A man tumbles through wild surf, half drowned, to collapse on a moonlit beach. When he regains consciousness, he has no memory of who he is or where he came from. He knows only that the woman who washed ashore with him has disappeared sometime in the night, and that he has awakened in a surreal landscape of savage beauty-a mysterious watery world encircled by a thin spine of land. Aided by strange tribesmen, he will journey to the cove of the spine kings, a brutal race that has enslaved the woman and several of the tribesmen. That is only the beginning of his quest, as he struggles to find his identity in this cruel and dreamlike land-and seeks out the woman whose grip on his imagination is both unfathomable and unshakable. Haunting and lyrical, filled with uncommon beauty and terrific peril, A Short, Sharp Shock is an ambitious and enthralling story by one of science fiction's most respected talents. Kim Stanley Robinson is the author of over twenty books and has won every major award in the science fiction genre. Originally published in 1990, A Short, Sharp Shock remains a singular work in his canon that engages his interests in the environment and plumbs the absurdities of the human condition while charting unique narrative terrain. This anti-oedipal edition includes an insightful introduction by esteemed science fiction scholar and critic Robert Crossley as well as a study guide, both of which encourage readers to explore the literary prowess that makes this novel a rare gem of twentieth century American literature.

From the award-winning author of the Mars Trilogy comes a thrilling new novel…

Kim Stanley Robinson, author of the Hugo and Nebula award-winning Mars trilogy, is one of the most original and visionary writers of fiction today. Now, in his latest novel, he takes us to a harsh, alien landscape covered by a sheet of ice two miles deep. This is no distant planet—it is the last pure wilderness on earth.

A stark and inhospitable place, its landscape poses a challenge to survival; yet its strange, silent beauty has long fascinated scientists and adventurers. Now Antarctica faces an uncertain future. The international treaty that protects the continent is about to dissolve, clearing the way for Antarctica’s resources and eerie beauty to be plundered. As politicians and corporations move to determine its fate from half a world away, radical environmentalists carry out a covert campaign of sabotage to reclaim the land. The winner of this critical battle will determine…

A major new novel from one of science fiction’s most powerful voices, AURORA tells the incredible story of our first voyage beyond the solar system.

Brilliantly imagined and beautifully told, it is the work of a writer at the height of his powers.

Our voyage from Earth began generations ago.

Now, we approach our new home.

AURORA.

“Black Air” tells the story of the Spanish Armada from the point of view of a young boy able to sense the impending death of other people.

When the government wields its power against its own people, every citizen becomes an enemy of the state. Will you fight the system, or be ground to dust beneath the boot of tyranny?

In his smash-hit anthologies Wastelands and The Living Dead, acclaimed editor John Joseph Adams showed you what happens when society is utterly wiped away. Now he brings you a glimpse into an equally terrifying future — what happens when civilization invades and dictates every aspect of your life?

From 1984 to The Handmaid’s Tale, from Children of Men to Bioshock, the dystopian imagination has been a vital and gripping cautionary force. Brave New Worlds collects 33 of the best tales of totalitarian menace by some of today’s most visionary writers.

From Huxley's Brave New World, to Orwell's 1984, to Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, dystopian books have always been an integral part of both science fiction and literature, and have influenced the broader culture discussion in unique and permanent ways. Brave New Worlds brings together the best dystopian fiction of the last 30 years, demonstrating the diversity that flourishes in this compelling subgenre. This landmark tome contains stories by Ursula K. Le Guin, Cory Doctorow, M. Rickert, Paolo Bacigalupi, Orson Scott Card, Neil Gaiman, Ray Bradbury, and many others.

Quelle aurait été l’histoire du monde si l’Europe chrétienne avait disparu au Moyen Age, ravagée par la peste ? L’Islam et la Chine seraient devenus les civilisations dominantes, découvrant l’Amérique, se faisant la guerre, inventant le chemin de fer et l’atome, cherchant à l’emporter, à imposer la foi de Mahomet, Bouddha ou Confucius…

A travers les destins de trois personnages — un sentimental, un révolté et un intellectuel —, Kim Stanley Robinson dépeint de façon étonnamment réaliste sept cents ans de l’histoire d’un univers foisonnant, où les aventures individuelles se mêlent à la trame historique et se répondent à travers les siècles et les continents. D’abord simple soldat dans l’armée de Tamerlan, Bold rencontrera Kyu, un jeune eunuque noir, et I-Chi, une restauratrice chinoise en quête des plats les meilleurs. Incendies, inondations, épidémies, guerres, révoltes, le destin va jouer avec ces personnages et les entraîner, au fil des siècles et de leurs diverses réincarnations, dans des aventures fascinantes.

A la fois roman d’initiation et vrai-faux roman historique, Chroniques des années noires est un livre profondément original, une somme impressionnante d’érudition et d’imagination ainsi qu’un merveilleux plaidoyer pour la paix dans le monde et la beauté de la vie.

At the heart of a provocative narrative that stretches from Renaissance Italy to the moons of Jupiter is the father of modern science: Galileo Galilei. To the inhabitants of the Jovian moons, Galileo is a revered figure whose actions will influence the subsequent history of the human race. From the summit of their distant future, a charismatic renegade named Ganymede travels to the past to bring Galileo forward in an attempt to alter history and ensure the ascendancy of science over religion. And if that means Galileo must be burned at the stake, so be it. From Galileo's heresy trial to the politics of far-future Jupiter, Kim Stanley Robinson illuminates the parallels between a distant past and an even more remote future--in the process celebrating the human spirit and calling into question the convenient truths of our own moment in time.

Though it was published almost ten years before Kim Stanley Robinson’s acclaimed Mars trilogy and takes place in a different version of the future, Icehenge contains elements that should be familiar to readers of the Mars series. Extreme human longevity, Martian revolution, historical revisionism, and shifts between primary characters are all present.

Icehenge is part mystery, part psychological drama, and is set in three distinct time periods. The story shifts from a failed Martian revolution of 2248, to an expedition to explore a mysterious monument on the north pole of Pluto three centuries later, and ultimately to a space station orbiting Saturn, home to a reclusive and wealthy woman who may hold the key to solving a mystery spanning centuries.

Though it was published almost ten years before Kim Stanley Robinson’s acclaimed Mars trilogy and takes place in a different version of the future, Icehenge contains elements that should be familiar to readers of the Mars series. Extreme human longevity, Martian revolution, historical revisionism, and shifts between primary characters are all present.

Icehenge is part mystery, part psychological drama, and is set in three distinct time periods. The story shifts from a failed Martian revolution of 2248, to an expedition to explore a mysterious monument on the north pole of Pluto three centuries later, and ultimately to a space station orbiting Saturn, home to a reclusive and wealthy woman who may hold the key to solving a mystery spanning centuries.

The autobiographical story about author’s time in Switzerland; published in the fenzine Flurb (http://www.flurb.net/4/4robinson.htm).

W swej porywającej, głęboko przemyślanej książce K. S. Robinson, jeden z najznakomitszych światowych żyjących pisarzy SF, snuje wizję, jak mogłaby się potoczyć historia ludzkości, gdyby dżuma w XIV w. zabiła niemal wszystkich mieszkańców Europy, a dominującą rolę na świecie odgrywały imperia arabskie i chińskie. Siedem wieków tej alternatywnej historii świata (aż po współczesność) oglądamy oczami różnych bohaterów w różnych czasach — dusze żołnierzy, niewolników, filozofów, władców powracają co jakiś czas w odmiennych wcieleniach. Losy tych ludzi zależą od świata, ale i oni wpływają na bieg wydarzeń. Stworzony przez Robinsona wiarygodny, realistyczny świat tworzy ramy dla wielobarwnej tkaniny utkanej z filozoficznych, naukowych, teologicznych i socjologicznych wątków, przy czym w centrum zainteresowania autora pozostają zawsze pytania o sens życia i śmierci, istnienie wieczności, wartość ludzkich wyborów. Dzięki temu jest to lektura nie tylko dla wielbicieli fantastyki.

Entre vérité historique et science-fiction, un portrait original du visionnaire Galilée.

Venise, en 1609. La science est en pleine expansion. Philosophes et mathématiciens mènent leurs recherches à l’ombre de l’Eglise, qui veille à ce que leurs découvertes ne soient surtout pas trop audacieuses. C’est à cette époque que Galilée rencontre un étranger qui l’aide à mettre au point un télescope révolutionnaire. Cette invention va lui ouvrir les portes du monde dont est justement originaire cet homme : Europe, la deuxième lune de Jupiter, en 3020.

Galilée va désormais naviguer entre le XVIIe siècle et le 4e millénaire, rapportant de ses voyages dans le futur de quoi alimenter de nouvelles découvertes. Celles-ci ne tardent pas à lui valoir des accusations d’hérésie. Fusion étonnante d’histoire et de science-fiction, ce roman ambitieux dresse un portrait fouillé et passionnant d’un Galilée plus vrai que nature, tout en redonnant vie au bouillonnement intellectuel et aux controverses du XVIIe siècle.

Les progrès de la médecine ont donné à l’humanité une espérance de vie moyenne de six cents ans, qui sera sans doute bientôt prolongée jusqu’à mille. Mais la mémoire n’a pas suivi : n’y subsistent que les souvenirs les plus récents, ceux qui couvrent l’étendue d’une durée de vie jadis « normale ».

Dans ces conditions, que devient l’histoire, lorsqu’elle est écrite par des gens qui l’ont à la fois vécue et oubliée ? C’est l’énigme que pose la découverte, sur Pluton, d’un mystérieux monument : un cercle de gigantesques blocs de glace. Scintillant dans la pale lueur du lointain soleil, « Icehenge » défie toutes les explications. Quel rapport cette construction entretient-elle avec la révolte qui, jadis, a enflammé les colonies martiennes ? Qui en est le constructeur et pourquoi l’histoire officielle n’en montre-telle nulle trace ?

Par l’auteur de la grandiose Trilogie martienne, une splendide réflexion sur l’histoire et la mémoire, une vaste fresque couvrant cinq cents années du futur de l’humanité.

Siglo XXI. Durante eones, las tormentas de arena han barrido el estéril y desolado paisaje del planeta rojo. Ahora, en el año 2026, cien colonos, cincuenta mujeres y cincuenta hombres, viajan a Marte para dominar ese clima hostil. Tienen como misión la terraformación de Marte, y como lema: “Si el hombre no se puede adaptar a Marte, hay que adaptar Marte al hombre”. Espejos en órbita reflejarán la luz sobre la superficie del planeta. En las capas polares se esparcirá un polvo negro que fundirá el hielo. Y grandes túneles, de kilómetros de profundidad, atravesarán el manto marciano para dar salida a gases calientes. En este escenario épico, habrá amores y amistades y rivalidades, pues algunos lucharán hasta la muerte para evitar que el planeta rojo cambie.

New York Times bestselling author Kim Stanley Robinson returns with a bold and brilliant vision of New York City in the next century.

As the sea levels rose, every street became a canal. Every skyscraper an island. For the residents of one apartment building in Madison Square, however, New York in the year 2140 is far from a drowned city.

There is the market trader, who finds opportunities where others find trouble. There is the detective, whose work will never disappear—along with the lawyers, of course.

There is the internet star, beloved by millions for her airship adventures, and the building’s manager, quietly respected for his attention to detail. Then there are two boys who don’t live there, but have no other home—and who are more important to its future than anyone might imagine.

Lastly there are the coders, temporary residents on the roof, whose disappearance triggers a sequence of events that threatens the existence of all—and even the long-hidden foundations on which the city rests.

New York 2140 is an extraordinary and unforgettable novel, from a writer uniquely qualified to the story of its future.

Europa vor 30 000 Jahren: Der Waisenjunge Eistaucher wird von Dorn, dem Schamanen seines Stammes, aus dem Lager schickt, um zwei Wochen allein und ohne Hilfsmittel in der Wildnis zu überleben. Eistaucher ist auserkoren, einmal Dorns Nachfolge anzutreten, und zu diesem Zweck muss er nicht nur das Überleben in der Natur lernen, sondern auch seine Fähigkeit schulen, mit der Welt und all ihren Geschöpfen »eins zu werden«. Eistaucher trägt von seinem Ausflug zwar einige Verletzungen davon, doch seine Visionen waren so stark, dass er sich nicht mehr vorstellen kann, weiterhin bei seinem Stamm zu leben. Aber welche Freiheit kann es für einen Schamanenschüler in einer Welt geben, in der Bären, Löwen und Luchse lauern und eine andere Menschart — die rätselhaften »Alten« — Jagd auf ihn macht? Eistaucher bricht auf in eine ungewisse Zukunft — die zugleich die Zukunft der Menschheit ist …

Ein atemberaubendes Panorama des eiszeitlichen Europas und eine faszinierende Nacherzählung der Menschwerdung — mit Schamane hat Kim Stanley Robinson einen historischen Roman geschrieben, den es so noch nie gab.

A new epic set in the Paleolithic era from New York Times bestselling author Kim Stanley Robinson.

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Mars trilogy and 2312 comes a powerful, thrilling and heart-breaking story of one young man's journey into adulthood -- and an awe-inspiring vision of how we lived thirty thousand years ago.

Explore fascinating, often chilling “what if” accounts of the world that could have existed–and still might yet…Science fiction’s most illustrious and visionary authors hold forth the ultimate alternate history collection. Here you’ll experience mind-bending tales that challenge your views of the past, present, and future, including:

• “The Lucky Strike”: When The Lucky Strike is chosen over The Enola Gay to drop the first atomic bomb, fate takes an unexpected turn in Kim Stanley Robinson’s gripping tale.

• “Bring the Jubilee”: Ward Moore’s novella masterpiece offers a rebel victory at Gettysburg which changes the course of the Civil War… and all of American history.

• “Through Road No Wither”: After Hitler’s victory in World War II, two Nazi officers confront their destiny in Greg Bear’s apocalyptic vision of the future.

• “All the Myriad Ways”: Murder or suicide, Ambrose Harmon’s death leads the police down an infinite number of pathways in Larry Niven’s brilliant and defining tale of alternatives and consequences.

• “Mozart in Mirrorshades”: Bruce Sterling and Lewis Shiner explore a terrifying era as the future crashes into the past–with disastrous results.

…as well as works by Poul Anderson • Gregory Benford • Jack L. Chalker • Nicholas A. DiChario • Brad Linaweaver • William Sanders • Susan Shwartz • Allen Steele • and Harry Turtledove himself!

The definitive collection: fourteen seminal alternate history tales drawing readers into a universe of dramatic possibility and endless wonder