A Secret Atlas
''A Secret Atlas'' is the first book in the Age of Discovery series of fantasy novels by Michael Stackpole. It was published by Bantam Books in 2005. Background The book is set on one continent in a world gradually recovering from a cataclysm Cataclysm is derived from the Greek (), 'down, against', and (), 'wash over, surge'. It may refer to: Common meanings *Generally, any large-scale disaster *Deluge (mythology) *Doomsday event, see hypothetical risks to civilization, humans, and p ... known as the Time of Black Ice. More than seven centuries previously, this event dramatically transformed the geography of the land, reduced populations, and caused a dramatic shift in the balance of power between the different races inhabiting the continent, allowing humans to reach a position of dominance. The immediate cause of this catastrophe was a war between an Empire that covered most of the continent and barbarians from the Turca Wastes to the north. An army led by the Empress Cyr ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Michael Stackpole
Michael Austin Stackpole (born November 27, 1957) is an American science fiction and fantasy author best known for his ''Star Wars'' and '' BattleTech'' books. He was born in Wausau, Wisconsin, but raised in Vermont. He has a BA in history from the University of Vermont. From 1977 on, he worked as a designer of role-playing games for various gaming companies, and wrote dozens of magazine articles with limited distribution within the industry. He lives in Scottsdale, Arizona. Game design career Michael Stackpole was hired full-time at Flying Buffalo after they accepted his submission for a solo '' Tunnels & Trolls'' adventure which was published in 1978 as ''City of Terrors''. He wrote columns on industry news and reviews for Flying Buffalo's magazine ''Sorcerer's Apprentice''. Stackpole worked for Coleco from 1980-1981 after Rick Loomis, Stackpole, and the president of Coleco met at a gaming and pinball convention. Stackpole designed the roleplaying game '' Mercenaries, Spies a ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Bureaucracy
The term bureaucracy () refers to a body of non-elected governing officials as well as to an administrative policy-making group. Historically, a bureaucracy was a government administration managed by departments staffed with non-elected officials. Today, bureaucracy is the administrative system governing any large institution, whether publicly owned or privately owned. The public administration in many jurisdictions and sub-jurisdictions exemplifies bureaucracy, but so does any centralized hierarchical structure of an institution, e.g. hospitals, academic entities, business firms, professional societies, social clubs, etc. There are two key dilemmas in bureaucracy. The first dilemma revolves around whether bureaucrats should be autonomous or directly accountable to their political masters. The second dilemma revolves around bureaucrats' behavior strictly following the law or whether they have leeway to determine appropriate solutions for varied circumstances. Various commen ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Age Of Discovery (series)
The Age of Discovery, also known as the Age of Exploration, was part of the early modern period and largely overlapped with the Age of Sail. It was a period from approximately the late 15th century to the 17th century, during which seafarers from a number of European countries explored, colonized, and conquered regions across the globe. The Age of Discovery was a transformative period in world history when previously isolated parts of the world became connected to form the world-system and laid the groundwork for globalization. The extensive overseas exploration, particularly the opening of maritime routes to the Indies and the European colonization of the Americas by the Spanish and Portuguese, later joined by the English, French and Dutch, spurred in the International global trade. The interconnected global economy of the 21st century has its origins in the expansion of trade networks during this era. The exploration also created colonial empires and marked an incre ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Nine Principalities
9 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 9 or nine may also refer to: Dates * AD 9, the ninth year of the AD era * 9 BC, the ninth year before the AD era * 9, numerical symbol for the month of September Places * Nine, Portugal, a parish in the town of Vila Nova de Famalicão * Planet Nine, a planet proposed to exist in the outer Solar System * Zheleznogorsk, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, a closed town * The 9, a residential portion of Ameritrust Tower in Cleveland People * Louis Niñé (1922–1983), a New York politician whose surname is usually rendered "Nine" * Nine (rapper) (born 1969), a hip hop musician * Tech N9ne (born 1971), an American rapper Fictional characters * The Nine, epithet for the Nazgûl in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium * ⑨, a derogatory name for Cirno, an ice fairy from the dōjin game ''Touhou Project'' Literature * ''The Nine (book)'', a 2007 book by Jeffrey Toobin * ''NiNe. magazine'', a magazine for teenage girls * ''Nine'' (manga), a ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |