Geoff Ryman

This haunting, wildly original novel explores the lives of several characters entwined by The Wizard of Oz--both the novel written by L. Frank Baum and the strangely resonant 1939 film. Was traverses the American landscape to reveal how the human imagination transcends the bleakest circumstance.

A Novel

In a semi-tropical London, surrounded by paddy-fields, the people feed off the sun like plants, the young are raised in Child Gardens and educated by viruses, and the Consensus oversees the country, 'treating' non-conformism. Information, culture, law and politics are biological functions. But Milena is different: she is resistant to viruses and an incredible musician, one of the most extraordinary women of her age. This is her story and that of her friends, like Lucy the immortal tumour and Joseph the Postman whose mind is an information storehouse for others, and Rolfa, genetically engineered as a Polar Bear, whose beautiful singing voice first awakens Milena to the power of music.

The Child Garden

Tremendously popular on the Internet, 253 is one of the year's most imaginative, unclassifiable books. What it is: A London tube train, with all seats occupied, carries 252 passengers. The driver makes 253. Each one has a secret history, thoughts about themselves and the world. And each one's story takes one page (comprised of exactly 253 words) in this novel. Meet Estelle, who has fallen madly in love with Saddam Hussein; James, who anesthetizes sick gorillas for a living; and Who? a character who doesn't know where, or what, on earth he is. Perhaps you'll see a bit of yourself in some or all of them. This seven-and-a-half minute ride between Embankment and Elephant & Castle is highly original. And enjoyable. And unpredictable. And full of marvels.

This remarkable novel is about the effects of a new communications technology, Air, that works without power lines or machines. As pervasive technology ensures the rapid spread of pop culture and information access, few corners of the planet remain untouched. One of those few is Kizuldah, Karzistan - a tiny rice-farming village, predominantly Chinese Buddhist but with a strong Muslim presence, among whom sharply intelligent though illiterate Mae Chung, a self-styled fashion expert guiding the village women in dress, make-up and hairstyling, is an informal leader. When the UN decides to test the radical new technology Air, Mae is boiling laundry and chatting with elderly Mrs Tung. The massive surge of Air energy swamps them, and when the test is finished, Mrs Tung is dead, and Mae has absorbed her 90 years of memories. Rocked by the unexpected deaths and disorientation, the UN delays fully implementing Air, but Mae sees at once that her way of life is ending. Half-mad, struggling with information overload, the resentment of much of the village, and a complex family situation, she works fiercely to learn what she needs to ride the tiger of change.

Or, Have Not Have

When Air, the latest communication technology, finally comes to the remote village of Kizuldah, Karzistan, with disastrous results, Chung Mae struggles to prepare her people for the inevitable changes while preserving their past.

Contains the words and wisdom of King Jayavarman VII, the Buddhist ruler who united a war-torn Cambodia in the twelfth century and together with his enlightened wife created a kingdom that was a haven of peace and learning. This title presents his extraordinary story interwoven with the tales of Luc, Map and William.

The King's Last Song

Justina Robson: Carbon: Part One; Andrew Bleloch; Paul Cornell: Global Collider Generation: An Idyll; Robert Appleby; Sara Maitland: Moss Witch; Jennifer Rowntree; Ken MacLeod: Death knocks; Richard Blake; Gwyneth Jones: Collision; Kai Hock; Adam Marek: Without a Shell; Vinod Dhanak; Geoff Ryman: You; Manolis Pantos; Michael Arditti: In the Event of; John Harris; Simon Ings: Zoology; Matthew Cobb; Frank Cottrell Boyce: Temporary; Tim O'Brien; Kit Reed: Doing the Butterfly; Steve Williams; Chaz Brenchley: White Skies; Sarah Lindley; Liz Willams: Enigma; Steve Furber; Patricia Duncker; The Bellini Madonna; Tim O'Brien; Adam Roberts: Hair; Rein Ulijn; Justina Robson: Carbon Part Two

Science Into Fiction : an Anthology

When it Changed

Moloch

Or No Harm Done

Lust

David, a young scientist investigating what happens to the brain during the process of learning, suddenly finds himself the subject of a bizarre experiment. On the way home from the lab one night he spies Tony, a fitness instructor from his gym, on the same platform waiting for the tube. David's had an obsession with Tony for weeks, but Tony's barely noticed him at all. Until now. When David imagines the man naked, an extraordinary thing happens: Tony strips there and then on the platform and offers himself in front of all onlookers. Horrified, David flees. But back at his flat, Tony reappears, as if by magic. And disappears, when David wishes him away. And reappears when he calls him back. David can conjure up anyone, from any time, and he does: Billie Holliday, Johnny Weismuller, Daffy Duck, Picasso, Sophia Loren, even his younger self. Mad with lust and losing all scientific objectivity, he runs the gamut of his fantasies until, sated and morally bankrupt, he's forced to confront himself. It is not a pretty sight.

What if you could sleep with anyone in the world, just by thinking about it?

James Sallis

Yoon Ha Lee

J. M. Sidorova

Jane Yolen

James Morrow

Elizabeth Bourne

Robert Reed

Brian Francis Slattery

Barry N. Malzberg

Harry Turtledove

Scott Bradfield

David Marusek

Jennifer Marie Brissett

Don D'Ammassa

Deepak Unnikrishnan

Paul Witcover

Paul La Farge

Eileen Gunn

J. S. Breukelaar

Lisa Mason

Deji Bryce Olukotun

Richard Bowes

Matthew Hughes

Ron Goulart

Ted White

Michael Kandel

Ray Vukcevich

Ruth Nestvold

Jay Russell

Stephanie Feldman

K. G. Anderson

Becca Caccavo

Eric James Fullilove

Leslie Howle

Janis Ian

Heather Lindsley

Marry Anne Mohanraj

Marguerite Reed

Madeleine E. Robins

TS Vale

Leo Vladimirsky

N. Lee Wood

Thomas Kaufsek

Michael Libling

In this diverse and vigorous mix of stories by newcomers and luminaries, writers offer their takes on what life might hold for us in the next few years. The resulting visions of war, oppression, and daily struggle are sometimes humorous, sometimes terrifying (and occasionally both), but always thought-provoking.

45 Visions of What Lies Ahead

Welcome to Dystopia

Gathers stories set in London, Cambodia, and other places during various periods including the future, that include a ghost story, a look at a society where health care is unattainable, and a tale of a boy and his robot surrogate mother.

Paradise Tales

Das Wesen der Kunst London in der nahen Zukunft: durch den Klimawandel herrschen dort jetzt beinahe tropische Verhältnisse. Die Menschheit hat den Krebs besiegt, aber in der Folge ist die Lebenserwartung drastisch gesunken. Vor allem die Fortschritte auf dem Gebiet der Gentechnik prägen das Leben auf der Erde: Häuser, Maschinen, selbst Raumschiffe sind künstliche Lebensformen, und sogar die Bildung wird über gentechnisch veränderte Viren direkt im Gehirn gespeichert. Die junge Milena ist immun gegen diese Viren, aber eine der talentiertesten Musikerinnen ihrer Zeit. Zusammen mit ihrer Freundin Rolfa, deren Erbgut so verändert wurde, dass sie es in den eisigen Temperaturen am Nordpol aushält, arbeitet sie an einer Oper, als sie vom Consensus, einer KI, die das Land regiert, kontaktiert wird. Nach und nach findet Milena heraus, dass der Konsens aus den aufgezeichneten Gedankenmustern von Millionen von Kindern besteht – und dass die KI große Angst hat. Milena setzt alles daran, der Maschine zu helfen ...

Roman

Ein Garten für Kinder

Geoff Ryman

About

Books

Join the club