For over three decades, Ray Kurzweil has been one of the most respected and provocative advocates of the role of technology in our future. In his classic The Age of Spiritual Machines, he argued that computers would soon rival the full range of human intelligence at its best.

Now he examines the next step in this inexorable evolutionary process: the union of human and machine, in which the knowledge and skills embedded in our brains will be combined with the vastly greater capacity, speed, and knowledge-sharing ability of our creations.

This controversial scientific vision predicts a time in which humans and machines will merge and create a new form of non-biological intelligence, explaining how the occurrence will solve such issues as pollution, hunger, and aging.

City is a captivating series of interconnected stories, forming a tapestry of legends, myths, and campfire tales told by Dogs about the twilight of human civilization. These stories revolve around the Webster family, renowned for their remarkable achievements, including designing the ships that propelled humans to the stars and bestowing Dogs with the gift of speech and robots to aid them.

The narrative unfolds over the course of 10,000 years, through the eyes of the Webster family and the immortal robot Jenkins. It touches upon themes dear to 1940s science fiction: robots, genetic engineering, space exploration, domed cities, hiveminds, telepathy, and parallel worlds.

As humanity's influence wanes, the Dogs, bred to eschew violence, inherit the Earth. The stories, imbued with a pastoral serenity, explore the enduring question of which of humanity's creations will ultimately claim the stars.