Astronaut Keith Stoner, member of a joint U.S.-Soviet mission to capture an alien ship that had entered the solar system, was trapped alone aboard the alien spacecraft. But he didn’t die, he lay frozen in deep sleep for fifteen years, kept alive by alien biotechnology.Now Keith Stoner is something more than just a man. While asleep he was inoculated with virus-sized machines designed to repair his body, expand his brain, and let him live forever. Stoner also carries the knowledge and memories of the being whose body was enshrined in the alien craft. He now knows of many different intelligent races who destroyed themselves, battering themselves to death on the stony problems of war, famine, runaway population, and ill-planned technological breakthroughs.Keith Stoner fears for mankind, and he will do everything in his power—his extensive, alien-enhanced power—to preserve humanity into the future. Views: 8
Second in size only to Jupiter, bigger than a thousand Earths but light enough to float in water, home of crushing gravity and delicate, seemingly impossible rings, it dazzles and attracts us: SATURN Earth groans under the thumb of fundamentalist political regimes. Crisis after crisis has given authoritarians the upper hand. Freedom and opportunity exist in space, for those with the nerve and skill to run the risks. Now the governments of Earth are encouraging many of their most incorrigible dissidents to join a great ark on a one-way expedition, twice Jupiter's distance from the Sun, to Saturn, the ringed planet that baffled Galileo and has fascinated astronomers ever since. But humans will be human, on Earth or in the heavens-so amidst the idealism permeating Space Habitat Goddard are many individuals with long-term schemes, each awaiting the tight moment. And hidden from them is the greatest secret of all, the real purpose of this expedition, known to only a few.... Views: 8
For centuries, blood feeders have inhabited our nightmares and horror stories, as well as the shadowy realms of scientific knowledge. In Dark Banquet, zoologist Bill Schutt takes readers on an entertaining voyage into the world of some of nature's strangest creatures--the sanguivores. Using a sharp eye and mordant wit, Schutt makes a remarkably persuasive case that vampire bats, leeches, ticks, bed bugs, and other vampires are as deserving of our curiosity as warmer and fuzzier species are--and that many of them are even worthy of conservation.Schutt takes us from rural Trinidad to the jungles of Brazil to learn about some of the most reviled, misunderstood, and marvelously evolved animals on our planet: vampire bats. Only recently has fact begun to disentangle itself from fiction concerning these remarkable animals, and Schutt delves into the myths and misconceptions surrounding them. Examining the substance that sustains nature's vampires, Schutt reveals... Views: 8
Five original tales set in a shared urban future--from some of the hottest young writers in modern SFA strange man comes to an even stranger encampment...a bouncer becomes the linchpin of an unexpected urban movement...a courier on the run has to decide who to trust in a dangerous city...a slacker in a "zero-footprint" town gets a most unusual new job...and a weapons investigator uses his skills to discover a metropolis hidden right in front of his eyes.Welcome to the future of cities. Welcome to Metatropolis.More than an anthology, Metatropolis is the brainchild of five of science fiction's hottest writers--Elizabeth Bear, Tobias Buckell, Jay Lake, Karl Schroeder, and project editor John Scalzi---who combined their talents to build a new urban future, and then wrote their own stories in this collectively-constructed world. The results are individual glimpses of a shared vision, and a reading experience unlike any you've had before. Views: 7
Faced with a cascade of un-diagnosable symptoms, a young college student is compelled to trade her textbooks for medical journals and dance classes for doctor's offices as she strives to find answers and to advocate for recognition of women's pain.One otherwise uneventful morning, Abby Norman woke up and went to take a shower. Out of nowhere, she was struck down by an excruciating, nauseating pain and collapsed on the bathroom floor.Unable, perhaps at times even unwilling, to diagnose her symptoms and take her pain seriously, doctors suggested Norman's condition was "all in her head." Although she was vaguely aware of the fraught relationship between women's bodies and the male-dominated medical profession—from Dr. Freud and Dora to Dr. Wilbur and Sybil—Norman trusted their assessment and turned her examination inward.Still, the physical pain persisted. When she was eventually diagnosed with endometriosis, she thought she'd found... Views: 7
"Remarkable....Ekirch has emptied night's pockets, and laid the contents out before us."—Arthur Krystal, The New YorkerBringing light to the shadows of history through a "rich weave of citation and archival evidence" (Publishers Weekly), scholar A. Roger Ekirch illuminates the aspects of life most often overlooked by other historians—those that unfold at night. In this "triumph of social history" (Mail on Sunday), Ekirch's "enthralling anthropology" (Harper's) exposes the nightlife that spawned a distinct culture and a refuge from daily life.Fear of crime, of fire, and of the supernatural; the importance of moonlight; the increased incidence of sickness and death at night; evening gatherings to spin wool and stories; masqued balls; inns, taverns, and brothels; the strategies of thieves, assassins, and conspirators; the protective uses of incantations, meditations, and prayers; the nature of our predecessors' sleep and... Views: 7
Long after his humiliating defeat at the hands of Earthman Elijah Baley, Kelden Amadiro embarked on a plan to destroy planet Earth. But even after his death, Baley’s vision continued to guide his robot partner, R. Daneel Olivaw, who had the wisdom of a great man behind him and an indestructable will to win… Views: 7
With the introduction of EPUB 3, publishers now have the means to create a single rich data source for audiences of all reading abilities. Through practical tips and examples, Accessible EPUB 3 takes you inside the EPUB 3 format and explores how you can enrich and enhance content for all readers. Author Matt Garrish demystifies the process of making content easier to access, demonstrating how accessible practices are intertwined with standard content best practices. Views: 7
Keith Stoner, ex-astronaut turned physicist, knows the signal that his research station is receiving from space is not random. Whatever it is, it’s real.And it’s headed straight for Earth.He’ll do anything to be the first man to go out to confrint this enigma. Even lose the only woman he’s ever really loved.And maybe start a world war. Views: 7
