GuideThe Daimones Trilogy, in reading order

Science fiction written by a scientist

Reader guides to the Daimones Trilogy, the physics behind it and the craft of writing science fiction.

Reader console
Volume 1 notes
DaimonesThe morning the world went quiet
Once HumansRebirth under the Selected
Rise of the PhoenixThe closing volume
EEditorial noteChapter guide

Dan Amenta wakes up and the world has changed overnight. His family of three is untouched. Everyone else is gone.

RReader questionfrom the guide

Is it horror or science fiction?

EEditorial noteanswer

Science fiction. The dread is real, but every answer the book gives is physical, biological or historical. No ghosts.

Glossary
EriduEarth, as the galaxy knows it
The MoîraiAn older power behind the cradle
The SelectedTransgenic guardians of the new humans
UUniverse cardEridu

Eridu is the name for Earth used by the Moîrai and in the galaxy. The trilogy treats the planet as a cradle that someone has been tending for a very long time.

RReader questionfrom the guide

Who are the Selected?

UUniverse cardanswer

Transgenic beings created by the Moîrai. In Once Humans they watch over the communities that rise after the extermination.

Science notes
Antimatter at CERNHow it is made and trapped
The cosmic backgroundThe oldest light we can see
Consciousness as matterA speculative idea, explained
SScience noteAntimatter

CERN slows antiprotons down and traps antihydrogen in magnetic fields. The amounts are tiny, which is exactly why fiction loves to ignore them.

RReader questionfrom the guide

Why does a physicist write post-apocalyptic fiction?

SScience noteanswer

Deep time and large numbers are everyday tools in physics. The trilogy uses both to explain its catastrophe.

Reader guide
Where do I start?Volume 1, then in order
Is it a standalone?Each volume ends a chapter of the story
Is there an audiobook?Daimones, produced in 2013
RReader questionsearch

Where do I start with the Daimones Trilogy?

RReader guideanswer

Start with Daimones. The second and third volumes build directly on its ending and on what Dan learns about his own past.

RReader questionsearch

Is there an audiobook?

RReader guideanswer

Yes. The Daimones audiobook production was completed in 2013.

Publishing log
2015Booktrope edition of Daimones
2014The Rise of the Phoenix
2013Once Humans and the audiobook
LLog entry2012

Daimones is published and wins the 2012 PRG Reviewer's Choice Award for Science Fiction.

LLog entry2013

Once Humans follows. Daimones is named Hall of Fame Best Science Fiction by the Quality Reads UK Book Club.

LLog entry2015

Booktrope Publishing releases a new edition of Daimones with a new cover and editing.

Recognised by reviewers, book clubs and fellow writers

2012 PRG Reviewer's ChoiceBest Science FictionHall of Fame 2013Quality Reads UK Book ClubPRG Reviewer's ChoiceBest Science Fiction SeriesIndie Excellence AwardsFinalist 2014Awesome IndiesSeal of ExcellenceSFWAActive member
The trilogy

Three books, one long night for humanity

A post-apocalyptic first-contact story told over three volumes. Each one widens the frame.

3D illustration: the book Daimones3D illustration: the book Once Humans3D illustration: the book The Rise of the Phoenix
DaimonesVol. 1, 2012

The best way into the trilogy is the first chapter. One quiet morning, and then nothing is the same.

Massimo Marino Author editorial team
Universe

The people and powers behind Eridu

A spoiler-light map of the world the trilogy builds.

Illustration: a black monolith with three glowing rings

The Moîrai

An older power that has watched Earth for millions of years. Daimones is the story of a man discovering how close they have always been.

Eridu

Earth's name in the galaxy. The trilogy treats it as a cradle with a long and deliberate history.

The Selected

Transgenic beings created by the Moîrai to guard the new human communities.

Dan Amenta

The protagonist. His childhood hallucinations turn out to be memories of something real.

Moral ground

Survival forces choices that the old world never had to make. The books do not hide from them.

Formats

Read it the way you read

The trilogy came out as ebooks and paperbacks. Daimones also exists as an audiobook, finished in 2013. Indie authors who want the same reach on phones now go one step further and commission a reading app from a mobile app development team.

See every book and edition
Reader guide

Ask, and get a straight answer

The questions readers ask most, answered without spoilers.

Reader guide answer

Pick a question and the guide points you to the right page.

Publishing log

From the lab to the bookshelf

Back to fiction

A physicist with seventeen years of fundamental research behind him starts writing again and joins peer critique on critters.org.

Daimones

The debut is published and wins the 2012 PRG Reviewer's Choice Award for Science Fiction. Read more

Once Humans and the audiobook

Volume 2 arrives, the Daimones audiobook is completed, and Daimones is named Hall of Fame Best Science Fiction by the Quality Reads UK Book Club.

The Rise of the Phoenix

The trilogy closes. The series is a finalist at the Indie Excellence Awards. Read more

A new edition

Booktrope Publishing releases Daimones with a new cover, editing and proofreading.

Illustration: manuscript pages floating beside a fountain pen

Latest from the blog

Start with the first chapter

One quiet morning, a family of three, and a planet that has gone silent.