Knight Moves

by Walter Jon Williams

Paperback, 1985

Publication

Tor Books (1985), Edition: Reprint

Awards

Philip K. Dick Award (Nominee — 1985)

Description

A Philip K Dick Award-nominated novel. Eight hundred years ago Doran Falkner gave humanity the stars, and he now lives with his regrets on a depopulated Earth among tumbledown ruins and ancient dreams brought to life by modern technology. But word now comes that alien life has been discovered on a distant world, life so strange and impossible that the revelation of its secrets could change everything. A disillusioned knight on the chessboard of the gods, Doran must confront his own lost promise, his lost love, and his lost humanity, to make the move that will revive the fortunes both of humans and aliens . . .Knight Moves is an engrossing and evocative read, a tale of immortality and love and death rendered in a style that reminds me more than a little of the early Roger Zelazny. Williams' people are intriguing and sympathetic, and his portrait of an Earth left transformed and empty by a humanity gone to the stars, where aliens dig among ancient ruins for old comic books while the creatures of legends stir and walk again, will linger in my memory for a long time. Williams is a writer to watch, and- more importantly- to read.---George R.R. Martin, author of Game of ThronesKnight Moves uses an unmatched cast of characters, human and otherwise, to tell an intriguing story.--- Fred Saberhagen, author of the Book of Swords Trilogy. --Provided by publisher.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member aulsmith
Humans can have immortality, but only if they leave Earth to avoid over-populating it. On a colony planet they discover an non-sentient species that can teleport. Unraveling the mystery of the teleportation makes for an surprise ending and an interesting meditation on immortality
LibraryThing member Farree
This is my favorite Walter Jon Williams book (and I have read several). I like it mostly because of the alien intelligences and the Centaurs (back on 'Earth'). Mr. Williams has his protagonist become a dentist in order to teach 'GMO' Centaurs to speak classical Greek (because he likes the way it
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deals with philosophical concepts). I found this book a fascinating read because of the science that is done, and the 'real' aliens that appear about 2/3 of the way through. It is also a great read.
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Language

Original language

English

ISBN

0812511840 / 9780812511840

Rating

(39 ratings; 3.2)
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