Beyond the Burn Line, Paul McAuley
Beyond the Burn Line, Paul McAuley
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Beyond the Burn Line

Author: Paul McAuley

Narrator: Neville Watchurst

Unabridged: 13 hr 45 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Gollancz

Published: 09/22/2022


Synopsis

WHAT WILL BECOME OF US?

In the deep future beyond the burn line of the Anthropocene and the extinction of humanity, the city states of an intelligent species of bear have fallen to a mind-wrecking plague. The bears' former slaves, a peaceable, industrious and endlessly curious people, believe that they have inherited the bounty and beauty of their beloved Mother Earth. But are they alone?

After the death of his master, a famous scholar, Pilgrim Saltmire vows to complete their research into sightings of so-called visitors and their sky craft. To discover if they are a mass delusion created by the stresses of an industrial revolution, or if they are real - a remnant population of bears which survived the plague, or another, unknown intelligent species.

Risking his reputation and his life, Pilgrim's search for the truth takes him from his comfortable home in the shadow of a great library to his tribe's former home on the chilly coast of the far south, and the gathering of a dangerous cult in the high desert. Whether or not the visitors are real, one thing is certain. Pilgrim's world and everything he thought he knew about his people's history will be utterly changed.

McAuley's fabulous far future, impacted by the consequences of global warming, colonisation and historical injustices, explores and reflects our own challenges while telling a fast paced story of discovery and adventure.

About Paul McAuley

Paul McAuley (Born 1955)Paul James McAuley was born in Gloucestershire on St George's Day, 1955. He has a Ph.D in Botany and worked as a researcher in biology at various universities, including Oxford and UCLA, and for six years was a lecturer in botany at St Andrews University, before leaving academia to write full time. He started publishing science fiction with the short story "Wagon, Passing" for Asimov's Science Fiction in 1984. His first novel, 400 Billion Stars won the Philip K. Dick Award in 1988, and 1995's Fairyland won the Arthur C. Clarke and John W. Campbell Awards. He has also won the British Fantasy, Sidewise and Theodore Sturgeon Awards. He lives in London.You can find his blog at: http://www.unlikelyworlds.blogspot.com


Reviews

Goodreads review by Brian

I have only previously read two of Paul McAuley's science fiction novels, Fairyland and Austral, both impressive, interesting and different. The same is also true of Beyond the Burn Line, making me realise I need to dig into his back catalogue for the future. Beyond the Burn Line is a book of two hal......more

Goodreads review by Jane

Finally. I picked this sci fi novel up based on a recommendation and because I thought the premise sounded interesting. It takes place 200,000 years in the future after the decimation of our human civilization, beyond the burn line. I think the title may be my favorite part. The story involves the r......more

Goodreads review by Mazzy

I'm impressed by the imagination of the author, and I'm not surprised, he's a biologist. He has created a rather unique tome with some fascinating peoples.......more

Goodreads review by Peter

Beyond the Burn Line by Paul McAuley [URL not allowed]@peterseanEsq/scie... I can be entranced by the concept of “Deep Time.” For example, anthropologists now think (or speculate) that human beings were trapped between Siberia and Alaska for “thousands of years,” specifically for ten to twenty thous......more