I’ve probably spent way too much time worrying about something that the average reader is just not going to care about. Why would horses exist on a planet that is not Earth? Of course, I’ve read lots of books and watched plenty of movies that take place on other worlds where Earth animals exist. And, as a reader, I didn’t need their existence to be explained to enjoy the story. But as a writer? My logical, literal brain couldn’t invent a world with horses (and dogs, chickens, pigs, cows, etc.) without explaining (if only to myself) how an Earth animal would come to be on a planet clear across the universe. Hence this page and the stories (now and to come) of the colonization of Oliquin.
Where it Began
Below is the explanation you’ll find included as a preface to the Oliquin stories.
In the twenty-second century on Earth, inter-galactic space travel is in its infancy. On hearing the reported confirmation of the arrival and colonization of a distant planet on the newsfeed, a recently retired CEO decides to sell her multi-billion-dollar corporation and fund the world’s most ambitious colonization expedition to date. Over a decade later, the ship reaches its destination—the planet Oliquin. The colonists, along with the Earth plants and animals that made the journey, are split into groups, and four colonies are established around the planet. Cut off from contact with Earth, and with each other, and with only the most basic infrastructure, industry, and technology available to them, the colonists are set to face the challenges and tribulations of building their new life in this unfamiliar place.
Visit The Oliquin Chronicles page for more information and links to books and stories of the humans who traveled light years from Earth to colonize this new world.