New Releases by Robert Silverberg

From multiple Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author Robert Silverberg, Roma Eterna takes an in-depth look at an alternative history in which the Roman Empire survives into the twenty-first century and beyond. What would happen if Imperial Rome never fell? Roma Eterna, spanning fifteen hundred years of global history, follows the reign of the Roman Empire from its inception to the present day. Empire continues to expand, creeping across the globe and through the annals of history from the conquest of the Mayans to the first circumnavigational voyage, and finally the attempt of the Hebrews to flee Rome’s tyranny by escaping to another planet. Originally published as a series of short stories, Roma Eterna presents a powerful new world written by an endlessly imaginative writer.

In a world where death is no longer the end, Robert Silverberg''s "Recalled To Life" explores the profound implications of resurrection technology on society and the human psyche. When Jim Harker, a journalist, is tasked with investigating the controversial practice of bringing the dead back to life, he uncovers a web of ethical dilemmas, political intrigue, and personal struggles. As he navigates this brave new world, Harker confronts questions about identity, the value of life, and the consequences of playing god. This gripping narrative challenges readers to consider the moral complexities and societal impacts of scientific advancements, making it a thought-provoking read that resonates deeply with contemporary issues of bioethics and the quest for immortality.

Introducing "Amazing Tales Volume 163", a captivating collection that explores the boundaries of human experience across the cosmos. Each story invites readers to journey through worlds where courage, humor, and mystery intertwine. In "The Overlord''s Thumb", we are transported to the alien world of Markin, where a blood-red sunset signals impending turmoil. Here, Colonel John Devall stands at a crossroads, balancing his dual roles as a military leader and an anthropologist. His decisions could define humanity''s future, testing his resolve in ways he never imagined. Transitioning from alien landscapes to familiar yet challenging domestic terrain, "Go to Sleep, My Darling" offers a humorous glimpse into the life of Bertrand Baxter. Once a football star, now a sporting goods salesman, Bert struggles to understand the women in his life-his wife and four daughters. This story beautifully captures the chaos and joy of navigating a world dominated by feminine energy. Next, "The Way Out" plunges readers into a psychological thriller where Earth''s fate hangs in the balance. Trapped within a labyrinth of mirrors, a man faces an existential question: how do you kill without killing? As reality blurs, he must uncover this mystery before time runs out, offering a gripping exploration of resilience and the power of the mind. Finally, "West o'' Mars" takes us on a cosmic adventure with Peache, a salesman with an unyielding love for Mars. Set in 2081, amidst the Martian dunes, Peache unravels a tale of intrigue and romance. In the shadow of a woman''s influence, fortunes are won and lost, and the legendary whispers of West o'' Mars beckon with promises and secrets. "Volume 163" of "Amazing Tales" invites you to explore the uncharted territories of the human spirit, where every decision and encounter can alter the course of destiny.

In this epic, “[a] brilliant concept of the imagination,” an amnesiac wanderer rediscovers his destiny as ruler of a vast planet (Chicago Sun-Times). Valentine, a drifter who remembers nothing except his name, finds himself on the fringes of a great city. Joining a motley troupe of jugglers and acrobats, he travels with them across the magical planet of Majipoor. All the while, he hopes to meet someone who can help him retrieve his past. Then Valentine begins to dream—and to receive messages in those dreams. Messages that tell him he is a lord, a king turned out of his castle. Now his travels have a purpose: to return to his home, discover what enemy took his memory, and claim the destiny that awaits him. “An imaginative fusion of action, sorcery, and science fiction.” —The New York Times Book Review “Absorbing . . . a wildly imaginative universe.” —People

In the third novel of this acclaimed sci-fi/fantasy series, the ruler of a vast planet faces a threat of war—and conspiracy within his own court. Plagued by nightmares of blizzards and earthquakes besieging the planet Majipoor, Lord Valentine believes these dreams signal the coming of war between his people and the Shapeshifters, who once ruled the planet. For centuries they have conspired to regain their stolen world, and recently they were discovered impersonating members of the kingdom’s inner circle. Since coming to power, Valentine has made peaceful overtures to the Shapeshifters. This has led select members of the royal court to question his loyalties. Now some even want to remove Valentine from his governing role—casting him into the higher, ceremonial office of Pontifex. But if Valentine accepts the mantle of Pontifex and surrenders his position to his successor-in-waiting, he may be remembered as a leader who evaded his duties—and shattered the peace that has reigned for eight thousand years. . . . “[Valentine Pontifex is] a dance of conflicting emotions and political intrigue. Both the world and Lord Valentine have matured, and the trilogy becomes whole in a way that the form rarely achieves.” —The Village Voice “There’s an almost hypnotic grandeur to the thoughtful way Silverberg weaves the strands of the story together, effortlessly jugging the various motifs.” —Publishers Weekly

The first three novels in the acclaimed sci-fi fantasy series from the award-winning author: “An imaginative fusion of action, sorcery, and science fiction” (The New York Times Book Review). In the first three books of the Majipoor Cycle, Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author Robert Silverberg delivered a vast and vividly imagined world full of epic adventure, court intrigue, and high drama. In Lord Valentine’s Castle, an amnesiac wanderer receives dreams of his true destiny as ruler of the planet Majipoor. In Majipoor Chronicles, the planet’s bloodthirsty history is revealed through tales of rulers and thieves. And in the final novel, Valentine Pontifex, Valentine faces the threat of civil war as well as conspiracy within his court.

The Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author delivers a prescient tale that “explores the inanity of conformity with a hopelessly superficial future humankind” (Publishers Weekly, starred review). He was revived, somehow, and thrust into a brand-new world, one in which humans have evolved to breathe underwater, reproduction is quite uncommon, and everyone has standardized their appearance to conform to the presently favored model. He is a rarity, a throwback, with his short legs, hairy body, lopsided face, and scars. He remembers automobiles, tax returns, a family—all the components of an imperfect world. But here and now, he is an object of fascination to be studied by doctors and politicians, and to be wanted by adventurous women. He keeps telling himself that in a country of the beautiful, the ugly man is king. If only he’d listen . . . Praise for Robert Silverberg and his short stories “When Silverberg is at the top of his form, no one is better.” —George R. R. Martin, #1 New York Times–bestselling author “Silverberg’s creative story premises are matched by a remarkable ability to make his characters sympathetic, whether human or not.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “The short stories in Robert Silverberg’s First-Person Singularities are inventive, sublime, and endlessly entertaining.” —Foreword Reviews “Decades after being originally published, most of these stories are still just as entertaining and powerful as they were when first released. A singularly unique collection.” —Kirkus Reviews

An unsuspecting newlywed finds himself the subject of alien scientific study in this humorous tale from the Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author. After an evening out to dinner, one sultry midsummer eve, Charlie finds himself in the right place at the wrong time: lying underneath an oak tree after making love with his new wife. But while Maria drifts off into dreamland, Charlie finds himself being watched by a one-eyed alien in the branches above. No leering voyeur is this alien; it’s here on research purposes only and has been lucky to observe human copulation. Now it has a favor to ask of Charlie: a personal demonstration. To make the situation more palatable, it transforms into one of Charlie’s beautiful ex-girlfriends. To keep the alien’s eye from wandering to his sleeping wife, Charlie will have to make the ultimate sacrifice . . .

Dale Kesley was a simple farmer in the Iowa province of the North American empire when van Arlen found him. He''d been looking for the young man for four years and came to take him to Antarctica. Coincidentally, Dale couldn''t remember much of his life before four years before. Antarctica is the thirteenth empire set up after the world had nearly destroyed itself in a nuclear war. In order to recover and rebuild the world had agreed to a simpler life. Except Antarctica. It had erected a barrier around itself and been cut off for over four hundred years. Each empire was ruled over by an immortal, mutants from the war. In short order, trying to make his way south, Dale runs awry of both North and South American Dukes and now has a price on his head. Alone, van Arlen either dead or wounded, gone in any case, his only choice is to get to Antarctica somehow. The answers to who he is and why everyone wants him dead lie there. (Goodreads)

Here is a rarity—Robert Silverberg''s first professional story, which appeared in a British magazine in 1954. A strong adventure tale set on an alien world, it shows the strengths the then 18-year-old writer would hone over the coming decades, as he rose through the ranks to become one of the greatest science fiction writers of all time. Includes an introduction by Robert Silverberg.

In this modern account of the genesis of a great medieval myth, celebrated science fiction author Robert Silverberg’s explores the mysterious origins of Prester John, the astonishing Christian potentate of the East. Prester John was a legendary figure who cast a powerful spell over Latin Christendom for almost five centuries. Rumors of the warrior-king-prelate’s fabulous realms first reached Europe in the eleventh century and quickly assumed an exalted status alongside such fabled wonders as El Dorado, The Fountain of Youth, and the Holy Grail. The defeat of a Moslem Turkish tribe by a Buddhist Chinese warlord seems to have been the unlikely historical nugget around which the Prester John myth grew, but contributions to this strange saga have also been traced all around the globe to the Apostle Thomas'' apocryphal preaching in India, to the actual existence of small colonies of Nestorian schismatics in central Asia, and even to Genghis Khan.

One of the most persistent legends in the annals of New World exploration is that of the Land of Gold. This mythical site was located over vast areas of South America (and later, North America); the search for it drove some men mad with greed and, as often as not, to their untimely deaths. In this history of quest and adventure, Robert Silverberg traces the fate of Old World explorers lured westward by the myth of El Dorado. From the German conquistadores licensed by the Spanish king to operate out of Venezuela, to the journeys of Gonzalo Pizarro in the Amazon basin, and to the nearly miraculous voyage of Francisco Orellana to the mouth of the Amazon River, encountering the warlike women who gave the river its name, violence and bloodshed accompanied the determined adventurers. Sir Walter Raleigh and a host of other explorers spent small fortunes and many lives trying to locate Manoa, a city that was rumored to be El Dorado—City of Gold. Celebrated science fiction author Robert Silverberg recreates these legendary quests in The Golden Dream: Seekers of El Dorado.

"Gilgamesh in the Outback" is a science fiction novella by American writer Robert Silverberg, a sequel to his novel Gilgamesh the King[ as well as a story in the shared universe series "Heroes in Hell." It won the Hugo Award for Best Novella in 1987 and was also nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novella in 1986. Real-life writers Robert E. Howard and H. P. Lovecraft feature as characters in the novella.

“A ribald, Byzantine tale of time-tourism” from the multiple Nebula and Hugo Award–winning author (Tor.com). It’s 2059, and former law clerk Jud Elliott finds himself at loose ends—until a chance meeting with a Time Courier gives him the inspiration to become one himself. The job—as a time-traveling guide—gives him the opportunity to indulge his love of Byzantine history, in between shuttling tourists to such monumental events as the crucifixion and the assassination of JFK. But there are strict rules to follow as a Time Courier, put in place to guard against paradoxes and preserve the sanctity of “now-time.” Jud isn’t used to following the rules—especially when faced with temptation. All it takes is one tiny slip here, one misplaced step there, and Jud could destroy his own timeline and cease to exist in the blink of an eye . . . a practicality that’s hard for Jud to grasp when he crosses paths with an eleventh-century Byzantium beauty he can’t resist. “A hugely ambitious, enormously fun, sly, paradox-peppered piece that chronicles the time-tourist trade and all its perils—specializing in Byzantine history.” —Strange Horizons “This novel is a comedy, and it is funny, but it is one of those black comedies where things go wrong, and then the more the protagonist tries to fix things, the more wrong they become, until the ending is at one and the same time an O. Henry punchline and a deep existential truth, neat as a pin and just as sharp.” —Kim Stanley Robinson

A collection of twenty classic stories from the Science Fiction Grand Master who “seems capable of amazements beyond those of mere mortals” (The Washington Post Book World). Needle in a Timestack is Robert Silverberg at his very best—intelligent, inventive, and visionary. This collection showcases his talent for thought-provoking science fiction, ranging in themes from time travel to space travel, the media to mortality. In the titular story—now a feature film by Oscar-winning screenwriter John Ridley—a jealous ex-husband warps time in a vindictive attempt to destroy his former wife’s new marriage. Thirty-one identical sons have a shocking surprise for their mother in “There Was an Old Woman.” The prophetic “The Pain Peddlers” depicts reality TV in a way that allows viewers to revel in a voyeuristic, adrenaline-fueled rush. Also included are Silverberg’s Hugo Award–winning “Enter a Soldier. Later: Enter Another,” and the Locus Award winner “The Secret Sharer,” a Joseph Conrad–inspired tale of a ship captain drawn into a strange alliance with a stowaway. The New York Times Book Review hailed Silverberg as “the John Updike of science fiction.” The stories in Needle in a Timestack unite us in our humanity, in the face of science, technology, and our own changing culture.

A “dark, restrained, and powerful” mirror of current politics from the Science Fiction Grand Master (Science Fiction Ruminations). In the barren landscape of the late Cambrian period, a penal colony sits high above the ocean on the east coast of what would become the United States. The men—political prisoners—have been sent from the twenty-first century on a one-way ticket to a lifetime of exile. Their lonely existence has taken its toll . . . Jim Barrett was once the physically imposing leader of an underground movement dedicated to toppling America’s totalitarian government. Now he is nothing but a crippled old man, the camp’s de facto ruler due to his seniority. His mind is still sharp, having yet to succumb to the psychosis that claims more and more men each day. So when a new prisoner is transported to the colony—a startlingly young and suspiciously apolitical man—Barrett’s instincts go on high alert. As Barrett reminisces about his revolutionary past, he uncovers the new prisoner’s secrets—and faces a shocking revelation that thrusts him into a future he never dreamed possible . . . “One of the finest writers ever to work in science fiction.” —The Philadelphia Inquirer

How far will four friends go for immortality? This novel is Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author “Robert Silverberg at his very best” (George R. R. Martin). After Eli, a scholarly college student, finds and translates an ancient manuscript called The Book of Skulls, he and his friends embark on a cross-country trip to Arizona in search of a legendary monastery where they hope to find the secret of immortality. On the journey with Eli, there’s Timothy, an upper-class WASP with a trust fund and a solid sense of entitlement; Ned, a cynical poet and alienated gay man; and Oliver, a Kansas farm boy who escaped his rural origins and now wants to escape death. If they can find the House of Skulls where immortal monks allegedly reside, they’ll undergo a rigorous initiation. But do those eight grinning skulls mean the joke will be on them? For a sacrifice will be required. Two must die so that two may live forever . . . Stretching the boundary between science fiction and horror, Robert Silverberg masterfully probes deeper existential questions of morality, brotherhood, and self-determined destiny in what Harlan Ellison refers to as “one of my favorite nightmare novels.” This ebook features an illustrated biography of Robert Silverberg including rare images from the author’s personal collection.

The definitive collection of the best in science fiction stories between 1929-1964. This book contains twenty-six of the greatest science fiction stories ever written. They represent the considered verdict of the Science Fiction Writers of America, those who have shaped the genre and who know, more intimately than anyone else, what the criteria for excellence in the field should be. The authors chosen for The Science Fiction Hall of Fame are the men and women who have shaped the body and heart of modern science fiction; their brilliantly imaginative creations continue to inspire and astound new generations of writers and fans. Robert Heinlein in "The Roads Must Roll" describes an industrial civilization of the future caught up in the deadly flaws of its own complexity. "Country of the Kind," by Damon Knight, is a frightening portrayal of biological mutation. "Nightfall," by Isaac Asimov, one of the greatest stories in the science fiction field, is the story of a planet where the sun sets only once every millennium and is a chilling study in mass psychology. Originally published in 1970 to honor those writers and their stories that had come before the institution of the Nebula Awards, The Science Fiction Hall Of Fame, Volume One, was the book that introduced tens of thousands of young readers to the wonders of science fiction. Too long unavailable, this new edition will treasured by all science fiction fans everywhere. The Science Fiction Hall Of Fame, Volume One, includes the following stories: Introduction by Robert Silverberg "A Martian Odyssey" by Stanley G. Weinbaum "Twilight" by John W. Campbell "Helen O''Loy" by Lester del Rey "The Roads Must Roll" by Robert A. Heinlein "Microcosmic God" by Theodore Sturgeon "Nightfall" by Isaac Asimov "The Weapon Shop" by A. E. van Vogt "Mimsy Were the Borogoves" by Lewis Padgett "Huddling Place" by Clifford D. Simak "Arena" by Frederic Brown "First Contact" by Murray Leinster "That Only a Mother" by Judith Merril "Scanners Live in Vain" by Cordwainer Smith "Mars is Heaven!" by Ray Bradbury "The Little Black Bag" by C. M. Kornbluth "Born of Man and Woman" by Richard Matheson "Coming Attraction" by Fritz Leiber "The Quest for Saint Aquin" by Anthony Boucher "Surface Tension" by James Blish "The Nine Billion Names of God" by Arthur C. Clarke "It''s a Good Life" by Jerome Bixby "The Cold Equations" by Tom Godwin "Fondly Fahrenheit" by Alfred Bester "The Country of the Kind," Damon Knight "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes "A Rose for Ecclesiastes" by Roger Zelazny At the Publisher''s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

An Alternate History adventure... From Turkish dominated Europe, across the high seas to the land of opportunity-the Aztec Empire- Dan Beauchamp is a young Englishman whose heart longs for fortune and adventure. But industrial Mexico is a long way from primitive Britain, and Dan has a lot to learn. From the city of London-better known as New Istanbul-to the untamed wilderness of North America lies a high adventure not to be missed.

A thousand years in the future, the earth has been conquered by an alien race and covered by a single sea. Dovirr Stargan, who is disgusted with the servility of his life on the floating city of Vythain, longs to become one of the Sea-Lords, who roam the sea as powerful protectors of the cities. Dovirr gets his wish, but the return of the alien race brings unexpected and critically dangerous crises to his new life as he learns the real, sometimes terrible, significance of power.

This far-future sci-fi saga by a multiple Hugo and Nebula Award–winning Grand Master chronicles the perilous rebirth of humanity on a destroyed Earth. Robert Silverberg’s critically acclaimed masterworks have earned him entry into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame, and a place among the genre’s greatest legacies. This classic, two-book saga gazes into a world many millennia from now and spins a mesmerizing tale of survival, evolution, and the ultimate future of humanity. At Winter’s End: For the past 700,000 years, the remaining inhabitants of planet Earth have survived underground, escaping the endless rain of “death stars” that destroyed their civilization—and the world. Now, with the surface finally inhabitable after countless millennia, one tribe’s leader is guiding her people to freedom. But unexpected threats and dark revelations could endanger their long-awaited rebirth. The Queen of Springtime: Hidden below ground for millennia, the People have finally emerged to repopulate the Earth and reclaim their legacy as the dominant species. But the cold, insectile hjjk, who remained on Earth’s surface throughout the frozen eons, will not give up the world they inherited without a fight. The New Springtime series is Robert Silverberg at his very best, showcasing the intelligence, ingenuity, humanism, and extraordinary talents that have won him four Hugo Awards, six Nebulas, and a host of other honors.

Originally published in 1958, under the pseudonym David Osborne. Dr. Jeffrey Brewster, assistant professor of psycho-sociology at Columbia University, had been six weeks old when the first crude satellites were flung into space back in 1957. During his childhood there had been Moon rockets and the space stations - then the joint American-Russian-manned expedition to the Moon in 1965, right after the collapse of the Soviet dictatorship. Mars and Venus had been reached as he grew up and a permanent base was established on the Moon in 1973. Now the day''s papers reported that an expedition was ready to leave for Callisto, moon of Jupiter. But Dr. Brewster had a class to make and he was late. That was when the telephone rang and Mari, his wife, said, "Long distance from Washington." The caller was Colonel Chasin of Unsecfor - United Nations Security Force, the global and international army that policed the world in these days of relative peace and harmony...

By the 23rd century Earth''s population had reached seven billion. Mankind was in danger of perishing for lack of elbow room--unless prompt measures were taken. Roy Walton had the power to enforce those measures. But though his job was in the service of humanity, he soon found himself the most hated man in the world. For it was his job to tell parents their children were unfit to live; he had to uproot people from their homes and send them to remote areas of the world. Now, threatened by mobs of outraged citizens, denounced and blackened by the press, Roy Walton had to make a decision: resign his post, or use his power to destroy his enemies and become a dictator in the hopes of saving humanity from its own folly. In other words, should he become the MASTER OF LIFE AND DEATH?

The Hugo Award–winning author returns to the mythical world of Gilgamesh the King in this adventurous sequel: “An enthralling quest.” —The Times (London) The warrior-king Gilgamesh—part man, part god—is not only larger than life; he is larger than death. Trapped in the Afterworld, a bizarre reality in which everyone who has ever died lives again . . . only to die again and again in endless succession, Gilgamesh sets out to find his lost friend Enkidu and fight his way back to the land of the living. Along the way, he encounters a rogue’s gallery of figures from history, literature, and myth—including H. P. Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard—and travels from the ancient city of Uruk to modern-day Manhattan. But the Afterworld is not so easily escaped.

A diplomat who successfully negotiated with intelligent aliens finds his loyalty to the human race tested in this novel by a Nebula Award–winning author. Richard Muller was an honorable diplomat who braved unimaginable dangers to make contact with the first-known race of intelligent aliens. But those aliens left a mark on him: a psychic wound that emanates a telepathic miasma his fellow humans can neither cure nor endure. Muller is exiled to the remote planet of Lemnos, where he is left, deeply embittered, at the heart of a deadly maze . . . until a new alien race appears, seemingly intent on exterminating humanity. Only Muller can communicate with them, due to the very condition that has made him an outcast. But will Muller stick his neck out for the people who so callously rejected him?

A tortured man’s visions hold the key to mankind’s future in Robert Silverberg’s post-apocalyptic masterpiece Life in the blasted wasteland of 2103 California is nasty, brutish, and short. If the savage “scratchers” don’t kill you, the poisoned environment will. But one man wanders this desolate landscape and sees beauty: glorious visions of impossible places and majestic beings not of Earth. Scorned and mocked as a madman, Tom doubts his sanity until his visions mysteriously begin to spread to others and a returning star probe offers evidence that they are real. Now, as a new religion is born, with Tom as its reluctant messiah, violent forces are unleashed—forces that have the power to transform humanity . . . or destroy it.

A New York Times Notable Book: A far-future coming-of-age tale from the SF Grand Master, “one of the world’s finest stylists and storytellers” (San Antonio Express-News). “What wonders and adventures he has to tell us,” is how Ursula K. Le Guin characterized the work of Robert Silverberg, and in The Longest Way Home, he takes readers on another dazzling odyssey. Joseph, fifteen and separated from his family in the land known as Getfen, awakens to an attack on the Great House in which he is visiting. Narrowly escaping with his life but still pursued by enemies who wish to see him killed, Joseph must journey across a dark, unfamiliar world on his quest to return to his home of Helikis and his father. He has thousands of miles to travel and much to learn about this perilous alien world in transition—and about himself. “What the greatly changed Joseph might find at the end of his journey, and how he might react, are questions that I came to care deeply about.” —The New York Times Book Review “The Longest Way Home recalls, in a lot of ways, the old-time frontier adventures, not the ones with the cowboys and the Indians, but the ones where people have to learn to survive in the wilderness or along the prairie. [Joseph’s] adventures in survival are exciting, and the travels along this world are a pleasant escape.” —SF Site “This engaging, entertaining book is a fast read with many thoughtful themes.” —School Library Journal

Hugo and Nebula Award Finalist: This tale of an encounter between a probability expert and a psychic is “a treasure” (San Francisco Examiner). Lew Nichols can predict the future. Not see the future, just make predictions based on research and statistics. Nichols is damn good at it, though, and his accuracy makes him a valuable addition to Paul Quinn’s political campaign for New York City Mayor and possibly the White House. But, when Nichols meets eccentric millionaire Martin Carvajal, predictions suddenly seem petty and flippant. You see, Carvajal can actually see the future—not trends, not options—a signal line of events stretching out ahead. It’s a gift Nichols can learn from this “mentor,” but at what price? Will knowing the future make the present meaningless?

From the Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author: “High adventure, considerable tension, and—most important—social consciousness” (Harlan Ellison). Simeon Krug is the king of the universe. A self-made man, he is the Bill Gates of the era, having built a megacommercial empire on the backs of his products: androids, genetically engineered human slaves. Having amassed incredible wealth, his next major goal is to communicate with aliens living in an uninhabitable world, sending a mysterious signal. This requires building a mile high tower in the arctic tundra. The androids want civil equality with humans, but are divided on the best means to the goal—political agitation or religious devotion to Krug, their creator. And Krug’s son, Manuel, is reluctant to step into his role as heir to his father’s empire.

This sprawling, episodic novel by the Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author is a “tour de force sci-fi outing . . . a wonderful read” (Fantasy Literature). 2077. With Earth reeling from centuries of unregulated population growth and environmental decimation, a new religion has taken root. The Vorsters worship science and the material world over all else, searching for the promise of immortality through new technology and the promise of heaven among the physical stars. But on Venus, a renegade sect has found its home. The Harmonists find the answers to life’s eternal questions in their own spirituality and in their own bodies, which have undergone genetic changes on Venus, giving them paranormal abilities. With humanity’s future at stake, religion becomes a political business, and both groups will have to face their motivations and manipulations when a shocking discovery threatens the balance of power in the universe. “The absorbing story of an overpopulated and economically depressed world clinging to the outcome of a religious schism for its salvation.” —sff180