Most Popular Books by Robert Silverberg

The classic science fiction novel, now back in print Clay is a man from the 20th Century who is somehow caught up in a time-flux and transported into a distant future. The earth and the life on it have changed beyond recognition. Even the human race has evolved into many different forms, now coexisting on the planet. The seemingly omnipotent Skimmers, the tyrannosaur-like Eaters, the sedentary Awaiters, the squid-like Breathers, the Interceders, the Destroyers—all of these are "Sons of Man". Befriended and besexed by the Skimmers, Clay goes on a journey which takes him around the future earth and into the depths of his own soul. He is human, but what does that mean?

In the far future, Earth is a worn-out backwater and humanity is spread across the galaxy on worlds that began as colonies, but now feel like home, each with its own long history of a thousand years or more, and each with its own unique culture. One of the strangest is on Borthan, where the founding settlers established the Covenant, which teaches that the self is to be despised, and forbids anyone to reveal his innermost thoughts or feelings to another. On Borthan, the filthiest obscenities imaginable are the words "I" and "me." For the heinous crime of "self-baring," apostates have always paid with exile or death, but after his eyes are opened by a visitor from Earth, Kinnall Darival, prince of Salla, risks everything to teach his people the real meaning of being human. With a new introduction by the author, and the first-ever map of Borthan, this classic, out of print since 1992, is a fantastic new addition to the Orb imprint.

Nearly twenty years ago Robert Silverberg began writing a monthly column of opinion and commentary, for Galileo Magazine, Amazing Stories, and then for Isaac Asimov''s Science Fiction Magazine. Now he has chosen the liveliest and most relevant of his hundreds of magazine columns for the present collection. They constitute a vivid chronicle of events both in science fiction and the world in general over the past two decades. Robert Silverberg is one of the great veterans of fantasy and science fiction. During the course of a career that has now stretched across more than forty years, he has written dozens of novels and hundreds of short stories, many of them considered classics of the genre. He has won more major award nominations than any other writer in his field, and no less than nine Hugo and Nebula awards, the key s-f/fantasy trophies. His books have been translated into some eighteen languages and his short stories have appeared in every science-fiction and fantasy magazine in the world, as well as in Omni, Playboy, and Penthouse.

"Vividly realized and inventive . . . A brooding masterpiece of social science fiction" from the Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author ( Science Fiction and Other Suspect Ruminations). After eight years away from the planet known as Holman''s World, Edmund Gunderson has returned. Before, as the assistant station manager, he helped the Company exploit the bustling colonial outpost for Earth''s gain—mining its riches and putting its native species to work. Now, the planet has been given back to its inhabitants: the intelligent, elephant-like beings known as the nildoror, who peacefully coexist with carnivorous bipeds known as the sulidoror. And Edmund Gunderson has come back to relive his past and meet up with old acquaintances. Or so he says . . . What Gunderson really wants is to witness the rebirth of the nildoror, a sacred ceremony performed in the northern mist country. Given permission from the elders, he travels deeper into the exotic world than he has ever gone before, through tropical jungles teeming with alien creatures. It is a journey that will take Gunderson deep within himself, where his own failings and fears reside, and bring him face to face with the planet''s greatest mysteries—and the evil within men''s souls . . . "Brilliantly imagined . . . One of the finest writers ever to work in science fiction." — The Philadelphia Inquirer on Tom O''Bedlam "Like all truly superior sci-fi, Downward to the Earth is the sort of novel that just bursts with some imaginative idea or unexpected touch on every single page. It is a terrific feat of the imagination, wonderfully well written by Silverberg, and with fascinating characters, both alien and human." — Fantasy Literature

"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

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.

While visiting a noble''s house, Joseph, scion of the great House Keilloran, gets trapped behind enemy lines when a rebel uprising explodes around him. Now he must begin a solitary odyssey across thousands of miles of hostile land, populated by a plethora of alien creatures. Between there and home is a civil strife that is tearing apart his world.

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

In the final novel of The Prestimion Trilogy, the succession of Majipoor''s ruler is threatened by a plague of the mind. Since gaining the Starburst Crown, Coronal Lord Prestimion has faced unfathomable challenges as ruler of Majipoor. But now peace has finally been restored to the planet, and it is time for Prestimion to name his successor and descend to the Labyrinth as Pontifex. Though the capable Prince Dekkeret is chosen to become the next Coronal, the transition is imperiled when a dark force reemerges from the past . . . Coronal Prestimion defeated his enemy Dantirya Sambail years ago, but the ignoble jackals who followed him are scheming to reclaim his lost lands and power. At their head is the tyrant''s former henchman Mandralisca, who has unleashed a torrent of dark visions upon Prestimion''s subjects. Otherworldly nightmares invade the sleep of those loyal to the Lords and the Lady of Majipoor, driving them to commit horrible, destructive acts. And the dark wave is flowing ever-closer to the throne atop Castle Mount . . . and into the sacrosanct depths of the Imperial Labyrinth itself. "Robert Silverberg is the Marco Polo of Majipoor. What wonders and adventures he has to tell us, what treasures he brings back from every voyage to that fabulous world." —Ursula K. Le Guin "In The King of Dreams Robert Silverberg takes us once more into the wonder of Majipoor and proves again that he is a master." —Robert Jordan

A thrilling retelling of the ancient Epic of Gilgamesh from the Hugo and Nebula Award–Winning author of Lord Valentine''s Castle. Gilgamesh''s appetite for wine, women, and warfare is insatiable. As the King of Uruk, he oppresses his people and burdens his city. To temper his excesses, the gods create Enkidu, Gilgamesh''s equal, who becomes his greatest friend. Together they wander the kingdom as brothers, conquering demons until a cruel twist changes Gilgamesh''s path forever. Two parts god and one part man, Gilgamesh is mortal—a fate he now resolves to overcome, no matter what the price. And so he embarks on another journey, in pursuit of vengeance and the ultimate prize for a mortal king: eternal life. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Robert Silverberg including rare images and never-before-seen documents from the author''s personal collection.

Seeking the immortality promised in an ancient manuscript, The Book of Skulls, four friends, college roommates, go on a spring break trip to Arizona: Eli, the scholar, who found and translated the book; Timothy, scion of an American dynasty, born and bred to lead; Ned, poet and cynic; and Oliver, the brilliant farm boy obsessed with death. Somewhere in the desert lies the House of Skulls, where a mystic brotherhood guards the secret of eternal life. There, the four aspirants will present themselves–and a horrific price will be demanded. For immortality requires sacrifice. Two victims to balance two survivors. One by suicide, one by murder. Now, beneath the gaze of grinning skulls, the terror begins. . . . From the Trade Paperback edition.

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 "dark, restrained, and powerful" mirror of current politics from the Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author ( Science Fiction Ruminations ). A Grand Master of Science Fiction 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

ROBERT SILVERBERG confronts the paradoxes of time travel in a brilliant novel of the 25th century, when the only escape from suffocation in a totally controlled environment is to hop backward through time. Since time hopping rearranges the past on which the structure of current existence is based, it must be stopped - but not too quickly. For the history of the 1970''s includes the arrival of hoppers who have not yet left the 2490''s - and whose departure thus must not be stopped!

Simeon Krug is a man with a vision, and he has the vast wealth necessary to bring it into being. For Krug wishes to communicate with the stars, to answer signals from deep space. The colossal glass tower that he is building for the purpose soars high above the Arctic tundra, a sparkling monument to his determination and obsession. The androids who are working on it are perfect synthetic creations, created by Krug''s own process in Krug''s own factories, and their commitment to the project and their loyalty to Krug are beyond question. For they have made him their god and believe that through him they will become flesh and blood. But Krug is not a god, and when the androids learn the bitter truth their anger is terrible and uncontrollable and threatens much more than Krug''s tower. Tower of Glass is a tense and powerful novel written with the intense creativity and ferocious imagination which characterize Silverberg''s finest work . Dealing intelligently and forthrightly with important themes, it is science fiction at its thrilling best.

Nebula Award–winning author: Humans have emerged to reclaim the Earth after the Long Winter. But they never anticipated the battle that awaits . . . As Earth thaws after the Long Winter, the remaining human tribes journey from beneath the continent to the fertile land above. But the hjjk, an ancient insectlike race that remained on Earth’s surface throughout the frozen eons, stand in their way. Keeping a tight grip on their power, the hjjks are the chief barrier to the people’s further expansion in the New Springtime. When Kundalimon, a human who has lived with the hjjk for seventeen years, arrives as an emissary of peace, the tribes are wary. They rely on Nialli Apuilana, who had been stolen at thirteen by the hjjk and released months later, to ascertain his true mission. But in this new world, it’s hard to know whom to trust. As both sides prepare for war, the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. The Queen of Springtime is the second book of the New Springtime series, which begins with At Winter’s End. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Robert Silverberg including rare images and never-before-seen documents from the author’s personal collection, as well as a detailed outline for the final, unrealized title in the New Springtime series, The Summer of Homecoming.

A team of space archaeologists makes an astonishing discovery about an ancient alien race in this science fiction tale from “a master of his craft” (Los Angeles Times). Graduate student Tom Rice is thrilled to embark on his first deep-space archeological expedition. He is part of a team from Earth, venturing out in search of artifacts from a civilization that ruled the universe many millennia ago. Called the High Ones, the members of this long-gone society left tantalizing clues about their history and culture scattered throughout space. One such clue, a “message cube” containing footage of the ancient ones, is more interesting than all of the others combined. It seems to indicate that the High Ones aren’t extinct after all—and just like that, Tom Rice’s archeological mission has become an intergalactic manhunt, one filled with ever-increasing danger that will send the explorers hurtling headlong into the greatest adventure—and peril—of their lives. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Robert Silverberg including rare images and never-before-seen documents from the author’s personal collection.

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

After seven hundred thousand years underground, a tribe emerges to a frozen Earth, in this novel from the Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author. The time of falling death stars ushered in the Long Winter—eons of cold that caused plants and animals to vanish from Earth and drove people to take refuge in underground cocoons. Human ingenuity had never faced a greater challenge. For seven hundred thousand years, generation after generation was born and died below the Earth’s surface. But now, one small tribe is sensing change. Chieftain Koshmar is sure that the New Springtime is near, so she leads her people above ground to explore the new world that awaits. The unfamiliar Earth, still a frozen shell of its former self, will test their mettle in every way, leading the people of the tribe to the brink of their destiny—or to their doom. At Winter’s End is the first book of the New Springtime series, which continues with The Queen of Springtime. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Robert Silverberg including rare images and never-before-seen documents from the author’s personal collection.

When aliens invade, a generations-long struggle begins against an impenetrable enemy in this sci-fi epic from the Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author. The Entities have arrived on Earth, fifteen feet tall with impenetrable defenses and inscrutable motives. As conquerors, they have no demands, no explanations, simply harsh consequences should they be challenged. Releasing a plague and plunging the world into a new Dark Age, the Entities seem unbeatable. But, one family at least—the Carmichael clan led by Colonel Anson Carmichael—will never give up the resistance. THE ALIEN YEARS is an epic story told over multiple generations by master of thoughtful science fiction Robert Silverberg. Can ideas of freedom survive in the face of an overwhelmingly powerful enemy? "A remarkable study of human endurance and patience that belongs in most SF collections." —The Library Journal "Sobering and frightening.... Silverberg''s rich characters, his dead-on-target vision of modern society, his mastery at building tension—all are in evidence in this notable outing from one of the very best." —Publishers Weekly