Someone is watching… A mysterious star map found at Alpha Centauri leads Ethan Richards off on his next adventure with his wife Jade. Why is a map found at Alpha Centauri pointing to Tau Ceti where it was two million years ago? As Ethan explores a habitable planet at Tau Ceti, they find something. “That doesn’t look natural.” When they investigate, they meet a mysterious alien who has his own agenda and secrets including a strange black block. Loki Mason finds out about the alien, and he sees an opportunity to restore his flagging fortune. He travels to the planet and forces Ethan to take him to the alien, using Jade and his friends as hostage. A gun battle has Jade clinging to life in Ethan’s arms, her blood on his hands. He has only one option to save her, but dare he risk both their lives to save hers?

Main Story by Kevin J. Anderson. Sequel Novelette by Steven Savile. The Stellar Guild Series. *** Jorie Taylor has lived her whole life on the generation ship Beacon. Fleeing an Earth tearing itself apart from its exhaustive demand for resources, the Beacon is finally approaching Sarbras, the planet circling Tau Ceti they hope to make humanity's new home. *** But Earth has recovered from its near-death experience and is now under the control of a ruthless dictator whose sights are set on Tau Ceti as well. President Jurudu knows how to get what he wants-and he wants Sarbras.

In April 2010, fifty years to the month after the first experiment in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), scholars from a range of disciplines—including astronomy, mathematics, anthropology, history, and cognitive science—gathered at NASA's biennial Astrobiology Science Conference (AbSciCon) for a series of sessions on the search for intelligent life. This book highlights the most recent developments in SETI discussed at that conference, emphasizing the ways that SETI has grown since its inception. The volume covers three broad themes: First, leading researchers examine the latest developments in observational SETI programs, as well as innovative proposals for new search strategies and novel approaches to signal processing. Second, both proponents and opponents of "Active SETI" debate whether humankind should be transmitting intentional signals to other possible civilizations, rather than only listening. Third, constructive proposals for interstellar messages are juxtaposed with critiques that ask whether any meaningful exchange is possible with an independently evolved civilization, given the constraints of contact at interstellar distances, where a round-trip exchange could take centuries or millennia. As we reflect on a half-century of SETI research, we are reminded of the expansion of search programs made possible by technological and conceptual advances. In this spirit of ongoing exploration, the contributors to this book advocate a diverse range of approaches to make SETI increasingly more powerful and effective, as we embark on the next half-century of searching for intelligence beyond Earth.

Starhopper was humanity's first interstellar probe. It was designed to search for intelligent life beyond the solar system. Before it could be launched, however, intelligent life found Earth. The discovery of an alien light sail inbound at the edge of the solar system generated considerable excitement in scientific circles. With the interstellar probe nearing completion, it gave scientists the opportunity to launch an expedition to meet the aliens while they were still in space. The second surprise came when Starhopper's crew boarded the alien craft. They found beings who, despite their alien physiques, were surprisingly compatible with humans. That two species so similar could have evolved a mere twelve light years from one another seemed too coincidental to be true. One human being soon discovered that coincidence had nothing to do with it...

For private eye Rich Weed, the smart thing to do would've been to say no. No to the heart-stoppingly beautiful woman who sauntered through the front door. No to the case that smelled fishier than a Venusian squid farm. No to the thief who left behind more than he made off with. But no one's ever accused Rich of taking the easy path in life--or the smart one. Now Rich is stuck in the thick of it, bouncing between clues as he tries to unravel a bizarre case of religious brainwashing--one that leads him from the mandibles of waffle-loving aliens to the unwashed hands of half-baked hippies and back. As the mystery thickens, only one thing is clear: as lovely as the client was, he really should've told her no.

Protect, Defend _ and Blow to Smithereens! Humanity's Separatist movement prepares the biggest sucker punch ever against Earth governments. The plan Kill the U.S. President at Disney World and drive a quantum-teleported kamikaze starship into a heavily-populated city. One thing the fanatical Separatists haven't figured on: an America military unleashed by a fighting president -- an ex-Marine determined that terrorists won't have the final word on humanity's future! DOD and NASA consultant and author of the groundbreaking Warp Speed, Travis S. "Doc" Taylor delivers the heart- pounding, idea-driven SF techno-thriller sequel to his dazzling One Day on Mars! At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management). "[E]xplodes with inventive action." ¾Publishers Weekly on Travis S. Taylor's The Quantum Connection.

“A Stranger from Tau Ceti” is the third book of the “Exiled” saga. The tranquility the family is finally enjoying is unexpectedly interrupted by the arrival of a young security agent from Kmyvik’s home planet. The appearance of a uniformed government agent at their door struck terror into everyone’s heart. There could be no positive reason for such an unprecedented visit. Was Kmyvik’s stay on Earth in jeopardy? Could their time as a happy family be nearing a disastrous end? The stranger’s intervention would change everyone’s lives in ways no one could have foreseen!