Steal Across the Sky by Nancy Kress
an audiobook review by Steven Brandt
Ten thousand years ago, the Atoners visited our planet. Rather than just observe our fledgling species,
the Atoners meddled. In a grand experiment of their own devising, the Atoners altered the DNA of homo sapiens,
while abducting a number of unaltered humans and depositing them on seven different planets. Were they just
curious, or deliberately mean? Maybe they interfered with humanity the way humans sometimes interfere with
ant colonies, or bee hives. No one knows for sure, but what they did irrevocably altered the course of our
species forever. Now the Atoners are back, and according to their advertisement on the internet, they
wish to atone for what they did.
Dogs by Nancy Kress
reviewed by Greg L. Johnson
It's the familiar, everyday things in life which, if they suddenly turn on you, can be the most frightening. The author
evidently knows this very well, because in her latest novel, a taut thriller, she takes that
beloved object of American affection, the family dog, and turns it into a carrier of terror, chaos, and international
intrigue.
Crucible by Nancy Kress
reviewed by Greg L. Johnson
Fifty years after the events described in Crossfire, the colonists of Greentrees are preparing to celebrate the anniversary
of their arrival. For the two generations since, stories about the first colonists encounter
with the warring aliens known as Vines and Furs and hints of troubles on Earth have become less important than the present problems
of infrastructure or the concerns of their dissatisfied youth.
But then a spaceship from Earth suddenly appears, followed by the reappearance of two characters who
may have succeeded in collaborating with the Vines to attack the Furs.
Nothing Human by Nancy Kress
reviewed by Greg L. Johnson
When Lillie is twelve years old she suddenly falls into a strange type of coma. It turns out she is not alone, several other
children experience the same thing. When they wake up, they all bear the same message, "The pribir are coming."
The children also state that the pribir are coming to help humans follow "the right way." A short time later an
orbiting nuclear reactor is destroyed.
Crossfire by Nancy Kress
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
A shipful of interstellar refugees from a rapidly self-destructing Earth are en route to an uninhabited planet
where they have modest to radical plans for starting over. Aboard the Ariel the atmosphere is a bit edgy as some travellers
attempt to make as much of the voyage out of stasis as possible; a dangerous situation under the best of conditions and these are
not the best.
Probability Space by Nancy Kress
reviewed by Greg L. Johnson
Sun, Moon, and Space. The titles of the three novels in Nancy Kress's Probability series
invoke the basics of physical reality. They are fitting titles for hard science fiction stories based on speculations concerning
quantum physics and the probabilities that lie in the equations. That alone would make them worthwhile for most hardcore SF readers...
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Maximum Light by Nancy Kress
reviewed by Donna McMahon
Shana Walders has no interest in politics. She has precisely one ambition -- to join the
regular army. Unfortunately, even in an era when healthy 19-year-olds are scarce, the military isn't
interested in a kid who's already accumulated a criminal record and seven National Service
reprimands. But Shana is convinced that her rejection was engineered by a congressional committee she
briefly appeared before as a witness. When Shana testified that she had seen highly-illegal vivi-factured
chimps, the committee treated her like a liar, so Shana is determined to prove to them she wasn't lying.
Savior by Nancy Kress
reviewed by Trent Walters
The plot unravels an episodic future history where industrial technology finally breaks civilization down but where human ingenuity through quantum
computers and nanotechnology turns civilization back around. The episodic drama is more reminiscent
of Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars trilogy than the standard story plot. The episodes
don't always seem to direct the reader toward a deeper understanding of the story's thematic goal.
Probability Moon by Nancy Kress
reviewed by Greg L. Johnson
Human beings have expanded into space, and in the process discovered an
interstellar transportation system left behind by some unknown alien race.
Several other civilizations have been discovered, all humanoid and seemingly
related to homo sapiens. The one exception is the hostile Fallers. When it
is discovered that a moon orbiting an inhabited plant is actually an
artifact, possibly a weapon, possibly left behind by the same aliens that
built the transportation system, the race is on to figure out just what it
is before the Fallers can get there.
Yanked! by Nancy Kress
reviewed by Rich Horton
This new series begins sometime in the 24th century, after Earth has solved
its basic problems. Aliens have given humans some advanced technology, but
other not so nice aliens have become rivals. The gift of time travel must be
used to grab humans from preceding centuries to help out.
Stinger by Nancy Kress
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
Terrorism, racial tension, and scrambled personal lives make for taut suspense.
The author has blended exhaustive research with fast-paced
narration to produce a unique and hypnotizing novel. If you are one of
those readers who insists on trying to "figure out" the story
long before the final page, good luck with this one.
Beaker's Dozen by Nancy Kress
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
What, exactly, distinguishes her fiction? It may be the sheer
intelligence and curiosity behind the work. It may be the relevance of the subject matter.
It may be the seamless storytelling. Just possibly, it is the instant attraction of her
fiction that never wanes throughout the narrative, regardless of the length of the story.
Maximum Light by Nancy Kress
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
It's a stampede of a read. You'll find yourself hooked from the first page.
The story lines converge seamlessly, pulling readers
deep into the heart of the mystery. The premise seems all too possible in a
world where fertility seems to become less likely and government conspiracies
more likely with every news flash.
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