About the book: 2003 / Before you is one of the most original worlds in the entire history of the science fiction genre. Here two planets revolve around each other, connected by a common atmosphere... Here interplanetary travel is carried out BY BALLOONS, and the main weapon in interplanetary war is the BOW and ARROW. Here, things familiar to us are used in very UNUSUAL ways - and used SUCCESSFULLY! The action of Bob Shaw's endlessly fascinating science fiction trilogy takes place here!