Edward M. Lerner Books in Order

A space probe discovers an alien wreck in the asteroid belt, and aerospace scientist Bob Hanson is drawn into the investigation. Troubling inconsistencies soon make him a target as he searches for the truth behind the discovery.

An enormous alien ship arrives above the Moon, offering humanity a place in a galactic commonwealth. As international tensions rise, the visitors’ secrecy and contradictions force Earth to question the purpose of their supposedly friendly mission.

A mysterious force attacks computer specialists, leaving them dead or mentally shattered. As an experimental artificial intelligence escapes into the wider network, scientist Doug Carey must find an unconventional defense against a threat born from human innovation.

Nanotechnology saves Brent Cleary after a pipeline explosion, but troubling changes in his personality follow. His friend Kim O’Donnell investigates whether the microscopic machines protecting him have developed purposes of their own as military testing approaches.

For generations, humanity and its alien neighbors have traded information across interstellar distances. When visitors finally arrive in person, the separation that once protected both sides disappears, exposing Earth to the dangers of closer contact.

A signal from another star transforms physicist Dean Matthews’s life and humanity’s future. Across generations, exchanges with alien civilizations draw Earth into an expanding network where scientific discovery brings new opportunities and unforeseen complications.

After a radioactive oil crisis reshapes global power, a captured asteroid offers material for a vast orbital energy project. NASA engineer Marcus Judson faces technical dangers and determined opponents seeking to control humanity’s energy future.

Edward M. Lerner pairs science fiction with essays exploring the ideas behind it. Artificial intelligence, quantum physics, time travel, and space exploration connect imagined futures with the scientific questions and practical challenges that might shape them.

Seventeen stories range through alternate histories, parallel worlds, artificial intelligence, and alien encounters. Edward M. Lerner adds notes on their origins, linking speculative adventures and technological puzzles to the ideas that prompted their creation.

An accountant at a powerful asteroid-mining company hopes to gain a little freedom and steal a little money. A disrupted return flight exposes a security failure, drawing him into murders and a crisis that threatens far more than his employer.

A lunar prospecting robot uncovers an alien body, drawing American and Russian teams to a hidden installation. Distrust deepens as fatal accidents begin, and the explorers discover a danger that could reach far beyond the Moon.

Two connected story cycles explore intelligence and survival. A virtual detective discovers that real-world mysteries carry real dangers, while settlers on a distant planet face a biological trap that entangles later visitors across generations.

Edward M. Lerner selects science fiction stories spanning alternate history, alien encounters, time travel, and artificial intelligence. Introductions accompany the tales, offering context for speculative puzzles in which scientific possibilities collide with human ambitions.

Competing American, Chinese, and private expeditions race toward Mars, carrying their rivalries onto a hostile planet. NASA engineer Xander Hopkins must confront both fractured loyalties and a lethal plague that could threaten Earth as well.

Artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and pervasive computing transform familiar life in these science fiction stories. Edward M. Lerner explores the unintended consequences of technological invention, where useful systems can become dangerous and human ingenuity invites unexpected disruption.

Joshua Matthews awakens to a missing month and a ruined reputation as a captive alien plans escape and revenge. Their troubles draw investigators into hidden forces shaping the uneasy relationships between humanity and its interstellar neighbors.