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Probability Space [Mass Market Paperback]

Nancy Kress
3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)

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Book Description

Jan 5 2004 Probability Trilogy
Nancy Kress cemented her reputation in SF with the publication of her multiple-award–winning novella, “Beggars in Spain,” which became the basis for her extremely successful Beggars Trilogy (comprising Beggars in Spain, Beggars and Choosers, and Beggars Ride).

And now she brings us Probability Space, the conclusion of the trilogy that began with Probability Moon and then Probability Sun, which is centered on the same world as Kress’s Nebula Award-winning novelette, “Flowers of Aulit Prison.” The Probability Trilogy has already been widely recognized as the next great work by this important SF writer.

In Probability Space, humanity’s war with the alien Fallers continues, and it is a war we are losing. Our implacable foes ignore all attempts at communication, and they take no prisoners. Our only hope lies with an unlikely coalition: Major Lyle Kaufman, retired warrior; Marbet Grant, the Sensitive who’s involved with Kaufman; Amanda, a very confused fourteen-year-old girl; and Magdalena, one of the biggest power brokers in all of human space.

As the action moves from Earth to Mars to the farthest reaches of known space, with civil unrest back home and alien war in deep space, four humans--armed with little more than an unproven theory--try to enter the Fallers’ home star system. It’s a desperate gamble, and the fate of the entire universe may hang in the balance.

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From Amazon

As Probability Space opens, the future looks grim, though humanity has spread across the stars. Humans have gained control of a moon-sized, immensely powerful super-weapon abandoned by a long-gone alien race--an artifact that should protect humanity from its implacable enemy, the Fallers, a ruthlessly xenophobic alien race. Unfortunately, the Fallers have found another of these abandoned super-weapons, and if both are discharged at the highest setting at the same time, then the very fabric of space-time will be shredded, destroying not only all life in the universe, but the universe itself. But for the Fallers, victory may be more important than survival. And a violent military coup has put an insanely ambitious general in command of human space....

A novel of literary hard SF, Probability Space concludes the trilogy that begins with Probability Moon and includes Probability Sun. Author Nancy Kress has received the Hugo Award, the Sturgeon Award, and three Nebula Awards. --Cynthia Ward --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

The action-filled final volume in Kress's Probability Trilogy (Probability Moon; Probability Sun) spectacularly resolves the human-Faller stalemate. The story's setting moves from Earth to Mars to the planet World, all of which lie within the nexus of wormholes that somehow link space together. Central to the security of humanity is an alien artifact that has the capacity to protect-or destroy-entire star systems. Two of these devices are known to exist: one is held by humans, the other by the alien and hostile Fallers, with whom humanity is at war. When a military coup knocks the current leader out of power and he's replaced by a fool, Pierce, three people realize that Pierce may seek to use the artifact to utterly annihilate the Fallers-and likely the fabric of space-time. Physicist Tom Capelo, who found the artifact, military man Lyle Kaufman and sensitive Marbet Grant concoct a wild plan to save the day, a plan that involves hijacking the artifact and making direct contact with the enigmatic alien race. Meanwhile, Tom's daughter, 14-year-old Amanda Capelo, finds herself on the run as she's chased by military personnel who believe she knows something about who kidnapped her father. Worse, the young Greek man who befriends her may not be trustworthy. Admirers of the author's shorter work may be put off by inconsistent characterization and some utterly improbable situations, but followers of the trilogy will find much to enjoy here.Hugo and Nebula awards for her short fiction.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Sometimes it seemed to Amanda Capelo that she had the best life of any of her friends at Sauler Academy. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars
3.0 out of 5 stars
Most helpful customer reviews
By Alison S. Coad TOP 50 REVIEWER
Format:Mass Market Paperback
"Probability Space" is the final book in Nancy Kress' "probability trilogy," with the action taking place a couple of years after the previous book in the series, "Probability Sun." Here, we follow retired Major Kaufman and his partner, a Sensitive named Marbet, as they travel back to World to rescue the humans who remained behind at the end of the last book; there, they encounter Magdalena, a major power-broker in the human universe and a force unto herself. Meanwhile, physicist Tom Capelo has been kidnapped and his 14-year-old daughter Amanda is on the run, hoping to find out what happened to him. These four are all pursuing their own agendas in the context of the interstellar war with the Fallers, a race that shows inexplicable, genocidal hostility toward humans, and that war is not going so well.... As the final book in the trilogy, this both satisfies and does not; Kress keeps the plot racing along (indeed, it's quite action-packed in a way I've not seen with her work before) and we do reach a conclusion to the larger situation that is both interesting and unexpected. But she has her characters leaving World again early on, and we never return there; I would have liked to have had a scene visiting that planet one last time because it was such an interesting place. So, I'm a bit disappointed, although I still recommend the book, and the entire trilogy.
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2.0 out of 5 stars Not a satisfying finish to the trilogy Jan 21 2004
Format:Mass Market Paperback
While I thoroughly enjoyed the previous two books in this trilogy, I feel that the third volume falls somewhat flat. Kress alternates between two main storylines (one following Amanda Capelo, and the other following Lyle Kaufman) both of which are at best reactionary and at worst aimless. The absurdity of the plot devices in the Amanda storyline are only outdone by the impossibility of the plot devices in the Kaufman storyline. Motivations for the characters are often unclear.

Halfway through the book, I was convinced that even the author had no idea where it was going. Somewhat late in the game (about page 200) the book does find its pacing and races to finish things off, but I found the conclusion unsatisfying.

I would only recommend this book to fans of the first two books who are obsessive compulsive completists. Casual fans would be better off reading Kress' short fiction.

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4.0 out of 5 stars exciting climax to a strong series Sep 14 2002
By Harriet Klausner TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Hardcover
The war between mankind and the Fallers goes unabated as humanity's enemy still ignores any transmissions from their opponents. If anything, the hostilities are turning worse at least for humans as it looks inevitable that the Fallers are going to win. An alien victory means the end of humanity because no one survives a battle let alone a war with the enigmatic Fallers.

The taste of defeat leads to an earthly coup with the new leader apparently willing to use a "not of this earth" doomsday machine (that the Fallers also possess) to annihilate the enemy. However, not everyone agrees with the wisdom of deploying a device not fully understood as to its ramifications and most likely will also rip the space-time continuum. Physicist Capelo, Major Kaufman, and sensitive Grant try a Hail Mary ploy to communicate with the Fallers before the galaxy as it is relatively known is ripped asunder forever.

The final novel in the "Probability" trilogy (see Probability Sun and Probability Moon) is an exciting climax to a strong series. The story line of Probability Space can stand alone yet brings closure that will please fans of the series and coax newcomers to seek out the previous books. Though the probability of some of the events occurring as written seems statistically unreliable, Nancy Kress furbishes a strong climax to a delightfully intelligent triad.

Harriet Klausner

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