John Varley Boeken

A science fiction novelette nominated for the 1976 Nebula Award.

De prijzenwinnende jonge komeet aan het SF-firmament, John Varley, vermaard om Titaan, Rode Lijn met Ophiuchi en zijn nieuwste, verfilmde roman: Millennium, leeft zich verkwikkend uit in zijn verhalen. Uit dit degelijke en tegelijk lichtvoetige materiaal is Vaarwel, Robinson samengesteld. Bevat de verhalen: - Vaarwel, Robinson Crusoë - De barbie-moorden - Het Beatnikmoeras

Brian W. Aldiss - Schijn van leven (Appearance of Life) John Varley - Rood staan bij de geheugenbank (Overdrawn at the Memory Bank) Michael G. Coney - Die goeie ouwe tijd van de vloeibare brandstof (Those Good Old Days of Liquid Fuel) Richard Cowper - Het Hertford-manuscript (The Hertford Manuscript) Lester del Rey - Natuurlijk voordeel (Natural Advantage) Isaac Asimov - Twee honderd jaar mens (The Bicentennial Man, 1976) Joanna Russ - Mijn boot (My Boat) James Jr. Tiptree - Housten, Housten, ontvangt u mij? (Houston, Houston, Do You Read?)

After supremely advanced aliens invade Earth to liberate the planet's intelligent species--whales & dolphins-- the majority of humankind is exiled into space, where, by means of bioengineering, they begin to adapt to & thrive in their unforgiving environments. Cutting-edge tech means that they can modify body parts, regularly store their memories for cloning purposes & even merge with seemingly benevolent alien beings (known as symbs) to create another entity altogether. The discovery of a steady--& mostly indecipherable--stream of data originating from a star system 17 light-years away offers some kind of hope of advancing the species & retaking the homeworld. But when the novel's protagonist (a series of successive clones named Lilo-Alexandr-Calypso) travels out to 70 Ophiuchi, what she finds may not be salvation for the human species but its damnation. Almost 30 years after 1st release, Varley's 1st novel--like Joan Rivers's face--has barely shown any signs of aging. Just as thematically cutting-edge & entertaining as it was in 1977, The Ophiuchi Hotline is a must-read for anyone claiming to be a science fiction fan. (You know you're an undeniably hard-core genre fan, by the way, if you can properly pronounce this title.)--Paul Goat Allen (edited)

Bevat:Andrew Stephenson - NachtwachtJohn Varley – Rode lijn met OphiuchiTerry Pratchett - Delven

Twee Jumbo's botsen hoog in de lucht op elkaar. Overlevenden zijn er niet. De twee vliegtuigen veranderen in een regen van schroot die over een groot gebied neerklatert. Tijdens het onderzoek naar de oorzaak van de ramp komt een aantal bizarre zaken aan het licht, onverklaarbare dingen die geen enkele betekenis lijken te hebben. Waarom bijvoorbeeld verzond de bemanning van het ene toestel seconden vóór de botsing die raadselachtige mededeling aangaande de toestand van hun passagiers? Fascinerende vragen alom, die voetje voor voetje naar een onontkoombare conclusie leiden, die tegelijk onaanvaardbaar is: de toekomst bestaat al. En die toekomst strekt onzichtbaar zijn grijpvingers uit naar het heden - in bepaalde gevallen. Waarom? Waarom niet?

When Cirrocco Jones, captain of the spaceship Ringmaster, and his crew are captured by Gaea, a planet-sized creature that orbits around Saturn, they find themselves inside a bizarre world inhabited by centaurs, harpies, and constantly shifting environments

This is the most wide-ranging and provocative look at punk rock as a social change movement over the past forty-five years, told through first-hand accounts of roughly 250 musicians and activists. John Malkin brings together punk's most famous figures as well as underground voices, creating a new and insightful history of punk throughout the ages.

Renowned for its captivating narrative, this novel showcases the exceptional storytelling skills of its author, making it a standout in its genre. The plot intricately weaves together themes that resonate deeply with readers, offering a rich and immersive experience.

A collection of short stories from the Hugo and Nebula award-winning author who "has the imagination of six ordinary science fiction writers" (George R.R. Martin)—John Varley. Picnic on Nearside includes nine astonishing stories from an author whose imagination has changed the genre and the way that people envision the future.

This collection features a diverse array of speculative fiction from 1989, showcasing both established and emerging voices in the genre. The contents include a mix of novellas, novelettes, and short stories, each offering unique narratives and imaginative worlds. Notable contributions include Judith Moffett's "Tiny Tango," a thought-provoking novella, and Mike Resnick's "For I Have Touched the Sky," which continues the Kirinyaga series. Gregory Benford's "Alphas" and Connie Willis's "At the Rialto" present engaging explorations of human experience and societal themes. The anthology also includes works by Kathe Koja, Steven Popkes, and Robert Silverberg, each adding depth and variety to the collection. From William King's "Visiting the Dead" to Bruce Sterling's "Dori Bangs," the stories reflect a range of styles and subjects. Lucius Shepard's "The Ends of the Earth" and Nancy Kress's "The Price of Oranges" further exemplify the creativity of the time. Additional highlights include S. P. Somtow's "Lottery Night," Alexander Jablokov's "A Deeper Sea," and Megan Lindholm's "Silver Lady and the Fortyish Man." The collection concludes with Gardner Dozois's insightful essay summarizing the year's contributions to the genre, alongside honorable mentions that acknowledge other noteworthy works. This anthology serves as a testament to the richness and diversity of speculative fiction during this period.

Gea è un mondo vasto e sconosciuto che si è avvicinato al Sistema Solare. Una squadra di ricognizione umana deve esplorarlo da vicino. Cirocco Jones, responsabile della missione, è una donna con le idee chiare e un preciso disegno nella mente: scoprire il segreto di Gea e dei suoi artefici, anche se questo richiede la revisione di tutti i parametri conosciuti in fatto di ingegneria, chimica e biologia. Come è stato scritto all'epoca in cui il romanzo uscì per la prima volta: "Un capolavoro di invenzione e di suspense scritto da un autore che Isaac Asimov ha definito senz'altro un nuovo Heinlein". Copertina di Franco Brambilla

The son of one of the first explorers of Mars, Ray Garcia-Strickland is tired of the overdevelopment and tourists there, and when Earth is struck by a mysterious object, he is forced to return to his home plant and help solve the mystery. Reprint.

Despite wars with Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as 9/11, the United States’ dependence on foreign oil has kept the nation tied to the Middle East. A scientist has developed a cure for America’s addiction—a slow-acting virus that feeds on petroleum, turning it solid. But he didn’t consider that his contagion of an Iraqi oil field would spread to infect the fuel supply of the entire world…   In Los Angeles, screenwriter Dave Marshall heard this scenario from a retired U.S. Marine and government insider who acted as a consultant on Dave’s last film. It sounded as implausible as many of his scripts, but the reality is much more frightening than anything he can envision.   An ordinary guy armed with extraordinary information, Dave hopes his survivor’s instinct will kick in so he can protect his wife and daughter from the coming apocalypse that will alter the future of Earth—and humanity…  

Stumbling upon a perfectly frozen woolly mammoth in the northern wilds of Canada, a mammoth hunter is stunned when he also finds the mummified body of a Stone Age man, dating from around 12,000 years ago, wearing a modern-day wristwatch

The Cold War meets Mad Men in form of Karel Koechner, the most successful double agent who lived a life of shifting morals and blow-out hedonism from New York to Moscow. In the mid-1970s, the CIA and KGB both suspected Karel Koecher was working for the enemy. They were both right. With his wife Hana, Koecher arrived in the US as a KGB agent, posing as an anti-communist defector, and he soon learned that performing well in academia was the fastest path to the CIA. After graduating from Columbia he swiftly entered the ranks of the CIA, becoming a double agent during the height of the cold war. The Koechers eventually embraced the 1970s Manhattan high life -- cocaine, swinging, parties. Hana made money as a diamond dealer, occasionally relaying messages to Karel's handlers. The Koechers' lifestyle reflected both the times and their risk-taking. It was the apex of Karel's career, spy by day, swinger by night. The Koechers made it and even the once shy Hana got carried away with the euphoria. Life is good, and the Koechers felt unstoppable. But it was too good to last. Using newly declassified documents, interrogation tapes and extraordinary first-hand accounts from the Koechers themselves, Cunningham reconstructs their double lives and the fading Cold War, where a strange moral fog made it hard to know what truth was being fought for, and to what end.

The moon colony, Luna, is a virtual paradise where every need is provided for: food, prolonged lifespans, digital memories, and instant sex-changes. But the pointlessness of this easy life is making the inhabitants suicidal--including the central computer that monitors their existence. As humanity teeters on the edge of self-destruction, newspaper reporter Hildy Johnson sets out to find a new frontier.

Bureaucracy, once considered moderate and mild, drives people wild. It provokes both a rational fanaticism for more bureaucracy and a fanaticism that would, if only it could, do away with it once and for all. This confusion of rationalization and ex

In this book, leading member of the Railway Performance Society Alan Varley discusses and analyzes a lifetime of railway travel across the French Railways (SNCF) network - over a million kilometers worth! The performance of different types of train is assessed on the wide variety of routes on which they operated, giving the opportunity to see the impact of modernization, first from steam to diesel, and latterly to the dedicated high speed lines of the Trains a Grande Vitesse (TGV).

Der Wettlauf zum Mars beginnt, als China ein Raumschiff startet. Die USA reagieren mit einem eigenen Raketenstart. Doch ein drittes, ungewöhnliches Team – ein Ex-Astronaut, ein Genie und vier Teenager – bereitet sich im Verborgenen auf den Wettlauf vor. Ein spannendes Rennen im Weltall entfaltet sich.

Im Audienzsaal der Marskönige (In the Hall of the Martian Kings) Nachbar Mars bürgt für Überraschungen. Rückläufiger Sommer (Retrograde Summer) Haben Sie schon einmal in Quecksilber gebadet? Das Phantom von Kansas (The Phantom of Kansas) Ein Künstler komponiert Gewitterstürme.

Ein Löwe in der Speicherbank (Overdrawn at the Memory Bank) Alles, was er wollte, war ein geruhsames Wochenende als Löwe... In der Schüssel (In the Bowl) Kaufen Sie nie gebrauchte Organe! Triade (Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance) Eine türkisblaue Viertelnote, einen Kilometer breit.

Liebesfahrt zum Schwarzen Loch (The Black Hole Passes) Ein Schwarzes Loch bedroht Leben und Liebe zweier Techniker fernab unserer Sonne. Luftpiraten (Air Raid) Bitte anschnallen, Sie verlassen in wenigen Minuten die Erde! Die Trägheit des Auges (The Persistence of Vision) Wie sehen und hören blinde und taube Kinder? 1980 mit dem Hugo- und dem Nebula-Preis ausgezeichnet.

Sbírka pěti žánrově různých povídek od detektivního příběhu přes kyberpunk až k romantické povídce nové vlny.