Throughout history, humanity confined itself to a small fraction of the Earth—the land. In the future, we take to the sea.
These fifteen tales, written by a former submarine officer, chronicle humanity's 21st-century struggle to colonize the seas. Read about pioneering attempts to own and defend sectors of the ocean, scrambles over vast mineral resources, and quests by oppressed populations to live free. Follow fierce sea battles over boundaries, experiments with unique forms of government, and efforts to forge a new, ocean-based culture.
Meet the bold and quirky characters who defy continental powers and their innate, land-adapted nature to settle and thrive in the water. Explore the seasteads where they live, their shining aquatic cities—some fixed and some mobile—on and under the ocean. View life from their perspective, a world where water isn't just for travel or temporary work—it's home.
As Ray Bradbury did with Mars and J.R.R. Tolkien did with Middle Earth, Steven R. Southard presents a new world, but it's our Earth with fresh borders within its oceans. Welcome to The Seastead Chronicles.