Ely-based author Thomas Heasman-Hunt has released his debut novel “LEGACY” today.

“LEGACY” is a futuristic space opera, set in a universe where humans have gone on to colonise space using technology drawn from their own or scavenged from ancient civilisations.

The story unfolds as Captain Emily Ajax grapples with the legacy of her father Robert Ajax, a hero and a legend who fought to bring peace to the the Four Quadrants.
The petulance of a spoiled princess and a galactic conspiracy threatens this hard won peace and Emily, now in command of her father’s famous ship, The Sunskimmer, must fight to preserve her father’s legacy.
Thomas, aged 31, has honed his skills online over years, writing science fiction and stories of other literary genres, shared via his own blog. One of these short stories was “LEGACY”, which took on a life of its own, with a solid cast of strong female characters and action packed storyline. The story developed from a 15,000 word short into an 18 chapter novel.
“There was something about “LEGACY” that just flowed really easily,” said Thomas. “Science fiction is something that is straightforward to write – the elements, themes and tropes of it are very familiar to me – but what I really wanted to do was to tell a decent story about people and relationships. That was what I did with “LEGACY” and I had the most fun getting into the characters’ heads and discovering their stories.”
Thomas hopes “LEGACY” will help him reach readers and share more stories of the world of Emily Ajax and her crew, as well as tales of the wider “LEGACY” universe.
Thomas added: “The dream has always been to be a professional writer and to not have a separate job – for writing to be the way I keep a roof over my head. My hope is that the publication of “LEGACY” will be that lightning in a bottle moment for me.”
Thomas lives with his wife Emma in Ely and works in IT.
“LEGACY”, published by Cynefin Road, is available internationally via getbook.at/LegacyTHH or for order via any local bookshop, hardback edition is priced £18.99 or eBook at £5.99. Five per cent of all profits from the sale of “LEGACY” will be donated to Cambridge Women’s Aid, which supports women and children affected by Domestic Abuse and offers refuge places to women and children fleeing domestic violence.