New Releases by Nancy Kress

Nine science fiction stories address themes of alien abduction, gene sculpting, and love.

Collects short stories from Lightspeed, the online science fiction magazine.

Genetically engineered sleepless humans cause an uproar in this science fiction novel adapted from the author''s Hugo and Nebula Award–winning novella. "Superb. . . . An exquisite saga of biological advantages." — Denver Post In a world where the slightest edge can mean the difference between success and failure, Leisha Camden is beautiful, extraordinarily intelligent . . . and one of an ever-growing number of human beings who have been genetically modified to never require sleep. Once considered interesting anomalies, now Leisha and the other "Sleepless" are outcasts—victims of blind hatred, political repression, and shocking mob violence meant to drive them from human society . . . and, ultimately, from Earth itself. But Leisha Camden has chosen to remain behind in a world that envies and fears her "gift"—a world marked for destruction in a devastating conspiracy of freedom . . . and revenge. "[Kress] explores the nature of humanity''s fear of differences in this elegantly written novel set on tomorrow''s horizon. A priority purchase for sf collections." — Library Journal "Thrilling drama, compelling dialectic." — Kirkus Reviews "Thought-provoking. . . . Kress . . . raises some intriguing scientific and sociological issues." — Publishers Weekly

Aliens try to atone for past wrongs to humanity and take twenty-one humans on a revelatory journey in this science fiction novel by a Nebula Award–winning author. The aliens appeared one day, built a base on the moon, and put an ad on the internet: "We are an alien race you may call the Atoners. Ten thousand years ago we wronged humanity profoundly. We cannot undo what has been done, but we wish humanity to understand it. Therefore, we request twenty-one volunteers to visit seven planets to Witness for us. We will convey each volunteer there and back in complete safety. Volunteers must speak English. Send requests for electronic applications to [email protected]." At first, everyone thought it was a joke. But it wasn''t. This is the story of three of those volunteers, and what they found on Kular A and Kular B . . . Praise for Steal Across the Sky "Kress skillfully explores the consequences of her ideas. . . . Arrestingly ambiguous and persuasively set forth—in the best science-fiction tradition, guaranteed provocative no matter what your personal opinions." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Le conflit entre Humains et Faucheurs est loin d''être terminé. Chaque camp possède désormais un artefact, arme redoutable capable d''anéantir une galaxie et perturber l''espace-temps. Lyle Kaufman et sa compagne Marbet, la Sensitive qui a pu communiquer avec un Faucheur, tentent de contrer les desseins de l''amiral Pierce, nouveau chef du Conseil de Défense de l''Alliance solaire. Ce dernier s''apprête à provoquer une catastrophe cosmique en utilisant l''artefact des Humains dans le système des Faucheurs. Seul Tom Capelo, le physicien qui en a découvert le fonctionnement, pourrait tenter de faire entendre raison à l''amiral. Mais il a été kidnappé et personne ne sait comment le retrouver. A part sa fille, peut-être, qui fut témoin de son enlèvement...

Nancy Kress made her reputation in the early 90s with her multiple award-winning novella, "Beggars in Spain," which became the basis for her extremely successful Beggars Trilogy (comprising Beggars in Spain, Beggars and Choosers, and Beggars Ride). Since then she has written over a dozen novels, including the well-received Probability Trilogy, culminating in Probability Space, which garnered her the John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best SF Novel. Now comes a brand new science fiction epic. It began with Crossfire: a far-future novel of planetary colonization and alien first contact. Jake Holman, a man trying to escape a dark past, brought together a diverse group of thousands to settle on a new world. But instead the humans found themselves caught in the crossfire of a galaxy-spanning war between two disparate species: agressive, militaristic humanoids known as Furs and passive, plantlike creatures known as Vines. Having cast their lots with the peaceful Vines, humanity faces all-out war against the technologically superior Furs. Our only hope? A virus designed by the Vines to remove all aggressiveness from the Furs. Can it spread fast enough to save not only Holman''s colony, but the rest of humanity? And at what price to the Furs? Driven by strong ideas and deep moral questions, and peopled with real-as-life characters, Crucible shows Kress at the top of her form, amply demonstrating why she has been one of science fiction finest authors of the past twenty years.

On a découvert, non loin de Mars, déjà terraformée et habitée, un tunnel spatial menant instantanément vers un autre système solaire peuplé par des humanoïdes. Hélas, les Terriens ont du même coup fait connaissance avec les Faucheurs, une race belliqueuse qui semble bien décidée à éradiquer toute forme de vie sur son passage. Une équipe terrienne regroupant des anthropologues, un géologue et une botaniste est envoyée étudier Monde, une planète sur laquelle les habitants ont développé une culture étrange, basée sur un principe de réalité partagée : toute violence préméditée, tout mensonge ou désaccord avec la communauté est sanctionné par une douleur physique insupportable. Mais cette mission scientifique n''est que la couverture d''un projet militaire visant à s''approprier l''un des satellites de Monde, un artefact qui renferme une arme redoutable. C''est sans compter la présence des Faucheurs dont la maîtrise technologique surpasse de loin celle des Terriens... Premier volume d''une trilogie, Réalité partagée mêle habilement space opera et hard science. Nancy Kress aborde ici des thèmes qui lui sont chers comme l''anthropologie et les effets du développement technologique.

Salvation or Annihilation? A strange artifact has been discovered on a distant planet, an artifact that may be the key to humanity''s salvation. For we at war with the Fallers, an alien race bent on nothing short of genocide, and this is a war we are losing. The artifact is not only a powerful weapon, but possibly the rosetta stone to a lost superscience . . . a superscience that the Fallers may have already decoded. Or it may be a doomsday machine that could destroy the very fabric of space. At the Publisher''s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Told from the perspective of several generations of teenagers, this science fiction novel involves an Earth ravaged by mankind, high-tech manipulative aliens, and advanced genetics. Early in the 21st century, global warming has caused sickness and death among plants, animals, and humans. Suddenly aliens contact and genetically modify a group of 14-year-olds, inviting them to visit their spacecraft. After several months of living among the aliens and studying genetics, the students discover that the aliens have been manipulating them and rebel. Upon their return to Earth, the girls in the group discover that they are pregnant and can only wonder what form their unborn children will take. Generations later, the offspring of these children seek to use their alien knowledge to change their genetic code, to allow them to live and prosper in an environment that is quickly becoming uninhabitable from the dual scourges of global warming and biowarfare. But after all the generations of change, will the genetically modified creatures resemble their ancestors, or will nothing human remain?

Humankind has expanded out into interstellar space using star gates-technological remnants left behind by an ancient, long-vanished race. But the technology comes with a price. Among the stars, humanity encountered the Fallers, a strange alien race bent on nothing short of genocide. It''s all-out war, and humanity is losing. In this fragile situation, a new planet is discovered, inhabited by a pre-industrial race who experience "shared reality"-they''re literally compelled to share the same worldview. A team of human scientists is dispatched-but what they don''t know is that their mission of first contact is actually a covert military operation. For one of the planet''s moons is really a huge mysterious artifact of the same origin as the star gates . . . and it just may be the key to winning the war. At the Publisher''s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

In the powerful conclusion to the Probability Trilogy, humanity is losing the war with the alien Fallers. As the action moves from Earth to Mars to the farthest reaches of known space, four humans try to enter the Fallers'' home star system.

"Anyone who has ever doubted the psychological link between fantasy and life will be quickly corrected by this insightful and highly recommended novel."--Roger C. Schlobin, "Fantasy Newsletter."

Get your stories off to a roaring start. Keep them tight and crisp throughout. Conclude them with a wallop. Is the story or novel you''ve been carrying around in your head the same one you see on the page? Or does the dialogue suddenly sound flat and predictable? Do the events seem to ramble? Translating a flash of inspiration into a compelling story requires careful crafting. The words you choose, how you describe characters, and the way you orchestrate conflict all make the difference—the difference between a story that is slow to begin, flounders midway, or trails off at the end—and one that holds the interest of readers and editors to the final page. By demonstrating effective solutions for potential problems at each stage of your story, Nancy Kress will help you... hook the editor on the first three paragraphs make—and keep—your story''s "implicit promise" build drama and credibility by controlling your prose Dozens of exercises help you strengthen your short story or novel. Plus, you''ll sharpen skills and gain new insight into... the price a writer pays for flashbacks six ways characters should "reveal" themselves techniques for writing—and rewriting Let this working resource be your guide to successful stories—from beginning to end.

Collection of eighteen fantasy and science fiction stories by the author with themes from alien anthropology to miniature worlds.

Kress uses her storytelling skills to present a horrific vision of the future through the eyes of three characters that perform Previous Life Access Surgery. Their journeys into their patients'' pasts provide a terrifying relevance to the future of human life on earth.

As the storyteller spins her magic at the King''s table, she realizes that she is being controlled by the white pipes and an evil magic more powerful than her own.