Most Popular Books by Robert Silverberg

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.

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.

Winner of the Hugo Award: This classic is an “evocative look at a crumbling Earth of the far future and a human race struggling to survive” (George R. R. Martin). “Roum is a city built on seven hills. They say it was a capital of man in one of the earlier cycles. I knew nothing of that, for my guild was Watching, not Remembering.” For a thousand years, mankind has lived under the threat of invasion from an alien race. After the oceans rose and the continents were reshaped, people divided into guilds—Musicians, Scribes, Merchants, Clowns, and more. The Watchers wander the earth, scouring the skies for signs of enemies from the stars. But during one Watcher’s journey to the ancient city of Roum with his companion, a Flier named Avluela, a moment of distraction allows the invaders to advance. When the Watcher finally sounds the alarm, it’s too late; the star people are poised to conquer all. And so, with the world in turmoil, the Watcher sets out alone for the Hall of the Rememberers, keepers of the past, where humanity’s last hope for survival might be hidden . . . Perfect for readers of Greg Bear and Ursula K. Le Guin, renowned, award-winning author Robert Silverberg’s science fiction novel represents the best of the genre and beyond. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Robert Silverberg including rare images and never-before-seen documents from the author’s personal collection.

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

With a new introduction by author Robert Silverberg, and the first-ever map of Borthan, this Nebula Award–winning classic sci-fi novel A Time of Changes, out of print since 1992, will delight fans of dystopian fiction. 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.

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?

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.

Who knoweth the spirit of men that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth? –Ecclesiastes 3:21 Okay, they did resemble elephants, it can''t be denied. That led many people to underestimate the Nildoror and their obviously more fearsome commensals, the Sulidoror. But aliens should never be judged by human standards, as the Company learned to its cost when Holman''s World, now once again known as Belzagor, was given back to the natives and the Company sent packing. Now Edmund Gunderson, once head of the Company''s operation on this world, has come back across the galaxy to settle old scores with the Nildoror. If he can even get them to acknowledge his existence. Downward to the Earth is a classic from the golden age of Robert Silverberg''s career in the 1970s. His homage to Joseph Conrad''s Heart of Darkness, it remains as fresh and powerful today as the day it was written. Our Orb edition will have a map of Gunderson''s journey across Belzagor and a new introduction by the author. At the Publisher''s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

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.

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?

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.

“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

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.

Earth is home to seventy-five billion souls in this Hugo Award–nominated novel: “A major work of contemporary science fiction.” —Locus Welcome to Urban Monad 116. Reaching nearly two miles into the sky, the one thousand stories of this building are home to over eight hundred thousand people living in peace and harmony. In the year 2381 with a world population of over seventy-five billion souls, the massive Urbmon system is humanity’s salvation. Life in Urbmon 116 is cherished—and highly regulated. The culture of procreation is seen as the highest pinnacle of god’s plan. Conflict is abhorred, and any who disturb the peace face harsh punishment—even being sent “down the chute” to be recycled as fertilizer. But not everyone has fallen completely in line. Jason Quevedo, a historian, searches records of the twentieth century hoping to find the root of his discontent with the perfection of Urbmon life. Siegmund Kluver, a young. ambitious administrator, strives to reach the top levels of the Urbmon’s government and discovers the civilization’s dark truths. Michael Statler, a computer engineer, harbors a forbidden desire to leave the building—to walk in the open air and visit the far-off sea. This is a dream he must keep secret. If anyone were to find out, he’d face the worst punishment imaginable . . . The World Inside is a fascinating exploration of society and what makes us human, told by a master of speculative fiction and winner of numerous Nebula and Hugo Awards.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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?

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 . . .

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.

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 1972, Robert Silverberg, even then an acknowledged leader in the science fiction field, published a book that was immediately hailed as a masterpiece. More than three decades later, Dying Inside has stood the test of time and has been recognized as one of the finest novels the field has ever produced. Never wasting a word, Silverberg persuasively shows us what it would be like to read minds, painting an unforgettable portrait of a man shaped by that unique power; a power he is now inexorably losing. Acclaimed upon first publication by SF critics and mainstream reviewers alike, Dying Inside is overdue for reintroduction to today''s SF audience. This is a novel for everyone who appreciates deeply affecting characterization, imaginative power, and the irreplaceable perspective unique to speculative fiction of the highest order. At the Publisher''s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

A pilgrimage leads to a shocking revelation in this “deeply affecting and evocative extraterrestrial novel” from the Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author (Locus). The village of Jespodar nestles in the foothills of a world-dominating mountain known to all as "The Wall." Poilar Crookleg has grown up in Jespodar training hard and hoping that he will be chosen for the annual Pilgrimage, a group journey to the top of the mountain from which no pilgrim has ever returned both alive and sane. The pilgrims seek to replicate the legendary journey of a distant ancestor who scaled the mountain and, so the story goes, met with the gods. The Pilgrimage is a a life journey, an overwhelming challenge and a sacred honor and Poilar feels blessed when he is finally chosen to lead it. But not all is as it first seems. Along the journey lie hazards of all kinds, both vilently dangerous and seductively beguiling and to triumph in the climb is to confront a revelation so surprising and so disturbing that none, not even the smartest and best prepared, are likely to survive. What belief and what devotion leads so many to hope for such a challenging task and what will be the ultimate result of such dedication? Only The Wall itself can reveal the destiny for those who undertake the Pilgrimage.

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.

Somewhere in Philadelphia, a master engraver is turning out brilliant forgeries of U.S. currency plates for an organized crime gang - and the government wants to put a stop to it. But how can they get close enough to bring down the criminal enterprise from the inside? By snatching a west coast crime boss'' right-hand man and sending a federal agent undercover in the man''s place. His assignment: pose as a buyer of counterfeit bills and try to get the engraver out. Which works fine - until he crosses paths with someone who knows the man he replaced... A lost masterpiece from science fiction Grandmaster Robert Silverberg, published as a complete novel for the very first time!

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

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.

In Illinois, the one-hundred-foot Cahokia Mound spreads impressively across sixteen acres, and as many as ten thousand more mounds dot the Ohio River Valley alone. The Mound Builders traces the speculation surrounding these monuments and the scientific excavations which uncovered the history and culture of the ancient Americans who built them. The mounds were constructed for religious and secular purposes some time between 1000 B.C. and 1000 A.D., and they have prompted curiosity and speculation from very early times. European settlers found them evidence of some ancient and glorious people. Even as eminent an American as Thomas Jefferson joined the controversy, though his conclusions—that the mounds were actually cemeteries of ancient Indians—remained unpopular for nearly a century. Only in the late 19th century, as Smithsonian Institution investigators developed careful methodologies and reliable records, did the period of scientific investigation of the mounds and their builders begin. Silverberg follows these excavations and then recounts the story they revealed of the origins, development, and demise of the mound builder culture.

Robert Silverberg''s debut novel, first published in 1955.

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

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.

Duncan Chalk is a monstrous media mogul with a vast appetite for other people¿s pain. He feeds off it, and carefully nurtures it in order to feed it to the public. It is inevitable that Chalk should home in on Minner Burris, a space traveller whose body was taken apart by alien surgeons and then put back together again - differently. Burris¿ pain is constant. And so is that of Lona Kelvin, used by scientists to supply eggs for 100 children and then ruthlessly discarded. Only an emotional vampire like Chalk can see the huge audience eager to watch a relationship develop between these two damaged people. And only Chalk can make it happen.