"Fascinating, flawlessly developed, meticulously detailed."-Kirkus Reviews **** "In Joan Slonczewski's Brain Plague...a starving artist on the planet Veledon agrees to let a colony of "brain enhancers" occupy her skull. These microscopic creatures live in the brain's outer linings, causing bursts of genius-or irreparable harm. The creatures themselves are like tiny human beings; one of their greatest concerns is getting their young to breed."- The New Yorker **** "Slonczewski's world building is magnificent"-Booklist