Unrivaled - E-book - ePub

Unrivaled: Four groundbreaking Hugo & Nebula winning stories includes four of the most outstanding and most acclaimed novellas in science fiction, penned by Joe Haldeman, Lois McMaster Bujold, Mike Resnick, and Nancy Kress. Each novella has stood the test of time and completed the extremely difficult task of winning both the Nebula and the Hugo. Only stories of the highest caliber get awarded both the Nebula and the Hugo.
The Hugo is awarded at the annual Worldcon, voted on by fans. The Nebula is awarded by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) voted on by its members, primarily professional writers. A piece that wins both, signifies that it had wide-spread fan appeal (fan votes) and also the highest regard by professionals in the field (voted on exclusively by SFWA member). Beggars in Spain take place in a future where genetic engineering has become a reality, and society and culture face the consequences of genetic modifications.
The story revolves around the existence of the "Sleepless": individuals genetically modified to not need sleep, who have greater potential for intelligence and accomplishment than ordinary humans, called "Sleepers." The Hemingway Hoax weaves together a story of an attempt to produce a fake Ernest Hemingway manuscript with themes concerning time travel and parallel worlds. The story is based on a real-life incident when Hemingway's first wife Hadley lost a suitcase containing his manuscripts. The Mountains of Mourning explores the concepts of justice and mercy when Miles Vorkosigan is sent to represent the empire in a far-flung rural village where a woman demands justice for the murder of her baby who was born healthy, but with a cleft lip and palate. The Seven Views of Olduvai Gorge explores the meaning of human progress and decline, long after humans have disappeared from the Earth.
An alien archeological expedition is sent to explore humanity's rise and fall in its birthplace of Olduvai Gorge. Seven recounted stories based on artifacts found tell the tale of how humans rose and how they fell, and leave the aliens with an uneasy feeling about what the future may hold.