Probably almost every of our compatriots who love books in the genre of science fiction, read novels by Vadim Panov, or at least heard of such a writer. He writes in various genres, and almost every book instantly becomes a bestseller. No wonder: interesting worlds, colorful characters, twisted plots - this is the visiting card of the master. And one of the most famous creations of Vadim Panov is Hermeticon. Every fan of action-packed fantasy is worth knowing about it.
What is sealikon?
This term is deciphered in the glossary attached to the book of Vadim Panov.
It turns out that in the fictional world he has three interpretations. But to begin with, the term "hermeticon" is a simplified and warped form of the word "hermenomicon." Now we can move on to its value.
Firstly, this is the name of the entire sector of the Universe mastered by mankind. Secondly, this is the name of the most powerful alchemical school, whose universities and research centers have a huge impact on the fate of mankind. Finally, thirdly, the so-called state and planet, where the eponymous alchemical school is located.
As you can see, everything is pretty confusing. But starting to read Vadim Panov’s book “Hermeticon”, you can quickly plunge into a beautifully thought-out universe and figure it out. Perhaps, it is precisely the perfectly elaborated fictional world that makes the writer’s books so popular.
What works are included in the cycle?
Before you start reading, it will be useful to learn about all the books of the "Hermeticon" in order. Five books have been published so far, and fans hope this is not the limit. Although initially Panov stated that he would limit himself to the trilogy, he subsequently became interested in and wrote several additional novels.
The first book in the series was The Last Admiral of Zagrath. It was released in April 2011. Thanks to the unusual idea, the novel instantly attracted the attention of readers both already familiar with the work of the science fiction writer and new ones.
The second book - "Red Stones of the White", was published six months after the first (in the fall of 2011).
Then there was a pretty big break. Cardonian Roulette is the third book of the series, fans saw only a year later, in September 2012.
The Cardonian Loop was not long in coming: the first circulation books arrived in stores in March 2013.
But the fifth book had to wait a long time. The novel “Treasures of Pure Reason” was released in December 2014. Since then, the series, despite the hopes of the fans, has not been replenished. Perhaps the author has cooled to a fictional and well-designed universe, or maybe he just could not come up with a decent development of the plot and preferred to leave work on the continuation than lower the high bar set by the first books.
Main characters
Most science fiction writers, and simply modern writers, prefer to introduce only a few key characters into the plot, a certain number of secondary characters and a handful of walk-throughs that will be regularly replaced. But when writing "Hermeticon" Vadim Panov decided to move away from the accepted tradition.
Of course, the main character is Pompilio Cesare Faha der Dagen Tour - an aristocrat, the owner of his own zeppel "Inquisitive Amush". The personality is extremely interesting, and it is no coincidence that the plot of the first four books revolved around him. The second brightest is the alchemist Merce, whose past is fraught with a large number of secrets and mysteries. The fact that Merce is seriously ill - the diagnosis of "split personality" gives him even more color. Therefore, you can never predict what he will do at one time or another.
But almost as lovingly and carefully the writer prescribed almost every member of the Inquisitive Amush team. Everyone has a life story, a finely crafted character, numerous skeletons in the closet. Perhaps the author did this to give a special atmosphere or simply planned to continue the cycle, highlighting the character who was recently minor.
In any case, the main characters in the book turned out to be a lot.
What genre does the cycle belong to?
Today, books in the fantasy genre are usually divided into a variety of subgenres, ranging from fantastic and detective to classic and post-apocalyptic. But with the "Hermeticon" this technique will not work.
Indeed, even the author himself finds it difficult to unequivocally say in which genre he created five books.
There are features of a classic steam park: in general, the level of technological progress does not exceed the end of the nineteenth century. The atmosphere of Victorian England, masterfully conveyed by the author, hints at the same thing. Syurts with cylinders are an integral part of the clothes of a real man. And the most primitive internal combustion engine is perceived as a sign of progress. The main mode of transportation is zeppeli - airships.
But at the same time, it is impossible to surprise locals with travels between worlds. Using airships and the so-called eternal holes, they easily move to other planets.
Computer game on the book
In 2015, a computer role-playing game was released, the action of which takes place in the universe shown in books. You can play it both on a PC and using smartphones and tablets. Gamers have to take on the responsibilities of the captain of a zeppel, to explore new worlds, fight, enter into alliances and profitable deals.
Conclusion
Our article is drawing to a close. From it you learned more about the cycle of Vadim Panov's "Hermeticon", about the books included in it, and their main features. Let's hope that the article interested the reader and encouraged him to find and read this magnificent science fiction.