A novel and 5 related stories from the same future - his "Mechanist/Shaper" series. The stories first appeared from 1982 to 1984, in Magazine of F&SF (2), Omni, Interzone, and Universe 13. They were first collected in Crystal Express (1989.) The novel came from 1985. Four of the stories were Hugo and/or Nebula award-nominees, and the novel was a Nebula-nominee.

(Introduction by Bruce Sterling)
SCHISMATRIX
Swarm
Spider Rose
Cicada Queen
Sunken Gardens
Twenty Evocations