New Releases by Greg Bear

The Force is strong in twelve-year-old Anakin Skywalker . . . so strong that the Jedi Council, despite misgivings, entrusted young Obi-Wan Kenobi with the mission of training him to become a Jedi Knight. Obi-Wan--like his slain Master Qui-Gon--believes Anakin may be the chosen one, the Jedi destined to bring balance to the Force. But first Obi-Wan must help his undisciplined apprentice, who still bears the scars of slavery, find his own balance. Dispatched to the mysterious planet of Zonama Sekot, source of the fastest ships in the galaxy, Obi-Wan and Anakin are swept up in a swirl of deadly intrigue and betrayal. They sense a disturbance in the Force unlike any they have encountered before. It seems there are more secrets on Zonama Sekot than meet the eye. But the search for those secrets will threaten the bond between Obi-Wan and Anakin . . . and bring the troubled young apprentice face-to-face with his deepest fears--and his darkest destiny.

The final novel of the Forerunner Saga trilogy by science fiction legend Greg Bear—set in the Halo universe and based on the New York Times bestselling video game series! One hundred thousand years ago. Chaos rules the final days of the Forerunner empire. The Flood—a horrifying, shape-changing, and unstoppable parasite—has arrived in force, aided by unexpected allies, and internal strife has desperately weakened Forerunner defenses. Facing the imminent collapse of their civilization, the Forerunners known as the Ur-Didact and the Librarian reveal what they know about the relationship between the long-vanished race of the Precursors and the Flood. While the Precursors created many technological species, including those of the Forerunners and humanity itself, the roots of the Flood may be found in an act of enormous barbarity, carried out beyond our galaxy ten million years before. Because of that savagery, a greater evil looms. Only the Ur-Didact and the Librarian—husband and wife pushed into desperate conflict—hold the keys to a solution. As they face the consequences of a mythic tragedy, one of them must now commit the greatest atrocity of all time—a shocking act designed to prevent an insane abomination from dominating the entire galaxy…

Music, myth, and magic mix—in this two-volume fantasy masterpiece by a New York Times–bestselling author that is a "joy to read" ( Publishers Weekly). Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author Greg Bear explores the power of music to open a portal between worlds in this pair of brilliantly imagined fantasy novels. The Infinity Concerto: Following the instructions of a virtuoso composer—whose controversial Concerto Opus 45 is actually a song of power—young poet Michael Perrin passes through a gateway between Earth and the Realm of the Sidhedark, where faeries reign by rule of magic, and Michael''s epic journey begins . . . The Serpent Mage: After five years trapped in the Realm of the Sidhedark, Michael has returned home to Los Angeles. But the song of power has weakened the veil between the human and fairie worlds, and the Sidhe have followed him to the other side . . .

Welcome to the hottest pocket in Larry Niven’s Known Space: the time of the assault on pacifist humanity by berserker felinoids from the planet Kzin. This time humanity’s representatives to the Warrior Race are Donald Kingsbury, Greg Bear, and Steve Stirling. As is traditional in this war for species survival, in all cases “monkey cleverness” (i.e., human cunning) is more than a match for felinoid ferocity. But as is also traditional, victory never comes cheap to those out on the sharp edge of The Man-Kzin Wars. At the publisher''s request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).

The conclusion to an epic interstellar trilogy of war from master of science fiction, Greg Bear. Marooned beneath the icy, waxy crust of Saturn''s moon, Titan, Skyrine Michael Venn and his comrades face double danger from Earth and from the Antagonists, both intent on wiping out their growing awareness of what the helpful alien Gurus are really doing in our solar system. Haunted by their dead and by the ancient archives of our Bug ancestors, the former combatants must now team up with their enemies, forget their indoctrination and their training, and journey far beyond Pluto to the fabled Planet X, the Antagonists'' home world, a Sun-Planet in the comet-generating Kuiper belt. It''s here that Master Sergeant Venn will finally understand his destiny and the destiny of every intelligent being in the solar system-including the enigmatic Gurus.

Sixteen compelling tales of post-apocalyptic societies and dystopian worlds include stories by Stephen King, Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke, Philip K. Dick, Kurt Vonnegut, W. E. B. Du Bois, Harlan Ellison, and others.

7 remarkable stories, newly revised for this collection, showcase the award-winning talents of one of the 21st century''s finest writers of speculative fiction Whether penning science fiction ( Moving Mars, Queen of Angels, War Dogs), alternate history (the Mongoliad series with Neal Stephenson), or fantasy ( Sleepside, The Infinity Concerto), Greg Bear tells stories that engage the reader''s intellect while gripping the imagination. His short fiction is no exception. Beyond the Farthest Suns takes readers to the far end of the universe and the borders of scientific understanding. The volume includes: · "The Way of All Ghosts," set in the bestselling universe of Eon and Eternity; · "The Venging," which takes a group of desperate fugitives fleeing alien dominance down into the awesome gateway of a black hole; · "The Fall of the House of Escher," in which a world-famous illusionist is brought back from the dead for a terrifying command performance; · "Hardfought," the critically acclaimed Nebula Award–winning story showcasing a far future in which a legendary female pilot and her alien captor are forced into a tapestry of echoing lives where they struggle to communicate and find the deepest secrets of their history. These works, along with 3 additional entries, stunningly illustrate how Bear interweaves the rationality of science with remarkable characters whose thoughts and emotions reflect our own.

The New York Times Book Review hails this collection of thirteen dazzling stories and a rare screenplay by Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author Greg Bear as a "solid introduction to the oeuvre of a classic writer." Greg Bear—author of Queen of Angels, Eon, and Hull Zero Three, among many other hugely popular novels—has an ability to transform challenging scientific concepts into gripping fiction that has won him numerous awards and an avid following. He has written novels about interstellar war, human evolution, intelligent bacteria, international terrorism, and the exploration of deep space—but he doesn''t stop there. This brilliant collection of Bear''s stories, each newly revised by the author, proves he is a master of the short form as well. Just Over the Horizon offers thirteen mind-bending explorations of the near future . . . or just beyond the border of conventional reality. The volume includes: · "Blood Music," a Hugo and Nebula award–winning classic and the basis for the novel of the same name—and the first science-fictional exploration of nanotechnology; · "Sisters," in which high school students find maturity and family by confronting a tragic genetic destiny; · "Tangents," winner of the Hugo and Nebula Awards, about a persecuted scientist who seeks refuge in a better world; · "Dead Run," a tale of union truck drivers ferrying souls through Death Valley into Hell, adapted for an episode of the television series The Twilight Zone; · "Sleepside Story," which Bear calls one of his favorite pieces, an urban fantasy tale that takes a music student by Night Metro to the Sleepside mansion of a magical woman of the night, inverting "Beauty and the Beast" in a very modern mirror; · "Genius," the screenplay written for the television series Outer Limits, but never produced. Just Over the Horizon combines Bear''s intense concern with the human condition with a deep understanding of science, resulting in a collection long to be remembered.

A new planet. A new battle. Same war. After barely surviving his last tour on Mars, Master Sergeant Michael Venn finds himself back on earth in enforced isolation. Through a dangerous series of operations he returns to Mars to further his investigation into the Drifters -- ancient artifacts suddenly reawakened on the red planet. But another front in the war leads his team to make the difficult journey to Saturn''s moon, Titan. Here, in the cauldron of war, hides new truths about the Drifters, the origin of life in our solar system and the plans of the supposedly benevolent Gurus, who have been "sponsoring" and supporting humanity in their fight against outside invaders. Killing Titan is the second book in the epic interstellar War Dogs trilogy from master of science fiction, Greg Bear.

An epic interstellar tale of war from a master of science fiction. One more tour on the red. Maybe my last. They made their presence on Earth known thirteen years ago. Providing technology and scientific insights far beyond what mankind was capable of. They became indispensable advisors and promised even more gifts that we just couldn''t pass up. We called them Gurus. It took them a while to drop the other shoe. You can see why, looking back. It was a very big shoe, completely slathered in crap. They had been hounded by mortal enemies from sun to sun, planet to planet, and were now stretched thin -- and they needed our help. And so our first bill came due. Skyrines like me were volunteered to pay the price. As always. These enemies were already inside our solar system and were moving to establish a beachhead, but not on Earth. On Mars.

This doomsday masterpiece from the author of Eon and Hull Zero Three was a finalist for the Hugo and Nebula awards. On July 26, Arthur Gordon learns that Europa, the sixth moon of Jupiter, has disappeared. Not hiding, not turned black, but gone. On September 28th, Edward Shaw finds an error in the geological records of Death Valley. A cinder cone was left off the map. Could it be new? Or, stranger yet, could it be artificial? The answer may be lying beside it—a dying Guest who brings devastating news for Edward and for Planet Earth. As more unexplained phenomena spring up around the globe—a granite mountain appearing in Australia, sounds emanating from the earth''s core, flashes of light among the asteroids—it becomes clear to some that the end is approaching, and there is nothing we can do. In The Forge of God, award-winning author Greg Bear describes the final days of the world on both a massive, scientific scale and in the everyday, emotional context of individual human lives. Facing the destruction of all they know, some people turn to God, others to their families, and a few turn to saviors promising escape from a planet being torn apart. Will they make it in time? And who gets left behind to experience the last moments of beauty and chaos on earth? Nominated for the Nebula, Hugo, and Locus Awards, The Forge of God is an engrossing read, breathtaking in its scope and in its detail.

Hugo Award Finalist: A near-future novel of artificial intelligence, human nature, and mass murder that "succeeds on virtually every level" ( The New York Times Book Review). In Los Angeles in 2047, advances in the science of psychology have made crime a rare occurrence. So it''s utterly shocking when eight bodies are detected in an apartment, and not long afterward the perpetrator is revealed as well: noted poet Emmanuel Goldsmith. The LAPD''s Mary Choy—who has had both her appearance and her police work enhanced by nanotechnology—is tasked with arresting the killer, while psychotherapy pioneer Martin Burke prepares to explore his mind. Meanwhile, Goldsmith''s good friend and fellow writer reels at the news—while, far from all of them, a space probe makes a startling discovery. This "excellent" novel about technology, identity, and the nature of consciousness is a thought-provoking stunner by the Nebula Award–winning author of the Eon series and the Forerunner Saga ( Chicago Tribune).

Nebula Award Finalist: A genetic engineering breakthrough may portend the destruction of humanity in this cyberpunk novel by the author of The Forge of God. This Hugo and Nebula Award finalist follows present-day events in which the fears concerning the nuclear annihilation of the world subsided after the Cold War and the fear of chemical warfare spilled over into the empty void it left behind. An amazing breakthrough in genetic engineering made by Vergil Ulam is considered too dangerous for further research, but rather than destroy his work, he injects himself with his creation and walks out of his lab, unaware of just how his actions will change the world. Author Greg Bear''s treatment of the traditional tale of scientific hubris is both suspenseful and a compelling portrait of a new intelligence emerging amongst us, irrevocably changing our world.

Artificially intelligent cities rise up against humanity in this " excellent novel. It came on me as a surprise, and it knocked me out!" (Harlan Ellison). In a theocratic world far into the future, cities control their own movements and organization. Constantly moving, growing and decaying, taking care of every need their inhabitants might think of, the cities have decided that humans are no longer a necessary part of their architecture, casting them out to wander in the wilderness and eke out a meager subsistence. To the exiled humans, the cities represent a paradisiacal Eden, a reminder of all they cannot attain due to their sinful and unworthy natures. But things are beginning to change. People are no longer willing to allow the cities to keep them out, choosing instead to force an entry and plunder at will. The cities are starting to crumble and die because they have no purpose or reason to continue living without citizens. One woman, called mad by some and wise by others, is the only human allowed to inhabit a city. From her lonely and precarious position at the heart of one of the greatest cities ever, she must decide the fate of the relationship between human society and the ancient strongholds of knowledge, while making one last desperate attempt to save the living cities.

A Nebula Award–winning novella by the author of Moving Mars and the Eon trilogy. Humans have been engaged in a long war against an advanced alien race, the Senexi. But the possibility for peace may finally exist, thanks to a young girl who learns of the enemy''s larger role and humanity''s opportunity to evolve, in this award-winning story by the author of Darwin''s Radio and many other highly acclaimed works of science fiction.

"A minor classic. A small book but with big characters . . . and great ideas" from the Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author of Dinosaur Summer ( SF Reviews). The planet Hegira is the universe''s melting pot. Hundreds of tribes in dozens of cities intermingle in the vast uncharted territory. The only thing holding the people together are the massive Obelisks, the chronicles of all the truths and falsehoods each tribe has brought to Hegira. Young Bar‐Woten is in search of knowledge and he knows the key to the truth about his homeland is contained in the writings of the Obelisks. With his fellow companions, Bar‐Woten must travel through Hegira''s exotic cities to discover the lies within the words of thousands.

The Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem has been blown to bits by extremists, and, in retaliation, thousands have died in another major attack on the United States. Now the FBI has been dispatched to deal with a new menace. A plague targeted to ethnic groups--Jews or Muslims or both--has the potential to wipe out entire populations. But the FBI itself is under political assault. There''s a good chance agents William Griffin, Fouad Al-Husam, and Jane Rowland will be part of the last class at Quantico. As the young agents hunt a brilliant homegrown terrorist, they join forces with veteran bio-terror expert Rebecca Rose. But the plot they uncover--and the man they chase--prove to be far more complex than anyone expects.

In the wake of the apparent self-destruction of the Forerunner empire, two humans – Chakas and Riser – are like flotsam washed up on very strange shores indeed. They find themselves on an inverted world where horizons rise into the sky and where humans of all kinds are trapped in a perilous cycle of neglect. They have become strategic pawns in a cosmic game whose madness knows no end – a game of ancient vengeance between the powers who seeded the galaxy with life, and the Forerunners. In the company of a young girl and an old man, Chakas begins an epic journey across a lost and damaged Halo in search of a way home, an explanation for the warrior spirits rising up within, and for the Librarian’s tampering with human destiny. This journey will take them into the domain of a powerful and monstrous intelligence who claims to be the Last Precursor, and who now has control of both this Halo and the fate of Forerunners and humans alike. Called the Primordial by ancient human warriors, this intelligence may control the fate of not only Chakas, Riser, and the rest of humanity, but all of sentient life.

An amnesiac man awakens on board a mysterious starship full of monsters in this terrifying sci-fi adventure by a New York Times –bestselling author. "A lean, mean, supercharged sense-of-wonder engine." —Alastair Reynolds A starship hurtles through the emptiness of space. Its destination, unknown. Its purpose, a mystery. Now, one man wakes up. Ripped from a dream of a new home—a new planet and the woman he was meant to love in his arms—he finds himself wet, naked, and freezing to death. The dark halls are full of monsters but trusting other survivors he meets might be the greater danger. All he has are questions—Who is he? Where are they going? What happened to the dream of a new life? What happened to Hull three? All will be answered, if he can survive the ship. Hull Zero Three is an edge-of-your-seat thrill ride through the darkest reaches of space. "This beautifully written tale where nothing is as it seems will please readers with a well-developed sense of wonder." — Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Never one to play it safe in his consistently inventive fiction, Bear takes the reader for a harrowing ride on a labyrinthine starship. . . . Bear''s pithy, occasionally cryptic writing style perfectly captures the chaotic experiences and unsettling revelations the team endures, while putting an intriguing spin on the timeworn SF theme of interstellar planet hunting. One of Bear''s most thought-provoking and well-crafted novels to date." — Booklist

In this near-future thriller, three FBI agents take on the Talos Corporation and its plan to destroy the government and constitutional law by means of a treatment program code-named Mariposa.

Greg Bear’s Nebula Award–winning novel, Darwin’s Radio, painted a chilling portrait of humankind on the threshold of a radical leap in evolution—one that would alter our species forever. Now Bear continues his provocative tale of the human race confronted by an uncertain future, where “survival of the fittest” takes on astonishing and controversial new dimensions. Eleven years have passed since SHEVA, an ancient retrovirus, was discovered in human DNA—a retrovirus that caused mutations in the human genome and heralded the arrival of a new wave of genetically enhanced humans. Now these changed children have reached adolescence . . . and face a world that is outraged about their very existence. For these special youths, possessed of remarkable, advanced traits that mark a major turning point in human development, are also ticking time bombs harboring hosts of viruses that could exterminate the “old” human race. Fear and hatred of the virus children have made them a persecuted underclass, quarantined by the government in special “schools,” targeted by federally sanctioned bounty hunters, and demonized by hysterical segments of the population. But pockets of resistance have sprung up among those opposed to treating the children like dangerous diseases—and who fear the worst if the government’s draconian measures are carried to their extreme. Scientists Kaye Lang and Mitch Rafelson are part of this small but determined minority. Once at the forefront of the discovery and study of the SHEVA outbreak, they now live as virtual exiles in the Virginia suburbs with their daughter, Stella—a bright, inquisitive virus child who is quickly maturing, straining to break free of the protective world her parents have built around her, and eager to seek out others of her kind. But for all their precautions, Kaye, Mitch, and Stella have not slipped below the government’s radar. The agencies fanatically devoted to segregating and controlling the new-breed children monitor their every move—watching and waiting for the opportunity to strike the next blow in their escalating war to preserve “humankind” at any cost.

We were all there in that city that draws its paycheck from the manufacture of ghosts, itself made of ghosts: Los Angeles. We were there when one man started handing out free talk. And we are there now, sad little dolls made of dust... Peter Russell lost a daughter to a serial killer. His marriage was the next casualty.

Greg Bear is one of the greatest science fiction writers of the late twentieth century. He has a powerful voice, combining the intense rationality of science with the intensely passionate characters that can only be created by a writer who loves humanity. Bear’s novel Moving Mars won the Nebula Award in 1994, and he did it again, in 2000, with Darwin’s Radio. He has been honored with Hugo and Nebula nominations for novel-length work eight more times. But Greg Bear’s short fiction is even more astounding, as this powerful career retrospective demonstrates. This collection contains Bear’s earliest published fiction from the late 1960s and early 1970s as well his remarkable award-winning work from the ‘80s and ‘90s—stories like the Hugo and Nebula Award-winning novella- length version of “Blood Music” and the Hugo and Nebula Award-winner “Tangents.” This Collection is enhanced by brand-new introductions for each story, commentary, and reminiscences by Greg Bear.

The science fiction classic from the Nebula Award-winning author of "Darwin''sRadio" returns in this newly repackaged edition.com.

MASTER AND APPRENTICE The Force is strong in twelve-year-old Anakin Skywalker . . . so strong that the Jedi Council, despite misgivings, entrusted young Obi-Wan Kenobi with the mission of training him to become a Jedi Knight. Obi-Wan—like his slain Master Qui-Gon—believes Anakin may be the chosen one, the Jedi destined to bring balance to the Force. But first Obi-Wan must help his undisciplined apprentice, who still bears the scars of slavery, find his own balance. Dispatched to the mysterious planet of Zonama Sekot, source of the fastest ships in the galaxy, Obi-Wan and Anakin are swept up in a swirl of deadly intrigue and betrayal. They sense a disturbance in the Force unlike any they have encountered before. It seems there are more secrets on Zonama Sekot than meet the eye. But the search for those secrets will threaten the bond between Obi-Wan and Anakin . . . and bring the troubled young apprentice face-to-face with his deepest fears—and his darkest destiny.