New Releases by Kim Stanley Robinson

WINNER OF THE LOCUS AWARD • The bestselling author of the Mars trilogy boldly reimagines the past seven hundred years in this “exceptional and engrossing” (New York Post) saga, constructing a world vastly different from the one we know. . . “A thoughtful, magisterial alternate history from one of science fiction’s most important writers.”—The New York Times Book Review It is the fourteenth century and one of the most apocalyptic events in human history is set to occur—the coming of the Black Death. History teaches us that a third of Europe’s population was destroyed. But what if the plague had killed 99 percent of the population instead? How would the world have changed? The Years of Rice and Salt is a look at the history that could have been—one that stretches across centuries, sees dynasties and nations rise and crumble, and spans horrible famine and magnificent innovation. Through the eyes of soldiers and kings, explorers and philosophers, inventors and exiles, renowned storyteller Kim Stanley Robinson navigates a world where Buddhism and Islam are the most influential and practiced religions, while Christianity is a mere historical footnote. Probing the most profound questions as only he can, Robinson shines his extraordinary light on the place of religion, culture, power—and even love—in this bold new world.

A “sublime” and “radically original” exploration of the Sierra Nevadas, the best mountains on Earth for hiking and camping, from New York Times bestselling novelist Kim Stanley Robinson (Bill McKibben, Gary Snyder). Kim Stanley Robinson first ventured into the Sierra Nevada mountains during the summer of 1973. He returned from that encounter a changed man, awed by a landscape that made him feel as if he were simultaneously strolling through an art museum and scrambling on a jungle gym like an energized child. He has returned to the mountains throughout his life—more than a hundred trips—and has gathered a vast store of knowledge about them. The High Sierra is his lavish celebration of this exceptional place and an exploration of what makes this span of mountains one of the most compelling places on Earth. Over the course of a vivid and dramatic narrative, Robinson describes the geological forces that shaped the Sierras and the history of its exploration, going back to the indigenous peoples who made it home and whose traces can still be found today. He celebrates the people whose ideas and actions protected the High Sierra for future generations. He describes uniquely beautiful hikes and the trails to be avoided. Robinson’s own life-altering events, defining relationships, and unforgettable adventures form the narrative’s spine. And he illuminates the human communion with the wild and with the sublime, including the personal growth that only seems to come from time spent outdoors. The High Sierra is a gorgeous, absorbing immersion in a place, born out of a desire to understand and share one of the greatest rapture-inducing experiences our planet offers. Packed with maps, gear advice, more than 100 breathtaking photos, and much more, it will inspire veteran hikers, casual walkers, and travel readers to prepare for a magnificent adventure.

From the internationally bestselling author of the Mars Trilogy and New York 2140 Before Kim Stanley Robinson terraformed Mars, he wrote three science fiction novels set in Orange County, California, where he grew up. These alternate futures—one a post-apocalypse, one an if-this-goes-on future reminiscent of Philip K. Dick, and one an ecological utopia—form a whole that illuminates, enchants, and inspires--collected here as Three Californias. What if... there was a limited nuclear war that left the United States blockaded, fragmented, the few survivors living in the ruins of a once-great nation? What if... this goes on, and technology continues to accelerate, and power continues to be consolidated into corporate culture, a developer’s dream world gone mad: an endless sprawl of condos, freeways, and malls, and designer drugs? What if... a revolution happens, and the US addresses climate change in a responsible way. Is a future green Utopia all that great when you’re young and in love? This Tor Essentials edition of Three Californias includes an introduction by Francis Spufford, bestselling author of Golden Hill and Red Plenty. “[Robinson] invites us to share his characters’ intensely personal, intensely local attachment to what they have. The result may shame you into entertaining new hope for the future.” —The New York Times on Pacific Edge At the Publisher''s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

From legendary science fiction author Kim Stanley Robinson comes a remarkable vision of climate change over the coming decades. The Ministry for the Future is a masterpiece of the imagination, using fictional eyewitness accounts to tell the story of how climate change will affect us all. Its setting is not a desolate, postapocalyptic world, but a future that is almost upon us -- and in which we might just overcome the extraordinary challenges we face.It is a novel both immediate and impactful, desperate and hopeful in equal measure, and it is one of the most powerful and original books on climate change ever written."A breathtaking look at the challenges that face our planet in all their sprawling magnitude and also in their intimate, individual moments of humanity." -- Booklist (starred)"A sweeping, optimistic portrait of humanity''s ability to cooperate in the face of disaster. This heartfelt work of hard science-fiction is a must-read for anyone worried about the future of the planet." -- Publishers Weekly (starred)Also by Kim Stanley Robinson:Red MoonNew York 21402312AuroraShaman

Red Moon is a magnificent novel of space exploration and political revolution from New York Times bestselling author Kim Stanley Robinson. It is thirty years from now, and we have colonized the moon. American Fred Fredericks is making his first trip, his purpose to install a communications system for China''s Lunar Science Foundation. But hours after his arrival he witnesses a murder and is forced into hiding. It is also the first visit for celebrity travel reporter Ta Shu. He has contacts and influence, but he too will find that the moon can be a perilous place for any traveler. Finally, there is Chan Qi. She is the daughter of the Minister of Finance, and without doubt a person of interest to those in power. She is on the moon for reasons of her own, but when she attempts to return to China, in secret, the events that unfold will change everything -- on the moon, and on Earth.

Why should we go to space? To learn more about the universe and our place in it? To extract resources and conduct commerce? To demonstrate national primacy and technological prowess? To live and thrive in radically different kinds of human communities? Visions, Ventures, Escape Velocities takes on the challenge of imagining new stories at the intersection of public and private--narratives that use the economic and social history of exploration, as well as current technical and scientific research, to inform scenarios for the future of the New Space era. Visions, Ventures, Escape Velocities provides fresh insights into human activity in Low Earth Orbit, journeys to Mars, capturing and mining asteroids, and exploring strange and uncharted exoplanets. Its stories and essays imagine human expansion into space as a kind of domestication--not in the sense of taming nature but in the sense of creating a space for dwelling, a venue for human life and curiosity to unfurl in all their weirdness and complexity.

Mari e fiumi si sono formati sulla superficie di Marte e il pianeta rosso è ormai solo un retaggio del passato, nulla di più lontano dalla landa desolata e inospitale degli albori dell’espansione interplanetaria. Eppure c’è chi, come i Rossi, rimpiange il tempo in cui erano le aride sabbie a ricoprire la superficie marziana. Per loro, la ribellione a chi ha fatto di Marte una sorta di nuova Terra è l’unica via contro l’oblio che ha cominciato a inghiottirne la storia, soprattutto ora che un nuovo pericolo minaccia di cancellare per sempre qualsiasi retaggio del passato. Sulla Terra, una catastrofe di dimensioni apocalittiche ha messo in ginocchio la popolazione già stremata da inquinamento e sovraffollamento. Marte sta per essere investito da una massiccia ondata migratoria, un’emergenza che rischia di compromettere il delicato equilibrio tra le fazioni in campo e scatenare una guerra interplanetaria cruenta e definitiva. Il capitolo conclusivo di un’avventura appassionante e visionaria, una pietra miliare della narrativa SciFi.

Der fulminante Höhepunkt von Kim Stanley Robinsons Mars-Trilogie – ein moderner Klassiker der Science-Fiction Es ist die größte Herausforderung, der sich die Menschheit je gegenübersah: die Besiedlung unseres Nachbarplaneten Mars. Die Verwandlung einer lebensfeindlichen Wüstenwelt in einen blauen Planeten wie die Erde. Von der ersten bemannten Landung auf dem Mars über die frühen Kolonien und ihre Auseinandersetzungen, welche Form von Gesellschaft sie erbauen sollen, bis zum riskanten Versuch, das Klima einer ganzen Welt zu verändern – Kim Stanley Robinson, der Autor von »Das Ministerium für die Zukunft«, erzählt in seiner Mars-Trilogie die Geschichte der Zukunft wie ein großes historisches Epos.

All three volumes of the worldwide bestselling Mars trilogy.

From one of science fiction''s most powerful voices comes Aurora, the incredible story of humankind''s first voyage beyond the solar system. "This is hard SF the way it''s mean to be written: technical, scientific, with big ideas and a fully realized society." -Booklist Our voyage from Earth began generations ago. Now, we approach our new home. AURORA. "[Robinson is] a rare contemporary writer to earn a reputation on par with earlier masters such as Isaac Asimov or Arthur C. Clarke." -Chicago Tribune "If Interstellar left you wanting more, then this novel might just fill that longing." -io9 "[A] near-perfect marriage of the technical and the psychological." -NPR Books "The Apollo 13 of interstellar travel." -SciFi

The New York Times–bestselling author''s debut novel "presents a believable post-apocalyptic setting . . . delivered in an engaging story" ( Speculiction). The Wild Shore is the first novel in Kim Stanley Robinson''s highly-acclaimed Three Californias Trilogy. 2047: For the small Pacific Coast community of San Onofre, life in the aftermath of a devastating nuclear attack is a matter of survival, a day-to-day struggle to stay alive. But young Hank Fletcher dreams of the world that might have been, and might yet be—and dreams of playing a crucial role in America''s rebirth. "Beautifully written . . . with a vivid depth rarely encountered in science fiction." — The Washington Post "Part Huck Finn and part Our Town . . . A well-written, engaging rite of passage." — Publishers Weekly "There''s a fresh wind blowing in The Wild Shore." —Ursula K. Le Guin "A thoughtful novel. The Wild Shore is built around a fascinating concept and it takes its themes seriously." — Fantasy Literature

"The year is 2312. Scientific and technological advances have opened gateways to an extraordinary future. Earth is no longer humanity''s only home; new habitats have been created throughout the solar system on moons, planets, and in between. But in this year, 2312, a sequence of events will force humanity to confront its past, its present, and its future. The first event takes place on Mercury, on the city of Terminator, itself a miracle of engineering on an unprecedented scale. It is an unexpected death, but one that might have been foreseen. For Swan Er Hong, it is an event that will change her life. Swan was once a woman who designed worlds. Now she will be led into a plot to destroy them"--

Venise, 1609. La science est en pleine expansion. Philosophes et mathématiciens mènent leurs recherches à l''ombre de l''Eglise. A cette époque Galilée rencontre un étranger qui l''aide à mettre au point un télescope révolutionnaire. Cette invention lui ouvre les portes d''Europe, la deuxième lune de Jupiter, en 3020 ! Galilée va désormais naviguer entre le XVIIe siècle et le 4e millénaire, rapportant de ses voyages de quoi alimenter de nouvelles découvertes. Et se voir accuser d''hérésie...

Siglo XXI. Durante eones, las tormentas de arena han barrido el estéril paisaje del planeta rojo. Ahora, en el año 2026, cien colonos viajan a Marte para dominar este clima hostil. Su misión es la terraformación de Marte y, su lema, «si el hombre no se puede adaptar a Marte, hay que adaptar Marte al hombre».

Des pluies diluviennes ont submergé Washington. Peu à peu, les eaux se retirent, mais les inondations ont eu des conséquences effroyables. Les sans-abri sont légion et les catastrophes s''enchaînent : la montée des eaux océaniques raye de la carte les nations insulaires. Les Etats-Unis sont frappés par une vague de froid qui fait craindre au gouvernement le début d''une nouvelle ère glaciaire. Au sein de la Fondation nationale pour la science, Frank Vanderwal doit agir. Vite. Il y va de la survie de la planète. Mais les enjeux de la science ne sont pas toujours ceux des politiques.

Kim Stanley Robinson has been an ongoing force in the Science Fiction genre for over twenty years, with his novels (Year’s of Rice and Salt, Forty Signs of Rain) crossing over to the mainstream, and routinely appearing on the New York Times best sellers list. During the 80s and early nineties, his short fiction continued to push the boundaries of science fiction, defining the science-focused side of the science fiction genre. Award-winning editor Jonathan Strahan worked with Kim Stanley Robinson to select the stories that make up this landmark volume. In addition to these reprints, The Best of Kim Stanley Robinson features a brand-new short story, "The Timpanist of the Berlin Philharmonic, 1942."

The Enola Gay crashes on a test run before it is to drop the first atomic bomb, setting in motion events that stray significantly from the historical mid-twentieth century, in a volume that also includes a related essay and interview.

Set in our nation’s capital, here is a chillingly realistic tale of people caught in the collision of science, technology, and the consequences of global warming. When the storm got bad, Frank Vanderwal was in his office at the National Science Foundation. When it was over, large chunks of San Diego had eroded into the sea, and D.C. was underwater. Everything Frank and his colleagues feared had culminated in this disaster. And now the world was looking to them to fix it. But even as D.C. bails itself out, a more extreme climate change looms. The melting polar ice caps are shutting down the warm Gulf Stream waters—meaning Ice Age conditions could return. And the last time that happened, eleven thousand years ago, it took just three years to start.…

En un futuro cercano, las consecuencias del cambio climático constituyen una grave amenaza inmediata para la humanidad. En Washington, Anna y Charlie Quibler afrontan el peligro desde dos ámbitos de trabajo muy distintos: él es miembro del equipo de un senador y se encarga de asesorarle en la legislación medioambiental; por su parte, Anna es una científica de la Fundación Nacional para la Ciencia que evalúa las peticiones de subvención para las investigaciones. Conscientes de la necesidad de tomar medidas urgentes, lucharán por el trabajo en equipo de la comunidad científica a escala mundial, e intentarán que los gobiernos apoyen los proyectos que pueden salvar al planeta. Sin embargo, cuando parece factible el desarrollo de una máquina que controle el clima, se evidencia que los intereses de los poderes económico y político no siempre coinciden con los del bien común... Kim Stanley Robinson nos ofrece un inteligente alegato ecologista y una mordaz crítica a la clase política norteamericana en un thriller sumamente realista que deja una profunda huella en el lector.

En el año 1349 la peste negra ha invadido Europa. Frente al ocaso europeo, el islam y China se disputan el dominio mundial, y la India encuentra un aliado en la organización política de los indígenas americanos. Gracias a las reencarnaciones de B. y K., viviremos siete siglos de una historia alternativa, con un nuevo orden político, social y religioso.

Twenty-eight stories, including poetry, devoted to life on Mars. The story, Arthur Sternbach Brings the Curveball to Mars, is on the effect of the planet''s gravity on the game of baseball, Jackie on Zo, is about childbirth on Mars, and Green Mars is on climbing a mountain.

Winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novel • Kim Stanley Robinson’s classic trilogy depicting the colonization of Mars continues in a thrilling and timeless novel that pits the settlers against their greatest foes: themselves. “One of the major sagas of the [latest] generation in science fiction.”—Chicago Sun-Times Nearly a generation has passed since the first pioneers landed on Mars, and its transformation to an Earthlike planet is under way. But not everyone wants to see the process through. The methods are opposed by those determined to preserve their home planet’s hostile, barren beauty. Led by the first generation of children born on Mars, these rebels are soon joined by a handful of the original settlers. Against this cosmic backdrop, passions, partnerships, and rivalries explode in a story as spectacular as the planet itself.

Kim Stanley Robinson’s Mars trilogy is one of science fiction’s most honored stories, with Red Mars winning the distinguished Nebula Award, and both Green Mars and Blue Mars honored with the Hugo. Now Robinson returns to the realm he has made his own—the planet Mars—in a brilliantly imagined drama with a searing poetic vision. From a training mission in Antarctica to blistering sandstorms sweeping through labyrinths of barren canyons, the interwoven stories of The Martians set in motion a sprawling cast of characters upon the surface of Mars. As the planet is transformed from an unexplored and forbidding terrain to a troubled image of a re-created Earth, we meet the First Hundred explorers—men and women who are bound together by Earth’s tenuous toehold on Mars. Presenting unforgettable stories of hope and disappointment, of fierce physical and psychological struggles, The Martians is an epic chronicle of a planet that represents one of humanity’s most glorious possibilities. Praise for The Martians “A uniquely rewarding experience of state-of-the-art science fiction.”—The New York Times Book Review “No one familiar with Robinson’s trilogy can read through these final, valedictory stories without feeling moved.”—The Washington Post “The stories are beautifully written, the characters are well developed and the author’s passion for ecology manifests itself on every page.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novel • One of the most enthralling science fiction sagas ever written, Kim Stanley Robinson’s epic trilogy concludes with Blue Mars—a triumph of prodigious research and visionary storytelling. “A breakthrough even from [Kim Stanley Robinson’s] own consistently high levels of achievement.”—The New York Times Book Review The red planet is no more. Now green and verdant, Mars has been dramatically altered from a desolate world into one where humans can flourish. The First Hundred settlers are being pulled into a fierce new struggle between the Reds, a group devoted to preserving Mars in its desert state, and the Green “terraformers.” Meanwhile, Earth is in peril. A great flood threatens an already overcrowded and polluted planet. With Mars the last hope for the human race, the inhabitants of the red planet are heading toward a population explosion—or interplanetary war.

Le XXIe siècle. Demain. Cinquante hommes et cinquante femmes, représentant les nations majeures et toutes les disciplines scientifiques, embarquent à bord de l''"Arès", un immense vaisseau spatial, un micro-monde où ils vont vivre pendant plus d''un an avant d''atteindre Mars, à cent millions de kilomètres de là. Un homme, déjà, a posé le pied sur Mars John Boone. Héros mythique depuis son retour sur Terre, il s''est porté volontaire pour ce second voyage. Un aller simple, cette fois, car les hommes et les femmes de l''"Arès" devront aller au-delà de l''exploration. Ils devront survivre dans un monde usé, désolé, hostile. Si les hommes ne peuvent s''adapter, il faudra adapter Mars aux hommes. Mais terraformer Mars, c''est aussi la détruire en tant que cadre naturel martien, et des conflits opposent les Rouges, la faction qui veut préserver la sauvagerie initiale de la planète, et les Verts, qui militent pour la terraformation. Les Cent Premiers ne partagent pas la même vision de la société à élaborer sur ce nouveau monde vierge. Et comme le remarquait le psychologue de l''expédition, Michel Duval, pour accepter de se lancer dans une telle aventure, il faut être un peu dérangé, et toutes les procédures destinées à parvenir à un équipage psychologiquement stable n''ont pu sélectionner que les meilleurs simulateurs...