History Literature / TheInterdependency

* AllPlanetsAreEarthlike: Averted. In the 1500 years of space exploration, only one other planet capable of supporting life has been found and settled - End. Every other planet in the known universe (47 systems) is either a lifeless rock or an equally lifeless gas giant. As such, the vast majority of settlements across the Interdependency are artificial habitats either in orbit or under the rocky surface of planets. End is the only colony where people live openly (after Earth was lost to the rest of humanity). [[spoiler: Turns out this was only true for the free systems forming the now interdependcy. The other polities of human space tend to use more planets]].

* AnythingThatMoves: Kiva likes to have wild sex with both men and women and even has no problem interrogating someone while riding them furiously. She does have standards, although they're pretty lax and, apparently, used to be even laxer in her college days.

The setting is a distant future (at least 1500 years from now), where humanity has settled 47 star systems thanks to a [[SubspaceOrHyperspace hyperspace]]-like field called the Flow that can be used to traverse enormous interstellar distances in a matter of weeks or months. All populated systems are united into an [[TheEmpire empire]] called the [[TitleDrop Interdependency]] (technically, the Holy Empire of the Interdependent States and Mercantile Guilds). Since the setting averts the AllPlanetsAreEarthlike trope, only one extrasolar planet capable of supporting human life has been found in the explored galaxy - End. The rest of the systems are filled with artificial habitats either built-in space or dug into the surface of lifeless rocks. For some reason, the Flow link to Earth has disappeared over a thousand years ago. Only the creation of the Interdependency has saved extrasolar humanity. Besides being a unifying body, the Interdependency remains true to its name by ensuring that every human settlement is in some way dependent on others, thus precluding any interstellar wars and encouraging cooperation.

The setting is a distant future (at least 1500 years from now), where humanity has settled 47 star systems thanks to a [[SubspaceOrHyperspace hyperspace]]-like field called the Flow that can be used to traverse enormous interstellar distances in a matter of weeks or months. All populated systems are united into an [[TheEmpire empire]] called the [[TitleDrop Interdependency]] (technically, the Holy Empire of the Interdependent States and Mercantile Guilds). Since the setting averts the AllPlanetsAreEarthlike trope, only one extrasolar planet capable of supporting human life has been found in the explored galaxy - End. The rest of the systems are filled with artificial habitats either built-in space or dug into the surface of lifeless rocks. For some reason, the Flow link to Earth has disappeared over a thousand years ago. Only the creation of the Interdependency has saved humankind from total collapse. Besides being a unifying body, the Interdependency remains true to its name by ensuring that every human settlement is in some way dependent on others, thus precluding any interstellar wars and encouraging cooperation.

The Interdependency is ruled by the [[TheEmperor emperox]] ([[NoPronunciationGuide the "x" is silent]]), who is always a member of the ruling House of Wu, whose dynasty goes back to the founding of the Interdependency over a thousand years ago. The reigning Emperox Attavio VI is on his deathbed, his heir apparent is his bastard daughter Cardenia Wu-Patrick (an UnexpectedSuccessor, following her half-brother's tragic death while racing), who takes the name Grayland II upon ascending to the throne at her dying father's suggestion. Each emperox carries an implant that periodically uploads his or her experiences (both sensory and internal) to the Memory Room, a special room at the palace that only the ruling emperox may enter in order to converse with the holographic recreations of his or her ancestors to seek their guidance. The political and economic center of the Interdependency is located in the Hub system, named so because it serves as a literal hub of the Flow connections, leading to the majority of the inhabited systems. This allows the House of Wu to charge tariffs for all transit through Hub. Other noble Houses and Guilds retain their own monopolies and control their own systems.

* NoPronunciationGuide: Some of the names are a bit difficult to figure out without one, given that the author deliberately went out of his way to make them up. It's a bit easier with the audiobook version, as, one assumes, Creator/WilWheaton was told by Scalzi how to say certain words/names. For example, Ghreni actually sounds almost exactly like "granny".

''The Interdependency'' is a trilogy of sci-fi novels by Creator/JohnScalzi. The series consists of ''The Collapsing Empire'' (2017), ''The Consuming Fire'' (2018) and ''The Last Emperox'' (2020). The audiobook versions have been narrated by Creator/WilWheaton.