Anvil of Stars

Anvil of Stars is a science fiction novel by American writer Greg Bear, a sequel to The Forge of God. The book was initially released in 1992 by Warner Books. It and Forge helped build Bear's reputation within the science fiction community and have been widely reviewed by fans and industry critics.

In the novel, volunteers from among survivors of the recently destroyed Earth are sent on a quest by a mysterious race of beings known as "The Benefactors" to find and destroy "The Killers", the civilization responsible for the Earth's destruction. The Benefactors' Law requires the "Destruction of all intelligences responsible for or associated with the manufacture of self-replicating and destructive devices."

The book is written almost entirely from the point of view of a central character, Martin Gordon, known as Martin Spruce, who is the son of a central character in The Forge of God, Arthur Gordon. Although a leader of Pan, Martin has moral qualms. His successor, Hans, however, does not hesitate to finish "the Job."