Most Popular Books by Robert Silverberg

No power on Earth can resist the might of Imperial Rome, so it has been and so it ever shall be. Through brute force, terror, and sheer indomitable will, her armies have enslaved a world. From the reign of Maximilianus the Great in A.U.C. 1203 onward through the ages -- into a new era of scientific advancement and astounding technologies -- countless upstarts and enemies arise, only to be ground into the dust beneath the merciless Roman bootheels. But one people who suffer and endure throughout the many centuries of oppressive rule dream of the glorious day that is coming -- when the heavens themselves will be opened to them…and the ships they are preparing in secret will carry them on their "Great Exodus" to the stars.

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.

In the sequel to Lord Valentine’s Castle, the history of Majipoor is revealed through thrilling tales of rulers, warriors, murderers, and thieves. “If you like tales with an Arabian Nights piquancy, this book belongs in your hands.” —The Washington Post Book World Lord Valentine has claimed the title of Coronal, ruling over the gigantic planet of Majipoor. Yet he still remembers Hissune, the boy who aided him in his time of wandering, and gives him a post in the House of Records. In a catalogue of ancient reports, Hissune discovers the Register of Souls, a repository of millions of memories of long-dead explorers, pioneers, warriors, even Coronals and Pontifexes. He begins to immerse himself into their lives—and finds himself experiencing first-hand the vast history of Majipoor . . . “Majipoor is probably the finest creation of Silverberg’s powerful imagination and certainly one of the most fully realized worlds of modern science fiction.” —Booklist

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 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 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.

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.

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.

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 . . .

"Gilgamesh in the Outback" is a science fiction novella by American writer Robert Silverberg, a sequel to his novel Gilgamesh the King[ as well as a story in the shared universe series "Heroes in Hell." It won the Hugo Award for Best Novella in 1987 and was also nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novella in 1986. Real-life writers Robert E. Howard and H. P. Lovecraft feature as characters in the novella.

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.

On a planet with six suns, night is about to fall for the first time in two thousand years . . . The planet Kalgash is on the brink of chaos—but only a handful of people realize it. Kalgash knows only the perpetual light of day; for more than two millennia, some combination of its six suns has lit up the sky. But twilight is now gathering. Soon the suns will set all at one—and the terrifying splendor of Nightfall will call forth a madness that signals the end of civilization Isaac Asimov''s short story “Nightfall” first appeared in 1941. It has since become recognized as a classic, its author a legend. But the short story isn''t the whole story. Now, Dr. Asimov has teamed with multiple Hugo and Nebula Award winner Robert Silverberg to explore and expand one of the most awe-inspiring concepts in the history of science fiction. In this novel, you will witness Nightfall—and much more. You will learn what happens at Daybreak.

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.

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.

Annotated bibliography of novels and stories.

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

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.

Fantascienza - romanzo breve (67 pagine) - Nalla sua ultima avventura Gilgamesh deve fare affidamento su due alleati molto particolari: Robert E. Howard e H.P. Lovecraft. PREMIO HUGO 1987 Anche gli eroi, i condottieri (e gli scrittori) prima o poi muoiono. Ma la loro storia non finisce lì: continua, all''Inferno. L''Inferno: un luogo senza tempo dove Giulio Cesare gira su una jeep militare, con il mitra a tracolla e due pistole ai fianchi. Dove Robert E. Howard, il creatore di Conan, incontra H.P. Lovecraft e scopre qualcosa di sé stesso. E dove entrambi incontrano il primo eroe epico dell''umanità, il sumero Gilgamesh (che Howard scambia per Conan) insieme al quale dovranno compiere un''avventura per salvare, ancora una volta, il suo amico fraterno Enkidu. Robert Silverberg è unanimemente riconosciuto come uno dei massimi autori della fantascienza contemporanea. Nato a Brooklyn (New York) il 15 gennaio del 1935, iniziò a scrivere SF d''avventura negli anni ''50, diventando ben presto uno degli autori più famosi e prolifici e ottenendo il premio Hugo come autore più promettente del 1956. Durante la metà degli anni sessanta però, spinto dal desiderio di dimostrare a se stesso e agli altri le sue capacità di vero scrittore, e di essere in grado di realizzare anche opere di qualità, Silverberg impresse una svolta decisiva allo stile dei suoi romanzi, iniziando a produrre opere di maggiore impegno umano e letterario. Tra gli scritti più importanti di questo secondo periodo ricordiamo Ali della notte (con cui vinse anche un premio Hugo), Brivido crudele, Torre di cristallo, forse la sua opera più completa e riuscita, Vertice di immortali, Paradosso dei passato, e Mutazione, che si inserisce in quel gruppo di romanzi dedicati da Silverberg alla descrizione e all''esplorazione dell''esperienza mistica della trascendenza.

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.

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

The latest volume in the bestselling fantasy saga that began with Lord Valentine''s Castle: the eagerly awaited new novel in the Majipoor sequence, one of the most famous and fully realized worlds of modern fantasy. A sequel to THE SORCERERS OF MAJIPOOR, this sumptuous fantasy is set in a world with four moons in the sky, a Desert of Stolen Dreams, a deadly Labyrinth which is the Register of Souls, rootless trees, flesh-eating flowers... Prestimion has won his title in a lengthy civil war. Now Coronal of Majipoor, Prestimion''s first mistake is to use a sorcerer''s device to obliterate the war universally from memory. Majipoor must be seen as the perfect world. The result is mass psychosis. Thanks to his mother''s worldwide control of minds from the Isle of Sleep and the allegiance of clever Prince Dekkeret, Prestimion will defeat his resurgent enemy Sambail and cure his people... but only just.

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

Here is a rarity—Robert Silverberg''s first professional story, which appeared in a British magazine in 1954. A strong adventure tale set on an alien world, it shows the strengths the then 18-year-old writer would hone over the coming decades, as he rose through the ranks to become one of the greatest science fiction writers of all time. Includes an introduction by Robert Silverberg.

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.

The beings that dwelt on Ganymede didn''t use metals, but they didn''t want to deal with Earthmen, either; and Earth needed those metals. The Ganymedeans were harmless primitives, but that wouldn’t do; pacifying such aliens, and grabbing their metal, wouldn’t go with the public. So Ted Kennedy, of the Steward & Dinoli agency, found himself assigned to produce the biggest sell in history — convince the public that the Ganymedeans were not pathetic, somewhat cute, aliens, but vicious monsters that had to be subdued! This very early work by science fiction Grandmaster Robert Silverberg showcases a young author developing his skills, and gives hints of the great talent that would fully manifest in later years. Over fifty years after its publication, many of this story''s themes retain their relevance and make for an unforgettable reading experience!

As if history and nature had not provided wonders enough, through the ages humans themselves have contrived more marvels to deceive one another. Sometimes they have concocted evidence when none was available to prove pet theories; sometimes their intention has been to impress or defraud; sometimes they have acted merely for sport. ø Robert Silverberg tells the stories of a baker''s dozen of these scientific hoaxers in a lively, good-humored book that ranges through time and across continents. Here are perpetual-motion machines and space rockets, men on the moon and serpents in the sea. The rogues? gallery is a varied one: Dr. Mesmer, who cast his hypnotic spell on eighteenth-century Paris; Charles Dawson, whose Piltdown Man challenged evolution; Dr. Cook, with his tale of ?discovering? the North Pole; and many others. ø These are fascinating stories and more than just entertainment. The author explains the scientific background against which the hoaxes appeared and the detective work that led to their exposure. The schemers teach us to be alert, to challenge the evidence, and to appreciate the healthy skepticism that characterizes the scientific method.

Science fiction story by Isaac Asimov, about a Neanderthal boy whom scientists have transported through time for scientific testing. A conflict arises when a dispassionate nurse suddenly refuses to let the boy be returned to his era.

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.

A collection of columns originally published in various magazines between 1973 and 1997 discusses science fiction, science and society, the profession of writing, and other writers