Born to Fulfill Another's Dream...
JOAN D. VINGE - THE SNOW QUEEN

inspired by the Hans Christian Anderson tale, Jon D. Vinge wrote her far-future sf novel, The Snow Queen in 1980, filling the story with insights about human society, women's rights, ecology, technology and empire. It went on to win the 1981 Hugo Award for Best Novel, and merite high praise from Author C Clarke, who claimed that is had "the weight and texture of Dune." Vinge followed the book with three others in the cycle, but The Snow Queen remains her crowning acheivement. For 150 years, The Snow Queen has ruled the ocean planet Tiamat, whose twin suns circle the Stargate that links her world with the Seven Worlds of the Hegemony. The Hegemony's technological gifts have made the Winter clans wealthy, raising them above the tech-hating, fish-farming Summer clans. In return, Tiamat offers voyagers a convenient stopover between worlds, But more importantly, it possesses a unique commodity--an elixer of youth derived from the bllod of sea creatures called mers.
No everything ia about to change for the Stargate is closing, the offowrlds ar eleaving and rule of the Winter folk will give way to that of the primitive Sumers, who will sacrafuce The Snow Queen to the sea and crown a Summer Queen.