Steel Sky - Hardcover

Murphy, Andrew C.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0974573450 ISBN 13: 9780974573458

Publisher: Per Aspera Pr, 2006

Synopsis

In a world of compromised ethics and impossible choices, the survivors of the last global disaster are as estranged from each other as they are from reason. Humans live within the stone and steel Hypogeum, beneath the fluorescent light of an unmoving sun. The air is poison, the population is culled at random by invisible assassins, and privacy is a thing of the past. As tensions between the tightly enforced social castes begin to boil, the Winnower, an ancient spirit of cleansing, is dispatched to rid the city of sinners. But the Winnower cannot escape the consequences of its own misdeeds, and neither can the Hypogeum and its residents. Insightful and running over with wry humor, this futuristic dystopia is hauntingly easy to envision.

About this title

From the Publisher:

In the tradition of V for Vendetta and 1984, new novelist Andrew C. Murphy has constructed an intricate future which offers poignant insight into the human condition. New York Times bestselling author David Brin enthuses: "Andrew Murphy is a rising talent in science fiction ... with a strong imagination and real storytelling verve."

Centuries after global disaster, the remnants of humanity endure in a world turned inside out, a bubble of steel in infinite stone. In the Hypogeum the very air is poison, invisible assassins cull the weak, and privacy is a thing of the past.

At the top of this radically stratified society sits the Orcus family, corrupt and contentious, but heir to a secret that allows them to wield uncontested power — until the appearance of a mythical, seemingly superhuman avenger disrupts their careful machinations. But behind his mask, the Winnower is a man haunted by his own misdeeds, as much in need of redemption as the people he seeks to champion.

The Winnower’s arrival precipitates society's collapse – an end to civilization that is unavoidable save through an unlikely confluence of characters: a reluctant dictator, a disfigured outcast, a defiant victim, and an enigmatic artificial intelligence. The true power of Steel Sky lies in the richness of these characters and their personal stories of ambition, bravery, revenge, and love.

From the Inside Flap:

Centuries after global disaster, the remnants of humanity endure in a world turned inside out, a bubble of steel in infinite stone. In the Hypogeum the very air is poison, invisible assassins cull the weak, and privacy is a thing of the past.

Atop this radically stratified society sits the Orcus family: corrupt and contentious, but heir to a secret that allows them to wield uncontested power — until the appearance of a mythical, superhuman avenger disrupts their careful machinations. But behind his mask, the Winnower is a man haunted by his own misdeeds, as much in need of redemption as the people he seeks to champion. Caught between them is Amarantha, a charismatic young woman whose grief and anger will shake the foundations of the Hypogeum.

Murphy's vivid and idiosyncratic characters perform and complex dance of ambition, bravery, revenge, and love. STEEL SKY is a masterpiece of world-building, a glimpse into humanity's darkest hour and the hope of a new beginning.

About this edition

• Publisher: Per Aspera Pr
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0974573450
• ISBN 13: 9780974573458
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 347