£4.99 – £10.99
Shortlisted for both The Phillip K Dick Award & The Compton Crook Award
Humanity’s super-intelligent AI Gods brutally punish breaches in reality, as one young scientist discovers, in this intense and brilliant space opera.
File Under: Science Fiction [ False Gods | Angel Inside | Autistic in Space | Here be Monsters ]
Autistic scientist Yasira Shien has developed a radical new energy drive that could change the future of humanity. But when she activates it, reality warps, destroying the space station and everyone aboard. The AI Gods who rule the galaxy declare her work heretical, and Yasira is abducted by their agents. Instead of simply executing her, they offer mercy – if she’ll help them hunt down a bigger target: her own mysterious, vanished mentor. With her homeworld’s fate in the balance, Yasira must choose who to trust: the gods and their ruthless post-human angels, or the rebel scientist whose unorthodox mathematics could turn her world inside out.
“The Outside is a gripping examination of the battle between good and evil on a grand scale”
– the Guardian
“Hoffmann confidently layers morality and disability rights into a breezily told adventure that bursts with sheer fun… This beautifully smart, uncynical space opera will charm fans of Charles Stross and Lois McMaster Bujold.”
– Publishers Weekly
“Deeply embedded in sci-fi history, The Outside reimagines old stories in new, exciting, #ownvoices ways.”
– Book Riot
“The narrative ramps up the suspense all the way to the climax. It’s a strikingly effective one, full of high stakes and high emotions, with a satisfying conclusion and room for more stories to come. Compellingly written, tense, and thrilling, with fascinating (and weird) worldbuilding and brilliant characters, The Outside is a fantastic debut. I can’t wait to see what Hoffman does next.”
– Locus
“Hoffman’s debut is starkly original, and tinged with hints of horror fantasy – truly operatic stuff.”
– B&N SciFi & Fantasy Blog
“The Outside is a beautiful, stark reclamation of unknowable horror. Hoffmann layers thoughtful worldbuilding and rich prose to build a stunning story of power, ambition and personal agency. I couldn’t put The Outside down for fear of what might happen while I was looking away.”
– Sarah Gailey, Hugo Award-winning author of River of Teeth
“The Outside is a fresh and mind-bending mix of cosmic horror and space opera, a compelling story that spans from the deeply personal to the vast mysteries of time and space. Unsettling and gorgeous, this is like nothing I have read before and the book I have been longing for without knowing it.”
– Karin Tidbeck, award-winning author of Amatka and Jagannath
“The Outside is a definite mind-bender, serving up shock and awe from the start.”
– Reviews and Robots
“There await wonders and horrors alike, wrapped in delicious prose and unforgettable imagery. And no matter how far into these fantastic and weird worlds we delve, there always remains a solid, comforting sense that we are not alone.”
– A Merc Rustad, Nebula Award finalist and author of So You Want to be a Robot
“Unsettling and unique in equal measure… Reading this collection is like watching a centipede burrow into the center of your palm, knowing it will remain there, under your skin.”
– Bogi Takács, author of Iwunen Interstellar Investigations
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