
In a dim corner of the Lunar Explorers’ Club, a seasoned surveyor named Laird shares a drink with a former Navy officer. Laird’s quiet demeanor hides a lifetime of voyages across alien worlds, and the weight of a war that changed him forever. Their conversation drifts from the ordinary to the uncanny, hinting at the countless marvels that linger on the fringe of human knowledge.
Laird speaks of the Vwyrdda, a vanished civilization once called “Lord of a Thousand Suns,” whose power could darken whole stars. Their empire collapsed in a single, unimaginable burst, leaving only scattered ruins and whispers of a ghost trapped in an ancient bottle. Driven by a mix of curiosity, longing, and the faint hope of redemption, the narrator joins Laird’s hunt for the lost relics and the elusive trace of love that might still linger among the ruins. The story unfolds as a meditation on memory, the vastness of the galaxy, and the fragile humanity that dares to seek its place among the extinct gods.
Language
en
Duration
~1 hours (64K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2020-12-08
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1926–2001
Best known for bringing big scientific ideas and mythic adventure together, this prolific writer helped shape modern science fiction and fantasy across more than five decades. His stories are celebrated for their energy, intelligence, and strong sense of wonder.
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