A Nebula Award–winning novella by the New York Times– bestselling author, "one of the grand contemporary masters of SF" (Brian Aldiss). Humans have been engaged in a long war against an advanced alien race, the Senexi. But the possibility for peace may finally exist, thanks to a young girl who learns of the enemy's larger role and humanity's opportunity to evolve, in this award-winning story by the author of Darwin's Radio and many other highly acclaimed works of science fiction. Praise for Greg Bear "Bear is one of our very best." — New York Daily News "Arthur C. Clarke's most formidable rival yet." — The Times "[A] master of the grand-scale SF novel." — Booklist