Books by Simon Morden

An enthralling narrative journey through the history and geography of Mars by an award-winning writer, geologist and geophysicist.

Welcome to the Metrozone -- post-apocalyptic London of the Future, full of homeless refugees, street gangs, crooked cops and mad cults. Enter Samuil Petrovitch: a Russian émigré with a smart mouth, a dodgy heart and a dodgier past. He's brilliant, selfish, cocky and might just be most unlikely champion a city has ever had. Armed with a genius-level intellect, extensive cybernetic replacements, a built-in AI with god-like capabilities and a plethora of Russian swearwords -- he's saved this city from ruin more than once. He's also made a few enemies in the process -- Reconstruction America being one of them. So when his adopted daughter Lucy goes missing, he's got a clue who's responsible. And there's no way he can let them get away with it.

Two centuries after the Earth fell to enigmatic alien machines known as the Visitors, humanity survives in sparse nomadic tribes. Macsen is an adventurer, undertaking hazardous quests for the captivating Hona Loy; quests that have made him a hero. Macsen never fails, but this time he crosses the path of a Jugger, one of the deadliest of all the Visitors. Can he find a way to defeat the alien and survive, or will it fall to his faithful companion Laylaw to return to the tribe with the tale of his noble death?In Macsen Against the Jugger, award-winning author Simon Morden delivers a masterpiece of excitement and clever story telling.One of four independent novellas by four different authors that form NewCon Novella Set 5: The Alien Among Us

Simon Morden has won the Philip K. Dick Award and been a judge on the Arthur C. Clarke Award. He is a bona fide rocket scientist, with degrees in Geology and Planetary Geophysics. In Bright Morning Star he delivers perhaps his finest work to date, a ground-breaking take on first contact.Sent to Earth to explore, survey, collect samples and report back to its makers, an alien probe arrives in the middle of a warzone. Witnessing both the best and worst of humanity, the AI probe faces situations that go far beyond the parameters of its programming, and is forced to improvise, making decisions that have repercussions for the future of our entire world.

Award-winning author Simon Morden joins Gollancz with a stunning SF quest across a vast world that mirrors every London ever built.

A millennium after the formidable war machines of the User cultures devoured entire civilisations and rewrote planetary geography, Earth is in the grip of a perpetual Dark Age. Scientific endeavour is strongly discouraged, while remnant technology is locked away - hidden by a Church determined to prevent a new Armageddon.This is the world to which Benzamir Michael Mahmood must return. A descendant of the tribes who fled the planet during those ages-old wars, he comes in pursuit of enemies from the far reaches of space. The technology he brings is wondrous beyond the imaginings of those he will meet, but can its potency match that of the Church's most closely guarded treasure?For centuries it has lain dormant, buried in a lead-lined tomb deep beneath the flagstones of a remote Siberian monastery. But it is about to be unearthed, and the powers that will be unleashed may be beyond anyone's capacity to control. Even a man as extraordinary as Benzamir . . .

The kingdom of Carinthia is rich, powerful and undefeated. A thousand years ago, its ancestors were the spell-wielding northern tribes who crushed the Roman Empire. Their legendary hexmasters can destroy whole armies and turn battlefields into fiery lakes of lava.Magic is Carinthia's wealth, protection and way of life. But the age of magic is dying. Some would do anything to see it return: any act, no matter how terrible, is justified, so long as the hexmasters can still protect their homeland.The kingdom is poised between order and chaos - and the smallest spark is the difference between disaster and triumph.ARCANUM is powerful new epic fantasy from an award-winning author.

WELCOME TO THE METROZONEPost-apocalyptic London, full of street gangs and homeless refugees. A dangerous city needs an equally dangerous saviour.Step forward Samuil Petrovitch, a genius with extensive cybernetic replacements, a built-in AI with god-like capabilities and a full armoury of Russian swear words. He's dragged the city back from the brink more than once - and made a few enemies on the way. So when his adopted daughter Lucy goes missing in Alaska, he has some clue who's responsible and why. It never occurs to him that guessing wrong could tip the delicate balance of nuclear-armed nations. This time it's not just a city that needs saving: it's the whole world.

THEOREM: Petrovitch has a lot of secrets.PROOF: Secrets like how to make anti-gravity for one. For another, he's keeping a sentient computer program on a secret server farm - the same program that nearly destroyed the Metrozone a few months back.THEOREM: The city is broken.PROOF: The people of the OutZone want what citizens of the Metrozone have. And then burn it to the ground. Now, with the heart of the city destroyed by the New Machine Jihad, the Outies finally see their chance.THEOREM: These events are not unconnected.PROOF: Someone is trying to kill Petrovitch and they're willing to sink the whole city to do it.

The Six Degrees of Samuel Petrovitch: * Michael is an AI of incalculable complexity trapped under the remains of Oshicora tower. Petrovitch will free him one day, he just has to trust Michael will still be sane by the time he does.* Maddy and Petrovitch have trust issues. But Petrovitch is pretty sure she still loves him.* Sonja Oshicora loves Petrovitch too. But she's playing a complicated game and it's not clear that she means to save him from what's coming.* The CIA wants to save the world. Well, just America, but they'll call it what they like.* The New Machine Jihad is calling. But Petrovitch killed it. Didn't he?* And the Armageddonists tried to kill pretty much everyone by blowing the world up. Now, they want to do it again.Once again, all roads lead back to Petrovitch. Everyone wants something from him, but all he wants is to be free . . .