In the Courts of the Crimson Kings In the Courts of the Crimson Kings In the Courts of the Crimson Kings is a 2008 alternate history science fiction novel by American writer S. M. Stirling. The story takes place on the planet Mars in an alternate solar system where probes from the United States of America and the Soviet Union find intelligent life and civilizations on both Venus and Mars. The book is heavily influenced by the works of writers such as Edgar Rice Burroughs, Ray Bradbury, and Leigh Brackett, among others. It is a sequel to "The Sky People", which is set on Venus. Stirling later
Extraterrestrial places in the Cthulhu Mythos spread, fertilizing the dead planet. Ktynga (or "Norby's comet") is the name of a bluish comet that is currently near the star Arcturus. The comet is unusually hot and has strange properties, such as the ability to travel faster than light. On the surface of the comet is a huge building, wherein dwells the being Fthaggua, and his servants, the fire vampires. Fthaggua and his minions can guide the comet to travel between the stars, and will visit our Solar System four-centuries from now. A dark-litten and mist-shrouded planet whence N'rath-Gol comes, a minion of Nyarlathotep. A mysterious celestial body