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Summary
Summary
From the multiple Hugo and Nebula Award--winning Grandmaster, a new novel of classic science fiction adventure
Mystery, discovery, and wonder on a cosmic scale are the core of Anderson's latest novel. Lissa, a human Earth woman, and her partner, "Karl," a giant alien academic who resembles Tyrannosaurs--are interstellar archaeologists investigating the remote and uncharted planet Jonna. There, they seem to have hit the jackpot. For on that distant world they've discovered an immense artifact that may have been left by the mysterious beings called the Forerunners. This race predated all the known cultures in the starfaring galaxy and vanished long before any other intelligent species had taken to the stars.
But Lissa and Karl aren't the first to have made the discovery on Jonna. On the far-off world the archaeologists cross paths with the two freebooters whose plans for motives towards the arcane object are not purely scientific. Their discovery may be the best preserved relic of the ancient beings yet found. Other artifacts from the Forerunners--once reverse engineers--have revolutionized entire fields of technology, reaping huge financial rewards. If the same holds true for this newest discovery, Lissa realizes, only she and Karl stand between the seemingly friendly freebooters and what could be the treasure of a lifetime.
Author Notes
Poul Anderson, November 25, 1926 - July 31, 2001 Poul Anderson was born on November 25, 1926 in Bristol, Pennsylvania to parents Anton and Astrid. After his father's death, Poul's mother took them first to Denmark and then to Maryland and Minnesota. He earned his degree in Physics from the University of Minnesota, but chose instead to write stories for science fiction magazines, such as "Astounding."
Anderson is considered a "hard science fiction" writer, meaning that his books have a basis in scientific fact. To attain this high level of scientific realism, Anderson spent many hours researching his topics with scientists and professors. He liked to write about individual liberty and free will, which was a well known theme in many of his books. He also liked to incorporate his love of Norse mythology into his stories, sometimes causing his modern day characters to find themselves in fantastical worlds, such as in "Three Hearts and Three Lions," published in 1961.
Anderson has written over a hundred books, his last novel, "Genesis" won the John W. Campbell Award, one of the three major science fiction awards. He is a former president of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and won three Nebula awards and nine Hugo Awards. In 1997, Anderson was named a Grandmaster by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and was also inducted into the Science Fiction Fantasy Hall of Fame.
Poul Anderson died on July 31, 2001 at the age of 74.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Hugo and Nebula award winner Anderson (Mother of Kings) incorporates two stories he wrote for the Asimov's Universe series into this absorbing posthumous novel, a fast-paced space opera that never lets the reader forget that aliens are alien. At a time when nearly immortal humans have colonized the galaxy, various space-faring species commingle freely and the residents of Earth have become as alien to other humans as true ETs, an astronomical event that may affect all existence is about to take place. Unfortunately, only one set of aliens knows what that event is and their ruling dictatorship is hell-bent on keeping it that way. Lissa Windholm, an Earth woman with a spirit of adventure men find attractive, is determined to uncover the mystery and share the knowledge with everyone. Lissa and her partner Karl, a tyrannosaurus-like scientist, make some startling archeological discoveries on the planet Jonna about beings known as the Forerunners, but a psychologically scarred starship captain and an impressively ancient and profit-minded human rogue have other plans for the relics. Moving from one key sequence to another, Anderson omits much of the buildup and back story customary for such epic-scale SF, yet his protagonists and the worlds they explore always feel rich and real. (May 23) FYI: Anderson died in 2001. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
A final hurrah from the prolific Anderson (Mother of Kings, 2001, etc.), who died in 2001. In Anderson's galaxy, the legendary Forerunners vanished millions of years ago, having left artifacts scattered on dozens of planets. Surveying a habitable planet, explorer Lissa Davysdaughter, of family Windholm on planet Asborg, comes across a Forerunner device. Apparently still functioning, the device will be of enormous scientific value--but only if Lissa can persuade freebooter Torben Hebo, who also claims the device, to share. Torben agrees but then makes crude sexual advances, which Lissa rejects in disgust. In an age when everyone is immortal, long-term memory storage becomes a problem; Torben drifts off to Earth, now occupied by a sort of group intelligence, to have his memories edited. Lissa teams up with a dissident alien Susaian to discover the location of an event of extraordinary significance, the imminent collision of two black holes, information that the tyrannical Susaian government, the Dominance, definitely does not intend to share. Years later, Lissa again meets up with Torben; he has mellowed in the interim, and now claims to know the whereabouts of a planet where operating Forerunner devices may be found. In this new and dangerous venture, the pair again will be opposed by their old rivals in the Susaian Dominance. Episodic and meandering: a slight but mostly pleasing footnote to a career that varied widely, from frequent brilliance at short/medium length to patchy, too-often longwinded work. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Based in part on short stories set in "Isaac's Universe" (the Isaac in question would be Asimov), For Love and Glory is about exploration and the discovery of relics of an ancient spacefaring race. On the planet Jonna, human Lissa Windholm and her Gargautuan partner Karl find evidence of the Forerunners, who predate any other life in the universe, and whose previously discovered relics have revolutionized entire fields of science. Enter fortune hunters Torsten Hebo and Dzesi, who want to claim the new find. The stakes mount higher when Orichalc, a member of an unpopular minority among the Susaians, defects with information about another discovery, which the Susaians are trying to keep to themselves, that he will trade for a colony for his people. Orichalc's bargaining chip may change the face of civilization, for it will allow assembling the Forerunners' relics into functioning technology. The sense of wonder key to good sf, some fascinating interspecies dynamics, and the potent element of human curiosity about the unknown distinguish Anderson's posthumous novel. --Regina Schroeder
Library Journal Review
On the remote planet Jonna, interstellar archaeologists Lissa Windholm and the giant lizard-like scientist known as "Karl," discover an immense artifact thought to belong to the mysterious race of technologically advanced Forerunners. However, another pair of galactic explorers also claim discovery of the object, with motives that may have nothing to do with the advancement of scientific knowledge. This far-future adventure by the late sf Grandmaster provides a compact tale of galactic intrigue, mystery, and adventure featuring a cast of engaging characters. A good addition to most sf collections. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.