists of the story, Bernard Sturn. The famous physicist is currently working for the Research and Development Administration on Veshtar, the sole inhabited planet in the neighbourhood of Ovel. At the beginning of the narrative, the scientist arrives on the motherland.

As it is the first of the bookcast, the chapter is exceptionally preceded by a prologue.

Without further ado, here's « Homeworld. » I wish you an enjoyable reading !

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