Plans have been announced for a massive new solar array. Based on the EricssonSun Engine, this privately-funded, government-approved project will power a brand new city in the desert. The cutting-edge solar array will feature clean, steam-driven technology, reviving the fortunes of manufacturing in Australia at a critical time.
This is the storyline of The Five Star Republic. It is inventive and absorbing, nineteenth century Australian history, with a twist. It is the culmination of eight years work for multi- award winning author Dr. Janeen Webb and fellow literary historian Dr. Andrew Enstice. “To create The Five Star Republic series, we explored a myriad of historical sources to create an alternate Australian history,” said Dr. Webb. “Sources such as the State Department archives in Washington and Cornish archive Kresen Kernow. We discovered some extraordinary stories, and realised just how close we came to having a very different future – a clean, green revolution powered by the sun,” she continued.
Renowned American author Pamela Sargent calls the book “Original and enthralling…an
alternate history imbued with hope and promise,” while Publishers Weekly (USA) says “Harry Turtledove fans are in for a treat.”
The Five Star Republic is firmly grounded in actual events of nineteenth century Australia including the Eureka rebellion, the overland telegraph, the solar-powered steam engine and the Colt-wielding California Rangers. It is the first in a series of novels by the two authors, due for release from Queensland-based publisher IFWG. “If we look to the past, to imagine a future powered by solar energy for more than a hundred years, we can see a very different Australia,” added Dr Enstice.
The Five Star Republic was released in Australia, UK, NZ and Europe on 1 September 2021, and in North America on 26 October 2021.
Webb (the Sinbad Chronicles series) and Enstice (Landscapes of the Mind) successfully collaborate on this first volume of an alternate history trilogy, premised on a very different 19th century for Australia. Victoria Colony’s goldfields make it a valued asset of the British Empire—and when the miners go on strike, the empire responds with force to suppress it, as happened in real life in 1854. In this parallel world, however, the Independent California Rangers have pledged to defend the strikers, identifying with their slogan: “Taxation without representation is tyranny.” Aware of the Rangers’ commitment, British troops trick them into leaving the Eureka stockade unguarded before massacring strikers and unarmed bystanders alike.
A media release and AIS are attached, and it has already garnered some great peer reviews:
“Multigenerational, sweeping across three continents…Inventive and absorbing alternate history.” – Nancy Kress
“Original and enthralling…an alternate history imbued with hope and promise.” – Pamela Sargent
“Harry Turtledove fans are in for a treat…” – Publishers Weekly (US).
“Alternative history doesn’t come any better than this” – Richard Harland
“A visionary novel of a world that might have been…promises to be one of the major SF books of the year” – Lee Harding
“Enthralling…a page turner…it builds a credible picture of how solar might have trumped oil. Scientifically accurate and full of political intrigue, The Five Star Republic is the compelling account of a lost opportunity that might have been” – Rob Gerrand
“The authors have woven historical and fictional characters into the rich and glittering life of Nineteenth Century Melbourne, justifiably known at the time as the Paris of the South. The clothes, weapons, furniture, buildings, social conventions, manners, and language have been researched meticulously. Imagine Anthony Trollope setting his Palliser novels in Victoria, and you have the idea…” – Sean McMullen
“The nineteenth century voice is pitch perfect. This alternate history is a triumph!” – Dena Bain Taylor
“An epic work in every possible way! This alternate history takes what we know, remember, and imagine and sets us on a path toward the growth of what might have been: The Five Star Republic’s 19th century problems, opportunities, successes and reversals point to what could have been a very different technological future—powered by the sun—and one which could still be within our grasp. Literary historians Janeen Webb and Andrew Enstice have delivered a powerful fable that will resonate with readers all over the globe” – Venero Armanno
