Description
From Emma Newman, the award-nominated author of Between Two Thorns, comes a novel of how one secret withheld to protect humanity's future might be its undoing...
Renata Ghali believed in Lee Suh-Mi's vision of a world far beyond Earth, calling to humanity. A planet promising to reveal the truth about our place in the cosmos, untainted by overpopulation, pollution, and war. Ren believed in that vision enough to give up everything to follow Suh-Mi into the unknown.
More than twenty-two years have passed since Ren and the rest of the faithful braved the starry abyss and established a colony at the base of an enigmatic alien structure where Suh-Mi has since resided, alone. All that time, Ren has worked hard as the colony's 3-D printer engineer, creating the tools necessary for human survival in an alien environment, and harboring a devastating secret.
Ren continues to perpetuate the lie forming the foundation of the colony for the good of her fellow colonists, despite the personal cost. Then a stranger appears, far too young to have been part of the first planetfall, a man who bears a remarkable resemblance to Suh-Mi.
The truth Ren has concealed since planetfall can no longer be hidden. And its revelation might tear the colony apart...
About the Author
Emma Newman writes short stories, novels and novellas in multiple speculative fiction genres. She won the British Fantasy Society Best Short Story Award 2015 for 'A Woman's Place' in the 221 Baker Streets anthology. Between Two Thorns, the first book in Emma's Split Worlds urban fantasy series, was shortlisted for the BFS Best Novel and Best Newcomer 2014 awards. Her science-fiction novel, After Atlas, was shortlisted for the 2017 Arthur C. Clarke award and the third novel in the Planetfall series, Before Mars, has been shortlisted for a BSFA Best Novel award.
Emma is also a professional audiobook narrator and also co-wrote and hosted the Alfie and Hugo Award-winning podcast 'Tea and Jeopardy'. Her hobbies include dressmaking, painting and role playing. She blogs at www.enewman.co.uk and can be found as @emapocalyptic on Twitter.
Reviews
Cathartic and transcendent. * THE NEW YORK TIMES *
An exceptionally engaging novel that explores the complex relationship between mythology and science...Surprising plot turns and richly developed characters make for a vivid, riveting read. * The Washington Post *
I have been waiting for this book for a very long time. Planetfall is gripping, thoughtful science fiction in the vein of Tiptree or Crispin. Unique, timely, and enthralling...Emma Newman has crafted a story that turns inward on itself in a beautiful spiral; the written equivalent of the golden mean. Absolutely worth your time. Science fiction is meant to show us things about ourselves that we need to know. Planetfall is some of the finest sociological science fiction I have read since Tiptree...Absolutely beautiful. What a glorious, heartbreaking maze of a book. * Seanan McGuire, author of Every Heart a Doorway *
Newman has crafted a thrilling tale of murder, mystery and madness on a world where humanity is still its own worst enemy. Horrifying and heartbreaking in equal measure, the catastrophe driving this narrative will keep you riveted until the very last page. Don't miss this one. * Kameron Hurley, author of the The Mirror Empire *
A fascinating and propolsive tale about what could happen when actual humans try to settle a planet and about how little protection technology can really offer in the face of our inherent weaknesses. * LOCUS *
We have a destiny waiting for us among the stars, and now it's calling to us. A great genre debut, and beautifully written: an unfolding alien mystery, and complex, utterly believable characters. You will want to believe. * STEPHEN BAXTER *
Filled with wonders, revelations, and edge-of-the-seat suspense, Planetfall is a fascinating, heartbreaking exploration of love and loneliness set against an awe-inspiring backdrop. An instant classic of the genre. * Gareth L. Powell, BSFA Award-winning author of Ack-Ack Macaque *
You've never read a science fiction book like this. A masterful study of mental illness, with the ruins of an enigmatic alien race serving as therapist for one of the most unsparingly drawn fictional characters you'll ever read. * Melinda M. Snodgrass, screenwriter, author of the Edge series *
Caught my breath with its subtle power. * SF CROWSNEST *
Book Information
ISBN 9781473223851
Author Emma Newman
Format Paperback
Page Count 352
Imprint Gollancz
Publisher Orion Publishing Co
Weight(grams) 244g
Dimensions(mm) 196mm * 128mm * 24mm
