Heavy ​Planet

Orson Scott Card - Maps ​in a Mirror
_Maps ​in a Mirror_ brings together nearly all of Orson Scott Card's short fiction written between 1977 and 1990. For those readers who have followed this remarkable talent since the beginning, here are all those amazing stories gathered together in one place, with some extra surprises as well. For the hundreds of thousands who are newly come to Card, here is chance to experience the wonder of a writer so versatile that he can handle everything from traditional narrative poetry to modern experimental fiction with equal ease and grace. The brilliant story-telling of the Alvin Maker books is no accident; the breathless excitement evoked by the Ender books is not a once-in-a-lifetime experience. In this enormous volume are forty-six stories, plus ten long, intensely personal essays, unique to this volume. In them the author reveals some of his reasons and motivations for writing, with a good deal of autobiography into the bargain.

Kim Stanley Robinson - Red ​Mars
The ​first novel in Kim Stanley Robinson's massively successful and lavishly praised Mars trilogy. 'The ultimate in future history' Daily Mail Mars -- the barren, forbidding planet that epitomises mankind's dreams of space conquest. From the first pioneers who looked back at Earth and saw a small blue star, to the first colonists -- hand-picked scientists with the skills necessary to create life from cold desert -- Red Mars is the story of a new genesis. It is also the story of how Man must struggle against his own self-destructive mechanisms to achieve his dreams: before he even sets foot on the red planet, factions are forming, tensions are rising and violence is brewing! for civilization can be very uncivilized.

Andy Weir - The ​Martian
_Apollo ​13 meets Castaway in this grippingly detailed, brilliantly ingenious man-vs-nature survival thriller-set on the surface of Mars._ Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first men to walk on the surface of Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first man to die there. It started with the dust storm that holed his suit and nearly killed him-and that forced his crew to leave him behind, sure he was already dead. Now he's stranded millions of miles from the nearest human being, with no way to even signal Earth that he's alive-and even if he could get word out, his food would be gone years before a rescue mission could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to get him first. But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills-and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit-he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. But will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

Nancy Kress - Beggars ​in Spain
Nancy ​Kress's landmark genetic engineering story, one of the most critically acclaimed SF novellas of the last decade. A rich financier compels scientists to create for him the perfect daughter--smart, beautiful, and with no need to sleep. Kress masterfully explores the social implications of "Sleepless" people in a novella you will never forget.

Isaac Asimov - I, ​Robot
The ​Three Laws of Robotics 1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. 2. A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. 3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law. Isaac Asimov changed our perception of robots forever when he formulated the classic laws governing their behavior. In _I, Robot_ Asimov chronicles the development of the robot from its primitive origins in the present to its ultimate perfection in the not-so-distant future - a future in which humanity itself may be rendered obsolete. Here are stories of robots gone mad, mind-reading robots, robots with a sense of humor, robot politicians, and robots who secretly run the world, all told with the dramatic blend of science fact and science fiction that has become Asimov's trademark.

Richard Matheson - I ​Am Legend
Robert ​Neville is the last living man on earth... but he is not alone. Every other man, woman and child on the planet has become a vampire, and they are all hungry for Neville's blood. By day he is the hunter, stalking the sleeping undead through the abandoned ruins of civilization. By night, he barricades himself in his home and prays for the dawn. How long can one man survive like this?

James Blish - Cities ​in Flight
James ​Blish's galaxy-spanning masterwork, originally published in four volumes, explores a future in which two crucial discoveries -- antigravity devices which enable whole cities to be lifted from the Earth to become giant spaceships, and longevity drugs which enable their inhabitants to live for thousands of years -- lead to the establishment of a unique Galactic empire.

Karl Schroeder - Queen ​of Candesce
Venera ​Fanning was last seen falling into nothingness at the end of Sun of Suns. Now, in Queen of Candesce, Venera finds herself plunging through the air among the artificial worlds of Virga, far from home and her husband, who may or may not be alive. Landing in the ancient nation of Spyre, Venera encounters new enemies and new friends (or at least convenient allies). She must quickly learn who she can trust, and who she can manipulate in order to survive. Survival isn't her only goal; with the powerful Key of Candesce in her hands, she can control the fate of the entire world of Virga, yet something even more pressing is driving her--the all consuming need for revenge.

Kim Stanley Robinson - Aurora ​(angol)
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 destination. A new home. AURORA.

Kurt Vonnegut - Palm ​Sunday / Welcome to the Monkeyhouse
A ​diabolical government asserts control by eliminating orgasm from sex in the title story of Welcome to the Monkey House - setting the tone for a collection shot through with Vonnegut's acrid wit, and his bewilderment at the corruption of humanity. From riffs on country music, George Bush, and his mother's midnight mania, to a bitter-sweet tribute to a dead friend, Palm Sunday demonstrates why Kurt Vonnegut is equally well known as an essayist and commentator as he is a novelist. This caustic, funny and poignant collection resonates with Vonnegut's singular voice.

Larry Niven - The ​Integral Trees
When ​leaving Earth, the crew of the spaceship Discipline was prepared for a routine assignment. Dispatched by the all-powerful State on a mission of interstellar exploration and colonization, Discipline was aided (and secretly spied upon) by Sharls Davis Kendy, an emotionless computer intelligence programmed to monitor the loyalty and obedience of the crew. But what they weren’t prepared for was the smoke ring – an immense gaseous envelope that had formed around a neutron star directly in their path. The Smoke Ring was home to a variety of plant and animal life-forms evolved to thrive in conditions of continual free-fall. When Discipline encountered it, something went wrong. The crew abandoned ship and fled to the unlikely space oasis.

Ted Chiang - Stories ​of Your Life and Others
Ted ​Chiang's first published story, "Tower of Babylon," won the Nebula Award in 1990. Subsequent stories have won the Asimov's SF Magazine reader poll, a second Nebula Award, the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award, and the Sidewise Award for alternate history. He won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in 1992. Story for story, he is the most honored young writer in modern SF. Now, collected here for the first time are all seven of this extraordinary writer's stories so far — plus an eighth story written especially for this volume. What if men built a tower from Earth to Heaven — and broke through to Heaven's other side? What if we discovered that the fundamentals of mathematics were arbitrary and inconsistent? What if there were a science of naming things that calls life into being from inanimate matter? What if exposure to an alien language forever changed our perception of time? What if all the beliefs of fundamentalist Christianity were literally true, and the sight of sinners being swallowed into fiery pits were a routine event on city streets? These are the kinds of outrageous questions posed by the stories of Ted Chiang. Stories of your life...and others.

Kurt Vonnegut - Armageddon ​in Retrospect
Armageddon ​in Retrospect is a collection of twelve writings by Kurt Vonnegut on two of his most important subjects: war and peace. Written over the course of a lifetime, yet never before published, these pieces represent Vonnegut's unerring opposition to violence, and his rueful assessment of humanity's endless attraction to it. Imbued with his trademark humor, the selections range from a visceral nonfiction recollection of the destruction of Dresden during World War II, a piece that is as timely today as it was then; to a painfully funny short story about three privates and their fantasies of the perfect first meal upon returning home from war; to a darker, more poignant story about the impossibility of shielding our children from the temptations of violence. Combined, these pieces offer readers remarkable insight into Vonnegut as a soldier, writer, artist, parent, and human being striving for peace. This stunning volume also includes a letter that Vonnegut wrote to his family informing them that he'd been taken prisoner by the Germans; his last written speech; an introduction by his son, Mark Vonnegut; as well as an assortment of his marvelous artwork - like his writing, Vonnegut's art is colorful, unexpected, alternately poignant and potently funny. A fitting tribute, and an essential contribution to the discussion of war and peace, Armageddon in Retrospect says as much about the times in which we live as it does about the genius of the writer and artist.

Ursula K. Le Guin - The ​Books of Earthsea
Celebrating ​the 50th anniversary of the timeless and beloved _A Wizard of Earthsea_ —“…reads like the retelling of a tale first told centuries ago,” (David Mitchell)—comes this complete omnibus edition of the entire Earthsea chronicles, including over fifty illustrations illuminating Le Guin’s vision of her classic saga. Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea novels are some of the most acclaimed and awarded works in literature—they have received prestigious accolades such as the National Book Award, a Newbery Honor, the Nebula Award, and many more honors, commemorating their enduring place in the hearts and minds of readers and the literary world alike. Now for the first time ever, they’re all together in one volume—including the early short stories, Le Guin’s “Earthsea Revisioned” Oxford lecture, and a new Earthsea story, never before printed. With a new introduction by Le Guin herself, this essential edition will also include fifty illustrations by renowned artist Charles Vess, specially commissioned and selected by Le Guin, to bring her refined vision of Earthsea and its people to life in a totally new way. [Stories include: “A Wizard of Earthsea”, “The Tombs of Atuan”, “The Farthest Shore”, “Tehanu”, “Tales From Earthsea”, “The Other Wind”, “The Rule of Names”, “The Word of Unbinding”, “The Daughter of Odren”, and “Earthsea Revisioned: A Lecture at Oxford University”.] With stories as perennial and universally beloved as _The Chronicles of Narnia_ and _The Lord of The Rings_—but also unlike anything but themselves—this edition is perfect for those new to the world of Earthsea, as well as those who are well-acquainted with its enchanting magic: to know Earthsea is to love it.

Gene Wolfe - Sword ​and Citadel
Recently ​voted the greatest fantasy of all time, after The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, Gene Wolfe's The Book of the New Sun is an extraordinary epic, set a million years in the future, in a time when our present culture is no longer even a memory. Severian, the central character, is a torturer, exiled from his guild after falling in love with one of his victims, and journeying to the distant city of Thrax, armed with his ancient executioner's sword, Terminus Est. This edition contains the final two volumes of this four volume novel, The Sword of the Lictor and The Citadel of the Autarch.

Karl Schroeder - Sun ​of Suns
It ​is the distant future. The world known as Virga is a fullerene balloon three thousand kilometers in diameter, filled with air, water, and aimlessly floating chunks of rock. The humans who live in this vast environment must build their own fusion suns and "towns" that are in the shape of enormous wood and rope wheels that are spun for gravity. Young, fit, bitter, and friendless, Hayden Griffin is a very dangerous man. He's come to the city of Rush in the nation of Slipstream with one thing in mind: to take murderous revenge for the deaths of his parents six years ago. His target is Admiral Chaison Fanning, head of the fleet of Slipstream, which conquered Hayden's nation of Aerie years ago. And the fact that Hayden's spent his adolescence living with pirates doesn't bode well for Fanning's chances . . .

William Gibson - Burning ​Chrome
Ten ​brilliant, high-resolution stories from the man who invented the term cyberspace: From the chip-enhanced couriers of Johnny Mnemonic to the street-tech melancholy of Burning Chrome, Gibson's characters and their intensely realized worlds become instantly recognizable. Polaroids of the postmodern condition. “Exciting and rewarding…Burning Chrome, as the first full collection of Gibson’s shorter works, will in time be remembered as a landmark.” — Houston Post “(A) breath of fresh air…the vision is deeply imagined, very complete and controlled…Gibson is truly brilliant.” — Washington Times Magazine “With his first collection of science fiction short stories, William Gibson hits the ground vaporizing…Twists com at the beginning instead of the end of these futuristic gems.” — San Diego Tribune "William Gibson's supreme achievements are his shorter works. His characteristic clarity, intensity, and New Wave Romanticism show best advantage in his novelettes....pure gold." — Locus "Sharp and stunning... a brilliant, highly recommended collection" — Midwest Review of Books

Ray Bradbury - The ​Martian Chronicles
Written ​in the age of the atom, when America and Europe optimistically viewed the discovery of life on Mars as inevitable, Bradbury's closely interwoven tales of a brutal, stark and unforgiving Martian landscape are both astonishing and insightful. The Martian Chronicles tells the story of humanity's repeated attempts to colonize the red planet. Thefirst men were few. Most succumbed to a disease called the Great Loneliness when they saw their home planet dwindle to the size of a fist. Those few who survived found no welcome on Mars. But more rockets arrived from Earth, and more. People brought their old prejudoces with them – and their desires and fantasies and tainted dreams.

Kim Stanley Robinson - Green ​Mars
Nearly ​a generation has passed since the first pioneers landed, but the transformation of Mars to an Earthlike planet has just begun The plan is opposed by those determined to preserve the planets hostile, barren beauty. Led by rebels like Peter Clayborne, these young people are the first generation of children born on Mars. They will be joined by original settlers Maya Toitovna, Simon Frasier, and Sax Russell. Against this cosmic backdrop, passions, rivalries, and friendships explode in a story as spectacular as the planet itself.

Ismeretlen szerző - Isaac ​Asimov Presents The Great SF Stories 3.
Asimov ​Selects 1941 may have been one of the greatest years science fiction ever had. It was the year in which possibly more memorable classics were first published and in which more great sf writers made their banner appearances. In this, the third of Isaac Asimov’s continuing series of commemorative anthologies, you will find: Nightfall by ISAAC ASIMOV Shottle Bop by THEODORE STURGEON Jay Score by ERIC FRANK RUSSELL Adam and No Eve by ALFRED BESTER Snulbug by ANTHONY BOUCHER The Words of Guru by C.M. KORNBLUTH Solar Plexus by JAMES BLISH and more and more... There isn’t a loser in the book—every tale is the kind of story that would have won awards if there had been such things back in the Golden Era of the great science fiction magazines. Read—and try to select your own Hugo winner for 1941!