Surtac wrote:

HRHSpence wrote:

I asked CJ explicitly if the Foreigner stories were in the same literary universe as the A/U universe. She said "No."

So if you want the Downbelow natives to interact with the Atevi, you'll probably be out of luck. But the hani and the azi, maybe.

Well, if Foreigner is definitely not in the same universe as A/U (and it's nice to have a definitive answer from Herself on that question), then I guess there'll be no possible playdates between atevi and hani or azi, as the latter two are firmly in the A/U universe.

Still good news for me as that's now one less research rabbit-hole for me to get lost in. Mind you, even a week ago I'd have argued until I was blue in the face that I could logically connect the beginning of Foreigner to be part of A/U.  But I went back and re-read the first parts of Foreigner (the first book) several times and I now see where I was wrong.: I could see the things that led me to assume an underlying A/U setting for the Phoenix mission, but this time around I also caught the multiple details that together say this is not likely after all.

 

I read the first two books, and came away not assuming any affinity with A/U. But my ears perked up in this thread at the mention of a new plotline involving these kyo folk, whomsoever they may be, and a possible connection to that Other Universe. This would indeed be an interesting development. But DOA according to Spence’s conversation with CJC. I wonder whether she may have left herself room to change her mind? Did the reported conversation take place before or after the introduction of the kyo? Is there a conflict between her denial and what is present in the books?

HRHSpence wrote:

It was after the intro of the Kyo,  CJ said that since the two universes are written in books printed by different companies the copywrites had to be separate. A/U is owned by one company and Foreigner by another.

maybe she’s nibbling at the edges?

Aja Jin wrote:

starexplorer wrote:

HRHSpence wrote:

It was after the intro of the Kyo,  CJ said that since the two universes are written in books printed by different companies the copywrites had to be separate. A/U is owned by one company and Foreigner by another.

maybe she’s nibbling at the edges?

and/or just changed her mind. 

In the Bren books, the hyperdrive seems to work differently, although maybe it's just that the perspective (seeing things as passengers instead of bridge crew) makes a huge difference

so how strong is the evidence in the kyo contact storyline that the two Universes overlap?
 

HRHSpence wrote:

only that both the humans the Kyo are in contact with and the A/U humans all originate from a world named Earth and they are both are space-faring peoples.

Oh. Thank you. That could apply whether the two Universes overlap or don’t. We already knew the human home world was Earth, so all that does is tell us that the kyo are in contact with the original human home world, right? Nothing there suggesting A/U connections.

Hmmn.  A few things to respond to in this thread now:

1. The FTL mechanisms in the A/U and Foreigner universes are different in both methodology / rationale and their effect on human consciousness - there are subtle clues at the start of Foreigner but it becomes blatantly obvious in Explorer when Bren and the Dowager are travelling onboard Phoenix.

2.The copyright / publisher issue are real and complex.  Some of you may remember the stories of the machinations that had to happen to allow Cyteen to be re-issued by a different publisher simultaneously to when Regenesis was first published. 

3. Someone (Joe?) asked upthread if the Lt Graff from Heavy Time / Hellburner and Downbelow Station were the same person.  Yes, they are.  CJ herself has confirmed this in another source document I have a copy of here, but can't share directly as it is itself subject to copyright.