Captive of the Centaurianess

Captive of the Centaurianess

Poul Anderson

Science Fiction / Fantasy / Historical Fiction

She was the toughest dame this side of Jupiter as Ray Ballantyne soon found out. The entire Solar System was after Ballantyne. Earth wanted him. The Jovian war-fleet jetted on his trail. His future didn't look any too good. But mainly Ballantyne feared his big-bosomed, sword-swinging space-mate - Dyann the Amazon from man-starved Alpha Centauri III. Along with the help of a brilliant but stuffy Martian scientist, Ray and Dyann embarked on a trek through space that would take them beyond the Solar System and back again. Master sci-fi author Poul Anderson spins a marvelous tale of deep space adventure that's not only filled with action and intrigue, but also offers a brilliant touch of interplanetary wit. 'Captive of the Centaurianess' is a true science fiction gem.
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The Avatar

The Avatar

Poul Anderson

Science Fiction / Fantasy / Historical Fiction

A monumental epic tale of space exploration and alien contact from one of science fiction's greatest writers In the future, humankind has taken only limited advantage of a miraculous gift left for it in the far-distant past. A beneficent and inscrutable alien race called the Others has provided "gates" that enable passage to all corners of the galaxy. But after the colonization of a single star system, a repressive government on Earth has forbidden all further explorations, seizing the returning starship Emissary and taking its crew captive along with an alien passenger the vessel encountered on its voyage. A wealthy entrepreneur and off-world rebel incensed by the prevailing antiexpansionist politics, Daniel Brodersen decides to take matters into his own hands. Commandeering one of his company's spaceships, he travels to Earth to pull off a daring rescue of the prisoners and the extraterrestrial Betan visitor, then rockets off with them to...
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New America

New America

Poul Anderson

Science Fiction / Fantasy / Historical Fiction

FOUR SCORE AND SEVEN YEARS FROM NOW… In the 21st century, Planet Earth was in the grip of an orientalized, paternalistic World State that gave all—and took all. Only in the land that was once the United States were the principles of freedom paid so much as lip service, and even there liberty flickered toward extinction. In such a world as this the Jeffersonians were a band of hopeless visionaries, political cranks, a quixotic underground dreaming of the reinstitution of the American Constitution. But then a star drive was developed and the Jeffersonians were sentenced to eternal exile. On a world twenty light years and a century from their homes they set out to create a society conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that the individual is more important than the state. They are the New Americans. This is their story. SPECIAL BONUS: The Hugo and Nebula Winning THE QUEEN OF AIR AND DARKNESS, and HOME. * * * The benevolent, paternalistic World State regarded the freedom-minded Jeffersonians as a minor embarrassment whose violent elimination would cause more disruption than their demise would merit. So both sides were happy when the chance came for voluntary exile to a distant planet. But two hundred years later the less benevolent descendant of the World State that had let them go was to decide that the cosmos was not big enough to hold both it and a free people… [Best viewed with CoolReader.]
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The High Crusade

The High Crusade

Poul Anderson

Science Fiction / Fantasy / Historical Fiction

In the year of grace 1345, as Sir Roger Baron de Tourneville is gathering an army to join King Edward III in the war against France, a most astonishing event occurs: a huge silver ship descends through the sky and lands in a pasture beside the little village of Ansby in northeastern Lincolnshire. The Wersgorix, whose scouting ship it is, are quite expert at taking over planets, and having determined from orbit that this one was suitable, they initiate standard world-conquering procedure. Ah, but this time it’s no mere primitives the Wersgorix seek to enslave — they’ve launched their invasion against Englishmen! In the end, only one alien is left alive — and Sir Roger’s grand vision is born. He intends for the creature to fly the ship first to France to aid his King, then on to the Holy Land to vanquish the infidel! Nominated for Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1961.
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The Star Fox

The Star Fox

Poul Anderson

Science Fiction / Fantasy / Historical Fiction

Earthmen and Aleriona have met in space and neither side can afford to let the other get too strong. The Aleriona have captured the human outpost, New Europe, and claim that all the inhabitants were killed. The World Federation on Earth seems committed to peace at any price, but there are those, and ex-navy Captain Gunnar Heim is one of them, who know that appeasement will only lead to further Alerion encroachment, and he passionately believes that there must be a showdown now, before its too late. The Star Fox is a novelization of three stories originally published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction : “Marque and Reprisal” (February, 1965), “Arsenal Port” (April, 1965), and “Admiralty” (June, 1965). “Marquee and Reprisal” was nominated for Hugo Award for Best Short Story in 1966.
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A Stone in Heaven

A Stone in Heaven

Poul Anderson

Science Fiction / Fantasy / Historical Fiction

In A Stone in Heaven, Dominic Flandry finds friendship, maybe even love, after many years of being totally alone. After A Knight of Ghosts and Shadows , Flandry’s life stood in ruins. His Emperor, unbeknownst to him at the time, was dead; his sons were incompetent. His love was dead; his son was dead; he didn’t believe in his job any longer, and he’d taken out his biggest adversary. So, what was left? This book shows the answer: plenty. The younger son of Hans Molitor now holds the throne in his incompetent grasp, and worse, does not like Flandry. So, although Flandry is now a Vice-Admiral and commands much respect, he isn’t thrown too many assignments. On the other hand, he is able to make his own schedule, so when Miriam Abrams, daughter of mentor Max Abrams (his superior in Ensign Flandry ), manages to get to him to point out a major problem on Ramnau, he leaves. Once again, he finds intrigue and lots of it, problems, and pain. But unlike A Knight of Ghost and Shadows , Flandry this time finds more while he’s solving the mystery. He and Abrams reach an understanding, and more or less pair off by the end of the book. He also helps solve her problem, take out a would-be Emperor candidate, and rehabilitate his image with Emperor Gerhardt (the younger son of Hans Molitor) in the process, so it’s definitely not a wasted trip.
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Dahut

Dahut

Poul Anderson

Science Fiction / Fantasy / Historical Fiction

In book three of the King of Ys series, Gratillonius's reign faces a deadly new threat from across the sea For sixteen years Gratillonius has been the king of Ys, a position he has used to bring the once-teetering city-state back to stability as the Roman Empire continues to collapse around it. Rome would prefer a more malleable leader in Gratillonius's place and makes no secret of it. As pressure from Roman leadership increases, Gratillonius must also contend with Niall maqq Echach, the leader of Northern Ireland who holds the Ysan king responsible for the death of his son. Compounding these complications is the ever-present threat of retribution by the Ysan gods, should the kingdom's leadership make a misstep. But perhaps the greatest danger of all is unfolding from within Gratillonius's own household, where, following the death of one of his nine wives, the gods have named an unsettling replacement: Dahut, Gratillonius's own daughter. As treachery...
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The Fleet of Stars

The Fleet of Stars

Poul Anderson

Science Fiction / Fantasy / Historical Fiction

Amazon.com ReviewPoul Anderson marks the 50th year of his science fiction writing career with the conclusion of his Harvest of Stars series (_Boat of a Million Years_, Harvest of Stars, The Stars are Also Fire, Harvest the Fire). While the writing is leisurely, the action bounces between the solar system and the stars as Anson Guthrie returns to action once again (or at least his downloaded consciousness does). It seems the artificial intelligence that half support and more than half control the Terran system are hiding something from humanity, and Guthrie is determined to find out what that is. From Library JournalIn the fourth installment of Anderson's "Harvest of Stars" series (e.g., Harvest the Fire, LJ 10/15/95), Anson Guthrie returns from the distant planet Amaterasu to investigate fragmented rumors about what solar lenses have found in deep space. On Earth he joins Fenn, a former Earth policeman, and his Terran girlfriend, Kinna Ronay, to learn why the cybercosm thinks it's too dangerous for humans to resume space exploration. This hard-science novel effectively explores the relationships between men and machines, cultural differences, and rebellion. Highly recommended for sf collections. Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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