New Releases by Kim Stanley Robinson

Kim Stanley Robinson, the New York Times bestselling author of science fiction masterworks such as the Mars trilogy and 2312, has, on many occasions, imagined our future. Now, in Shaman, he brings our past to life as never before. There is Thorn, a shaman himself. He lives to pass down his wisdom and his stories -- to teach those who would follow in his footsteps. There is Heather, the healer who, in many ways, holds the clan together. There is Elga, an outsider and the bringer of change. And then there is Loon, the next shaman, who is determined to find his own path. But in a world so treacherous, that journey is never simple -- and where it may lead is never certain. Shaman is a powerful, thrilling and heartbreaking story of one young man''s journey into adulthood -- and an awe-inspiring vision of how we lived thirty thousand years ago.

"The year is 2312. Scientific and technological advances have opened gateways to an extraordinary future. Earth is no longer humanity''s only home; new habitats have been created throughout the solar system on moons, planets, and in between. But in this year, 2312, a sequence of events will force humanity to confront its past, its present, and its future. The first event takes place on Mercury, on the city of Terminator, itself a miracle of engineering on an unprecedented scale. It is an unexpected death, but one that might have been foreseen. For Swan Er Hong, it is an event that will change her life. Swan was once a woman who designed worlds. Now she will be led into a plot to destroy them"--

Venise, 1609. La science est en pleine expansion. Philosophes et mathématiciens mènent leurs recherches à l''ombre de l''Eglise. A cette époque Galilée rencontre un étranger qui l''aide à mettre au point un télescope révolutionnaire. Cette invention lui ouvre les portes d''Europe, la deuxième lune de Jupiter, en 3020 ! Galilée va désormais naviguer entre le XVIIe siècle et le 4e millénaire, rapportant de ses voyages de quoi alimenter de nouvelles découvertes. Et se voir accuser d''hérésie...

Siglo XXI. Durante eones, las tormentas de arena han barrido el estéril paisaje del planeta rojo. Ahora, en el año 2026, cien colonos viajan a Marte para dominar este clima hostil. Su misión es la terraformación de Marte y, su lema, «si el hombre no se puede adaptar a Marte, hay que adaptar Marte al hombre».

Des pluies diluviennes ont submergé Washington. Peu à peu, les eaux se retirent, mais les inondations ont eu des conséquences effroyables. Les sans-abri sont légion et les catastrophes s''enchaînent : la montée des eaux océaniques raye de la carte les nations insulaires. Les Etats-Unis sont frappés par une vague de froid qui fait craindre au gouvernement le début d''une nouvelle ère glaciaire. Au sein de la Fondation nationale pour la science, Frank Vanderwal doit agir. Vite. Il y va de la survie de la planète. Mais les enjeux de la science ne sont pas toujours ceux des politiques.

Kim Stanley Robinson has been an ongoing force in the Science Fiction genre for over twenty years, with his novels (Year’s of Rice and Salt, Forty Signs of Rain) crossing over to the mainstream, and routinely appearing on the New York Times best sellers list. During the 80s and early nineties, his short fiction continued to push the boundaries of science fiction, defining the science-focused side of the science fiction genre. Award-winning editor Jonathan Strahan worked with Kim Stanley Robinson to select the stories that make up this landmark volume. In addition to these reprints, The Best of Kim Stanley Robinson features a brand-new short story, "The Timpanist of the Berlin Philharmonic, 1942."

This stimulating little chapbook would work very well as a basis for classroom debate on speculative fiction, history, or the notion of free will. - Publishers Weekly The foremost writer of literary utopias.'' - Time magazine Its no coincidence that one of our most visionary science fiction writers is also a profoundly good nature writer.'' ...

At the heart of a provocative narrative that stretches from Renaissance Italy to the moons of Jupiter is the father of modern science: Galileo Galilei. To the inhabitants of the Jovian moons, Galileo is a revered figure whose actions will influence the subsequent history of the human race. From the summit of their distant future, a charismatic renegade named Ganymede travels to the past to bring Galileo forward in an attempt to alter history and ensure the ascendancy of science over religion. And if that means Galileo must be burned at the stake, so be it. From Galileo’s heresy trial to the politics of far-future Jupiter, Kim Stanley Robinson illuminates the parallels between a distant past and an even more remote future—in the process celebrating the human spirit and calling into question the convenient truths of our own moment in time.

Ha pasado casi una generación desde la llegada de los Primeros Cien. Tras la violenta y fracasada revolución de 2061, Marte rojo ha desaparecido. Meteoritos de hielo bombardean la atmósfera para hacerla más húmeda; en el desierto se siembran plantas transgénicas, los cráteres se transforman en praderas y el hielo de los polos en lagos helados. La nueva generación de colonos está expuesta a insurrecciones, conflictos y pruebas. Sobrevivientes de los Primeros Cien, entre ellos Hiroko, Nadia, Maya y Simon, saben que la tecnología no es suficiente. La creación de un nuevo mundo requiere confianza y colaboración, pero esas cualidades son tan escasas como el aire mismo que respiran en Marte...

By the time Phil Chase is elected president, the world’s climate is far on its way to irreversible change. Food scarcity, housing shortages, diminishing medical care, and vanishing species are just some of the consequences. The erratic winter the Washington, D.C., area is experiencing is another grim reminder of a global weather pattern gone haywire: bone-chilling cold one day, balmy weather the next. But the president-elect remains optimistic and doesn’t intend to give up without a fight. A maverick in every sense of the word, Chase starts organizing the most ambitious plan to save the world from disaster since FDR–and assembling a team of top scientists and advisers to implement it. For Charlie Quibler, this means reentering the political fray full-time and giving up full-time care of his young son, Joe. For Frank Vanderwal, hampered by a brain injury, it means trying to protect the woman he loves from a vengeful ex and a rogue “black ops” agency not even the president can control–a task for which neither Frank’s work at the National Science Foundation nor his study of Tibetan Buddhism can prepare him. In a world where time is running out as quickly as its natural resources, where surveillance is almost total and freedom nearly nonexistent, the forecast for the Chase administration looks darker each passing day. For as the last–and most terrible–of natural disasters looms on the horizon, it will take a miracle to stop the clock . . . the kind of miracle that only dedicated men and women can bring about.

Demain. Cent pionniers s''envolent pour Mars. Ils devront l''explorer, survivre sur cette planète usée et hostile. Si l''homme ne peut s''y adapter, il faudra adapter Mars à l''homme : créer l''atmosphère, bâtir les cités, transformer les déserts en prairies, la glace en océans. Par-delà les difficultés ou les conflits idéologiques, c''est un monde nouveau que l''on invente. Jusqu''à l''émancipation de la tutelle d''une Terre de moins en moins souveraine.

Set in our nation’s capital, here is a chillingly realistic tale of people caught in the collision of science, technology, and the consequences of global warming. When the storm got bad, Frank Vanderwal was in his office at the National Science Foundation. When it was over, large chunks of San Diego had eroded into the sea, and D.C. was underwater. Everything Frank and his colleagues feared had culminated in this disaster. And now the world was looking to them to fix it. But even as D.C. bails itself out, a more extreme climate change looms. The melting polar ice caps are shutting down the warm Gulf Stream waters—meaning Ice Age conditions could return. And the last time that happened, eleven thousand years ago, it took just three years to start.…

En un futuro cercano, las consecuencias del cambio climático constituyen una grave amenaza inmediata para la humanidad. En Washington, Anna y Charlie Quibler afrontan el peligro desde dos ámbitos de trabajo muy distintos: él es miembro del equipo de un senador y se encarga de asesorarle en la legislación medioambiental; por su parte, Anna es una científica de la Fundación Nacional para la Ciencia que evalúa las peticiones de subvención para las investigaciones. Conscientes de la necesidad de tomar medidas urgentes, lucharán por el trabajo en equipo de la comunidad científica a escala mundial, e intentarán que los gobiernos apoyen los proyectos que pueden salvar al planeta. Sin embargo, cuando parece factible el desarrollo de una máquina que controle el clima, se evidencia que los intereses de los poderes económico y político no siempre coinciden con los del bien común... Kim Stanley Robinson nos ofrece un inteligente alegato ecologista y una mordaz crítica a la clase política norteamericana en un thriller sumamente realista que deja una profunda huella en el lector.

En el año 1349 la peste negra ha invadido Europa. Frente al ocaso europeo, el islam y China se disputan el dominio mundial, y la India encuentra un aliado en la organización política de los indígenas americanos. Gracias a las reencarnaciones de B. y K., viviremos siete siglos de una historia alternativa, con un nuevo orden político, social y religioso.

The bestselling author of the classic Mars trilogy and The Years of Rice and Salt presents a riveting new trilogy of cutting-edge science, international politics, and the real-life ramifications of global warming as they are played out in our nation’s capital—and in the daily lives of those at the center of the action. Hauntingly yet humorously realistic, here is a novel of the near future that is inspired by scientific facts already making headlines. When the Arctic ice pack was first measured in the 1950s, it averaged thirty feet thick in midwinter. By the end of the century it was down to fifteen. One August the ice broke. The next year the breakup started in July. The third year it began in May. That was last year. It’s a muggy summer in Washington, D.C., as Senate environmental staffer Charlie Quibler and his scientist wife, Anna, work to call attention to the growing crisis of global warming. But as these everyday heroes fight to align the awesome forces of nature with the extraordinary march of technology, fate puts an unusual twist on their efforts—one that will place them at the heart of an unavoidable storm.

Winner of the Nebula Award for Best Novel • Discover the novel that launched one of science fiction’s most beloved, acclaimed, and awarded trilogies: Kim Stanley Robinson’s masterly near-future chronicle of interplanetary colonization. “A staggering book . . . the best novel on the colonization of Mars that has ever been written.”—Arthur C. Clarke For centuries, the barren, desolate landscape of the red planet has beckoned to humankind. Now a group of one hundred colonists begins a mission whose ultimate goal is to transform Mars into a more Earthlike planet. They will place giant satellite mirrors in Martian orbit to reflect light onto its surface. Black dust sprinkled on the polar caps will capture warmth and melt the ice. And massive tunnels drilled into the mantle will create stupendous vents of hot gases. But despite these ambitious goals, there are some who would fight to the death to prevent Mars from ever being changed.

Winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novel • Kim Stanley Robinson’s classic trilogy depicting the colonization of Mars continues in a thrilling and timeless novel that pits the settlers against their greatest foes: themselves. “One of the major sagas of the [latest] generation in science fiction.”—Chicago Sun-Times Nearly a generation has passed since the first pioneers landed on Mars, and its transformation to an Earthlike planet is under way. But not everyone wants to see the process through. The methods are opposed by those determined to preserve their home planet’s hostile, barren beauty. Led by the first generation of children born on Mars, these rebels are soon joined by a handful of the original settlers. Against this cosmic backdrop, passions, partnerships, and rivalries explode in a story as spectacular as the planet itself.

Kim Stanley Robinson’s Mars trilogy is one of science fiction’s most honored stories, with Red Mars winning the distinguished Nebula Award, and both Green Mars and Blue Mars honored with the Hugo. Now Robinson returns to the realm he has made his own—the planet Mars—in a brilliantly imagined drama with a searing poetic vision. From a training mission in Antarctica to blistering sandstorms sweeping through labyrinths of barren canyons, the interwoven stories of The Martians set in motion a sprawling cast of characters upon the surface of Mars. As the planet is transformed from an unexplored and forbidding terrain to a troubled image of a re-created Earth, we meet the First Hundred explorers—men and women who are bound together by Earth’s tenuous toehold on Mars. Presenting unforgettable stories of hope and disappointment, of fierce physical and psychological struggles, The Martians is an epic chronicle of a planet that represents one of humanity’s most glorious possibilities. Praise for The Martians “A uniquely rewarding experience of state-of-the-art science fiction.”—The New York Times Book Review “No one familiar with Robinson’s trilogy can read through these final, valedictory stories without feeling moved.”—The Washington Post “The stories are beautifully written, the characters are well developed and the author’s passion for ecology manifests itself on every page.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novel • One of the most enthralling science fiction sagas ever written, Kim Stanley Robinson’s epic trilogy concludes with Blue Mars—a triumph of prodigious research and visionary storytelling. “A breakthrough even from [Kim Stanley Robinson’s] own consistently high levels of achievement.”—The New York Times Book Review The red planet is no more. Now green and verdant, Mars has been dramatically altered from a desolate world into one where humans can flourish. The First Hundred settlers are being pulled into a fierce new struggle between the Reds, a group devoted to preserving Mars in its desert state, and the Green “terraformers.” Meanwhile, Earth is in peril. A great flood threatens an already overcrowded and polluted planet. With Mars the last hope for the human race, the inhabitants of the red planet are heading toward a population explosion—or interplanetary war.

Le XXIe siècle. Demain. Cinquante hommes et cinquante femmes, représentant les nations majeures et toutes les disciplines scientifiques, embarquent à bord de l''"Arès", un immense vaisseau spatial, un micro-monde où ils vont vivre pendant plus d''un an avant d''atteindre Mars, à cent millions de kilomètres de là. Un homme, déjà, a posé le pied sur Mars John Boone. Héros mythique depuis son retour sur Terre, il s''est porté volontaire pour ce second voyage. Un aller simple, cette fois, car les hommes et les femmes de l''"Arès" devront aller au-delà de l''exploration. Ils devront survivre dans un monde usé, désolé, hostile. Si les hommes ne peuvent s''adapter, il faudra adapter Mars aux hommes. Mais terraformer Mars, c''est aussi la détruire en tant que cadre naturel martien, et des conflits opposent les Rouges, la faction qui veut préserver la sauvagerie initiale de la planète, et les Verts, qui militent pour la terraformation. Les Cent Premiers ne partagent pas la même vision de la société à élaborer sur ce nouveau monde vierge. Et comme le remarquait le psychologue de l''expédition, Michel Duval, pour accepter de se lancer dans une telle aventure, il faut être un peu dérangé, et toutes les procédures destinées à parvenir à un équipage psychologiquement stable n''ont pu sélectionner que les meilleurs simulateurs...

Quelle aurait été l''histoire du monde si l''Europe chrétienne avait disparu au Moyen Age, ravagée par la peste ? L''Islam et la Chine seraient devenus les civilisations dominantes, découvrant l''Amérique, se faisant la guerre, inventant le chemin de fer et l''atome, cherchant à l''emporter, à imposer la foi de Mahomet, Bouddha ou Confucius... A travers les destins de trois personnages - un sentimental, un révolté et un intellectuel -, Kim Stanley Robinson dépeint de façon étonnamment réaliste sept cents ans de l''histoire d''un univers foisonnant, où les aventures individuelles se mêlent à la trame historique et se répondent à travers les siècles et les continents. D''abord simple soldat dans l''armée de Tamerlan, Bold rencontrera Kyu, un jeune eunuque noir, et I-Chi, une restauratrice chinoise en quête des plats les meilleurs. Incendies, inondations, épidémies, guerres, révoltes, le destin va jouer avec ces personnages et les entraîner, au fil des siècles et de leurs diverses réincarnations, dans des aventures fascinantes. A la fois roman d''initiation et vrai-faux roman historique, Chroniques des années noires est un livre profondément original, une somme impressionnante d''érudition et d''imagination ainsi qu''un merveilleux plaidoyer pour la paix dans le monde et la beauté de la vie.

Kim Stanley Robinson''s Escape From Kathmandu is a light-hearted fantasy tribute to the world of extreme mountain climbing follows the adventures of two American expatriates living in Nepal. Living in the city of Kathmandu in the Kingdom of Nepal are dozens of American and British expatriates who are in love with the Himalayas. George Fergusson is one of them--he works as a trek guide for "Take You Higher, Ltd.", leading groups of tourists into the back country and occasionally assisting on serious climbs. George "Freds" Fredericks is another--a tall, easy-going American who converted to Buddhism while in college. He visited Nepal one year and never went home. The adventures started when George and Freds got together over the capture of a Yeti--an abominable snowman--by a scientific expedition. The thought of such a wild and mysterious creature in captivity--in prison--was too much for them to bear. And in freeing the Yeti, a great partnership was born. George and Freds will go on to greater heights as they explore the mysteries of Nepal, from Shangri-La to Kathmandu''s governmental bureaucracy.

Les comparaisons avec Michener et Clancy que nous fournit l''éditeur n''empêchent pas l''originalité de cet écrivain qui fait à peine de la science-fiction, plutôt de l''anticipation à brève échéance, avec cette équipe aventurière du côté du continent gelé avec des groupes tant spéculateurs qu''écologiques.