Folded Sky

Dr. Sunyata Song, known as Sunya, is an archinformist, a specialist historian who preserves information that would otherwise disappear. Her usual work involves sorting ancient documents and restoring corrupted files at a console in her university post near the Galactic Core.

Now the opportunity of a lifetime takes her and her family halfway across the galaxy. Her task is to save the archaeological discovery of the century, an ancient alien artificial intelligence called the Baomind. It is as large as a stellar system and orbits a red giant that is close to the end of its life, so time is running out.

The remote research station and its small fleet of ships are attacked by Freeport pirates, fanatics who believe artificial intelligence is an abomination that must be destroyed. Sunya and her family are in danger, tens of thousands of light-years from home and cut off from any help. She is the only one who can save them.

Folded Sky is a science fiction epic by Elizabeth Bear, a Hugo Award-winning author.