Kettana

Kettana is a fictional lunar continent featured prominently in the science fiction novel A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge.

Kettana is described as being located on the moon of a planet in the Transcend, a region of space where the laws of physics and the capabilities of technology are tied to spatial location. Within the Transcend, Kettana exists in a zone where technology and intelligence can reach godlike levels. This allows its inhabitants, the Straumli realm, a collective intelligence made up of many biological beings, to wield incredible power.

The geography of Kettana is largely unknown, beyond being located on a moon. Its societal structure, dominated by the Straumli realm, is hierarchical and complex, with individuals and factions constantly vying for power within the collective. The Straumli are capable of rapid technological and biological development, often to extreme and unpredictable ends. They are presented as a powerful and dangerous force, capable of influencing events across vast distances of space.