Perhaps it wasn't from our time, perhaps it wasn't even from our universe, but the arrival of the 300-kilometer long stone was the answer to humanity's desperate plea to end the threat of nuclear war. Inside the deep recesses of the stone lies Thistledown: the remnants of a human society, versed in English, Russian and Chinese. The artifacts of this familiar people foretell a great Death caused by the ravages of war, but the government and scientists are unable to decide how to use this knowledge. Deeper still within the stone is the Way. For some the Way means salvation from death, for others it is a parallel world where loved ones live again. But, unlike Thistledown, the Way is not entirely dead, and the inhabitants hold the knowledge of a present war, over a million miles away, using weapons far more deadly than any that mankind has ever conceived."

Author Biography

Greg Bear, author of more than twenty-five books that have been translated into seventeen languages, has won science fiction s highest honors and is considered the natural heir to Arthur C. Clarke. The recipient of two Hugos and four Nebulas for his fiction, he has been called the best working writer of hard science fiction by"The Science Fiction Encyclopedia." Many of his novels, such as"Darwin s Radio," are considered to be this generations classics.Bear is married to Astrid Anderson, daughter of science fiction great Poul Anderson, and they are the parents of two children, Erik and Alexandria. His recent thriller novel, "Quantico," was published in 2007 and the sequel, "Mariposa," followed in 2009. He has since published a new, epic science fiction novel, "City at the End of Time"and a generation starship novel, "Hull Zero Three.""