Space Science Fiction Anthology

A nuanced story about artificial intelligence and digital immortality, Freenet plunges listeners into the far future, when humans have closed distances in time and space through wormhole tunnels between interplanetary colonies. Consciousness has been digitized and cybersouls uploaded to a near-omniscient data matrix in a world where information is currency and the truth belongs to whoever has the greatest bandwidth.

Few options remain for Byron. Slated to train as a Cosbolt pilot, Byron is determined to prove his worth to his instructor, Bassa. As war brews on the edge of space, Bassa must make a decision that could decide the fate of both men. Will their skills be enough as they embark on a mission destined to stretch their abilities to the limit?

Mysterious blackouts left Kira with precious few memories of events in her life, never mind those worth sharing. Somewhere in those blank spots she acquired skills - skills she was hard pressed to explain. But those skills got her a job as the new navigator for the Rented Mule, a transport ship that plied the Rim Systems at the very edge of human civilization.

Short novels may well be the perfect length for science-fiction stories. They are movie-length tales that resonate with moxie while fully exploring characters, new worlds, and ideas. The stories in this unabridged audio collection are the best-of-the-best short science-fiction novels published in 2010 by current and emerging masters of this form.

Set on a distant planet, this is a gripping tale about a colony that believes in "appropriate technology adoption". When a heavily armed clan arrives at the colony, while it's being visited by off-world anthropologists, events spiral out of control, and the colony's beliefs are put to the test. The story is told from the viewpoint of a young woman - who soon learns just how high the price of wisdom can be.

Our wars were behind us. Mankind was moving out from the planet of its birth. New worlds were settled, and with the wealth of the galaxy at hand, poverty was eliminated. Then, out of a clear summer sky, came the first berserker attack. This collection of short stories continues the ongoing saga of the berserker wars with “The Machinery of Lies”, “Masque of the Red Shift”, “In the Temple of Mars”, “Brother Berserker”, and “Smasher.”

Three months after leaving Earth, the URSS Alabama had just achieved cruise velocity when the accident occurred: Leslie Gillis woke up. His first lucid thought was, Thank God, I made it. His next thought was, Something's wrong. Everyone was still asleep. Everyone except himself.

In a landlocked galaxy that tunnels through our own, the Entire is a bizarre and seductive mix of long-lied quasi-human and alien beings gathered under a sky of fire, called the "bright". A land of wonders, the Entire is sustained by monumental storm walls and an exotic, never-ending river. Over all, the elegant and cruel Tarig rule supreme. Into this rich milieu is thrust Titus Quinn, former star pilot.

An errant encounter with a passing star has flung Earth away from its old Solar System into the dark and cold of deep space. With the entire atmosphere frozen as chemical snow dozens of feet deep, one last family struggles to survive. But what are they to think when they see figures moving in the city ruins? Are Earth's dead coming back to life?

Amadeus of Alpha Centauri governs Artemis Mining Station. He is charged with overseeing the traumatized populations of Earth and Mars who are sentenced to slave in the mines. He does so with a devilish charm and an iron fist. Trinity of Earth is a member of an insurgency, who are launching a desperate, explosive ploy to evict their sworn enemies out of the Core forever. Jonas of Proxima heads the investigation into the bombings.

Disaster has struck the first Moon landing to be attempted in years. Commander Jason Strong and his fellow lunar explorer Greg Johnson have become stranded with no way home. In desperation, they set off in their lunar rover to check out an anomaly they discovered on their descent. What they find will shake their beliefs and what they know of human history. It is the beginning of an adventure that will take them far out into the Solar System and to a discovery that is beyond belief.

The young man in question, Ross Murdock, is about to embark upon the adventure of his life. In order to avoid prosecution, he reluctantly joins Operation Retrograde, whose members are exploring various time periods. Their goal? To find out where – and when – the ‘Reds’ are obtaining certain scientific breakthroughs, in order to maintain the balance of global power. An outsider in his own time, Ross becomes an outsider in other times as well, and faces one challenge after another.

Journey to the farthest reaches of the universe. Explore the deepest mysteries of creation. Behold the brightest lights of the imagination. Discover the Writers of the Future...and experience the power of science fiction and fantasy to transform your world.

The New York Times Best-selling fantasy author Anne Bishop makes her U.S. debut in science fiction with this engaging futuristic novella. The Restorers travel the universe fulfilling a purpose handed down through the generations. They live and die aboard city-ships, never knowing the worlds they create and save. What begins as a disastrous training exercise in creating and balancing ecosystems becomes an unexpected fight for survival. The only hope may be the secret project of an untried Restorer.

In 3022, the Barchetta family rules the world of Sullivan for Hanse Davion and the Federated Suns. Young Matthew, more interested in the pleasures at Madame Lu's than his studies as a mechwarrior, stands next in his family's line to head out and make a name for himself. This is his story....

After rescuing her star pilot husband and discovering the dark secret of her own past on Earth, Athena Hera Sinistra returns to space habitat Eden to start life anew. Not happening. Thena and Kit are placed under arrest for the crime of coming back alive. The only escape from a death sentence: return to Earth and bring back the lost method for creating the Powertrees, the energy source of both Eden and Earth whose technological origins have been lost to war. But that mission is secondary to a greater imperative.

An immovable object stands in the way of the Galactic Emperor Jarrl. He has waged siege against his arch-nemesis for 1,000 years, but the barrier still stands. Now, he has come up with a plan to put the immovable object's name to the test, and lay waste to his enemies. Will his plan work? Will he manage to obliterate his foes? Will he press the big red button to destroy a galaxy?

In nur wenigen Jahren hat David Weber sich an die Spitze der internationalen SF geschrieben. Im Mittelpunkt seines Werks steht Honor Harrington, die zäheste und intelligenteste Sternenschiffkommandantin der ganzen Galaxis. Zu ihren Ehren statten David Weber und andere Spitzenautoren der SF dem Universum Honor Harringtons einen Besuch ab und verraten Neues über die Baumkatzen, den erbitterten Kampf zwischen Manticore und Haven und Honors Königin Elizabeth III.

Die STELLARIS ist ein Frachter der Minerva-Klasse, eines von vielen Millionen Raumschiffen, die zwischen den Welten der Milchstraße verkehren. Mit ihrem Rumpfdurchmesser von 200 Metern und einem Volumen von annähernd fünf Millionen Kubikmetern ist die STELLARIS eine Welt für sich... Im Paket enthalten sind folgende Kurzgeschichten: Folge 21: "Speisen mit den Bonfyers" von Wim Vandemaan, gelesen von Tom Jacobs, Folge 22: "Die Elianer (1): Vergeltung" von Roman Schleifer, gelesen von Michael Stange, Folge 23: "Die Elianer (2): Versuchung" von Roman Schleifer, gelesen von Hanno Dinger.

Die STELLARIS ist ein Frachter der Minerva-Klasse, eines von vielen Millionen Raumschiffen, die zwischen den Welten der Milchstraße verkehren. Mit ihrem Rumpfdurchmesser von 200 Metern und einem Volumen von annähernd fünf Millionen Kubikmetern ist die STELLARIS eine Welt für sich... Im Paket enthalten sind folgende Kurzgeschichten: Folge 31: "Der ewige Welpe" von Michelle Stern, gelesen von Andreas Laurenz Maier, Folge 32: "Hüllen" von Dietmar Schmidt, gelesen von Renier Baaken, Folge 33: "Lykk" von Wim Vandemaan, gelesen von Marco Sven Reinbold.