{"product_id":"nucleation-paperback","title":"Nucleation - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eKimberly Unger\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e2022 Compton Crook Award Finalist\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Recommended for fans of Richard K. Morgan's \u003ci\u003eAltered Carbon\u003c\/i\u003e and Martha Wells' Murderbot series.\"\u003cbr\u003e--\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cem\u003eIn this riveting debut science-fiction technothriller, a top-notch VR pilot encounters a disaster during the highest profile space-faring project of her career. Now she must unearth a critical truth: was her discovery due to a betrayal, a business rival, or a threat to humanity itself?\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eHelen Vectorvich just botched first contact. And she did it in both virtual reality and outer space. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eOnly the most elite Far Reaches deep-space pilots get to run waldos: robots controlled from thousands of lightyears away via neural integration and quantum entanglement. Helen and her navigator were heading the construction of a wormhole gate that would connect Earth to the stars . . . until a routine system check turned deadly. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAs nasty rumors swarm around her, and overeager junior pilots jockey to take her place, Helen makes a startling discovery: microscopic alien life is devouring their corporate equipment. Is the Scale just mindless, extra-terrestrial bacteria? Or is it working--and killing--with a purpose? \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWhile Helen struggles to get back into the pilot's chair, and to communicate with the Scale, someone--or something--is trying to sabotage the Far Reaches project once and for all. They'll have to get through Helen first.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eKimberly Unger\u003c\/b\u003e is the author of two novels, her acclaimed debut \u003ci\u003eNucleation\u003c\/i\u003e and 2023 Philip K. Dick Award-winner \u003ci\u003eThe Extractionist\u003c\/i\u003e. Unger made her first videogame back when the 80-column card was the new hot thing, and followed that up with degrees in English\/Writing from UC Davis and Illustration from the Art Center College of Design. Nowadays she produces virtual reality narrative-games, lectures on the intersection of art and code for UCSC's master's program, and writes science fiction about how all these app-driven superpowers are going to change the human race. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e(Unger writes about fast robots, big explosions, and space things.) \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eUnger lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she works in the future of VR on the Oculus platform.\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 288\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1 x 8.4 x 5.5 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e November 13, 2020\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42154054615175,"sku":"9781616963385","price":15.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0601\/2623\/2711\/files\/3356e6de1ffb40e40c491e35214e0d9c.webp?v=1733226388","url":"https:\/\/booksby.splitshops.com\/products\/nucleation-paperback","provider":"Books by splitShops","version":"1.0","type":"link"}