Dancing with Bears
A Darger and Surplus novel
Michael Swanwick – The Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy award-wining author of Stations of the Tide – delivers a stunning "Post Utopian" novel of swashbuckling adventure, dangerous women, and genocidal AIs.
Dancing with Bears follows the adventures of notorious con-men Darger and Surplus:
They've lied and cheated their way onto the caravan that is delivering a priceless gift from the Caliph of Baghdad to the Duke of Muscovy. The
only thing harder than the journey to Muscovy is their arrival in Muscovy. An audience with the Duke seems impossible to obtain, and
Darger and Surplus quickly become entangled in a morass of deceit and
revolution.
The only thing more dangerous than the convoluted political web
surrounding Darger and Surplus is the gift itself, the Pearls of
Byzantium, and Zoesophia, the governess sworn to protect their virtue.
This steam punk-esque adventure explores the great game of
espionage and empire building, from the point of view of the worlds most accomplished con-men, Darger and Surplus.
Michael Swanwick
Michael Swanwick (born 1950) is an American science fiction author. Swanwick is one of the most acclaimed science fiction and fantasy short story writers of his generation, having received the Hugo Award for short fiction five times in six years. He lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Darger and Surplus
Darger and Surplus consists of two primary books, and includes one additional book that complement the series but is not considered mandatory reads. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.