Sea of Glass [Paperback]

Barry B. Longyear (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1988

A boy, who has known nothing in his brief life but love and darkness, forces open a window and sees for the first time the outside world, which also sees him: an illegal immigrant by birth. Arrested, his parents tortured to death, we see through Thomas Windoms eyes a race preparing to deal with overpopulation in the only manner left.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Hugo, Nebula, and Campbell Award winner, Barry Longyear is author of the acclaimed Enemy Mine, made into a major motion picture by Fox. Recent works include The Enemy Papers and Yesterdays Tomorrow. Having completed training as a PI, his current work is a mystery titled The Gentleman Prefers Blood. He lives with his wife, Jean, in New Sharon, Maine. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Avon Books (Mm) (January 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380700557
• ISBN-13: 978-0380700554
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,410,545 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Hugo & Nebula winning author of Enemy Mine (made into a major motion picture by Fox)

BARRY B. LONGYEAR is the first writer to win the Hugo, Nebula, and John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer all in the same year. In addition to his acclaimed Enemy Mine Series, his works include the classic Sea of Glass and Infinity Hold series, SF & fantasy novels, recovery and writing instruction works, and numerous short stories.


Nominations and Awards*:

1979 (Nomination) John W. Campbell Award for best new writer.
1979 John W. Campbell Award for best new writer.
1979 Hugo Award, best novella, "Enemy Mine."
1979 Nebula Award, best novella, "Enemy Mine."
1979 Locus Award, best novella, "Enemy Mine."

1979 (Nomination) Hugo Award, best novelette, "Homecoming."
1980 (Nomination), Hugo Award, best novelette, "Savage Planet."
1980 (Nomination), Locus Award, best novelette, "Savage Planet."
1980 (Nomination), AnLab Award, best novelette, "Savage Planet."
1981 (Nomination) Locus Award, Single Author Collection, Manifest Destiny.

1981 Distinguished Achievement Award, University of Maine at Farmington.

1982 (Nomination), AnLab Award, best short story, "Collector's Item."
1984 (Nomination) Prometheus Award, best novel, The Tomorrow Testament.

1990 (Finalist) Philip K. Dick Award, best novel, Infinity Hold.

1990 (Nomination) Prometheus Award, best novel, Infinity Hold.
1991 (Nomination) Prometheus Hall of Fame, Circus World.

1993 (Nomination), Locus Award, best novelette, "Chimaera."
1994 (Nomination), Locus Award, best novelette, "The Death Addict."

1999 (Nomination) Prometheus Hall of Fame, Circus World.

2002 (Nomination), Locus Award, best novella, "Silent Her."

2006 AnLab Award, best novella, "The Good Kill."
2007 AnLab Award, best novella, "Murder in Parliament Street."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful work, April 4, 2006

By 

William Sargent - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sea of Glass (Paperback)

When I was a kid, I had pretty typical taste in Science Fiction. It was Heinlein, Asimov, and even some Piers Anthony.

This book changed how I thought about science fiction. It says something, not only about the fictional world, but about our world. Instead of being about rough sketches of a characters to advance an idea, it's about a child growing up and finding out what his world is and what it means.

At the same time... man, is it bleak. I recommend this book to everyone, but some people just put it down midway because they don't like the ideas that that world has to live by. It's not a book for kids, but that's why I loved it, and think it's a book that everyone should read.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Chilling, February 11, 2005

By 

Melissa McCauley (North Little Rock, AR) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sea of Glass (Paperback)

Thomas Windom's only sin was being born an illegal child in this Malthusian nightmare set in the not-too-distant future of an overpopulated Earth. Tommy is thrown into a brutal work camp with other illegal children, a place filled with unspeakable brutality and the aching sweetness of first love. He inevitably turns to studying the system which has enslaved him and discovers the key to the prophecy made by the all-knowing computer, Mac III, which runs this frighteningly believable world. The ideas and images remain with you long after the book is over. Unforgettable.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful, Chilling, Superb, November 16, 2005

By 

Lee J. Stamm (Kennewick, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sea of Glass (Paperback)

A darkly gripping and starkly graphic picture of the near future, told in compelling first-person by the central character, as he grows from child to adult. Difficult to put down, almost forcing the reader to continue to the end. Certainly among Longyear's best, and easily on the long list of alltime best sci-fi novels.