Impending personal tragedy is dimming the brilliant light of Dr. Benjamin Knowlton's world. On the threshold of their greatest achievement, the renowned astrophysicist's beloved wife and partner -- exastronaut-tuned-astronomer Channing -- is dying.
But something looms alarmingly on the far edge of the solar system: at once a scientific find of unparalleled importance that could ensure the Knowltons' immortality, and a potentially earth-shattering cataclysm that dwarfs their private one. For Benjamin and Channing have discovered "Eater", an eons-old black hole anomaly that devours stars and worlds. Yet its most awesome and devastating secrets are still to be revealed ... and feared:
Eater is intelligent. And eager to communicate.
Eater is curious . . . and hungry.
Eater is rapidly heading our way . . .
Industry Reviews
"A scientist who writes with verve and insight not only about black holes and cosmic strings, but about human desires and fears". -- New York Times Book Review "Benford...presents the world of a real scientist in a way that is surprisingly rare in science fiction."--"The Denver Post"Benford is a rarity: a scientist who writes with verve and insight not only about black holes and cosmic strings but about human desires and fears."--"The New York Times Book Review""Gregory Benford is a distinguished physicist, astronomer and professor, but first and foremost he is a superb storyteller."--"The Houston Post"I grabbed hold of COSM and read it right though. Just what I needed...a splendid job of describing the way people work and talk when they are deeply engaged in science."--Feeman Dyson, The Institute of Advanced Study, Princeton, NJ"This may be the most enthralling science fictional portrayal of how actual science is done since Benford's own Nebula Award-winning 1980 novel "Timescape."--"Publishers Weekly (starred review)"COSM is full of concepts from the cutting edge of science, strange but almost disturbingly plausible. It's also full of people we can believe in and care about. Add to all this an exciting story, and you've got a mighty good read in your hands."--Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author Poul Anderson"Benford has a knack for portraying scientists and how they work: mind-bogglingly hard SF drama with flair and verisimilitude."--" Kirkus" (starred)..".thought provoking and ingenious."--" Starlog