Discussion Board Archives July 2016-December 2020

Thank you so much!

Posted by Kaaviya Uthirapandian on 12/31/2020

Dear Mr. Bear, I really wanted to thank you for writing Rogue Planet. It's absolutely amazing, I'm sure I've read it a hundred times. I've been a huge Star Wars fan since elementary school (I got into Star Wars through the Jedi Quest books and then watched the movies) and reading Rogue Planet has always blown me away. It's still my favorite Star Wars book. Thracia was one of my favorites and her relationship with Windu (and the rest of the council) considering she had children was interesting. Why did she decide to leave the order and decided to serve the force? Was her decision influenced by finding out what happened to Vergere and the Vong? I interpreted it as Thracia seeing the incoming darkness and being unable to confront it and being too scared and selfish to warn the Jedi. I would love to have seen more of her though. I love the parts with Seinar and Tarkin, perfectly captured both of them. Tarkin as the rising New Order of the Empire, hard and ruthless and xenophobic and ambitious. Sienar's the master stroke, in a way -- he's the declining Golden Age of the Republic, a genius who is devoted to quality work b and at the same time, he's also the corruption of the Republic that he despises -- the cold, ambitious, elitist, cutthroat corporate overlord allying himself with the soulless Empire and losing his soul in the process. Ke Daiv was also an amazing character. I loved how he foreshadowed Anakin's motivations for falling in Revenge of the Sith. Ke Daiv was consumed by shame and atonement and was willing to do anything to repent leading to him working for an evil authority figure while Anakin was willing to do anything to save his wife which lead him to be manipulated by Palpatine. The relationship between Anakin and Obi-Wan is done perfectly and I really enjoyed it. I felt so bad for the Jabitha. Absolutely loved every page. Again, I would just like to express my deepest thanks for creating Rogue Planet. I'm currently reading Eon and I'm enjoying it as well. I hope I can get your autograph someday! Sincerely, Kaaviya Uthirapandian

A Writer's Education

Posted by Ahmed ibn Adam on 12/23/2020

Hello Mr. Bear! Simple question: how does one attain the best writer's education? What is the best way to learn the technical aspects of fiction writing? In my own sci-fi work, I feel that I have a grasp on plot, character, world, theme, etc, but choosing the right words, making the story into a technical document is where I struggle. Reading Halo Cryptum for a second time today, the first 30 pages passed by in a flash because of the technical writing alongside the story. How can we reach your level of mastery in the actual mechanics of the writing more so than the excellent plot and character work.

bioscience catches up

Posted by Roald on 12/19/2020

Hi Greg, long time no visit, but I continue to peek here and even on Facebook (may they reap their true rewards) often enough. Interested to see what your new direction in imagination will give in February, and truly gain each time I read into any of your prior books again, as I do regularly. You'll know where this fits, and of course I thought immediately your direction. https://academic.oup.com/icb/article-abstract/60/6/1495/5849934?redirectedFrom=fulltext Slowly, slowly,..I remember very well also sitting at table on Sunday in an Oxford pub, with several apparently first researchers on what the newly 'decoded' genome meant. They were very haughty at first, but soon enough very engaged, as I reflected that the information level in their DNA pairs itself just didn't feel enough, and asked them what they knew about codes (the compressing variety used in computation). Then, they were really interested. And a decade or two later, all the epigenetics arrives... You were there first, on this one, and I also remember you were highly complimented on your ideas by your research informants. Very justified, I'd say :) Best, to you and Astrid, from Linda Vista Clive

Blood Music Radio Drama

Posted by P Dearmore on 12/07/2020

Hi, Greg, I am looking to buy a copy of the Blood Music dramatization that was produced wayyy back... When, in the 90's maybe? Maybe 80's? The odd thing is, I have scoured the internet looking for this, and not only can I not find a way to purchase it, but I can't really even see any evidence that it ever existed. I know that I had a tape of it (probably made an illicit copy off the radio or something--sorry!) but I want to make good and pay for it now. Any way I can do that?

A story that has haunted me for decades

Posted by Karl Kotas on 12/01/2020

Dear Greg, Because you are of a certain age, perhaps you may remember this: I recall reading a story in a hard back science fiction anthology in the late 1950s to early 1960s. What I recall is this: The story featured a group of boys in a far future who attend an educational event in an auditorium where they witness a ceremonial ritual involving a group of Viking or Viking like warriors and a religious specialist, shaman or priest in a sort of transtemporal portal enclosed by a bubble of a forcefield. I also remember the boys were talking about taking a trip around the world later that afternoon and about how one of them is slated to be President of the world in a few weeks. One of the boys manages, via some sort of psi power, to reach through the bubble and, using the shaman or magus's powers, burst the field and let loose the magus and warriors loose in the auditorium. Havoc ensues. How it ends I do not recall. Does you or perhaps your readers remember reading such a story? Thank you do much for your time and attention, Karl Kotas

Darwin's radio origin

Posted by Richard Hunter on 11/24/2020

Hello Greg, 10 years or so ago I read the Darwin books in a period that happened to coincide with my own initial discovery that environmental stress had a regulatory effect on retrotransposons within the mammalian brain. I was floored, then and now, by how much the books seemed to predict a lot of what we have been discovering in recent years about the deep genome. I've always wanted to ask: What inspired you to write the books? Was there a particular paper or scientist who put these ideas on your radar? Thanks!

Adaptations

Posted by George Stuart on 10/23/2020

Hi. Every couple of years i get to wondering if to be had offers to film The adventures of Mary Choy, and/or Eon. I wonder in this Netflix world it might come true. My personal favorite would be Lucy Lui to play Mary. I would all work so well.

Chronological Halo Outline

Posted by Ruben O on 10/21/2020

Mr. Bear, First of all, huge fan, love your work!! I came across you as an author through the Halo Forerunner trilogy and have enjoyed your work! Thank you for writing these! I used to play Halo but as an adult, I don't have enough time to dedicate to the game to be competitive enough to enjoy it like I used to. So as an adult, I've dove into the lore more. The whole Halo story spans a huge gap of time with books, comics, games, online content... ETC. None of these things were released in any chronological order within the Halo story line so trying to take it in chronologically is challenging. But then you have a guy who created an exhaustive timeline of all the Halo content. I have the timeline below in the following two links: https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/forums/db05ce78845f4120b062c50816008e5d/topics/halo-canon-order-halo-3-and-before/23bec818-d9c5-4932-981b-61efe8532f61/posts https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/forums/db05ce78845f4120b062c50816008e5d/topics/halo-canon-order-halo-4-and-beyond/8debc308-e1ea-42f3-bfcd-904f28b5a674/posts?page=1#post2 You can see he breaks your trilogy up into multiple parts, reading them out of order in the name of chronological accuracy. For instance, I am now finished with Cryptum but I read the first 27 Chapters, then read the first 20 chapters of Primordiam plus Risers story, then went back to finish the rest of Cryptum. The timeline breaks up Silentium even more, here is an excerpt of just the first 28 strings plus how he chops up Cryptum and Primordium. (B) TFS1:C Chapter 1-27 (B) TFS2:P Chapter 1-20 plus Risers Story (B) TFS1:C Chapter 28 to Chapter 42 (B) TFS2:P Chapter 21-42 (B) TFS3:S String 1 to String 5 (B) TFS3:S String 6 and String 21 (B) TFS3:S String 7 to String 20 (B) TFS3:S String 21 to String 28 I am curious on your thoughts of the books being broken into pieces like this. It was cool to seemingly find out about Chakas, Riser and Bornstellar at once, without waiting to finish all of Cryptum. But as the author of these books, I thought you may take issue with this. I would love any thoughts you have! I'm sorry this was so long, but I wanted to make sure and give you context to my question. Thank you for your work!!!!

Rafkin Laws a Reality

Posted by Mark Kozel on 09/24/2020

I recall in Slant that the Rafkin Laws/Rules per put in place to prevent future abuses due to the actions of a disgraced corrupt past president Today I saw a Washington Post story that House Democrats are working on changes to 'prevent future presidential abuses' Yikes! Now I'm worried 2020 will end like the end of Blood Music

Thinkers

Posted by Liam on 09/06/2020

Hello Mr Bear, I'm currently waiting for my PhD to commence and I've used the free time to catch up on a few of your works, notably Queen of Angels and Slant. My PhD is actually looking into ways to design and create analogue nanodevices to accelerate and realise novel ways of creating neural behaviour in computers. Not quite as complex as Queen of Angel's and Slant's Jill, but maybe the foundation of such machines, with any luck! I'm a great fan of some of the ideas you've explored with regards to the way biology achieves computation and "thought" (in the less human-centric sense). I also particularly loved the thinking points raised by Blood Music and the cellular phylogenetic memory. Also, as a general aside, I have told a few friends that I'm convinced you have a supernatural prescience after reading so many of your books from 10-20 years ago and seeing your little technological marvels, as well as wide societal shifts, actually happen. You have a talent for predicting the future! All the best, I hope you're well!

Eon Entrance

Posted by Dyami on 08/30/2020

Hi Mr Bear. I loved EON and have a question. When Olmy first appears in the book discussing The Thistledown with a superior, the comment is made that no one has ever entered The Thistledown from the outside before. Would you please elaborate on this? I don't think I found it explained in the book. Thank you!

Burnt Norton

Posted by Mike Pazda on 08/16/2020

Just reading the first part of Burnt Norton from Eliot's Four Quartets The description eerily reminds me of the passage where Michael first crosses over into the Realm

budget Cut

Posted by John Young on 07/30/2020

Hello Greg, I wanted to let you know I had this video from 1984 made by by our mutual friend Larry Ortiz converted and hosted on YT. Can you confirm that you are the NASA official here? https://youtu.be/eUc_gGAZ3Aw LArry and I were good friends, we made music and videos together also. Sadly he passed 2 years ago. I read here that you were at the Fleet in the very early years. I worked there in the production department from 83 to 2017. I maintained and built planetarium special effects and programmed the media computer. I helped upgrade through several phases. More here. https://spacetheater.wordpress.com/ Best, John Young

Slant

Posted by Anne Giffey on 07/27/2020

Dear Mr. Bear- I recently came upon your novel, Slant, and although I have not yet read it, I understand there is a character that shares my surname: Giffey. Since our name is fairly rare, I am curious if you recall how you came about naming the character Jack Giffey. My best, Anne Giffey

EON 4

Posted by Jon Harbour on 07/12/2020

Dear Mr. Bear, Please write Eon #4, with a return to The Way and Thistledown. I've re-read Eon a few times but never gone back to Eternity or Legacy because they weren't interesting to me. Many thanks for hours of distraction. My favorites of your works are: Eon, Hegira, Forge of God, Darwin's Radio, and most importantly, Blood Music, which I've read a half dozen times. There's something about that novel that I find so enjoyable that I return to it every few years. With Eon, I always wished you would write a sequel where someone uses the Way to find "our" world, not destroyed in nuclear war. That was the goal [Patricia?] had, as I recall, when she got stuck in the medieval world. (memory might be failing me, it's been a while).

Good news: Prometheus Hall of Fame award to Poul Anderson

Posted by Michael Grossberg on 07/08/2020

To Astrid Anderson Bear: Good news! The LFS has just voted to induct Anderson's short story Sam Hill as the 2020 winner into our Prometheus Awards Hall of Fame. (Visit www.lfs.org to see the past winners, including several other wins by Anderson, our first Prometheus Special Award for Lifetime Achievement winner in 2001 - an award accepted by his wife Karen who joined us at Marcon in Columbus, Ohio (where I live). There is a Prometheus Awards plaque and gold coin that goes with the award, and we'd like to know where to mail it. By the way, is there an official Anderson foundation or library or museum that should receive and display it? If not, then it should go to his family. (Last year, for instance, when the Kurt Vonnegut short story Harrison Bergeron was inducted into the Hall of Fame, the plaque ended up on public display at the Vonnegut Library/Museum in Indianapolis._ Please contact the Libertarian Futurist Society we can send you the official letter and handle details. Thanks, and congratulations on your father's further recognition! (Michael Grossberg, LFS Secretary, awards judge, mgrossberg1@gmail.com )

Concerning an interview for the 4K restored edition of THE LAST STARFIGHTER...

Posted by Daniel Griffith on 07/07/2020

I hope you are safe and well! My name is Daniel Griffith. My resume includes over 100 documentary shorts and features, exploring everything from the history of "The Twilight Zone" to the making of cult film favorites like "Donnie Darko", "The Thing", and "Escape From New York". More recently, I produced and directed the Saturn Award winning feature-length documentary about the trials and tribulations while making of "Waterworld". I have been commissioned by Arrow Video to produce NEW retrospective features about the making of "The Last Starfighter" for its upcoming restored 4K premiere. It would be a great honor to include an audio interview (via Skype or Zoom) with you for this exciting edition! If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at 423-364-1345 or at danielg@ballyhoomotionpictures.com. Thank you for your time and attention! I am looking forward to hearing from you! Best Regards, DANIEL GRIFFITH | PRODUCER-DIRECTOR-EDITOR BALLYHOO MOTION PICTURES | @ballyhoofilms www.ballyhoomotionpictures.com OFFICE 423.364.1345

Character seeing entire life

Posted by Massimo Curatella on 06/30/2020

Dear Greg, After 20 years I still keep reminescences of Eon. I cannot remember who and when is introduced as capable of seeing the entire life of a human being from their birth to their death, in one shot. Would you be so kind to tell me if I remember correctly and, if yes, where I can find the related passage? Thank you very much for you writings. Max

Darwin and the C-19

Posted by Detlef Pahnke on 06/26/2020

Dear Greg, did you have a looking glass when writing Darwin's Radio?

Foundation coming to the big screen

Posted by Rich on 06/23/2020

Hey Greg, have you heard about this? Finally! After only 69 years! Interesting that it's Apple doing this... now if we could just get them to take a look at Forge/Anvil...let's see, Forge came out in 1987, so they should get to it oh say by 2056 or so. Not sure if I'll be able to last that long.... :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgbPSA94Rqg

Unknown quote

Posted by Thomas E Dimock on 06/14/2020

Greg, Is this a quote of yours? "Ultimately, there is no difference between fantasy and reality, so what is written becomes reality, somewhere, in some universe." I wrote it down but neglected to cite the book title and author. Thanks!

Working for the govt and corona

Posted by Chase Stoudt on 05/21/2020

You hooked me by Eon when I was 12, I watched your Ted talk (I'm from Woodinville and never got to see any of these talks in person because I didn't know about them and I was too young) and then I ended up buying Legacy, Eternity, Hull Zero Three, The Forge of God, Anvil of Stars, Moving Mars and now Queen of Angels. I am your worst nightmare, I work for the Feds in Alaska involved involved in offshore oil leasing and drilling (the same people responsible for deepwater horizon and Shell drilling in the Chukchi) and I just want to say you've been a huge source of inspiration. My job involves technical writing to comply with environmental laws and with this administration it's been a doozy (not to mention covid). The trump admin is fucking insane (you can google the history of minerals management service and the bureau of ocean energy management). You wouldn't believe the the lengths of environmental engineering we go to for crude and natural gas, it's fucking insane. Peter Watts is another one of my favorite authors because with Starfish he actually came close to some of the shit I've worked on the Juan De Fuca ridge. Anyway, I'm used to working in "inner space" not the vacuum of anything beyond the atmosphere but your books have always sparked my imagination. Thank you for inspiring a young scientist and I hope someday to get your autograph. -chase

Making a Film inspired by Heads

Posted by Jonny Wheeler on 05/16/2020

Hello, First, I want to say that I’m a big fan of your books. I’ve read every one (at least once) and they occupy shelf space among the likes Asimov, Clarke, and Herbert in my library. I am an MFA student working on a cinema project as a part of my thesis and I have been inspired to write a short film after reading your novel: Heads. I’ve always loved the idea of watching memories like movies and my tale centers on that particular technology that is able to access the minds of frozen corpses. As an artist, I’m telling a different story but I’d like to set my short film in the same world as Heads. I’d also like to recognize your novel as the inspiration in the credits. I was hoping you might give your blessing to my student film? Thanks for your time and consideration- Jonny

Any tips on finding Beta readers

Posted by William Bowden on 05/09/2020

Hi Greg Long time fan of the Eon and Queen of Angles books, which are among my core influences. So can I turn to you for any tips on using Beta readers? Do you use them and where do they fit in your writing cycle? Regards William

This looks along the lines of VITALS....

Posted by Excession on 05/06/2020

https://www.aol.com/article/news/2020/05/06/pittsburgh-researcher-on-the-verge-of-coronavirus-discovery-killed-in-murder-suicide/24215513/

a belated greeting

Posted by Karl Kotas on 05/02/2020

Dear Greg,, About what seems like a million years ago but was more like forty, I won a host for a day contest on the Jim Altoff Show on KING AM -- with a handwritten letter no less. And then they tried to ram a guest list of their own down my throat but I fought back with a list of my own. And you were one of my choices. S'funny, all I knew of you at the time were Hardfought, Scattershot and the Wind from a Burning Woman and the common universe in which they were embedded. Which I quite liked. And on the show, I compared you to Olaf Stapledon because that's one writer you brought to my mind. To which you said 'Wow, you really know your onions!' Little did I know at the time that he was a real influence. Well, before coronavirus, I was working at the Burke Museum, keeping the kids off the dinosaurs. And, as it turns out, I finally read Dinosaur Summer last night. That must have been fun to write. Two thoughts came to mind. One was it was redolent of a Heinlein juvenile. But way better. I remember emailing Jack Vance's agent way back when before the Integral Edition and before his son created the Jack Vance.com and said agent told me once that he wrote Emphyrio for his son. And that came to mind last night -- that Dinosaur Summer was to your children in part. Well, it must have been fun to write. Although I just assumed the Death Eagles were Phorusrhacos. Little did I know... By the way, there is a great channel on YouTube called Your Dinosaurs are Wrong wherein the host updates what is known by using plastic toy dinosaurs. Well, I blather and must get up and clean up my place. I just wanted to let you know what fun it was to meet you. And I can see I have to catch up on you. Man, you have written so-o-o many books. Well, be well and continue writing. Cheers, Karl Kotas

The Science Fiction Writers Club.

Posted by Ramon Nacion on 04/29/2020

RE: An Invitation to the Science Fiction Writers Club. Hi Greg I am seeking writers to collaborate in the writing of a series of science fiction novels and an opportunity to participate in the creation of an ethical way of thinking. If you are a writer who has achieved the normal accolades human reality has to offer your life on the way to Rome. Then contemplate a true reason to write and create a belief in the future as those of our creed have set forth, and shape that of the things that are to come. Please reply as ordered, if the need to remain alive is required, and avoid the next Chinese biological weapon virus that attacks earth. Yours Ramón Nación. Greg please make a post to this link to confirm an acknowledgement of this message: https://instagram.com/thesciencefictionclub?igshid=3gpeq3jdcuwy

New Stories

Posted by David MacLaren on 04/22/2020

I first read EON over 20 years ago and remember the pleasure, like the first whisky :) Your stories have contributed to the health of my soul and I can still read them over and over without disappointment. As you can tell I am a dedicated fan, and as such, I wondered if you were intending to publish any new stories/books in the foreseeable future? I am overdue for a fix so I hope you haven't hung up your gloves quite yet.. As this is my first post here i will complete the obligatory cliche rich message with 'genuine' thanks for your inspired collective works..

Blood Music and our current pandemic

Posted by Priyana on 04/22/2020

Hi! I'm Priyana, a student at New York University. I am leading a discussion on your novel 'Blood Music' in my class and I thought perhaps you might be able to answer a few questions of mine. Reading this novel right now felt like it was such a timely piece for me– I know I reflected differently on it now than I would have at any other time. Has the current pandemic caused you to reflect differently on your writing at all? I would love to hear a bit about your thought process in regards to the structure of the book. To me, I felt like it the focus on Vergil for the first 1/3 and the gradual new introduction of many new character throughout the last 2/3s provided a very interesting foil for the growth and collaboration of the hive-minded noocytes. How did you come up with this specific structure, and how did you decide where sections should begin and start? Thank you and I hope you are well!

Moving Mars

Posted by Joel Gerlach on 04/17/2020

Dear Mr. Bear, 1. What is your favorite book you've ever written? And quick followup question: 2. Why is it Moving Mars? ;) I am mostly kidding. I just finished the Audible version of Moving Mars for the fourth time. Several years ago, I bought out all of Powell's copies of Moving Mars and gave them out to my friends and family as gifts (surprisingly, they had four in stock! Thanks Powell's!). Over the years I've read it and listened to it so many times and yet after a while I'll always come back and go through it again and it's like a fresh experience every time. In this world, it is incredibly rare to find a book (Scifi or otherwise) or watch a movie where no matter how hard you try, you can't think of a way to improve upon it. Moving Mars is one of those examples for me. A book written so well that try as I might--though I find myself rarely ever to be truly critical of someone else's work--I cannot think of a way it could have been done better. The book is complex, nuanced, and is like the perfect roller coaster that continues to accelerate and climb all the way to the final climax without ever becoming dull. Truly, it is a thrill. There's mystery upon intrigue and the "aha!" moment when the book's title is revealed to the audience is always fresh and exciting every time. Over the years I've read almost all of your books (Eon and Anvil and Strength of Stones are some of my favorites) but Moving Mars, to me, rises above them all because of the simplicity of its narrative and the crystal focus on its protagonist. Where other authors might get mired in complexity, Moving Mars keeps its focus and never wavers all the way until the finale, where I'm always moved almost to tears at the final sentence of the book: "...and the sky was bluer still." I don't mean to come here to gush endlessly about the book, but I do have questions, I promise! I am very curious--if you're willing to reveal it--where the inspiration for Moving Mars came from, specifically the decision to write a story where an entire planet becomes a method of transport. And how did you decide to make politics, especially interplanetary politics, a core focus of the book? Moving Mars feels so thoroughly cohesive from start to finish where everything you read feels central to the plot and doesn't wander. So final question: what was outlining the story for Moving Mars like? Did you always know exactly what you were writing or did you have to wander to get there? From the bottom of my heart, thank you for writing such an amazing book. Especially now with everything going on in the world, Moving Mars actually gives me a greater perspective, context, and appreciation for the politics of Earth and what it might someday mean for our big red neighbor. Thank you for reading this short essay. And I hope you are staying safe and healthy. Sincerely, -Joel G.

Thank you, Greg Bear,Sunset In Paradise

Posted by Zhi Chen on 04/16/2020

20 years before , When I was a junior high school student?There was a picture named Sunset In Paradise painted by Greg Bear in a Science Fiction Magazine,I was shocked by the painting and like it so much.I pasted the picture in front of my desk?I always look at this picture when I do my homework.This picture has been on the wall for 15 years,however I lost it because of house-moving.Luckily,I find it on internet today,amazing! Thank you ,Greg Bear! Zhi Chen Wuhan CHINA

An up and coming writer

Posted by Kendrick Elder on 04/05/2020

Good morning Mr. Bear. My name is Kendrick Elder and I'm an up and coming writer. I study Journalism/Writting in college and wanted to get into writing a novellete of my own as I am a fan of sci-fi themed content. Admittedly, I first heard about you when I was reading the Foreruuner Saga books of the Halo Franchise, a game series I was into for yaers now. I am currently working on sci-fi themed story that I hope I can one day adapt into comics and maybe video games (as I studied a little game design in college and hope to get back into it after I finish my journalism bacehlor's). Was wondering if you have any tips of any kind for an up and coming writer like me.

truely wise on complexity

Posted by Clive on 03/24/2020

Greg, long time no visit or talk here, if I refer to your novels often, always with considerable appreciation. I was struck by the broad understanding in this interview-essay, with ties you will appreciate to any number of things you've written so astutely about. https://www.project-syndicate.org/onpoint/ps-say-more-andrew-sheng Best to you and Astrid, your family, of course stay well, Clive

Spacetime holes may swallow the universe

Posted by Arqel on 03/06/2020

May explain the acceleration of the universe's expansion - and reminds me of CITY AT THE END OF TIME, and Williams James Sidis' THE ANIMATE AND INANIMATE (1925 - where he also apparently pre-saged dark matter....). https://futurism.com/the-byte/theoretical-holes-spacetime-swallow-entire-universe

Missing family

Posted by Steve Lackey on 03/03/2020

Good Morning, Which Foundation book explains the disappearance of Selden's daughter-in-law and granddaughter?

Signings

Posted by Mike Kerstetter - Tall Tales Books on 02/25/2020

Hi Greg, Mike Kerstetter of Tall Tales Books here. I've recently filled a hole in my personal Bear collection and would like to get it signed, but I don't see any upcoming appearances listed here and I haven't managed to run into you again at a BBQ joint. Will you be signing somewhere in the Seattle area sometime soon? Is there another way to get Beyond Heaven's River signed?

fact check

Posted by Daniel on 02/24/2020

Who did you study under in San Diego? There's a citation needed on a wikipedia page for Bruce Golden. Says: Bruce Golden was born in San Diego, California, United States, and graduated from San Diego State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English/Creative Writing (where he was encouraged to write by the same professor[who?] who mentored science fiction author Greg Bear).[citation needed] Thanks.

Thank you.

Posted by Gregory Gartiser on 02/17/2020

Just finished reading Quantico. Well done! Very thought provoking and well thought out. Also just read the War dogs trilogy last week;imagine my feeling when I realized that I had already read the third book shortly after it was published. Spoiler alert! I am looking forward to reading the Halo books you have written,at 59 years I have become quite the gamer.Thanks again from the Alsatian.(Gartiser is a Alsatian name,kind of rare,as alsace and lorraine are no more!)

Thanks!

Posted by Robert Barnes on 02/11/2020

Just finished reading “Moving Mars” - your writing is incredible! Hard science, which is hard to comprehend at times, but so worth the effort. You are truly a genius, and I’ve enjoyed every book I’ve ever read by you. Equal to Heinlein, Clarke or any of the greats. Thank you for taking me on the journeys!

A message to a revered author.

Posted by Dan Standridge on 02/02/2020

Middle school in upstate NY (circa 1988), for me, involved much recreational reading about the Vietnam War and some other (apparently forgettable) things. I was blown away by what I discovered, when I checked out, for the first time, Eon from our Library/Bookmobile (though never mobile when I visited it, having been put up on blocks years before my family and I moved to town). I then followed it up with The Forge of God, Anvil of Stars, Eternity, and many more. I've not read all that you've had published. I snatch them up, preferring the serendipity of purchasing them in all sorts of places, when the opportunities arise. It's your brand (?) of science fiction that I've come to realize makes the genre seemingly complete, even as I can can acknowledge that the genre is founded on an ever-expanding, ever-expounding world of scientific discovery. I've read plenty of other authors, but, after having recently finished W3: Women in Deep Time, and the accompanying transcription of your speech at a convention, it dawned on me that, in all my years of reading many works of literature, I'd never taken time to do what I'm doing now--to tell you that your approach to science, fiction, and all that they share, truly broadened my mind as a 14-year-old young man whose grades were lackluster, but who later came to appreciate much of the subject matter that public schools try to disseminate. Part of this wordy missive is a Thank You for your work, an attempt at expressing my heart-felt appreciation for the speculations you've opened up to the world. My 16-year-old son is now digging into my growing collection of your work (among other authors), and, while my own sci-fi writing is only in its early stages, I wholeheartedly intend to further facilitate and foster his interest in so many of these relevant subjects. Thank you, Mr. Bear, for your vision.

question related to your influence today

Posted by Alex N on 01/02/2020

Just got into your books, asked my dad for a sci fi recommendation and he went with Queen of Angels. You are a fantastic author, for a variety of reasons, they have been a great boon in my life. I won't type out the whole question in case this link is a dead end but if you respond I'd be happy to follow up with the details, but basically after only reading 5 of your novels I see massive massive influences all over huge budget motion pictures and other sci fi, to the point where its so blatant sometimes it feels uncredited! So if you respond I'd love to discuss just for fun, see if you agree or maybe I'm just drawing connections that aren't there, but if not no worries. Without explanation so far I've found - <Queen of Angels therapy machines and the "territory" - plot of inception><Moving mars earth vs mars and your throwaway line about "belters" - entire structure and basis of The Expanse><Lamarkia - Area X (the motif song of the climax of the movie literally being by a brilliant band called Moderat called "The Mark" lol)>. Wondering your thoughts. Hope you are well. Also have you ever seen Primer or Upstream Color? Ok thats it haha. Best wishes in 2020.

Stress-linked SHEVA reactivation

Posted by James V. Kohl on 12/16/2019

In the sci-fi + factual worlds of stress-induced reactivation of Human Endogenous Retroviruses (HERVs, this links changes in pheromones to the transgenerational epigenetic inheritance of morphological and behavioral traits in well-adapted 'new' humans. "Analysis of the MicroRNA Profile by Sequencing in Ovarian Granular Cells from Women Suffering Fluorosis with Reproductive Dysfunction" https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs12011-019-01990-2

Darwin's Radio: Eerily Prophetic

Posted by Bryan Staul on 12/13/2019

Upon my second read of Darwin's Radio I realized I never checked the publication date and to my surprise it was 1999. Predating our very eventful new century by a year. While nothing like SHEVA happened(although the Ebola cases on US soil in 2014 is close), I'd say the themes and plot conflicts in Darwin's Radio nailed past 20 or so years. Like the stories CDC/Washington thread our political polarization has infected the field of science blocking efforts to tackle real problems, most prominently climate change. The book features the same religious fundamentalism and terrorism that has plagued the decade. I could write a paper on this but I'll stop myself with a few honorable mentions such as the proliferation of fake news, globalization, and erosion of trust in public institutions are all there. So Kudos, Mr. Bear. This story hasn't aged a day!

Technic Civilization Movies

Posted by Sean M. Brooks on 12/02/2019

Dear Mr. Bear: I'm writing to ask if anyone in the film industry has ever expressed interest in making movie versions of some of the Technic Civilization stories of Poul Anderson? If so, my hope is that they would be ACCURATELY made. I would be very happy to see some filmed versions of stories featuring Nicholas van Rijn and Dominic Flandry!

Sophia doesn't do sexual activities

Posted by Arqel on 11/12/2019

"...an internal investigation revealed that the humanoid robot seemed to have gotten the concepts of sex and love confused." Duh. Answering a question about one thing, with something else means that. People do this frequently, due to mis-comprehension - or fear and intent to deflect - or to get someone's attention in a certain way. You have said here and in some of your stories, non-human entities may behave in human ways..... We call it self-preservation.

On today's crisis

Posted by Gene Partlow on 11/10/2019

Dear Mr. Bear…I saw your News site’s “Restore America Now”. My wife and I and friends could not agree more. You may already be aware of this, though many scholars and journalists are not, and so tend to view today’s crisis as inexplicable and ahistorical. The great chasm splitting the nation (and many nations) is due in great part to The Southern Strategy, a malignant top-down identity politics creation engine, perfected in the early '70s. Eg: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_strategy is fairly accurate but misses the enormity of a racist-targeting machine which indirectly and ineluctably targets anti-Semitism, misogyny, hatred of 'The Other', and more, since these prejudices all ferment together just under the skin of the world. And they feed on one another. The rise in entitled hatred is conjured by this SS, and in a sense, Trump is its Golem. Without knowing these things, any resistance is weakened. PS: I’m re-reading your “Songs of Earth and Power” again (my wife and I have to keep track of Michael) and we deeply appreciate the sensibility and generosity in your writing. Cheers, Gene Partlow, Ben Lomond, Ca.

Noocytes & Jarts

Posted by Steven Guy on 10/24/2019

Dear Mr Bear, I just re-read Blood Music last weekend. It's a favourite of mine. I was thinking about the Noocytes and what they did to humans. It struck me that it was akin to the Jarts packaging life up for their imagined Descendant Command or, perhaps, something like going to heaven that we see in the Abrahamic religions. I find the thought of living in a Thought Universe or some sort of Virtual Reality distinctly unattractive at this point in my life. I like the material world with all its faults and chaos. I like to play musical instruments and finding new pieces to play in the Adelaide University Music Library. I new books (yours in particular) and new movies and new music. So, I'd be like Susie in resisting the Noocytes as long as possible because for me, however mundane and limited, reality is better than living in a dream or heaven. I will return to Blood Music again, I do so every few years. It was one of the few books in my life that I can honestly say of "it blew my mind" (Arthur C. Clarke's "Childhood's End", Vernor Vinge's "Across Realtime", Charles Stross's "Accelerando" and your own "The Anvil of Stars" blew my mind too) Thanks for all the masterpieces you have created! Regards, Steven

New Genes

Posted by Kurt on 10/20/2019

I think you will find this interesting: https://alfinnextlevel.wordpress.com/2019/10/20/new-genes-pop-up-like-magic/ It mirrors some of what you have said about evolution works.

Fiction changes the brain - we knew this.....

Posted by Arqel on 10/05/2019

I was looking through some article links I'd stashed, and found this one called "Why Doesn't Ancient Fiction Talk About Feelings?". A matter of evolution, apparently. "Heavy readers of fiction showed the highest level of brain activity."

Mara from Halo Silentium.

Posted by Juan Fajardo on 10/02/2019

Hello again, this second message is a little more personal than the one in the last post. As I told you in my last message, I read the Forerunner Saga along with my wife, who suffers from depression and she utterly loved the character of Mara. I am reaching out to you as a gesture of love for my wife, and as a gesture of appreciation for your work. It is difficult to write these words since this situation is heavy on anybody's shoulders and I hope not to sound like begging or like I consider you owe my wife or me anything. I just thought this would be a beautiful gesture from me to ask, and if possible, for you to help me out with a short paragraph to show some hope to her. This side of the message is obviously a little confession which I would appreciate to remain personal between you and I. But please feel free to contact on the email related to this post. I reiterate, I have loved your books and I will continue to read more of your work. With appreciation, Juan

Mara from Halo Silentium.

Posted by Juan Fajardo on 10/02/2019

(wow, gotta start by saying it is unbelievable to assume there is the possibility to get an answer from YOU!) Well I have just reread the Halo Forerunner Saga written by you and your son (in the epilogue) and this has been a book which has changed my life as it has made me rethink many aspects of how I assume responsibility of my life. I deeply thank you for such compelling story and all the adventures it drew in my and my wife's mind (we read it together). To be honest, the character of Mara, presented in Silentium became something quite important in my partner's and my life and we are right now going through what I'd call a "reader despair" for not having heard of her whereabouts before the end of the epilogue. So here I am, writing this message to try and do something about it... Mr Bear, with all my appreciation for this work you wrote, I would deeply appreciate if you could give us some solace in the form of a couple of words about her fate in the book. Even if I get no answer, but you get to read this, I would like to thank you again for your work.

Bio-chips are here

Posted by Arqel on 09/19/2019

"A team of engineers just successfully merged biological life with machinery, building tiny sperm-inspired robots that use living nerve and muscle cells to swim around when exposed to light." https://futurism.com/the-byte/tiny-robots-powered-muscles-nerves

Yesterday's kin

Posted by Ryan on 08/28/2019

Nancy Kress finished the yesterday's kin trilogy. It concludes with some virus from space mutating humans with a specific gene to be more intelligent. The series ends before establishing if this virus alters humans genetically, but a character suggests it has every few ten thousand years.

Thanks, Greg!

Posted by Steven Fischer on 08/03/2019

Hey Greg, Just wanted to say thanks for all the tremendous reads over the years. Just finished Blood Music, and City at the End of Time and Legacy have been favorites of mine for some time. As a fellow Seattliteite and someone who dabbles in fiction writing myself, I feel like I'm getting a master course on story-telling every time I pick up one of your books. Also, I'm no molecular biologist, but I work in medicine, and it's always nice when an author gets their science right. Killer job on the research for Blood Music and using it to create a world that feels just real enough to believe. Thanks for all the amazing characters and ideas over the years. Hoping to someday weave yarns half as well as you do! Best, Steve

Thank You

Posted by Love Leaf on 07/29/2019

Mr. Bear, thank you so much for your exceptional and mind expanding work! I’ve been an avid reader my whole life, but my taste has been predominantly counter-culture-quasi-hipster literature. Stuff like Vonnegut, Burroughs, Bukowski... I’ve always loved science fiction, but with the exception of Ender’s Game, Phillip K. Dick and some of Bradbury’s short stories, I’ve always had a hard time enjoying the genre outside of the film medium. Well, the cover art of a paperback Eon caught my eye and the synopsis on the back really intrigued me. I have now fallen in love with The Way! I am about halfway through Eternity, now, and feeling more immersed in those universes and characters minds with each turning page! Again, thank you for your work, I am thoroughly enjoying being “stoned”! By the way, I’ve wondered this about myself as I’ve been reading, and I’m curious if you’ve ever wondered, would you align more with Naderites or Geshels?

Thank You

Posted by Ryan Murray on 07/27/2019

Greg, I would like to say thank you for your literary works. I took science fiction in both high school and college. As an engineer who had an interest in technology at a young age I have always appreciated fine details. I have not always enjoyed reading and sometimes free time is not abundant. Recently while working 12 hour days at my desk at work designing things I decided I might give audiobooks a try. The Halo Series was one I always meant to take time to read. I had read the original Fall of Reach in my earlier years. That book was more a young adult reading level. Much to my surprise this week I have been captivated by the Forerunner Saga. Your style of writing captures my interest with the descriptive details. I look forward to exploring other books you have written. Whether I listen at work or read a book before bed. You have restored my interest in reading. Sincerely, Ryan

Searching for work on conflict.

Posted by Mary on 07/16/2019

I was told you have a great book on how to handle conflict. I’m unable to discern which one that may be. I’m excited to have new tools. Thank you, Mary

Book Signing

Posted by Cory Plecker on 06/17/2019

Hello Greg! I’m a huge fan of your Halo novels! I was curious if there was anyway you possibly signed 2 of my halo books please? I got the first novel out of the 3 signed at Halo fest! Thanks in advance have a awesome day!

VITALS, biome, and longevity

Posted by Arqel on 06/04/2019

Hi. After reading and seeing a lot lately on the biome, VITALS came to mind.... My aunt (retired Rn and such) thinks biome imbalance is cause of/precursor to most if not all disease. I'm wondering immortality. Perhaps all spaghetti code of DNA, etc. Aubrey de Gray mentions isn't relevant. Perhaps the biome can guide the body to do as we wish.....

Djamonkin Augh

Posted by Bryan on 05/27/2019

Hi, Mr. Bear. I only recently discovered that you regularly take the time to speak with fans of your work on this discussion board. As a longtime fan of your Halo work, I have always wondered if you had particular real-world African locations in mind when describing certain locales in Halo: Cryptum. Djamonkin Crater is said to be flooded with a small mountain on an island in its center. An imposing range of mountains is also said to lie nearby. Thanks!

Queen of Angels

Posted by Brian Biliack on 05/07/2019

Hi Greg, I'm not sure if you received my recent message, but I had written one explaining that I finally found a pristine UK first edition of Queen of Angels. This was basically the the last book I was looking for in my collection, and I would like to ask if I may sent it to you for an inscription/sketch? I didn't expect to find one so soon! thanks! Brian

EVA Guns

Posted by Yoel on 05/02/2019

My name is Yoel Mizrachi from Israel and I'm writing an article about EVA guns for Internet Blog. The article will focus on small arms designed to use by Astronauts and Cosmonauts in the hard vacuum of space. According to some source, the novel Eon contain consideration about the necessity of special muzzle break for free falling shootouts. Is that true?

Cell senescence

Posted by Mike Goldman on 04/24/2019

Greg, Great seeing you & Astrid in August. Hope alll is going well. Thought of you when I saw Nature 7 Feb 2019 articles on LINE1 repeats, inflammation and cell senescence. See 566: 46 and 566: 73. Also, I'm running conference on Personalized Medicine (our 12th annual) 5/30, this time specializing on aging, if you'd like to visit the Bay Area. All the best, and keep in touch. Mike (& Sally)

Queen of Angels

Posted by Brian on 04/15/2019

HI Greg, Did my last email about Queen of Angels come through? thanks, Brian

Theme of Politics

Posted by Bryan Staul on 04/06/2019

Hi Greg! I've noticed a reoccurring element in many of your books is political disagreement and lack of communication getting in the way of solving the crisis at hand. Forge of God, Blood Music, and Eon feature this. Darwin's Radio seemed particularly politically charged as it dealt with abortion, antagonism towards the CDC, and terrorism. Do you feel that politicians are doomed to get it wrong even when science has it right? Do you

First permanent base on Mars

Posted by Marcio Tex on 03/28/2019

Dear Mr. Bear, I would like to praise you for the plethora of entertaining sci-fi novels you’ve produced over the years. Among them, your remarkable wit delivered Moving Mars, which I consider a thought-provoking story that stands among the best books on the Red Planet. The way you conceived of the conflict between Mars’ colonists and the Earth, keeping the main plot soft enough to please the easy reader, was superb. Moving Mars is a benchmark for all later science fiction works about Mars. It made me one of your biggest fans. Altogether, your vision has inspired me, and I want to thank you. I’m an aspiring author myself who also tries to get the science right. Consortia is the title of my novel about a space medicine doctor sent to the first permanent base on Mars, where she must cope with a malicious plan set to uproot a study that deals with the possibility of creating new species for all existing genera, including humans, due to Mars’ low gravitational pull. I’m excited about it, and if the stars align, Consortia will be published by in the next year or two. In addition to being published, I hope to see you at a book signing or event of yours one day. It would be an honor to meet you and have one of your books signed. I also hope to send you a copy of my book one day if it is published. I don’t know if you ever read or review other authors’ books, but I would regard it as a privilege if you would consider looking at mine if it’s published. At times, as a writer, I feel like I’m alone on Mars. I write mainly for the joy of writing, but it would be wonderful to one day share my work with others who might enjoy it as I enjoy yours. From one space traveler to another. All my best, Marcio Tex

Blood Music Stuck in My Head

Posted by Bryan Staul on 03/08/2019

I stumbled into Blood Music about a year and a half ago. I drive a lot for work and usually burn through a ton of audio books. Some of these stay in my head, some not so much, then there's Blood Music. After a hard copy re-read I still can't put my finger on way I'm so fascinated with it. So first kudos for Mr. Bear, I immediately burned through Forge of God and Darwin's Radio. Second I think these questions are why I keep coming back to Blood Music. In the excellent short story Mr. Bear seems to base the story on the horror happening to Edward. But the expanded novel Mr. Bear seems to lean towards the positive aspects of the change. What made you change narratives? Was Bernard and Susies fears that the noocytes edit you during the change founded? Was Bernard being coerced by his noocytes? Did the noocytes ultimately convert the remaining humans without choice? Any thoughts are appreciated!

The Gods themselves

Posted by Jon on 02/18/2019

Hello. I recently read Eon. I really enjoyed it. Thank you for the work, it was wonderful. In the book, I noticed that there were two express mentions of “the gods themselves”. There’s also a reference to alien species trading different types of space-time qualities across alternate universes, which is sort of the plot of the god’s themselves. Why did you put these references in the book?

Darwin's Radio is one of our best sci-fi books of all time

Posted by Savannah on 02/18/2019

Hello Mr. Bear, This is Savannah from Reedsy. I just wanted to let you know that Darwin's Radio made our list of the 100 best sci-fi books of all time! It’s right here at #53, if you want to take a look (list is chronological): https://reedsy.com/discovery/blog/best-sci-fi-books. Congratulations and well done :) Also, if you would consider sharing the post on your website or social media, we would be so grateful. We've just put this list together, and any exposure we can get for it would be amazing, especially for its target audience of science fiction readers. Thank you so much in any case, and keep up the great work. Best, Savannah

Origin of word Geshels

Posted by John A on 02/13/2019

Greg, Obviously the term "Naderites" from Eon/Eternity you named after Ralph Nader, but I was wondering where you got the term "Geshels?" It sounds like some sort of German word, but I just looked it up and can't find anything in any online translators. I did find some people with the surname "Geshel," but they look to be clustered more in eastern Europe and the US, which made me think it might have some sort of Hebrew origin? https://forebears.io/surnames/geshel Or was it just some name you made up?

Trilogy

Posted by Joe Shaw on 12/27/2018

Anvil of Stars/Forge of God were the first books to ever make me cry. They were the first stories that ever reached inside of my heart and yanked on something I didn't know was there. I was a kid and I didn't know books stories prose fiction could do that to someone. I spent days upon weeks upon months rereading certain parts and yammering about it to anyone that would listen. It felt like a key had been turned and a gate opened within me. It was sad but good, bittersweet with a touch of fear and excitement. That said, I've been keeping up with the saga of the whole movie thing and what not and someone somewhere mentioned that there was supposed to be a third book in the series. So is there another book in the works or has it just been too long? Is the heart and soul of what allowed you to write those books not there anymore? Or has the inspiration just faded? I can totally understand if that's the case but these books ignited a flame within me that burned throughout the rest of my life that allowed me to touch others to heal them to help them to create things and I would love to know if there's a mote of hope left for the series or not. Your works have touched my life in a profound way and I can never thank you enough for that. They taught me how to dream and made me reach out my window towards the sky for something more. Thank you so much for what you've done. I hope you're having a great day and are looking forwards to the New Horizons flyby of Ultima Thule in a few days.

Use of Nootic Matter

Posted by Jacob Mandell on 11/19/2018

Hello Mr. Bear-- While I have enjoyed many of your books over the years, I think my favorite might be the City at the End of Time. It really is a phenomenal piece of work. I am working on a creative project of my own (centered around a live action role playing game at the moment), and I was wondering if you might have any issue with my using "nootic matter" in my project. I think the notion of a changeable form of matter that responds or is linked to thoughtforms is really interesting, and while I'd like to use it to my own ends, I certainly wouldn't wish to step on anyone's toes to do so. Regardless of your reply, I very much appreciate the thought and effort that went into City at the End of Time, and I appreciate your work greatly. Thank you. Best regards, -Jacob Mandell

Bear Trap

Posted by Steven Becker on 11/17/2018

My father (who has recently become blind) is listening to Forge of God. To assist him, I dusted off my copy and have reread it. I had forgotten what a masterwork it is. It has forced me to begin rereading Anvil of Stars as well. A very sweet kind of trap!

Darwins Radio and Children

Posted by John Etheridge on 10/25/2018

Great books. Two of my favorites. So happy to hear about the TV series.

Regarding a Quote from Halo

Posted by Hafik Kamac on 10/23/2018

Hello Mr. Bear, I have only recently picked up your books regarding the Halo Universe and I was wondering if you can provide your understanding or the meaning behind the Didact’s quote of “The peaceful one is at war without and within.” I am having a hard time grasping it’s meaning and what little I can find on my own search on the net has given me badly paraphrased or structured arguments and answer. Thus, I humbly request your explanation on this specific quote. Thanks in advance, Hafik Kamac

Evidence that RNA Viruses Drove Adaptive Introgression between Neanderthals and Modern Humans

Posted by James V. Kohl on 10/04/2018

Hi Greg, ICYMI I posted to your FB page about this: https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(18)31095-X It's an open access publication from Cell that refutes every aspect of neo-Darwinian pseudoscientific nonsense by linking virus-driven damage to DNA from the energy-dependent creation of the innate immune system to the transgenerational epigenetic inheritance of healthy longevity in species from microbes to humans (and ecologically adapted Shivites). Thanks for being the first to do that.

Partials

Posted by Allen Vance on 09/26/2018

I thought you'd be amused to see recent Forrester Research thinking about "Digital Twins" (Fatemeh Khatibloo, "The Algorithm of You", presented 9/25/18. I think that's a Hexamon partial, version 0.01.

Hidden order in primes

Posted by Bill Goodwin on 09/21/2018

Haloo! Are we at the brink of something here? This article gave me gooseflesh: https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/pa8dw8/prime-number-pattern-mimics-crystal-patterns Bill

Worldcon

Posted by Gideon Marcus on 08/24/2018

Hello Greg and Astrid. It was a delight to meet you both at Worldcon. I would love to continue corresponding with you, both for the fun of it, and also for any anecdotal color you might be able to shed on the period Galactic Journey is covering. I'll be writing about Worldcon (merging the events of 76 and 21) on September 4 at galacticjourney.org... Best regards, Gideon

Just mindblown here..

Posted by Owen Jorgensen on 08/10/2018

When I was in my early teens, I read Eon and Eternity. The reason I chose those particular books at that time was something as arbitrary as the way the books were wrinkled and worn when I first spotted them at the second hand bookstore right across from where I lived. I was completely taken by the story, and I felt it captured my attention quite a bit. Now, about 23 years later, the book still blows my mind, and I keep discovering things in the story I have previously missed. I think you managed to balance the fiction with the plausibility very well, if not perfectly. After having studied a bit about the cold war from a russian/soviet perspective, I think you managed to nail the setting perfectly. How on earth did you manage to do that? Well, I know that one may take a week to explain, so I'll settle for the perhaps most interesting question: What exactly was Pavel Mirsky? And could one say that the Jarts were Neo-Geshels on steroids after a few eternities?

Forge of God would make a GREAT movie

Posted by Chuck Anziulewicz on 07/16/2018

Every so often I'll just open the book and start reading from anywhere. It's so full of wonderment. And the destruction sequence that takes place in Yosemite is simply hair-raising. What a great movie this would make. I'm currently re-reading "Anvil of Stars," and I'm enjoying it much more than the first time I read it many years ago.

quick question

Posted by Kathleen J Dretske on 07/11/2018

Could you please give me the titles of your trilogy that Rob Bryanton refers to in his work, "Imagining the Tenth Dimension?" I am excited to delve into your writing and felt that would be a good place to start. (You have such a dynamic body of work, I didn't know which to choose!) With Gratitude, Kathleen PS I deeply appreciate you speaking out on the boarder situation with Trumps policies. Gads.

Sad loss of Mr Ellison

Posted by Steven Guy on 07/09/2018

I was saddened to learn of the death of Mr. Harlan Ellison. I have enjoyed his wonderful and imaginative writing over many decades. He was a talented and unique Science fiction writer. Some years ago, Analog published his script for the planned "I, Robot" film which never got off the ground (the greatest science fiction film never made?). I hope it is made some day and dedicated to both Isaac Asimov and Harlan Ellison.

Queen of Angels anime

Posted by Steven Guy on 07/04/2018

I have recently been watching the CyberPunk animé series Pyscho-Pass, which deals with the "therapied", the "untherapied" and latent criminals. It immediately brought to my mind Queen of Angels and "/". I then thought that these novels might make rather effective, albeit very adult orientated, animé series. Would you consider agreeing to an animated version of one of your books or working with animators on an entirely new story from scratch? Just some late night musings from Adelaide, South Australia.

Loaned books

Posted by Ann Carlson on 06/25/2018

I have Poul Anderson's books Merman's Children and Avatar which he autographed to his mother. Would you like to have them?

Slant or Heads

Posted by Jason S on 06/24/2018

Happy summer to you, Greg. I only recently discovered your work and started with Blood Music, which I found to be an excellent technothriller, and then Queen of Angels, which I liked just as much. I see that Heads was a sequel which followed QoA, but that Slant seems to be the next book in the "series" if viewed in chronological terms. Do you have any recommendations on which order I should read them? Thanks in advance, Jason

Immigration policy

Posted by Steven on 06/20/2018

Thank you for your news item regarding our policy of separating children from their families at the border. This is a truly shameful and cynical policy that should have never happened in America.

From livescience.com

Posted by Archie Demarest on 06/13/2018

This. https://www.livescience.com/62804-giant-viruses-evolve-unique-genes.html Greg: You are clearly an Alien from the planet 'Dayum Jimmie'. Above may be Darwin's Pre-Amp.

Halo: The flood.

Posted by William brown on 06/10/2018

Justone question. As I read the Forerunner trilogy i was a little confused. Can the flood create new precursor structures after they reach a certain stage or can they only use the precursor relics available.

Here are REALLY your bio-chips...

Posted by Arqel on 06/08/2018

"Engineers at UC San Diego have developed ultrasound-powered nanorobots that swim efficiently through your blood, removing harmful bacteria and the toxins they produce." "At one thousandth of a millimeter in size, these nanorobots combine gold nanowires with a hybrid of red blood cell membranes and platelets. While the platelets attract and trap bacterial pathogens, the red blood cells absorb and neutralize any toxins in your blood. Having decontaminated a range of biocontaminants in lab tests, the nanobots are also being used to target antibiotic-resistant biological threat agents, currently a major public health concern." http://www.kurzweilai.net/ultrasound-powered-nanorobots-clear-bacteria-and-toxins-from-blood?utm

migraines and Darwins Radio

Posted by Laura on 05/30/2018

Hi- just got finished reading Darwins Radio and I found the descriptions of experiencing a migraine were so accurate! I am a sufferer and have never read such an apt account of what it is like. Thanks for putting that out there for people to read and maybe better understand. PS Eon is one of my favorite books ever!

City at the End of Time

Posted by Peter Neal on 05/25/2018

Hello Greg I have just re-read this novel of yours after several years, to try and more fully understand it. Despite what some critics have said, I feel it is a wondrous attempt to go so far forward in time. I do have a couple of questions about the story. 1. Does Sangmer go back in time as Daniel and so taking and distributing the sum-runner stones which are a Shen device, to fabricate the 'good path' in space and time ? 2. Is the Chalk Princess another ego of Ishanaxade, a sort of plan B to fool the Typhon and it's human servants? Appreciate any clarity and hopefully I am not far off the plot! Peter Neal https://authorcentral.amazon.com/author/peterneal

Chinese and green hats

Posted by Fred Slane on 05/03/2018

Chapter 4 in "Eon". Chinese people don't wear green hats. Unless their spouses are being unfaithful.

Darwin's Radio

Posted by Paul Armstrong on 04/29/2018

Hi Mr. Bear, Like many others, I have been reading your novels for decades. Your work is inspiring to say the least. I just revisited Darwin's Radio. Such a fabulous novel and concept. I think the time is right for a movie. With all the garbage currently being produced in Hwood, this would certainly be a hit. Just a thought that I am sure you have heard before. Prodding sometimes helps. Regards, Paul Armstrong

If only someone had ever written a book about this

Posted by Chris on 04/25/2018

How bacteria are changing your mood https://www.bbc.com/news/health-43815370

Genetics gets knottier

Posted by Bill Goodwin on 04/24/2018

Curiouser and curiouser! https://www.livescience.com/62381-new-form-dna-human-cells-i-motif.html

Not a Scientist

Posted by Alan Kellogg on 04/21/2018

Being a scientist is not a matter of having a degree but a matter of approach. You are a scientist, even if it kills you.

Concern

Posted by Hank on 04/18/2018

I just finished Darwin's Radio and I really enjoyed it! Already looking to find the sequel. I thoroughly enjoyed the book but for one comment that I hope I'm misunderstanding. On the last page Kaye says: "'They stared at me in the market,' Kaye said. "I felt like a leper. Worse, like a nigger.'" Is this not disgustingly racist? It seems out of place and I hope that I'm wrong. Please help clarify this for me!

Virosphere in NYT

Posted by Steven Becker on 04/14/2018

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/13/science/virosphere-evolution.html This article describes a layer of viruses covering the Earth above our weather systems. This layer is continuously dropping huge numbers of viruses everywhere; many transported intercontinentally. I can't even begin to imagine the implications of this, but for anyone who doesn't think we live in one, deeply integrated world, this couldn't be starker. Wow!

Audio version for Songs of Earth and Power

Posted by Terry M on 03/15/2018

Is there an audio version of Songs of Earth and Power? There's nothing on audible and I was only able to find a small portion of it recorded on a podcast.

Halo

Posted by Munish on 02/09/2018

Any hope of you ever working with the Halo franchise again? I was a huge fan of the Forerunner trilogy you did.

Book covers

Posted by Steven Becker on 02/05/2018

I was just browsing through the wonderful variety of book covers on your site, and wondered how much influence you have in selecting covers. Is it primarily a publisher-driven decision, or does the author have some degree of control?

about 2nd foundation

Posted by Nahian Omyo on 02/04/2018

Hello Sir, I am a big fan of sir isaac asimov and foundation is like my religious book.i read foundation series about 5 years ago and my spiritual awakening happened a several months ago.i know about asimov's wish and i figure out why he didn't write much about 2nd foundation and why he granted you guys to write it. so i wanna know something.is there any second foundation exist? if yes then i wanna join it because asimov's dream is just like my dream.if no,then i wanna get more knowledge about human mind and i guess you can help me with that.thank you.

Slant

Posted by Jerry Witman on 01/25/2018

It has taken me years to get through this book. The characters hyper connectivity through the Yox and the distance between knowing their true selves has made this story terrifying for me. I picked up the paperback day one and I have finally had the courage to read it again. The dread and confusion I get while reading this is paralyzing at times. I can’t believe that this book seems to predicting our fate as we begin to lose ourselves in social media and limited personal interactions. I can’t help to think that this book, above all other works by Bear, would be a great replacement to Game of Thrones on HBO when they final conclude that story. The world, characters and suspense would lend perfectly to the serialized medium of television. Thank you for a great book now I must see a doctor for some counseling. This book is so relevant now, it hurts!

Another trick up the noocyte sleeve

Posted by Bill Goodwin on 01/15/2018

https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/01/brain-cells-can-share-information-using-a-gene-that-came-from-viruses/550403/ Looking forward to THE UNFINISHED LAND! ~BG

Question about Forerunners in Cryptum

Posted by Abel on 01/13/2018

Hello Mr. Bear. I read the Halo: Cryptum and loved it , and especially loved learning so much about Forerunner society. There is one thing I was wondering about: Early on, the Didact used a Design Seed to make a Planet Breaker in seemingly minutes, which is an impressive feat. However, was the Design Seed's production speed an outlier within the Forerunners? Would their factories or assemblies used to make Planet Breakers in other wars be able to produce them at such a rate? Also, was the name "Planet Breaker" just an imposing and hyperbolic title akin to "Star Destroyer"? Or do Planet Breakers contain weaponry capable of actually breaking or destroying planets? Thanks in advance.

Next travel plans

Posted by Nick Bess on 01/10/2018

Greetings Mr. Bear, I absolutely love your work! The first piece I read was Blood Music. I had to read it for a class and I was instantly hooked. Since then I've purchased 6 or 7 of your other books. I would love to meet you and get a book signed, but unfortunately I cannot make it to Portland on the 25th. I live in San Bernardino. Do you have any future plans to do a reading in L.A. or San Diego? Or anywhere in SoCal?

Snake like people in Anvil of Stars

Posted by Roadhoguk on 12/18/2017

Hi Greg, very sorry to disturb you but my Wife has written her first book and I am re-reading it for her prior to seeing what comes next, in her book there is a race of beings called "Sssss" when I saw it I thought about your "Anvil of the Stars" book, can you tell me if that name (Sssss) is already used please. Andrew

Uncanny Prediction

Posted by ....... on 12/11/2017

Hi, i was wondering if you had additional writings on the first two books of your Quantum Logic Series. Interested in you uncanny predictive abilities in the first three books. Most notibly the Direction the FBI took in the second book seems likey a fallout from the Mueller investigation and the antagonist Price's service was eerily similar to Eric Prince currently involved in the trump admin. Also, noticed your predicted the Haiti in book three and if you look at Crspr Cas research, the transformed becomes quite probable. Singed, not an adoring fan.

Oumuamua or The Stone

Posted by Gregg Cure on 11/24/2017

Talk about life imitating art! "Oumuamua" Read this on CNN: On October 19, the Pan-STARRS 1 telescope in Hawaii spotted something strange zooming through our solar system. It turned out to be a visitor from beyond our solar system, and it's unlike anything astronomers have seen before.... "What we found was a rapidly rotating object, at least the size of a football field, that changed in brightness quite dramatically," said lead study author Karen Meech, of the University of Hawaii's Institute of Astronomy and leader of the research team, in a statement... But the shape, 10 times as long as it is wide, has never been seen before.' Upon reading this, I immediately thought of EON.

The pict

Posted by Shaun Harwood on 11/09/2017

Occurs to me that the rise of the emoji and the dawn of augmented reality will most likely lead to us picting one another as described in Eon & Eternity. I thought it was neat when I first read the books - seems technology may once again deliver reality from fiction. I'm sure Ser Olmy would approve!

arno-waltiri

Posted by geoff soper on 11/07/2017

greg I enjoyed, still retain, & still (very) occasionally reread infinity-concerto. About which, I had fairly-uncritically accepted arno-waltiri as being an actual historic composer. The list of supposed movies he composed at the back of the book, no doubt helping here. Not to mention of various known-actor & known film title. Compounded with the poetic notion of music transporting listener experiential state, as a basis for this novel, just added to my admiration of authorial expertise. Because other authorial friends have made music a basis of some of their novels, & some of their significant life choices, I decided to check my above suspicion of your authenticity, before introducing them to infinity-concerto . The net result being that my limited-access e-searches have not been conclusively yay or nay. Arno-waltiri not being mentioned, the various films listed sometimes seem to exist in poster form, while the only bogart-stanwyk film found mention of, is listed as having it'smusic (composed?) by a waxman I'm in the current process of getting a more extensive search of movie-poster with refc to infinity's list put me out of misery (=current rearch interest) regards geoff

Songs of Earth and Power

Posted by Nick on 11/04/2017

One of my favorite stories! I always thought it'd be great to get a prequel -- possibly from Tristesse's point of view. Always wanted to share this idea, so...

Blood Music-like event may be sooner than later

Posted by Arqel on 10/14/2017

While Elon has gotten the limelight, the instigator of 'exponential' change is Peter Diamandis. As a young teen, disenchanted with humanity of the 80s and immersed in the fantasy of Scifi (as distinguished from SF, recall), I thought the future was dim. https://www.ted.com/talks/peter_diamandis_abundance_is_our_future And so on.....

Citizen oversight could soon be possible

Posted by Steven Becker on 10/10/2017

With the upcoming explosion of blockchain implementations combined with the IoT (internet of things), incredible amounts of both private and semi-public content are likely to be permanently documented and stored with private/public key encryption. If everyone's IoT devices stored this constantly accumulating content to blockchains using registered keys, the devices could send private keys to a citizen oversight-like repository. This would then give citizen oversight privileged access to all this content to determine when official entities (courts, police investigators, etc). Technically, pretty easy Politically, pretty darn tough, but still, maybe inevitable

Moving Mars -- Pressure Surge

Posted by Tim Cole on 09/17/2017

The idea of the a "pressure surge" is an important aspect of the story behind "Moving Mars." In the book's "universe," these things were observed during Viking missions. Question: is this phenomenon a total invention, or is it based on (even loosely) actual observations? That's the thing with your fiction, Mr. Bear. You do such a great job with "invented science" that it can be hard to see just when "real science" ends and "story science" starts. I can usually figure it out (once I've finished the story, anyway), but this one just won't let go!

I've finished Wardogs Trilogy

Posted by Robert Bantin on 09/10/2017

Hi there. I just wanted to say that I finished the War Dogs trilogy in July, and I loved it. Each summer for the last three I've taken my wife and kid to Valle Grand Rey in La Gomera (Google it) and sat on the beach for two weeks reading. For each of these trips I was able to take a War Dogs book with me. I happened across the first War Dogs book at random in a bookshop on the way out. Not really knowing anything about it, I bought it on the basis that is was one of Greg Bear's so I was already on board with his writing style etc. I had no idea I'd be stepping into a series... And so began the pattern for the next two years! My wife and I work very hard, so these short breaks are very important to us. The quality of the writing enhanced these experiences for me, so I would like to say... THANK YOU PS. I am a game developer and think these trilogy should be adapted into a videogame. Just saying.

Science Fiction History

Posted by Ian Williams on 09/04/2017

Greetings from England. You wrote a lovely tribute for Brian Aldiss; and I was thinking that you would be the ideal author to write a follow up to Trillion Year Spree which would include the best authors that have come along since 1986. We seem to be in the middle of a new science fiction golden age. How about it?

WAR DOGS series

Posted by dave wanamaker on 08/18/2017

Is War Dogs a trilogy or will there be more coming soon? Thanks.

Thank you for hard fought!

Posted by Simon HennemN on 08/08/2017

Mr. Bear, I recently read your short story Hard Fought and thought it was one of the best short stories I have ever read. It's still haunting me. Thank you!

Quantico and Mariposa

Posted by Charles on 08/08/2017

Every once in a while I re-read those tomes to get a taste of what near-term thrillers (at least those that I've read) should aspire to be. I know you must be very busy, but any word on sequels? Nathaniel and Rebecca are 2 of my all-time favorite characters.

Eon Movie

Posted by Scott on 08/08/2017

Is there a possibility of Eon becoming a movie? One of best science fiction books I ever read.

Where you are tells me who you are

Posted by David Di Pinza on 08/07/2017

Trying to find this quote in the final third of Take Back the Sky. Found it very useful in my avocation of officiating soccer. Players are on the field. Referees are on the field. Coaches and substitutes are in the tactical area.

EON

Posted by Bob Baron on 08/06/2017

How is Olmy? Is there another Eon book in the works?

Hiding civilisations

Posted by Steven Guy on 08/03/2017

Greg, as I watched Isaac Arthur's very entertaining and informative video on hiding civilisations, genocidal civilisations and killer Von Neumann probes, I could help thinking about The Forge of God and The Anvil of Stars, two of my all time favourite books. You and your fans may enjoy Isaac's video, if they haven't already seen it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEBn8bc0k-I

War Dogs

Posted by Glenda Pringle on 07/08/2017

OK, I admit it. Being ex-military myself and used to weird acronyms, I'm completely at a loss as to what SNKRAZ means, but I love how you pop it tantalisingly into War Dogs on page 2. Well done on flummoxing us, Mr Bear! I've been one of your fans for years and I've waited until I have the War Dogs trilogy all together so that I can consume them all in one long go. Yum! Can hardly wait! Thank you so much for keeping me entertained over many years. Long may it continue. With best wishes, Glenda Pringle

Introduction and invitation to TVIW 2017

Posted by Doug Loss on 07/04/2017

Hello, First, let me apologize for this "cold contact." I was just at LibertyCon in Chattanooga and was speaking to another member of Sigma, and he suggested that I should look at the membership of Sigma and inform anyone there who might be interested in our organization about our upcoming symposium. Since I'm fairly convinced that everyone in the SF community would be interested in us if they knew about us, I'm sending this to every member I could easily find an email address for. Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. I'm the registrar for TVIW, the Tennessee Valley Interstellar Workshop. We hold symposia every 18 months, and have been doing so since 2011. The next symposium will be in Huntsville, AL, October 3-6. We have a strong schedule of scientific papers being presented, seminars on various topics, panel discussions, and interactive working track investigations. We're partnering with Starship Century and the Tau Zero Foundation to present detailed, accurate, and up-to-date looks at all aspects of interstellar investigation. The first day of our symposium will be opened by Pete Worden, the Executive Director of the Breakthrough Initiatives, and will feature the first (I believe) detailed public description of the Breakthrough efforts, by the Breakthrough investigators themselves. The second day will be opened by Mark Millis, the founder of the Tau Zero Foundation, and will include talks about their efforts as well as papers from other researchers from around the world. The third day will be organized by TVIW ourselves, and will include papers from NASA researchers as well as a briefing from Rep. John Culberson of Texas, chair of the House Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) Appropriations Subcommittee, which funds NASA. You can look at our website, https://tviw.us, for more information and details about our organization. We would welcome your participation, and certainly would look forward to seeing you! If you know of anyone else for which this symposium would be a good fit, please forward this invitation to them also. (Oh, and please apologize to any Sigma members I didn't figure out how to contact who might be interested in this. I really am trying to get to everyone!) Doug Loss Registrar, TVIW 2017 (865) 238-0745

What is SF in your opinion

Posted by Cristian Cardenas Escudero on 07/02/2017

Dear Mr.Bear; I am writing an article about SF to a fantastic magacine named Scifiworld from Spain. In that article, I am writing about definition, beginning, types, origin of the subject, etc. I am very interested in your opinion about what is SF and how it should be treated; serious science or not and everything you thinks fit. With a sentence I would content myself. Thanks for your time.

Poetry

Posted by Tom O'K on 06/25/2017

Hi there. In going through a box of papers lent me by a friend, I found a 1979 fanzine, Uranus, containing four poems attributed to Greg Bear. Neither 'zine nor poems is listed on your posted bibliography. Different Greg Bear? Fake Greg Bear? Just not on the bibliography Greg Bear? Inquiring minds want to know. :-)

Spooky action at a distance

Posted by David Angal on 06/16/2017

Hi, Greg. I've always loved your work. Just wanted to say that. My question: There's an article in Scientific American, "China Shatters 'Spooky Action at a Distance' Record, Preps for Quantum Internet," that I'm not equipped to elaborate on for my family & friends. Could this research lead to the remote access of something beyond photons? I'm thinking of "Anvil of Stars." Thanks for your time. David Angal

EON

Posted by elisabeth on 06/16/2017

Rereading it. Thanks again! Naderites were right. This guy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQ1JZXR8EG4 We've got Mélenchon in France. He lost but the people won deep inside. Doesn't show yet. Seems we guys won't let go anytime soon. {charlottegirard2022) and new constitution. Kind regards Elisabeth oh! look at that eon captcha!

Greetings from Leipzig and question

Posted by Dirk berger on 06/13/2017

Dear Greg, all the best wishes from Germany. Some years have past since your visit in Germany and I hope you both are fine. I am writing because I would have a personal question. When you were here I let the Greg-Bear-books I have sign and kept them like a treasure, but the stupid behaviour of a person living above us caused some water damage and in that event most of the books became wet and are no longer useable. So I see at your website that you do not travel near here in nearer future so there is no chance to get new copies signed. And - even if you would allow it - sending books for signing them seems hard to do - postage has become extremely expensive from Germany to US and back, as said in case you would allow me to send them. So I wanted to ask for something different: would you allow me to send you some sheets of paper for getting them signed by you that I could lay into the books? This is really only for me and it would be amazing, and of course I would add back envelope and postage. And it is no problem if you say no for some reason - it really is a question only. So all the best wishes to you and please tell the same to Astrid Dirk

Chiral life concept - the synthesis is now starting

Posted by Jarek Duda on 06/07/2017

Dear Greg, Nearly exactly a decade ago we had a discussion about chiral life concept here ( http://www.gregbear.com/archives/board_2007_1.htm ) - of synthesizing mirror version of our life. As the synthetic life topic is quickly growing, I have recently decided to resurrect the Wikipedia article ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiral_life_concept ) and then found some essential materials now linked there, like 2010 WIRED article "Mirror-image cells could transform science - or kill us all" confirming my concerns that such mirror photosynthesizing cyanobacteria could eradicate our life by dominating our ecosystem due to lack of natural enemies ... and that there are now strong direct economical motivations like aptomers production ... and finally Nature article about Chinese synthesizing mirror polymerize in 2016 ... So I wanted to propose to return to discussion about this seeming extremely important but nearly ignored topic - we just cannot afford that the public will wake up when a mirror bacteria is already synthesized e.g. in another decade in some Chinese lab. With best regards, Jarek Duda -- dr Jaros?aw Duda Institute of Computer Science and Computer Mathematics, Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland http://th.if.uj.edu.pl/~dudaj/

Thanks for all the great stories

Posted by Tim Meechan on 06/04/2017

Mr. Greg Bear, just a short note to let you know how much I have enjoyed reading your stories for the past 30 plus years. I'm in the middle of "City at the End of Time", always fun when you can visualize the city the story takes place in, I'm a local. Your "ideas" of moving a planet, a leap in our evolution, an endless world inside of an asteroid, blood that talks to itself, freeze my head for later ????, wow, what incredible thoughts. You rock, thank you Tim

Blood Music

Posted by Brian on 05/29/2017

Curious about two things, any movie news or if you would ever be interested in doing a sequel?

War dogs

Posted by Elwyn on 05/24/2017

Will you be doing any more books in this series?

Revew up summer SF2 Concatenation

Posted by SF2 Concatenation on 05/17/2017

Don't know if Gollancz passed on but a review up summer ish Only short - but previous two in series longer http://www.concatenation.org/frev/bear_sky.html

Essay by Michael Glosson

Posted by Tracy Roberts on 04/30/2017

Hi GB, I am a new comer to your books... lucky me. I read an on-line comment recently regarding an essay posted on your site, by a man named Michael Glosson, entitled, 'A Fractured Eternity'. Is this true and could you steer me to where I might find it? Thank you and all the Best, Tracy

Cyperpunk

Posted by Brande on 04/30/2017

While cyberpunk can be entertaining, like Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash, there is one element that is often ignored, and that is the surveillance technology of tomorrow. If a story takes place in an urban dystopia, cameras, microphones and monitoring of your internet traffic, bank account and use of technology would be everywhere (possible even technology that monitored your mind). With nanotechnology, one even talk about "intelligent dust". With fully digital, cheap and wireless technology, in addition to AI able to notice suspicious behavior, facial recognition and everything else connected to your identity, rebellion against the authorities in such a future would be very hard, if not impossible. Have you ever given any thoughts about if it is possible to write about such a society in a credible way? The closest thing I can think of is Person of Interest, and how they were able to hide from the Samaritan (but countless smaller and independent AIs around the city could represent a problem). Going against the system would be very hard if there are no way to hide from it. If Tom Cruise found it hard to break into a high tech building in Mission Impossible, living in a future where the whole city is like one of those rooms would be an even greater challenge.

Inspiration for your next book

Posted by Ivo on 04/23/2017

Dear Greg Bear Thank you for the many deep books from “Queen of Angles” to “Moving Mars” and beyond. They inspired me intellectually and moved me emotionally. By the way, my first born daughter’s name is Stella Nova. Why I write you: maybe I found an inspiration for your next book. Since I professionally deal with machine learning, I came across an interview with Jürgen Schmidhuber on youtube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0prjrDuPiU). At 10:00 to 13:30 he presents his ideas regarding the Super Intelligence End Game. Now, that’s really science fiction… All the best, Ivo

b'ashamanune

Posted by matt davis on 04/07/2017

Hi I'm a big fan of your work on the Halo Forerunner trilogy. I think it brought a lot of the wonder of classic sci-fi into the Halo world. I was fascinated with the anthropology of the ancient humans in the stories and loved the unique interactions that were depicted or hinted at between the various human species and other hominids. I'm curious, is there an archaeological analogue for the b'ashamanune as there were for the other species present in the story (homo sapiens sapiens = hamanune, Homo floresiensis = chamanune, etc.)?

Questions Regarding a Career in Writing

Posted by Jason Rock on 04/02/2017

Hi Greg! My name is Jason Rock, I am a student at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, and I was hoping you could answer some questions about careers in writing. Firstly, I am wondering about your path through the education system, where and what did you study? What is you favorite thing about being a writer? Least favorite? Do you have any advice for someone interested in a career in writing? Thanks for reading, Jason

The Forge of God

Posted by James McGlynn on 03/31/2017

I was just wondering what became of the idea(s) to adapt The Forge of God to a motion picture. It's one of my all time favorites and I'd simply love to see this happen.

Le Garage Hermetique

Posted by Edward Cunningham on 03/28/2017

Hey Greg, Finished Eon a little while ago and loved it. Randomly discovered a French comic artist named Moebius and his epic comic: Airtight Garage (also known as The Hermetic Garage) and saw some similarities. The titular Airtight Garage is an asteroid that contains a pocket universe! How cool, it is even split into levels. Just wondering if you've ever heard of this comic? If not, you should check it out! - Edward Cunningham Nashville, TN

copyrights

Posted by Russian fan on 03/16/2017

Hello, dear Greg. In Russia there was a book of your works. It was released by its publishing house North-West, with a circulation of about 30/50 copies. I would like to know if they violate your copyrights. If necessary, I can provide contacts to this publisher. Best wishes, fan.

Songs of Earth and Power

Posted by Brian on 03/14/2017

Hi Greg, I had forgotten to ask, but how much of a difference is there between this omnibus, and getting the original versions of these two books? I read that they were revised for the omnibus. Can you elaborate please? thanks Brian

City at the End of Time

Posted by Mac McGill on 03/12/2017

While I was living on the street in California, to keep myself from going insane, I wrote a screenplay version of City at the End of Time. Would you like to see it? I'm not homeless anymore, I work as an LNA in Vermont.

The Forge of God

Posted by Brian on 03/10/2017

Hi Greg, I'm a new fan of yours, having started reading your books a few years ago. I just finished The Forge of God today, and I loved it! It's refreshing to read a book now and then that doesn't have a "everyone fights back and saves the day" ending. I suspect that if aggressive aliens really were bent on destroying Earth, this would unfortunately be a more realistic outcome. May I ask you to clarify a few plot points? Firstly, what was the deal with the Death Valley alien? Was it what it said it was, truly warning us? Any relation to the Benefactors? Also, why the subterfuge from the Planet Killers, promising to help humanity? They could have just had their way with Earth without any charade, so what purpose did it serve. Also, why did they only want to destroy Earth, and not any of the other planets in the solar system? And lastly, why did they choose an inhabited planet? Was there a purpose to wiping out humanity? If I missed some of this in the book, I apologize! I look forward to hearing back from you. thanks, Brian ps- I also have a question that I didn't want to post on the forum. If you're so inclined, would you send me an email to the address on this form?

Photo of Seattle Women's March

Posted by Carl Rosenberg on 03/05/2017

I love the photo of you and Astrid at the Seattle Women's March!

Short story about Juno, before EON

Posted by Ian on 03/03/2017

Good Morning Sir. Would I be right in thinking that you wrote a short story about, what would become the Thisledown where, if I remember correctly the asteroid had been abandoned and a young woman(?) occupied it? I seem to remember a rich description of the politics of the project. I can't find reference to it among my books and the internet isn't a lot of help here. Would you be kind enough to point me in the right direction please? Thanks in advance.

kindle option problems

Posted by Jeremy Cooper on 02/17/2017

Hello Greg. I enjoyed very much the first book of the War Dog trilogy on kindle and I was able to download the 3rd book of the trilogy OK on kindle but the 2nd book , Killing Titan, is not available on kindle in the USA and the UK will not allow me to buy their kindle version. Is there any way I can get the USA kindle version of Killing Titan? Down here in NZ. Its wierd I can get 2 of the three books but not the middle one

Arthur C. Clarke-Your Painting

Posted by Sharon Cramer Sceper on 02/15/2017

Dear Greg, I hope my memory serves me correctly. "2001-A Space Odyssey" movie came out. Arthur C. Clarke visited So.Cal for a TV show with a public audience. I recall that you painted a picture from a major scene of the Universe in that movie, and you presented it to Arthur C. Clarke. Again, as I recall, he planned to take it to his home in Asia and hang it on the wall. I was always so proud to have known you at Pershing, and so very pleased for you to have your artwork treasured by Arthur C. Clarke. Again, I do hope my memory serves me correctly. You have certainly had an amazing career!

Dinosaur Summer

Posted by Brian Fitzsimons on 02/14/2017

I love Dinosaur Summer. What I find helpful in this book is letting me know that the Events in The Lost World by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle took place in 1912. When I reread The Lost World by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, there is no mention of when the events took place. Your Sequel to The Lost World tells me it takes place in 1912. Thank you. Finally, Wikipedia page of Dinosaur Summer has an error. I notice that on the Wikipedia page of Dinosaur Summer is that they list The Death Eagle as giant eating birds. It also shows Stratoraptor is not also known as Death Eagle. I made that error between the two of them. What I didn't realize is that The Death Eagle and Stratoraptor are the same dinosaur. I made that error on the Wikipedia page of Dinosaur Summer. I figure I let you know about this error on Wikipedia. Finally, do you think Wikipedia will show a First Edition Cover of Dinosaur Summer? That would be great to see on the Dinosaur Summer Wikipedia Page.

Jack Vance, Gordon Dickson

Posted by Scott Thomas on 02/11/2017

As I understand, Poul had long friendships with both of these authors. Did you ever have contact with them in that context? I have never seen comment or reference on how much contact they continued to have in later life - Jack's autobiography I believe makes no comment at all from the time he had vision damage forward on this.

TidBits I'd thought you'd find interesting

Posted by Robert Estlinbaum on 02/08/2017

Hello Mr. Bear! Love your work! While reading an article; https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2017-02-08/serial-killers-should-fear-this-algorithm, I thought of you and Slant, per se, and thought you'd like to either read, "crowdsource murder" software cases being solved in a novel way. Tnen, I put this headline, "Google's new AI system unscrambles pixelated faces" and, too, in a strange tangent, thought it connected. What's your opinion on the convergence of our technology, and sociological application (sic) of 'crowdsource' methods reaching aspects of your fictional brilliance? BTW, I swore you attend Hard Physics Lectures during Anvil of Stars, and Forge of God. Have you attended? Or do aspects of your quantum usages purely come from your creative mind?

influences of Joseph Conrad

Posted by Valerio Maver on 02/08/2017

Dear Mr. Bear, I'm a final year student who is about to graduate in English Literature at the university Sapienza in Rome. Since I'm working on the connection between Joseph Conrad and Science Fiction, I'd like to ask you some questions. Do you mention Conrad's characters in your books? If yes, in which ones? In which of your books Conrad's influence is more prominent? Which aspects of Conrad's literature and thinking influenced your writing? With your permission I'd like to mention your novels in my dissertation. Thank you so much for helping me in my research, Valerio Maver

Mushran POSSIBLE SPOILERS

Posted by Rob on 01/26/2017

hi Greg, I really enjoyed Take Back the Sky, and it was definitely worth the wait. Can you offer some hint as to what happened to Mushran? After his disappearance, does he sprout an extra pair of legs and grow fur? Is he indication of some faction among the gurus? Again, thanks!

War Dog Series

Posted by Phil Scarr on 01/23/2017

I've totally devoured the series. 1/2 way done with the last book. Really, really interesting story. Thanks for the great ride!

Take Back the Sky!

Posted by jon murphy on 01/16/2017

Wow... thanks, Greg, for another fulfilling and inspiring adventure. A great conclusion for a fantastic trilogy... I wish it didnt have to end... Worthy of the writer of Eon, my favorite sci fi novel of all time. I am once again amazed at the extent of your visionary imagination... Thanks for doing it right, Jon Murphy

Take Back the Sky is a fine read!

Posted by Brandyn Weber on 01/16/2017

Dear Mr. Bear, I recently finished Take Back the Sky. It was an excellent end to the trilogy! As usual I waited a year for the new novel and read it in only 3 days. It was a fun trip through space and was hard to put down. I enjoyed your take on the twist of the whole series, and how you expanded it to believable proportions while offering thought provoking concepts concerning how humans and aliens would deal with it. As with all great sci fi, it addressed many deep ideas about our society and was very relevant. I enjoyed the inclusion of more recent real-life discoveries about the evolution of life on the outer planets and kuiper belt. Its always amazing to read about the advanced technology and motives of an alien civilization that is billions of years old. I like how you keep certain things vague and up for interpretation, which hints at something even larger and always leaves me wanting more. I'm still hoping a third novel is a possibility in the Forge of God / Anvil of Stars storyline. I think some sort of prequel/sequel hybrid would satisfy fans. It seems a lot of people are hoping for that that. Have you ever considered using KickStarter to fund your novels? I've seen a number of authors use that as a sort of "pre-order based on interest" method.

Thank you Greg

Posted by Rob Holmes on 12/28/2016

Hi Greg. Just wanted to say thank you for your books, particularly the Eon series. I believe you are channelling so much insight about the multi-dimensional universe we appear to live in and when I read your books they resonate very strongly with me. Still hope not to ever meet a Jart though! Thanks again. All the best. Rob

Take Back the Sky is solid...

Posted by Roald Laurenson on 12/25/2016

Letting myself fall into the function, your new completion really has a lot in it -- and draws out how the rest does also. Left you an Amazon review under a related alias. Thanks for this, Greg, as for many. Clive

Asimov title

Posted by Gary Conrad on 12/11/2016

Hi there, didn't you write a Foundation book? I seem to remember reading it several years ago, but do not see it on your books listing, nor do I see it when I try to look elsewhere. I hope you can answer this when you have time.

Forge of God

Posted by Julian on 12/04/2016

Hi Greg, eagerly awaiting Take Back the Sky and i dusted off a copy of Forge of God. Wow, i forgot how good this book was! I've read Anvil of Stars so many times and no idea why I never went back to this one. What a masterpiece and I regret not giving it the attention it deserves. I think Forge of God was only the 3rd book of yours I ever read and I've read every one of your books multiple times, except this one. My wife is quite upset that 8 hours of our Sunday has disappeared but all I want to say is, thank you, Greg. All the best, Julian.

Discussing Blood Music in Class

Posted by Brian L. Smith on 11/16/2016

Dear Mr. Greg Bear, I am a San Jose State MFA Creative Writing student leading a class discussion on the short-story version of Blood Music. The instructor encouraged us to contact the authors of the pieces that we are presenting, so I hope you don’t mind if I shoot a few general questions your way. First of all, I was impressed by the plausibility of the technical ideas that you were using to explain the nanotech creatures and their computing capabilities. It got me wondering about how much research goes into writing this type of sci-fi story. Do you have any favorite ways of keeping abreast of science ideas? Are you naturally driven by a curiosity about science and is that part of how you got into science fiction? One reason I ask this is that I have been driven to write fiction partly because of my interest in ideas, in my case philosophical ideas, particularly ideas about consciousness and altered states, and some of my stories have veered into realms that are science-fiction-esque. I came across your story Blood Music in an anthology and, if you don’t mind me saying so, it stuck in my mind and had an influence on something I was working on. Also, as a person who is somewhat new to sf literature, I was curious as to who might be some of your greatest influences.

French translations

Posted by Francois Goupillon on 10/26/2016

Dear Mister Bear, I've been a fan for quite some time and although I'm not too found of the Anvil of Stars and Eon (tough one !), I regard Moving Mars and the Queen of Angels series as masterpieces. Now I'm quite interested by the War Dogs series but I don't seem to find a French translation. I know there are problems in France for that matter these days so any information on your side would be helpful. Don't get me wrong, I could easily read in English (I did for QoA, DC and the FoG series) but since I lend the book to my family afterwards, they prefer the French versions. Best regards from Paris.

SEASON'S CREEPINGS

Posted by Bill Goodwin on 10/21/2016

For those who don't know, I practice a little tradition (infliction?) of posting a spooky poem for Greg at this time of year. Autumn frolics to haunt-o-holics, and especially to our host! THE STARS ON HALLOWEEN
by Bill Goodwin

I watch the stars on Halloween,
Like distant flakes of winter snow,
Yet all I see, or fancy seen,
Are not enough for me to know
The meaning of the smallest breath,
Or gravity of a grain of sand,
Still, autumn baffles me with death
Until I almost understand.
The night is crisp and cold and sweet.
The youngsters all have gone to bed.
The grass is wet beneath my feet.
The pumpkins gutter, wise and red.
The gourds are fresh but getting 0ld.
A week will rot them to the core.
The stars look faint but thousandfold.
Their lives might last for aeons more.
The difference doesn't seem so great.
Death still runs the house, you see.
On Halloween, when it's this late,
I think, "What would it mean to me
If all the suns should flicker out?
And every nerve knew only pain?"
The wind gets up; I want to shout
That nihilists must be insane.
For if the darkness trumps the light,
And all that burns is less than black,
Why linger over stars at night?
Or drop wax lips into a sack?
I watch the stars on Halloween,
And dream of spice and lovely pie.
If life is mad and blind and mean,
Then I must be too dead to die. *

Darwin's Radio and Children finally read

Posted by David Dorais on 10/03/2016

I have going thru my backlog of books I bought since 1995 but never got around to reading...What strikes me despite the near-future thriller aspect of the 2 books (frankly prefer his space opera gosh-wowers over the bio stuff), is the continued timeliness of much of he speculation almost 17 years later. And what is even scarier or just shows the skill of Greg is that many of the "predictions, media-wise and socially are still right on the money. Sadly due to to Trump and climate change et.al. etc. I am sadly reminded of the classic Heinlein short story "If This Goes On", and "Coventry", and Kornbluth's "The Marching Morons"...hoping I will live to see us get past all this crap, but again not holding my breath...

Thanks

Posted by Dan Sullivan on 10/01/2016

I just finished forge of God. Blown away. I am an emergency physician and attorney. Love science fiction. Why did it take me so long to find your work! I just love that you let planet earth go. I was shocked. I thought you would bring us back from the brink. But no, total destruction. Well done Greg. I really enjoyed Forge and look forward to reading more of your work. I am amazed I have not seen Forge on the big screen. Thanks!

Artificial Gravity

Posted by Eric on 09/21/2016

Hello, I came up with this idea some time ago while writing a book that I never finished but I still think the idea has merit. I just don't have the science or math background to verify that and the only physicist I know is unreachable. What I'm proposing is creating a super-dense and super-thin material in the shape of a sphere then covering that with material that would create a generational ship of sorts. It would obviously have to be constructed in space (probably outside the orbit of earth/moon) but it would allow for dirt to be put down and food to be grown as well as providing gravity for those in the ship. I'm not even sure if there is a material that would be suitable for such a venture but I thought you might know the answer. Having a material that thin and dense would obviously be a problem but I just don't know how much of a problem and I was hoping you might know. Is that feasible or even possible? Thanks, Eric PS If you need more info or have any questions about how I was thinking of using it in the book I was writing please feel free to ask.

Third book in the Forge of God series

Posted by Martin Horlacher on 09/02/2016

Will there ever be a third book to follow on from the events of "The Forge of God" and "Anvil of Stars"?

Quantum purge

Posted by Noel Ang on 08/29/2016

Hello, Greg. I hope you're doing well. I'm re-reading Killing Titan to prep for the next installment this winter. I'm curious about the idea of quantum purging that CWO Bueller concretizes: "'Downsun, you've been hanging with bad company since before you were born. Pasts that never were, futures that will never be. They slow you down. Those wheels will start the process of getting you clean.'" In Halo: Silentium, a seemingly related conception: "Travel across even a few light-years through a portal or jump requires mending breaches in causality. [Ships] create a buildup of space-time resistance, a polluting effect that gradually limits both transport and communication." Would you elaborate, or provide breadcrumbs to other work (fiction/hypotheses/research) that elaborates on this intriguing idea?

books regarding cyberpunk literature

Posted by pragya bora on 08/22/2016

greetings sir, working on cyberpunk literature. got confused regarding your work. want to know which one of your work is related to cyberpunk literature as i am a research scholar.

Brothers illustrated

Posted by Kevin Rietmann on 08/04/2016

Hi Greg, finished up Forge and Anvil and was wondering whether anyone has illustrated the aliens in these books? Your descriptions couldn't be beat at any rate - terrific books in every other way too - but I'm always taken aback when I see the work of a good illustrator working with print science fiction. We really need an update on Barlowe's guide!

Political Legitimacy

Posted by Sean M. Brooks on 07/31/2016

Dear Mr. Bear, I wanted to bring to your attention an essay I wrote called "Political Legitimacy in the Thought of Poul Anderson." It can be found at Paul Shackley's "Poul Anderson Appreciation" blog. Any comments you care to make, pro or con, would be appreciated! Sincerely, Sean M. Brooks

writerly limits

Posted by Mike on 07/29/2016

Granted, I wouldn't assume this would ever be a problem for you, but as a hypothetical, if you were ever to come up with an idea for a novel - a proverbial "important" novel - but it was an idea that you felt was beyond your ability to research adequately, or to otherwise do justice to, how would you proceed? Would you just try to fake it as best as you could, critics and conscience be damned, or maybe try to seed it to another author who possibly could give it the treatment it deserved?

Not so fast!

Posted by Jeremy Crouch on 07/13/2016

Hi Carmen, I have to disagree with you on your "centrifugal force is not similar to gravitational force" comment. And I hope I have understood your comment correctly... But you would indeed fall back 'down' to the wall if you jumped up. Unless of course you jumped up with enough force to cancel out your 'downward' momentum. If you were standing on the wall, your body is traveling along with the rotation of the Stone. Your body tries to fly off down through the wall, but cannot. Hence you feel a downward force similar to gravity. If you jump up, your body still has the forward momentum from the Stone, and will still fall back down with that same force minus what your jump cancelled out.

getting published

Posted by robin hooton on 07/08/2016

How does one get published? I-universe?

Re-visit a question.

Posted by David James on 07/07/2016

Hey Greg! I was looking at the achives and I found this intresting topic: "Hi! :D :) I loved your work with the Forerunner Saga but I was wondering if you could give us a bit of info of some of the Forerunners in Cryptum. Namley Bornstellar-Makes-Eternal-Lasting's family. Here are wiki pages on them: http://www.halopedia.org/Bornstellar's_father http://www.halopedia.org/Bornstellar's_mother http://www.halopedia.org/Bornstellar's_sister My questions are below: 1) What are there names? 2) How many inches taller is Bornstellar's sister than her mother? (Crytum said she was only a few but what is her actual height?) 3) What colour eyes Does his Mother and Sister have? (His dad has Black and silver). 4) What colour hair does Bornstellar and his sister have? (Is it like their father "Purple-White" or "Deep Red" Like there mother. Or are they different all together?) :idea: 5) How tall is The Master Builder, Faber? These are just some things I was wondering as I read the book, you did a great job in describing and creating the Forerunner world/Civilisation but I thought it was a shame that we never got to know their names or got a few more destails on there looks. (Which makes sence since there looks weren't desided upon till Halo 4.) Hoping to add to the wiki soon thank you for your time. :)" I liked Cryptum and wondered the same thing as I read it, Do we have any information on this? P.s great work on War Dogs, I loved that book!

Eon

Posted by Stuart Cowan on 07/04/2016

Hi Greg, Eon is still my favourite science fiction novel. The concept of using an asteroid like Juno which you use in the novel is one of the many concepts that make the story so interesting. Do you see this idea becoming a realistic proposition in the mid-term as the exploration of space progresses as opposed to construction of more traditional spacecraft? Kind regards, Stuart

artificial gravity

Posted by Carmen J. Nappo on 07/04/2016

I've just finished EON. Very imaginative work. However, imagination and reality often do not mix. For example, centrifugal force is not similar to gravitational force. The two forces are similar in effect when a mass is in contact with a rotating structure, i.e. the Stone. However; if I were on the Stone's wall and jumped upward, I would not fall back to the wall. Instead, I would continue moving upward. Because of this, an atmosphere could not exist inside the Stone. Of course, coming some some 20 years after the publication of EON, my comments are somewhat moot. Still, I think that in science fiction the known science should be true. For example, it is not critical what the value of Plank's constant is, as long as there is a Plank's constant. But all-in-all, it's a great read.

follow through

Posted by Anthony J Enriquez on 07/03/2016

Since you wrote Quantico and Mariposa, are you going to write another book in this series. AJE