This new edition (published via Les Moutons Électriques) of [b:Sous l'ombre des étoiles|20742349|Sous l'ombre des étoiles|Thomas Geha|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1391693627l/20742349._SY75_.jpg|40073131], originally published in 2013 via Rivière Blanche, the French arm of Black Coat Press, comes with a bonus story: [b:Une île (et quart) sous la lune rouge|52262671|Une île (et quart) sous la lune rouge|Thomas Geha|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1570112872l/52262671._SX50_SY75_.jpg|73623968], which was previously published in 2019.

'Under the Shadow of the Stars', rough translation of 'Sous l'ombre des étoiles', is a space opera, but don't let this setting distract you from the story itself. The war between Humans and Salamanders has ended. While the last battle was approaching its end, Kee Carson, an elite marksman/shot from the planet Valtor in the Alpha Centauri system (Wikipedia), chose the 'flight' in the saying "Fight or flight" (which reminds me of the same-titled song by the British band Luna Rossa). He programmed his ship, the Templier (Templar) to take him to a safe haven, while he stayed in cryosleep. However, as the ship crash-landed on an unknown, insignificant planet called Seinbeck, Kee would wake up under circumstances he wouldn't have expected in his wildest dreams.

A local clan, Tribu de l'Espace / Space Clan, saw his ship, decided to investigate and saw that there was a human on board, though barely alive. They take him back to their camp. Said clan is actually composed of Humans and Salamanders, formerly each other's arch enemies. Or rather, they are descendants of those who fought out there in space. Once Kee Carson has recovered from his cryosleep and regained his strength, his presence in the clan doesn't go unnoticed. He will learn that it's adapt or die, for the sake of everyone. After all, life on Seinbeck isn't without hazards, especially as the Seinbeck themselves are rather hostile towards intruders and "alien" populations.

To Carson's surprise, there's a Salamander in the clan. His name is Sirval. As Carson has spent more time in cryosleep than planned, a lot has happened over the... centuries. Humans and Salamanders living together? Carson will have a hard time getting over this and realising that life can be different, that he will have to do tabula rasa with his past, start all over. He will also learn that everyone has to do his part (including avoiding needless fights and quarrels) for the survival of the clan. If not, you're ousted from the clan and thus on your own. Especially on a planet like Seinbeck, it could prove to be deadly.

There are of course several clans out there, all of them gathering at an annual event, like a big festival, to exchange news, meet family members in other clans, play games, ...

Carson and Sirval will at one point be attacked by Seinbecks, held hostage and be used as pawns in a "game" that will show him (Carson) the point-of-view of the Seinbecks. Carson's long stay in cryosleep will ultimately have severe consequences, as Silvar and him try to escape and return to the tribe... with the unexpected help of an intruder (A Seinbeck girl, still a teenager, will help Carson and Silvar escape and return to their clan. It's her way of rebelling against her father and his way of governing; in that respect, she will adhere to the vision that made Carson review his way of living when he recovered from the crash.).

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More positive stories are needed in this day and age. One of the contemporary authors injecting the genre with a more positive outlook on society and life is [a:Becky Chambers|8389735|Becky Chambers|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1562580587p2/8389735.jpg]. The late [a:Ursula K. Le Guin|874602|Ursula K. Le Guin|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1244291425p2/874602.jpg] also had similar stories or views. And so has the French author Thomas Geha.

'Sous l'ombre des étoiles' is a story about getting rid of egoism, about thinking and acting for the benefit of the other (no matter how small/large the group), about reviewing your life when sh*t hits the fan.

The tale has its ups and downs, let's be honest. Some events are a bit too easy, too predictable, too superficial. There is definitely room to expand on the world, the various clans (not in the least the Seinbecks) or certain characters, but maybe that was not of the essence here. Maybe the story, which can exist in various forms, just serves as an example for the "hidden" message. Overall, this message makes up for any lack of more detailed depth, which also depends on one's preferences, of course.

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The added bonus story, [b:Une île (et quart) sous la lune rouge|52262671|Une île (et quart) sous la lune rouge|Thomas Geha|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1570112872l/52262671._SX50_SY75_.jpg|73623968] (transl.: An island (and a quarter) under the red moon), is a short-story that takes place in a contemporary setting, yet with a fantastic touch. It takes place in Brittany, on a rocky island called Deux-Roches. I've found no trace of any of the islands along the coast of Brittany, but my guess would be one of these, judging by the descriptions: Groix, Île-de-Bréhat or perhaps the archipel de Bréhat.

The story is set up via an exchange of e-mails between various characters. The mysterious red moon that shines on one of the beaches plays a central role, as its rays make it seems as if a large piece of rock was taken out. The red moon is also the cause of many disappearances. Then again, the region was already quite desolate, there is in general little human activity.

Two scientists, who were previously examining the moss that grows on the island, decide to investigate the matter, but the excitement and stress push them to investigate it a little too closely, taking no precautions.

This is a very good tale, quite folkloric at its base and truth be told... an alternative way to promote tourism for the region. In some way, because of the parallel world, I was reminded of [b:Arcadia|24861409|Arcadia|Iain Pears|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1443298536l/24861409._SY75_.jpg|44508961] by [a:Iain Pears|9833|Iain Pears|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1208208589p2/9833.jpg] (see my review here).

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Long story short: Two worthwhile stories - the bonus one was only in a very limited quality available - for a very low price, you can't go wrong with this new edition.

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Previously read:
* [b:La grande guerre contre les os|46016443|La grande guerre contre les os (collection aventures No. 12)|Thomas Geha|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1558854127l/46016443._SX50_.jpg|70894472] (my review)
* [b:Les Créateurs|13627020|Les Créateurs|Thomas Geha|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1345473292l/13627020._SY75_.jpg|19232531] (my review)

To read:
* [b:Des sorciers et des hommes|40022892|Des sorciers et des hommes|Thomas Geha|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1525258149l/40022892._SY75_.jpg|61988261] ( )