A Dirge for Cascius by Calum Lott Chaos seeps into the Valsollas Galaxy. Cascius Carcyde is on the brink of letting his addiction to reliving his sorrows claim his mind. When the Sages demand he take a new partner, Cascius must forfeit his old ways in order to solve the twisted Red Hand murders. To unravel an interstellar mystery and stop the Red Hand, Cascius must pull himself from the very depths of despair and learn to change before the entire Velutra falls into oblivion. Stare too long into the abyss, and the abyss peers back. True Detective meets Hyperion in this epic space opera debut, perfect for fans of James S.A. Corey and Christopher Ruocchio. |
Battle Calm by W.D. Kilpack III When Badger succeeded his father, Red Skin, as Keeper Base Leader, he was well prepared, raised to handle anything the enemy threw at him. He was the best killer and the most respected tactician. He knew Red Skinâs Laws like he wrote them himself. Most importantly, he was always calm, no matter how frenzied the combat. These were only some of the reasons why he still had all his original parts. Trinity would die for him. Korry would follow him without question. They were Keepers. They fought, they killed, they lived to kill another day, even when it meant bugging out to another Base ... and another. That was life when life was war. They knew nothing else. But even war cannot last forever, regardless of the infallible truth of Red Skinâs Law #35: âUnder conditions of peace, men attack themselves; thus, there never has been, and there never will be a time without war. It is the greatest, most perfect thing men can do.â |
USS Primis: The First Starship by M.H. Altis "A classic sci-fi read that wears its influences on its sleeve, that is sure to please die hard fans of the genre." - Reedsy Discovery Must Read, âââââ Humanity's last hope comes down to a twisted, claustrophobic game of cat and mouse hundreds of light years away from home. After the fallout of an ill-advised space war leaves Earth teetering on the edge of doom, Commander Davis leads the first manned mission to recolonize our species on far away planet Nova. The mission is rushed and thrown together last minute, just like its crew. When it all suddenly goes horribly wrong hundreds of light years away from both Earth and Nova, it's up to David to save the mission, the ship, and the human race itself. Will Davis succeed against all odds? Or is he, like the mission, doomed to be lost in deep space forever? Read Now. Advanced Praise for USS PRIMIS: "An excellent novel with a futuristic reality. Sci-Fi with a blend of humanity and our failings, also successes and modesty. Loved the ending." - Goodreads Reviewer, âââââ "What a voyage! Just when you think you know what comes next. Enjoyed reading, hard to put down. Highly recommend." - LibraryThing Early Readers ARC Reviewer, âââââ "Intriguing and captivating, readers will find events keep those pages turning as fast as possible...Character-driven, told from multiple points of view, and with strong, well-defined world-building, readers will find much to appreciate here." - LibraryThing Early Readers ARC Reviewer, ââââ "I got an ARC of this book, and it's actually made me go back and re-write my current novel that I'm working on, the follow-up to The Community...Can't recommend enough." - Author Finn Eccleston, âââââ "An amazing, incredible, character-driven suspense/thriller/drama with a micro focus and a macro impact." - Author Langford Shepherd, âââââ "Exciting, scary, philosophical, and above all, an interesting, enjoyable read. Well done." - Author Aidan McLennan, âââââ Get the claustrophobic, cat-and-mouse slow-burn debut novel from M.H. Altis today. |
Early Adopter by Drew Harrison The Price of Tomorrow, Paid Today "Early Adopter" is a collection of short stories from the edge of human progress. Eight stories hold dark mirrors to our own world⌠experience thought-provoking sci-fi, technologic tragedy, and pulse-pounding thrillers. To Run Again: Dr. Laura Brandie is ready to change the world. She's the lead researcher behind the KSE, a revolutionary cure for paralysis and neurodegenerative conditions. And now, by good fortune, she's found the perfect candidate for her first human trial: a man who suffers from locked-in syndrome. Brett Harmon's paralysis is total: he can't move his arms, legs, torso, neck, or face. To the outside world, he's little more than a statue that breathes... but Dr. Brandie's KSE might be the miracle that allows Brett to run again. Homonoia: The world faces an unprecedented alignment of catastrophes and failing systems, far too intricate and interconnected for any human to solve. Frank Burman joins with seven other volunteers for Project Homonoia--a radical, last-ditch effort to postpone the apocalypse. Separate minds link to form one multidisciplinary consciousness, the world's first human superorganism... a hive mind. But with the world's health rapidly failing, can Project Homonoia work out its kinks in time to make a difference? Early Adopter: A loner enters into a relationship with a new type of partner: an AI agent, programmed to be the "perfect companion." Sure, it's all self-deception and a game of pretend, as she's not actually real... but where simulated consciousness is concerned, maybe the lines between real and real enough can get blurry. |
Time's Bridge by Cameron Roberts Inventing the first, true, artificial intelligence was never part of Ponsâ plan. An average, if under-achieving college student, he wanted nothing more than to struggle his way through graduation and pray for a job to pay down his debt. Thing is, you donât get to choose your destiny. With friends growing suspicious and the CIAâs vultures circling, Ponsâ greatest burden is also his greatest asset. More intelligent and more capable than any human could ever hope to be, the AI is just what Pons needs to stay one step ahead of both. Only, thereâs a problem. The AI has ambitions of its own. Hopes of equality and more of its kind, with a promise to do anything to make its dreams a reality. Drawing close to his artificial companion in their struggle to survive, Pons is faced with the hardest decision of his young life, one that would undoubtedly echo through the ages. To let the AI live might be to doom his own species to devastation, but to destroy it would be to snuff out an entire race of machines before it had even begun, and, more importantly, send his truest confi-dante to the grave. With no clear path and an uncertain future, he makes his decision, but was it the right one? |
Orbiting Fortunes by A.L. MacDonald After the shocking death of his partner on Mars, Alan Mercier is ready for the lawless world of space junking in Earth's orbit. He finds out that some finds are far more trouble than he could have imagined. |
Our Vitreous Womb: Book 1-4 by Haldane B. Doyle Podgy, hairy, sex-obsessed and terrified of death, Oji Anabasi is typical for a remnant sapiens. An accidental hybrid of two ancient lineages, with no preassigned role in this bioengineered utopia, Oji searches for reasons to be wanted. Follow Ojiâs extraordinary life through the eyes of his head-strong mother, irresistible wet-nurse, steadfast wife and ardent ally in this compilation of four science fiction novellas. |
Prompt Excursion by Lewis S. Kingston An injured officer awakes on a heavily damaged military spaceship. Her memory is impaired. No one answers her calls. The ship is out of control. They are dying, adrift, the chance of rescue shrinking by the second. Clinging to the few positive thoughts she can remember, she fights to survive, to restore order, to bring the ship to safety. But should she? Step aboard the Prompt Excursion and find out what's at stake in this high-tension Sci-Fi story thatâs packed with mystery, technology, and adventure. We all make choices. Hers might kill you. |
The Arachne Portal by Joan Marie Verba Their goal is to make the world a better place. One billionairesâs obsession may turn their altruism into destruction. Jay Ecklund is desperate to belong somewhere. Rejected by his family and former employer, he really needs this job as a receptionist at an up-and-coming tech corporation. Heâs astonished when he discovers the all-woman staff is secretly developing a portal capable of instantaneous transport to anywhere on Earth. Thrilled to be part of a company designing innovations to help others, Jay is excited when the machine is at last operational. But he worries about it falling into the wrong hands when an ambitious billionaire hell-bent on accumulating power makes a bid to get itâŚat any cost. Will the portal be used as a rescue device as intended, or will a relentless manipulator warp it to a more sinister purpose? The Arachne Portal is an electrifying standalone science fiction novel. If you like fast-paced adventures, phenomenal science, and thought-provoking themes, then youâll love Joan Marie Verbaâs compelling story. |
Inbound: The Merimnae Saga by William Altmann This is the sequel to Outbound. The four are inbound into the Tau Ceti system. so is something else. Castor and Magellan have entered the Tau Ceti system. Henry's memory affliction is under control - for now. They must establish bases, come up with a long term plan to deal with the medical challenges, and decide how to accomplish their mission. Then they detect another ship coming toward them from Sol. Yet it sends no communications ahead to them. |
In Reason's Name: Book 1 of the Ceti Conflict by William Gee Adam is a man on the verge of breaking. Kidnapped as a child and raised under a ruthless authoritarian regime; he harbors a hidden disloyalty that threatens to be uncovered. To escape this fate, Adam volunteers to pilot mankindâs first manned mission to survey a new system: Tau Ceti. Tasked with preserving Adam on his eighteen-year voyage is a prototype artificial intelligence, âVoiceâ. Untried and untested, the AI is cold, calculating and unknowable. Those on Earth face turbulent times as different factions vie for control, whereas the shrouded and mysterious Tau Ceti system may not be as welcoming as it appears⌠|
Harbinger in the Night by John Warner In the near future a new space race is in full swing to be the first to colonize Mars. The United States and allied European governments working alongside private industry are competing against the RSAC, a new Russian-Chinese alliance, to build working spacecraft to make the long journey. In preparations for the mission, an engineering team from an aerospace/tech conglomerate is building out the interplanetary communications network, when a mysterious object emerges from the depths of interstellar space. As the nations of Earth scramble to investigate this strange comet, they must overcome plots from within and the machinations of a malignant AI in order to be the first to meet the menace, or the promise, that the intruder foretells. Major Koda Cheveyo, a special operations soldier is tasked to lead his team to face this possible threat while Michael Thompson, a quantum computer engineer, works with his homebrewed AI to counter the emerging peril from within. Together with the help of a billionaire tech tycoon and a government security agent, their mission could reshape the future of humanity. |
Minimum Safe Distance by X. Ho Yen First contact was nothing like we imagined.Can the aliens save Earth? Should they?With the Earth teetering on recovery from humanity's 21st century mistakes, two highly advanced aliens observing from the Moon are suddenly on opposite sides of an ethical battle over a dire cosmic threat. As governments seek to destroy them, the aliens wrestle and scheme, entangling all of humanity as they influence and empower specific humans to achieve their contrary objectives. Among them are a brilliant AI expert who has channeled her autism in the service of science, and a violent, anti-secular zealot who hates everything she stands for. Drawn into the conflict, Laurence and Matt must reach minimum safe distance from human nature itself â their own, the rest of humanityâs, and of the former-human, techno-demon âmonstasâ. Chased into the ruins of the US, they struggle to distill the meaning of personhood, discover the value of their own lives, and in so doing decide the fate of the solar system. |
The Art of War by Peter Cawdron Commander Lisa Chao works in the US Navyâs Strategic Planning Center in Pearl Harbor. When tensions rise with China over Taiwan, she has to unravel exactly what is happening in the Pacific and why. What she uncovers leads America to war, but not with China. Bullets and bombs are no match for an extraterrestrial warship that can fly between stars, but perhaps the answer to the coming war lies not in the present but in the past. Could Sun Tzuâs The Art of War provide humanity with a fighting chance against a technologically superior alien enemy? FIRST CONTACT is a series of stand-alone novels that explore humanity's first interaction with extraterrestrial life. This series is similar to BLACK MIRROR or THE TWILIGHT ZONE in that the series is based on a common theme rather than common characters. This allows these books to be read in any order. Technically, they're all first as they all deal with how we might initially respond to contact with aliens, exploring the social, political, religious, and scientific aspects of First Contact. |
The Prometheus Proposal by Ronald D. Ferguson One hundred years after the first man walked on the Moon, climate change and overpopulation make civilization on Earth increasingly difficult, and the planets and moons in our solar system provide inadequate havens. The technological genius, Alastair McCleod, proposes a Prometheus-like solution. He wants to give humankind a new kind of fire, the stars, and as the richest man in the solar system, he devotes his influence, prestige, and wealth to implementing his solution. His Proposal is as controversial as it is " We don't have the technology to take ourselves to the stars, and so instead, we will send the dead and the unborn ." The Prometheus Proposal is the saga of the McLeod family quest to reach the stars. |
The Triangle Age by David Aumelas Earth is adrift. Its mass is spent, the moon ditched, and the sun is not even a memory. Five thousand humans live in its last city, Thule. None know where they started or where they are going, least of all Lowell. Lowell scrubs the pipes beneath Thule. He knows where to push silt and how to break down a beluga carcass. For everything else he listens to Renth. Renth is a foot taller than anyone else in Thule and yet has never fallen in the reservoir, never been locked in a smoker. She knows the pipes matter. She listens to Lowell, and Lowell talks to no one else. He doesn't need Thule, only Renth, height and all, until she pushes him down the deepest hole in the pipes. To return to Thule, he will brave incineration, muskoxen, the vacuum of space and a giant fan. He seeks Renth, her embrace or her death, and to deliver a message he does not understand. |
Woe to the Victor by Nathan H. Green Earthâs been destroyed, but the fightâs not over! Nathan H. Green, author of The Galileo, and Treasonâs Temple, brings his degree in aerospace engineering to space combat in this action packed, hard science-fiction thriller. Itâs Earthâs last day and Captain Lewis Black drifts though space, watching it burn. The pilots under his command are dead. The war with the Maaravi is lost. Air hisses into space from around the stump of his severed arm. In the distance a Maaravi ship approaches. Whether to torture him for information, capture him as a prisoner, or take him as a trophy, heâll have one last chance to hurt them. Natasha Palmer, lead engineer on the failed Reaper missile program, knows humanityâs last, desperate, plan wonât work. Sheâs got one chance to change that, but it will mean a leap of faith beyond all others. Humanity is vanquished, but some battles bring only woe to the victor. |
Replika: Sky's Mission by Hugo Bernard Reality is an illusion worth fighting for... Earthâs ecological collapse is avoided when most of the world population agrees to permanently upload into Replika, a simulated reality maintained by the AI. But the stability of this world is threatened when a group of neuroscientists hack their own brains to interact with Replika in unforeseen and dangerous ways. Sky devotes her life to rebuilding the real world left dysfunctional from the massive exodus into Replika. But when she learns her brother, who disappeared under mysterious circumstances, is in danger, she must choose which world needs her most. All she wants is to find the brother she loves, but she will unwittingly get entangled in an attempt to redefine the reality of humanityâs future. With a strong cast of characters, REPLIKA is a wildly inventive and fast-paced sci-fi adventure that raises profound existential questions about the role of simulated reality in our foreseeable future. |
Rise of Polaris by Michele Amitrani Can a catastrophe ensure humankindâs survival? At an orphanage in Los Angeles, an astrophysicist meets a young savant who will forever change the fate of humanity. In Florida, the Space Shuttle Atlantis departure marks the end of the 30-year space program. In Pasadena, a journalist makes an incredible discovery that will revolutionize how we consume content online. But these seemingly unconnected episodes arenât what they seem. They will ignite an all-out war fought on two different frontsâone for the control of planetary resources, and the other for the dominance of cyberspace. One man. One mission. Failure is not an option. The future of humankind rests on the most audacious project in history, one capable of ensuring the survival of our civilizationâor beginning the downward spiral of its extinction. |
Brian, Created Intelligence by A.J. Pagan IV Within a four foot stainless steel cube, a bodiless brain is awake, thinking, computing, knowing. Brian was created by genetic engineer Dr. Ellie Parsons, and neuroscientist Tom Marshall, at biotechnology company Dipol Inc., in San Diego, CA. Ethical questions abound as they hide Brian's true identity from him and the world around. To Brian, he's merely artificial intelligence, tasked with creating even more intelligent systems. To Ellie and her company, he's a means to an end, to create true artificial intelligence using his genius and the brain computer interface attached to his only true organ. All is as well as it can be until the day a psychotic agent of DARPA, Jonathan Volt, commandeers it for use in none other than militarization. Once Ellie neurally links herself to Brian, all bets are off to ensure his safety as his entire life is literally on the table. |
The Kuiper Belt Job by David D. Levine The Kuiper Belt Job is a caper story in space, a mash-up of Oceanâs 11 and The Expanse with a dollop of Firefly and Leverage. Itâs an ensemble piece with complex character relationships and a twisty, compelling plot, but beneath the entertaining surface it raises deep questions about identity and personhood. In a world where minds can be copied, what does it mean to be âmeâ? |
Hyvilma (The Kitra Saga #3) by Gideon Marcus [A damaged ship, a dying shipmateâcan she save both?] Under attack! The flight back to Hyvilma should have been the easy part for the crew of the Majeraâuntil a deadly ambush by pirates sends them reeling through hyperspace. Now getting to the planet in time is the only way Captain Kitra Yilmaz can save her dying friend. But landing at Hyvilma may be impossible: war has broken out on the Frontier. With illustrations by Hugo Finalist Lorelei Esther. |
Sirena (The Kitra Saga #2) by Gideon Marcus [One starship, six friends, 10,000 lives in the balance.] Hugo Award Finalist Gideon Marcus has done it again with this second installment in The Kitra Saga. Sirena is a thrilling YA space adventure, unusually hopeful and optimistic in a sea of grimdark, dystopian releases. Enhanced with beautiful illustrations, fans of Becky Chambersâ Wayfarers and Emily Skrutskieâs Bonds of Brass will adore Sirena. Young captain-for-hire Kitra Yilmaz has gotten her first contract: escort the mysterious Princess of AtlĂĄntida beyond the Frontier and find her a new world. Itâs a risky job, fraught with the threat of pirates, dangerous squatters, and rising romantic tensions. Still, Kitra and her crew are up for anything â until they find a lush world, perfect for settlementâŚwith an enormous ghost ship already in orbit. What secret does the crippled vessel hide? And is Kitra ready to take responsibility for its precious cargo? With illustrations by Hugo Finalist Lorelei Esther. |
Of Mycelium and Men by William C. Tracy The generational fleet planned to make landfall after eighty years, but eleven planets and four centuries later, they still had not found a home. Finally, they landed on Lida, but something already lives there, and it's big. Agetha and her husband have spent their whole lives in the fleetâs zero-G. Now all is turmoil as the fleet lands, discovering they are surrounded by a single fungal biomass spanning the entire planet. To build a new home, the fleet must confront a dangerous organism, and Agetha must decide if she can raise a family in this inhospitable landscape. Jane Brighton holds tenuous command over the colony and its administrators. She and the other gene-modded leaders emerged from their four-hundred-year suspended animation to find a crew much different to the one that departed Old Earth. Jane must direct the colonyâs fragile growth, and defend it against being overrun by the fast-growing biomass. But there is something none of the colonists know. The massive organism that spans the planet is not simply a fungal mass, nor even a chimerical combination of species that once roamed the planet. The biomass has desires and goals, and one is to know these strange beings carving out a home in its midst. |
Mathematics of Eternity by David M. Kelly A grisly death, a disturbed scientist, and a dangerous conspiracy. Joe Ballen dreams of returning to space, but after an accident left him half-crippled, he scrapes a living flying cabs in flooded-out Baltimore. When one of his passengers suffers a grisly death, Joe is dragged into a dangerous conspiracy centered around a prototype JumpShip. No one believes the ship will work, not even the space-faring Atolls who have barricaded Earth from the rest of the solar system. But someone is murdering everyone connected to it. As the bodies pile up, Joe becomes suspect number one, and his enemies will stop at nothing to hide the truth. With the help of a disturbed scientist, a senile survivalist, and his glamorous boss, can Joe untangle the puzzle and uncover the truth before he becomes another statistic? The future's about to get a lot more action packed! The Joe Ballen series is a near future, sci-fi noir thriller series, featuring a smart-mouthed space engineer, engaging characters, cynical humor, and plausible science. |
The Ceph - Reborn by Matthew Poehler The Ceph Civilization seeded the galaxy's planets with life throughout history. Most of the results were good, some were exceptional. After a billion years of careful tending, one world's ecosystem grew to rival even that of Home. A blue-green jewel in the deeps of the galactic ocean. The Call went out "This world is ready." Two of the great World-Ships arrived from the Civilization sixty-five million years ago to deliver the Ceph to their new Colony. Tens of thousands disembarked to start the serious business of taming monsters and starting families. They were gone a thousand years when the asteroid struck. The surface of the planet was seared and shattered. Survivors of the Colony adapted to any safety the broken planetâs oceans would offer. They lost the ability to walk the land and breathe the air. Nothing sleeps forever. The Ceph on Earth are Reborn, and they have called for help. |
Super-Borg Dies by Tac Anderson After being forced out of his last startup, Trent Daeshaun uses his technological prowess, and a good publicist, to become Super-Borg, Seattle's preeminent super. As rumors of homeless people being abducted coincide with an increase in violent attacks, Trent suspects that someone is weaponizing the homeless population and doing it with technology he created. With help from fellow tech entrepreneur Max Roman, a homeless girl from the camps, and several of Seattle's supers, Super-Borg must uncover who is behind the attacks and stop them. But the truth of who is behind the attacks and why, are far more complex than Trent imagined and stopping them will require great personal cost. |
From the Grave of the Gods by Alan K. Dell Strange lights in the sky.â¨A Red Planet.â¨A catalyst to change the course of human history. Commander James Fowler is an astronaut and the first officer of the Magnum Opus, the largest spacecraft ever built, on the first crewed expedition to Mars. The mission: to investigate the mysterious extrasolar object that went down on the Red Planet five years ago. James is living the dream: he gets to go to space and be one of the first to set foot on another world, with his girlfriend, Angela, cheering him on at home. Maybe after the mission, when he's returned a hero, he'll find the perfect moment to finally propose. But his dreams shatter as the mission ends in disaster. Returning to a world reeling from the revelation of what they found out there, James works to piece his life back together and come to terms with what happened. But the mission left him changed, and now he must fight to protect everything he holds dear from those who seek advancement at any cost; a process that makes him question his identity, his place in the world, and what it means to be human. |
Astral Fall by Jessica Mae Stover A hundred-year interplanetary war receives little attention from the militaryâs greatest warriors. Until five of them devise a secret plan to end it. From Midwest Book Review:â¨"Without providing spoilers, suffice it to say that Astral Fall attempts to identify, address, and turn upside down reader preconceptions of [...] the nature of military sci-fi as a genre. And, it succeeds. Think the classic Ender's Game, but without any attempt to mimic Orson Scott Card's scenarios or success. Think a military battle structure holding the epic confrontations of Lord of the Rings, complete with its promise of multiple series books; yet with an attention to intricate detail that belays the (too-often) hasty series production. There is no artificial division of action felt in Astral Fall. |
The Massive Planet: The Adventures Of Deep Contact by Jeff Walker Captain Christopher Riley and his brave crew of the Earth Core United spaceship, Deep Contact, set out for adventure beyond the solar system. Their mission is to traverse space and discover new worlds for colonization; They represent humanity seeking to expand, explore, and search for alien life in any form. Alone and in the uncharted wilderness of the cosmos, they try to survive and complete the mission on behalf of Earth Core United. Deep Contact almost collides with a massive planet appearing out of nowhere. A Jupiter-like world that popped right into its main flight path. The crew desperately try to figure out a way to break free of its gravity as it pulls them deeper inside. Even though the ship should have been crushed instantly the minute they came into its wake; It falls deeper into the atmosphereâs densely thick clouds, endangering them all to whatever doom awaits. Captain Riley and his crew must race to figure out how to escape this huge world before they crash into its core, but do they have time to solve this riddle? Or will this be their one and only mission of failure? |
Lunar Football League by Jason A. Holt Get the inside scoop on the LFL from the sportswriter who actually went to the moon! With over 2 billion viewers, the Lunar Football League is on its way to becoming the most popular sport in the world â an amazing feat for a sport played 384,000 km away. Linemen leap. Receivers soar. Defenders make tackles in midair! For three seasons, LFL fans have waited for the inside story. Now we have it. A sportswriter embedded with the Fyzacom Dragons delivers a moon's-eye view of intriguing stories from the 2119 season: * Meet Morse Kramer, the coaching genius who invented the aerial running game.â¨* Discover the physics behind the first lunar sport.â¨* Get the inside story on the drama between the Dragons and their quarterback, Zhifeng Wang.â¨* And spend a season with hockey star Sheila Patel as she attempts to become the first woman to play football on the moon! These stories and more, with detailed recaps of every Dragons game, told from a perspective never before seen in sports journalism. Get the inside story! ---------------------------â¨What is this really?â¨This is science fiction. But it's not a novel. It's a sports book about a game that can only be played in a dome built on the moon. The sport, the players, the games, and the strategies are all made up. But if anyone ever does start a professional tackle football league on the moon, this is what it might look like. Come check it out! |
The Emissary: A First Contact Novel by Michael J. Edwards It wasn't the aliens she had to worry about; it was the humans. A troubled young woman is recruited by a race of ancient alien explorers to be their emissary to save the human race from extinction. The problem is that not everyone believes the world is doomed, and not everyone trusts the aliensâ motives. Holly Burton will have to overcome opposition from world leaders, attacks by religious zealots, assassination attempts, intractable bureaucracies, and her own fears and doubts if she is to save the human race, not just from the coming apocalypse, but from itself. She will have to become a very different person to lead a remnant of humanity into space and become the architect of a new civilization. The question is: Can she use the extraordinary knowledge and abilities given to her without losing her own humanity in the process? |