The acclaimed author and biologist shares “a superb personal account [of Antarctica] . . . a remarkable evocation of a land at the bottom of the world” (Boston Globe). During the 1980s, biologist David Campbell spent three summers in Antarctica, researching its surprisingly plentiful wildlife. In The Crystal Desert, he combines travelogue, nature writing and science history to tell the story of life's tenacity on the coldest of Earth's continents. Between scuba expeditions in Admiralty Bay, Campbell remembers the explorers who discovered Antarctica, the whalers and sealers who despoiled it, and the scientists who laid the groundwork to decipher its mysteries. Chronicling the desperately short summers in beautiful, lucid prose, he presents a fascinating portrait of the evolution of life in Antarctica and of the continent itself. Winner of the John Burroughs Medal for Natural History Writing and a Houghton Mifflin Literary Fellowship

The conflict has brewed for generations, until it has become too big to handle. Cory and his association finally return to Asto on the invitation of his father-in-law, for his official induction ceremony into the Domiri clan. They are housed in a magnificent villa overlooking a valley, away from the hustle of cities or the military base. But why can't they stay with their host? Is it for security? Is it because their host fears upsetting his household? With Thayu heavily pregnant, Cory has no appetite for adventures. But something is brewing, and listening bugs, a nightly attack and invasion are all part of the deal. Wouldn't it be nice if for once Asto's elite was upfront about the nature of the problem? A delivery in the long-running Ambassador series, thrilling science fiction with aliens, political scheming and gun fights. If you liked the worldbuilding of Avatar and enjoy the science fiction greats like Larry Niven, Ursula LeGuin and Frank Herbert, then this is for you. Each book is a completed story. You will, however, enjoy the series more when you start at book 1.