The Collapsium

Nebula Award nominee 2002.

In this stunningly original tale, acclaimed author Wil McCarthy imagines a wondrous future in which the secrets of matter have been unlocked and death itself is but a memory. But it is also a future imperiled by a bitter rivalry between two brilliant scientists – one perhaps the greatest genius in the history of humankind; the other, its greatest monster.

The Collapsium

In a world of awesome technology, the deadly substance called collapsium has given humans all the powers and caprices – including immortality – of the gods they once worshiped. Composed of miniature black holes, collapsium allows the instantaneous transmission of information and matter – as well as humans – throughout the solar system. But while its reclusive inventor, Bruno de Towaji, next dreams of probing the farthest reaches of spacetime, Marlon Sykes, his ambitious rival in science – and in love – has built an awesome telecommunications network by constructing a ring of collapsium around the sun. It appears Sykes may be the victor – until a ruthless saboteur attacks the ring and sends it falling toward the sun. Now the two scientists must put aside personal animosity to prevent the destruction of the solar system – and every living thing within it.