
A lone explorer named Stark finds himself aboard a silent, feather‑light vessel gliding through the eerie Red Sea of Venus—a luminous, burning ocean that shimmers like a sky of crimson stars. The hostile mist and perpetual flames create a haunting beauty, while the cramped deck and secretive crew whisper jokes that exclude him, heightening his sense of isolation and danger.
The ship is bound for Shuruun, a hidden settlement beyond the white‑capped mountains that shield half the planet. As they approach a treacherous strait, the captain’s cryptic promises of safety and temptation clash with Stark’s wary resolve, hinting at ancient powers and forbidden shrines that lie beneath the planet’s volatile surface. The stage is set for a perilous quest into Venus’s inner mysteries, where every choice could awaken forces far beyond human understanding.
Language
en
Duration
~2 hours (136K 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
2020-12-13
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1915–1978
A pioneering writer who moved easily between pulp science fiction and Hollywood, creating vivid adventure stories on the page and helping shape classic films on the screen. Best known for her planetary romances, noir work, and screenwriting, she built a career that still feels energetic and modern.
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