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William C Tracy
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The Seeds of Dissolution: A Science Fantasy Space Opera Novel (The Dissolution Cycle Book 1) Kindle Edition

by William C. Tracy (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.8 out of 5 stars 84 ratings

Music and magic. Steampunky science. The Dissolution is coming.



Eighteen year old recluse Sam van Oen lives with his aunt, takes online college courses, works in technical support, and tries not to remember the freak storm that killed his parents ten years ago.

But anxiety and reclusion bring up memories he doesn’t want. Just as Sam gathers courage to send in his application for college away from home, the temperature drops and the sun goes dim. Ice forms in August, and a portal opens in his fireplace. This time, Sam can't run.

This time he's sucked in.

Now Sam must survive in the flourishing capital of ten alien species, home to thousands who can change the Symphony underlying the universe and alter reality. Sam’s anxiety attacks and fear of crowds transforms the Nether into a frightening, expansive city. To find his home again, Sam must learn to control the music inside him, while devastating voids threaten to destroy the Nether and everyone he has grown to love.

"Simply Put, This is a Brilliant Book. Read it Now." -Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Blog

If you're looking for an awesome ride across multiple homeworlds filled with magic, science, music, and diverse alien species, don't miss the first book in William C. Tracy's Dissolution Cycle!

The Dissolution Cycle (Epic Space Opera, LGBT):
Book 1: The Seeds of Dissolution
Book 2: Facets of the Nether
Book 3: Fall of the Imperium

There’s more adventure with Tales from the Dissolutionverse! These books can be read in any order:
Book 1: The Five Hive Plateau (Adventure, Alien contact) - FREE
Book 2: Tuning the Symphony (Coming of Age, Adventure)
Book 3: Merchants and Maji (Intrigue, Steampunk adventure)
Book 4: The Society of Two Houses (Sherlock Holmes-esque murder mystery)
Book 5: Journey to the Top of the Nether (Jules Verne-style adventure, kid-friendly)

Genres: Space Opera / Fantasy / Science Fiction / Steampunk / LGBT Bisexual Non Binary

Market: YA and New Adult
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Previous slide of product details
  1. Reading age
    12 - 18 years
  2. Book 1 of 4
    The Dissolution Cycle
  3. Print length
    415 pages
  4. Language
    English
  5. Grade level
    7 - 12
  6. Accessibility
    Learn more
  7. Publication date
    December 19, 2017
  8. Page Flip
    Enabled
  9. Word Wise
    Enabled
  10. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  11. ISBN-13
    978-0997299441
Next slide of product details

Shop this series

 See full series
There are 4 books in this series.

From the Publisher

A young man with arm outstretched, a noble alien with a feathery crest, and a magical sparring match
a man behind an ornate device, a cat made of magic and scraps, and an alien wrapped in cloth

Six pieces of original artwork!

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Simply Put, This is a Brilliant Book. Read it Now." Says a reviewer of Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Blog, "the world building was incredibly well done. Anybody who's read a few of my reviews knows it's hard to impress me with that. I have very, very high expectations of Fantasy and SciFi authors and William C. Tracy fulfilled them all. I've read countless books that deal with magic in one way or another, but never before have I come across anything like this. I've seen magic by colours a couple of times, but never by music before. It was a very unique and interesting approach."
"It's rare to find books that do not treat mental illness as something to get over, but rather, allow for it to simply be a part of a character." - from J.S. Fields, Author of the ARDULUM Series. She continues with "I want to do a special callout to the gender representation in this book. It seems ridiculous that this is so rare in SFF, as any time you deal with new species there should never be an inherent assumption of a gender binary. And yet, SFF, especially science fiction, is rife with the strict male/female dynamic. Tracy presents species with genders of all variants, from agender, to third gender, to straight up uncategorized nonbinary, to a gender fluid main character."
"Great worldbuilding and characterization!" - Reese Hogan, Author of HOLDING THE ASHES

About the Author

William C. Tracy writes and publishes queer science fiction and fantasy through his indie press Space Wizard Science Fantasy (spacewizardsciencefantasy.com).

His largest work is the Dissolutionverse: a space opera with music-based magic, including ten books and an RPG. He also has a standalone epic fantasy with seasonal fruit-based magic through a LGBTQ+ small press. He is currently working on The Biomass Conflux, a hard sci-fi trilogy with generational colony ships and a planet covered by a sentient fungal entity.

William is an NC native and a lifelong fan of science fiction and fantasy. He has a master's in mechanical engineering, and has both designed and operated heavy construction machinery. He has also trained in Wado-Ryu karate since 2003 and runs his own dojo in Raleigh NC. He is an avid video and board gamer, a beekeeper, a reader, and of course, a writer.

You can get a free Dissolutionverse novelette by signing up for William's mailing list at williamctracy.com/newsletter-signup/

Follow him on Twitter @wctracy for writing updates, cat and bee pictures, and thoughts on martial arts

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B077V2YHKR
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Space Wizard Science Fantasy
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 19, 2017
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ 1st
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3.5 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 415 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0997299441
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 7 - 12
  • Book 1 of 4 ‏ : ‎ The Dissolution Cycle
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 12 - 18 years
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.8 out of 5 stars 84 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
William C Tracy

William C Tracy

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Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

William C. Tracy writes and publishes queer science fiction and fantasy through his indie press Space Wizard Science Fantasy, which is open to submissions (spacewizardsciencefantasy.com).

His largest work is the Dissolutionverse: a space opera with music-based magic, including ten books and an RPG. He also has a standalone epic fantasy with seasonal fruit-based magic through a LGBTQ+ small press. He is currently working on a hard sci-fi trilogy with a generational colony ship and a planet covered by a fungal entity.

William is an NC native and a lifelong fan of science fiction and fantasy. He has a master’s in mechanical engineering, and has both designed and operated heavy construction machinery. He has also trained in Wado-Ryu karate since 2003 and runs his own dojo in Raleigh NC. He is an avid video and board gamer, a beekeeper, a reader, and of course, a writer.

You can get a free Dissolutionverse novelette by signing up for William's mailing list at http://williamctracy.com

Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/wctracy or Mastodon at https://wandering.shop/@wctracy for writing updates, cat and bee pictures, and thoughts on martial arts

Customer reviews

3.8 out of 5 stars
84 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book's premise intriguing, with one review highlighting its fantastic world building and unique magical system. However, the pacing receives mixed feedback, with several customers noting that the story gets slowed down.

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IntriguePacing
5 customers mention "Intrigue"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's premise intriguing, with one customer highlighting its unique magical system and another noting its complex background.

"...It is this persuasively detailed and complex background that gives the characters their 3 dimensionality and the plot its urgency. Highly recommended." Read more

"Tracy does a fantastic job weaving the Dissolution universe together...." Read more

"This is a really interesting and well written book but I think it's a little bit more than the type of books I like to read...." Read more

"...The worldbuilding is ambitious, with a richly imagined multiverse populated by alien species, layered social structures, and a unique magical system..." Read more

3 customers mention "Pacing"0 positive3 negative

Customers find the pacing of the book unsatisfactory, with several noting that the story gets slowed down, and one customer mentioning that elements are introduced too quickly.

"...The plot had a slow build at times, but I never lost interest." Read more

"...However, these elements are sometimes introduced too quickly or without enough clarity, making the narrative difficult to follow at times...." Read more

"...I enjoyed the concept and new world. Sometimes the story got a little slowed down and didn’t flow as well but overall it made for an interesting read." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Andrew J. Heller
    5.0 out of 5 stars A convincing universe
    Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    The writing is quite good, more than good enough to keep the the readers attention, but what makes Seeds of Dissolution stand out from a horde of other fantasy novels is the care and detail with which Tracy's fictional universe is built. It is this persuasively detailed and complex background that gives the characters their 3 dimensionality and the plot its urgency. Highly recommended.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Sara Codair
    4.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic world building and characters!
    Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Tracy does a fantastic job weaving the Dissolution universe together. Every little detail of the world the story took place in was so real and flushed out that it felt like it could be coexisting with reality right now. The diversity of species and their genders was my favorite aspect of world building.

    As far as characters go, I could relate to Sam and his anxiety. However, I thought the message the book sent about medication bordered on dangerous.

    The dynamic between Rilan and Origon was fantastic! There personalities were different but compatible, and the tension between them has me hoping something happens between them at some point in the series.

    The plot had a slow build at times, but I never lost interest.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • G Harvey
    3.0 out of 5 stars The Seeds of Dissolution
    Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    This is a really interesting and well written book but I think it's a little bit more than the type of books I like to read. If you're more into the scientific type then you'll love reading this.
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  • kaysa
    5.0 out of 5 stars Science fantasy with fantastic queer rep
    Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2018
    After watching his parents die in a freak storm as a child, Sam's anxiety has kept him from leaving his house. When another inexplicable force of nature drags him out of his house, across space, and into the Nether--a place outside our universe--Sam must learn how to live with his anxiety amongst aliens while also discovering the magic that lives inside himself.

    Plot

    At it's most basic, yes, this is a 'white boy goes on a journey' story. But it is so much more than that. At 400 pages, this is a high fantasy story (science fantasy, mind) with multiple POVs, a well-defined magic system (music!), and a relatable, flawed MC. The world is rich and lush, well described but never ad nauseum, the characters well rounded, and the species distinct and colorful. Tension builds steadily throughout, the ending is satisfying, and narration is easy to read. Bonus - the cover art and interior illustrations are gorgeous. I was also really pleased that Sam (our MC) does not get over his mental illness, but instead, learns coping mechanism throughout the story that help him interact more with his friends. Even at the end Sam is still gripped by his anxiety, but is able to do his part to save the day. It's rare to find books that do not treat mental illness as something to get over, but rather, allow for it to simply be a part of a character.

    Relationship

    The main relationship is a polyamorous one, between Sam and Inas (male) and his twin sister Enos. Sam is on-page bisexual (an argument could be made for pansexual, as one line notes Sam is interested in the twins for their personalities, not their forms). He is not closeted at the start, and as his interests unfold there is no mental turmoil about being attracted to another male, or being attracted to two people at once. This was all very refreshing, and it was nice to see not only aliens being fine with canon queerness, but an actual human being okay with it, too.

    Enbies. Enbies everywhere

    I want to do a special callout to the gender representation in this book. It seems ridiculous that this is so rare in SFF, as any time you deal with new species there should never be an inherent assumption of a gender binary. And yet, SFF, especially science fiction, is rife with the strict male/female dynamic. Tracy presents species with genders of all variants, from agender, to third gender, to straight up uncategorized nonbinary, to a gender fluid main character (and no one, no one, freaking cares that they have to pronoun check every so often for this character!). None of the POV characters were outside the binary, but the world was so rich with enby characters I didn't even mind. It felt nice, for once, to be 'included' in a SFF narrative without being the reason for the narrative existing, if that makes sense. Sometimes the most useful way to show your support for a group of people is to make them everyday players, and this book does just that.

    The joy of self publishing

    This book is a great example of why self-publishing can be a wonderful thing. Books like this, which walk right between science fiction and fantasy, which have a YA-aged protagonist mixed with much older POV characters, and which have a high word count (book is right at 400 pages), can be a very hard sell to agents and publishers. SEEDS is exceptionally well written, avoids the pitfalls I see with many self-pubbed books (lack of editing, unattractive cover art, lack of act structure and/or through line) and delivers a quality story. The interior art, as well, is a hallmark of Tracy's stories and really adds the finishing touch to this novel.

    Overall, this book should appeal to readers across science fiction and fantasy, as well as YA and adult readers. Queer readers, especially those outside the gender binary, will feel right at home in the Nether, and there is plenty of 'standard' fantasy fare to keep general readers interested. I'm very much looking forward to the next installment!
    7 people found this helpful
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  • Editors Weekly
    2.0 out of 5 stars An anxious young man enters a magical world; a strong premise, but inconsistent writing and pacing.
    Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    'The Seeds of Dissolution' presents an intriguing premise: Sam, a young man grappling with severe anxiety, is transported from Earth to a strange universe where magic is intertwined with music. The setup is promising, and the novel deserves credit for realistically portraying a protagonist struggling with mental health. Sam’s agoraphobia and social phobia are handled thoughtfully, and his emotional responses effectively ground the reader in his perspective, even if the prose itself lacks polish.

    The worldbuilding is ambitious, with a richly imagined multiverse populated by alien species, layered social structures, and a unique magical system tied to the “Grand Symphony.” However, these elements are sometimes introduced too quickly or without enough clarity, making the narrative difficult to follow at times. The density of concepts, combined with inconsistent pacing and heavy exposition, results in a story that can feel confusing rather than immersive.

    A notable drawback is the writing quality. A more thorough edit for grammar, sentence structure, and flow would greatly enhance the book. While the ideas are strong, their execution is often undermined by awkward phrasing and structural issues that disrupt the narrative rhythm. Additionally, Sam’s inner monologue can become repetitive, and action scenes are sometimes slowed by excessive introspection.

    Overall, this novel shows real potential but is hindered by a lack of polish and an occasionally overly complex delivery. Readers who enjoy character-driven portal fantasy and are willing to overlook rough edges may find it worthwhile, but others might struggle to stay engaged.
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  • Lourin
    4.0 out of 5 stars The Seeds of Dissolution
    Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2021
    The Seeds of Dissolution is such a unique book that I can honestly say I haven't read anything like this.
    Sam Van Oen lived his life on Earth as a recluse. He has crippling anxiety that keeps him from leaving the house scared that he'll suffer a panic attack at any moment. However, when the sun disappears and his world turns to ice he discovers a portal opened in his living room. Now Sam has to find a way to navigate his fears and survive in a new world.

    One of the things I really liked about this book was the magic element (I guess that's what it would be called). I really liked that it was a Symphony and each house had their own 'threads' that they each were more powerful with and could change in the music.
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