On the technological, decadent world of Proton, someone was trying to destroy Stile, serf and master Gamesman. His only escape lay through a mysterious “curtain” revealed by a loving robot. Beyond the curtain lay Phaze—a world totally ruled by magic. There, his first encounter was with an amulet that turned into a demon determined to choke him to death. And there, he soon learned, his alternate self had already been murdered by sorcery, and he was due to be the next victim. “Know thyself!” the infallible Oracle told him. But first he must save himself as he shuttled between worlds. On Proton, his fate depended on winning the great Games. On Phaze, he could survive only by mastering magic. And if he used any magic at all, the werewolf and the unicorn who were his only friends were determined to kill him at once!
Nebula and Hugo award-winning author David Brin continues his bestselling Uplift series in this second novel of a bold new trilogy. Imaginative, inventive, and filled with Brin's trademark mix of adventure, passion, and wit, Infinity's Shore carries us further than ever before into the heart of the most beloved and extraordinary science fiction sagas ever written. For the fugitive settlers of Jijo, it is truly the beginning of the end. As starships fill the skies, the threat of genocide hangs over the planet that once peacefully sheltered six bands of sapient beings. Now the human settlers of Jijo and their alien neighbors must make heroic--and terrifying--choices. A scientist must rally believers for a cause he never shared. And four youngsters find that what started as a simple adventure--imitating exploits in Earthling books by Verne and Twain--leads them to the dark abyss of mystery. Meanwhile, the Streaker, with her fugitive dolphin crew, arrives at last on Jijo in a desperate search for refuge. Yet what the crew finds instead is a secret hidden since the galaxies first spawned intelligence--a secret that could mean salvation for the planet and its inhabitants...or their ultimate annihilation.
In this brilliant continuation of the epic adventure that began in Split Infinity, Piers Anthony again proves himself a master of both fantasy and science fiction For Stile, life was a matter of shuttling madly between two worlds, with the problems growing greater on each. On the science world of Proton, he was a serf, trying to prove his right to exist by competing in the Great Games. On Phaze, where only magic worked, he was the Blue Adept, trying to master the powers of sorcery. And on both worlds, someone was trying to assassinate him. Aside from winning increasingly difficult contests with no time to prepare, all he had to do was win the love of the Lady Blue, fight a dragon, discover the ultimate weapon—and, of course, seek the paranoid Adept or the all-powerful Citizen who was trying to kill him! And now, just when things were growing impossible, he had to fight a mortal duel with the unicorn Herd Leader, against whom his magic powers were useless!
Out of print no longer: Book Four of the Apprentice Adept series--from the "New York Times" bestselling author. Two worlds--the scientific Proton, and the magical Phaze--exist side-by-side. Now, Mach has crossed from Proton to Phaze, switching places with his counterpart Bane. And both must learn to survive in environments alien to their own nature.
Count to Infinity is John C. Wright's spectacular conclusion to the thought-provoking hard science fiction Eschaton Sequence, exploring future history and human evolution. An epic space opera finale worthy of the scope and wonder of The Eschaton Sequence: Menelaus Montrose is locked in a final battle of wits, bullets, and posthuman intelligence with Ximen del Azarchel for the fate of humanity in the far future. The alien monstrosities of Ain at long last are revealed, their hidden past laid bare, along with the reason for their brutal treatment of Man and all the species seeded throughout the galaxy. And they have still one more secret that could upend everything Montrose has fought for and lived so long to achieve. The Eschaton Sequence #1 Count to a Trillion #2 The Hermetic Millennia #3 The Judge of Ages #4 The Architect of Aeons #5 The Vindication of Man At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
'Science has never had an advocate quite like David Deutsch ... A computational physicist on a par with his touchstones Alan Turing and Richard Feynman, and a philosopher in the line of his greatest hero, Karl Popper. His arguments are so clear that to read him is to experience the thrill of the highest level of discourse available on this planet and to understand it' Peter Forbes, Independent In our search for truth, how far have we advanced? This uniquely human quest for good explanations has driven amazing improvements in everything from scientific understanding and technology to politics, moral values and human welfare. But will progress end, either in catastrophe or completion - or will it continue infinitely? In this profound and seminal book, David Deutsch explores the furthest reaches of our current understanding, taking in the Infinity Hotel, supernovae and the nature of optimism, to instill in all of us a wonder at what we have achieved - and the fact that this is only the beginning of humanity's infinite possibility. 'This is Deutsch at his most ambitious, seeking to understand the implications of our scientific explanations of the world ... I enthusiastically recommend this rich, wide-ranging and elegantly written exposition of the unique insights of one of our most original intellectuals' Michael Berry, Times Higher Education Supplement 'Bold ... profound ... provocative and persuasive' Economist 'David Deutsch may well go down in history as one of the great scientists of our age' Scotsman
The book contains popular expositions (accessible to readers with no more than a high school mathematics background) on the mathematical theory of infinity, and a number of related topics. These include G?del's incompleteness theorems and their relationship to concepts of artificial intelligence and the human mind, as well as the conceivability of some unconventional cosmological models. The material is approached from a variety of viewpoints, some more conventionally mathematical and others being nearly mystical. There is a brief account of the author's personal contact with Kurt G?del.An appendix contains one of the few popular expositions on set theory research on what are known as "strong axioms of infinity."
THE SEQUEL TO LIFESPAN OF STARLIGHT A split-second decision, a single time-skip. The world that you know, gone in a blink. Now a sharp and adept time-skipper, Scout jumps years ahead to find the world transformed. Technology has accelerated and the people she knows have grown up, or disappeared. Most pressing, the government that she was trying to escape has used the time to prepare for the return of the time skippers. Caught between finding the mother she left behind and time-skipping ahead with Mason, a series of events lead Scout deeper into the tunnel than ever before. The only way out is by the strength of her love and the power of her mind. The illusion of time has one more surprise, one with the power to change everything.
In this brilliantly satisfying conclusion to the epic adventure begun in Split Infinity and continued in Blue Adept, Piers Anthony again proves himself a consummate master of both science fiction and fantasy. Stile had problems—two whole worlds of problems, in fact. On Proton, a world of future science, his murder was averted only by the help of a lovely robot, who sent him through an invisible “curtain” to Phaze, an alternate world ruled by magic. There he found he was the double of the sorcerer, the Blue Adept, who had been mysteriously murdered. And the assassin was after Stile! To survive, Stile had to master magic, fight a dragon, win the friendship of a lady unicorn, locate his enemy among the paranoid Adepts, and return out of Phaze to win the Great Games on Proton. After that, he was ready to face the real problems! The infallible Oracle was suddenly involved in the conspiracy against him. The two worlds were out of balance and heading for disaster. Stile was somehow supposed to take over the job of saving them or go down to total destruction with all he loved, he had to act and act quickly—with no idea of what he was supposed to do.
Secrets of Infinity examines infinity as it has been studied since antiquity, beginning with the classical figures from Greece and Rome. In an entertaining and practical way, readers will discover that infinity is not limited to the mathematical concept as represented by the symbol nor its metaphysical concept as the indefinable concept of eternity, but in fact, it resides in a variety of disciplines, a multitude of contexts and has a far-reaching influence on human existence. Secrets of Infinity organizes the 150 articles into six subject areas: Science: Henrietta Lacks -- Her death in 1951 from uterine cancer at the age 31 did not end her existence. Her doctor took a tissue sample from the tumor and developed the first continuous culture of human cells and thus the first immortal cell line in history, known as HeLa. Mathematics: Googol -- Edward Kasner (1878-1955) devised the googol to show how huge infinity is through a number so large that it is unimaginable but still not even close to infinity. Technology: TA-65 -- Recently, researchers at Sierra Sciences discovered the TA-65, which could be the chromosomal catalyst to stopping, slowing or even reversing the aging process, bringing us closer to the myth of eternal youth. Art: The Endless Stairs of the Vatican -- Little did the Vatican Museums know in 1932, when the stairs were built, that this formation could represent life itself, with the discovery of the DNA double helix chain in 1953. Philosophy: René Descartes, the Infinite and God -- According to Descartes, the idea of infinity has been imposed by a nature that is higher than human, and can only come from this nature being infinite, so he interprets that the existence of infinity confirms the existence of God. Symbology: The Labyrinth -- A labyrinth is a route made up of streets and crossroads with an ingenious and complex structure whose design variations are endless, especially in the case of the rhizome labyrinth, which has infinite ramifications. Engaging and free of jargon, Secrets of Infinity helps to demystify the elusive infinity and bring it closer to modern concepts and understanding. Thinking readers and students will find enjoyment and insight on its pages.
