Far FuturesGregory Benford Gregory Benford, one the great SF writers of our day, has assumed the mantle of editor to produce an ambitous hard SF anthology: Far Futures. Many of the fields's greatest works concern vast perspectives, expanding our visions of ourselves by foreseeing the immense panorama of time. This anthology collects five orignal novellas that take the very long view, all set at least ten thousand years in the future. The authors take a rigorously scientific view of such grand panoramas, confronting the largest issues of cosmology, astronomy, evolution, and biology. Genesis by Poul Anderson is set a billion years ahead, when humanity has become extinct. Earth is threatened by the slowly warming sun. Vast machine intelligences decide to recreate humans. In At the Eschaton by Charles Sheffield, a man tries to rescue his dying wife from oblivion by hurling himself forward, in both space and time, to the very end of the universe itself. Joe Haldeman's For White Hill confronts humanity with hostile aliens who remorselessly grind down every defense against them. A lone artist struggles to find a place in this distant, wondrous future, where humanity seems doomed. The last moments of a universe beseiged occupy Greg Bear's Judgment Engine. Can something human matter at the very end of creation, as contorted matter ceases to have meaning and time itself stutters to an eerie halt? Donald Kingsbury contributes Historical Crisis, a starting work on the prediction of the human future that challenges the foundations of psychohistory, as developed in Isaac Asimov's famous Foundation Trilogy. Far Futures is required reading for the core audience of hard SF devotees. It may be the best book they read all year. |
Contents
Looking Long Gregory Benford | 11 |
Genesis Poul Anderson | 56 |
Historical Crisis Donald Kingsbury | 149 |
For White Hill Joe Haldeman | 242 |
At the Eschaton Charles Sheffield | 280 |
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Common terms and phrases
able amulet Ana's ancient arms asked astrologer Berkus billion body brain Brannock centuries clouds Coron's Wisp course cryowomb dark Donald Kingsbury Drake Merlin Earth Elisaveta Empire Endtime energy Eron Osa Eron's everything eyes feel felt final future Gaia Gaia's galactic galaxy ghoul head Hiranimus human hundred Hyperlord Ilyandi Jama Joe Haldeman Kalava Kambu Kikaju knew Laurinda Leon light-years live looked memory mind Nejirt never nodded Omega Point once Oort Cloud Otaria past perhaps Petunia Plan planet Pluto Prime Radiant Pscholars psychohistorian Rigone Scogil Second Empire seemed ship Shiva smiled social-mind solar system soma space Splendid Wisdom stared stars stood sure talk tell thing thought thousand tion told took topozones tributaries Trismon Sorel universe voice waiting Wayfarer We-ness White Hill woman wondered zenoli