Dear Abbey

"This beautiful Dear Abbey ... a story of wonder, a story that ventures far into the future to the end of Time."


—Brian Aldiss (from his introduction to the original edition


Would you sacrifice humanity to save the planet Earth? Cole is an obscure professor at an undistinguished community college -- a man without a future. Lee is a Chinese political refugee with a Texas accent -- a man without a past. They share a tiny office, a taste for Edward Abbey (and Jack Daniels), and an awesome destiny.


For the most fateful decision in human history is theirs to make. One fateful Friday night, Cole and Lee join hands (literally) and embark on a journey to retrieve a formula that will change, or end, human history. A journey through Time.


Along the way, they are witness to all the horror and all the glory of our tomorrows--from the cannibal seals of the next Ice Age to the final campfire under a dying sun; from the seductions of 30th century Paris to the pleasures of a dinner party a hundred million years in the future.


They even find time to meet man's best friend, as well as his most indifferent enemy. It's a billion-year leap -- a long weekend that stretches all the way from Friday night to the End of Time.


Selected for "The Year's Best Science Fiction, #21," by Gardner Dozois


Nominated for the British Science Fiction Award


"The striking Dear Abbey, about a desperate attempt to save the Earth from ecological disaster by traveling to the end of Time."


—Publishers Weekly


"Dear Abbey follows the exploits of a pair of radical environmentalists trying to avert global warming by traveling into the future by means of a porch glider. Bisson’s distinctive minimalist style leaves plenty of room for disarming social satire that keeps one amused and pleasantly provoked."


—Booklist 


About the Author: Best known for his short stories "They're Made out of Meat" and "Bears Discover Fire," Terry Bisson has won every major award in SF, including the Hugo, the Nebula, the Sturgeon and Locus awards, and France's Gran Prix de  l'Imaginaire.  He lives in California.