Hunters Run by George R. R. Martin

This document is an excerpt from the science fiction novel Hunter's Run, co-authored by George R. R. Martin, Gardner Dozois, and Daniel Abraham. It introduces the protagonist, Ramón Espejo, a prospector on the planet São Paulo, and immediately immerses the reader in his troubled life marked by past violence and an ongoing fugitive status. The narrative follows Ramón as he flees into the wilderness after inadvertently killing a European ambassador, only to encounter mysterious, non-human aliens who capture him and reveal a shocking truth about his existence. The story then chronicles his forced collaboration with one of these aliens, Maneck, as they pursue another version of Ramón, leading to a complex exploration of identity, survival, and the nature of humanity in an alien-dominated galaxy. Ultimately, Ramón finds himself back in civilization, grappling with the repercussions of his experiences and the profound shift in his understanding of himself.