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More copies of this ISBN:This title in other formats:Paragaea: A Planetary Romanceby Chris Roberson
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:Paragaea: A Planetary Romance is the story of Akilina "Leena" Chirikov, who shortly after launching from Star Town in the Soviet Union, finds herself thrown into another dimension, a world of strange science and ancient mystery. There she meets another time-lost person from Earth, Lieutenant Hieronymus Bonaventure of the Royal Navy — who left home to fight the forces of Napoleon and never returned — and his companion, Balam — outlaw prince of the jaguar men. Bonaventure is interested only in adventure and amusement, while Balam only wants distraction until the day he can reclaim his throne. Having little better to do, they agree to help Chirikov find a way home. In the tradition of the planetary romances of Edgar Rice Burroughs and Leigh Brackett, Paragaea is in fact a "hard" science fiction adventure, grounded in the latest thinking in the fields of theoretical physics, artificial intelligence, genetics, and more. There is a rigorously rational explanation behind all of the unearthly elements, with most of the "magic" the protagonist encounters being the products of a forgotten, transhuman, post-singularity culture that has long since disappeared. Chirikov, a strictly rational Soviet cosmonaut, interprets these as best she can, using the framework of early 1960s science. Being a dutiful Soviet, she wants only to return home to Earth, to inform her superiors about what she has discovered. But she soon finds herself developing ties to her companion Bonaventure that make her wonder whether she really wants to go home at all. Review:"At the start of this entertaining speculative novel of lost races and time travelers from Roberson (Here, There and Everywhere), cosmonaut Akilina 'Leena' Chirikova, aboard Vostok 7 in Earth orbit, enters a strange silvery gateway to a planet called Paragaea, where a single giant continent and inland sea host dinosaurs and giant sloths, as well as humans and such hybrid creatures as jaguar men, snake men and bird men. Luckily, Leena meets fellow dimension-hopper Hieronymus Bonaventure, a sailor from the Napoleonic era, and his jaguar-man partner, Prince Balam. Together the trio set off across a barbaric alternate Earth worthy of Edgar Rice Burroughs to find someone who understands the dimensional portals so Leena can return home. Roberson's style, in the best pulp manner, favors enthusiastic exposition and travelogue with dashes of swashbuckling. His colorful characters and setting transport readers to a simpler era when every story offered new worlds to explore." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.) Review:"Roberson has certainly learned a lot from his literary ancestors, and he manages to hit all the high notes perfectly....[T]he illusion of being cast away in some exotic realm that combines the best elements of Jack Vance, The Arabian Nights and a hundred other glorious pulp adventures will linger in the lucky reader's mind throughout the tale, and long after." Science Fiction Weekly Review:"Paragaea is an old tale told to a modern audience....Oh, and it has zeppelins! How can you turn down a book with perky cosmonauts, super-science, cat-men, and zeppelins!" SFRevu.com Review:"So here's what's really delectable about this novel. Beneath the good-time pulp fiction plotting and exterior, readers will get the thrill of discovering some meaty science fictional speculations. Roberson has managed to offer us up a double-edged sword?cutting-edge science with trailing-edge plotting." The Agony Column Review:"One of that bold band of young writers who are taking the stuff of genre fiction and turning it into a whole new literary form...a form for the 21st century." Michael Moorcock About the AuthorChris Roberson has been a finalist for the Sidewise Award, the World Fantasy Award, and the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. What Our Readers Are SayingBe the first to add a comment for a chance to win!Product Details
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