The Lore Behind My Science Fiction Universe
2026-07-23
Lore Needs To Be Believable, Lovable and Memorable
Every science fiction universe has its own identity.
Some are built around a single starship. Others revolve around one great war or one heroic character. Mine is different. I wanted to create a universe that felt alive long before my stories began, and one that would continue to evolve long after any individual adventure had ended.
The stories of Captain Cody and the crew of the Star Ship Frederick are only one thread in a much larger tapestry stretching across galaxies, governments, civilizations, and centuries.
A Universe Rooted in Reality
Although my stories take place around the year 2100 and beyond, I wanted the setting to feel believable.
Rather than inventing everything from nothing, I based the foundations of my universe on real astronomy. The Milky Way remains humanity’s home galaxy, itself part of the Local Group, the Virgo Supercluster, and ultimately the immense Laniakea Supercluster. From that familiar foundation, history diverges into fiction as humanity expands beyond Earth and establishes colonies across multiple star systems.
As mankind spread into space, entirely new civilizations emerged. Some remained loyal to Earth, while others developed their own cultures, ambitions, and political ideologies.
The Great Powers
The galaxy is not ruled by a single empire.
Instead, power is divided among several major factions, each pursuing its own vision for the future.
The Terran Federation represents humanity’s expansion into the stars. It protects its citizens through Star Fleet High Command, while the Solar Sentinels serve as the military shield defending Terran space.
Standing apart from humanity is the Directorate of Machines, a civilization of artificial intelligences, androids, and robotic beings. Originally created by humans, they eventually sought independence. Their story is not one of simple rebellion but of discovering that complete separation from humanity came at a cost neither side expected.
Opposing both stands the New Galactic Order, the principal antagonist of my universe. They believe that lasting peace can only be achieved through absolute control. In their own minds they are not villains, but visionaries prepared to impose order upon a chaotic galaxy.
Between these great powers exist numerous independent organisations, including the Federation of Free Beings, whose merchants travel freely between worlds, the Alliance of Rogue Nations, traders and privateers living beyond conventional law, and the secretive Order of the Dove, working quietly against tyranny wherever it appears.
Together these organisations create a political landscape where alliances shift, rivalries endure, and every decision has consequences.
A New Age Needs New Standards
As humanity expanded across the stars, old systems of measurement became increasingly inadequate.
Different planets possess different gravities, atmospheres, and environments. To create a believable interstellar civilisation, I developed entirely new systems of measurement.
Liquids are measured using units ranging from NanoDrops for scientific precision to StarUnits for interstellar commerce. These standards are maintained by the Galactic Standards Association, ensuring that trade remains consistent regardless of which planet a traveller visits.
Distance is measured using futuristic units such as Quantum Units, Nanospans, Galactic Strides, and Universal Leaps, reflecting the vastly greater scales involved in space travel.
These systems are rarely the focus of a story, but they help create the illusion that this is a genuine civilization rather than simply today’s world with faster spaceships.
Time Beyond Earth
Life among the stars demanded more than new measurements.
It also required a new way of thinking about time.
Months, seasons, and units of time have evolved to reflect the culture of an interstellar civilisation. Ordinary seconds become Ticks, minutes become Cycles, hours become Spans, while years are known as Cyrons. Even familiar concepts such as birthdays and holidays have evolved into Birthturns and Holiturns.
These changes reinforce the idea that my characters no longer live in twenty-first-century society. They inhabit a civilization that has grown beyond its origins while still remembering where it came from.
More Than Heroes and Villains
One principle guides every major faction in my universe:
No one believes they are evil.
Every government, military, corporation, and movement believes it is fighting for a better future.
The Terran Federation seeks freedom.
The Directorate of Machines seeks equality.
The New Galactic Order seeks stability through control.
The Federation of Free Beings values unrestricted commerce above politics.
Each believes its philosophy offers the best hope for the future, and that moral complexity is what makes the conflicts meaningful.
An Ever-Expanding Universe
The adventures I write today represent only a small corner of this fictional universe.
Behind every story lie unexplored worlds, forgotten histories, political intrigue, scientific discoveries, and civilizations still waiting to be introduced.
That was always my intention.
I never wanted to create a single novel.
I wanted to create a living universe capable of supporting countless stories across generations, allowing every new adventure to reveal another piece of a galaxy that continues to grow.
The Captain Cody stories are simply the beginning.