Gregory Benford

Easton Press Gregory Benford books

Timescape - Masterpieces of Science Fiction - 1989
Furious Gulf - Signed First Edition of Science Fiction - 1994
Matter's End - Signed First Editions of Science Fiction - 1994
Sailing Bright Eternity - Signed First Editions of Science Fiction - 1995
Foundation's Fear - Signed First Editions of Science Fiction - 1997
Cosm - Signed First Editions of Science Fiction - 1998
The Martian Race - Signed First Editions of Science Fiction - 1999
Beyond Infinity - Signed First Editions of Science Fiction - 2004
Sunborn - Signed First Editions of Science Fiction - 2005

Gregory Benford biography

Born on January 30, 1941, in Mobile, Alabama, Gregory Benford is a distinguished American physicist and prolific science fiction writer known for his contributions to both the scientific and literary communities. His career has been marked by a unique blend of scientific inquiry and imaginative storytelling, making him a respected figure in the realms of both hard science and speculative fiction. Benford's academic journey began at the University of Oklahoma, where he earned his Bachelor's degree in physics. He continued his studies at the University of California, San Diego, completing a Master's degree and later a Ph.D. in astrophysics. His research in plasma turbulence and astrophysics earned him recognition in the scientific community. Throughout his scientific career, Benford contributed significantly to the field of plasma physics, earning tenure at the University of California, Irvine, and later serving as the department chair. His research has delved into topics ranging from high-frequency plasma waves to the behavior of cosmic dust.

While pursuing his scientific endeavors, Gregory Benford also cultivated a parallel career as a science fiction author. His debut novel, Deeper Than the Darkness (1970), marked the beginning of a prolific and successful literary journey. However, it was his collaboration with Larry Niven on In the Ocean of Night (1977) that gained widespread attention and established him as a formidable voice in the genre. One of Benford's most significant contributions to science fiction is his Galactic Center Saga, a series of novels that includes works such as In the Ocean of Night (1977), Across the Sea of Suns (1984), and Great Sky River (1987). This epic series explores themes of artificial intelligence, interstellar travel, and the far-future evolution of humanity.

The concept of time travel features prominently in Benford's works, with perhaps the most notable example being Timescape (1980). This novel, a recipient of prestigious awards including the Nebula Award and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award, masterfully weaves together narratives from different time periods to address a global environmental crisis. It exemplifies Benford's skill in using speculative elements to explore and comment on real-world issues. Collaboration has also played a significant role in Benford's novelistic ventures. His partnership with Larry Niven on In the Ocean of Night not only marked the inception of a successful literary collaboration but also showcased the synergy between two brilliant minds in the world of science fiction.

In addition to his novels, Benford has written numerous short stories, essays, and works of non-fiction. His ability to merge scientific rigor with imaginative storytelling has garnered him acclaim from both the science fiction community and readers interested in cutting-edge scientific concepts. Beyond his literary and scientific accomplishments, Benford has been involved in science advocacy and policy. He served as an advisor to NASA and the Department of Energy and has been an advocate for the exploration of space and the advancement of scientific research.

Gregory Benford's legacy extends beyond his individual works; it encompasses his ability to bridge the realms of science and fiction, sparking curiosity and inspiring readers to contemplate the possibilities of the future. Whether exploring the mysteries of the cosmos through his scientific research or crafting speculative narratives that challenge our understanding of the universe, Benford remains a remarkable figure whose impact resonates in both the scientific and literary spheres.

Timescape

The author of Tides of Light offers his Nebula Award-winning SF classic a combination of hard science, bold speculation, and human drama. In the year 1998, a group of scientists works desperately to communicate with the scientists of 1962, warning of an ecological disaster that will destroy the oceans in the future if it is not averted in the past.

Furious Gulf - Galactic Center Book 5

Containing the remnants of humanity from the planet Snowglade, the spaceship Argo hurtles toward its uncertain destiny, the bold and brilliant Captain Killeen at its helm. But he has grown increasingly isolated and anguished in command. The ship’s gardens are failing, its voyagers face starvation, and there are dark whispers within, talk of mutiny. Killeen’s will, however, remains as strong as ever, his determination to reach the True Center of the galaxy bordering on obsession.

Amid a mad swirl of incandescent suns and ghostly blue clouds of galactic dust, beset by hostile worlds controlled by the mechs a vast and violent artificial intelligence whose only meaning, only mission, is the complete extermination of the human race Killeen pursues his desperate search, convinced his people’s one hope of survival lies in the True Center. The crew has followed him this far on faith, a faith now being tested to the limit. Even his own son Toby, groomed for leadership, is beginning to question his father’s command.

As the Argo undertakes a perilous quest into the unknown, Toby faces his own journey into the mysteries of adulthood. Like the others in this Family of voyagers, Toby’s spine contains microchip implants holding the memories the legacy of his race. But just as the technology designed to save his people may tear Toby himself apart, so his father’s desperate gamble to save the Argo may plunge the ship and its inhabitants into a cosmic pit of all consuming fire.

Sailing Bright Eternity - Galactic Center Book 6

Special edition of the classic concluding volume of this defining series by the eminent physicist and Nebula Award-winning author.

Matter's End

A collection of twenty-one stories features unexpected revelations at a masquerade party, a devastating California earthquake, a complex computer game that becomes a matter of life and death, and more.

Foundation's Fear - Second Foundation Trilogy Book 1

Isaac Asimov's Foundation Trilogy is one of the high-water marks of science fiction. It is the monumental story of a Galactic Empire in decline, and the secret society of scientists who seek to shorten the inevitable Dark Age with the science of psychohistory. Now, with the permission and blessing of the Asimov estate, the epic saga continues.

Fate and a cruel Emperor's arbitrary power have thrust Hari Seldon into the First Ministership of the Empire against his will. As the story opens, Hari is about to leave his quiet professorship and take on the all but impossible task of administering 25 million inhabited worlds from the all steel planet of Trantor. With the help of his beautiful bio-engineered "wife" Dors and his alien companion Yugo, Seldon is still developing the science that will transform history, never dreaming that it will ultimately pit him against future history's most awesome threat.

Cosm

When a young scientist's ambitious experiment goes terribly wrong, a sphere that is comprised of never before seen components remains from the high energy explosion, and this new form opens up a mysterious new vista that will shock the world and introduce a new realm of terror...

The Martian Race - Adventures of Viktor & Julia Book 1

When the rocket launching the Mars Transit Vehicle into orbit explodes on the launch pad, killing four crewmen, the President announces the U.S. will redirect its energies to near Earth projects. The manned mission to Mars is officially dead. That is until billionaire John Axelrod steps in to fund the project. Although the risks are high, several young astronauts sign on. But these new pioneers are not alone a European-Asian airbus will be making a similar expedition. Now the race is on to get to the fourth planet first. Both teams reach the Red Planet, but with disastrous results. Now the problem isn't who will return to Earth first, but if any of them will return at all.

The Sunborn - Adventures of Viktor & Julia Book 2

Their historic mission to Mars made Julia and Victor the most famous astronauts of all time. Now, decades later, they are ordered by the Consortium to Pluto, where they will rendezvous with another starship led by the brilliant, arrogant Captain Shanna Axelrod. Here, on the frozen ammonia shore of Pluto's methane sea, Shanna has discovered intelligent creatures thriving in the -300 degree temperatures. But even as their findings shift from the amazing to the inconceivable, the two crews must overcome their own intense rivavlry to work together. For the most remote reaches of the solar system are filled with unimaginable wonders...and countless forces that will crush all human life.

Beyond Infinity

Takes a scientist's imagination to the uttermost ends of time. Set more than a billion years from now, the novel begins with a young woman who yearns to escape the rigid, timeless Earth she knows. So she flees, in the company of an intelligent beast wise beyond recognition. But there are mysterious forces afoot among the planets that she never foresaw. Alien agencies have learned to span parallel universes, ones that lie only a millimeter away but are invisible to any device known to man. Soon these beings confront the travelers and a struggle beyond imagining begins.

Gregory Benford quotes

"We have a name for people who create universes - they're called gods."
"Human life is a voyage on a sea of meaning, not a net of information."
"The biggest mistake is being too afraid of making one."
"Definitions, her grandmother once said, had to be like a fat man's belt - big enough to cover the subject but elastic enough to allow for change."
"If you think there is good in everybody, you haven't met everybody."
"The movies are most people's exposure to ideas about the future."