A CLASSIC OF HARD SF FROM WIL MCCARTHY. Back in print and just as
relevant as ever! Exploring what the economics of abundance will
really look like.
Humanity has conquered the Solar System. What's more, death itself has
been vanquished. Wellstone--programmable matter--ensures that no one
need every die, or indeed, age past adulthood. But for the children of
immortal parents, life remains a constant state of arrested development.
And a prince shall remain a prince forever, never inheriting the throne.
So what is a royal minor to do?
Bascal Edward de Towaji Lutui is tired of his parents--the Queen of Sol
and her consort--treating his complaints as so much teenage whining.
Exiled to a "summer camp" on a planette where he will be out of his
royal mother's hair, he decides to do something about his lot in life.
Along with his fellow malcontents, he manages to make an improbable
spaceship and set out for the far reaches of the colonized space. With
hijacked weapons and programmable matter at their disposal, Bascal
Edward de Towaji Lutui and his companions are set to prove themselves a
force to be reckoned with.
About Wil McCarthy:
"McCarthy is an entertaining, intelligent, amusing writer, with
Heinlein's knack for breakneck plotting and, at the same time, Clarke's
thoughtfulness." --Booklist
"Imagination really is the only limit." --The New York Times
"The future as McCarthy sees it is a wondrous place." --Publishers
Weekly
"A bright light on the SF horizon." --David Brin
"Wil McCarthy demonstrates that he has a sharp intelligence, a
galaxy-spanning imagination, and the solid scientific background to make
it all work." --Connie Willis
"In nearly every passage, we get another slice of the science of
McCarthy's construction, and a deeper sense of danger and foreboding . .
. McCarthy develops considerable tension." --San Diego Union-Tribune
"An ingenious yarn with challenging ideas, well-handled technical
details, and plenty of twists and turns." --Kirkus
