The first two books in “the most important series in science fiction” from the New York Times–bestselling author of Dreamsnake (Ursula K. Le Guin, author of the Earthsea series). Starfarers The Starfarer is a self-sufficient spaceship with a functioning ecosystem, able to navigate from one star system to another via cosmic string, and it is about to embark on a deep space expedition in search of alien contact. Its global crew has come together in the spirit of cooperation and scientific advancement. But Earth struggles with anti-science and anti-technology factions, and there are those who want to turn the Starfarer into a military base. One of them is on board. And he will stop at nothing—including sabotage—to enforce his agenda . . . Transition After the crew members of the Starfarer hijack their own ship, they intercept an alien message and attempt to decipher its complex patterns. It could be an introduction, a warning, or a trap. In Tau Ceti, the first star system humans have ever visited, they discover worlds possessing life but no higher forms of intelligence. And with a saboteur still in their midst, tensions rise as the ship and its team hurtle toward a meeting more than three millennia in the making . . . Praise for the Starfarers Series “McIntyre is a master SF stylist, creating well-rounded, believable and distinctive characters, and she excels at lush descriptions that allow the reader to visualize the action.” —Publishers Weekly “The series features a diverse cast, especially for its 1989 debut date, and a series of interstellar hijinks, the likes of which only McIntyre could conjure.” —Tor.com “A fine novel of adventure.” —Greg Bear on Starfarers “The most exciting and satisfying science fiction I have read this year.” —Ursula K. Le Guin on Metaphase

When the government reassesses the objectives of the spaceship "Starfarer"--trying to use the vessel for military rather than exploratory purposes--the crew, led by scientist Victoria MacKenzie, revolts

The final two books in “the most important series in science fiction” from the New York Times–bestselling author of Dreamsnake (Ursula K. Le Guin, author of the Earthsea series). Metaphase Cast out from interstellar civilization, the crew of the Starfarer encounters an extraterrestrial whose reputation is equally bad: the squidmoth. Contact specialist J.D. Sauvage risks her life to befriend the creature, trusting her instincts instead of the warnings of the alien human. The welcome Sauvage receives and the connection she makes will help her overcome her innate fears and prejudices, and she will be given a gift that will save her from being left behind in an empty star system—as well as redeem the Starfarer and its mission . . . Nautilus After their encounter with the squidmoth, and with their ecosystem immunized by the alien human, the crew of the Starfarer makes contact with representatives from the Four Worlds. J.D. Sauvage is sent to meet the furry creatures—as large as lions and as lithe as otters. They have been waiting for humans for a long time. But there is something they want from the Starfarer team: Earth’s one advantage over space civilization—a new, faster algorithm for interstellar navigation. Praise for the Starfarers Series “McIntyre is a master SF stylist, creating well-rounded, believable and distinctive characters, and she excels at lush descriptions that allow the reader to visualize the action.” —Publishers Weekly “The series features a diverse cast, especially for its 1989 debut date, and a series of interstellar hijinks, the likes of which only McIntyre could conjure.” —Tor.com

Courageous space explorers embark on a mission to make contact with alien races light years away, while the Earth they leave behind ages twelve hundred centuries It’s the most exciting discovery since humankind first began watching the skies: SETI scientists detect starship “trails” in a galaxy many light years from Earth, and at long last the dream of human-to-alien contact is attainable. But the courageous crew of starfarers assembled to take on the monumental endeavor must sacrifice the only lives they’ve ever known and the people they love; the Earth will have aged many thousands of years when—and if—they are finally able to return. Still, their hunger for knowledge of the universe and the extraterrestrial races that inhabit it is too great to deny, and the Envoy rockets off into the vast unknown. It’s a perilous mission that will profoundly change everyone it touches—even as the passing millennia transform the Earth in ways no one could ever have imagined. Of all the science fiction extrapolators to emerge in the twentieth century, none were more visionary and few as prolific as the great Poul Anderson. Starfarers, his ingeniously imagined space exploration adventure, still stands tall among the most intelligent, enthralling, and unforgettable science fiction novels ever written. This ebook includes the bonus stories “Ghetto” and “The Horn of Time the Hunter.”

On a sleepy agrarian planet, Sila Gatherer hides a deadly secret. Until an accidental encounter with a mysterious alien starship changes her life forever. Star Captain Zh'hir Mu'raat is Ur'quay - renowned across the galaxy as warriors and explorers. Thrown together, the starfarer and his accidental captive forge an unlikely bond. One that is tested, time and again, when Sila finds herself threatened, exiled and adrift.In a dangerous sector of space where powerful factions battle for control, Sila and the Star Captain must fight for a future together as her ability, Ur'quay tradition and a complicated legacy test their faith. When a powerful foe threatens Sila, they race against time to unravel a centuries-old secret. With the fate of Sector Araloka and the Ur'quay at stake, can the starfarer follow his heart or will history repeat itself again ...

As J.D. Sauvage and his crew initiate the first human contact with the reclusive alien squidmoth, exploring the fibrous tunnels of the small planetoid that houses the alien, an awesome secret awaits them inside

Humans and their genetically altered descendants struggle to find their place in a universe controlled by a benevolent artificial intelligence in this brilliant classic of future speculation On a far-future Earth, a linked system of artificial intelligences called the cybercosm runs the planet and the universe far more efficiently than any flesh and blood ruler ever could, in essence rendering the human race obsolete. On the Earth’s moon, genetically engineered Lunarians carrying the DNA of Dagney Beynac—a descendant of the legendary Anton Guthrie, founder of the powerful and visionary Fireball Enterprises—struggle to preserve their lives, their freedom, and their satellite’s resources in the face of threats posed by encroaching humans and controlling machines. Over a span of five centuries, tensions have increased in the wake of the political and technological revolutions that reshaped their universe. And suddenly radical change is in the offing once more, as a secret kept hidden since the earliest days of Lunar colonization is about to be revealed—one that could effectively shut down the cybercosm and plunge the universe into chaos. Poul Anderson advances the worlds-shattering circumstances he so brilliantly introduced in Harvest of Stars, creating a vision of the future that is at once astonishing, provocative, and troubling. A true science fiction classic, The Stars Are Also Fire explores deep questions about the nature, complexity, and worth of humankind in an unforgettable novel considered by many to be Anderson’s masterpiece.