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The Stars are Also Fire - Poul Anderson

By Poul Anderson

Release Date: 2015-12-08

Genre: Science Fiction

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Humans and their genetically altered descendants struggle to find their place in a universe controlled by a benevolent artificial intelligence in this brilliant classic of future speculation

On a far-future Earth, a linked system of artificial intelligences called the cybercosm runs the planet and the universe far more efficiently than any flesh and blood ruler ever could, in essence rendering the human race obsolete. On the Earth’s moon, genetically engineered Lunarians carrying the DNA of Dagney Beynac—a descendant of the legendary Anton Guthrie, founder of the powerful and visionary Fireball Enterprises—struggle to preserve their lives, their freedom, and their satellite’s resources in the face of threats posed by encroaching humans and controlling machines. Over a span of five centuries, tensions have increased in the wake of the political and technological revolutions that reshaped their universe. And suddenly radical change is in the offing once more, as a secret kept hidden since the earliest days of Lunar colonization is about to be revealed—one that could effectively shut down the cybercosm and plunge the universe into chaos.
 
Poul Anderson advances the worlds-shattering circumstances he so brilliantly introduced in Harvest of Stars, creating a vision of the future that is at once astonishing, provocative, and troubling. A true science fiction classic, The Stars Are Also Fire explores deep questions about the nature, complexity, and worth of humankind in an unforgettable novel considered by many to be Anderson’s masterpiece.

“One of hard science fiction’s most impressive writers . . . The bleak surfaces of distant asteroids and the nearer moon become beautiful and vibrant in Anderson’s hands. . . . Anderson’s hard-science spirit imbues every page.” —Omni magazine
 
“One of Anderson’s two or three finest works—if not the finest.” —John Jakes
 
“This novel offers suspense, vivid writing and appealing characters wrestling with a big philosophical problem. . . . An engrossing story that leaves the reader wondering about the human need for fresh horizons, adventure, and danger.” —Publishers Weekly

Poul Anderson (1926–2001) grew up bilingual in a Danish American family. After discovering science fiction fandom and earning a physics degree at the University of Minnesota, he found writing science fiction more satisfactory. Admired for his “hard” science fiction, mysteries, historical novels, and “fantasy with rivets,” he also excelled in humor. He was the guest of honor at the 1959 World Science Fiction Convention and at many similar events, including the 1998 Contact Japan 3 and the 1999 Strannik Conference in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Besides winning the Hugo and Nebula Awards, he has received the Gandalf, Seiun, and Strannik, or “Wanderer,” Awards. A founder of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, he became a Grand Master, and was inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame.

In 1952 he met Karen Kruse; they married in Berkeley, California, where their daughter, Astrid, was born, and they later lived in Orinda, California. Astrid and her husband, science fiction author Greg Bear, now live with their family outside Seattle.

The Stars are Also Fire - Poul Anderson

By Poul Anderson

Release Date: 2015-12-08

Genre: Science Fiction

(0 ratings)
Read Download
Humans and their genetically altered descendants struggle to find their place in a universe controlled by a benevolent artificial intelligence in this brilliant classic of future speculation

On a far-future Earth, a linked system of artificial intelligences called the cybercosm runs the planet and the universe far more efficiently than any flesh and blood ruler ever could, in essence rendering the human race obsolete. On the Earth’s moon, genetically engineered Lunarians carrying the DNA of Dagney Beynac—a descendant of the legendary Anton Guthrie, founder of the powerful and visionary Fireball Enterprises—struggle to preserve their lives, their freedom, and their satellite’s resources in the face of threats posed by encroaching humans and controlling machines. Over a span of five centuries, tensions have increased in the wake of the political and technological revolutions that reshaped their universe. And suddenly radical change is in the offing once more, as a secret kept hidden since the earliest days of Lunar colonization is about to be revealed—one that could effectively shut down the cybercosm and plunge the universe into chaos.
 
Poul Anderson advances the worlds-shattering circumstances he so brilliantly introduced in Harvest of Stars, creating a vision of the future that is at once astonishing, provocative, and troubling. A true science fiction classic, The Stars Are Also Fire explores deep questions about the nature, complexity, and worth of humankind in an unforgettable novel considered by many to be Anderson’s masterpiece.

“One of hard science fiction’s most impressive writers . . . The bleak surfaces of distant asteroids and the nearer moon become beautiful and vibrant in Anderson’s hands. . . . Anderson’s hard-science spirit imbues every page.” —Omni magazine
 
“One of Anderson’s two or three finest works—if not the finest.” —John Jakes
 
“This novel offers suspense, vivid writing and appealing characters wrestling with a big philosophical problem. . . . An engrossing story that leaves the reader wondering about the human need for fresh horizons, adventure, and danger.” —Publishers Weekly

Poul Anderson (1926–2001) grew up bilingual in a Danish American family. After discovering science fiction fandom and earning a physics degree at the University of Minnesota, he found writing science fiction more satisfactory. Admired for his “hard” science fiction, mysteries, historical novels, and “fantasy with rivets,” he also excelled in humor. He was the guest of honor at the 1959 World Science Fiction Convention and at many similar events, including the 1998 Contact Japan 3 and the 1999 Strannik Conference in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Besides winning the Hugo and Nebula Awards, he has received the Gandalf, Seiun, and Strannik, or “Wanderer,” Awards. A founder of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, he became a Grand Master, and was inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame.

In 1952 he met Karen Kruse; they married in Berkeley, California, where their daughter, Astrid, was born, and they later lived in Orinda, California. Astrid and her husband, science fiction author Greg Bear, now live with their family outside Seattle.

More by Poul Anderson

The Science Fiction Megapack

Starfarers

The Second Science Fiction Megapack

The Boat of a Million Years

Tau Zero

The Broken Sword

The Corridors of Time

After Doomsday

Three Hearts and Three Lions

There Will Be Time

Brain Wave

Orion Shall Rise

The Man-Kzin Wars

The Avatar

The Science Fiction MEGAPACK ÂŽ

Young Flandry

Two Novels of Far-Future Apocalypse

The Golden Horn

World without Stars

The Last Viking Trilogy

The High Crusade

The Star Fox

A Midsummer Tempest

The Dancer from Atlantis

Hrolf Kraki's Saga

The Van Rijn Method

American Science Fiction: Four Classic Novels 1960-1966 (LOA #321)

Three Tales of Time and Space

The 14th Science Fiction MEGAPACKÂŽ

Man-Kzin Wars IX

Harvest of Stars

The 15th Science Fiction MEGAPACKÂŽ

Fire Time

New America

The Enemy Stars

The Science Fiction Hall of Fame Volume Two-A (The Great Novellas)

Science Fiction Triple Features Treasury

The Stars are Also Fire

The Third Golden Age of Science Fiction Megapack

Fantastic Stories Presents: Science Fiction Super Pack #2

Captain Flandry: Defender of the Terran Empire

Sir Dominic Flandry: The Last Knight of Terra

Operation Chaos and Operation Luna

Fleet of Stars

David Falkayn: Star Trader

Short Fiction

First Contacts: Tales From The Vintage Years of Science Fiction

Mother of Kings

Flandry's Legacy

The Science Fiction Archive #3

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