The double worlds of a disillusioned anthropologist collide in the Hugo–nominated story from the Science Fiction Grand Master.
The world of 2083 has become a source of professional and personal frustration for superstar anthropologist Tom Schwartz. On a lecture tour, he flies across the globe in first class seats, but everywhere he travels to looks like the last place he’s been. Argentina, Papua, France, Mexico—there’s too much sameness wherever he goes. Western culture has homogenized the world. Even the people look alike.
But in his mind is where the magic happens. There, he’s on a starship gliding through the interstellar depths. His fellow passengers are natives of the worlds of Capella, Arcturus, Antares, and Polaris. There are sinuous humanoids, self-contained reptilians, and even whale-like creatures who dance alongside of the ship and beckon him to join them.
As Schwartz finds himself increasingly torn in two, he has a choice to make: accept the world as it is or join in the cosmic harmony of the dance . . .
Praise for Robert Silverberg and his short stories
“Where Silverberg goes today, the rest of science fiction will follow tomorrow!” —Isaac Asimov
“When Silverberg is at the top of his form, no one is better.” —George R. R. Martin, #1 New York Times–bestselling author
“Decades after being originally published, most of these stories are still just as entertaining and powerful as they were when first released. A singularly unique collection.” —Kirkus Reviews
Robert Silverberg (b. 1935) sold his first science fiction stories to the lower-grade pulps in the mid-fifties, moved swiftly to the three prestigious magazines (ASTOUNDING, GALAXY and THE MAGAZINE OF FANTASY & SCIENCE FICTION) and as his style deepened and themes expanded in through the next reached the first rank of science fiction writers. He is regarded as the greatest living writer of science fiction, an SFWA Grandmaster, ex-President (in the 1960’ s) of that organization, winner of five Nebulas, four Hugos and many other domestic and foreign awards. Among his famous novels are DYING INSIDE,THE BOOK OF SKULLS, DOWNWARD TO THE EARTH, A TIME OF CHANGES; his novella BORN WITH THE DEAD (1974) is perhaps the finest work of that length published within the genre. Shifting to a predominating fantasy in the late 1970’ s (LORD VALENTINE’ S CASTLE and the attendant Majipoor Series), Silverberg continued to write science fiction and won a Nebula in 1986 for the novella SAILING TO BYZANTIUM, and Hugos for the novelettes GILGAMESH IN THE OUTBACK and ENTER A SOLDIER: LATER, ENTER ANOTHER. He was editor of the long-running original anthology series New Dimensions and of important reprint anthologies such as THE SCIENCE FICTION HALL OF FAME, ALPHA and THE ARBOR HOUSE TREASURY OF MODERN SCIENCE FICTION.