 First edition | |
| Author | Monica Byrne |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Damon Za |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Speculative Fiction |
| Publisher | HarperVoyager |
| Publication place | United States |
| ISBN | 978-0-063-00289-0 |
The Actual Star is a 2021 speculative fiction novel by Monica Byrne. The story takes place across three timelines, with a narrative rooted in Mayan folklore and cosmology. Byrne researched the book for seven years before publishing it. [1] [2]
The first timeline takes place over two days, December 9-10th, 1012, and centers on two sisters and a brother (Ket, Ixul and Ajul) who are the last scions of a declining Mayan kingdom. As Ixul and Ajul prepare for their ascension to the throne, they are unknowingly the target of an uprising set to end their dynasty.
The more present-day timeline takes place over 6 days, December 16-21st, 2012, and centers on Leah Oliveri, a young woman from Anoong, Minnesota, who journeys to Belize to explore her roots. She meets two Mayan guides, Xander Cañul and Javier Magaña, who are twins. They take her to the sacred cave, Actun Tunichil Muknal, deep in the jungle, where she discovers a connection to Xibalba, the Mayan underworld, and to the events of long ago.
The story set in the future spans most of a year, January 14th - December 20th, 3012. Humanity has been greatly reduced due to a climatic apocalypse brought on by human abuse of the environment. The survivors establish a utopian, genderless, nomadic society with a religion, Laviaja, based on worship of Leah and the two brothers she encountered in her search in Belize. The narrative follows Niloux deCayo, who is determined to challenge some of the fundamental precepts of her society, at the risk of being labeled a heretic and excommunication. [3] She is opposed by Tanaaj deCayo, who wishes to preserve a more conservative interpretation of Laviaja.
The sacred cave, Actun Tunichil Muknal, is the axis upon which all the timelines converge, and where each of the protagonists ultimately discovers the truths they sought. [4]
Past – Mayan (1012):
Present (2012):
Future (3012):
The novel was positively received by critics. In his New Scientist review, Michael Marshall calls it a "stone-cold masterpiece", praising the pacing, characters, and societies. [5] In Locus, Ian Mond lauds how Byrne "combines scholarly work with an appreciation and skill for world-building". [1] He further appreciates how Byrne "raises questions about identity, about gender and sexual preference, about the limits and constraints inherent in any true utopia, " adding that "(t)hese issues are explored with a great deal of wit, passion, and intelligence, but what stands out is the book’s attitude to the past", which Mond considers to be key to tying together the three timelines. [1]
The Tor.com review called it "one of the most effective examples of worldbuilding you’re likely to see on a page this year", deeming it an "epic, visceral novel" that "bristles with ambition". [6] The Ancillary Review of Books reviewer found herself "blown away by the epic sweep, emotional complexity, and intensely thoughtful socioeconomic structural building Byrne brings to her work", [7] while the Fantasy Hive review found The Actual Star to be a "speculative fiction masterpiece that speaks to our current anxieties and concerns whilst imagining a way through them. Dizzying in its implication and epic in scope, it nevertheless is a book of real human warmth and understanding, firmly rooted in the lived experiences of its characters." [3]
Alexander Lavelle Harris is a fictional character created for the action-horror/fantasy television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003). He was developed by Joss Whedon and portrayed throughout the television series by Nicholas Brendon and in two episodes by his twin brother, Kelly Donovan. He was conceived as an everyman and a male character for series heroine Buffy Summers to interact with, and to provide comic relief in the series. Xander is one of several friends of Buffy who assist her in saving the world against numerous supernatural events that plague Sunnydale, California, a town built over a doorway to hell.
The Maya are an ethnolinguistic group of indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica. The ancient Maya civilization was formed by members of this group, and today's Maya are generally descended from people who lived within that historical region. Today they inhabit southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and westernmost El Salvador and Honduras.
Mary Rose Byrne is an Australian actress. She made her screen debut in the film Dallas Doll (1994), and continued to act in Australian film and television throughout the 1990s. She obtained her first leading film role in The Goddess of 1967 (2000), which brought her the Volpi Cup for Best Actress, and made the transition to American cinema with a small role in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002), followed by bigger parts in Hollywood productions of Troy (2004), 28 Weeks Later (2007), and Knowing (2009).
Holly Elizabeth Robinson Peete is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Judy Hoffs on the Fox police drama 21 Jump Street, Vanessa Russell on the ABC sitcom Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, and Dr. Malena Ellis on the NBC/The WB sitcom For Your Love. She also served as one of the original co-hosts of the CBS Daytime talk show The Talk. She is also known for her portrayal of Diana Ross in the 1992 miniseries The Jacksons: An American Dream, which also aired on ABC.
"Same Time, Same Place" is the third episode of the seventh and final season of the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The episode aired on October 8, 2002 on UPN.
"The Replacement" is episode three of season five of the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The episode aired on October 10, 2000 on The WB.
Actun Tunichil Muknal, also known locally as ATM, is a cave in Belize, near San Ignacio, Cayo District, notable as a Maya archaeological site that includes skeletons, ceramics, and stoneware. There are several areas with skeletal remains in the main chamber. The best known is "The Crystal Maiden", the skeleton of what is believed to be a 17-year-old boy, possibly a sacrifice victim, whose bones have been calcified to a sparkling, crystallized appearance.
A Salty Piece of Land is a 2004 novel by bestselling author and songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It is about a fictional American westerner, Tully Mars, who goes to work repairing an island lighthouse. Buffett first introduced the character Tully Mars in his earlier work, Tales from Margaritaville. The book includes a CD single with a song of the same title as the book.
"House of the Rising Sun" is the sixth episode of the first season of the American television series Lost. It centers on Jin-Soo Kwon, who brutally attacks Michael Dawson ; the survivors do not know why since Jin and his wife Sun-Hwa Kwon only speak Korean. Meanwhile, Jack Shephard proposes that the survivors move to the caves from the beach. The episode was the first to feature the backstory of Sun and Jin, and the former is shown in the episode's flashbacks. It was directed by Michael Zinberg and written by Javier Grillo-Marxuach.
Speed is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is depicted as a member of the Young Avengers, a team of teenaged superheroes in the Marvel Universe. His powers are similar to his uncle Quicksilver. Created by Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung, Speed first appeared in the comic book Young Avengers #10. In the 12th issue, he adopts the costumed identity Speed and joins the Young Avengers.
The monarchy of Belize is a system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign and head of state of Belize. The current Belizean monarch and head of state since 8 September 2022, is King Charles III. As sovereign, he is the personal embodiment of the Belizean Crown. Although the person of the sovereign is shared with 14 other independent countries within the Commonwealth of Nations, each country's monarchy is separate and legally distinct. As a result, the current monarch is officially titled Kingof Belize and, in this capacity, he and other members of the royal family undertake public and private functions as representatives of the Belizean state. However, the King is the only member of the royal family with any constitutional role.
Carla Ortiz Oporto is a Bolivian actress, model, producer, activist and philanthropist.
Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin is a 2011 Philippine television drama family military series broadcast by ABS-CBN. Directed by Ruel S. Bayani, Darnel Joy R. Villaflor and Avel E. Sunpongco, it stars Coco Martin, Maja Salvador, Andi Eigenmann and Martin del Rosario. It aired on the network's Primetime Bida evening block and worldwide on TFC from March 7 to August 19, 2011, and was replaced by My Binondo Girl. It is the second Philippine television series to be shot in high definition format after Rounin.
Scarlett Hannah Hefner is an English actress. She is best known for her roles as Slytherin student Pansy Parkinson in the Harry Potter series, and as Nora Hildegard in The Vampire Diaries.
The Book of Life is a 2014 American animated fantasy adventure comedy film directed by Jorge R. Gutierrez in his feature directorial debut and written by Gutierrez and Doug Langdale. It was produced by 20th Century Fox Animation, Reel FX Animation Studios, and Chatrone, and distributed by 20th Century Fox. Guillermo del Toro, Brad Booker, Aaron D. Berger, and Carina Schulze produced the film. It features the voices of Diego Luna, Zoe Saldana, and Channing Tatum, with supporting roles from Ice Cube, Ron Perlman, Kate del Castillo, and Christina Applegate. Based on an original idea by Gutierrez, the film tells the story of a bullfighter who embarks on an afterlife adventure to fulfill the expectations of his family and friends on the Day of the Dead.
Monica Byrne is an American playwright and science fiction author. She is best known for her drama What Every Girl Should Know and her debut novel The Girl in the Road, which won the 2015 James Tiptree, Jr. Award and was nominated for the Locus and Kitschies awards.
Naam Iruvar Namakku Iruvar is a 2018 Indian Tamil television series which premiered on Star Vijay and streams on Disney+ Hotstar. The first season followed the story of twin brothers Mayan and Aravind, both played by Mirchi Senthil. Then, the second season followed a different pair of twins: Mayan and Maaran, again played by Senthil.
Monica Fransisca Antoinette Khonado is an Indonesian goodwill ambassador for the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of Indonesia, tv host, TV commercial model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned as Miss Earth Indonesia 2021, She represented Indonesia at the Miss Earth 2021 pageant. She is the first ever Indonesian and Minahasan to be placed as a finalist in Miss Earth history, ending a 16-year drought for Indonesia since joining Miss Earth in 2005.