History Literature / TheInterdependency

** Immediately after Kiva finds herself developing feelings for [[spoiler: Senia]], she thinks that this is "a very not-Kiva thing to do", then decides that doesn't matter because she isn't "some fucking fictional character destined to do what some goddamned hack want[s] her to do."

* CharacterDeath: [[spoiler:Cardenia is killed by a bomb planted by Nadashe in the third book. She survives, in a manner of speaking, as an electronic ghost, the same way Rachela and Tomas survived.]]

* RealityEnsues:
** Any scientist, no matter how brilliant, needs peers to check their work. This is why Marce and his father, who could find each others' mistakes, got more accurate results than an equally brilliant scientist in the pay of [[spoiler: the Nohamapetans.]] And why in the sequel [[spoiler: Marce and his father missed the evanescence.]]
** [[spoiler:Hatide Roynold ends up being blacklisted as a scientist, since her research was what caused the Nohamapetans to start their coup.]]
** Just because a civilization has faster-than-light travel doesn't mean they'll find a lot of habitable planets. In the Interdependancy, only one out of 47 can support human life. [[spoiler:Then again, habitable worlds are much more common in the Earth Empire and the Assembly, so it's likely the Interdependency just happens to be located on a part of the Flow network that is lacking in habitable planets.]]

** Ghenri is paranoid, utterly despised and highly impotent about it throughout his page time in ''The Last Emperor''.

** In the third book, [[spoiler:Kiva Lagos]] is referred to as 'the last Emperox' of the Interdependency.

* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: Immediately after Kiva finds herself developing feelings for [[spoiler: Senia]], she thinks that this is "a very not-Kiva thing to do", then decides that doesn't matter because she isn't "some fucking fictional character destined to do what some goddamned hack want[s] her to do."

* ReverseMole: In the second book [[spoiler:Deran Wu sells out the conspiracy due to his ambitions only going as high as head director of the family, a goal which turning in his cousin for treason can achieve]].

* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: [[spoiler:After Teran Assan successfully breaks Nadashe out of captivity, Countess Nohamapetan calls him up and tells him this in so many words, just before his own mercenaries leave him to die with the fake dead Nadashe.]]

* TheGreatestStoryNeverTold: ''The Consuming Fire'' spends multiple pages describing the sad, drawn out fate of the first ship lost in the flow: how it falls into civil war out of desperation until only one member is left, with that guy recording a testament describing the heartfelt struggles before committing suicide. The next few paragraphs emphasize how no one ''ever'' finds that record, or even the ship itself, before they eventually burn up upon entering the orbit of a sun, thousands of years later.

* TheEmperor: The ruler of the Interdependency is called "Emperox", a gender-neutral title that is pronounced "empero". The Emperox's word is law, although the Interdependency government has other branches, such as the Parliament (composed of representatives of the noble Houses; the Emperox is also the representative of House of Wu, although he/she typically abstains from voting). Any Parliament bill can be vetoed by the Emperox, although there may be political repercussions for doing that.

* TheEmperor: The ruler of the Interdependency is called "Emperox", a gender-neutral title that is, apparently, pronounced "empero" (according to the audiobook and the WordOfGod). The Emperox's word is law, although the Interdependency government has other branches, such as the Parliament (composed of representatives of the noble Houses; the Emperox is also the representative of House of Wu, although he/she typically abstains from voting). Any Parliament bill can be vetoed by the Emperox, although there may be political repercussions for doing that.

* 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 biggest offender is the word "emperox", which is, apparently, supposed to be pronounced as "EM-per-oh" (i.e. the "x" is silent).

''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.

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 was 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 House of Wu to charge tariffs for all transits through Hub. Other noble Houses and Guilds retain their own monopolies and control their own systems.

''The Collapsing Empire'' focuses on three point-of-view characters: the newly-crowned Emperox Grayland II, Lord Marce Claremont (a Flow physicist and son to the Count of Claremont, a province on End), and Lady Kiva Lagos (daughter to Countess Huma Lagos of the mercantile House of Lagos, who has inherited her mother's penchant for {{Cluster F Bomb}}s). The three characters get involved in the latest and, possibly, biggest crisis the Interdependency has ever faces: The upcoming collapse of the Flow network, spelling doom for the Interdependency.

* ZeroPercentApprovalRating: By the beginning of the third book, [[spoiler: Ghreni, Nadashe's brother]] is facing massive rebellions and treason in his own camp gi how he's

** [[spoiler: Nardashe Nohamapetan, nominated as Emperox after successfully assassinating Grayland II with the assistance of House Wu. It’s part of her price for leading the conspiracy - and, anyway, House Wu no longer has a credible successor who wants the job]].
** [[spoiler: Kiva Lagos, named as successor by Grayland II - and posthumously endorsed by Grayland’s uploaded ghost in the middle of Nardashe’s failed coronation]].

* MusicalThemeNaming: The House of Lagos tends to name its ships based on song lyrics, specifically the song "[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yes_Sir,_That%27s_My_Baby_(song) Yes, Sir, That's My Baby]]". The ship Kiva is on is actually called ''Yes, Sir, That’s My Baby'' (''Yes, Sir'' for short), while her sister ship is called ''No, Sir, I Don't Mean Maybe'' (''No, Sir'' for short).

* TheGreatestStoryNeverTold: ''The Consuming Fire'' spends multiple pages describe the sad, drawn out fate of the first ship lost in the flow; how it falls into civil war out of desperation until only one member is left, with that guy recording a testament describing the heartfelt struggles before committing suicide. The next couple paragraphs emphasize how no one ''ever'' finds that record, or even the ship itself, before they eventually burn up upon entering the orbit a sun thousands of years later.

* TitleDrop: Done three times:
** In the first book, Count Clairemont refers to 'The collapsing empire' at the end of chapter four.
** In the second book, Cardenia refers to herself as 'the consuming fire' in her BadassBoast to Countess Nohamapetan and her co-conspirators.
** In the third book, [[spoiler:Kiva Lagos]] is referred to as 'the last Emperox' of the Interdependency.

As preciously mentioned, End is a singular planet in the Interdependency in that it is capable of supporting life. The reason it's called "End" is that it's located in the farthest system from Hub, taking nine months to traverse the Flow connection between Hub and End. Since the vast majority of Interdependency citizens are used to living in artificial habitats, they view living on the surface of a planet as something strange and undesirable. As such, End is treated as the backwater world, where all undesirables are shunted off to. Because of that, End is also the only Interdependency world to have restrictions on leaving, reinforced by the Imperial marines in orbit. The planet has frequent uprisings that have been known to result in the reigning Duke of End being deposed and executed to be replaced by the leader of the rebels. Imperial forces are ordered not to intervene, as the Interdependency considers such occurrences an internal matter.

* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler:The Countess loses control in ''The Consuming Fire'' as Cardenia disassembles her coup in about five minutes, blurting out that ''she'' assassinated Rennered and essentially gave Cardenia the throne, seemingly expecting Cardenia to view this as a favour to be repaid. Cardenia, unsurprisingly, tells her where to stick it.]]

* UnexpectedSuccessor: Cardenia Wu-Patrick is the bastard daughter of Emperox Attavio VI. She was never raised as a princess and did not expect (or want) to inherit the throne, leaving it to her half-brother Rennered, who was actually groomed for the role. After Rennered's tragic death during a race, the dying Emperox makes Cardenia his chosen heir instead of any number of cousins and nephews/nieces. Cardenia only has a few months to process the shock before she has to formally step up to her new office.

* TitleDrop: Done twice so far:

** [spoiler: Nardashe Nohamapetan, nominated as Emperox after successfully assassinating Grayland II with the assistance of House Wu. It’s part of her price for leading the conspiracy - and, anyway, House Wu no longer has a credible successor who wants the job]].
** [spoiler: Kiva Lagos, named as successor by Grayland II - and posthumously endorsed by Grayland’s uploaded ghost in the middle of Nardashe’s failed coronation].

** [[spoiler:The House of Nohamapetan as a whole could be considered the BigBad of the series so far, as various members are responsible for the assassination of the previous heir to the throne, engineering the rebellion on End, multiple assassination attempts against Emperox Grayland II, kidnapping Marce, and (much later) sending a ship to Dalasysla to kill Marce.

** A minor example, while the memories and emotions of every emperox are stored in the Memory Room, and the reigning emperox can converse with the holographic likeness of his/her ancestors, they're not the same person, nor do they claim to be. Since they no longer have emotions, they also don't have things like egos.

''The Interdependency'' is a sci-fi series of novels by Creator/JohnScalzi. The series currently consists of ''The Collapsing Empire'' (2017) and ''The Consuming Fire'' (2018). The third book, set for April 2020, will be ''The Last Emperox'' (which was the working title of the second book.) The audiobook versions have been narrated by Creator/WilWheaton.