Product Description

The first set of stories from an acclaimed young science fiction author. 'One of the genre's great ideas men' THE TIMES Includes : The Hundred light year diary, Learning to be me, Closer.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1652458 in Books
• Published on: 1995
• Original language: English
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 368 pages

Amazon.com
Axiomatic is a collection of Greg Egan's short stories that appeared in various science fiction magazines (mostly Interzone and Asimov's) between 1989 and 1992. Like most of Egan's work, the stories focus on science and ideas, sometimes at the expense of the writing. But although Egan may lack a certain stylistic flare, he more than makes up for it with his wonderful visions of the future. Some of the more interesting stories include "Into Darkness," the tale of a rescue worker whose territory is a runaway wormhole, and the title story "Axiomatic," which is about a man looking to find meaning in the senseless death of his wife.

Back Cover
From junkies who drink at the time-stream to love affairs in time-reversed galaxies; from gene-altered dolphins that converse only in limericks to the program that allows you to design your own child; from the brain implants called axiomatics to the strange attractors that spin off new religions, Greg Egan's future is frighteningly close to our own present.

About the Author
Greg Egan is Australian by birth and lives there today. In addition to being a Science Fiction author he is a computer programmer.

Customer Reviews

Stupendously great
Some of these stories are so brilliant that if I win the lottery I will not hesitate to find Egan and beg/bribe him to turn "The Safe-Deposit Box" and "A Kidnapping" and "Learning to be Me" and "Seeing" and "The Moat" into novels. And I'm not even done with the book.

Which brings me to my other point. This is a book that should be savored. Most of the stories contain an idea/concept that is worth savoring for a few hours before moving on to the next one. I'm trying hard to make the remaining stories last.

solid hard sci-fi

Greg Egan always delivers solid, hard sci-fi. This book of short stories is worth it for "Learning to Be Me" alone, which has never failed to make each person I've ever given it to feel squeamish and creeped out. I can't say that about many stories. The other stories are not quite as good, but still, good for thought. In general, most of the stories seemed to fall into one of two themes. One of them is morality and the consequences of one's actions. The other was riffing on identity and self. The latter category, of which "Learning" is one are the more interesting, in my opinion.

Australian SF Reader
Egan's first collection of great mind bending and mind melting stories. Really high quality at a 3.94 average, and a major talent of the form.

Axiomatic : The Infinite Assassin - Greg Egan
Axiomatic : The Hundred Light-Year Diary - Greg Egan
Axiomatic : Eugene - Greg Egan
Axiomatic : The Caress - Greg Egan
Axiomatic : Blood Sisters - Greg Egan
Axiomatic : Axiomatic - Greg Egan
Axiomatic : The Safe-Deposit Box - Greg Egan
Axiomatic : Seeing - Greg Egan
Axiomatic : A Kidnapping - Greg Egan
Axiomatic : Learning to Be Me - Greg Egan
Axiomatic : The Moat - Greg Egan
Axiomatic : The Walk - Greg Egan
Axiomatic : The Cutie - Greg Egan
Axiomatic : Into Darkness - Greg Egan
Axiomatic : Appropriate Love - Greg Egan
Axiomatic : The Moral Virologist - Greg Egan
Axiomatic : Closer - Greg Egan
Axiomatic : Unstable Orbits in the Space of Lies - Greg Egan


Multiversal murder tango, at a Cantor.

4.5 out of 5


Foreknowledge failure.

3.5 out of 5


Micromanaged kid just a tad nihilistic.

4 out of 5


An enhanced policeman gets entangled in a billionaire's bizarre Dr Moreau creations as art and save the child schemes.

4 out of 5


Placebo death override.

4 out of 5


A man who lost his wife in an armed robbery shooting, and is a complete believer in the sanctity of life wants to get a brain implant so he can do something about his wife's killer, now released from jail.

4.5 out of 5


Jumper, no wild card or evil lawyers, but crppy base situation.

4 out of 5


Bullet in body, bullet out of body, seat of consciousness partially likewise.

3.5 out of 5


Copy deception reality frozen.

4.5 out of 5


A man learns to come to terms with the Jewel or Ndoli device - which is also mentioned in Border Guards, and has a bit of a different reaction with a glitch to others.

3 out of 5


Immigrantproofing the wealthy.

4.5 out of 5


Assassin death rligion victim choice.

4 out of 5


Paternal pang kit cure destruction.

4 out of 5


Hyperspace saviour run record.

4.5 out of 5


Brain baby.

4 out of 5


A crazed and expert biologist creates a virus that will ensure non-monogamous sx will kill you. He fails to account for pregnancy correctly.

3.5 out of 5


Another 'jewel' story, this time, two people meet at work, and one of them has a fetish that he wants to know what it is like to be someone else, so they do some body swapping, and use identical clones as well, to experiment.

3.5 out of 5


Strange society not attractive.

3.5 out of 5