Centaurs in the Shine Cycle

Like unicorns, fairies, elves, and so on, centaurs are a somewhat “standard” element of fantasy. And like these, and many others (see the Culture page for an incomplete list), I include them in the Shine Cycle—but turn the trope on its head.

Republican Government and the Franchise in the Empire

It may not be entirely true to call the Empire—the country with which the Shine Cycle is principally concerned—or the individual countries of which it is composed a “republic,” as they’re elective monarchies. But other than that, and the districts whose governors or representatives have had their posts made permanent, giving them seats in the House of Peers, each district, each country, and the Empire as a whole is arguably a republic.

Flags and emblems in the Shine Cycle

I’m prompted by Aubrey’s post about flags among the Volk in her ‘fading’ world, and a few threads on Holy Worlds, to think about flags, banners, heraldry, and the like in the world of the Shine Cycle.

In the early days, flags and banners were rare simply because cloth, especially cloth embellished with designs (as flags tend to be), was expensive, and difficult to make sturdy enough for a long-lasting flag; emblems, painted on wood or metal, were much more common. But even as cloth became cheaper and sturdier, flags have never supplanted painted emblems in popularity.

The Imperial Parliament

The legislative power of the Shine and Wild Empire, the country with which the Shine Cycle is most concerned, is vested in the Imperial Parliament, containing two houses, the House of Commons and the House of Peers.

Shine Cycle Précis: Space and Time (Part One)

Space and Time is the planned eighth book in the “main line” of the Shine Cycle, following The Barbaric Dragon in chronology. Today’s post is the first part of a brief introduction to it.

Humans in the Shine Cycle

Over the past several months I’ve written several posts describing various races and creatures (such as elves, dwarves, dragons, and fairies), and various aspects of human society (such as guilds, money, and corporations, in the world of the Shine Cycle. But today I’d like to look at humanity as a whole in the Shine Cycle.

Shine Cycle Précis: The Barbaric Dragon

The Barbaric Dragon is the planned seventh book in the “main line” of the Shine Cycle, following The Imperial War in chronology. Today’s post is a brief introduction to it.

Imperial Robo Cards in the Shine Cycle

A reminder for any newcomers: On Mondays I usually post background material for the Shine Cycle.

One somewhat common pastime in the world of the Shine Cycle is Imperial Robo Cards, a collectible card game that’s popular in the Empire and its allies. Today I’ll talk about the cards, the phenomenon, and their history in the Shine Cycle; the game itself is to be the subject of another post later this week.

Nobility, Property, and Inheritance in the Empire

I’ve written recently about various aspects of the economic system of the Empire, the main country of the Shine Cycle, such as corporations, money, and guilds, and in one of the first Shine Cycle background posts I talked about how some elective positions are “made permanent” and become titles of nobility, but I haven’t talked really talked about the economics and societal views of nobility, property, or inheritance—which tend to get tangled up together, so I’ll talk about them all at once.

The King’s Birthday

A while back, I wrote about calendars and celebrations in the Empire, the country with which the Shine Cycle is most concerned. Today, apropos of my own birthday, I’d like to describe one particular holiday: the King’s Birthday.