Re: Need "Under the Dark Fist" info, please

> In "Under the Dark Fist", the Vodoni Empire, I recall reading a
> brief description of a crystal sphere where the entire inside
> surface of the sphere was the inhabbited area. I think the sphere
> was at least twice Earth's orbit radius, i.e. 2 AU (approx.
> 200Mml). I think this was a high tech sphere, with no intelligent
> inhabbitants.
>
> Now, I can't find the description, in my notes or elsewhere, and
> I can't seem to find it on the net. A friend tells me much the
> same thing, so I don't think I imagined it. I don't think the
> total spec length was more than one to three paragraphs.
>
> The reason I ask, was I suddenly had an idea for a write-up for
> something like that (partly inspired by Larry Niven's
> "Ringworld", partly by Jack L Chalker's "Well World" series), and
> I wanted to make sure that it was compatible, or different enough
> not to upset anyone.
>
> If anyone knows of a fan write-up of this sphere, could they
> point me to this on the web, or contact me?
>
>
> Can anyone help?

Sounds like you've got a LOT of sources mixed up.  There was no high-tech in
SJ (there was in some 1e adventures, though).  Some semi-high tech slipped
through, but usually it was well disguised as magic.  Let me run down some
points:

In most cases, actual size for a sphere were not given in SJ modules.  I
think only the three core spheres had set sizes (and the ridiculously small
shadowspace).

The dyson-sphere crystal sphere (btw, one of the most abused terms in sci
fi, the dyson sphere :) ) was in the novel Maelstrom's Eye.  No size was
given, but even if it was "only" a few tens of millions of miles across,
it'd be huge.

Practical Planetology has Ringworld, of sorts, in the ribbon-planet Nivin
(obviously a tribute to Larry Niven).  The entry pretty much reads just like
Ringworld, I believe, given my very limited knowledge on that subject.

The spheres of the Empire were:
Vodonispace - blown up in a nova, the surviving planets now the throneworlds
of the empire.
Glotspace - not unlike Greyspace, ruled by dragons
Gorthspace - 1 inhabitable planet, used for shoreleave
Kofuspace - a solid sphere with "bubble-like" planets
Kra'akenspace - filled with green floating asteroids, home to transparent
centaurs
Lostspace - typical "blown up" sphere; big war in past, all that's left is a
bunch of burned out planets & war machines
Passarspace - lots of asteroids for mining
Salzarsapce - one waterworld primary, 8 suns, inhabited by immortal watery
critters
Thasiaspace - inhabited by shambling mounds, not truly conquered
Vergonspace - planets are at war with one another, Vodoni keep them in a
balance
Vodonikaspace - "heartland" of the empire
Zalanispace - gargoyle inhabitants, shipyard of the empire