Near Future Suspense

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Alpha cover

Alpha

Charon was the most ruthless—and brilliant—criminal of the twenty-first century, a practitioner of illegal robotics and android research. He is dead now, and General Thomas Wharington believes his team of experts has deleted all the electronic copies the megalomaniacal inventor created of himself. However, one major problem remains: Alpha, the only android survivor of Charon's cybernetic empire.

Outwardly indistinguishable from a human woman, Alpha has superhuman strength and speed, and perhaps even more deadly capabilities still unknown. Thomas’s superiors want her dismantled and studied, but to Thomas it feels like murder. He stalls for time, a move that could prove disastrous. Alpha escapes from an escape-proof compound, kidnaps Thomas, and takes him to one of Charon's hidden installations. Charon might be dead, but Alpha continues to carry out her late master’s orders, and she refuses to elaborate on what those orders entail. Her behavior is becoming more human—or so it seems. Is she developing emotions and a conscience, or is she just learning to counterfeit them as a means of carrying out her enigmatic orders? And do those orders include Thomas’s death sentence? From Baen Books

from Baen Books

 

"[E]ntertaining mix of hard SF and romance." — Publisher’s Weekly

 

 

Sunrise Alley cover

Now in audiobook format!

Sunrise Alley

When the shipwrecked stranger washed up, nearly drowned, on the beach near research scientist Samantha Bryton's home, she was unaware that he was something more than human: an experiment conducted by Charon, a notorious criminal and practitioner of illegal robotics and android research. The man said his name was Turner Pascal—but Pascal was dead, killed in a car wreck. Charon is experimenting with copying the minds of humans into android brains, implanted in human bodies to escape detection, and plans to make his own army of slaves that will follow his orders without question. Samantha and Turner quickly found themselves on the run across the country, pursued by the most ruthless criminal of the twenty-first century. In desperation, Samantha decided to seek help from Sunrise Alley, an underground organization of AIs and androids that had gone rogue. But these cybernetic outlaws were rumored to have their own hidden agenda, not necessarily congruent with humanity's welfare, and Samantha hoped that her only hope would not prove a forlorn one. . . .

"Asaro reinforces her reputation for combining high-tech adventure and romance." — Regina Schroeder, Booklist

Audiobook from Blackstone Audio, ISBN: 9781433212994

"This near-future science-fiction thriller, adeptly narrated by [Hillary] Huber, explores what it means to be human...Recommended for science-fiction fans who enjoy tales with plenty of action and a dash of romance."--Jessica Moyer, Booklist

 

 

Phoenix Code cover

 

The Phoenix Code

Deadly awakening...
When robotics expert Megan O'Flannery is offered the chance to direct MindSim's cutting-edge program to develop a self-aware android, it's the opportunity of a lifetime. But the project is trouble plagued—the third prototype "killed" itself, and the RS-4 is unstable. Megan will descend into MindSim's underground research lab in the Nevada desert, where she will be the sole human in contact with the RS-4, dubbed Aris. Programmed as part of a top-secret defense project, the awakening Aris quickly proves to be deviously resourceful and basically uncontrollable. When Megan enlists the help of Raj Sundaram, the quirky, internationally renowned robotics genius, the android develops a jealous hostility toward Raj—and a fixation on Megan. But soon she comes to realize that Raj may be an even greater danger—and that her life may depend on the choice she makes between the man she wants to trust and the android she created.

from Bantam Books

ISBN: 0553762710
ISBN-13: 9780553762716

“Catherine Asaro continues to dazzle us with brilliance in combining science, romance and adventure, while she raises issues about the morality of creating artificial intelligence and who decides what is ethical for whom." — Romantic Times Magazine, four and a half stars, “Top Pick" Review

“Another stunning sci-fi tale that will hold you spellbound. Ms. Asaro is a master of her craft . . . her characters are three-dimensional, intelligent, interesting and her plots are simply fantastic. [She] is a writer that makes you want to go out and buy every book she’s ever written. By deftly blending romance with sci-fi she has attracted a whole new readership. Ms. Asaro is at the top of my list of authors’ books to watch for." — Reader to Reader

“One of the pioneers of science fiction romance, Catherine Asaro creates another exciting sensual tale that will elate sub-genre fans. Cleverly, the author provides no solutions to complex ethical questions that leave readers with lingering thoughts about right and wrong. The romance is hot, but this novel is clearly science fiction first with a dynamic climax that will stun the unsuspecting audience who will fail to break THE PHOENIX CODE before Ms. Asaro reveals the ending of this keeper." — Painted Rock Reviews

 

 

Veiled Web cover

The Veiled Web

Ballerina Lucia del Mar has two great passions: dance, which consumes most of her waking hours, and the Worldwide Web, which brings the outside world into her tightly regimented life. Lucia’s two passions collide when a White House performance and reception leads to an encounter with handsome Moroccan businessman Rashid al-Jazari, creator of a brilliant technology that has set the Internet rumor mill afire.

A second, seemingly chance meeting with Rashid will plunge Lucia into a deadly world of desire and intrigue. For although his work has implications she cannot foresee, there are those who do understand and would turn its great power to their own destructive purposes. As she is drawn deeper and deeper into Rashid’s life and work, cut off from the outside world, she finds herself becoming more attracted to him. But is her seclusion within Rashid’s well-guarded Moroccan home intended to ensure her safety—or her silence? And is it already too late to stop the terrible consequences his new technology could unleash?

Winner of the Homer Award for Best Science Fiction Novel

Bantam Books

ISBN: 0553762702
ISBN-13: 9780553762709

“Catherine Asaro weaves her knowledge, research and talent into a spectacular adventure with very real characters and possibilities . . . THE VEILED WEB [is] four very different stories intertwined - a very vivid, informational look into Moroccan lifestyles and the Muslim faith, a journey into new-age technology, a love story with such a cultural clash that it’s destined for heartbreak and a high-speed action thriller that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat. Give this intriguing story a look and remember it when its technological wonders start showing up in the not-so-distant future." — Scribes World Reviews

“If you like romances, or if you think there’s no way anyone could blend them with science fiction, grab this one. Asaro has done another very nice job." — Analog Magazine

“Author and physicist Catherine Asaro has proven that she has more than one universe up her sleeve. [THE VEILED WEB] departs altogether from the star-spanning Skolian Empire of her previously published novels to provide instead an entirely earthbound but still engaging tale of romance, nascent artificial intelligence and international intrigue in the near future. THE VEILED WEB is a successful change of pace for Asaro, and one most likely to broaden, not diminish, her already large fan base." — Alan P. Scott, Online Reviewer

“THE VEILED WEB is a beautifully written love story set against an exotic back-ground, and expertly intertwined with science, suspense and danger. The vivid portrayal of characters, who each must struggle with the values of their cultures while trying to save the love of a lifetime, is felt on every page. Ms. Asaro will captivate readers of both genres with this enthralling read." — Rendezvous

“Most authors would be satisfied with a single rich backdrop, or one weighty set of issues. Not Asaro. It’s a tribute to her storytelling skills that she manages to seamlessly weave together three elaborately detailed settings (the world of ballet, Morocco and cyberspace) and two sets of neatly meshing yet distinct issues (the clash of cultures and religions and the nature of thought and spirit) . . . no matter what your background, this book will give you something to think about." — Science Fiction Romance

“Catherine Asaro’s research is impeccable. Her knowledge of the computer and its abilities both present and in the future enhance her novel and brings a realism necessary to convey her complex plot. Cultural morays of countries outside the sphere of most readers’ scope present an unusual problem, but Ms. Asaro handles the differences with a masterful touch, which lends credibility and substance to difficulties encountered in this international novel of computer intrigue and romance." — Reader to Reader Reviews