Bøker av Paul Preuss

A hero astronaut flies too close to the sun in this science fiction adventure from the author of Human Error, ';a writer of real intelligence' (The Washington Post). After a solar flare accident in orbit, Travis is a hero: the first astronaut to bail out of a spacecraft and live. NASA, however, had advised against the bailoutand as punishment for violating orders, Travis is grounded on earth, never to fly again. Then comes Starfire, an experimental spacecraft that could be capable of interstellar flight. Travis fights a desperate political battle to become a crewmember, and his go-it-alone attitude makes for some rough going. Starfire's planned maiden voyage is to land on an asteroid that is heading toward a close loop around the sun, stay long enough to explore, then return to Earth by way of a gravity boost around Venus. But during the mission, disaster strikes again: The ship is hit by a huge solar flare and must take shelter in the shadow of the asteroid, even while falling ever closer to the sun. The aim of the mission now becomes one of desperate survival... ';A terrific novel, I heartily recommend it.' Orson Scott Card, Hugo and Nebula Awardwinning author of Ender's Game ';A writer of science fact as well as fiction, Preuss has won a reputation for his believable depiction of advanced technology and the people who toil at it. That's the case once again in this near future story.' Publishers Weekly

"e;Paul Preuss has done a fine thing. He has written a magnificent book in BROKEN SYMMETRIES. I admire his knowledge and artistry."e; -Roger ZelaznyBROKEN SYMMETRIES introduces theoretical physicist Peter Slater and world-traveling photojournalist Anne-Marie Brand. They meet in Hawaii, where Anne-Marie is in pursuit of a story about the giant atom-smasher TERAC, the newest and biggest particle accelerator in the world, built amidst the pineapple fields of Oahu. Dr. Martin Edovich is the triumphant scientist behind the project-he claims that "e;his"e; discovery of I-particles will win him the Nobel Prize and change the face of physics.But Peter Slater predicted the existence of I-particles long ago and suspects that they are unstable-explosive and potentially cataclysmic. And as TERAC ramps up, Slater's theory is about to be tested.The symmetries of matter itself are about to be unexpectedly broken, unleashing the fury of self-annihilation...

On the isle of Crete, a renowned physicist experiments with the nature of reality in this enthralling novel from the author of Broken Symmetries. Secret Passages follows the life of mathematics prodigy Manolis Minakis from the quiet hills of Crete to the lofty chambers of Cambridge University. Upon his retirement, Minakis returns to his Greek island home a renowned physicist and successful industrialistand ready to embark on his true life's work. Using a cache of Minoan treasures, Minakis lures photographer Anne-Marie Brand and her husband, theoretician Peter Slater, to aid in his attempts to recover the past and understand the true nature of reality. Set against the colorful Mediterranian backdrop, the legendary home of a once-great civilization, this enigmatic novel resonates deeply with both the brain and heart. Admired by legendary science fiction author Roger Zelazny for ';his knowledge and artistry,' Paul Preuss returns to the characters and setting of his acclaimed novel Broken Symmetries in an indirect sequel that is ';highly recommended for both fiction and sf collections' (Library Journal). ';Mr. Le Carre, meet Dr. Feynman!... [T]his one really makes the earth move.' Ursula K. Le Guin ';[An] intensely believable SF novel... should appeal to those curious about how real science gets done.' Publishers Weekly

"e;[W]onderful, enlightened, and convincing beyond any reasonable expectations of what a science fiction novel should be."e; -Greg BearCompugen has become a giant player in the tech field overnight by making genetically altered viruses into "e;biochips"e; that are replacing silicon chips as the brains of computers.Toby Bridgeman and Adrian Storey are an odd-couple of scientists-Toby, the programmer, and Adrian, the sloppy genius and genetic artist, have formed an enduring friendship and produced Epicell, a biochip so powerful that it will make all others on the market obsolete and save Compugen from financial disaster-if it can be rushed out fast enough.But Epicell, elemental living virus, is so awesome in its capabilities that tests have not yet established any limits to its multiplication or its computing sophistication. Adrian wants more testing-he believes that Epicell is potentially dangerous. Instead, it is rushed to market to save the failing company.Then those in contact with Epicell begin to come down with bad colds-the virus has spread outside computers, living and growing in the human body. Adrian, and perhaps the human race, are doomed unless Toby can reprogram the Epicell inside Adrian-and inside himself.

"I have long admired Paul Preuss's work and for this reason was pleased when he expanded six of my short stories into the Arthur C. Clarke's Venus Prime series, which has been extremely successful. I wish him every success with his new novel."-Arthur C. Clarke"Paul Preuss is one of the rather few science fiction writers who really understand and appreciate science. He's also a fine writer by any other standard. In Core he gives us a story both exciting and thought provoking, filled with people we come to know about and care about."-Poul Anderson"What is the deepest hole which may be dug into the earth?" was first asked about 1947, not 1941, by Enrico Fermi. It can be found in University of Chicago Graduate Problems in Physics, with Solutions, from the University of Chicago Press. The catch is, it appears in the section of experimental problems, for which no solutions are given.To address it, one ought to know something about drilling techniques, materials, and the earth. When Byron Preiss challenged me with the question (he phrased it differently) around the time of the 125th anniversary of Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth, I knew next to nothing about any of these subjects. Besides spinning a yarn, nothing is more fun than research.The earth's magnetic field begins to collapse, leaving the planet unprotected against deadly cosmic rays and solar flares. Hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children suffer radiation burns and deaths, severe power disruptions, and communications blackouts. If the collapse continues, the ozone layer will be totally destroyed, setting loose plagues of cancer, sterility, mutations, birth defects, and worse. Scientists, srambling to understand these savage new phenomena, ultimately realize that unless an answer is found quickly, all life on earth will be destroyed in a rapidly approaching apocalypse. Against this freighteningly real near-future backdrop, Cyrus and Leiden Hudder-father and son, two of the world's great scientific minds, separated by an undying hatred and resentment-are brought together through the work of fiercely independent physicist Marta McDougal. Marta has developed one of the greatest technological breakthroughs of the age, a machine to bore through the earth's solid crust to reach its very center...but this invention is a two-edged sword. The ultimate weapon, it could be mankind's salvation-or its destruction!Packed with explsive action in a world poised on the brink of collapse, this hight-tech masterpiece is Paul Preuss's finest achievement.Paul Preuss began his successful writing career after years of producing documentary and television films and writing screenplays. He is the author of twelve novels, including Venus Prime, Volumes 1, 2, and 3, and the near-future thrillers Core, Human Error, and Starfire. His non-fiction has appeared in The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, New York Newsday, and the San Francisco Chronicle. Besides writing, he has been a science consultant for several film companies. He lives in San Francisco, California.