Synopsis
At the heart of a provocative narrative that stretches from Renaissance Italy to the moons of Jupiter is the father of modern science: Galileo Galilei. To the inhabitants of the Jovian moons, Galileo is a revered figure whose actions will influence the subsequent history of the human race. From the summit of their distant future, a charismatic renegade named Ganymede travels to the past to bring Galileo forward in an attempt to alter history and ensure the ascendancy of science over religion. And if that means Galileo must be burned at the stake, so be it. From Galileo’s heresy trial to the politics of far-future Jupiter, Kim Stanley Robinson illuminates the parallels between a distant past and an even more remote future—in the process celebrating the human spirit and calling into question the convenient truths of our own moment in time.
Library Journal
In the far future, colonists of Jupiter's moons make a startling discovery that divides them into warring factions and sends one side into the past to consult Galileo Galilei. Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author Robinson ("Mars Trilogy"; The Years of Rice and Salt) blends epic sf with alternate history as he uses the life of Galileo as a mirror for human scientific endeavors amid powerful opposition. A master storyteller with a highly attuned sense of dramatic narrative, Robinson creates a masterwork with this robust portrayal of a man whose discoveries echo through the ages. VERDICT Expanding the potential of the genre to reach out to a broad audience, Robinson's latest is highly recommended. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 9/1/09.]