Bøker av Catherine Asaro

DUST KNIGHTS: A NEW SERIES IN CATHERINE ASARO’S SKOLIAN EMPIRE: Major Bhaajan and her gang of Dust Knights act as guides and bodyguards to a member of the Imperial family on a mission of good will in the Undercity. But what awaits them in the Down Deep may ruin the chance at peace forever.A CITY DIVIDED For centuries The City of Cries—one of the most desired locales in the Skolian Imperialate—has existed by the thinnest of threads. On the dying world of Raylicon, the “haves” live in great luxury in Cries while the “have-nots” scrape by, eking out a marginal existence in the notorious Undercity beneath the desert. Major Bhaajan, formerly of the Pharaoh's Army, knows both worlds. Born into the Undercity, she nevertheless has made a name for herself in the Imperialate. And now, she has the chance to help her people. HOPE FOR RECONCILIATION For the first time, a member of the Royal class wants to extend an olive branch to the Undercity. Hoping to build bridges, Colonel Lavinda Majda recruits Bhaaj and her Dust Knights to act as guides and bodyguards on a mission of goodwill to those who live below the surface of their parched world. THE DOWN DEEP But the problems of the Undercity run deeper than anyone knows. To help find peace, the Dust Knights must reach the most hidden rungs in that mysterious underground world, a place known only as the Down Deep, where the scars from centuries of distrust are greatest. There they will face an unseen enemy that may destroy the lives of everyone they know—and threaten interstellar civilization.

Following her heart, she left Earth behind--and now only she can save it . . . Tina Santis Pulivok never thought anyone would make sense of the strange way her mind could become saturated with other people's moods. But then she met Althor, an empathic starfighter pilot from hundreds of years in the future. As their love grows, she leaves her Earth to join his universe where she has no ties except to Althor and their vulnerable marriage. Althor comes from a race of rare psions whose abilities are vital to the survival of humanity, making him coveted by three interstellar civilizations. His enemies sabotaged his starfighter and never expected him to return. Now he faces betrayals from every side. He and Tina become the targets of a merciless enemy who thrives on pain--and who will do anything to destroy the budding alliance between Althor's people and Tina's Earth . . . The completion of the thrilling interstellar adventure that began with Earthborn. Praise for Lightning Strike "From the L.A. barrios to the universe! Excellent." --The San Diego Union-Tribune "A truly masterful accomplishment of world-building, an example of consummate craftsmanship and an impeccable feel for the technical and social possibilities that lie ahead of us. Hard science fiction fans can rejoice--the next superstar is here." --Romantic Times

From a Mayan village to an L.A. barrio to a chance to reach the stars . . . Part One of "a space adventure for the twenty-first century" (Nancy Kress, Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author). Not much surprises waitress Tina Santis Pulivok on the streets of East LA--until the night when, on her way home from her waitressing job, she meets a man working on a strange, glowing box. Still, she thinks he must be one of those Caltech students who's into role-playing games. Until his mind reaches out to hers . . . Althor is definitively in the wrong place at the wrong time. An Imperial Space Command pilot, he was headed to a reception in Washington DC and somehow ended up here, though he's not quite sure where here is. As Tina helps Althor get his bearings, they realize he's in more trouble than he thought. He left his home base in 2328--and now it's 1987. At least he still has his starfighter, shrouded and in orbit above the Earth. But when the military gets their hands on the ship, he and Tina must race to reclaim it before it detonates itself--taking a huge chunk of California along with it . . . Praise for Lightning Strike "From the L.A. barrios to the universe! Excellent." --The San Diego Union-Tribune "A truly masterful accomplishment of world-building, an example of consummate craftsmanship and an impeccable feel for the technical and social possibilities that lie ahead of us. Hard science fiction fans can rejoice--the next superstar is here." --Romantic Times

"When a serial-killer plot points to the Royalist political party, Major Bhaajan, former military officer turned private detective, is called back to Selei City to solve the crime. Bhaaj and her crew of Undercity Dust Knights plunge into the Byzantine world of Imperial politics--a jigsaw world where none of the pieces seem to fit. As the assassination plot becomes more and more convoluted, Bhaaj is kidnapped and must fight for her life against the growing number of people threatened by her investigation. Bhaaj has faced all this and more before, but now she must deal with something far deadlier--interstellar politics."--

The first book in the Skolian Empire saga by the Nebula Award-winning author. "Fast, smart, speculative . . . another stellar debut." --Los Angeles Daily News Soz Valdoria, a bioengineered fighter pilot--and first in line for the military command of her people--has found refuge with her squad on the sanctuary planet of Delos. It offers a respite from the war that rages between her Skolian people and their enemies, the Traders. Looking for rest and relaxation, they must still be on their guard for the Trader soldiers who also visit the sanctuary. In a bar, they confront the worst of the worst: an Aristo from the Trader ruling caste, seemingly on the prowl for a "provider" he can use for his barbaric impulses. His presence takes Soz back to her days as a prisoner of war, when she became the plaything of a sadistic and soulless Aristo. And yet something is off about this Aristo. Unable to ignore her instincts, Soz searches the city until she finds him in a secured mansion. Breaching its fortifications and eluding its guards, she discovers a devastating truth: this man is no true Aristo. He is a genetic anomaly like Soz, one of the few people who can handle the massive neurological demands of the psibernet, the technological marvel that gives the Skolians their only advantage over the Traders. This false Aristo, this sheep in a wolf's clothing, is heir to the Trader throne. The emperor created him for one reason--to take control of the Skolian network and conquer Soz's people. But Soz has never felt such a connection as she does to this Trader heir. It may prove her--and the universe's--undoing . . . "This is one of the best SF first novels in years." --Booklist

A collection that includes the Nebula Award-winning titular novella and "Light and Shadow," the story that begins the Saga of the Skolian Empire series. In "The Spacetime Pool," recent MIT grad Janelle Aulair is hiking through the Great Smoky Mountains when a man appears out of nowhere to request her help. Shaken by his impossible appearance, she steps away--and falls through a portal onto a beach in another universe. That's when Dominick, the man who waylaid Janelle, reveals she is part of a prophecy. It foretells a bizarre future: if Dominick marries Janelle, he'll depose his twin brother and become Emperor of the land. If Dominick doesn't marry her, his brother--a brutal tyrant who will do anything to keep his throne--will murder him. Janelle finds herself caught in a conflict that could destroy the realm. If that's not mind-blowing enough, she discovers books that prove this civilization achieved interstellar travel five centuries ago. Yet now they're living in a culture that doesn't have electricity, riding two-horned creatures that definitely aren't horses, and sword-fighting. To find her way home, Janelle must figure out what happened between then and now . . . The Spacetime Pool also includes Catherine Asaro's first-ever published story, "Light and Shadow," featuring Kelric, a popular character from the Saga of the Skolian Empire series, and an illustrated essay on the math in her fiction titled "A Poetry of Angles and Dreams." Praise for Catherine Asaro "Readers seeking the harmonious meld of hard SF's rigor and human chemistry's heat should read Catherine Asaro's fiction." --SciFi Weekly

"Powerful characterization and intriguing scientific concepts . . . an elegant subtlety and a far-reaching sense of destiny that carries [Asaro] to the highest rank of master storyteller." --Romantic Times Reeling from a battle, pilot Kelric Valdoria crash-lands his Jag starfighter on Coba, the closest safe planet he can find after a Trader squad cripples his ship. Although the military of Kelric's people have given Coba Restricted status, Kelric sees no reason for such draconian measures to isolate the seemingly benign world. While recovering, the dashing Kelric becomes the target of affection for high-powered women in Coba's matriarchal society, including Deha Dahl, an Estate Manager, and young Ixpar Karn, the chosen successor of the Minister. Distracted by their flirtations, Kelric doesn't at first realize the Restricted status of the planet was their own choice--and that they can't risk letting him go. However, Kelric's internal biomech system is failing, causing his brain to malfunction. His only hope is to escape. But when his attempt fails, ending in the death of a guard, he must face a trial that could mean his execution, unless he can win the trust of the people who both covet and fear him . . . "Well-written, entertaining, classic science fiction fun." --The Plain Dealer "Impossible to put down." --L. E. Modesitt, Jr., New York Times-bestselling author "A smoothly absorbing space opera that mixes high-tech gimmickry with galactic politics and plenty of romance." --Publishers Weekly

NEW IN THE MAJOR BHAAJAN SERIES: A TOUGH FEMALE PI NOVEL WITH NOIR OVERTONES AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF INTERSTELLAR POLITICSSelei City is the capital of the Imperialate and one of the most desired locales in all of the Skolian Empire. But its thin veneer of civilization is cracked when a series of brutal crimes implicates those in political power in a vast conspiracy. Three prominent scientists have lost their lives to a serial killer—and notes at the scenes of the crimes lead to a connection to the Royalist political party. Major Bhaajan, former military officer turned private detective, is called back to Selei City to solve the crime. Bhaaj and her crew of Undercity Dust Knights plunge into the Byzantine world of Imperial politics—a jigsaw world where none of the pieces seem to fit. As the assassination plot becomes more and more convoluted, Bhaaj is kidnapped, threatened with death, and must fight for her life against the growing number of people threatened by her investigation. Bhaaj has faced all this and more, but now she must deal with something far deadlier—interstellar politics. About The Vanished Seas: “Catherine Asaro continues exploring the underbelly of her baroque, decadent Skolian Empire with this latest adventure of Major Bhaajan, private eye to the highest nobility. . . . It’s a story full of intrigue, mystery, and action. Along with Asaro’s trademark deeply human characters and intricate politics comes a noir-flavored plot that drips with menace and secrets. Major Bhaajan is a compelling character, smart and sympathetic, and both the squalid Undercity and the decadent City of Cries are engrossing. Those who are familiar with the Skolian Empire will find much to like here. For those who aren’t, the Major Bhaajan books make a fine jumping-on point to this vast and convoluted universe.”—Analog About the Major Bhaajan series:  “. . . riveting. . . . The world is rich and vivid, with two distinct cultures in the Undercity and the aboveground City of Cries. This exciting novel stands alone for anyone who enjoys science fiction adventure.”—Publishers Weekly starred review “Asaro plants herself firmly into that grand SF tradition of future history franchises favored by luminaries like Heinlein, Asimov, Herbert, Anderson, Dickson, Niven, Cherryh, and Baxter . . . They don't write em like that anymore! Except Asaro does, with . . . up-to-the-minute savvy!”—Locus “Baahjan, who starts out keeping an emotional distance from the people in the Undercity soon grows to think of them as her community once more. Asaro . . . returns to the Skolian empire's early history to tell Bhaajan's story.”—Booklist “Asaro delivers a tale rich with the embedded history of her world and bright with technical marvels. Her characters are engaging and intriguing and there is even a bit of romance. What really touched my heart was Bhaaj's interaction with the children of the aqueducts. I spent the last fifty pages of the book sniffling into a tissue.”—SFcrowsnest “I‘m hooked, both on her writing and her Skolian universe. This book had everything I wanted: strong characters, a new and unique world, and a plot that isn't as simple as it first appears.”—TerryTalk About the Skolian Saga: “Entertaining mix of hard SF and romance.”—Publishers Weekly   “Asaro’s Skolian saga is now nearly as long and in many ways as compelling as Dune, if not more so, featuring a multitude of stronger female characters.”—Booklist “Rapid pacing and gripping suspense.”—Publishers Weekly

Catherine Asaro set in the world of her Skolian Empire universe. In the galaxy-spanning future, Major Bhaajan is a tough female P I who works the dangerous streets.

Charon was the most ruthless—and brilliant—criminal of the twenty-first century, a practitioner of illegal robotics and android research. He is dead now, and General Thomas Wharington believes his team of experts has deleted all the electronic copies the megalomaniacal inventor created of himself. However, one major problem remains: Alpha,the only android survivor of Charon''s cybernetic empire. Outwardly indistinguishable from a human woman, Alpha has superhuman strength and speed, and perhaps even more deadly capabilities still unknown. Thomas''s superiors want her dismantled and studied, but to Thomas it feels like murder. He stalls for time, a move that could prove disastrous. Alpha escapes from an escape-proof compound, kidnaps Thomas, and takes him to one of Charon''s hidden installations. Charon might be dead, but Alpha continues to carry out her late master''s orders, and she refuses to elaborate on what those orders entail. Her behavior is becoming more human—or so it seems. Is she developing emotions and a conscience, or is she just learning to counterfeit them as a means of carrying out her enigmatic orders? And do those orders include Thomas''s death sentence?

Del was a rock singer. He was also the renegade son of the Ruby Dynasty, which made his career choice less than respectable, and gave him more to worry about than getting gigs and not getting cheated by recording companies, club owners, or his agent.

Let heaven and nature - and also the supernatural - sing. This book presents twelve stories of Christmas in very unusual circumstances, ranging from vampires to robots, from the hills of Appalachia to a high orbit space station, celebrating the holiday in their own, off-beat ways.