by Vernor Vinge
First published 1987
Paul Hoehler awakens in a future transformed by the Peace Authority, a totalitarian regime that maintains order through bobbles, impenetrable spheres that trap anything inside in suspended time. The Authority uses this technology to eliminate threats by bobbling dissidents, weapons, and entire military installations. Paul discovers he has been trapped in a bobble for decades while the world changed around him. He joins a growing resistance movement that seeks to overthrow the Peace Authority's stranglehold on civilization. The rebels must find a way to turn the Authority's own bobble technology against them, racing against time before their opposition is permanently silenced. As Paul navigates this dangerous new world, he grapples with loss, displacement, and the weight of fighting for freedom in a society built on technological oppression.
Genres: science-fiction, dystopia, adventure, political-thriller
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Peace Authority
Period: Future
317 pages · Paperback · London: Pan