Gold Dust
Gold Dust by Catherine Asaro, published by Baen on October 7, 2025, is a science fiction narrative that intertwines themes of competition and collaboration within a galactic context. Set against the backdrop of the Olympic Games among three interstellar civilizations, the story follows Mason, the coach of the Raylicon track and field team from a struggling world. He uncovers a hidden talent in the Undercity, where a group known as the Dust Knights has thrived despite their harsh environment. This discovery sets the stage for a complex interplay between trust and ambition as the team seeks to prove themselves on a grand scale.
Readers will find a rich exploration of the dynamics between the Undercity and the Imperialate of Skolia, highlighting the unique abilities of the Kyles, whose neurological traits are crucial for accessing advanced technology. As the Dust Knights prepare for the Games, they must navigate their fraught relationship with a civilization that has long marginalized them. The narrative delves into themes of identity, resilience, and the quest for recognition, all while presenting a vivid adventure within the realms of hard science fiction and space opera. This edition spans 496 pages and is presented in English.
Official synopsis Publisher
BORN TO RUN; BORN TO FIGHT
BORN TO RUN, BORN TO FIGHT
DUST KNIGHTS COMPETE IN THE OLYMPIC GAMES
The worlds of three interstellar civilizations vie for honors in the Olympics. The more populous worlds have always dominated the Games. The team from Raylicon, a dying world of scorching temperatures, has never won honors.
But Mason, the coach for the Raylicon track and field team, makes a startling discovery: in the Undercity, a place where crushing poverty exists alongside a culture of dramatic beauty, a group of spectacular runners has existed for millennia.
The Dust Knights are the best of those marvels. With the help of Major Bhajaan, an Undercity native, Mason recruits the Knights. The Undercity faces a civilization they’ve never trusted, one that sees them as barely even human. Now, they must all learn to work together.
The Imperialate of Skolia needs the Undercity to trust them—for hidden within its enigmatic population is one of humanity’s greatest resources. Their population has a uniquely large concentration of Kyle operators. Kyles can do more than run; only they have the neurological makeup needed to utilize a vital technology, one that gives Skolia its sole advantage over their enemies. The army needs the Kyles, but after centuries of being despised and left to die by the rest of humanity, the Undercity wants nothing to do with them.
Until Angel, one of the top runners among the Knights, joins the Kyle Corps—and dives into a world of neurological marvels, including star-spanning networks that access a dimension with dramatically different laws than our space-time universe.
THE STAKES COULD NOT BE HIGHER AS THE DUST KNIGHTS COMPETE FOR THEIR WORLD—AND THE FREEDOM OF HUMANITY
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