First published in the anthology Dante’s Disciples, edited by Peter Crowther and Edward E. Kramer (White Wolf, February 1996). In 2008 was included in Iterations And Other Stories collection (1st edition Quarry Press, January 2002). Winner of the CompuServe Science Fiction and Fantasy Forum’s Sixth Annual HOMer Award for Best Short Story of the Year

Un esperimento scientifico induce un temporaneo spostamento della percezione collettiva. Improvvisamente tutti gli abitanti della Terra vanno avanti nel tempo di ventun anni, e possono così vedere alcuni minuti del loro futuro mentre i loro corpi rimangono in stato d’incoscienza. Quando il mondo si risveglia c’è chi ha osservato eventi devastanti o deprimenti, chi ha visto realizzare i suoi sogni e desideri, chi non ha trovato assolutamente nulla… Un romanzo che affronta con sicurezza e profondità molte questioni di interesse scientifico e filosofico sulla responsabilità morale, sulla causalità degli eventi e sulla natura umana, rinnovando la tradizione della fantascienza classica di Isaac Asimov e Robert Heinlein

An anthology of stories edited by John Joseph Adams. From Dracula to Buffy the Vampire Slayer; from Castlevania to Tru Blood, the romance between popular culture and vampires hearkens back to humanity’s darkest, deepest fears, flowing through our very blood, fears of death, and life, and insatiable hunger. And yet, there is an attraction, undeniable, to the vampire archetype, whether the pale European count, impeccably dressed and coldly masculine, yet strangely ambiguous, ready to sink his sharp teeth deep into his victims’ necks, draining or converting them, or the vamp, the count’s feminine counterpart, villain and victim in one, using her wiles and icy sexuality to corrupt man and woman alike… Edited by John Joseph Adams (Wastelands, The Living Dead), By Blood We Live gathers together the best vampire literature of the last three decades from many of today’s most renowned authors of fantasy, speculative fiction, and horror

When aliens land in Toronto, they present astounding evidence that their planet and Earth have experienced the same cataclysmic events — evidence that they claim proves the existence of God

El cincuenta por ciento de posibilidades de haber desarrollado una enfermedad degenerativa incurable era ya bastante malo, pero Pierre Tradivel, investigador del Proyecto Genoma humano, descubrió que todo podía empeorar… Con la amenaza de ujn grupo de nazis, por ejemplo, o tratando de conseguir un seguro médico para descubrir que la seguradora está tomando muestras genéticas de sus clientes, o, cuando prosigue sus pesquisas, encontrando una cadena de asesinatos sin resolver cuyas víctimas son personas aseguradas por la compañía. La conclusión puede ser terrible. ¿Acaso los adelantos científicos que el mismo Pierre está haciendo son empleados para incrementar los beneficios de las compañías aseguradoras? Y todo puede empearar

Finding a real congregation on Mars wasn’t going to be easy—in fact he had to admit it would be a miracle if it ever happened…

2017. Depuis maintenant dix ans, la Terre reçoit des messages codés d'Alpha du Centaure, dont personne n'a réussi à comprendre la signification. Heather Davis, professeur à l'université de Toronto, a décidé de se consacrer à leur décryptage, jusqu'à présent sans succès. Kyle, son mari, se voue pour sa part à ses travaux sur le développement de l'intelligence artificielle, avec l'aide d'un ordinateur parlant et pensant. En découvrant que l'ensemble des informations transmises, correctement assemblées, forme le plan d'un objet technologique extraterrestre, Heather est cependant loin de se douter de l'ampleur des extraordinaires révélations que son utilisation apportera à notre civilisation. Et cela alors même que les recherches de Kyle sur l'essence de la conscience humaine, étayées de longues discussions philosophiques avec son ordinateur, progressent à grands pas… Dans la lignée d'ouvrages récents de science-fiction prospective — tel Contact, de Carl Sagan —, Dernière chance pour l'humanité propose une formidable plongée dans la psyché humaine, et stimule avec intelligence et brio la réflexion sur une possible évolution de l'homme vers un nouveau stade de conscience

Roman Dve zemlje predstavlja prvi dio trilogije Svet Neandertalaca u kojoj nam Robert Sojer na slikovit i upecatljiv nacin predstavlja dvije vrste ljudskih bica koje zive u dva paralelna univerzuma. U jednom zivimo mi, a u drugom Neandertalci koji su stvorili svoju civilizaciju, kulturu i nauku. Te dvije vrste, po mnogo cemu razlicite, ali istovremeno i nevjerovatno slicne, susrecu se u trenutku kada Ponter Bodit, fizicar iz paralelnog svijeta, nepredvidjenim spletom okolnosti, do kojih dolazi tokom jednog od njegovih eksperimenata sa kvantnim kompjuterom, dospijeva na nasu Zemlju

Aby sprawdzić swe teorie odnoszące się do nieśmiertelności i życia pozagrobowego, stworzył trzy komputerowe symulacje własnej osobowości. Z pierwszej kopii usunięto wszelkie wspomnienia powiązane z fizyczną egzystencją — to symulacja życia po śmierci. Drugą kopię pozbawiono wiedzy o starzeniu się i śmierci — to symulacja nieśmiertelności. Trzeciej osobowości nie poddano modyfikacjom — to kopia kontrolna. Trzy wirtualne osobowości Hobsona uciekają z laboratoryjnego komputera do obejmującej cały świat elektronicznej pajęczyny. Jedna z nich jest mordercą

Una lanzadera espacial alienígena aterriza delante de un museo de la ciencia. Las compuertas de la nave se abren y de ésta desciende un ser con forma de araña gigantesca que, bajo la atónita mirada de los presentes solicita si puede ver a un paleontólogo. Así empieza una insólita investigación alienígena que pretende demostrar la existencia de Dios, pese a los recelos de Tom D. Jericho, un paleontólogo que, como tantos científicos racionalistas, parece no necesitar en absoluto la hipótesis de la existencia de un Dios creador. Pero tom no sólo se enfrentará a un dilema científico sino también a su propia e irremediable finitud, cuando le diagnostiquen un cáncer terminal. ¿Será entonces capaz de poner en cuestión sus teorías racionalistas acerca de la inexistencia del Creador?

El doctor Hobson ha creado un monstruo. O mejor dicho, tres. Para probar sus teorías sobre la inmortalidad y la posible existencia de vida tras la muerte, Hobson ha ideado tres simulaciones informáticas de su propia personalidad. Con la primera, de la que se ha eliminado toda referencia a la existencia física, intenta analizar como sería una posible vida tras la muerte. Con la segunda, de la que se elimina toda referencia al envejecimiento y a la muerte, Hobson pretende estudiar la inmortalidad. La tercera, sin alteraciones, es el control de referencia del experimento. Sin embargo, las tres simulaciones escapan del ordenador de Hobson, huyen a la red informática mundial y viven su propia vida. Una de ellas es un asesino y comete crímenes que tal vez Hobson ha imaginado… Finalista del Premio HUGO 1996

Archaeologist Brandon Thackery and his rival Miles ‘Klicks’ Jordan fulfill a dinosaur lover’s dream with history’s first time-travel jaunt to the late Mesozoic. Hoping to solve the extinction mystery, they find Earth’s gravity is only half its 21st century value and dinosaurs that behave very strangely. Could the slimy blue creatures from Mars have something to do with both?

Grâce à son prototype de super-EEG, Peter Hobson croyait parvenir à une définition la plus précise de la mort clinique. Il a découvert mieux que cela : la preuve de l’existence de l’âme. Du jour au lendemain, Peter devient un homme célèbre que les médias s’arrachent. Partout, on lui pose la même question : « C’est comment, l’au-delà ? » Afin d’y répondre, Peter va créer — avec l’aide de son ami Sarkar — trois clones de son cerveau isolés dans la mémoire d’un ordinateur. L’un, Esprit, simulera la vie après la mort. Le deuxième, Ambrotos, l’immortalité physique. Le dernier, non modifié, servira de témoin à l’expérience. Mais l’un des doubles se mêle de jouer les justiciers pour le vrai Peter Hoson. Et pour ça, il ne recule devant aucun moyen… pas même un meurtre. Pour les deux apprentis sorciers, c’est le début d’une traque angoissée dans le dédale de l’Internet, sur la piste d’un criminel d’autant plus insaisissable qu’il est virtuel…

En el año 2007 se detecta una señal procedente del espacio profundo. Misteriosos e ininteligibles flujos de datos son recibidos durante diez años. Entonces la señal se detiene. Heather Davis, profesora de la Universidad de Toronto, ha dedicado toda su carrera a descifrar el mensaje. Mientras, su vida personal ha sucumbido: una hija suicida, un matrimonio destrozado. Pero es ella quien finalmente descifra el mensaje. Descubre una sorprendente tecnología nueva que puede abrirse paso a través de las barreras del espacio y el tiempo, con la promesa de una nueva etapa en la evolución humana. Parecen cercanos una capacidad de exploración ilimitada... o el final de la raza humana. Factor de humanidad es una novela de implicaciones morales, técnicas y sociológicas. Describe una forma de comuni-cación con una civilización que supera hasta límites insospecha-dos a la nuestra, pero también es la historia de cómo se puede destruir una pareja por una mentira, y lo difícil que puede ser reconstruirla. El canadiense Robert J. Sawyer ganador del Premio Nebula y nominado al Premio Hugo por Factor de humanidad, habiendo sido finalista los cuatro últimos años, es uno de los autores más aclamados y respetados del momento en Estados Unidos

It’s the personal implications of first contact that Sawyer (Illegal Alien) dramatizes in his disturbing and uneven new novel. Set in Canada, circa 2017, the story focuses on Heather and her computer-scientist husband, Kyle, who have separated following the suicide of their daughter Mary. When younger daughter Rebecca confronts her parents and accuses her father of molesting her, the family starts to shake apart. Redemption comes in the unlikely form of alien altruism: the messages from Alpha Centauri that psychologist Heather has studied for years prove to be blueprints for a “psychospace” device that enables her to see into the overmind of humanity, and to know anyones deepest thoughts. In a flash, Kyle is exonerated, Rebecca apologizes, and her nasty, manipulative therapist is blamed for the false accusation. Although the novel ends with Heather greeting the first starship from Alpha Centauri, the bulk of the plot centers around the family’s own mystery, and so the conclusion comes off as anti-climactic. Sawyer also includes too many digressions about the cultural significance of Seinfeld, Star Trek bloopers and quantum physics, delivering a tale that ultimately works more as a study of the human heart than as believable story of alien encounter. (Publishers Weekly)

From the 2000 anthology Lisa Snellings’ Strange Attraction: Turns of the Midnight Carnival Wheel. A young circus performer fears falling. Finalist for the Bram Stoker Award for Best Short Story of the Year, and one of three stories cited as “highlights” from this the anthology by the Denver Rocky Mountain News

The Quintaglio Ascension trilogy depicts an Earth-like world on a moon which orbits a gas giant, inhabited by a species of highly evolved, sentient Tyrannosaurs called Quintaglios, among various other creatures from the late cretaceous period, imported to this moon by aliens 65 million years prior to the story

From Star Trek to Star Wars, from Dune to Foundation, science fiction has a rich history of exploring the idea of vast intergalactic societies, and the challenges facing those living in or trying to manage such societies. The stories in Federations will continue that tradition. What are the social/religious/environmental/technological implications of living in such a vast society? What happens when expansionist tendencies on a galactic scale come into conflict with the indigenous peoples of other planets, of other races? And what of the issue of communicating across such distances, or the problems caused by relativistic travel? These are just some of the questions and issues that the stories in Federations will take on

L’espace de quelques minutes, l’humanité a perdu conscience. Durant ce laps de temps, chacun a eu un aperçu fugitif de son avenir vingt ans plus tard. Quand le monde s’éveille de nouveau, plus rien n’est comme avant : le black-out a causé des milliers de morts et de blessés. Plus encore : ces visions ont bouleversé les esprits à jamais

A team of physicists trying to prove the existence of a theoretical particle inadvertently shifts the consciousness of humankind forward 20 years. Only two minutes are "lost," but memories of the future inspire new cults, seemingly illogical stock market speculations, and a host of new patents. Rivalry between two of the male physicists for one woman heats up, since the flash-forward has shown her to be married to the "wrong" man. One of the rivals, Lloyd Simcoe, foresees his own murder, though not his murderer. Even though the event is 21 years away, Lloyd is panic-stricken and searches worldwide for clues in the visions of others. In the end, these brief glimpses of the future prove addictive, and a new team repeats the experiment in a more controlled fashion, which treats the reader to visions of an apocalyptic, almost Wellsian future. There is also Simcoe's sad avoidance of his own death, which he accomplishes by becoming painstakingly cautious

The Quintaglio Ascension trilogy depicts an Earth-like world on a moon which orbits a gas giant, inhabited by a species of highly evolved, sentient Tyrannosaurs called Quintaglios, among various other creatures from the late cretaceous period, imported to this moon by aliens 65 million years prior to the story

From the 1997 anthology Return of the Dinosaurs. A tale of intelligent dinosaurs during the Mesozoic. Honorable Mention in Gardner Dozois’s Year’s Best Science Fiction

The Quintaglio Ascension trilogy depicts an Earth-like world on a moon which orbits a gas giant, inhabited by a species of highly evolved, sentient Tyrannosaurs called Quintaglios, among various other creatures from the late cretaceous period, imported to this moon by aliens 65 million years prior to the story

Pierre Tardivel, a French Canadian geneticist, works on identifying junk DNA for the Human Genome Project. There is a 50 percent chance that Pierre is carrying the gene for Huntington’s disease, a fatal disorder. That knowledge drives Pierre to succeed in a race against time to complete his research. But a strange set of circumstances — including a knife attack, the in vitro fertilization of his wife, and an insurance company plot to use DNA samples to weed out clients predisposed to early deaths — draw Tardivel into a story that will ultimately involve the hunt for a Nazi death camp doctor

La porta tra gli universi è stata chiusa e rischia di non riaprirsi più. Ponter Boddit, lo scienziato Neanderthal, è tornato nella propria dimensione lasciando un solo rimpianto nella nostra: la genetista Mary Vaughan. Per questo convince il consiglio a tentare un pericoloso esperimento: invitare Mary in visita ufficiale sulla Terra parallela in cui sono i Neanderthal, non l’Homo sapiens, la razza dominante. Mary accetta e si avventura fra le sorprese di un mondo capovolto, in cui tra uomini e donne non può esistere il minimo contatto. Ma è solo l’inizio dell’odissea in un altro spazio, un altro tempo

This book is an anthology of original stories inspired by science and scientists. The authors—some of the best and most decorated in the field—each visited Microsoft Research and met with top researchers in areas such as machine learning, computer vision, speech recognition, programming languages, and operating systems. They were given a unique opportunity to see new technologies under development and understand how researchers think and work. The stories that came out of this process are the kind of science fiction that excited me as boy. They draw upon, highlight, and extrapolate current science. A number of them put scientists and engineers front and center in the narrative

Paleontologist David Ludlum thinks the frequent reports of alligators in the sewers of New York may be evidence of something much more dangerous… and much, much older

Aboard Argo, a colonization ship bound for Eta Cephei IV, people are very close—there’s no other choice. So when Aaron Rossman’s ex-wife dies in what seems to be a bizarre accident, everyone offers their sympathy, politely keeping their suspicions of suicide to themselves. But Aaron cannot simply accept her death. He must know the truth: Was it an accident, or did she commit suicide? When Aaron discovers the truth behind her death, he is faced with a terrible secret—a secret that could cost him his life. Sawyer’s four most recent novels were nominated for the Hugo Award. He has won the Nebula Award for Best Novel, as well as the major Canadian awards for best science fiction and best mystery fiction. Here is the novel that began his career

Un experimento científico hace posible la inesperada interacción entre dos universos paralelos, con la salvedad de que, en uno de ellos, la especie humana que ha predominado son los Neanderthales y no los Cromagnones, como ha ocurrido en nuestro mundo. Ponter Boddit y su hombre-compañero Adikor Huld, físicos neanderthales, han abierto un puente entre dos universos dando lugar a una sorprendente comparación entre culturas radicalmente distintas. Una de esas diferencias es la percepción del hecho religioso, del todo ausente en los neanderthales. En Híbridos, unos científicos de nuestro mundo especulan con la idea de que la propensión a tener creencias y experiencias religiosas podría provenir de una mutación genética que no se había producido en los neanderthales, pero sí en los cromagnones. El neanderthal Ponter Boddit y su amada Homo Sapiens, Mary Vaughan, desean tener una hija; la moderna tecnología neanderthal de reproducción asistida se lo permite, pero hay que tomar una importante decisión: ¿qué será mejor para su hija, tener creencias religiosas o no tenerlas?

The Hugo Award Winner–2003 Hominids examines two unique species of people. We are one of those species; the other is the Neanderthals of a parallel world where they became the dominant intelligence. The Neanderthal civilization has reached heights of culture and science comparable to our own, but with radically different history, society and philosophy. Ponter Boddit, a Neanderthal physicist, accidentally pierces the barrier between worlds and is transferred to our universe. Almost immediately recognized as a Neanderthal, but only much later as a scientist, he is quarantined and studied, alone and bewildered, a stranger in a strange land. But Ponter is also befriended—by a doctor and a physicist who share his questing intelligence, and especially by Canadian geneticist Mary Vaughan, a woman with whom he develops a special rapport. Ponter’s partner, Adikor Huld, finds himself with a messy lab, a missing body, suspicious people all around and an explosive murder trial. How can he possibly prove his innocence when he has no idea what actually happened to Ponter?

Neandertalski fizyk Ponter Boddit, podczas eksperymentu z komputerem kwantowym przypadkiem przekracza barierę między wszechświatami i zostaje przeniesiony do naszego świata. Niemal natychmiast zostaje rozpoznany jako Neandertalczyk. Czuje się obcy w dziwnym dla niego świecie, nie potrafi porozumieć się z otoczeniem, a do tego musi przejść kwarantannę. Na szczęście znajduje kilkoro przyjaciół, w tym specjalistkę w dziedzinie genetyki, Kanadyjkę Mary Vaughan, kobietę, z którą zaczyna go łączyć szczególna więź. Tymczasem w świecie Pontera, jego partner, Adikor Huld, musi stawić czoło podejrzeniom o morderstwo. Jak ma dowieść własnej niewinności, skoro nie wie, co się stało z jego przyjacielem?

Un experimento científico hace posible la inesperada interacción entre dos universos paralelos con la salvedad de que, en uno de ellos, la especie humana que ha predominado son los Neanderthales y no los Cromagnones, como ha ocurrido en nuestro mundo. Homínidos es el inicio de una prodigiosa exploración cultural, un nuevo tipo de ficción antropológica que centra sus mejores virtudes no sólo en la más actual ciencia moderna, sino, y sobre todo, en las complejas consecuencias culturales, humanas y antropológicas de un inesperado cruce de culturas

Un experimento científico hace posible la inesperada interacción entre dos universos paralelos con la salvedad de que, en uno de ellos, la especie humana que ha predominado son los Neanderthales y no los Cormagnones, como ha ocurrido en nuestro mundo. Ponter Boddit y su hombre-compañero, Addikor Hulk, físicos neanderthales, han abierto un puente entre dos universos con su computador cuántico. Ahora se plantean volver a abrir ese paso para dar lugar al más prodigioso e intercambio cultural entre especies y universos. Como Hominidos, que obtuvo el premio Hugo en 2003, Humanos ahonda en una prodigiosa exploración cultural, un nuevo tipo de ficción antropológica que centra sus mejores virtudes no sólo en la más actual ciencia moderna, sino, sobre todo, en las complejas consecuencias culturales, humanas y antropológicas de un inesperado cruce de culturas. Humanos explora con valentía esas diferencias culturales, mostrando otras posibilidades y contemplando nuestras propias convenciones sociales, culturales y religiosas desde un nuevo punto de vista. Robert J. Sawyer es ya el mayor fenómeno de la ciencia ficción canadiense. Especialista en una ciencia ficción rigurosa que plantea cuestiones morales, ha obtenido ya más de veinticinco premios nacionales e internacionales por su obra. Con El experimento terminal obtuvo los premios Nebula, Aurora (de la ciencia ficción canadiense) y Homer (del foro de ciencia ficción de Compuserve) y, en los últimos seis años, ha sido cinco veces finalista del premio Hugo, un récord dificilmente igualable, que ha culminado con el Hugo obtenido por Hominidos

Robert J. Sawyer, the award-winning and bestselling writer, hits the peak of his powers in Humans, the second book of The Neanderthal Parallax, his trilogy about our world and parallel one in which it was the Homo sapiens who died out and the Neanderthals who became the dominant intelligent species. This powerful idea allows Sawyer to examine some of the deeply rooted assumptions of contemporary human civilization dramatically, by confronting us with another civilization, just as morally valid, that has made other choices. In Humans, Neanderthal physicist Ponter Boddit, a character you will never forget, returns to our world and to his relationship with geneticist Mary Vaughan, as cultural exchanges between the two Earths begin. As we see daily life in another present-day world, radically different from ours, in the course of Sawyer's fast-moving story, we experience the bursts of wonder and enlightenment that are the finest pleasures of science fiction. Humans is one of the best SF novels of the year, and The Neanderthal Parallax is an SF classic in the making

In Hominids, Nebula Award-winning author Robert J. Sawyer introduced a character readers will never forget: Ponter Boddit, a Neanderthal physicist from a parallel Earth who was whisked from his reality into ours by a quantum-computing experiment gone awry-making him the ultimate stranger in a strange land. In that book and in its sequel, Humans, Sawyer showed us the Neanderthal version of Earth in loving detail-a tour de force of world-building; a masterpiece of alternate history. Now, in Hybrids, Ponter Boddit and his Homo sapien lover, geneticist Mary Vaughan, are torn between two worlds, struggling to find a way to make their star-crossed relationship work. Aided by banned Neanderthal technology, they plan to conceive the first hybrid child, a symbol of hope for the joining of their two versions of reality. But after an experiment shows that Mary's religious faith--something completely absent in Neanderthals - is a quirk of the neurological wiring of Homo sapiens' brains, Ponter and Mary must decide whether their child should be predisposed to atheism or belief. Meanwhile, as Mary's Earth is dealing with a collapse of its planetary magnetic field, her boss, the enigmatic Jock Krieger, has turned envious eyes on the unspoiled Eden that is the Neanderthal world . . . . Hybrids is filled to bursting with Sawyer's signature speculations about alternative ways of being human, exploding our preconceptions of morality and gender, of faith and love. His Neanderthal Parallax trilogy is a classic in the making, and here he brings it to a stunning, thought-provoking conclusion that's sure to make Hybrids one of the most controversial books of the year

Trzecia i ostatnia czesc trylogii o dwoch rownoleglych swiatach — blizniaczych Ziemiach — naszej, zdominowanej przez czlowieka i drugiej, opanowanej przez Neandertalczykow. W Hybrydach Ponter Boddit i jego partnerka z Ziemi Homo sapiens, Mary Vaughan, staja przed koniecznoscia pogodzenia zycia w dwoch swiatach. Usiluja znalezc sposob, aby ich niezwykly zwiazek mogl przetrwac pomimo pietrzacych sie trudnosci i roznic. Za pomoca zakazanej neandertalskiej technologii planuja poczac dziecko, pierwszego hybryda — symbol nadziei na polaczenie dwoch tak odmiennych wersji rzeczywistosci. Tymczasem na Ziemi zamieszkalej przez Homo sapiens zaczyna zmieniac sie pole magnetyczne planety, dlatego szef Mary, tajemniczy Jock Krieger, coraz czesciej z zazdroscia spoglada na nie zdewastowany przez czlowieka raj, jakim jest neandertalski swiat

Ascoltare messaggi che vengono dalle stelle è un compito che i radioastronomi eseguono da anni nella speranza che possano arrivarci rivelazioni in grado di cambiare la nostra visione dell’universo. Ed è probabile che un giorno queste comunicazioni arrivino davvero, e che oltre a cambiare tutto ciò che sapevamo di là fuori mettano in discussione ciò che noi stessi siamo (o credevamo di essere). Quando questo avverrà, è probabile che non ci sia più posto per le illusioni dell’homo sapiens. E comincerà la lotta per consentire, o stroncare sul nascere, l’evoluzione di una nuova specie di uomini

An all-original collection of twenty-seven stories by some of today’s most inventive authors about alien encounters with humans-from the aliens’ perspective

Nominated for Nebula Award for Best Novella in 2005

First published in The Village Voice: The Weekly Newspaper of New York, 14–20 January 1981

Aliens, Tosoks, have finally made contact with Earth, but there are only seven of them, and they’ve arrived in a disabled spaceship. The Tosoks are intelligent and surprisingly easy to communicate with, and are happy to tour Earth and see what humans have to offer. But during a stop in Los Angeles, one of the human scientists traveling with the Tosoks is gruesomely murdered, and all evidence points to the alien Hask. The Los Angeles Police Department is determined to indict Hask for the crime, even though the aliens have little concept of laws or crime as we understand them. The only thing the U.S. government can do is secretly procure the services of Dale Rice, a leading civil rights lawyer, and hope he can clear Hask of the charges. But as the trial progresses, evidence indicates a cover-up by one or more of the aliens. Humanity’s survival—not just Hask’s fate—might hinge on the jury’s verdict

Commissioned for the anthology Dinosaur Fantastic, edited by Mike Resnick and Martin H. Greenberg (DAW, 1993); first published in On Spec: The Canadian Magazine of Speculative Writing, Summer 1993. Later it was reprinted in several anthologies including On Spec: The First Five Years, Dinosaurs II, and Northern Stars. In 2008 it was included in Iterations And Other Stories collection (1st edition Quarry Press, January 2002). Winner of both the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Award (“the Aurora”) for Best English-Language Short Story of 1993 and the Crime Writers of Canada’s Arthur Ellis Award for Best Short Story of 1993

Come si sono estinti i dinosauri? Domanda vecchia, per il lettore di fantascienza. E che ha avuto mille risposte. Nel caso di questo brillante romanzo, tuttavia, l’interrogativo è molto più complesso e andrebbe riformulato così: provata scientificamente l’esistenza di Dio, perchè ci ha fatto come ci ha fatto? E soprattutto, perchè ha deciso di estinguere periodicamente le forme di vita superiori su tutti i mondi abitati? E’ l’assillo che tormenta Hollus, un ragno intelligente venuto dallo spazio che un bel giorno entra nel Royal Museum, a Toronto, e chiede di parlare con uno scienziato. Lo portano da Thomas Jericho, paleontologo, e l’aracnide rivela importanti informazioni sulle origini della vita. Non solo, ma propone alle menti migliori della Terra di unirsi in una ricerca che altri pianeti hanno già cominciato per loro conto, e che solo lo sforzo di tutte le intelligenze potrà coronare di successo. La domanda è infatti: che intenzioni ha il Creatore?

Durante un esperimento di calcolo quantistico Ponter Boddit, uno scienziato Neandertal, supera accidentalmente le barriere che separano il suo mondo da quello della specie umana e si ritrova in un universo parallelo, che gli appare carico di contraddizioni e di ambiguità. Messo in isolamento, l'alieno diviene un oggetto di studio per un gruppo di ricercatori ed esperti, e un'attrazione irresistibile per i media e per i politici delle varie nazioni, che ne reclamano l'ideale proprietà. Nello stesso tempo, nella dimensione dei Neandertal, il compagno di Ponter, Adikor Huld, viene accusato del suo omicidio. Riuscirà a provare la propria innocenza, pur non potendo neppure immaginare quanto gli è accaduto?

W poprzednim tomie — „Hominidach” — neandertalski fizyk Ponter Boddit, podczas eksperymentu z komputerem kwantowym przekroczył przypadkiem barierę pomiędzy alternatywną Ziemią, na której jego gatunek jest dominujący, a ludzie wymarli przed tysiącami lat. Po wielu przygodach, przy pomocy ziemskich naukowców, udało mu się wrócić do swojego świata. W drugim tomie Ponter Boddit doprowadza do ponownego otwarcia portalu między światami. Wraca na Ziemię zamieszkałą przez Homo sapiens i znowu spotyka profesor Mary Vaughan. Podczas pierwszej oficjalnej wizyty delegacji ze świata Neandertalczyków dochodzi do incydentu, który stawia pod znakiem zapytania dalsze kontakty między gatunkami. Na szczęście, udaje się pokonać pierwsze trudności i rozpoczyna się wymiana kulturowa między obiema Ziemiami

Merveille conclut en fanfare la trilogie de Robert J. Sawyer commencée avec Éveil et poursuivie avec Veille. Webmind, l'Intelligence Artificielle qui a émergé sur la Toile à la suite de circonstances très singulières, menace-t-elle l'humanité comme le croît le colonel Hume, du programme Watch, qui a juré de la détruire ? Ou bien l'apparition de cette entité aux pouvoirs quasi divins est-elle une chance extraordinaire pour l'humanité, comme le pense Caitlin Dexter, la jeune ex-aveugle dont la prothèse a tout permis ? Quel rôle jouera le grand singe Chobo, l'autre intelligence non humaine de la planète, dans l'effort de Webmind pour convaincre les humains de ses bonnes intentions ? La réponse se trouve-t-elle en Chine ?

Jake Sullivan watched his father, suffering from a rare condition, collapse and linger in a vegetative state, and he’s incredibly paranoid because he inherited that condition. When mindscanning technology becomes available, he has himself scanned, which involves dispatching his biological body to the moon and assuming an android body. In possession of everything the biological Jake Sullivan had on Earth, android Jake finds love with Karen, who has also been mindscanned. Meanwhile, biological Jake discovers there is finally another, brand-new cure for his condition. Moreover, Karen’s son sues her, declaring that his mother is dead, and android Karen has no right to deprive him of his considerable inheritance. Biological Jake, unable to leave the moon because of the contract he signed, becomes steadily more unstable, until finally, in a fit of paranoia, he takes hostages. Sawyer’s treatment of identity issues —of what copying consciousness may mean and how consciousness is defined —finds expression in a good story that is a new meditation on an old SF theme, the meaning of being human. (Amazon.com) Won John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel in 2006

Jake Sullivan consigue engañar a la muerte. Amenazado por una cruel y fatal enfermedad circulatoria, logra copiar su conciencia en un nuevo cuerpo androide que le ha de proporcionar la inmortalidad. La nueva vida parece sin problemas hasta que se plantea un problema de derechos legales y morales con la personalidad... ¿de quién? ¿Qué le ocurre a la persona biológica original cuando el contenido de su mente se ha transferido a un cuerpo androide? Personas y copias: ¿quién debe ser el titular de los derechos legales antes propios de un único individuo? Un drama jurídico, personal, y una interesante especulación en torno a un futuro tal vez no demasiado lejano

    Le jour où il se découvre atteint d'une maladie incurable, Pierre Tardivel décide de devenir chercheur en génétique. Après de brillantes études, il travaille sur le génome humain aux côtés du Dr Klimus, un génial lauréat du Nobel. Il rencontre là son épouse, Molly, professeur de psychologie dotée de pouvoirs télépathiques. Pour ne pas transmettre la maladie de Pierre à leur enfant, ils décident de procréer par insémination artificielle. Mais la petite fille qui naît a d'étranges caractéristiques génétiques… Double enquête, double course contre la montre : celle d'un couple pour sauver son enfant victime de manipulations expérimentales, celle de Pierre, qui lutte contre le mal…

Un uomo che ha buone probabilità di morire per una malattia ereditaria del sistema nervoso. Uno scienziato premio Nobel che è forse un ex-torturatore nazista. Una società di assicurazioni interessata ai clienti con difetti genetici. Ce n’è quanto basta per capovolgere il mondo normale di Pierre Tardivel e il suo lavoro al Progetto Genoma Umano. E il figlio che Pierre sta per avere sarà il primo, concreto annuncio dell’incubo biologico... Ritorna Robert J. Sawyer, l’acclamato autore di Starplex, con un romanzo di straordinaria suspense

Mary Vaughan e Ponter Boddit, due scienziati che vogliono avere un figlio. C’è un ostacolo, però: lei appartiene alla specie Homo sapiens ed è nata nel nostro universo, lui è un Neanderthal evoluto e rappresenta la specie dominante di un mondo parallleo. La tecnologia per susperare il gap biologico esiste: è nelle mani di uno scienziato Neanderthal che vive nelle solitudini del suo mondo. Il problema, tuttavia, non è come raggiungerlo, ma come superare la violenza e il razzismo di una pianeta pieno d’odio. Il nostro

Although Sawyer is best known for his science fiction, he’s written a number of works that deal with fantastic themes, such as this story, which won the Aurora Award and first appeared in the anthology Dark Destiny III. But, as you might guess from the title, this one doesn’t see Sawyer straying too far from his science fiction roots…