Synopses & Reviews
In a world of wonders, wealth, and “perfect” mental health, a famous poet commits gruesome murder . . . Why? That crime, that question, leads a policewoman to a jungle of torture and forgotten gods; a writer to the bohemian shadows of a vast city; and a scientist directly into the mind—the nightmare soul—of the psychopath himself . . .
Synopsis
Hugo Award Finalist: A near-future novel of artificial intelligence, human nature, and mass murder that "succeeds on virtually every level" (The New York Times Book Review).
In Los Angeles in 2047, advances in the science of psychology have made crime a rare occurrence. So it's utterly shocking when eight bodies are detected in an apartment, and not long afterward the perpetrator is revealed as well: noted poet Emmanuel Goldsmith. The LAPD's Mary Choy--who has had both her appearance and her police work enhanced by nanotechnology--is tasked with arresting the killer, while psychotherapy pioneer Martin Burke prepares to explore his mind. Meanwhile, Goldsmith's good friend and fellow writer reels at the news--while, far from all of them, a space probe makes a startling discovery.
This "excellent" novel about technology, identity, and the nature of consciousness is a thought-provoking stunner by the Nebula Award-winning author of the Eon series and the Forerunner Saga (Chicago Tribune).
About the Author
Greg Bear, author of more than twenty-five books that have been translated into seventeen languages, has won science fiction’s highest honors and is considered the natural heir to Arthur C. Clarke. The recipient of two Hugos and four Nebulas for his fiction, he has been called “the best working writer of hard science fiction” by The Science Fiction Encyclopedia. Many of his novels, such as Darwin’s Radio, are considered to be this generations’ classics. Bear is married to Astrid Anderson, daughter of science fiction great Poul Anderson, and they are the parents of two children, Erik and Alexandria. His recent thriller novel, Quantico, was published in 2007 and the sequel, Mariposa, followed in 2009. He has since published a new, epic science fiction novel, City at the End of Time and a generation starship novel, Hull Zero Three.