Pamela Sargent

In Pamela Sargent's fascinating vision of a far-future, post-technological agrarian society, Earthfolk communicate with each other telepathically, can heal themselves, and fly at will, all by using their mindpowers. But those born without psychic ability-solitaries-must be euthanized to preserve the harmony of the society. This is the way of the world-until the appearance of a mysterious comet in the sky. Watchstar: The time has come. Daiya has turned...

When a mysterious stranger appears in Sarah and Gerard's rural town, the two young lovers fighting a fervent battle to overcome America's depression and despair, are suddenly faced with a new realm of possibilities. But they find themselves questioning whether this handsome being was an angel sent to rescue them or a dark being bearing terrible dangers.

Great science fiction looks outward toward the intricacy of the universe in order to look inward at the complexity of the human condition. In Thumbprints, Nebula and Locus Award–winning author Pamela Sargent brings together short stories from across her career, each filled with rich characterization and eclectic, fascinating plots. From Mongolia to Venus, from the distant past to the near future, these works of short fiction explore what it means...

In an untamed garden, a woman discovers the price of freedom Aniya is a perfect creature. Using the power of the Net, she has banished all of her painful memories, allowing herself to live in a state of perfect contentment on a far-future Earth. In order to have companions, she creates two eidolons-living beings imprinted with all of Aniya's thoughts, feelings, and desires. Of the two creatures, Orielna is happy to live in her creator's shadow, but...

Anra is a solitary. She was born without the power to mindspeak, and unlike her fellows, she cannot communicate in unspoken thoughts. In the past, she would have been killed at birth, but the arrival of the Wanderer, the comet controlled by the cybernetic intelligence known as the Homesmind, has changed everything. The people of the comet, the skydwellers, now supply solitaries with implants that allow artificial mindspeaking. The solitaries are sequestered...

In 1167, in the harsh homeland of Mongol tribes, a child was born who was to change the course of human history. His father named him Temujin, but the world knows him as Genghis Khan. Set amid the barbaric splendor of the Mongol hordes, RULER OF THE SKY tells the tale of the warrior who forged one of the greatest and most terrifying armies the world had ever seen, and conquered the world from Peking to Persia. Not only is this the story of Genghis...

The Venus Project-making the planet's atmosphere habitable for humans-spans centuries and determines the fates of multiple generations. Venus of Dreams: Iris Angharads, a determined, independent woman, sets herself one massive goal: to make the poison-filled atmosphere of Venus hospitable to humans. She works day and night to realize her dream, with only one person sharing her passion, Liang Chen. It seems impossible to make Venus, with its intolerable...

Thirteen stories of impossible futures and otherworldly adventure, from one of science fiction's most thoughtful authors In "Hillary Orbits Venus," a young Hillary Rodham pursues her childhood dream of becoming an astronaut, while in the Nebula Award–winning "Danny Goes to Mars," former US vice president Dan Quayle embarks on the first expedition to Mars. "The Sleeping Serpent" reveals what might have happened if the Mongols had conquered all of...

The Venus Project calls upon the strongest and most courageous to create a prosperous world in the dismal wilderness of Venus. Those who demonstrate the skill and the passion to embark on this adventure must transform the barren planet in the midst of political and cultural unrest. When Risa and Benzi, children of Iris, one of the first people to partake in this project, find themselves in opposing forces on the battlefield, it is their love and perseverance...

Pamela Sargent doesn't write showily and doesn't rely on action set-pieces to make her fiction. She creates original and intriguing premises and she uses fascinating and convincing detail along with well-executed and believable characterization to tell stories that deliver sneakily powerful visions of imaginary reality. This alternate-historical take on the frontier expansion of post-Civil War America takes us to a place we hadn't expected but can...