Finity - Hardcover

In Finity, John Barnes starts with the premise that Hitler won World War II, but that's not the only curious thing that's going on in his world. Earth in 2063 is filled with intelligent cars and personal ballistic transports, but the United States has vanished from humanity's collective memory. Like everyone else, Lyle Peripart isn't even aware that he's forgotten about the U.S., until the enigmatic tycoon Geoffrey Iphwin offers him a job and tries to bring it up in conversation. Iphwin thinks that Lyle's specialty, abductive reasoning, might be the key to solving the mystery, and he's not alone.

Lyle soon finds himself observed by strange Nazi spies and the target of several murder attempts, but he also discovers some unexpected aces in his sleeve: his fiancée turns into a deadly pistoleer when needed, though she doesn't seem to remember it! And he suddenly finds himself in possession of a cat named Fluffy. While Finity isn't Barnes' best effort, it's an intriguing and entertaining "What if?" adventure that keeps the action coming and the pages turning. --Craig E. Engler

John Barnes is professor of English and theatre studies in the US. He is a Hugo and Nebula award shortlisted author.