Fiction / Science Fiction
384 pages • 5 1/2 x 8 1/4"
Cloth • ISBN 0–88995–329–5 • 26.95
Paper • ISBN 0–88995–346–5 • 19.95

In a future Earth recovering from a devastating plague, the radical environmental group Green Splinter assassinates politician Owen Lamberin. Owen's adopted daughter, a gifted musician named Jasmine Rochelle, hires street–smart Mane Silverstar to help her track down her father's killer, and the unlikely pair are plunged into a world of genetically engineered drugs, political machinations and corporate greed leading them deep into the re–created South American rain forests, where a terrible secret is hidden.

Danita Maslan's Interview and Reading

Listen to Robert Sawyer's interview with Danita Maslan from Calgary, Alberta, or listen to Danita reading from the start of the book.

Reviews
"An impressive debut, both as a work of fiction and as an examination of looming social problems. Maslan is one of the first fresh voices of the twenty-first century."
-- Hugo and Nebula Award finalist James Alan Gardner

"The scenes set in the rainforest are vivid and realistic. Rogue Harvest is a good read. It should appeal both to the science fiction fan and the reader of general fiction who is interested in a good story and thoughts about our planet's future.
Recommended. "
-- CM Magazine

"Danita Maslan's Rogue Harvest features some extremely disciplined sociological and scientific extrapolation, taking humanity into the aftermath of the catastrophes triggered by fossil fuel abuse, resource depletion and overpopulation. She deftly melds a complex story about genetic engineering gone wrong with a multifaceted portrayal of a corrupt political party, one that is very much the victim of its own success. Drawn as it is from the genuine ecological and political crises of the present day, this tale is wholly believable. So is Jasmine's half-planned, half-accidental rise to media stardom as she becomes the poster child of a global revolution."
-- Science Fiction Weekly

"Rogue Harvest combines cyberpunk, family drama, and ecological prophecy with a lot of action and adventure. The science is solid; the future richly depicted and nuanced. We're treated to an expansive vision of the world: its perils, its politics, even its music. I'm impressed with the depth and imagination of what Maslan has created."

"But what stands out most are the book's characters. The heroine, Jasmine, has a welcome complexity-a strong woman who makes things happen, but with her share of flaws and inner demons. Her partner, Mane, stands as a fitting counterbalance: an intriguing character in his own right, he provides a steadiness that complements Jasmine's mercurial personality."

"The secondary characters are just as well-realized. Instead of one-note villains, Maslan gives us real people with understandable (even sympathetic) motives for what they do. We see both sides of an ecological conundrum that resonates with the present day: how can we live in harmony with our environment, neither vandalizing it nor walling it off as too precious to touch? It's one of the most important questions in contemporary science fiction, and Maslan gets full marks for her thoughtful ruminations."

"In short, Rogue Harvest is an impressive debut, both as a work of fiction and as an examination of looming social problems. I look forward to Maslan's future career; she's definitely a writer to watch ...one of the first fresh voices of the twenty-first century."

Danita Maslan grew up in rural southern Ontario, exploring the forests there and imagining what the lives of the animals that lived there were like. A student trip to the reef in Belize in first year university hooked Danita on studying marine invertebrates. Danita has been a member of the Imaginative Fiction Writer's Association for over ten years and loves to travel. Danita Maslan lives in Calgary, Alberta, and is an educator at an urban ecopark.

Robert J. Sawyer - called "the dean of Canadian science fiction" by The Ottawa Citizen and "just about the best science-fiction writer out there these days" by The Denver Rocky Mountain News - won the 2003 Best Novel Hugo Award-the top international honour in science-fiction writing.

Visit Robert’s web site set up for the Robert J. Sawyer imprint of books at www.robertjsawyerbooks.com.