A tower that rises above the Mesopotamian plain until it touches the vault of heaven. Two men who reach such a high degree of intelligence that they resemble gods. The proof that mathematics is meaningless. An alien language that allows those who read it to expand their consciousness over time. The cabal and the theory of preformation are combined in a Victorian England out of our dreams, or our nightmares. With the arrival of metahumans, human science is reduced to a footnote. In a universe where God exists beyond any doubt, is it possible not to love him? And if you could program yourself to ignore appearances, would you risk losing all perception of human beauty? Ted Chang, winner of the John W. Campbell Jr. Award, shines like a nova in the firmament of science fiction.