▁which ▁was ▁first ▁published ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 5 . ▁Bear ' s ▁early ▁influ ences ▁included ▁science ▁fiction ▁authors ▁Robert ▁A . ▁Hein lein , ▁Isaac ▁As im ov ▁and ▁P oul ▁Anderson . ▁ ▁Bear ▁called ▁City ▁at ▁the ▁End ▁of ▁Time ▁his ▁" long est ▁and ▁most ▁am bit ious ▁science ▁fiction ▁novel " ▁he ▁has ▁written ▁for ▁a ▁while . ▁He ▁said ▁it ▁is ▁a ▁" sign ific ant ▁departure " ▁from ▁any ▁of ▁his ▁previous ▁works , ▁and ▁that ▁it ▁has ▁a ▁future ▁history ▁unlike ▁anything ▁he ▁had ▁tack led ▁before . ▁In ▁an ▁interview ▁with ▁And rom eda ▁Space ways ▁In fl ight ▁Magazine ▁in ▁September ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁Bear ▁said ▁that ▁what ▁inspired ▁him ▁to ▁write ▁City ▁at ▁the ▁End ▁of ▁Time ▁was ▁the ▁question , ▁" What ▁if ▁we ' re ▁still ▁primitive ▁in ▁our ▁thinking ▁[ about ▁physics ▁and ▁cosm ology ] ? ", ▁and ▁this ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁idea ▁for ▁a ▁story ▁of ▁" a ▁Un iverse ▁that ▁goes ▁on ▁and ▁on ▁and ▁on , ▁and ▁how ▁reality ▁might ▁have ▁to ▁be ▁changed ▁by ▁that ▁circumst ance ." ▁ ▁Bear ▁told ▁L ocus ▁magazine ▁in ▁August ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁found ▁what ▁appears ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁" continu ity " ▁in ▁British ▁science ▁fiction : ▁H . ▁G . ▁Well s ' s ▁The ▁Time ▁Machine ▁( 1 8 9 5 ), ▁Arthur ▁C . ▁Clar ke ' s ▁The ▁City ▁and ▁the ▁Stars ▁(