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Vor: The Maelstrom
Series · 6 books · 1999-2001

Books in series

Into the Maelstrom book cover
#1

Into the Maelstrom

1999

IN THE TRADITION OF THE BATTLETECH SERIES, ASPECT PRESENTS AN ACTION-PACKED ADVENTURE BASED ON THE UNIVERSE OF VOR, THE THRILLING NEW MINIATURE-BASED GAME. NO EXIT The world's two superpowers are at war—when suddenly even nuclear annihilation becomes unimportant. For, without warning, the Earth is ripped from orbit, torn from the entire universe, by an insatiable, planet-destroying cosmic vortex. Now both sides—along with everyone else on the globe—are trapped in the grotesque parody of reality called the Maelstrom. Exploring the concepts and expanding the background of this incredible adventure, this novel takes readers and gamers to the beginning: when armies of the near future face the horrors of the battlefield and gut-wrenching alien terrors they cannot escape as they are drawn...
The Playback War book cover
#2

The Playback War

2000

In this second book of a six-part series tying in with VOR, the new adventure game from FASA, the war-ridden Earth is suddenly sucked out of its solar system by a bizarre and powerful vortex. Now a trapped world in another universe, Earth faces an even greater cataclysmic event that threatens to warp together the past, present, and future and plunge Earth into eternal chaos.
Island of Power book cover
#3

Island of Power

2000

Earth is ripped from the universe and humans are forced to face a range of horrifying alien monsters in this sci-fi thriller for the ages. Torn from the universe by an insatiable cosmic vortex, Earth is trapped in the grotesque parody of reality called the Maelstrom—along with thousands of other planets, millions of species, billions of warring creatures...all swirling toward ultimate destruction. It materializes off the Oregon coast in a burst of devastation and an island containing an alien city ... and perhaps the way for Earth to escape the Maelstrom. But the Union soldiers and civilian scientists sent to the strange ruins aren't the only ones who want the island's power. For the humans are soon confronted by unearthly monsters—the walking-dead Pharons and morphing Sand. And these horrors intend to claim victims on their unholy journey through the Maelstrom, even as the entire island itself begins to disappear.
The Rescue book cover
#4

The Rescue

2000

Torn from the universe by an insatiable cosmic vortex, Earth is trapped in the grotesque parody of reality called the Maelstrom—along with thousands of other planets, millions of species, billions of warring creatures...all swirling toward ultimate destruction. EARTH'S LAST HOPE The Mars colonists watch, helpless, as the Maelstrom anomaly swallows Earth. Yet Dr. David Hutchins' horror is offset by scientific curiosity, and somehow he manages to tether a probe connecting our solar system to the Maelstrom. Now David, pilot Raedawn Corona, a Neo-Soviet POW named Boris, and a telepathic alien have only one desperate chance to bring Earth home. But the Union and Neo-Soviets must be willing to cooperate before the anomaly closes—and before evil species from the Pharons to the Shard seize the escape route for themselves...
Hell Heart book cover
#5

Hell Heart

2000

This fifth book of a six-part series tying in with the VOR adventure game is set on a future Earth trapped in another universe. A meteor has crashed into the Central American jungle, radiating intense and deadly energy. Two deadly aliens are hurtling toward Earth to suck up the meteor's powers and kill any humans who stand in their way.
Operation Sierra-75 book cover
#6

Operation Sierra-75

2001

Torn from the universe by a cosmic vortex, Earth remains trapped in the Maelstrom, swirling toward ultimate destruction. Now, a company of Union Marines and medics, sent to find the survivors of a crash landing on an unexplored planet, find themselves trapped in a hellish world, hunted by an unknown enemy. When weapons and equipment begin to vanish, and strange, murderous creatures haunt the Marines' every move, a simple rescue mission becomes a desperate death march....

Authors

Lisa Smedman
Lisa Smedman
Author · 24 books

Lisa was very much the tomboy growing up in Vancouver, British Columbia—playing in the woods behind her house, building tree forts, damming the creek, playing army with GI Joe dolls, swinging on ropes, playing flashlight tag, building models and go-carts (which she later rode down the street). She also liked reading science fiction novels from the 1940s, the Doc Savage series, and the Harriet the Spy books. In 1984, she began her professional writing career, first as a journalist then as a fiction writer. She counts science fiction authors Connie Willis, Robert J. Sawyer, and H.G. Wells, and classic books such as Treasure Island, as influences. Several of Lisa's short science fiction and fantasy stories have been published in various magazines and anthologies, and in 1993 she was named a finalist in the Writers of the Future contest for science fiction and fantasy writers. She has also had three of her one-act plays produced by a Vancouver theater group. Lisa is the author of Extinction, one of several novels set in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game’s Forgotten Realms universe. Released in 2004, Extinction made the New York Times bestseller list for hardcover fiction. After authoring several science fiction and fantasy novels, Lisa recently turned her hand to children's books. From Boneshakers to Choppers (2007) explores the social history of motorcycles. Her interest in motorcycles goes way back—as a teenager, Lisa enjoyed trips up the British Columbia coast, riding pillion on friends' motorcycles. She later purchased her own bike, a 50cc machine, to get around town. Lisa is one of the founders of Adventures Unlimited, a magazine providing scenarios and tips for role-playing games. She has written short fiction for the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game's Ravenloft and Dark Sun lines. She has also designed a number of adventures and gaming products for Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Cyberpunk, Immortal, Shatterzone, Millennium's End, and Deadlands. Her original games include Valhalla's Gate, a tabletop skirmish miniatures game drawn from Norse mythology and runic lore. An avid gamer, Lisa belongs to the Trumpeter Wargaming Club. After working for more than 20 years as a journalist, Lisa now divides her time between writing fiction and contributing to the Vancouver Courier (she edits and writes the History's Lens column). Besides a diploma in journalism, she also has a degree in anthropology. She is fascinated by history and archaeology, particularly the Bronze Age. Her future plans include writing more historical fiction, alternative historical fantasy, and game tie-in novels. Lisa is also interested in building models and dioramas, and tabletop miniatures gaming. She lives in Richmond, British Columbia, with her wife, their son, four cats, and two pugs.

Loren L. Coleman
Author · 28 books

Loren L. Coleman (born 1968) is a science-fiction writer, born and grew up in Longview, Washington. He is known for having written many books for series such as Star Trek, Battletech/Mechwarrior, Age of Conan, Crimson Skies, Magic: The Gathering and others. Former member of the United States Navy, he has also written game fiction and source material for such companies as FASA Corporation, TSR, Inc. and Wizards of the Coast. In early 2010s, he began writing The ICAS Files series, science fiction short-stories. [wikipedia]

Dean Wesley Smith
Dean Wesley Smith
Author · 77 books

Pen Names Edward Taft Dee W. Schofield D.W. Smith Sandy Schofield Kathryn Wesley Dean Wesley Smith is the bestselling author of over ninety novels under many names and well over 100 published short stories. He has over eight million copies of his books in print and has books published in nine different countries. He has written many original novels in science fiction, fantasy, mystery, thriller, and romance as well as books for television, movies, games, and comics. He is also known for writing quality work very quickly and has written a large number of novels as a ghost writer or under house names. With Kristine Kathryn Rusch, he is the coauthor of The Tenth Planet trilogy and The 10th Kingdom. The following is a list of novels under the Dean Wesley Smith name, plus a number of pen names that are open knowledge. Many ghost and pen name books are not on this list because he is under contractual obligations not to disclose that he wrote them. Many of Dean’s original novels are also under hidden pen names for marketing reasons. Dean has also written books and comics for all three major comic book companies, Marvel, DC, and Dark Horse, and has done scripts for Hollywood. One movie was actually made. Over his career he has also been an editor and publisher, first at Pulphouse Publishing, then for VB Tech Journal, then for Pocket Books. Currently, he is writing thrillers and mystery novels under another name.

Robert E. Vardeman
Robert E. Vardeman
Author · 47 books

Also writes as: Daniel Moran F.J. Hale Edward S. Hudson Karl Lassiter Jackson Lowry

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Vor: The Maelstrom