Unveiling the Lore: Laying the Foundations of Time in My Sci-Fi Universe
Hello! If you read my previous blog post, you know I briefly touched on a lore update regarding how time flows in my universe. Today, I'm excited to fully unveil that concept!
In my writing updates, I mentioned that my manuscript follows its own universal calendar system. Because this story is galactic in scope, I wanted to give the universe its own unique flow of time rather than relying on Earth's standard day-to-day terms—which felt like it would take away from the vast, interstellar feel of setting a story across multiple worlds. To solve the issue of different planets having their own distinct day and night cycles, I designed this calendar as a universal standard, functioning much like global time zones do here on Earth.
At the same time, it was crucial to keep this system intuitive and easy to follow so nobody gets lost tracking the timeline. To keep things streamlined, I eliminated specific weekday names like Monday or Tuesday, which I felt would add unnecessary confusion. Instead, dates are tracked simply by the month and the numerical day.
A full year in my universe is referred to as a Cycle. One Cycle consists of twelve perfectly uniform 28-day months, making a full year exactly 336 days long. Time is divided into clean 7-day weeks, eliminating varying month lengths altogether. Additionally, the standard universal day operates on a 24-hour scale (military time) rather than AM/PM. Moving away from the AM/PM format not only aligns with how many real-world countries track time, but it also reinforces that sleek, distinct galactic atmosphere.
Here is the official month reference for the Universal Calendar:
Months 1 – 6
Month 1: Asterion (January)
Month 2: Virex (February)
Month 3: Solmere (March)
Month 4: Caelith (April)
Month 5: Pyros (May)
Month 6: Dravon (June)
Months 7 – 12
Month 7: Umbriel (July)
Month 8: Kethis (August)
Month 9: Orionth (September)
Month 10: Ashkara (October)
Month 11: Velaris (November)
Month 12: Eidryn (December)
When naming these months, I wanted designations that felt truly interstellar rather than earthbound. I focused heavily on sound aesthetics—choosing names that feel modern, clinical, or cosmic to match the overall tone of this sci-fi universe. I pulled together sounds that evoke subtle sci-fi cues, blending crisp, futuristic prefixes with Latinate and astronomical roots so each month feels distinct on the page without pulling you out of the story.
Ultimately, designing this calendar was about establishing a permanent foundation for my entire series. Because this is a universal standard used across all planets, it serves as the backbone for the narrative timeline in every book—from the main series to my planned prequel. Removing Earth-bound seasonal references gives the story a pacing system that belongs entirely to its own cosmos