Observer: A Novel

Robert Lanza is a renowned scientist and author whose research spans many fields, from biology to theoretical physics. He is the bestselling author of the nonfiction biocentrism trilogy (Biocentrism, Beyond Biocentrism, and The Grand Biocentric Design), the basis of Observer. His blogs on The Huffington Post and Psychology Today have millions of views. Time magazine recognized him as one of the “100 Most Influential People,” and Prospect magazine named him one of the “Top 50 World Thinkers.” In addition to his groundbreaking work in the field of stem cells and regenerative medicine, Dr. Lanza has worked with some of the greatest minds of our time, including Jonas Salk and Nobel laureates Gerald Edelman (known for his work on the biological basis of consciousness) and Rodney Porter. He also worked closely with influential Harvard psychologist B.F. Skinner. A U.S. News and World Report cover story called him “the living embodiment of the character played by Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting” describing him as a “genius,” a “renegade thinker,” and likened him to Einstein. He was part of the team that cloned the world’s first human embryo, the first endangered species, and published the first-ever reports of pluripotent stem cell use in humans. He has been featured in almost every media outlet in the world, including all the major TV networks, CNN, FOX News, Time, Newsweek, People, as well as the front pages of The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and USA Today, among others. His work has also been the cover story of US News & World Report, Wired, and Scientific American.

Nancy Kress is the author of thirty-five books, including twenty-eight novels, four collections of short stories, and three books on writing. She has also authored over 100 short stories. Her work has won six Nebulas (for Beggars in Spain, The Flowers of Aulit Prison, Out of All Them Bright Stars, Fountain of Age, The Erdmann Nexus, and Yesterday’s Kin); two Hugos (for Beggars in Spain and The Erdmann Nexus); a Sturgeon (for The Flowers of Aulit Prison); and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award (for Probability Space). Her work has been translated into Swedish, Danish, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Polish, Croatian, Chinese, Lithuanian, Romanian, Japanese, Korean, Hebrew, Russian, Hungarian, and Klingon, none of which she can read. Much—though not all—of her later work concerns genetic engineering, on which she holds strong opinions. She has contributed stories on this topic to an anthology based on Microsoft’s Advanced Research division and to one created by the magazine Economist to showcase tech developments in the year 2050, among others. In addition to writing, Nancy has taught creative writing at various venues around the country, including Clarion, and abroad, and for thirteen years, she and Walter Jon Williams co-taught Taos Toolbox, a two-week intensive SF-writing course. Nancy lives in Seattle with her husband, writer Jack Skillingstead, and Pippin, a very indulged Chihuahua.