Olympus and the House of Tchrlok

The work is grouped into four volumes, the first three starting approximately 5,000 years ago. The last volume takes place on a critical day, bringing them and the characters together into one work. Opening with "A Book of Traxis," I introduce an ancient, imperial race of creatures from the adjacent Cygnus Arm of the Milky Way Galaxy, far across from the Crab Nebula. It is here that a young woman is graduating from a technical school. The project she chooses for her finals examination is complicated, developing a device that more or less creates a temporary copy of life forms, living or dead, past and present, all depending upon data input. Interpreted as a notable but minor accomplishment by her instructors, it appeared destined to become a thing to use in the confirmation/retraction for Traxian history books. For the ruler of the mighty Traxian Empire, the device is intriguing. With her thoughts turning to battle tactics, she considers that this 'toy' could be employed in combat to probe a far distant enemy before invading. Her chosen target world is Telmut 3, which humanity refers to as Earth. In "A Book of Earth," we find odd occurrences, with fabled beings from the remote past somehow reborn, if indeed they were ever born before. Memories and dreams, tests and deities. Among the returning entities are some Greek heroes, such as Herikles, wandering the streets of New York City. There is the impish Pan roaming the farmland wilderness of Pennsylvania and Ohio, filching food where he finds it, and eventually meeting a young mermaid. Through astronomical observations, Prof. von Kreiger of Cornell University can deduce the impending invasion. At the same time, he sees little a combining of all the forces of Earth might do to prevent the implied conflict. With "A Book of Gods," we have the return of the Greek pantheon and a new god, Herikles' great grandfather, Perseus, the first king of Mycena, complete with the glory of Pegasus, sent upon a quest to find his wife, Andromeda, the first queen of Mycena. The gods, being gods, realize the approach of the Traxian armada and set preparations to meet force with divinity. Finally, in "A Book of Khaos," the enemy is met, and conflict is ... well ... more than expected. There is a minor twist in the story here, as a significant defender of Earth, Aphrodite, discovers the truth regarding the rebirth of Olympus, tracing events to a machine aboard the Traxian mothership. Fearing annihilation for herself and her amazing family, she approaches the Traxian ruler in search of their salvation but finds only deceit. Years ago, I was told by a reader that a glossary of terms and characters might be appreciated by the cartoon-raised generation and those who may not be so well versed in Thomas Bulfinch's mythology textbooks. With a few minor alterations and some rewriting (truncation, actually) of published lyrics, and the addition of a few poignant chapter quotations, the book is quite complete. The ending is left a bit open for a possible—sequel...?