Redshift Rendezvous

by John E Stith

Overview

One man must stop starship hijackers from using an unusual starship to plunder a wealthy colony. Aboard the Redshift, light moves so slowly you can see its passage, and relativistic tricks are an integral part of shipboard life. Flip a light switch and see the room slowly fill with light. Run fast, and the view ahead shifts into blue, and you can create sonic booms. One component of the book is this slow-light thought experiment, a la Flatland by Edwin A. Abbott or Mr. Tomkins in Wonderland by George Gamow. (The appendix separates actual Theory of Relativity principles from speculation and fabrication.) Science Fiction Book Club selection, HOMer Award winner, Science Fiction Chronicle best of year list, LOCUS recommended Reading List, Nebula Award nominee.

Praise for Redshift Rendezvous

"The list of science fiction authors who play the game the hard way by sticking to the rules of science is all too short. Now to that group which includes Clarke, Niven, Asimov, Bear, and Clement should be added the name of John E. Stith."
--Dan Simmons

"If you love writers who play techy games with reality...pick this one up."
--Analog

"Mystery and adventure against a fascinating hard science background. This is without question Stith's best work to date."
--Science Fiction Chronicle

"Redshift Rendezvous represents an ingenious exploration of an idea in a manner that only science fiction can allow."
--Locus

"a unique, fascinating hard SF novel. Recommended."
--Library Journal

"This is absolutely one of the most terrific ideas for an SF novel I've seen in years. My first thought was, Why couldn't I have come up with this?' My second thought, too."
--Connie Willis

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780967298443
Publisher:	Reanimus, LLC
Publication date:	11/15/2016
Pages:	322
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.72(d)

Read an Excerpt

PASSENGER GUIDE

WARNING: Read This Guide Before Boarding the Redshift.

The environment aboard a hyperspace craft is quite safe as long as you are careful. The management reminds you that the speed of light on board this craft is ten meters per second, or about 30 million times slower than what you are used to. This means you will frequently encounter relativistic effects and optical illusions.

NEVER TAMPER WITH YOUR LIFEBELT OR ATTEMPT TO UNFASTEN IT. THE FIELD IT GENERATES ALLOWS YOUR NEURAL TRANSMISSIONS TO OPERATE AT NORMAL SPEEDS AND IT IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL TO YOUR HEALTH.

1. Use only the ship's master clock displays. Do not rely on your personal timepiece; it will accurately record your personal subjective time, but it will never agree with any other timepieces until you reset it when you leave the ship.

2. Remember that everything you see and hear is at least slightly in the past, due to the time it takes sound and light to travel. The closest things to you are the most current.

3. Trust what your hands tell you rather than believing your eyes. Bending light can make you think a convex floor is concave. Colors may shift and shapes may distort.

4. Go slow. Limit your speed to a fast walk until you are familiar with the environment. Please heed the traffic rules. By running fast, it is possible to exceed the speed of sound, which is only 6.7 meters per second.

5. Never assume anything.

6. Have a nice trip.

____________

"Phenomena Aboard the Redshift" gives further details, as well as the required liability disclaimer.

Editorial Reviews

"The list of science fiction authors who play the game the hard way by sticking to the rules of science is all too short. Now to that group which includes Clarke, Niven, Asimov, Bear, and Clement should be added the name of John E. Stith."
-Dan Simmons

"If you love writers who play techy games with reality...pick this one up."
-Analog

"Mystery and adventure against a fascinating hard science background. This is without question Stith's best work to date."
-Science Fiction Chronicle

"Redshift Rendezvous represents an ingenious exploration of an idea in a manner that only science fiction can allow."
-Locus

"a unique, fascinating hard SF novel. Recommended."
-Library Journal

"This is absolutely one of the most terrific ideas for an SF novel I've seen in years. My first thought was, 'Why couldn't I have come up with this?' My second thought, too."
-Connie Willis

From the Publisher