Overview

They looked into darkness. The darkness looked back . . . An utterly gripping story of survival on a hostile planet from Adrian Tchaikovsky, author of the Arthur C. Clarke Award-winning Children of Time. A commercial expedition to a distant star system discovers a pitch-black moon alive with radio activity. Its high-gravity, high-pressure, zero-oxygen environment is deadly to human life, but ripe for exploitation. They named it Shroud. Under no circumstances can a human survive Shroud's inhospitable surface - but a catastrophic accident forces Juna Ceelander and Mai Ste Etienne to make an emergency landing in a barely adequate escape vehicle. Alone, and fighting for survival, the two women embark on a gruelling journey across land, sea and air in search of salvation. But as they travel, Juna and Mai begin to understand Shroud's unnerving alien species. It also begins to understand them. If they escape Shroud, they'll somehow have to explain the impossible and translate the incredible. That is, if they make it back at all . . . Praise for Adrian Tchaikovsky 'The smartest evolutionary worldbuilding you'll ever read' - Peter F. Hamilton, author of Salvation on Children of Time 'Compelling on human and cosmic levels, and unputdownable' - Stephen Baxter, author of Proxima on Alien Clay 'Heart-in-the-mouth fantastic' - New Scientist on Alien Clay

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9781035013791

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Reviews

Alien Clay is convincing, compelling on human and cosmic levels, and unputdownable -- Stephen Baxter, author of <i>Proxima</i> on <i>Alien Clay</i> One of the most interesting and accomplished writers in speculative fiction -- Christopher Paolini, author of <i>Eragon</i> and <i>To Sleep in a Sea of Stars</i> Tchaikovsky is writing modern classics and you should start reading them as soon as possible -- Tade Thompson, author of <i>Rosewater</i> A huge talent, writing at the peak of his powers * New Scientist * Tchaikovsky is the break-out star of contemporary British SF * The Guardian * Imaginative, horrifying and always amusing, it’s the perfect gateway into what makes Tchaikovsky great -- <i>SciFiNow </i>on <i>Alien Clay</i> Restless brainy and utterly involving, Alien Clay is as morally engaged as 1984 and as immersive as Avatar * The Daily Mail * [A] brilliant, gripping standalone novel, which reconstitutes numerous familiar SF tropes to create something thought-provoking, unexpected and at times unsettlingly weird -- <i>SFX Magazine</i>, 5* Review on <i>Alien Clay</i>

Alien Clay is convincing, compelling on human and cosmic levels, and unputdownable -- Stephen Baxter, author of <i>Proxima</i> on <i>Alien Clay</i> One of the most interesting and accomplished writers in speculative fiction -- Christopher Paolini, author of <i>Eragon</i> and <i>To Sleep in a Sea of Stars</i> Solid, nasty SF deeply rooted in hard biological speculation -- Ian McDonald, author of <i>New Moon</i> on <i>Alien Clay</i> Tchaikovsky is the break-out star of contemporary British SF * The Guardian * A huge talent, writing at the peak of his powers * New Scientist * Imaginative, horrifying and always amusing, it’s the perfect gateway into what makes Tchaikovsky great * SciFiNow * Restless brainy and utterly involving, Alien Clay is as morally engaged as 1984 and as immersive as Avatar * The Daily Mail * [A] brilliant, gripping standalone novel, which reconstitutes numerous familiar SF tropes to create something thought-provoking, unexpected and at times unsettlingly weird -- <i>SFX Magazine</i>, 5* Review

Thrilling, terrifying and fascinating in equal measure. A gripping story of survival and human endeavour against all odds. The most thought-provoking book I've read in a long time -- Tim Peake, British ESA astronaut Crunchy, conceptual SF at its best . . . the best alien contact novel I've read since Peter Watts' Blindsight, and that is high praise indeed -- Richard Morgan, author of <i>Altered Carbon</i> Clever, vivid and terrifying. Shroud is probably the most alien world anyone could possibly imagine. But no one has an imagination like Adrian Tchaikovsky -- Jim Al-Khalili, presenter of BBC Radio 4's <i>The Life Scientific</i> The most inventive alien world I've ever encountered in SF . . . Pure Tchaikovsky. I swear the man is some kind of genius -- Peter Watts, author of <i>Blindsight</i> Adrian Tchaikovsky explores worlds where no one else would dare to go, and the unimaginable becomes believable . . . This is hard-edged science fiction that never loses its soul -- Sue Burke, author of <i>Semiosis</i> A terrifically gripping story of survival and First Contact on a pitch-black death world . . . Bravo! -- Paul McAuley, author of <i>The Quiet War</i> Tchaikovsky is writing at the very peak of his powers and he is fizzing with more interesting ideas than any one human has a right to * New Scientist * Makes Andy Weir's vision of Mars in The Martian look like a Caribbean beach resort * Fantasy Hive * This is one of the best books I've read this year . . . I can't remember the last time I was this impressed – or moved – by a sci-fi book -- 5* NetGalley Review There's so much I want to express but I'm speechless . . . That Adrian Tchaikovsky can spin another sci-fi tale this detailed and yet so distinct is mind-blowing -- 5* NetGalley Review

Author Information

Adrian Tchaikovsky was born in Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire, has practised law and now writes full time. He's also studied stage-fighting, perpetrated amateur dramatics and has a keen interest in entomology and table-top games. Adrian is the author of the critically acclaimed Shadows of the Apt series, the Echoes of the Fall series and other novels, novellas and short stories. Children of Time won the prestigious Arthur C. Clarke Award, and Children of Ruin and Shards of Earth both won the British Science Fiction Award for Best Novel. The Tiger and the Wolf won the British Fantasy Award for Best Fantasy Novel, while And Put Away Childish Things won the BSFA Award for Best Shorter Fiction.

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