New character art has dropped for my debut sci-fi dystopian novel.
The Art.
The artist is Ben (B-Ro) on 99designs, and I highly recommend him for anyone who likes his illustration style. He entered into my cover design contest for the book, and while I don’t dislike having characters as the focus of my book covers, it was far better suited to character art and promotional material in my mind, so I offered to buy the design off him. I really enjoy the steampunk vibes it gives and all the work he put into making the lamp on his helmet resemble a miners carbide lamp.
If you’re thinking this kind of character art belongs in a romance, well, you aren’t wrong. Fortunately, a large subplot is centered around a relationship between Corun and another character, Cassi. And, a couple chapters are spicier than all the rest, though it is implied more than explicit.
The Character.
Like his father before him, Corun is a miner, tasked with tunneling through the rock in search of the resources their underground city needs to survive and clearing a path for the wheeled buildings of Motus to follow.
Prior to the start of the events of the story, you learn Corun didn’t always want to be a miner, but short of having a tutor and apprenticeship, which laborers were largely excluded from, there were few other options. But he ultimately came to enjoy the sense of discovery mining brought him, even if it wasn’t as lucrative as his father made it out to be. Yet he still hoped to make the find of a lifetime, striking a deposit that would ensure “a life of leisure and luxury in the Foredistrict of the city. It was what kept miners delving into the unknown one pickaxe strike at a time, hoping it would all be worth the effort one day.”
Like every shareholder in Motus, Corun is named after a mineral/element found within the rock surrounding their underground city. Corundum, or crystalline aluminum oxide (Al2O3), is one of the hardest natural minerals. It is commonly used as a polish or abrasive, but is most prized in its gem forms, ruby and sapphire.
Here’s the interaction in the novel where the readers learn this bit of information:
“Can you tell me your name at least?”
She sighed. “Cassi.”
“Short for cassiterite, right? Never seen it myself, though I hear it’s hard, dark . . . brooding.”
Her pinched lips made the slightest hum of agreement.
“And Corun?” she asked after a weighty silence. “Corundum?”
“That’s me,” Corun said. “Transparent, colorful, strong . . .”
“Abrasive?”
“Only when I need to bring out the shine in others.”
This elicited a small smile, an expression she quickly schooled.
Laborers like Corun also tend to be Ascensionists, favoring an upward incline to the city’s path. But unlike other laborers, he is determined to find humanity’s origins up there. That opportunity strikes the moment his pickaxe uncovers an unusual rock in the mines.
The Book.
If you want to hear more of Corun’s story, the book is available for preorder on all major outlets. Click the graphic below to see where you can buy it before its October 9th release.
Until next time, write well and science hard.
