he struggles to find his identity in this cruel and dreamlike land-and seeks out the woman whose grip on his imagination is both unfathomable and unshakable. Haunting and lyrical, filled with uncommon beauty and terrific peril, A SHORT, SHARP SHOCK is an ambitious and enthralling story by one of science fiction's most respected talents. Kim Stanley Robinson is the author of over twenty books and has won every major award in the science fiction genre. Originally published in 1990, A SHORT, SHARP SHOCK remains a singular work in his canon that engages his interests in the evironment and plumbs the absurdities of the human condition while charting unique narrative terrain. This anti-oedipal edition includes an insightful introduction by esteemed science fiction scholar and critic Robert Crossley as well as a study guide, both of which encourage readers to explore the literary prowess that makes this novel a rare gem of twentieth century American literature.