Hundreds of years in the future, after the collapse of the Western world, young Menelaus Illation Montrose grows up in what was once Texas as a gunslinging duelist for hire. But Montrose is also a mathematical genius—and a romantic who dreams of a future in which humanity rises from the ashes to take its place among the stars.
The chance to help usher in that future comes when Montrose is recruited for a manned interstellar mission to

Very loosely based on the life of a French duelist and playwright, Cyrano de Bergerac is a play in verse that tells the tale of soldier who is gifted with every imaginable positive attribute—except that of a handsome appearance. Because of his perceived ugliness (including a disproportionately large nose), Cyrano feels unworthy of the woman he loves and vents his emotions via other—sometimes amusing, sometimes tragic—channels.