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"One of the leading global writers of hard science fiction." -The Innovation Show Here are the gems! The gateway to the many worlds of Edward M. Lerner! While you probably know Ed from his SF novels, including the InterstellarNet series and the epic Fleet of Worlds series with Larry Niven-Ed is also a prolific author of acclaimed short fiction. This collection showcases his finest and favorite shorter works. Faced with the common question of which of his books should someone read first, he has carefully selected these stories to cover his wide range. Now he can answer, "This one!" Alternate history. Parallel worlds. Future crime. Alien invasion. Alien castaways. Time travel. Quantum intelligence (just don't call him artificial). A (sort of) haunted robot. Deco punk. In this book, you'll find these-and more-together with Ed's reminiscences about each selection and its relationship to other stories, novels, and even series that span his writing career. These are the best, as determined by awards, award nominations, and the selective tastes of eight top editors and choosy Analog readers. Each excellent story stands alone-you won't need to have read anything prior-but you'll surely want to read more of Ed's books afterwards. "Lerner's world-building and extrapolating are top notch." -SFScope

"An earlier version of this novel was first published in Analog science fiction and fact in 2011."--T.p. verso.

When the First Call from the Stars Comes, Do We Even Dare to Answer? Life changes for everyone in general--and for physicist Dean Matthews in particular--when astronomers detect a radio signal from a nearby star. First Contact forces humanity to face hard questions, and do it fast. Every answer spawns new questions. Every solution sets in motion a new and more daunting crisis to challenge Dean, his family-and an expanding number of interstellar civilizations-for generations to come. Praise for InterstellarNet: Origins "...in InterstellarNet: Origins...Lerner proves he knows enough real-world, present-day computer science and economics to combine them into a wonderfully thought-provoking story.... Lerner's world-building and extrapolating are top notch." --SFScope "Lerner mixes physics, computer science, and economics into a series of very intellectually satisfying puzzles. Some of the puzzles involve understanding the alien, and some depend on understanding ourselves ... A very satisfying read, especially for the intellectually inclined." --Mike Brotherton, author of Spider Star "One of the most original, believable, thoroughly thought-out, and utterly fascinating visions ever of what interstellar contact might really be like." --Dr. Stanley Schmidt, Editor, Analog Magazine "Edward Lerner takes us from a first SETI detection to full scale interstellar net economics, with thrills along the way. No one had thought through what a working interstellar net would be like. Lerner has the professional heft to make sense of it, tell a story, and make us care. Good stuff, told in clear, quick prose. A groundbreaking job!" --Gregory Benford, author of Timescape. Bredon didn't mean to interfere with the Powers-but then they interfered with him! When the beings of myth and legend start fighting among themselves, mere mortals had best beware. Millennia ago, the survivors of a crash settled the planet of Denner's Wreck. Their descendents long ago forgot their own history. Centuries later, the planet was rediscovered by visitors who stayed-and came to be called The Powers. The descendants of the original settlers soon learned to treat the newcomers like gods. Then, one fine day, Bredon the Hunter found himself caught up in the affairs of the Powers-at just the moment one of them went mad! With a new afterword by the Author. Previously published as Denner's Wreck." FoxAcre Press is proud to present its books on the Google Play store.

The name of the game is B'tok. It's how the alien Snakes learn military strategy. B'tok is to chess as chess is to rock-paper-scissors. You do not want to tick off Snakes -- especially when aggrieved Snakes may be the least of your worries. This thrilling adventures moves the story of the InterstellarNet forward as only Edward M. Lerner could do it. This special Hugo Nominee edition of Championship B'tok includes both the version nominated for the 2015 Hugo for Best Novelette, and the version that was incorporated into Edward M. Lerner's latest science fiction novel, InterstellarNet: Enigma, just published by FoxAcre Press. And remember: it's not how you play the game -- it's how you win.

After surviving an explosion while using a technologically engineered protective suit, Brent Cleary catches the attention of the military and alarms his best friend with increasingly disturbing post-accident personality changes.

An artificial life-form escapes onto the Internet, causing disasters far worse than those created by any virus, eventually getting into our missile launch programs and threatening to destroy humanity.

Written from Mexico City and from various places in California. In some of the letters from Mexico City he comments on Diego Rivera and other Mexican artists. Enclosures to letters of Nov. 12 and Nov. 21, 1925 and Feb. 13, 1926: pages from his daybook.

Kyle Gustafson had been doing work he loved, with the space program, anemic though it was, until disaster struck and a shuttle was lost on takeoff.

The next chapter in Edward M. Lerner’s InterstellarNet saga is a startling adventure of Second Contact, up-front and in-person. Humanity is about to discover that meeting aliens face to face is very different—and a lot more dangerous—than sending and receiving messages. Good fences, said the poet, make good neighbors … and interstellar distances made very good fences. Or so we thought.... Earth and its interstellar neighbors have been in radio contact for a century and a half. A vigorous commerce in intellectual property has accelerated technical progress for all the species involved. Ideas, riding on radio waves, routinely cross interstellar space-almost like neighbors chatting over the interstellar back fence. But there is a way over, or under, or around, almost any fence. Sooner or later, when we least expect it, the neighbors, friendly or otherwise, are going to pay a call....InterstellarNet: New Order chronicles the startling events of SECOND Contact, upfront and personal, as humanity discovers that meeting aliens face to face is very different-and a lot more dangerous-than sending and receiving messages. Praise for InterstellarNet: Origins from Gregory Benford, author of Timescape: "Edward Lerner takes us from a first SETI detection to full scale interstellar net economics, with thrills along the way. No one had thought through what a working interstellar net would be like. Lerner has the professional heft to make sense of it, tell a story, and make us care. Good stuff, told in clear, quick prose. A groundbreaking job!" FoxAcre Press is proud to present its books on the Google Play store.

As though landing people safely on Mars weren't daunting enough ... The Space Race of the Sixties, at the height of the Cold War, had been nail-biting--until the Soviet Union forfeited. In the thirties--amid a second Cold War--China is not about to lose the race to Mars. Nor is the United States. Nor, quite the wildcard, is a secretive cabal drawn from among the world's multi-billionaires. All of them scrambling to launch deep-space missions on a schedule to make the Sixties contest appear lackadaisical. Competition that could only continue on the Red Planet. More treacherous still? The rivalries, resentments, and distrust that simmer just beneath the surface within each expedition. More difficult yet? Survival on that arid, radiation-drenched, all-but-airless, planet. These challenges have somehow fallen into the lap of NASA engineer--and reluctant astronaut--Xander Hopkins. But the thorniest problem of all? The existential quandary for which neither training nor experience has in any way prepared Xander? Making sense of the seemingly unstoppable plague that has already killed. The plague that seems poised to devastate all life on Mars and on another world. Earth.