Interview with Author Leonardo Ramirez, Part 2

Welcome back for part two in our chat with Leonardo Ramirez, author of The Jupiter Chronicles.

Read Part One here.

 

Airship Ambassador: What are some of the interesting and important details within the world of The Jupiter Chronicles?

Leonardo Ramirez: I’ve written an entire “bible” surrounding this universe. Here are some tidbits

Places to Visit (or not):

The Regions of Jupiter

1. Fiegan Skies: Fires in the orange skies of Jupiter where the mysterious Fiegan Firelords abide.
2. Region of the Sinu: Located deep within the oceans of Jupiter’s surface. To get there you must have a ship that can travel through the ocean of liquid hydrogen! The liquid ocean of Jupiter has the same thickness and consistency of Earth’s Oceans except that it is orange in color. The pressure is so extreme that it will crush ships within it (but not a Skyrocket) in a very short amount of time.
3. Despera: a floating prison on the outskirts of Capitalia
4. Nebulara: an area of gases where ships have been known to hide.
5. Halo Ring: Training arena for the Skyrocket Pilots
6. Ring of Adrastea: Arena where Legionnaires show off their skills
7. Ring of Thebe: Where parts for the Angelion pocket watches are mined.
8. Capitalia: Capital City of Jupiter

Races

Doomslayers: (Robot, Mechanical Soldier) A large copper-colored metal man with working parts inside his body. Capable of floating with steam-powered Fireflights fixed to their backs. 8′ tall, 1000 lbs.

Fiegan: A secretive race that lives hidden in the red skies of Jupiter. Referred to as the Fiegan Firelords, they have never been seen by anyone. When they are outside of their realm they must wear a containment suit, looking like a mechanical man or robot. Before the Martian War the Fiegans were thought to be a fairytale by the other peoples of Jupiter.

Sinu: Liquid beings that live deep within Jupiter’s liquid hydrogen ocean. They are able to call forth a vortex of water to engulf ships that wander too close to their territory. When speaking to the Sinu Leader, Lord Ricas appears as a huge floating eye when he communicates with others outside of his race.

Martians: Large lizards with frills and scales. Sharp teeth and a tail. They look like the Dilophosaurus and reproduce by laying eggs and are cold-blooded.

 

AA: Wow, that’s a lot of detail, and I think it’s great you have a bible for reference. With so much going on in the world, it could be easy to lose track of some details and introduce inconsistencies. Without giving spoilers, what interesting things will readers find along the way?

LR: Despite the heavy subjects that we’ve discussed regarding themes, it really is about the fun and adventure that kids have been experiencing as they read and as they’ve shared. It is non-stop action with the human condition behind it and there are vastly different places that they visit along the way. There is also a gassy ex-doomslayer that Callie lovingly refers to as “Stinky Frank”. While it is fast-paced, there are touching moments between father and son as well as your typical sibling arguments along the way.

 

AA: What passage, paragraph, or scene was really memorable to write?

LR: There’s a touching scene at the beginning when Ian is remembering a moment with his father. I don’t want to ruin it but the scene does repeat itself later on in the book.

 

AA: What kind of back story is there for The Jupiter Chronicles which didn’t make it into the final books?

LR: Tons!

There is a general who is imprisoned on Despera during the reign of Phobos. We see his character in the second book, The Ice Orphan of Ganymede. General Ardor becomes a leading figure in the sequel and beyond. The Chrono Legion is also mentioned in this book. The group consists of gifted youngsters who display abilities that manifest themselves during their “chrysalis” which I explain below.

The Chrono Legion

The Chrono Legion is the peacekeeping/enforcement arm of the Jovian ruling class. The Legion is comprised of members who upon reaching the age of 13, begin to show signs of sickness. To relieve their symptoms, they are placed inside of a Chrysalis Chamber where they go through a metamorphosis. After the transformation, their gifts are revealed and they undergo training for entry into the legion.

There are five branches (gifts) of the Chrono Legion:

 The Fates: These can sense the intentions of others. Can tell when someone is being honest or not. They do recon as well.

 The Praxid: Warriors gifted in a form of martial arts called “Praxedo”.

 Time Keepers: (The Angelions) – are agents who can slow down time for 7 seconds. They look like angels who appear out of nowhere when they practice their power. They have a pocket watch that allows them to practice this ability. The parts of the pocket watch can only be obtained from the Gizmology Portico inside of Capitalia from parts that come from the Dark Matter pocket that the Theban Moon travels inside of. Angelions recite the words “Tempus Vero” giving them time to accomplish a task within the slowed 7 seconds of time. Once the 7 seconds are up, Angelions have already positioned themselves where they need to be. To those outside of the displacement, it appears as if the Angelion has transported to their new place.

 Mechrons: Have the power of Tactile Telekinesis. They can manipulate machinery with a simple touch.

 Wordsmiths: There is only one Wordsmith per generation. When one passes, another takes their place. Their duty is to preserve the Book of Worlds which contains a running history of the Jovian Realms and the hidden location of each of the orbs. There is only one Wordsmith per generation. When one passes, another takes their place. Their duty is to preserve the Book of Worlds which contains a running history of the Jovian Realms and the hidden location of each of the orbs.

Descriptions of Moons of Jupiter

 Metis – This is a world where students train from a very young age to become either a clairvoyant or a sorcerer.

 Adrastea – This is a world of warriors who instinctively act as protectors. They have an inner sense of justice and zeal that sometimes overrides logic. Much like Amazons, they constantly train to fight and hold bouts to show off their skills.

 Amalthea – Explorers and Adventurers. Much like the Vikings of Earth, Amaltheans do not like to remain in one place for too long and prefer the adventure that open space has to offer. They wear goat-like helmets with fur coats to protect themselves from the elements and to appear intimidating. Unlike the Vikings of Earth, they are a friendly people.

 Thebe – Once thought a lost world, Thebe was rediscovered by an Amalthean who had lost his way. Because of its irregular orbit, Thebe phases in and out of a dark matter pocket where it is believed that it actually goes into the future and brings back technology for Jovian use. Thebe is where timepieces are built.

 Io – Pirates who will strike a deal with anyone on either the side of good or evil, if it means that they will what they want to get ahead. Ian was actually born there but was transported to Earth as a child. The SS Calico: A Pirate ship under the command of Captain Acamon Kaos. Has giant tentacles that can reach out and grab other ships. It also has a giant drill.

 Europa – This world is made of silicate rock where gadgets, weapons and other mechanical devices are built. Mining is also a big part of Europa’s trade with the other worlds in the Jovian Realms.

 Ganymede – This world is an ice planet where medicines are made and stored for the entire system. Ganymede is a world of science that was easily overtaken by the forces of Phobos during the invasion because they held a vow of non-violence until the invasion forced them to have to defend themselves. By then it was too late. Another region is the canyonmof the Crater of Namtar where glowing eyes watch from the dark cavities of the ravine – the glowing eyes of the Anzu. Regio is one of the dark regions of Ganymede. It contains black ice that is “magical”. Reflections in the ice\ are distorted illusions that will frighten or confuse the viewer.

 Callisto – Here is where the words of the Book of Worlds are constantly being written by the inhabitants. Since events in the history of any one world are constantly changing, the words are constantly being forged into “pages” from this vantage point and are automatically updated inside the books themselves which are inside the Book of Worlds located on Jupiter.

 

We’ll pause her in chatting with Leonardo. Join us next time when he talks about experiences, memorable moments, and his own writing process.

Keep up to date with Leonardo’s latest news on his website and Twitter.

You can support Leonardo and our community by getting your copy of The Jupiter Chronicles here.