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Quantick's Quite Difficult Quiz Book
by David Quantick'Best quiz book ever'HARRY HILL'Quantick is the Captain Beefheart of quizzing'MARK BILLINGHAM'The antidote to every deathly dull pub quiz you've ever been to. This is how a quiz book should be written - where having fun is the most important outcome'GARY WIGGLESWORTH, author of The Book Lover's Quiz BookDistinctive, unusual, difficult, but spectacularly entertaining, this quiz book is to other pub quizzes what Trivial Pursuit was to Ludo, what TheHitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy is like to the Rhyl phone directory, and what the Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost is like compared to a kid's scooter. Loads better.David Quantick works regularly with Armando Iannucci, including on the new HBO series, Avenue 5. He won an Emmy as part of the writing team on Veep, a BAFTA for Harry Hill's TV Burp and a Writers' Guild Award for The Thick of It. For over fifteen years, David has also hosted his own very popular quizzes at festivals, events, pubs, clubs, cinemas and in tents: the quizzes range is broad and the questions are tricky. They're not about statistics, there's no sport, the picture rounds are conceptual, and there's sometimes a round called 'Martin Amis Character or Blur Song'. Each quiz is funny and entertaining even if you don't know the answers. The quizzes are informative and opinionated. In some ways, they're like stand-up with questions. This is a book based on David's excellent live quizzes, described by many people as 'quite difficult'.But they are quizzes. Quite difficult quizzes that tax the brain and make it go in directions it didn't know it could. That's not to say the questions are fiendishly scientific and packed with questions about dates and the periodic table. They're about books and music, movies and actors, strange events and interesting quotes. You don't leave a Quantick quiz knowing how many times Spurs have won the League, but you may know how many Shirleys have sung a Bond theme or how George V made the front page of The Times.The effectiveness of David's quizzes is down to their unusual variety and almost stream-of-consciousness leaps and bounds of factual imagination. There's not even much point in cheating, because the answers often require mental agility as well as just knowing where Calais is (it's in France, but it wasn't always, even when it was).David's quiz book includes twenty-five main quizzes, four Christmas quizzes and four specialist quizzes, so thirty-three quizzes in total. Entertaining in its own right, this is also a conceptual yet very practical guide to staging excellent quizzes of your own.
Quantick's Quite Difficult Quiz Book
by David Quantick'Best quiz book ever'HARRY HILL'Quantick is the Captain Beefheart of quizzing'MARK BILLINGHAM'The antidote to every deathly dull pub quiz you've ever been to. This is how a quiz book should be written - where having fun is the most important outcome'GARY WIGGLESWORTH, author of The Book Lover's Quiz BookDistinctive, unusual, difficult, but spectacularly entertaining, this quiz book is to other pub quizzes what Trivial Pursuit was to Ludo, what The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy is like to the Rhyl phone directory, and what the Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost is like compared to a kid's scooter. Loads better.David Quantick works regularly with Armando Iannucci, including on the new HBO series, Avenue 5. He won an Emmy as part of the writing team on Veep, a BAFTA for Harry Hill's TV Burp and a Writers' Guild Award for The Thick of It. For over fifteen years, David has also hosted his own very popular quizzes at festivals, events, pubs, clubs, cinemas and in tents: the quizzes range is broad and the questions are tricky. They're not about statistics, there's no sport, the picture rounds are conceptual, and there's sometimes a round called 'Martin Amis Character or Blur Song'. Each quiz is funny and entertaining even if you don't know the answers. The quizzes are informative and opinionated. In some ways, they're like stand-up with questions. This is a book based on David's excellent live quizzes, described by many people as 'quite difficult'.But they are quizzes. Quite difficult quizzes that tax the brain and make it go in directions it didn't know it could. That's not to say the questions are fiendishly scientific and packed with questions about dates and the periodic table. They're about books and music, movies and actors, strange events and interesting quotes. You don't leave a Quantick quiz knowing how many times Spurs have won the League, but you may know how many Shirleys have sung a Bond theme or how George V made the front page of The Times.The effectiveness of David's quizzes is down to their unusual variety and almost stream-of-consciousness leaps and bounds of factual imagination. There's not even much point in cheating, because the answers often require mental agility as well as just knowing where Calais is (it's in France, but it wasn't always, even when it was).David's quiz book includes twenty-five main quizzes, four Christmas quizzes and four specialist quizzes, so thirty-three quizzes in total. Entertaining in its own right, this is also a conceptual yet very practical guide to staging excellent quizzes of your own.
Quantum: A Thriller (Captain Chase #1)
by Patricia CornwellA USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and Amazon Charts bestseller. <P><P> International bestselling author Patricia Cornwell delivers pulse-pounding thrills in the first book in a series featuring a brilliant and unusual new heroine, cutting-edge cybertechnology, and stakes that are astronomically high. <P><P> On the eve of a top secret space mission, Captain Calli Chase detects a tripped alarm in the tunnels deep below a NASA research center. A NASA pilot, quantum physicist, and cybercrime investigator, Calli knows that a looming blizzard and government shutdown could provide the perfect cover for sabotage, with deadly consequences. <P><P> As it turns out, the danger is worse than she thought. A spatter of dried blood, a missing security badge, a suspicious suicide--a series of disturbing clues point to Calli's twin sister, Carme, who's been MIA for days. <P><P> Desperate to halt the countdown to disaster and to clear her sister's name, Captain Chase digs deep into her vast cyber security knowledge and her painful past, probing for answers to her twin's erratic conduct. As time is running out, she realizes that failure means catastrophe--not just for the space program but for the safety of the whole nation. <P><P> Brilliantly crafted, gripping, and smart, Patricia Cornwell's cliffhanger ending will keep readers wondering what's next for Captain Calli Chase.
Quantum Break: A Novel
by Cam RogersFrom Remedy Entertainment, the masters of cinematic action games such as Max Payne and Alan Wake, comes a gripping novelization of this time-amplified suspenseful blockbuster. The Quantum Break experience is part game, part show—where decisions in one dramatically affect the other. Both experiences share the same incredible cast of actors who have played leading roles in Lost, X-Men, Game of Thrones and more.The novel, Quantum Break: Zero State, is the story of the game’s hero, Jack Joyce, who, with his newly gained superpowers, fights the nefarious Monarch corporation to stop the end of time. Epic moments of destruction, frozen in chaotic “time stutters,” become playgrounds for intense combat and gripping story. The novel greatly expands on the game’s narrative, offering intriguing new timelines and characters to explore!At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Quantum Coin (Coin #2)
by E. C. MyersEphraim Scott learned the hard way that wishes don’t solve problems — they only create more of them. His days of bouncing around the multiverse with the quantum coin are over. Besides, everything he cares about is in this reality—his girlfriend, Jena; his mom; and his best friend, Nathan. But when his universe-hopping ally Zoe suddenly returns bearing a cryptic message from an old friend, Ephraim knows it’s time to take responsibility for the dangerous power he wielded a year ago.Their interdimensional mission is even more perilous than Ephraim imagined, and it’s not just Jena and Zoe’s blistering rivalry that puts him at risk. Something has weakened the forces that keep the universes separate, causing people to shift into parallel worlds involuntarily and without the aid of a quantum coin. The multiverse is collapsing fast, and Ephraim and his friends must find a way to stop it before it destroys life as they know it…and the entire fabric of space and time.Quantum Coin is the exciting sequel to Fair Coin, winner of the 2012 Andre Norton Award and finalist for both the 2013 British Fantasy Award and the 2013 Compton Crook Award.
Quantum Coin
by E. C. MyersThe sequel to the exciting adventure spun across parallel worlds!Ephraim thought his universe-hopping days were over. He's done wishing for magic solutions to his problems; his quantum coin has been powerless for almost a year, and he's settled into a normal life with his girlfriend, Jena. But then an old friend crashes their senior prom: Zoe, Jena's identical twin from a parallel world. Zoe's timing couldn't be worse. It turns out that Ephraim's problems have just begun, and they're much more complicated than his love life. The multiverse is at stake - and it might just be Ephraim's fault. Ephraim, Jena, and Zoe embark on a mission across multiple worlds to learn what's going wrong and how to stop it. They will have to draw on every resource available and trust in alternate versions of themselves and their friends before it's too late for all of them. If Ephraim and his companions can put their many differences aside and learn to work together, they might have a chance to save the multiverse. But ultimately, the solution may depend on how much they're willing to sacrifice for the sake of humanity . . . and each other.
Quantum Drop
by Saci LloydAnthony Griffin is an ordinary kid caught up in a dangerous world. The boundaries between real and virtual are more and more blurred, and when Anthony's girlfriend is taken out in a gang hit, he has to venture into the underground world of the Drop to flush out her killer and bring him to justice. This is the story of a boy whose girl is worth more than money.
Quantum Drop
by Saci LloydAnthony Griffin is an ordinary kid caught up in a dangerous world. The boundaries between real and virtual are more and more blurred, and when Anthony's girlfriend is taken out in a gang hit, he has to venture into the underground world of the Drop to flush out her killer and bring him to justice. This is the story of a boy whose girl is worth more than money.
Quantum Games (Alchemists Academy #3)
by Kailin GowPRAISE for THE ALCHEMISTS ACADEMY SERIES "This is another fantastic read from Kailin Gow. The adventurous tale of Wirt and his friends only gets more exciting in this book and leaves me wanting more. This series is such fun and the characters and storyline can go in any direction, it has such potential." - KT Turner "It was interesting from the start and Wirt is an irresistible character to fall in love with...I would recommend this book to everyone!" - Brandy DESCRIPTION Wirt, Spencer, and Roland are thrown into the dangerous Quantum Games, and only one of them can move onto the Elite class. Other Books in the Series Stones to Ashes Elemental Explosions The Quantum Games The Year of the Elite
Quantum Interstellar Sports League #1 (Quantum Interstellar Sports League #1)
by J. Scott SavageThe Last Kids on Earth meets Space Jam in this hilarious illustrated novel about football, aliens, and friendship! Welcome to the Quantum Interstellar Sports League, where humans and aliens play football for the fate of the Earth!Wyatt Benson is NOT a football player. Yes, his dad may be the greatest quarterback of all time, but don't go getting any ideas. Wyatt's the kind of twelve-year-old who invents his own junk food and whose greatest physical achievement was accidentally knocking out his third-grade teacher with a badly thrown dodgeball. (Don&’t ask.)So how did he find himself as the quarterback on a football team of pro-athlete tweens playing in an intergalactic tournament against terrifying aliens? Well, it's a long story that involves contractual mishaps and the alien overlord Schnozly Grofsplot, but no matter what he tries, he can't back out. Wyatt and the rest of his teammates—like the cocky soccer star Nitro, bighearted rugby player Quake, and super cool gymnast Nova (who Wyatt is totally NOT crushing on)—will have to work together to win the tournament. Because did he mention that if Earth loses, the fate of the world is at stake?!Told in a mixture of text and black-and-white illustrations, this is a laugh-out-loud series for any kid that loves science fiction, football, and friendship.
A Quantum Love Story: A Novel
by Mike ChenFrom the New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: BrotherhoodThe only thing harder than finding someone in a time loop is losing them.Grieving her best friend's recent death, neuroscientist Mariana Pineda&’s ready to give up everything to start anew. Even her career—after one last week consulting at a top secret particle accelerator.Except the strangest thing happens: a man stops her…and claims they've met before. Carter Cho knows who she is, why she's mourning, why she's there. And he needs Mariana to remember everything he&’s saying.Because time is about to loop.In a flash of energy, it&’s Monday morning. Again. Together, Mariana and Carter enter an inevitable life, four days at a time, over and over, without permanence except for what they share.But just as they figure out this new life, everything changes. Because Carter's memories of the time loop are slowly disappearing. And their only chance at happiness is breaking out of the loop—forever.&“This unusual and satisfying near-future time-travel adventure fires on all cylinders.&” —Publishers WeeklyAlso by Mike Chen:HERE AND NOW AND THENA BEGINNING AT THE ENDWE COULD BE HEROESLIGHT YEARS FROM HOMEVAMPIRE WEEKEND
A Quantum Mythology
by Gavin G. SmithPraised by Stephen Baxter and Adam Roberts, reviewed ecstatically by SFX magazine, Gavin Smith is one of the brightest stars of space opera.In the far future, many years after the loss of earth, humanity has changed. Strength is the only way to survive. And the most vicious man alive has a new con in mind... Here and now, a man with unnatural powers hunts down a killer with impossible abilities. Infused with a barely-understood alien technology, the two are merely pawns in a bigger game...A long time ago, the last tribes of Northern Britain face an unimaginable enemy. Demons risen from the sea, absorbing and twisting everything they touch. But there are some among the tribes who have power, who will fight...And all of these times are connected...Gavin Smith's new epic space opera is a wide-ranging exploration of the past, present and future of mankind.
A Quantum Mythology
by Gavin G. SmithPraised by Stephen Baxter and Adam Roberts, reviewed ecstatically by SFX magazine, Gavin Smith is one of the brightest stars of space opera. In the far future, many years after the loss of earth, humanity has changed. Strength is the only way to survive. And the most vicious man alive has a new con in mind... Here and now, a man with unnatural powers hunts down a killer with impossible abilities. Infused with a barely-understood alien technology, the two are merely pawns in a bigger game... A long time ago, the last tribes of Northern Britain face an unimaginable enemy. Demons risen from the sea, absorbing and twisting everything they touch. But there are some among the tribes who have power, who will fight... And all of these times are connected... Gavin Smith's new epic space opera is a wide-ranging exploration of the past, present and future of mankind.
Quantum Night
by Robert J. SawyerWith such compelling and provocative novels as Red Planet Blues, FlashForward and The WWW Trilogy, Robert J. Sawyer has proven himself to be "a writer of boundless confidence and bold scientific extrapolation" (New York Times). Now, the Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author explores the thin line between good and evil that every human being is capable of crossing...Experimental psychologist Jim Marchuk has developed a flawless technique for identifying the previously undetected psychopaths lurking everywhere in society. But while being cross-examined about his breakthrough in court, Jim is shocked to discover that he has lost his memories of six months of his life from twenty years previously--a dark time during which he himself committed heinous acts.Jim is reunited with Kayla Huron, his forgotten girlfriend from his lost period and now a quantum physicist who has made a stunning discovery about the nature of human consciousness. As a rising tide of violence and hate sweeps across the globe, the psychologist and the physicist combine forces in a race against time to see if they can do the impossible--change human nature--before the entire world descends into darkness. From the Hardcover edition.
Quantum of Nightmares: Book 2 of the New Management, a series set in the world of the Laundry Files (The New Management #2)
by Charles StrossIt's a brave new Britain under the New Management. The Prime Minister is an eldritch god of unimaginable power. Crime is plummeting as almost every offense is punishable by death. And everywhere you look, there are people with strange powers, some of which they can control, and some, not so much.Hyperorganised and formidable, Eve Starkey defeated her boss, the louche magical adept and billionaire Rupert de Montfort Bigge, in a supernatural duel to the death. Now she's in charge of the Bigge Corporation, just in time to discover the lethal trap Rupert set for her long ago . . .Wendy Deere is investigating unauthorized supernatural shenanigans. She swore to herself she wouldn't again get entangled with Eve Starkey's bohemian brother Imp and his crew of transhuman misfits. Yeah, right.Mary Macandless has powers of her own. Right now she's pretending to be a nanny in order to kidnap the children of a pair of famous, Government-authorized adepts. These children have powers of their own, and Mary Macandless is in way over her head.All of these stories will come together, with world-bending results...'For all of Stross's genuine ability to spook and dismay, The Laundry Files are some of the most tremendously humane books I've ever read' Tamsyn Muir, author of Gideon the Ninth
Quantum of Nightmares: Book 2 of the New Management, a series set in the world of the Laundry Files (The New Management #2)
by Charles StrossIt's a brave new Britain under the New Management. The Prime Minister is an eldritch god of unimaginable power. Crime is plummeting as almost every offense is punishable by death. And everywhere you look, there are people with strange powers, some of which they can control, and some, not so much.Hyperorganised and formidable, Eve Starkey defeated her boss, the louche magical adept and billionaire Rupert de Montfort Bigge, in a supernatural duel to the death. Now she's in charge of the Bigge Corporation, just in time to discover the lethal trap Rupert set for her long ago . . .Wendy Deere is investigating unauthorized supernatural shenanigans. She swore to herself she wouldn't again get entangled with Eve Starkey's bohemian brother Imp and his crew of transhuman misfits. Yeah, right.Mary Macandless has powers of her own. Right now she's pretending to be a nanny in order to kidnap the children of a pair of famous, Government-authorized adepts. These children have powers of their own, and Mary Macandless is in way over her head.All of these stories will come together, with world-bending results...'For all of Stross's genuine ability to spook and dismay, The Laundry Files are some of the most tremendously humane books I've ever read' Tamsyn Muir, author of Gideon the Ninth
The Quantum Rose (Saga of the Skolian Empire)
by Catherine AsaroWinner of the Nebula Award, this science fiction adventure &“features sound characterization, straightforward plotting, abundant world building detail, and almost as much humor&” (Booklist). As the young ruler of a destitute province burdened by obsolete technology, Kamoj Argali must marry to save her people from starvation. She has managed to make peace with her betrothal to the arrogant leader of a wealthy neighboring province. Then Havyrl Lionstar, a mysterious visitor to their land, steps in to claim Kamoj as his wife, sowing chaos in their lives. In this science fictional retelling of a classic folk tale, Havryl appears as a beast to Kamoj&’s people. But what is the truth behind his strange, erratic behavior? In dealing with the upheavals he brings to their world, Kamoj discovers that the universe is much larger than she ever understood. This new edition contains a revised, expanded version of the essay that appeared in the original book, in which Catherine Asaro explains how she found inspiration for The Quantum Rose while earning her doctorate at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, where she studied the quantum theory of scattering processes. &“A freestanding page-turner as a romance, with a hard science fiction framework.&” —Publishers Weekly &“Bolsters [Asaro&’s] reputation for skillfully putting classic romance elements in an sf setting.&” —Booklist &“Fans of futuristic romance will revel in the delights of a top notch romantic adventure set against an impeccably crafted, richly imagined background.&” —Romantic Times &“Sturdy and absorbing.&” —Kirkus Reviews &“Asaro plants herself firmly into that grand SF tradition of future history franchises favored by luminaries like Heinlen, Asimov, Herbert, Anderson, Dickson, Niven, Cherryh, and BaxterBaxter.&” —Paul Di Filippo, Locus
Quantum Shadows
by L. E. Modesitt Jr.Bestselling author of The Mongrel Mage, L. E. Modesitt, Jr's Quantum Shadows blends science fiction, myth, and legend in an adventure that pits old gods and new against one another in a far future world.On a world called Heaven, the ten major religions of mankind each have its own land governed by a capital city and ruled by a Hegemon. That Hegemon may be a god, or a prophet of a god. Smaller religions have their own towns or villages of belief.Corvyn, known as the Shadow of the Raven, contains the collective memory of humanity’s Falls from Grace. With this knowledge comes enormous power.When unknown power burns a mysterious black image into the holy place of each House of the Decalivre, Corvyn must discover what entity could possibly have that much power. The stakes are nothing less than another Fall, and if he doesn't stop it, mankind will not rise from the ashes.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
The Quantum Spy: A Thriller
by David Ignatius“The Quantum Spy takes us to a whole new level of intrigue and espionage. It’s also unbelievably timely. In short: David Ignatius knows his stuff.” —Wolf BlitzerA hyper-fast quantum computer is the digital equivalent of a nuclear bomb; whoever possesses one will be able to shred any encryption and break any code in existence. The question is: who will build one first, the U.S. or China?In this gripping thriller, U.S. quantum research labs are compromised by a suspected Chinese informant, inciting a mole hunt of history-altering proportions. CIA officer Harris Chang leads the charge, pursuing his target from Singapore to Mexico and beyond. Do the leaks expose real secrets, or are they false trails meant to deceive the Chinese? The answer forces Chang to question everything he thought he knew about loyalty, morality, and the primacy of truth.
The Quantum Thief (Jean le Flambeur #1)
by Hannu Rajaniemi[from inside flaps] Jean le Flambeur gets up in the morning and has to kill himself before his other self can kill him first. Just another day in the Dilemma Prison. Rescued by the mysterious Mieli and her flirtatious spacecraft, Jean is taken to the Oubliette, the Moving City of Mars, where time is a currency, memories are treasures, and a moon-turned-singularity lights the night. Meanwhile, investigator Isidore Beautrelet, called in to investigate the murder of a chocolatier, finds himself on the trail of an archcriminal, a man named le Flambeur.... Indeed, in his many lives, the entity called Jean le Flambeur has been a thief, a confidence artist, a posthuman mind-burglar, and more. His origins are shrouded in mystery, but his deeds are known throughout the Heterarchy, from breaking into the vast Zeusbrains of the Inner System to stealing rare Earth antiques from the aristocrats of Mars. In his last exploit, he managed the supreme feat of hiding the truth about himself from the one person in the solar system hardest to hide from: himself. Now he has the chance to regain himself in all his power--in exchange for finishing the one heist he never quite managed. The Quantum Thief is a breathtaking joyride through the solar system several centuries hence, a world of marching cities, ubiquitous public-key encryption, people who communicate via shared memory, and a race of hyperadvanced humans who originated as an MMORPG guild. But for all its wonders, The Quantum Thief is also a story powered by the very human motives of betrayal, jealousy, and revenge. It is a stunning debut. Books 2 and 3 which complete this trilogy are in the Bookshare library. Look for: #2 The Fractal Prince and #3 The Causal Angel.
The Quantum Thief
by Hannu RajaniemiThe Quantum Thief is a dazzling hard SF novel set in the solar system of the far future - a heist novel peopled by bizarre post-humans but powered by very human motives of betrayal, revenge and jealousy. It is a stunning debut.Jean le Flambeur is a post-human criminal, mind burglar, confidence artist and trickster. His origins are shrouded in mystery, but his exploits are known throughout the Heterarchy - from breaking into the vast Zeusbrains of the Inner System to steal their thoughts, to stealing rare Earth antiques from the aristocrats of the Moving Cities of Mars. Except that Jean made one mistake. Now he is condemned to play endless variations of a game-theoretic riddle in the vast virtual jail of the Axelrod Archons - the Dilemma Prison - against countless copies of himself. Jean's routine of death, defection and cooperation is upset by the arrival of Mieli and her spidership, Perhonen. She offers him a chance to win back his freedom and the powers of his old self - in exchange for finishing the one heist he never quite managed . . .
The Quantum Thief: The Quantum Thief, The Fractal Prince, The Causal Angel (Jean Le Flambeur Ser. #1)
by Hannu RajaniemiThe Quantum Thief is a dazzling hard SF novel set in the solar system of the far future - a heist novel peopled by bizarre post-humans but powered by very human motives of betrayal, revenge and jealousy. It is a stunning debut.Jean le Flambeur is a post-human criminal, mind burglar, confidence artist and trickster. His origins are shrouded in mystery, but his exploits are known throughout the Heterarchy - from breaking into the vast Zeusbrains of the Inner System to steal their thoughts, to stealing rare Earth antiques from the aristocrats of the Moving Cities of Mars. Except that Jean made one mistake. Now he is condemned to play endless variations of a game-theoretic riddle in the vast virtual jail of the Axelrod Archons - the Dilemma Prison - against countless copies of himself. Jean's routine of death, defection and cooperation is upset by the arrival of Mieli and her spidership, Perhonen. She offers him a chance to win back his freedom and the powers of his old self - in exchange for finishing the one heist he never quite managed . . .
The Quantum Thief
by Hannu RajaniemiThe Quantum Thief is a dazzling hard SF novel set in the solar system of the far future - a heist novel peopled by bizarre post-humans but powered by very human motives of betrayal, revenge and jealousy. It is a stunning debut. Jean le Flambeur is a post-human criminal, mind burglar, confidence artist and trickster. His origins are shrouded in mystery, but his exploits are known throughout the Heterarchy - from breaking into the vast Zeusbrains of the Inner System to steal their thoughts, to stealing rare Earth antiques from the aristocrats of the Moving Cities of Mars. Except that Jean made one mistake. Now he is condemned to play endless variations of a game-theoretic riddle in the vast virtual jail of the Axelrod Archons - the Dilemma Prison - against countless copies of himself. Jean's routine of death, defection and cooperation is upset by the arrival of Mieli and her spidership, Perhonen.Read by Rupert Degas(p) 2011 Orion Publishing Group
The Quantum Thief: The Quantum Thief, The Fractal Prince, The Causal Angel (Jean le Flambeur #1)
by Hannu RajaniemiThe Quantum Thief is a Kirkus Reviews Best of 2011 Science Fiction & Fantasy title. One of Library Journal's Best SF/Fantasy Books of 2011 Jean le Flambeur is a post-human criminal, mind burglar, confidence artist, and trickster. His origins are shrouded in mystery, but his exploits are known throughout the Heterarchy- from breaking into the vast Zeusbrains of the Inner System to stealing rare Earth antiques from the aristocrats of Mars. Now he's confined inside the Dilemma Prison, where every day he has to get up and kill himself before his other self can kill him. Rescued by the mysterious Mieli and her flirtatious spacecraft, Jean is taken to the Oubliette, the Moving City of Mars, where time is currency, memories are treasures, and a moon-turnedsingularity lights the night. What Mieli offers is the chance to win back his freedom and the powers of his old self-in exchange for finishing the one heist he never quite managed. As Jean undertakes a series of capers on behalf of Mieli and her mysterious masters, elsewhere in the Oubliette investigator Isidore Beautrelet is called in to investigate the murder of a chocolatier, and finds himself on the trail of an arch-criminal, a man named le Flambeur.... Hannu Rajaniemi's The Quantum Thief is a crazy joyride through the solar system several centuries hence, a world of marching cities, ubiquitous public-key encryption, people communicating by sharing memories, and a race of hyper-advanced humans who originated as MMORPG guild members. But for all its wonders, it is also a story powered by very human motives of betrayal, revenge, and jealousy. It is a stunning debut.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Quarantine
by Greg EganIt's late in the 21st century and bioengineering is now so common that people are able to modify their minds in any way they wish. It is an era which has been shaped by information systems so vast that security, in any form, is easily breached. Now you can be whatever you want to be, and do whatever you want to do. On Earth anyway. One night, thirty three years ago, the stars went out. 'The Bubble' - a perfect sphere centred on the sun - appeared in the sky, isolating the solar system from the rest of the universe. For thirty-three years, humanity has lived with the religious cults and terrorism which spawned in the wake of the darkness.We are now alone. Humanity has been cut off. Quarantined.