The Boat of a Million Years
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4.3 • 15 Ratings
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
New York Times Notable Book and Hugo and Nebula Award Finalist: An epic chronicle of ten immortals over the course of history from an SFWA Grand Master.
The immortals are ten individuals born in antiquity from various cultures. Immune to disease, able to heal themselves from injuries, they will never die of old age—although they can fall victim to catastrophic wounds. They have walked among mortals for millennia, traveling across the world, trying to understand their special gifts while searching for one another in the hope of finding some meaning in a life that may go on forever.
Following their individual stories over the course of human history and beyond into a richly imagined future, "one of science fiction's most revered writers" (USA Today) weaves a broad tapestry that "succeeds admirably" (The New York Times).
"A searing ride through our human past and future." —David Brin, New York Times–bestselling author
"The book we've all been waiting for." —Joe Haldeman, Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Less a novel than a series of short stories and novelettes tied together by their subjects, this volume tells of 11 ``immortals'': individuals who will not die of old age but who can, however, be killed. Anderson ( The Avatar ) brings proven storytelling abilities and research skills to chronicles that range from 310 B.C. to a centuries-distant future. Many of the stories describe an immortal's first awareness of his or her difference, and flight from accusations of witchcraft; other tales relate chance encounters between immortals; a few simply tell a good yarn. The penultimate chapter tells of the eight survivors coming together in present times; the last portrays a future where science has extended everyone's life, creating a world vastly different from what the immortals had expected. BOMC and QPB selection.
Customer Reviews
An intriguing story
There’s a large cast here - 8 immortals in all, and it takes centuries for them all to link up. The latter part of the book, where they are space faring and encountering various aliens, was the part I found that dragged a bit. A worthwhile read though and quite different from his other work.