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Availability:
In Stock.
Arrives
Saturday, Nov 7
At a glance
- Condition
- New
- Dimensions
- 5.45 x 1.09 x 8.25 in
- Weight
- 13.6 oz
- Publisher
- Orbit
- Publication date
- September 17, 2024
- Language
- English
- Print length
- 432 pages
Description
From Arthur C. Clarke Award-winning author Adrian Tchaikovsky comes a far- future epic that confirms his place as a modern master of science fiction, in which a political prisoner must unlock the secrets of a strange and dangerous planet."A staggering, alien vision of deepest solidarity." ―Esquire, Best of the Year The planet of Kiln is where the tyrannical Mandate keeps its prison colony, and for inmates, the journey there is always a one-way trip. One such prisoner is Professor Arton Daghdev, xeno-ecologist and political dissident. Soon after arrival, he discovers that Kiln has a secret. Humanity is not the first intelligent life to set foot there. In the midst of a ravenous, chaotic ecosystem are the ruins of a civilization, but who were the vanished builders and where did they go? If he can survive both the harsh rule of the camp commandant and the alien horrors of the world around him, then Arton has a chance at making a discovery that might just transform not only Kiln, but distant Earth as well. "[A] mind-expanding planetary romp ... Tchaikovsky continues to impress." -Publishers Weekly"A vision of extraterrestrial life that’s as fascinating as it is horrifying." -BookPageAlso by Adrian Tchaikovsky: The Children of Time series Children of Time Children of Ruin Children of Memory Children of Strife The Final Architecture series Shards of Earth Eyes of the Void Lords of Uncreation Read more
Specs 8
| Publisher | Orbit |
|---|---|
| Publication date | September 17, 2024 |
| Language | English |
| Print length | 432 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 0316578975 |
| ISBN-13 | 74 |
| Item Weight | 13.6 ounces |
| Dimensions | 5.45 x 1.09 x 8.25 inches |
No specs match.
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Top Amazon Reviews
Great Alien Ecosphere
Format: Kindle
The first half of the book is about extremely difficult situations. The second half is how this team rises above. Worth reading until the end.
Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2026 by JC
Good story though somewhat predictable at times.
Format: Kindle
Adrian writes a good story. He creates fascinating worlds with characters that are well developed and often thought provoking. This story is no different there. We have our main character who is a political prisoner and highly educated academic being sent to a death colony of a planet to be forced labor. The trip takes decades, the prisoners sent through the atmosphere like the disposable fodder they are onto a world that appears to actively hate them and seeks to destroy them by whatever means necessary. On top of that the Warden is a rather sadistic individual who fancies himself an academic. Since the majority of other prisoners are also academics and even if they escape they are lightyears from home with no real exit plan we have the makings of a quandary. While some parts of the plot are predictable, the strange science of the planet itself is fascinating in the thought provoking way of the authors that explores humanity, sentience and freedom of thought. It really is a good book and while not in the league of others Adrian has written it definitely deserves a place on the shelf. Thank you netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book so I can write an honest review.
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Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2024 by RavenousReader
Another world builder by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Format: Kindle
More xenobiology, explorations of different forms of minds, and dystopian human futures from Adrian Tchaikovsky. Good read, fascinating ideas, different narrative technique. Nice that it is contained in a single volume. Read it if you enjoyed the Children of Time series or Shroud. Highly recommend.
Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2026 by MacGyver
Good book except "they" is plural! Aaaaigh! So irritating and confusing
Format: Kindle
Great plot, interesting characters, compelling dialog, but "they" is plural, d@mnit! "They" is not now and never will be an acceptable substitute for "he or she" in non-dialog prose. It is confusing as h3ll to slog through these sections where Adrian doesn't want to reveal the sex of a character. Clearly he's not lazy so it must be deliberate. Indeed, I hoped it was his presumably woke, millennial editor, not Adrian himself, who insists on grammatical error and muddying narratives. Then I read a sentence that lead me to write this review, something I almost never do: "let him have his compliments and his choice of pronouns." The latter part of that is a non-sequitur, has no antecedent in the prose, advances the plot not at all, and is ruinous to otherwise top notch fiction. This is the second book of Adrian's in a row that I've read and found plagued by this embarrassing fad. The first was Shroud. There won't be a third.
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Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2026 by K. Gilmartin
A mix of totalitarianism and alien-world sci-fi
Format: Kindle
Earth’s totalitarian leaders have banished Professor Arton Daghdev, a xeno-ecologist, to a domed prison located on a planet about 30 light years from Earth. It was a one-way trip. There will be no return trip. He will die there, most likely sooner rather than later. That planet is teeming with life. More intriguingly, on this planet there are, nearly hidden by thick jungle-like growths, different clusters of large ancient structures (which were clearly created by some past alien builders). The prison therefore also acts as a scientific facility, with the prisoners conscripted to do dangerous excursions, sometimes to collect samples of the alien animal life for study in the facility’s laboratories and other times to travel out to one of the clusters, clear away the plant growth and then explore the structures then laid bare. Professor Daghdev, like all the other prisoners, has two deadly problems. First, the prison facility’s local administrator has life-or-death power over those living and working there. Second, the alien life on that planet has already resulted in the deaths of the vast majority of the prisoners who have been sent there, so be wary or be dead. As the story progresses, the prison administrator’s punishments of the prisoners become more extreme. And some excursions that the prisoners take outside the domed facility are so deadly that, if they get in trouble, there is no hope of survival as no rescue party would dare to be attempted. Can anyone survive such circumstances? What about those ancient alien structures? Who were the builders – and what happened to them? Well, if you want to know, then start reading. Bottom line: A good yarn. One of Adrian Tchaikovsky’s better books.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2026 by F. Moyer
One morning I awakened Oh bella ciao…
Format: Kindle
“One morning I awakened Oh bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao One morning I awakened And I found the invader.” These lyrics, born from anti-fascist resistance, feel like a core thread running through Alien Clay. The Mandate—an authoritarian regime in the novel—feels like a reflection of where the U.S. government might be heading. The book explores how fascism affects not just politics, but science, culture, and daily life. When this rigid system crashes into a truly alien world—one that human minds can’t easily understand—change becomes unavoidable. Without preaching, the author suggests that the way beyond fascism isn’t more control or power, but a willingness to change, to listen, and to imagine a different kind of future. This idea seems eerily fitting for the world we are currently navigating. The book is a great read with excellent pacing and thoughtful world building that bases itself in very believable science. I recommend it highly and without reservation.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2025 by Brian
Classic theme - solving the mystery of alien life on an alien planet
Format: Kindle
This book had quite a memorable opening scene as Professor Arton Daghdev and other prisoners are unceremoniously dropped out of an interstellar craft in a plastic bubble on a harrowing flight down to the surface of the alien planet Kiln below. Those that survive the drop are hurriedly picked up by prison guards before they can be attacked by native flora and fauna. Thus marks the beginning of Daghdev's new life on this seemingly hell-hole of a planet. But Daghdev is given somewhat special treatment by the Commandant as he hopes the Professor can shed some light on the ruins found on the planet presumably built by long dead intelligent aliens. This is yet another exiting, thoughtful and compelling story by Adrian Tchaikovsky.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2025 by Richard Irwin
Glorification of communism?
Format: Kindle
I'm torn with this book. I love Adrian, thought the world and the lifeforms on it were interesting and creative. What I couldn't get past was feeling this entire book was an allegorical glorification of communism. What I cannot quite figure out is if the author actually thinks that "system" is a good thing, or some sort of horrible inevitability. I'll still give it for stars, but I am growing weary of modern social discourse all centering on the same themes.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2026 by Amazon Customer