As Probability Space opens, the future looks grim, though humanity has spread across the stars. Humans have gained control of a moon-sized, immensely powerful super-weapon abandoned by a long-gone alien race--an artifact that should protect humanity from its implacable enemy, the Fallers, a ruthlessly xenophobic alien race. Unfortunately, the Fallers have found another of these abandoned super-weapons, and if both are discharged at the highest setting at the same time, then the very fabric of space-time will be shredded, destroying not only all life in the universe, but the universe itself. But for the Fallers, victory may be more important than survival. And a violent military coup has put an insanely ambitious general in command of human space....

A novel of literary hard SF, Probability Space concludes the trilogy that begins with Probability Moon and includes Probability Sun. Author Nancy Kress has received the Hugo Award, the Sturgeon Award, and three Nebula Awards. --Cynthia Ward


From Publishers Weekly
The action-filled final volume in Kress's Probability Trilogy (Probability Moon; Probability Sun) spectacularly resolves the human-Faller stalemate. The story's setting moves from Earth to Mars to the planet World, all of which lie within the nexus of wormholes that somehow link space together. Central to the security of humanity is an alien artifact that has the capacity to protect-or destroy-entire star systems. Two of these devices are known to exist: one is held by humans, the other by the alien and hostile Fallers, with whom humanity is at war. When a military coup knocks the current leader out of power and he's replaced by a fool, Pierce, three people realize that Pierce may seek to use the artifact to utterly annihilate the Fallers-and likely the fabric of space-time. Physicist Tom Capelo, who found the artifact, military man Lyle Kaufman and sensitive Marbet Grant concoct a wild plan to save the day, a plan that involves hijacking the artifact and making direct contact with the enigmatic alien race. Meanwhile, Tom's daughter, 14-year-old Amanda Capelo, finds herself on the run as she's chased by military personnel who believe she knows something about who kidnapped her father. Worse, the young Greek man who befriends her may not be trustworthy. Admirers of the author's shorter work may be put off by inconsistent characterization and some utterly improbable situations, but followers of the trilogy will find much to enjoy here.Hugo and Nebula awards for her short fiction.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
When 13-year-old Amanda Capelo witnesses the kidnapping of her scientist father, Tom Capelo, she attempts to seek out the help of Sensitive Marbet Grant to help find him. Amanda's flight turns into a desperate race to outwit political forces who wish to use her in their campaign against the war between humanity and the alien Fallers, responsible for the space-tunnel technology that allows for rapid space travel throughout the galaxy. In the meantime, a group of resourceful individuals attempt to travel to the Fallers's home system in a bold bid to bring the war to an end. Concluding her "Probability" trilogy (Probability Moon; Probability Sun) with a surprising and satisfying resolution, Kress offers an action-filled, thought-provoking story of space travel, political intrigue, and hard science that belongs in most sf collections. Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Review
Praise for Nancy Kress’s Probability Trilogy

“Kress’s Sleepless trilogy proved that she was a serious writer, worthy of considered attention. Probability Moon only emphasizes that.”--Locus

“This book has something for everyone.”—VOYA on Probability Moon

“Kress has blended such a nice set of surprises and inevitabilities that you should learn and read and enjoy them for yourself. You don’t have to read Probability Moon to have a good time, but you’ll probably search it out anyway.”--San Diego Union-Tribune on Probability Sun

“Displaying a typically strong synthesis of Kress’ many gifts, the novel leaves the door wide open for at least one successor.”--Booklist on Probability Sun



Book Description
Nancy Kress cemented her reputation in SF with the publication of her multiple-award–winning novella, “Beggars in Spain,” which became the basis for her extremely successful Beggars Trilogy (comprising Beggars in Spain, Beggars and Choosers, and Beggars Ride).

And now she brings us Probability Space, the conclusion of the trilogy that began with Probability Moon and then Probability Sun, which is centered on the same world as Kress’s Nebula Award-winning novelette, “Flowers of Aulit Prison.” The Probability Trilogy has already been widely recognized as the next great work by this important SF writer.

In Probability Space, humanity’s war with the alien Fallers continues, and it is a war we are losing. Our implacable foes ignore all attempts at communication, and they take no prisoners. Our only hope lies with an unlikely coalition: Major Lyle Kaufman, retired warrior; Marbet Grant, the Sensitive who’s involved with Kaufman; Amanda, a very confused fourteen-year-old girl; and Magdalena, one of the biggest power brokers in all of human space.

As the action moves from Earth to Mars to the farthest reaches of known space, with civil unrest back home and alien war in deep space, four humans--armed with little more than an unproven theory--try to enter the Fallers’ home star system. It’s a desperate gamble, and the fate of the entire universe may hang in the balance.



Inside Flap Copy
"Kress is brilliant, one of our best. Don't miss Probability Space."- Analog

"Kress is so deft in supplying background information that I had no trouble in understanding the characters and the desperate situation they find themselves in."-Gerald Jonas, The New York Times Book Review

"Kress proves her comprehensive mastery of the hard-science tale of interstellar war and intrigue. Kress sustains the pace and the suspense at the hightest levels, and if the body count mounts largely off-stage, its emotional impact on the well-drawn characters is nevertheless crystal-clear."-Booklist

"This is the third book of a trilogy, but Kress provides all the information needed for it to stand on its own . . . it works perfectly as space opera."-The Denver Post

"The action-filled final volume in Kress' Probability Trilogy spectacularly resolves the human-Faller stalemate . . . followers of the trilogy will find much to enjoy here."-Publishers Weekly

"With a surprising and satisfying resolution, Kress offers an action-filled, thought-provoking story of space travel, political intrigue, and hard science that belongs in most sf collections."-Library Journal



About the Author
Nancy Kress was born and raised in upstate New York, where she spent most of her childhood either reading or playing in the woods. She earned a bachelor's and master's degree in education, as well as an M.A. in English. While she was pregnant with the second of her two sons, she started writing fiction. She had never planned on becoming a writer, but staying at home full-time with infants left her time to experiment.

In 1990 she went full-time as an SF writer. The first thing she wrote in this new status was the novella version of Beggars In Spain, which won both the Hugo and the Nebula Award. She is the author of more than twenty books, including more than a dozen novels of science fiction and fantasy, as well as three story collections, and two books on writing. Of her most recent novels, Probability Space (Tor, 2002) won the John W. Campbell Award for Best SF novel. Her short fiction has appeared in all the usual places, garnering her one Hugo and three Nebula Awards. Her work has been translated into Swedish, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Polish, Japanese, Croatian, Lithuanian, Romanian, Greek, Hebrew, and Russian. She is also the monthly "Fiction" columnist for Writer's Digest Magazine and she teaches writing regularly at various places, including Clarion and The Writing Center in Bethesda, Maryland. She currently resides in Rochester, New York.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"In Probability Space, humanity's war with the alien Fallers continues, and it is a war we are losing. Our implacable foes ignore all attempts at communication, and they take no prisoners. Our only hope lies with an unlikely coalition: Major Lyle Kaufman, retired warrior; Marbet Grant, the Sensitive who's involved with Kaufman; Amanda, a very confused fourteen-year-old girl; and Magdalena, one of the biggest power brokers in all of human space." As the action moves from Earth to Mars to the farthest reaches of known space, with civil unrest back home and alien war in deep space, four humans - armed with little more than an unproven theory - try to enter the Fallers' home star system. It's a desperate gamble and the fate of the entire universe may hang in the balance.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

The action-filled final volume in Kress's Probability Trilogy (Probability Moon; Probability Sun) spectacularly resolves the human-Faller stalemate. The story's setting moves from Earth to Mars to the planet World, all of which lie within the nexus of wormholes that somehow link space together. Central to the security of humanity is an alien artifact that has the capacity to protect-or destroy-entire star systems. Two of these devices are known to exist: one is held by humans, the other by the alien and hostile Fallers, with whom humanity is at war. When a military coup knocks the current leader out of power and he's replaced by a fool, Pierce, three people realize that Pierce may seek to use the artifact to utterly annihilate the Fallers-and likely the fabric of space-time. Physicist Tom Capelo, who found the artifact, military man Lyle Kaufman and sensitive Marbet Grant concoct a wild plan to save the day, a plan that involves hijacking the artifact and making direct contact with the enigmatic alien race. Meanwhile, Tom's daughter, 14-year-old Amanda Capelo, finds herself on the run as she's chased by military personnel who believe she knows something about who kidnapped her father. Worse, the young Greek man who befriends her may not be trustworthy. Admirers of the author's shorter work may be put off by inconsistent characterization and some utterly improbable situations, but followers of the trilogy will find much to enjoy here. (Sept. 13) FYI: Kress, the wife of SF writer Charles Sheffield, has won Hugo and Nebula awards for her short fiction. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal