Most Popular Books by ROBERT SILVERBERG

In Illinois, the one-hundred-foot Cahokia Mound spreads impressively across sixteen acres, and as many as ten thousand more mounds dot the Ohio River Valley alone. The Mound Builders traces the speculation surrounding these monuments and the scientific excavations which uncovered the history and culture of the ancient Americans who built them. The mounds were constructed for religious and secular purposes some time between 1000 B.C. and 1000 A.D., and they have prompted curiosity and speculation from very early times. European settlers found them evidence of some ancient and glorious people. Even as eminent an American as Thomas Jefferson joined the controversy, though his conclusions—that the mounds were actually cemeteries of ancient Indians—remained unpopular for nearly a century. Only in the late 19th century, as Smithsonian Institution investigators developed careful methodologies and reliable records, did the period of scientific investigation of the mounds and their builders begin. Silverberg follows these excavations and then recounts the story they revealed of the origins, development, and demise of the mound builder culture.

The computer had chosen them - a small cross-section of humanity to serve Mankind''s Destiny. Out of seven billion people on Earth mechanical chance had selected them as involuntary colonists on an unknown planet. In seven days they would be on their way, on a sink-or-swim mission to a lonely world beyond the limits of the Solar System. It was a summons each had privately dreaded, yet always been prepared for. But no one had prepared them for the vicious attacks of sinister aliens . . .

''The explosion was painfully bright against the dark backdrop of the moonless New Mexico sky. To those who looked up at that precise moment - and there were many who happened to look up - it was as though a new star had momentarily blossomed in blue-white incandescence.'' Only three human beings would ever know that the blinding flash in the sky on that night in 1982 was an exploding flying saucer. Only they would learn the truth about THOSE WHO WATCH - about the alien observers who came into this world in a crash landing from the stars. THOSE WHO WATCH is the strange, seductive story of three accidental colonists from outer space whose chance encounter with Earth brought revelation to three earthly counterparts - and triggered interplanetary conflict. It is a remarkable story by one of science fiction''s most remarkable writers.

"On the waterworld planet of Hydros, the human colonists are exiled by the amphibious natives from the few habitable land masses and set off in a desperate search for refuge in the shadowy mystical land of the Face of the Waters."--Amazon.

Twins become involved in an experiment in time travel.

A “dark, restrained, and powerful” mirror of current politics from the Science Fiction Grand Master (Science Fiction Ruminations). In the barren landscape of the late Cambrian period, a penal colony sits high above the ocean on the east coast of what would become the United States. The men—political prisoners—have been sent from the twenty-first century on a one-way ticket to a lifetime of exile. Their lonely existence has taken its toll . . . Jim Barrett was once the physically imposing leader of an underground movement dedicated to toppling America’s totalitarian government. Now he is nothing but a crippled old man, the camp’s de facto ruler due to his seniority. His mind is still sharp, having yet to succumb to the psychosis that claims more and more men each day. So when a new prisoner is transported to the colony—a startlingly young and suspiciously apolitical man—Barrett’s instincts go on high alert. As Barrett reminisces about his revolutionary past, he uncovers the new prisoner’s secrets—and faces a shocking revelation that thrusts him into a future he never dreamed possible . . . “One of the finest writers ever to work in science fiction.” —The Philadelphia Inquirer

A thousand years in the future, the earth has been conquered by an alien race and covered by a single sea. Dovirr Stargan, who is disgusted with the servility of his life on the floating city of Vythain, longs to become one of the Sea-Lords, who roam the sea as powerful protectors of the cities. Dovirr gets his wish, but the return of the alien race brings unexpected and critically dangerous crises to his new life as he learns the real, sometimes terrible, significance of power.

Annotated bibliography of novels and stories.

One of the most persistent legends in the annals of New World exploration is that of the Land of Gold. This mythical site was located over vast areas of South America (and later, North America); the search for it drove some men mad with greed and, as often as not, to their untimely deaths. In this history of quest and adventure, Robert Silverberg traces the fate of Old World explorers lured westward by the myth of El Dorado. From the German conquistadores licensed by the Spanish king to operate out of Venezuela, to the journeys of Gonzalo Pizarro in the Amazon basin, and to the nearly miraculous voyage of Francisco Orellana to the mouth of the Amazon River, encountering the warlike women who gave the river its name, violence and bloodshed accompanied the determined adventurers. Sir Walter Raleigh and a host of other explorers spent small fortunes and many lives trying to locate Manoa, a city that was rumored to be El Dorado—City of Gold. Celebrated science fiction author Robert Silverberg recreates these legendary quests in The Golden Dream: Seekers of El Dorado.

A tortured man’s visions hold the key to mankind’s future in Robert Silverberg’s post-apocalyptic masterpiece Life in the blasted wasteland of 2103 California is nasty, brutish, and short. If the savage “scratchers” don’t kill you, the poisoned environment will. But one man wanders this desolate landscape and sees beauty: glorious visions of impossible places and majestic beings not of Earth. Scorned and mocked as a madman, Tom doubts his sanity until his visions mysteriously begin to spread to others and a returning star probe offers evidence that they are real. Now, as a new religion is born, with Tom as its reluctant messiah, violent forces are unleashed—forces that have the power to transform humanity . . . or destroy it.

It had been five hundred years since the distant Terran Colony of Corwin had communicated with Earth. But now Corwin was threatened by the indomitable warriors of Klodni and the peaceful planet desperately needed help. Baird Ewing was the ambassador chosen by his people to find that help and save Corwin from destruction. But Earth had changed . . . Ewing found a decadent world of worthless pleasure-seekers devoid of hope and incapable of help. The only remaining vestige of the old world on Earth was to be found in the College of Abstract Science. It was Ewing''s last hope. If he failed it was the end of the line for him, Corwin - and the galaxy. First published in 1958.

The year is 2012. The world lies ravaged by biological warfare, its population decimated by a ferocious genetically-transmitted disease known as the organ rot. And presiding over the ruins is a ninety-three-year-old tyrant, preserved in a state of youth by a series of organ transplants: the self-styled Genghis Mao. Shadrach Mordecai, Genghis Mao''s trusted personal physician, was a vital cog in the great machine devoted to keeping the ruler alive: linked to him by a network of electronic implants, Shadrach was able to detect and diagnose the first signs of malfunction in his lord and master. But close as he was to the aging dictator, Shadrach could not have known that events would soon plunge him into a desperate struggle - a struggle in which a paragon of idealism faced the very incarnation of evil.

In the latest volume of the Majipoor chronicles, Prince Harpirias is sent on a mission to rescue an expedition of paleontologists. The scientists were taken prisoner while studying a barbaric race. The barbarians live in houses made of ice, don''t wash and they expect Harpirias to sleep with the king''s daughter, the genes of the civilized Majipoorians being much in demand. By the author of Lord Valentine''s Castle.

The definitive collection of the best in science fiction stories between 1929-1964. This book contains twenty-six of the greatest science fiction stories ever written. They represent the considered verdict of the Science Fiction Writers of America, those who have shaped the genre and who know, more intimately than anyone else, what the criteria for excellence in the field should be. The authors chosen for The Science Fiction Hall of Fame are the men and women who have shaped the body and heart of modern science fiction; their brilliantly imaginative creations continue to inspire and astound new generations of writers and fans. Robert Heinlein in "The Roads Must Roll" describes an industrial civilization of the future caught up in the deadly flaws of its own complexity. "Country of the Kind," by Damon Knight, is a frightening portrayal of biological mutation. "Nightfall," by Isaac Asimov, one of the greatest stories in the science fiction field, is the story of a planet where the sun sets only once every millennium and is a chilling study in mass psychology. Originally published in 1970 to honor those writers and their stories that had come before the institution of the Nebula Awards, The Science Fiction Hall Of Fame, Volume One, was the book that introduced tens of thousands of young readers to the wonders of science fiction. Too long unavailable, this new edition will treasured by all science fiction fans everywhere. The Science Fiction Hall Of Fame, Volume One, includes the following stories: Introduction by Robert Silverberg "A Martian Odyssey" by Stanley G. Weinbaum "Twilight" by John W. Campbell "Helen O''Loy" by Lester del Rey "The Roads Must Roll" by Robert A. Heinlein "Microcosmic God" by Theodore Sturgeon "Nightfall" by Isaac Asimov "The Weapon Shop" by A. E. van Vogt "Mimsy Were the Borogoves" by Lewis Padgett "Huddling Place" by Clifford D. Simak "Arena" by Frederic Brown "First Contact" by Murray Leinster "That Only a Mother" by Judith Merril "Scanners Live in Vain" by Cordwainer Smith "Mars is Heaven!" by Ray Bradbury "The Little Black Bag" by C. M. Kornbluth "Born of Man and Woman" by Richard Matheson "Coming Attraction" by Fritz Leiber "The Quest for Saint Aquin" by Anthony Boucher "Surface Tension" by James Blish "The Nine Billion Names of God" by Arthur C. Clarke "It''s a Good Life" by Jerome Bixby "The Cold Equations" by Tom Godwin "Fondly Fahrenheit" by Alfred Bester "The Country of the Kind," Damon Knight "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes "A Rose for Ecclesiastes" by Roger Zelazny At the Publisher''s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

In the third novel of this acclaimed sci-fi/fantasy series, the ruler of a vast planet faces a threat of war—and conspiracy within his own court. Plagued by nightmares of blizzards and earthquakes besieging the planet Majipoor, Lord Valentine believes these dreams signal the coming of war between his people and the Shapeshifters, who once ruled the planet. For centuries they have conspired to regain their stolen world, and recently they were discovered impersonating members of the kingdom’s inner circle. Since coming to power, Valentine has made peaceful overtures to the Shapeshifters. This has led select members of the royal court to question his loyalties. Now some even want to remove Valentine from his governing role—casting him into the higher, ceremonial office of Pontifex. But if Valentine accepts the mantle of Pontifex and surrenders his position to his successor-in-waiting, he may be remembered as a leader who evaded his duties—and shattered the peace that has reigned for eight thousand years. . . . “[Valentine Pontifex is] a dance of conflicting emotions and political intrigue. Both the world and Lord Valentine have matured, and the trilogy becomes whole in a way that the form rarely achieves.” —The Village Voice “There’s an almost hypnotic grandeur to the thoughtful way Silverberg weaves the strands of the story together, effortlessly jugging the various motifs.” —Publishers Weekly

Anthologized here for the first time, the author''s five novellas give testimony to his groundbreaking career, including the title story, which won him a Nebula Award.

The epic tale of Gilgamesh, the legendary god-king of Sumeria who discovered the secret of eternal life, has enflamed the imaginations of countless generations. In Gilgamesh, science fiction Grand Master Robert Silverberg gives us a vivid portrait of a courageous, lusty, sometimes reckless ruler of men. It is the majestic tale of a man haunted by gods, tormented by his passion for a woman who was his greatest rival, and driven by a thirst for immortality.

The final collaboration between two of science fiction''s greatest names chronicles the extraordinary life of a robot whose experimental brain turns out to have unique capabilities that lead him to desire to be declared human. His "biography" is a fascinating discussion of what it means to be human.

The first three novels in the acclaimed sci-fi fantasy series from the award-winning author: “An imaginative fusion of action, sorcery, and science fiction” (The New York Times Book Review). In the first three books of the Majipoor Cycle, Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author Robert Silverberg delivered a vast and vividly imagined world full of epic adventure, court intrigue, and high drama. In Lord Valentine’s Castle, an amnesiac wanderer receives dreams of his true destiny as ruler of the planet Majipoor. In Majipoor Chronicles, the planet’s bloodthirsty history is revealed through tales of rulers and thieves. And in the final novel, Valentine Pontifex, Valentine faces the threat of civil war as well as conspiracy within his court.

Silverberg delivers this collection of 16 high-speed romps from the beginning of his career. They include such gems as "Vampires from Outer Space", in which aliens resembling nothing so much as the classic batlike vampire stand accused of murdering humans in search of blood, and "New Year''s Eve--2000 AD," an early (1957) look at the argument over the date on which the new millennium begins.

This far-future sci-fi saga by a multiple Hugo and Nebula Award–winning Grand Master chronicles the perilous rebirth of humanity on a destroyed Earth. Robert Silverberg’s critically acclaimed masterworks have earned him entry into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame, and a place among the genre’s greatest legacies. This classic, two-book saga gazes into a world many millennia from now and spins a mesmerizing tale of survival, evolution, and the ultimate future of humanity. At Winter’s End: For the past 700,000 years, the remaining inhabitants of planet Earth have survived underground, escaping the endless rain of “death stars” that destroyed their civilization—and the world. Now, with the surface finally inhabitable after countless millennia, one tribe’s leader is guiding her people to freedom. But unexpected threats and dark revelations could endanger their long-awaited rebirth. The Queen of Springtime: Hidden below ground for millennia, the People have finally emerged to repopulate the Earth and reclaim their legacy as the dominant species. But the cold, insectile hjjk, who remained on Earth’s surface throughout the frozen eons, will not give up the world they inherited without a fight. The New Springtime series is Robert Silverberg at his very best, showcasing the intelligence, ingenuity, humanism, and extraordinary talents that have won him four Hugo Awards, six Nebulas, and a host of other honors.

In the final novel of The Prestimion Trilogy, the succession of Majipoor’s ruler is threatened by a plague of the mind. Since gaining the Starburst Crown, Coronal Lord Prestimion has faced unfathomable challenges as ruler of Majipoor. But now peace has finally been restored to the planet, and it is time for Prestimion to name his successor and descend to the Labyrinth as Pontifex. Though the capable Prince Dekkeret is chosen to become the next Coronal, the transition is imperiled when a dark force reemerges from the past . . . Coronal Prestimion defeated his enemy Dantirya Sambail years ago, but the ignoble jackals who followed him are scheming to reclaim his lost lands and power. At their head is the tyrant’s former henchman Mandralisca, who has unleashed a torrent of dark visions upon Prestimion’s subjects. Otherworldly nightmares invade the sleep of those loyal to the Lords and the Lady of Majipoor, driving them to commit horrible, destructive acts. And the dark wave is flowing ever-closer to the throne atop Castle Mount . . . and into the sacrosanct depths of the Imperial Labyrinth itself. “Robert Silverberg is the Marco Polo of Majipoor. What wonders and adventures he has to tell us, what treasures he brings back from every voyage to that fabulous world.” —Ursula K. Le Guin “In The King of Dreams Robert Silverberg takes us once more into the wonder of Majipoor and proves again that he is a master.” —Robert Jordan

In this modern account of the genesis of a great medieval myth, celebrated science fiction author Robert Silverberg’s explores the mysterious origins of Prester John, the astonishing Christian potentate of the East. Prester John was a legendary figure who cast a powerful spell over Latin Christendom for almost five centuries. Rumors of the warrior-king-prelate’s fabulous realms first reached Europe in the eleventh century and quickly assumed an exalted status alongside such fabled wonders as El Dorado, The Fountain of Youth, and the Holy Grail. The defeat of a Moslem Turkish tribe by a Buddhist Chinese warlord seems to have been the unlikely historical nugget around which the Prester John myth grew, but contributions to this strange saga have also been traced all around the globe to the Apostle Thomas'' apocryphal preaching in India, to the actual existence of small colonies of Nestorian schismatics in central Asia, and even to Genghis Khan.

An absorbing trilogy that introduces new characters—and conflicts—from the vast world of Majipoor: “Brilliant.” —Chicago Sun-Times On the planet Majipoor, it is a time of great change. Coronal Lord Confalume is preparing to make his transition to the higher, ceremonial role of Pontifex. It is no secret that the next Coronal will be Prince Prestimion. By law and custom, Confalume’s son, Korsibar, cannot be his successor. But Korsibar has been given a prophecy that will plunge the planet into a fearsome conflagration: “You will shake the world!” Plotting with his twin sister and their ambitious companions, Korsibar intends to seize the throne by force. But the burdens of the crown and scepter exact more of a price than Korsibar is prepared to pay. Especially when Prestimion, his rival, fights back to take his appointed place . . . “Plotted like a Shakespearian play. . . . With a brand-new cast of characters and engaging conflicts of heart and soul, Silverberg—one of the world’s finest stylists and storytellers—breathes fresh life (and quality) into sci-fi’s sister genre.” —San Antonio Express-News

When their spaceship explodes on a hostile planet, three survivors face certain death unless they can reach a special beacon which will enable them to contact the nearest rescue station.

This is the definitive collection of one of the century''s finest fantasists & features introductions by some of the biggest names in the field. Includes an afterword by Ray Bradbury & Harlan Ellison.

Dekker, back from space, found great physical changes in the people of Earth; changes that would have horrified him five years before. But now, he wanted to be like the rest--even if he had to lose an eye and both ears to do it.

Two pioneering time-travellers have gone missing. As part of the effort to find them, Edward Davis travels 3,500 years into the past to visit the ancient Egyptian city of Thebes.

David Selig was born with an awesome power -- the ability to look deep into the human heart, to probe the darkest truths hidden in the secret recesses of the soul. With reckless abandon, he used his talent in the pursuit of pleasure. Then, one day, his power began to die... Universally acclaimed as Robert Silverberg''s masterwork, Dying Inside is a vivid, harrowing portrait of a man who squandered a remarkable gift, of a superman who had to learn what it was to be human.