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Fossil Games [MultiFormat]
eBook by Tom Purdom
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$1.99 |
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$1.69 |
eBook Category: Science Fiction Hugo Award Nominee
eBook Description: In an age where almost everyone enhances their bodies using all manner of technology, a man tries to exit the enhancement rat-race by setting off to colonize the stars.
eBook Publisher: Fictionwise.com, Published: Asimov's SF magazine, 1999
Fictionwise Release Date: June 2000
This eBook is also available in the following bundle(s):
Available eBook Formats [MultiFormat - What's this?]: Adobe Acrobat (PDF) [215 KB], eReader (PDB) [66 KB], Palm Doc (PDB) [56 KB], Rocket/REB1100 (RB) [51 KB], Microsoft Reader (LIT) [60 KB] - PocketPC 1.0+ Compatible, Franklin eBookMan (FUB) [117 KB], hiebook (KML) [148 KB], Sony Reader (LRF) [101 KB], iSilo (PDB) [46 KB], Mobipocket (PRC) [58 KB], Kindle Compatible (MOBI) [86 KB], OEBFF Format (IMP) [80 KB]
Words: 16500
Reading time: 47-66 min.
Microsoft Reader (LIT) Format: Printing DISABLED, Read-Aloud ENABLED
Adobe Acrobat (PDF) Format: Printing DISABLED, Read-Aloud DISABLED
All Other formats: Printing DISABLED, Read-aloud DISABLED
 
Michael Swanwick commented in a chat session that he thought this was the best
story nominated in the most recent Hugo cycle, but he went on to say he didn't think it had a chance of winning. I
agree with him on the first count and unfortunately he was correct on the second count. Purdom gives us a richly
textured universe in which a group of "under-enhanced" humans set off on a multi-decade journey to the stars
(people live hundreds of years by this time so it's not considered a big deal to go off for fifty or a hundred years on
a jaunt). This story is unusual because it explores political issues on a colony ship where voting is done entirely
electronically via an internet-like communications system. He also gives us a glimpse of a self-replicating machine
war fought by two of the inhabitants of the ship, and he even delves into philosophical issues such as "does the
universe have a purpose?". The number and scope of ideas is wonderful. There is no grand, slam-bang ending here,
and I think that probably hurt it in the voting. Still, this is enough to make a Purdom fan out of anyone who enjoys
being shown a glimpse of an amazingly detailed and exciting future and the issues people may face there. -Steve Pendergrast, Staff Recommender
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