Gregory Dale Bear (born August 20, 1951) is a science fiction author. His work has covered themes of galactic conflict (Forge of God books), artificial universes (Eon series) and accelerated evolution (Blood Music, Darwin's Radio and Darwin's Children). Bear was born in San Diego, California. From 1968 to 1973 he attended San Diego State University, from which he received an A.B. degree. In 1975, he married Christina M. Nielson, but they divorced in 1981. He remarried in 1983, to Astrid Anderson, the daughter of science fiction author Poul Anderson.

Work

The scientific details in his work are such that he is usually classified as a hard science fiction author, but some of his speculations are not equally rigorous in all of his works. For example, the mathematics in the Eon series, such as the "pi meter", are dubious at best and The Forge of God interprets the Gaia theory freely in ways that might be considered questionable by most scientists.

More recent works such as the Darwin's Radio/Darwin's Children pair of novels which deal with the impact of a strange disease which appears to drive evolutionary transitions, stick closely to the known facts of molecular biology of viruses and evolution. While some fairly speculative ideas are entertained (it is after all, fiction) they are introduced in such a rigorous and disciplined way within the context of the cutting edge of those disciplines, that Darwin's Radio gained praise in the science journal Nature.

While most of Bear's work is science fiction, two of his early works, The Infinity Concerto and The Serpent Mage are clearly fantasies, and Psychlone is horror.

Bibliography

• Psychlone (1979)
• Hegira (1979)
• The Wind From a Burning Woman (1983)
• Beyond Heaven's River (1980)
• The Strength of Stones (1981)
• The Infinity Concerto (1984)
• The 'Eon' series
  • Eon (1985)
  • Eternity (1988)
  • Legacy (1995)
• Blood Music (1985) won the 1984 Nebula award for best novella, and the Hugo award
• Strength of Stones (1986)
• The Serpent Mage (1986)
• The Forge of God series:
  • The Forge of God (1987)
  • Anvil of Stars (1992)
• Sleepside Story (1988)
• The short story: "Tangents" (1986)
• A collection of short stories, Tangents (1989)
• A group of novels featuring a shared history and some common characters:
  • Queen of Angels (1990)
  • Heads (1990)
  • Moving Mars (1993) won the 1994 Nebula award for best novel
  • / (aka Slant) (1997)
• The Venging (1992 -
• Songs of Earth and Power (1994 - combines The Infinity Concerto and The Serpent Mage)
• Foundation and Chaos (1998)
• Dinosaur Summer (1998)
• Darwin's Radio (1999) won the 2000 Nebula award for best novel
• Vitals (2002)
• Darwin's Children (2003)
• Dead Lines (2004)

External links

• Greg Bear's website
• An excerpt from Slant (1997)