It is the distant future. The world known as Virga is a fullerene balloon three thousand kilometers in diameter, filled with air, water, and floating chunks of rock. The humans who live in this vast environment must build their own fusion suns and "towns" ―enormous wood and rope wheels that are spun for centripetal gravity. This complex and fascinating world is the setting for the novels of Virga, Karl Schroeder's interstellar far-future space habitat sealed off from contamination by the rest of the inhabited universe. These books have set a high standard for hard SF adventure in the last decade, and now the first two novels, Sun of Suns and Queen of Candesce , are brought out for the first time in one trade paper omnibus. “Outrageously brilliant and absolutely not to be missed.” ― Kirkus Reviews, starred review on Sun of Suns, a Kirkus pick for the Best of 2006 “A classic space opera…full of feudal castles and wooden ships, ancient compasses, old revolvers, and frothing beakers on one hand, and flying bikes, space travel, and cyborgs on the other.” ― Toronto Globe and Mail on Sun of Suns “I loved it. It never slowed down. The background is fascinating and the characters held my attention. It reminded me a little of The Integral Trees , with technology a little more advanced.” ―Larry Niven on Sun of Suns “Karl Schroeder…is proving to be one of our most ingenious devisers of exotic, fantastic settings as well as a spinner of ripping yarns.… Schroeder's world-building, storytelling, and character-drawing chops seem strong enough to have given even Known Space run for its money.” ― Locus on Queen of Candesce KARL SCHROEDER is a professional futurist as well as one of Canada's most popular science fiction and fantasy authors. He divides his time between writing and conducting workshops and speaking on the potential impacts of science and technology on society. He is the author of The Million , as well as a half-dozen previous SF novels. Virga: Cities of the Air By Schroeder, Karl Tor Books Copyright © 2010 Schroeder, Karl All right reserved. ISBN: 9780765326706 1 HAYDEN GRIFFIN WAS plucking a fish when the gravity bell rang. The dull clang penetrated even the thick wooden walls of the corporation inn; it was designed to be heard all over town. Hayden paused, frowned, and experimentally let go of the fish. Four tumbling feathers flashed like candle flames in an errant beam of sunlight shooting between the floorboards. The fish landed three feet to his left. Hayden watched the feathers dip in a slow arc to settle next to it. “A bit early for a spin-up, ain’t it?â€? said Hayden. Miles grunted distractedly. The former soldier, now corporation cook, was busily pouring sauce over a steaming turkey that he’d just rescued from the oven’s minor inferno. His bald skull shone in the fire-light. “They might need me all the same,â€? continued Hayden. “I better go see.â€? Miles glanced up. “Your ma left you here,â€? he said. “You been bad again. Pick up the fish.â€? Hayden leaned back against the table, crossing his arms. He was trying to come up with a reply that didn’t sound like whining when the bell rang again, more urgently. “See?â€? he said. “They need somebody. Nobody in town’s as good with the bikes as I am. Anyway, how you gonna boil this fish if the gravity goes?â€? “Gravity ain’t gonna go, boy,â€? snapped Miles. “It’s solid right now.â€? “Then I better go see what else is up.â€? “You just want to watch your old lady light the sun,â€? said Miles. “Don’t you?â€? “Today’s just a test. I’ll wait for tomorrow, when they light it for real.â€? “Come on, Miles. I’ll be right back.â€? The cook sighed. “Go, then. Set the bikes going. Then come right back.â€? Hayden bolted for the door and Miles shouted, “Don’t leave that fish on the floor!â€? As Hayden walked down the hall to the front of the inn another stray beam of sunlight spiked up around the plank floor-boards. That was a bad sign; Mom would have to wait for deep cloud cover before lighting the town’s new sun, lest the Slip-streamers should see it. Slipstream would never tolerate another sun so close to their own. The project was secret—or it had been. By tomorrow the whole world would know about it. Hayden walked backward past the well-polished oak bar, waving his lanky arms casually at his side as he said, “Bell rang. Gotta check the bikes.â€? One of the customers smirked doubtfully at him; Mama Fifty glared at him from her post behind the bar. Before she could reply he was out the front door. A blustery wind was blowing out here as always, even whistling up between the street boards. Sunlight angled around the edges of the street’s peaked roof, bars and rectangles of light sliding along the planking and up the walls of the buildings that crammed every available space. The street boards gave like springs under Hayden’s feet as he ran up the steep curve of the avenue, whi