Asgard

It is 1847, and Paris is edging closer to its next revolution, but something is also astir inside Mont Dragon in the Ardèche. This is a place of annual pilgrimage for a band of enigmatic nomads, and also a place of interest to the ambitious Bishop of Viviers. In spite of his distaste for travel, Auguste Dupin makes the long southward journey, in the hope that he might be able to help an old friend, the evolutionist Claude Guérande. Guérande believes that he has made discoveries in the caves of Mont Dragon that might cast new light on the origin of humankind, and of life itself. Over the years, however, not everyone who has gone into the caves has come out again, and not everyone who has come out has been unaltered...and 1847 promises to be a critical year, more dangerous than any before it. And when the bizarre flameflower begins to bloom, everything changes! Another great tale in the Auguste Dupin series.

They call it Asgard, the Home of the Gods. Beneath its artificial shell are at least three vast cave-systems, each one the size of an Earth-like world; and beneath those, possibly many more. No one knows how many layers there might be, and no one knows what secrets might be buried down at the "center"-if there is a center. At some time in the distant past, Asgard had suffered a terrible catastrophe. Now its outer layers are cold, its builders presumed dead. Explorers and exploiters from a hundred different worlds and races are scavenging among the ruins-but deep down, there might still be light, warmth, life...and perils unknown. Mike Rousseau was one of the first humans to come to Asgard, decades earlier. Now he's challenged by both friends and foes-and it's hard to tell them apart on this icebound planet. He might also be the one man who can solve the biggest puzzle in the galaxy...if only he can stay alive! The first novel in a thrilling trilogy of science fiction adventure and discovery.

Asgard's not an easy world to get away from. Mike Rousseau only wants to take a vacation in his home system, but he's back before he has time to draw breath, and he's been drafted into the Space Force once again. His new mission is even more dangerous than the last one, the number of his enemies has increased vastly, and his friends haven't improved at all. By way of compensation, he has another chance to get closer to the mystery at Asgard's heart-but the inhabitants of the megaplanet's core are no longer content to sit quietly and wait to be found. They've discovered the outside universe, and are trying to decide what to do about it-but they have problems of their own. Only Rousseau can cross the boundaries between species, and offer each of the races a possible solution. Another great entry into an exciting SF series!

The gods of Asgard are in deep trouble. If they can't defeat their internal enemies, the starlet in the macroworld's core will blow up, killing trillions humanoids in its various layers. Only one man can save this articifial planet, and he can only do that by duplicating himself. Unfortunately, the software version of himself that's trying to operate within Asgard's virtual space is fighting on the adversary's home ground, and seems to have even less chance of success than the flesh-and-blood version. Even if they both get through, and contrive somehow to save the macroworld from destruction, how can they ever get together again to become a whole man-and at what cost? The thrilling conclusion to a magnificent sci-fi saga!