I mentioned the other day how the first book in my fantasy science fiction series, Pearseus, is now titled Pearseus: Tyranny.

I am sharing today the opening chapter. While some authors advise against using a prologue, my advice is different: if you feel the book needs one, go ahead and use one. Just be careful with it. Their advice usually holds true because most people think that prologues are the perfect place for an info dump. If you can avoid that, then you’re good to go.

Prologues can be crucial if you want to have a slow start to your story. With most people rarely reading beyond the first few paragraphs, a high-octane introduction may be the only way to entice a reader. After all, if this technique is good enough for George R.R. Martin, it’s good enough for you.

So, does my introduction manage to entice readers to…