“Death on the unreal Terrans!”
“The Terrans that killed Pek Aslor!”
“Unreal! Unreal!”
Bazargan heard, in a moment of shocking whimsy, Unclean, unclean! Philosophical lepers? Then his anthropological antennae took over.

One of the protesters pushed through the huge dense circle to Brazargan’s right. It was a young man, neckfur glossy with youth, carrying what could only be a club. The young alien seemed surprised to have emerged from the thickly packed crowd so close to his quarry. He took a step backwards, caught himself, and clutched his club more tightly.

“Death on the unreal Terrans!”

Probability Moon is that rarest of all birds – A hard SF novel which deals primarily with philosophical and social questions. In the universe of Probability Moon and it’s sequels – Probability Sun and Probability Space – the galaxy was seeded by an ancient race with many almost identical homonid species. Thus when humans arrive on World they find a race of beings who are like and yet charmingly and puzzlingly unlike humanity. The aliens have a sense of shared reality, conflicting ideas or worldviews give them physical pain, which makes conflict and violence impossible – or does it?

Those who do not share reality are considered to be unreal – non-existant – and they are shunned or killed. Probability Moon is the story of a terran anthropological expedition with the difficult task of investigating the mechanism of the alien shared reality without revealing that they do not share it. It’s a biological and anthropological mystery story which reminds me of the works of Ursula LeGuin.

It’s also a hard SF suspense story as a secret, parallel mission on board the terran ship investigates an ancient artifact in orbit above World. The artifact, which the aliens think is a moon may prove to be a powerful weapon in the Terran fight against the Fallers – another race of aliens located far away across the galaxy.

Is the artifact related to the shared reality? How will the Terrans secret investigations affect the natives? And will the aliens decide that the Terrans are real, or unreal monsters to be destroyed?

I enjoyed this, what else can I try?

Probability Moon is followed by Probability Sun and Probability Space. Nancy Kress has also written the Beggars Trillogy: Beggars in Spain, Beggars and Choosers, and Beggars Ride. You may also like Ursula LeGuin’s novels – I recommend The Disposessed and The Telling.

What is there in Wyvern’s Library that’s like this?

One of the best works of SF in Wyvern’s features an alien race with mysterious origins that seem to make them an offshot of humanity. This is Homo Sentience by Inger Marie Hognestad.



Rating:
Author: Nancy Kress

Send comments to