THE STARS ARE ALSO FIREPoul AndersonCopyright 1994Published by Tom Doherty Associates LLC175 Fifth AvenueNew York NY 10010Tor?? is a registered trademark of Tom Doherty Associates LLC.ISBN: 0-812-53022-5Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 94-7020First edition: August 1994First mass market edition: October 1995Printed in the United States of America 09876543TO LARRY AND MARILYN NIVENACKNOWLEDGMENTSFor advice information suggestions encouragement and much else I am indebted to Karen Anderson first and foremost as alwaysGregory Benford CJ. Cherryh Larry J. Friesen Robert Gleason Alan Jeffery Mike Resnick and S.M. Stirling. They are not responsiblefor any errors or other infelicities that remain in this book but without them there would have been many more.It is clear that I have also drawn on the thoughts of Freeman Dyson Hans Moravec Roger Penrose Gunther S. Stent and Frank J. TiplerAgain nothing bad is their fault the more so since I have often contradicted this or that in their writings. For that matter some of their ownideas disagree with each other. All are immensely interesting and reach for the very heart of truth.DRAMATIS PERSONAESome minor figures are omittedAiant: A husband of Lilisaire.Annie: Former wife of lan Kenmuir.Anson Beynac: Oldest child of Dagny and Edmond Beynac. Carla Beynac: Sixth child of Dagny and Edmond Beynac. Dagny Beynac: An engineer later an administrator eventually a political leader on Luna in early days her download. Edmond Beynac: A geologist husband ofDagny Beynac. Francis Beynac: Fourth child of Dagny and Edmond Beynac. Gabrielle Beynac: Second child of Dagny and Edmond Beynac. Helen Beynac: Fifth child of Dagny and Edmond Beynac. Sigurd Beynac: Third child of Dagny and Edmond Beynac.Bolly: A henchman of Bruno. Bornay: Son of Lilisaire and Caraine. Brandir: Lunarian name of Anson Beynac. Bruno: Mayor of Overburg in Bramland. Caraine: A husband of Lilisaire. Mary Carfax: Alias of a sophotect in Lilisaire’s service.Delgado: An officer of the Peace Authority. Diddyboom: Pet name given Dagny by Guthrie. Dagny Ebbesen: A granddaughter and protegee ofAnson Guthrie after her marriage Dagny Beynac.DRAMATIS PERSONAEErann: A grandson of Brandir.Etana: A Lunarian space pilot.Eyrnen: A Lunarian bioengineer son of Jinann.Eythtt: A henchman of Lilisaire.Fernando: A priest and leader among the Drylanders.Fia: Lunarian name of Helen Beynac.James Fong: An officer of the Peace Authority.Miguel Fuentes: An engineer on Luna in early days.Lucrezia Gambetta: Second governor general of Luna for the World Federation.Petras Gedminas: An engineer on Luna in early days.Anson Guthrie: Co-founder and chief of Fireball Enterprises his download.Juliana Guthrie: Wife of Anson Guthrie and co-founder of Fireball Enterprises.Zaid Hakim: An agent of the Ministry of Environment of the World Federation.Einar Haugen: Fourth governor general of Luna for the World Federation.Stepan Huizinga: A leader among the Terran Moondwellers in early days.Ilitu: A Lunarian geologist.Inalante: Mayor of Tychopolis a son of Kaino.Iscah: A metamorph of Chemo type in Los Angeles.Ivala: A wife of Brandir.Eva Jannicki: A spacefarer for Fireball Enterprises.Daniel Janvier: President of the World Federation at the time of the Lunar crisis.Jinann: Lunarian name of Carla Beynac.Charles Jomo: A mediator in East Africa.Ka’eo: One of the Keiki Mqana.Kaino: Lunarian name of Sigurd Beynac.Aleka Kame: A member of the Lahui Kuikawa serving as liaison with the Keiki Moana and other metamorphs.lan Kenmuir: An Earth-born space pilot of the Venture.Lilisaire: A Lunarian magnate of the Republic era.Matthias: Lodgemaster Rydberg of the Fireball Trothdom.DRAMATIS PERSONAELucas Mthembu: Birth name of Venator.Dolores Nightborn: An alias of Lilisaire.Niolente: A Lunarian magnate of the Selenarchy era leader of the movement against incorporation of Luna in the World Federation.Manyane Nkuhlu: A spaceman for Fireball Enterprises.Irene Norton: Alias used by Aleka Kame.Antonio Oliveira: A spaceman for Fireball EnterprisesJoe Packer: An engineer on Luna in early days.Sam Packer: A consorte of the Fireball Trothdom.Rinndalir: A Lunarian magnate of the Selenarchy era co-leader of the exodus to Alpha Centauri.Larf Rydberg: A spaceman for Fireball Enterprises son of Dagny Ebbesen and William Thurshaw.Vila Rydberg: Wife of Lars Rydberg.Sandhu: A guru at P raj rial oka.Soraya: A metamorph of Titan type in Los Angeles.Mohandas Sundaram: A colonel of the Peace Authority on Luna.Alice Tarn: Anglo version of “Aleka Kame.”Temerir: Lunarian name of Francis Beynac.The Teramind: The apex of the cybercosm.William Thurshaw: Youthful lover of Dagny Ebbesen.Tuori: A wife of Brandir