Travel among Worlds
Travel among Worlds originally "Подорожі серед світів"|"Podorozhi sered svitiv". Is a series of five science fiction novels by Leontiy Kudriavtsov. Published between 1979 and 1983. The novels follows war hero Afanasij Chkonia, the sole survivor from a resort ship that due to a navigational error crash lands in the distant planet of Marai.
Books
1. Tribe of Asnari (Published in 1979)
2. City of the Kelpari (Published in 1980)
3. Nation of Belgars (Published in 1981)
4. Union of the Vaki (Published in 1982)
5. World of the Makelvi (Published in 1983)
Setting
World
Marai is a planet that exists outside the normal space-time continuum, and can only be reached by an universal navigational error in the advance navigational computers of spacecraft. The planet is similar to Earth, although it is common to be ravaged by month long rainy seasons in the equator, with the northern latitudes being an expansive steppe, leading to a cold desert.
Time in Marai is strange, for it does not exist in the same timeline as events occuring. In the fourth book, Chkonia predicts that the first ships started crashing into Marai approximately some 50 thousand years priors, although ships landed in the planet millions of years before the current universe time. A year, Chkonia estimates to last 892 earth days, the days themselves lasting 30 hours.
Races
Life in Marai is understood to be a strange thing, as the sole native life are the secretive Makelvi which inhabit the polar ice caps of the planet, the rest of life in Marai either sentient, Fauna, or Flora are a combination of the crash landed ships.
The Makelvi are a race of insectoid aliens, and the only native species to Marai. They're an ancient race that inhabit the worlds polar ice caps, in large cities in the kingdom of New Di. They possess highly advanced technology, although they do not appear to have ever expanded beyond the ice caps, and are the most isolated, and secluded of the species in Marai.
The Asnari are a race of contemporary aliens which have fought humanity in numerous wars throughout history, in Marai however they have formed distinct kingdoms where humans and Asnari inhabit together in the steppe and jungle regions of the world, primarily the Volar Empire, Pairi, Xalne, and Zibal. They possess advanced technology, but remain mostly isolated. They're infected by some sort of virus which is incurable and is slowly killing all Asnari.
The Belgars are a race of tall slender creatures, they're all Hermaphrodites which reproduce through an elaborate mating ritual which involves ritualistic duel of Love darts. They're a highly aggressive species and dedicate themselves to raiding in the worlds equatorial jungles. It is discovered that the Belgars are actually an ancient race which has gone extinct in the normal timeline, dating humanity by millennia.
The Kelpari are a race of feline like creatures with advanced language learning skills, they serve as the prime merchants between civilizations. The Kelpari are rumored to have arrived on the planet on purpose, with the intention of aiding communication between all the species. They're one of the few species which are aware of their accidental arrival to the planet. Their homeland is Mital.
The Vaki, are a race of flying creatures, which maintain a large isolationist empire in an archipelago. They hold advanced Genetics knowledge, and commonly genetically modify their bodies, otherwise they exist in a feudal society with little technological advancement, with their god-emperor being a highly advanced computer of human origin. They live in Kuluban.
Several sub-species of humanity exist in the planet a result of 300 years of space travel crashes, although the humans appear to have been inhabiting the world, for thousands of years.
Arnalmen have fundamentally altered their biology to allow the use of photosynthesis in their skin, as a result they have a yellow skin color to better reflect light, as plants due in Marai. They inhabit the Asnari polities, in dual monarchies of the two species. They're regarded as the most advanced men in the planet.
Nalmen inhabit the cold deserts of the planet, they're considerably more hairy than regular humans, and speak a language based around fashion magazines, which they consider to be ancient texts. The Nalmen exist in a matriarchy, and frown contact with other human species, preferring contact with alien species.
The Volgmen inhabit the vast jungles in the middle of the world, they have grown a tail, and several "monkey-like features", to better survive in the jungle. They're an egalitarian society, which live in peace with their surroundings. Opting not to kill any animal in the planet. They inhabit the Commonwealth of Gerl
The Seamen have developed webbed feet to better aid them in swimming. They exist in nomadic groups, which transverse the oceans of the world, they appear to have more knowledge of their origin, making a yearly pilgrimage to their crash site in the middle of the Sea of Elsi.
The Cannibals or Cilmen, are a group of nomads which are believed to be cannibals, and are considered dangerous and avoided. In reality the Cilmen are a group of highly advanced men which have enhanced their bodies with technology. They're the most aware humans, claiming to have crash landed in the planet only 50 years prior, where Chkonia discovers they set sail some 200 years prior.
The Kalmen inhabit the continent of Veil-Sal, in the twin kingdoms of Kal, which have been in a state of civil war for hundreds of years. They're considerably taller than regular men, and are completely bald, to cope with their environment they harvest the thermal energy from a highly active volcano chain in the continent. They worship a series of lava and ash gods.
The Turlevmen inhabit the kingdom of Turlevan in south Cermeira. They are the least changed humans in Marai, however they're known for their extreme isolation, and aggressive foreign policy. Turlevan is ruled by a council of elders which maintain a theocratic state centered around an extreme form of Irfan which has survived through the ages.
Religion
Religion plays a big role in Marai, as all societies and civilizations bar the Makelvi have some sort of myth or belief around their arrival on a crashed ship. Some in world philosophers have theorized that this shared belief is a sign of how their own beliefs are the trues ones. The existence of scattered technology of alien origin throughout the world has led to an acceptance and rejection of such technology, which is believed to have come from an advanced precursor race that once existed in the planet.
Even between species, and societies a great interest is taken to showcase the wide array of beliefs individuals in the society have, showcasing how they're not united monoliths. Some societies have taken to worshiping the Makelvi as gods, their advanced technology seen as a result of godhood, with some believing the Makelvi as having engineered the species arrival to the planet.
Society
Kudriavtsov dedicated ample time to studying the strange societies in Marai, which through the eyes of Chkonia are truly alien, even those made up of men. Kudriavtsov regularly used similarities between societies and species to tell stories of human origin but with an alien spin. In the book issues of discrimination, racism, and xenophobia are explored, along with the dangers of uncontrolled technological growth. Aside from the almost mythical precursors, the existence of now extinct alien civilizations covers the entire planet, with large cities usually repurposed by modern species.
Kudriavtsov explores issues of urban decay, and urban poverty, in the cities of tremendous size which exist in Marai. Spornash, the legislative capital of the Volar Empire, is said to hold over 15 million people, of numerous races, and religions, although the city is considerably desolate and empty as a result of the disease that affects the Asnari, reducing its population from a height of 32 million.