P.K. Gardner

At the bottom of a crevice on a volcanic moon, a mysterious alien levels a curse on Clyde Tanner. Except maybe it happens in the underworld-or the empty streets of an abandoned city, the curse retribution from the devil himself. There is no dispute, however, that Clyde Tanner was involved in the Isolation Event when skipspace's puzzling collapse effectively broke faster-than-light travel, stranding humanity between disparate star systems.
From there, the story diverges in dozens of ways, some versions grounded in fact, others verging on fairy tale. All the lore is consistent on one thing, though. It all starts with Clyde Tanner, a curse, and a knife.