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264:. Unlike other planets, Atherton is not shaped like a sphere. Rather, it is shaped roughly like an elongated birthday cake, with each layer having less circumference than the one below it. Atherton has three layers: the Flatlands, the bottom and most barren layer; Tabletop, the middle and most widely populated layer; and the Highlands, the highest layer where governmental figures reside in the House of Power.
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of
Knights, rules literally over the people of Tabletop. Each knight wields great power over Atherton directly or indirectly through legions of elite soldiers from the Highlands, or loyal Tabletopions guards who enforce the rule of the Highlands, and make sure work quotas are fulfilled. By unknown means, the Lord of Atherton is able to control the flow of the three
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People who dwell in the
Highlands are Atherton's upper class. Almost all of them reside in the House of Power, a large castle that has many courtyards filled with vegetation, giving it the appearance of having fused with nature. Atherton's system of government, a monarchical Lord advised by a board
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Samuel – a
Highlands dweller. He encounters and makes friends with Edgar after Edgar climbs to the Highlands in search of someone who can read the book he found to him. His father, one of the Knights in the House of Power, died in a supposed accidental falling from the cliff, but events suggest he
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Edgar – an orphaned
Tabletop-dweller who works in the Grove. He enjoys climbing the hazardous cliffs that form the edge of the Highlands layer. While climbing, he finds a book that plunges him into an adventure about the true nature of Atherton, and the crisis threatening to turn his world inside
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that provide water to
Tabletop. Should the people of Tabletop pay inadequate taxes, or begin to stir up feelings of anarchy, the Lord could slow or completely stop the water supply, effectively putting any rebellion to a quick halt. Due to this immense power, Atherton is becoming more or less a
236:(now known grimly as "the Dark Planet"), whose pollution and overpopulation problems have come to an extreme. Those who wished to live on Atherton were transported there by unknown means, and had their memories of previous life on Earth erased. Carman has stated that he drew on stories such as
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Mr. Ratikan – the owner of the Grove. He oversees the picking of figs to pay the
Highlands' taxes. He is very irritable and mean to the workers, especially Edgar, who often causes mischief. He is in league with Lord Phineas in a secret project with nasty results.
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Isabel – one of Edgar's friends in the Grove. She is heavily influenced by Edgar and enjoys spending time with him, though Edgar views her as a nuisance. She is a strong leader and organizes the rebellion against the
Highlands.
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People who dwell on
Tabletop are viewed as peasants. They live in three villages: the Village of Sheep, the Village of Rabbits, and the Grove, where Edgar resides. It is the responsibility of Tabletop-dwellers to pay regular
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The
Flatlands is a barren wasteland devoid of human life, or so they appear. All of Atherton's waste is thrown into the Flatlands, and is then disposed of by Cleaners, organisms that resemble oversized
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Dr. Harding – the creator of
Atherton. He was discovered by Dr. Kincaid and his fellow scientists as a child and soon displayed unparalleled genius. While creating Atherton, he delved into
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Dr. Kincaid – a doctor who secretly lives in the Flatlands to supervise the terrible events to occur in Atherton. He traveled to Atherton without losing his memories. He was Dr. Harding's
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created by the child prodigy scientist Dr. Harding. Atherton's purpose was to provide a new haven for the people of
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described the book as "a fluid and compelling fantasy and mystery."
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Sir Emerik – Lord Phineas's guard who wants to become king.
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for the pseudo-planet and sustains its orbit around Earth.
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Briney – keeper of the inn in the village of Rabbits
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379:Horace – guard for The House of Power pp
109:Learn how and when to remove this message
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486:"The House of Power by Patrick Carman"
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370:Sir Phillip – Lord Phineas's guard
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252:. This book is part of a trilogy.
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364:Maude – Briney's wife
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