We never expected that inventing Star-Drive would lead to this. We were first! Bold explorers who brought light and movement to the galaxy, teaching others and forging a grand alliance with all races. (Well, most of them.) It seemed the galaxy would be ours to lead and to share! Till we met demmies. Oh, they're not so bad. They mean well. Impulsive and exasperating, sure. Often brilliant, puckish, idiotic, mercurial, always astonishing... did I mention exasperating? And lucky. Gradually, it dawned on humanity — Hey, that's what WE wanted to be! In ancient myths and sci-fi dreams, it's how we pictured ourselves. As the impulsive-lucky ones. Only now... they reverently call Earthlings "the Ancient Ones." And demmies are having all the fun! The adventure begins when the crew unreels a humungous hose down to the surface and hurries down to discover a whole lot of somethings weird. Life... death... and the living dead... will never be the same.

A new science fiction comedy from David Brin — author of award-winning science fiction novels, such as The Postman, Earth, Existence, Startide Rising, Sundiver and The Practice Effect.