In Robinson’s novels of space colonization, humankind’s diaspora across the solar system produces complex socioeconomic, cultural, ecological, and biophysical evolutions. Memory of Whiteness depicts life in a universe of abundance made possible by breakthroughs in physics, energy generation, and even music. This version of utopia, however, stands in contrast to the failed revolutions in Icehenge, symbolized by the mysterious, Stonehenge-like structure on the surface of Pluto. Galileo’s Dream weaves together different science-fiction genres--time travel, alternative history, and first contact with alien intelligences--to re-examine the origins and consequences of scientific inquiry. Confronting dogmatic forces in both the seventeenth century and the thirty-second, Galileo struggles against terrified defenders of traditional thought in Robinson’s portrait of the scientist as a hero within—and beyond—history. In 2312, the proliferation of micro-worlds in hollowed-out asteroids, multiple gender identities, and artificial intelligence define a future history that explores the possibilities of biophysical, ecological, and social diversity.
Astrovirology, Astrobiology, Artificial Intelligence: Extra-Solar System Investigations
