Science Fiction · EpicOn a mostly oceanic planet, two matriarchal clans trade control of the government every 150 years
The Snow Queen
A fairy-tale retelling on a planet whose rulers swap every 150 years
Dial Press published the novel in 1980, with cover art by Leo and Diane Dillon. It is set on Tiamat, a mostly oceanic planet whose suns orbit a black hole that enables wormhole travel to the Hegemony, a remnant of a fallen Galactic Empire. Tiamat's society is split into two matriarchal clans, the Winters and the Summers, whose control of the government alternates every 150 years. The title and story are based on Hans Christian Andersen's 1844 fairy tale. The first edition has 471 pages.
More about this book
Who
Moon Dawntreader Summer, Sparks and Arienrhod.
World
Tiamat, a mostly oceanic planet near a black hole, linked by wormholes to the Hegemony.
What makes it different
It is based on Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale The Snow Queen and influenced by Robert Graves's The White Goddess. It won the Hugo and the Locus Award.
Feel
Rich and sweeping.
Page count and cover shown for: Selected edition
Further reading
- The Snow QueenWikipedia