Shroud - by Adrian Tchaikovsky (Paperback)

About the Book

"New planets are fair game to asset strippers and interplanetary opportunists--and a commercial mission to a distant star system discovers a moon that is pitch black, but alive with radioactivity. Its high-gravity, high-pressure, zero-oxygen environment is anathema to human life, but ripe for exploitation. They named it Shroud. Under no circumstances should a human end up on Shroud's inhospitable surface. Except a catastrophic accident seesJuna Ceelander and Mai Ste Etienne doing just that. Forced to stage an emergency landing in a small, barely adequate vehicle, they are unable to contact their ship and are running out of time"--

Book Synopsis

On a planet shrouded in darkness, a stranded crew must fight for survival. But, the darkness may have plans of its own in this wildly original story from Adrian Tchaikovsky, Hugo and Arthur C. Clarke Award-winning author of Children of Time.

They looked into the darkness and the darkness looked back . . .

New planets are fair game to asset strippers and interplanetary opportunists - and a commercial mission to a distant star system discovers a moon that is pitch black, but alive with radio activity. Its high-gravity, high-pressure, zero-oxygen environment is anathema to human life, but ripe for exploitation. They named it Shroud.

Under no circumstances should a human end up on Shroud's inhospitable surface. Except a catastrophic accident sees Juna Ceelander and Mai Ste Etienne doing just that. Forced to stage an emergency landing, in a small, barely adequate vehicle, they are unable to contact their ship and are running out of time. What follows is a gruelling journey across land, sea and air. During this time, Juna and Mai begin to understand Shroud's dominant species. It also begins to understand them . . .

Review Quotes

"Tchaikovsky's latest (after Service Model, 2024) reveals that the clash is more than just between human and alien but between ideologies that can blind one from harsh realities."--Booklist on Alien Clay

"This utterly engrossing novel melds the fascinatingly unexpected alien environments of Sue Burke's Semiosis or Wendy Wagner's An Oath of Dogs seamlessly with the joy for science embedded in Andy Weir's The Martian."

--Library Journal (starred review)

"Thrilling... this space fable is sure to please Tchaikovsky's fans."--Publishers Weekly

"Well crafted and full of tense moments, building up to an emotional gut punch."--Kirkus

Praise for The Final Architecture:

"Enthralling, epic, immersive, and hugely intelligent." --Stephen Baxter

"Adrian Tchaikovsky: king of the spiders, master worldbuilder, and asker of intriguing questions. His books are packed with thought-provoking ideas (as well as lots of spiders; did I mention the spiders?). One of the most interesting and accomplished writers in speculative fiction." --Christopher Paolini

"Adrian Tchaikovsky's Shards of Earth is one of the most stunning space operas I've read this year....Tchaikovsky's world building is on glorious display as he throws all manner of spaceships, creepy aliens and strange technology into a delicious sci-fi soup. It's dense, it's funny, it's exciting, it's touching and it's perfect for someone looking for a space opera built on a grand scale." --BookPage (starred review)

"Dazzlingly suspenseful...Tchaikovsky's intricately constructed world is vast yet sturdy enough to cradle inventive science, unique aliens, and complex political machinations. With a mix of lively fight scenes, friendly banter, and high-stakes intrigue, this is space opera at its best." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Tchaikovsky writes space opera on a grand scale, creating a massive, complex, vividly realized future environment...He guides the reader through this endlessly intriguing universe with a rock-steady sure hand. Fans of space opera should leave the book in breathless anticipation of the second installment in the trilogy." --Booklist

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"A vision of extraterrestrial life that's as fascinating as it is horrifying."

--BookPage on Alien Clay

"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 Semiosis

"[A] mind-expanding planetary romp... Tchaikovsky continues to impress."--Publishers Weekly on Alien Clay

"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 The Life Scientific

"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 Altered Carbon

"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 Blindsight

"Thrilling, terrifying and fascinating in equal measure. A gripping story of survival and human endeavor against all odds. The most thought-provoking book I've read in a long time."--Tim Peake, British ESA astronaut

About the Author

Adrian Tchaikovsky was born in Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire, and headed off to university in Reading to study psychology and zoology. For reasons unclear even to himself, he subsequently ended up in law. Adrian has since worked as a legal executive in both Reading and Leeds and now writes full time. He also lives in Leeds, with his wife and son. Adrian is a keen live role-player and occasional amateur actor. He has also trained in stage-fighting and keeps no exotic or dangerous pets of any kind--possibly excepting his son.