Venus Prime

"Venus Prime" is a series of six science fiction novels written by Paul Preuss, based on characters and locations in Arthur C. Clarke's short stories.

The stories involve Sparta, a beautiful and mysterious woman with advanced abilities, the product of advanced biotech engineering. But the memory of the last three years is gone, and Sparta attempts to recover her past, and save her future.

Book Descriptions

"These descriptions are taken from Amazon. Parts of the descriptions have been removed, as they are the same for all books."

# Breaking Strain written in 1987 — Code name: Sparta. Her beauty veils a mysterious past and abilities far surpassing those of a normal human being: Sparta is the first product of advanced biotech engineering. But crucial memories of the past three years are locked away in the dark recesses of her brain. Who is she really? Why is she here on Earth now? And what has she been doing on Venus Station? As Sparta desperately searches for answers, she realizes that she must unlock the mystery of who she is before she can solve the greater mystery of what has been done to her and why.
# Maelstrom written in 1988 — When a team of scientists is trapped in the gaseous inferno of Venus, Sparta must risk her life to save them, unaware that her actions will help recover a mysterious artifact: irrefutable evidence of life on another planet. As the secrets of the artifact are revealed, Sparta uncovers a mystery which may lead her to the truth of her own destiny.
# Hide & Seek written in 1989 — At long last, evidence of extraterrestrial life has been found: a plaque discovered on the edge of the north polar icecap on Mars. And when the theft of that alien artifact leads to two murders in the Labyrinth City, Sparta must risk her life and her identity to solve the case. As the mystery unravels, the investigation becomes a race across the stars to retrieve the plaque - a quest which will ultimately uncover even more evidence than Earth's scientists have ever discovered!
# The Medusa Encounter written in 1990 — Recovering from her mission on Mars in Venus Prime 3, Sparta finds herself the guest of the Space Board. But relaxation is short-lived as she sets out on an interplanetary investigation — of the Space Board itself! Members of the Free Spirit, a religious cult intending to gain control of all the worlds of our galaxy, have infiltrated the Space Board. As the date of the manned mission into the clouds of Jupiter approaches, Sparta's suspicions grow. She is certain the mission has fallen into the hands of the cult, and she is determined to stop it.
# The Diamond Moon written in 1990 — Much excitement has arisen throughout the galaxy over the exploration mission to Jupiter's moon, Amalthea. Led by the renowned Professor J.Q.R. Forster, the dangerous expedition will lead its members to the surface of this strange moon - and beyond. It is Sparta's mission to monitor the trip on the part of the Board of Space Control. Her task becomes more threatening when Sir Randolph Mays, Forster's rival and nemesis, "accidentally" crash-lands on Amalthea's surface. Far from innocent, Mays has a plan for laying claim to Forster's discoveries, and only Sparta is able to prevent sabotage. But what is Mays really after? And how will they all react to the discovery of an alien life-form...?
# The Shining Ones written in 1991 — World-renowned professor J.Q.R. Forster's expedition to Jupiter's moon has not proven uneventful. In a furious blaze of ice-geysers, the moon's surface rips off to reveal an ancient alien world-ship. But when the world-ship suddenly hurtles through space toward a black hole, Sparta must find out why, and soon, from a mysterious alien from an unknowable culture, little knowing that what is about to unfold will determine the future of Earth. As the alien ship charts its ancient course, the scheming Sir Randolph Mays and Sparta unwittingly head for their final battle through the eons in the midst of an ancient galactic civil war.