Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Aug 2008
496 pages
Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Speculative, Alt. History
Publication Information
Do you dream of a city at the end of time?
In a time like the present, in a world that may or may not be our own, three young people–Ginny, Jack, and Daniel–dream of a doomed, decadent city of the distant future: the Kalpa. Ginny’s and Jack’s dreams overtake them without warning, leaving their bodies behind while carrying their consciousnesses forward, into the minds of two inhabitants of the Kalpa–a would-be warrior, Jebrassy, and an inquisitive explorer, Tiadba–who have been genetically retro-engineered to possess qualities of ancient humanity. As for Daniel: He dreams of an empty darkness–all that his future holds.
But more than dreams link Ginny, Jack, and Daniel. They are fate-shifters, born with the ability to skip like stones across the surface of the fifth dimension, inhabiting alternate versions of themselves. And each guards an object whose origin and purpose are unknown: gnarled, stony artifacts called sum-runners that persist unchanged through all versions of time.
Hunted by others with similar powers who seek the sum-runners on behalf of a terrifying, goddess-like entity known as the Chalk Princess, Ginny, Jack, and Daniel are drawn, despite themselves, into an all but hopeless mission to rescue the future–and complete the greatest achievement in human history.
"Starred Review. [T]his complex, difficult and beautifully written tale will appeal to sophisticated readers who prefer thorny conundrums to fast-paced action." - Publishers Weekly.
"Recommended for public and academic libraries where intelligent speculative fiction circulates." - Library Journal.
"Yes, it really is that affectless and unintelligible. Somehow, all this will save the universe, or maybe start a new one, but trillions of-no, wait-hundreds of pages later, you still won't care." - Kirkus Reviews.
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Greg Bear was born in San Diego, California, on August 20th, 1951, to Wilma M. and
Dale F. Bear. His father was in the navy so as a child he had traveled
extensively to Japan, the Philippines and Alaska, as well as
touring various parts of the United States.
He completed his first short story at the age of 10 while living in
Alaska. At age thirteen or fourteen he began to submit
stories to magazines, and at fifteen he sold his first short short to Robert
Lowndes' Famous Science Fiction magazine, but it didn't appear in print
until he was sixteen years old. It took five
years to sell his next story, but by the time he was twenty-three he was selling
regularly. He completed his first novel when he was nineteen but it was not
published until 13 years later (having been...
... Full Biography
Author Interview
Link to Greg Bear's Website
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