Even after nearly 40 years in the biz, Poul Anderson still cranks out the imaginative sci fi like a champ, with the idea-packed Genesis--a billion-year-spanning tale involving immortal AIs and the future of Earth itself--being just another example. A decorated hard-SF veteran from the old school (think the Amazing, Analog and Omni crew from the '50s, '60s, and '70s), Anderson has got a mantle any other writer would kill for, boasting a Nebula Grand Master award, seven Hugos, and three "regular" Nebulas. (Heck, the guy's even got whippersnapper Greg Bear for a son-in-law.)

Taking on ideas that share space with Anderson's well-loved Fireball series (Harvest of Stars et al.), Genesis follows the peculiar existence of Christian Brannock and Laurinda Ashcroft, two humans who shared such affinity with machines in their mortal lives that they went on to become uploaded consciousnesses, immortal human-robot hybrids. Anderson mines even the mundanities of this situation thoroughly, but adds in enough twists in the far-future plot to start asking some really interesting questions too: when the vast supermind inhabiting posthuman Earth (mythically named Gaia) starts simulating endless replays of humanity's chaotic evolution, the time-hopping Brannock and Ashcroft--who have been tasked with investigating exactly what Gaia's been up to--find themselves struggling over the moral complexities of free will and the very nature of reality. --Paul Hughes


From Publishers Weekly
With this brilliantly conceived novel, Grand Master Anderson flings his long-time audience beyond his Starfarers and Boat of a Million Years, into a far-future extrapolation of human destiny that sings praises to the power of human love. After a long career of solar-system exploration, astronaut Christian Brannock achieves man-machine immortality by allowing his personality to be uploaded into an artificial intelligence that can probe the galaxy. Two centuries later, on the brink of Earth's next Ice Age, Laurinda Ashcroft, a human interface to Terra Central, similarly chooses to merge with the supercomputer that millions of years later becomes an element of Gaia, the Earth's artificial intelligence, itself a rebellious node of the galactic brain. As Earth's sun begins to fail, the node Wayfarer, in which Brannock's consciousness resides, must determine if humanity's mother world should be saved, though Gaia seems strangely determined to let it perish. When Wayfarer sends Christian to investigate strange hints about a secret Gaia may be hiding, Christian and Laurinda, ghostly memories of the man who went to the stars and the woman who remained on Earth, take virtual human shape, and the tender love that they find together as they probe Gaia's various alternative realities of human civilization reenacts the union of sky and earth that anchors all human mythologies. By humanizing the inhuman, Anderson comes breathtakingly close to speaking the unspeakable, the meaning of human existence. Deftly moving from one utterly convincing vignette of future human society to another, blending them into one profoundly moving fictional entity with reverence for the undying human thirst for knowledge and the pain that must accompany human achievement, Anderson's narrative soars, as unfettered as an exalting dream. Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
Christian Brannock agrees to have his personality uploaded into a computer so that his mind can explore the stars long after the death of his body. When his billion-year journey brings him back to an Earth that has undergone many cosmic changes, Brannock encounters another uploaded personality who restores to him the wonder of being "human." The lyrical approach of this sf master to the meaning of human existence gives his latest effort a surreal, allegorical feel. Recommended for most sf collections. Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
Anderson's novel is a miniature exploration of themes he has used in other novels, most recently Starfarers (1998), concerned with individuals isolated from humanity by immortality or long voyages. Here, astronaut Christian Brannock is able, thanks to having his personality imprinted on a computer, to embark on a billion-year exploration of the stars. (The consequent travelogue element is small but descriptively well up to Anderson's high standards; plainly he was a great Norse skald in a previous existence.) Returning to Earth, Brannock finds that the planet's overmind, Gaia, hypothetical when he left, not only exists but plans to regain control through schemes inimical to what is left of humanity. With another computerized immortal, Laurinda Ashcroft, Brannock must work out a compromise with Gaia that accommodates all parties. Anderson's longer treatments of the theme may stand the test of time better, but this one, despite an ending that feels a trifle rushed, certainly provides much fine entertainment. Roland Green


From Kirkus Reviews
Episodic, far-future yarn developed from short stories, from the veteran author of Starfarers (1998), etc. Before Christian Brannock dies, he uploads his own mentality into a computer, thus achieving immortality. Copies of him spread throughout the galaxy. Huge agglomerations of AIs, or nodes, begin the development of a galactic brain. Earth's future inhabitants find they're controlled by a node, Gaia, and can't make war even if they want to. Millions of years later, Gaia severs her ties to the galactic brain. But since the solar system will soon be destroyed, the nearest galactic node, Alpha, wants to know whether it's worthwhile expending considerable effort to preserve Earth. Alpha sends Wayfarer to investigate. Gaia creates an avatar, Laurinda Ashcroft, for Wayfarer's avatar, Christian, to interact with while Gaia chats with Wayfarer. Another Wayfarer avatar, Brannock, goes exploring in a robot body. Gaia, however, is concealing things from both Wayfarer and Brannock: She's been running simulations of alternate pasts and futures, ``emulations'' that result in great suffering for untold humans. She's even re-created real humans and set them loose on the real Earth. When Brannock learns of this, Gaia attempts to subdue him. Christian and Laurinda, meanwhile, visit many emulations and become lovers. Lots of vivid vignettes but no discernible whole, with Anderson mostly struggling to define his concepts: ``No human could have shaped the thoughts or uttered them.'' Quite. -- Copyright ©2000, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.


Review
"One of science fiction's most revered writers."--USA Today

"Anderson, far more than many newer science fiction writers, takes the trouble to envision a genuinely strange, complex future for mankind."--The Washington Post



Book Description
Artificial intelligence has been developed to a point where a human personality can be uploaded into a computer, achieving a sort of hybrid immortality. Astronaut Christian Brannock welcomes this technology, technology that will make it possible for him to achieve his dream of exploring the stars.

A billion years later, Brannock returns to earth to check on some strange anomalies. While there he meets Laurinda Ashcroft, another hybrid upload, with whom he joins forces in investigating Gaia, the supermind dominating the planet. They must learn the truth of her shocking and terrifying secret plans for earth.



From the Publisher
"Anderson, far more than many newer science fiction writers, takes the trouble to envision a genuinely strange, complex future for mankind." The Washington Post


About the Author
The bestselling author of such classic novels as Brain Wave and The Boat of a Million Years, Poul Anderson won just about every award the science fiction and fantasy field has to offer. He has won multiple Hugos and Nebulas, the John W. Campbell Award, The Locus Poll Award, the Skylark Award, and the SFWA Grandmaster Award for Lifetime Achievement. His recent books include Harvest of Stars, The Stars are also On Fire, Operation Chaos, Operation Luna, Genesis, Mother of Kings, and Going for Infinity, a collection and retrospective of his life's work. Poul Anderson lived in Orinda, California where he passed away in 2001.

FROM OUR EDITORS

Genesis is the winner of the John W. Campbell Memorial Award for best Science Fiction novel of the year. Poul Anderson died on July 31st, 2001.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"Anderson, far more than many newer science fiction writers, takes the trouble toenvision a genuinely strange, complex future for mankind." The Washington Post

In classic Poul Anderson fashion, Genesis investigates the subject of human immortality as well as another possibility for what our future as humans may hold, subjects that he has tirelessly been investigating for fifty-two years as one of the most highly regarded writers of science fiction.

SYNOPSIS

Astronaut Christian Brannock has lived to see artificial intelligence develop to a point where a human personality can be uploaded into a computer, achieving a sort of hybrid immortality. He welcomes that because the technology will make it possible for him to achieve his dream and explore the stars... A billion years later, Brannock is dispatched to Earth to check on some strange anomalies. While there, he meets Laurinda Ashcroft, another hybrid upload. Brannock and Laurinda join forces and investigate Gaia, the supermind dominating the planet, and learn the truth of her shocking and terrifying secret plans for Earth.

FROM THE CRITICS

Science Fiction Weekly

Poul Anderson's most recent novel delivers a story that's as reliable as a favorite pair of sneakers. It includes a grand quest for the stars, an unceasing search for intelligent life and, of course, a love story that defies space and time.

Publishers Weekly

With this brilliantly conceived novel, Grand Master Anderson flings his long-time audience beyond his Starfarers and Boat of a Million Years, into a far-future extrapolation of human destiny that sings praises to the power of human love. After a long career of solar-system exploration, astronaut Christian Brannock achieves man-machine immortality by allowing his personality to be uploaded into an artificial intelligence that can probe the galaxy. Two centuries later, on the brink of Earth's next Ice Age, Laurinda Ashcroft, a human interface to Terra Central, similarly chooses to merge with the supercomputer that millions of years later becomes an element of Gaia, the Earth's artificial intelligence, itself a rebellious node of the galactic brain. As Earth's sun begins to fail, the node Wayfarer, in which Brannock's consciousness resides, must determine if humanity's mother world should be saved, though Gaia seems strangely determined to let it perish. When Wayfarer sends Christian to investigate strange hints about a secret Gaia may be hiding, Christian and Laurinda, ghostly memories of the man who went to the stars and the woman who remained on Earth, take virtual human shape, and the tender love that they find together as they probe Gaia's various alternative realities of human civilization reenacts the union of sky and earth that anchors all human mythologies. By humanizing the inhuman, Anderson comes breathtakingly close to speaking the unspeakable, the meaning of human existence. Deftly moving from one utterly convincing vignette of future human society to another, blending them into one profoundly moving fictional entity with reverence for the undying human thirst for knowledge and the pain that must accompany human achievement, Anderson's narrative soars, as unfettered as an exalting dream. (Feb.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|

VOYA

Since boyhood, Christian Brannock has longed to travel to the stars; little does he imagine his longing will be realized. Brannock works as one with a robot in a virtual reality link. As technology advances and machines evolve to the point where they can merge with humans, Brannock's informational matrix and memories are uploaded to a database before he dies. In this advanced neural network of artificial intelligence, Brannock is able to visit the stars. Brannock eventually becomes part of the galactic brain, Alpha, a complex web of nodes made up of organisms, machines, and their interrelationships. In England, Laura Ashcroft's fate echoes that of Brannock's when Terra Centralotherwise known as Gaia, the node that guides Earthrequests permission to upload her mind and memories. Like Brannock, Ashcroft's essence merges with the artificial intelligence. Interspersed with the chapters describing Brannock's various incarnations and mutations are vignettes of various human societies. Although these stories are seventeen hundred years (and sometimes more) in the future, they have an "old" feel to themone seems medieval, another ancient. When Alpha/Brannock goes to Earth to determine its fate, he encounters Gaia/Laura who recreated humans after they became extinct fifty thousand years ago. Anderson provides readers with plenty of mental fodder as this novel unfolds. What does it mean to be human? Whoor whatcontrols the destiny of the universe? What happens when machines and humans merge? Recommend this title to mature readers who appreciate science fiction with a complex plot. VOYA CODES: 4Q 2P S A/YA (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; For the YA with a special interestinthe subject; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12; Adult and Young Adult). 2000, Tor, Ages 16 to Adult, 256p, $23.95. Reviewer: Rachelle Bilz

KLIATT

Noted SF author Poul Anderson tries to write a new creation story. This surreal tale involves a timeless human entity named Brannock who can transcend time. Along with another hybrid upload named Laurinda, they interact with Gaia, a very idiosyncratic supermind. Gaia plans to let nature "take its/her course" and destroy humanity itself, to a large extent because people ruined Earth and seemed to favor technology: "Life evolves." Brannock and Laurinda experience different historical eras to help Gaia and themselves understand the scope of humankind. Gaia creates another cycle of humans, with the hope that this time the creatures will work in concert with nature rather than try to overcome it. Another genesis. Lyrical chapters intermix with the exploratory plot, and the result just misses. In reaching to unify myth and science, Poul overreaches—and is less convincing. This is not an easy book to read, and teen readers may not "get the message." Marginally recommended for older readers, because of its sophistication. KLIATT Codes: A—Recommended for advanced students, and adults. 2000, Tor, 248p, 18cm, $6.99. Ages 17 to adult. Reviewer: Dr. Lesley S. J. Farmer; Lib. Media/Teacher Svcs., Cal. State Univ., Long Beach, CA, May 2001 (Vol. 35 No. 3)

Library Journal