1990 Nebular Nominee "There is a glad tale-telling energy about the book-just as there was about James Tiptree Jr.'s best stories-that carries one on, as though to joy."-Los Angeles Times "A fast-paced adventure that explores man's place in the universe as well as the nature of the human spirit."-Chicago Tribune ¿The city-sized starships taking shape in Earth orbit are humanity's most ambitious endeavor. Each is to carry ten thousand people on the boldest adventure in history. But as the second vessel nears completion, the Project is under siege both by those desperate for a place aboard and those grimly determined that it should never set sail. The theft of Earth's best and brightest? Or the ultimate destiny of humankind? For Christopher McCutcheon, finding the answer will mean the difference between leaving everything, and being left behind.