Book Description

The Nebula Award–winning author’s “masterful SF trilogy” is a multigenerational epic of human colonists terraforming the second planet from the sun (Publishers Weekly). Often compared to Kim Stanley Robinson’s acclaimed Mars trilogy, the three novels gathered here comprise the complete Venus saga by the author of The Shore of Women, “one of the genre’s best writers” (The Washington Post). The Venus Project—making the planet’s atmosphere habitable for humans—spans centuries and determines the fates of multiple generations. Venus of Dreams: Iris Angharads, a determined, independent woman, sets herself one massive goal: to make the poison-filled atmosphere of Venus hospitable to humans. She works day and night to realize her dream, with only one person sharing her passion, Liang Chen. It seems impossible to make Venus, with its intolerable air and waterless environment, into a paradise, but Iris succeeds. And in doing so, she also creates a powerful dynasty, beginning with her first born, Benzi Liangharad. Venus of Shadows: The Venus Project calls upon the strongest and most courageous to create a prosperous world in the dismal wilderness of Venus. Those who demonstrate the skill and passion to embark on this adventure must transform the barren planet in the midst of political and cultural unrest. When Risa and Benzi, children of Iris, find themselves in opposing forces on the battlefield, it is their love and perseverance that will determine the destiny of the new world. Child of Venus: Mahala Liangharad, a true child of Venus, conceived from the genetic material of the rebels and brought to birth only after their deaths, is seen as a beacon of hope in a colony still ravaged by the aftereffects of civil war. But her world is being torn apart by a drive for independence from Earth by the Venus colonists and rumors of a secret plan developed by the “Habbers,” cybernetically enhanced human dwellers of a mobile asteroid. A mysterious call from deep space offers Mahala a chance to fulfill her own destiny, along with the terrifying possibility of losing touch with everything she has ever known and loved.