Operation Luna
First edition cover
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| Author | Poul Anderson |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Julie Bell |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Fantasy |
| Publisher | Tor Books |
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Publication date
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August, 1999 |
| Media type | Book |
| Pages | 316 (hardcover); 438 (paperback) |
| ISBN | (hardcover); (paperback, 2000) |
| OCLC | 41035473 |
| 813/.54 21 | |
| LC Class | PS3551.N378 O54 1999 |
| Preceded by | Operation Chaos |
Operation Luna is a science fantasy novel by American writer Poul Anderson, published in August 1999; it is the sequel to the 1971 fixup novel Operation Chaos by the same author.
It centers around a space flight attempt and the efforts of Coyote and several Oriental antagonists to stop it. The IRS (Inquisition for Revenue Securement) and NASA (National Astral Spellcraft Administration) also become involved.
The two main characters from Operation Chaos, Steve Matuchek, a werewolf and engineer for Nornwell Scrytronics, and Virginia "Ginny" Matuchek continue in their fight against the forces of evil. Now married and in their 40s, they have three children—Val, the child they rescued from Hell in Operation Chaos when she was 3, now 14–15 years old; Ben, 10 years old; and Chryssa, 4 years old.
A few characters from Operation Chaos also reappear, such as Barney Sturlason, Steve's boss, and Bob Shining Knife, a Native American F.B.I. agent, though they have small roles in this novel.
The world of Operation Luna has an alternative history, which mostly resembled our own until a great "Awakening" brought awareness of supernatural forces to the world at large. This Awakening led to drastic changes in society; industrial machinery was largely replaced by technology driven by magic, spells, and "goetic forces" instead of fossil fuels and electricity. For example, the main mode of transportation is broomsticks and magic carpets fitted with cabins for people to sit in; radios are called "runers," apparently activated by runes; and the propulsion behind space flight is achieved by a combination of mechanical technology, spelled crystals, and arcane materials such as mummy dust.
Steve helped in the construction of a spacecraft for Operation Selene, the United States' first attempt to send a manned craft to the Moon. However, a disaster caused by beings adverse to the mission destroy the vehicle and nearly kill the celestonaut, Curtice Newton, although Steve, in wolf form, saves her.
Afterward, Steve, Ginny, and a handful of people begin to investigate the disaster and make plans to put Operation Luna into effect, a smaller version of Operation Selene independent from NASA.
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Wikipedia