Outbound

Cover art by Stephan Martinière.

Jack McDevitt has an uncanny ability to transport his readers to the farthest reaches of the galaxy and show them the most amazing spectacles nature has to offer. Within Outbound, McDevitt will allow you to...

...gaze on an alien statue discovered on Saturn's moon.
...delve into the mysteries of brown dwarf stars.
...travel through time on a distant planet.

Over the course of sixteen stories, McDevitt clearly shows why he has received the acclaim of his peers with ten Nebula nominations.

The stories in Outbound range from the hard-boiled detective story to the recreation of George Washington as he runs for the Presidency. McDevitt's imaginative fiction summons up the sense of wonder and causes his readers to enter into worlds which should exist.

In addition to showcasing his fiction, Outbound also features several essays outlining McDevitt's view of the role of science fiction and a series of exchanges between McDevitt and co-author Michael Shara as they plot and plan their collaboration "Lighthouse."

As McDevitt writes, "The joy that comes from a well-constructed science fiction tale results from watching people struggle with the implication of discovery." Come, now, and discover Jack McDevitt.

Outbound is listed on Locus's Recommended Reading list for 2006 in the Recommended Single-Author Collections category.

Contents:

• "Seven Ways Of Considering An Absent Introduction," by Barry N. Malzberg
• Stories
  • The Candidate
  • Henry James, This One's For You
  • Date with Destiny
  • Windows
  • Combinations
  • Nothing Ever Happens In Rock City
  • The Mission
  • Melville On Iapetus
  • The Far Shore
  • In The Tower
  • Whistle
  • Valkyrie
  • Act of God
  • Ignition
  • Lighthouse, with Michael Shara
  • Collaboration For "Lighthouse," with Michael Shara
  • The Big Downtown
• Essays
  • Where Do You Get Those Crazy Ideas?
  • Infinity Beach
  • Why We Should All Be Reading Science Fiction
  • Blundering Through
  • A Golden Dozen: Twelve Stories To Demonstrate to Reluctant Seniors What They're Missing
  • Science Fiction: An Eye On Tomorrow
  • Interview, conducted by Thomas Harbach for Phantastisch, 2004
  • Celebrating Jack McDevitt, by Michael Bishop
• Bibliography