# Can Anyone ID this Sci Fi Duology? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [December 18, 2024, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-id-this-sci-fi-duology/1011821 "2024-12-18T17:55:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2024, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-id-this-sci-fi-duology/1011821/1 "2024-12-18T17:55:34Z")
I was thinking of a duology I read years ago (mid 2000s maybe). It was set on an Earth where Venus and Mars were the way 1800s scifi writers thought of them. Venus was Swampy and filled with Dinosaurs. Mars had an ancient dying civilization. One book was on Venus the second on Mars. I thought they were by Bruce Sterling but I looked at a list of his works and didn’t see them. Does this ring a bell with anyone? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2024, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-id-this-sci-fi-duology/1011821/2 "2024-12-18T18:13:17Z")
“Lords of Creation” Trilogy S. M. Stirling ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2024, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-id-this-sci-fi-duology/1011821/3 "2024-12-18T18:14:35Z")
Yes! Thank you! My memory was close. I don’t think I knew there was a third book. ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2024, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-id-this-sci-fi-duology/1011821/4 "2024-12-18T18:15:11Z")
It sounds a little like S. M. Stirling’s “The Lords of Creation” which consists of two novels: _The Sky People_, set on Venus, and _In the Courts of the Crimson Kings_, set on Mars. (There was also a short story, “Swords of Zar-Tu-Kan”, which was a prequel to the latter book). I’ve read the first but not the second; but it sounds like it might match somewhat like you describe. They were published in 2006 and 2008. Ninja’d because I took the time to dig out my copies. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2024, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-id-this-sci-fi-duology/1011821/5 "2024-12-18T18:15:24Z")
Missed it by _that_ much! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2024, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-id-this-sci-fi-duology/1011821/6 "2024-12-18T19:14:18Z")
Now I’m curious. Are they worth reading? Or just time-passing fluff? ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2024, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-id-this-sci-fi-duology/1011821/7 "2024-12-18T20:07:22Z")
I remember liking the first one. I don’t remember anything about the second one. I was looking to reread them but I lost my copies in a move so I may rebuy them. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2024, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-id-this-sci-fi-duology/1011821/8 "2024-12-18T21:37:44Z")
Looks like it was Kismet I asked about this because the third book is due out in May of next year (a long time for a follow up).