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Omnibus contains:A TIME OF CHANGESIn the far future, Earth is a worn-out backwater and humanity is spread across the galaxy on worlds that began as colonies, but now feel like home, each with its own long history of a thousand years or more, and each with its own unique culture. One of the strangest is on Borthan, where the founding settlers established the Covenant, which teaches that the self is to be despised, and forbids anyone to reveal his innermost thoughts or feelings to another. On Borthan, the filthiest obscenities imaginable are the words “I” and “me.” For the heinous crime of “self-baring,” apostates have always paid with exile or death, but after his eyes are opened by a visitor from Earth, Kinnall Darival, prince of Salla, risks everything to teach his people the real meaning of being human.DOWNWARD TO THE EARTHOne man must make a journey across a once colonised alien planet. Abandoned by man when it was discovered that the species there were actually sentient, the planet is now a place of mystery. A mystery that obsesses the lone traveller Gundersen and takes him on a long trek to attempt to share the religious rebirthing of the aliens. A journey that offers redemption from guilt and sin. This is one of Silverbergs most intense novels and draws heavily on Conrad's Heart of Darkness. It puts the reader at the heart of the experience and forces them to ask what they would do in the circumstances.THE SECOND TRIPIn the 21st century, society has developed a new way of dealing with dangerous criminals. Their memories and identities are expunged and a new personality is built up in their place.DYING INSIDEIn 1972, Robert Silverberg, even then an acknowledged leader in the science fiction field, published a book that was immediately hailed as a masterpiece. More than three decades later, Dying Inside has stood the test of time and has been recognized as one of the finest novels the field has ever produced. Never wasting a word, Silverberg persuasively shows u
This omnibus collects five seminal works of science fiction that explore the fragility of human identity, the weight of cultural conditioning, and the search for redemption across alien landscapes and internal psychological terrains. Across these novels, protagonists grapple with rigid societal structures, the erasure of self, and the haunting remnants of past transgressions. Silverberg utilizes varied narrative frameworks, ranging from introspective first-person accounts to complex character studies, to challenge the boundaries of individual autonomy. The characters face immense pressure from external systems—be they planetary covenants or technological personality overrides—that seek to define or destroy their sense of self.
Robert Silverberg is widely regarded as a pivotal figure in the evolution of science fiction, and this collection highlights his transition from traditional genre tropes to more sophisticated, character-driven narratives. Critics often point to the psychological depth and stylistic precision present in these works as evidence of his mastery of the form. Readers frequently note that while the settings are distinctly futuristic or alien, the core conflicts remain grounded in universal human anxieties about isolation and authenticity. The inclusion of these specific titles provides a comprehensive look at the author's most influential period, cementing his reputation for producing literature that challenges the reader's perception of reality.
Page Count:
800
Publication Date:
1998-02-16
Publisher:
VOYAGER
ISBN-10:
0006480381
ISBN-13:
9780006480389
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