Debut author Carcirieri presents a collection of stories, all loosely connected to the planet Venus.

These tales tell of many journeys, set in time periods that range from the days of Creation to the year 2023. In “Colossus Is Falling,” set in 226 B.C.E., the Colossus (who’s actually the patron god Helios) stands watch over the island of Rhodes. None of the locals, including the narrator, Chronikulos, can predict that the great statue’s days are numbered—as are those of another statue known as the Marine Venus. In another story, set in ancient Rome, a cunning woman known popularly as the Great Lady of Rome revels in all the decadence her surroundings have to offer. When she becomes the victim of violence, she reflects on things that endure “year after year, just like the star of goddess Venus.” In “Da Foist Men on Venus,” set in 1922, mobsters on the lam wind up at the house of a professor who happens to have a working spaceship. All the stories in this collection relate in some way to the second planet from the sun, even if it simply proves to be the name of a warhorse, as in “The Emperor’s Planet.” One character gazes at Venus in the sky, “mesmerized, totally unaware of what’s around me.” Although the lengths of the stories vary in this massive collection, spanning more than 750 pages, all are abundantly detailed. However, Carcirieri’s vivid descriptions work best during chaotic scenes; for instance, an account of events at the Roman Colosseum paints a clear picture of violence, fear, and the “boiling energy that consumed the spirit.” The ambitious swath of geographical settings and time periods paints a wide-ranging portrait of human history; from Napoleon to a hangman in the Old West, all toil under the indifferent stars.

A verbose but often powerful set of tales that span the ages.