Beyond the Farthest Suns (39 page)

No character great or small lives in splendid isolation. Everything an individual does reflects back, and the mirror is not just society, but nature. Discovering how a larger nature works in a story is as thrilling (and dangerous) to my characters as internal discovery.

Letitia's world has changed in significant ways, and offers her challenges no modern young woman has to face. Facing those challenges reveals her inner self as no contemporary setting can.

Moving between the internal world, the social world, and the external world, breaks down the barriers between. Inside becomes outside. There is no mirror, after all.

About the Author

Greg Bear is the author of over twenty-five books, which have been translated into seventeen languages. He has won science fiction's­ highest honors and is considered the natural heir to Arthur C. Clarke. The recipient of two Hugo Awards and four Nebula Awards, Bear has been called “the best working writer of hard science fiction” by the Science Fiction Encyclopedia. Many of his novels, such as
Darwin's Radio
, are considered to be classics of his generation. Bear is married to Astrid Anderson—who is the daughter of science fiction great Poul Anderson—and they are the parents of two children, Erik and Alexandria. Bear's recent publications include the thriller
Quantico
and its sequel,
Mariposa­
; the epic science fiction novel
City at the End of Time
; and the generation starship novel
Hull Zero Three
.

All rights reserved, including without limitation the right to reproduce this book or any portion thereof in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.

These are works of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2016 by Greg Bear

Cover art by Greg Bear

“The Venging” first appeared in
Galaxy,
1975

“Perihesperon” first appeared in
Tomorrow,
1975

“The Fall of the House of Escher” first appeared in
Beyond Imagination,
1996

“The Way of All Ghosts” first appeared in
Far Horizons,
1999

“MDIO Ecosystems” first appeared in
Nature,
2001

“Hardfought” first appeared in
Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine,
1983

“Judgment Engine” first appeared in
Artificial Life (Insects),
1993

Cover design by Mauricio Díaz

978-1-5040-2143-2

This edition published in 2016 by Open Road Integrated Media, Inc.

180 Maiden Lane

New York, NY 10038

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