Belladonna Nights and Other Stories
Dust jacket and endsheet illustrations by Marc Simonetti
Alastair Reynolds has continued to publish short fiction throughout the thirty-odd years of his professional career. This fourth collection gathers material mostly written by the former space scientist in the last decade, even as a number of stories — such as the title piece, set in the universe of House of Suns — revisit earlier environments.
The scope of settings is wide, ranging from the contemporaneous Earth to the near future and out to the furthest realms of the galaxy, and taking in such diverse topics as the perils of immortality, cybernetic encounters in the Wild West, uncanny skateboard parks and the flocking behaviour of birds. There is horror here, but also hope — and not a little black humour.
The collection includes “Open and Shut,” “Night Passage,” and “Plague Music,” a long, previously unpublished story, all three set in the Revelation Space universe.
Contents:
- Introduction: Winter Did Come
- Belladonna Nights
- Different Seas
- For the Ages
- Visiting Hours
- Holdfast
- The Lobby
- A Map of Mercury
- Magic Bone Woman
- Providence
- Wrecking Party
- Sixteen Questions for Kamala Chatterjee
- Death’s Door
- A Murmuration
- Open and Shut
- Plague Music
- Night Passage
- Story Notes
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Alastair Reynolds
Alastair Reynolds is a name that resonates within the vast expanse of space science fiction, carving out a unique niche where intricate world-building and hard science converge to create tales that are both intellectually stimulating and emotionally captivating. Born in Wales and initially trained as an astrophysicist, Reynolds brings a distinct blend of scientific precision and imaginative storytelling to his writing, offering readers a glimpse into the farthest reaches of the universe.
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