History Literature / TheDarkSideOfTheSun

* ExpospeakGag: Several involving the robots. Particularly neat is the scene where Isaac defeats a gang of other robots, which outnumber him but have less sophisticated electronic brains, by informing them that they're not robots, they're "recumbent waterfowl of the genus ''Anatidae''", and then knocking them out while they're trying to work out what he just said. ("I repeat, you are all [[spoiler:sitting ducks]].")

* FantasticRacism: Referred to as "shape hatred." Most prominent example is a {{Jerkass}} human character who calls phnobes "[[FantasticSlur gecky frogs]]", ''then'' enters a buruku (phnobic colony) with a gun, which is strictly forbidden. See NeverBringAGunToAKnifeFight.

* HyperspaceIsAScaryPlace: Interspace contains infinite possibilities, meaning unless your ship is shielded you get constant glimpses of distant universes and timelines.

* MechanicalInsects: The planet Laoth is deliberately kept sterile, so its inhabitants created an ecosystem of robot life, including insects.

* NeverBringAGunToAKnifeFight: Never bring a single-shot stun gun into a place where every [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy alpha male]] is armed with a two-foot long knife. See also: TooDumbToLive.

* SimpleYetOpulent: As described under ComicallyMissingThePoint, Dom's simple coronation breakfast is an insanely expensive simple coronation breakfast.
* SinglePreceptReligion: The religion of Arte Sadhim has the One Commandment, which is eventually stated to be "You Will Not Waste".

* {{Sssssnaketalk}}: The reptilian phnobes speak with extended hissing on s sounds.

* StealthPun: the elite robot assassin's name, Ways. [[spoiler: As in, "We have our..."]]

* TooDumbToLive: "Intelligence is humanity's prime survival trait. Therefore it is well that those who do not possess it do not procreate."

Dom Sabalos is the heir to the throne of the planet Widdershins, a human colony in a galaxy where there are 52 intelligent races - but oddly all of them inside a sphere 200 light-years in diameter, centred on Wolf 429. Besides this, there are also bizarre stellar phenomena and mysterious towers strewn across the region that speak of {{Precursors}}, known as the Jokers. The mystery underlying the setting is where the Jokers went, the only clue being the poem shown above, which was found on one of the towers.

* AffluentAstetic: As Dom puts it, it takes a great amount of wealth to be able to afford to live simply at this point in the future. When he finds himself in a home that is even simpler he realizes they must be even wealthier than his own family.

%% * TheReptilians: The phnobes, complete with hisssing sspeech.

* ExpendableAlternateUniverse: After studying probability-math (which is like [[Literature/{{Foundation}} psychohistory]] but less so), Dom acquires an ability to sense the {{Alternate Universe}}s where he dies, and take steps not to be in them.

* StealthPun: the elite robot assassin's name, Ways. [[spoiler: As in, "We have our...]]

* StealthPun: the elite robot assassin's name, Ways. [[spoiler]]As in, "We have our..."[[/spoiler]]

* AssassinOutclassin: An important element of the plot. Due to probability mathematics (see the ExpendableAlternateUniverse example below) Dom can do this. His meetings with Ways are often borderline [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments CMOFs]] as a result of this, as Ways is pretty much unstoppable, but ''can't quite kill him''

* ComicallyMissingThePoint: Dom's coronation breakfast is supposed to be the same as the simple, austere one that the puritan, anti-waste religious figure Arte Sadhim ate before he became Lord of Earth.[[labelnote:menu]]A quarter-loaf of brown bread, a strip of salted fish, an apple and a glass of water.[[/labelnote]] However, inevitably each simple item is acquired by some enormously expensive means as he's royal (for example, the glass of water was melted off a comet).
%% * EncyclopediaExposita: Several, mostly the works of Charles Sub-Lunar.

%% * NeverMessWithGranny: Don't cross Joan Sabalos.
%% * PlayingCardMotifs: The sentient races of the setting. 52 plus the Jokers.

%% * RidiculouslyHumanRobots: Ways, the Class Five assassin robot designed to resemble a human.

** Dom's robot sidekick is named [[Creator/IsaacAsimov Isaac]].

** After an assassination attempt, Dom has a dream where Isaac tries to explain the situation using what appear to be the plot outlines of several well-known series (all of which are shot down by Dom), including {{Literature/Dune}} and [[Literature/TheLordoftheRings The Lord of the Rings]].

%% * {{Sssssnaketalk}}: The phnobes.

%% * SwissArmyGun: The Memory Sword.

* WhatMeasureIsANonHuman: Invoked when it's mentioned that "Human" is a legally defined term for a limited subset of intelligent species, including some robots and a planet-sized computer known as the First Sirian Bank. Essentially it's a clear measure of what a Non-Human is. A large number of nom-human beings are still considered ''people'', though.

%% * MorphWeapon: The memory sword.

%% * SharpenedToASingleAtom: Until the blade shatters when used against a villain gifted in luck manipulation.

* BizarreAlienBiology: Explored quite a bit.

* ChekhovsGunman: subverted. [[spoiler: Charles Sub-Lunar and his assistant are lurking in the background of a number of scenes, but do very little.]]

* EncyclopediaExposita: Several, mostly the works of Charles Sub-Lunar.

* MorphWeapon: The memory sword.

* NeverMessWithGranny: Don't cross Joan Sabalos.
* PlayingCardMotifs: The sentient races of the setting. 52 plus the Jokers.

* TheReptilians: The phnobes, complete with hisssing sspeech.
* RidiculouslyHumanRobots: Ways, the Class Five assassin robot designed to resemble a human.

* SharpenedToASingleAtom: Until the blade shatters when used against a villain gifted in luck manipulation.

* {{Sssssnaketalk}}: The phnobes.

* SwissArmyGun: The Memory Sword.

* AssassinOutclassin: An important element of the plot. Due to probability mathematics (see the ExpendableAlternateUniverse example below) Dom can do this. His meetings with Ways are often borderline [[CrowningMomentOfFunny CMOFs]] as a result of this, as Ways is pretty much unstoppable, but ''can't quite kill him''

* SdrawkcabName:
** A star called 'Rats' with a planet called 'Tenalp' is briefly mentioned - aside from being very strange ([[NoodleIncident and not the sort of thing you mention in mixed company]]), we don't hear exactly why they're so called. There's a brief mention of them having "negative entropy", which could suggest that natural processes work in reverse, hence the names.

* BizarreAlienBiology: explored quite a bit.

* FantasticRacism: Referred to as "shape hatred." Most prominent example is a {{Jerkass}} human character who calls phnobes "[[FantasticSlur gecky frogs]]", ''then'' enters a buruku (phnobic colony) with a gun, which is strictly forbidden. See NeverBringAKnifeToAGunfight (except in reverse).

* NeverBringAKnifeToAGunfight: Never bring a single-shot stun gun into a place where every [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy alpha male]] is armed with a two-foot long knife. See also: TooDumbToLive.

* FantasticRacism:
** Referred to as "shape hatred." Despite being a SuperiorSpecies, the Creapii are divided by caste depending on their living temperature and their size.
** Some humans refer to phnobes as "gecky frogs". This is not a good thing to say.