Sunward - by William Alexander (Paperback)

About the Book

"Captain Tova Lir chose a life as a courier rather than get involved in her family's illustrious business in politics. Set in humanity's far future, hiring a planetary courier is essential for delivering private messages across the stars. Encouraged by friends, Tova begins mentoring baby bots, juvenile AI who are developmentally in their teens, and trains them how to interact within society essentially becoming their foster mom. Her latest charge, Agatha Panza von Sparkles, named herself on their first run from Luna to Phoebe station. But on their return, they encounter a derelict spaceship and a lurking assassin, igniting a thrilling chase across the solar system. Tova and Agatha's daring actions leave Agatha's mind vulnerable, relying on Tova's former AI pupils for help. As Tova starts gathering her scattered family around her, she is chased through the solar system by forces who want her captured and her family erased."--

Book Synopsis

A cozy debut science fiction novel by National Book Award-winning writer William Alexander, this story of found family follows a planetary courier training adolescent androids in a solar system grappling with interplanetary conflict after a devastating explosion on Earth's moon.

Captain Tova Lir chose a life as a courier rather than get involved in her family's illustrious business in politics. Set in humanity's far future, hiring a planetary courier is essential for delivering private messages across the stars.

Encouraged by friends, Tova begins mentoring baby bots, juvenile AI who are developmentally in their teens, and trains them how to interact within society essentially becoming their foster mom. Her latest charge, Agatha Panza von Sparkles, named herself on their first run from Luna to Phoebe station. But on their return, they encounter a derelict spaceship and a lurking assassin, igniting a thrilling chase across the solar system.

Tova and Agatha's daring actions leave Agatha's mind vulnerable, relying on Tova's former AI pupils for help. As Tova starts gathering her scattered family around her, she is chased through the solar system by forces who want her captured and her family erased. This debut science fiction novel by National Book Award-winning author William Alexander is a must-read for fans of Becky Chambers and Ursula K. Le Guin. Lovers of poignant science fiction, where the bonds of found family, the evolution of AI, and the building distrust of centuries of bias, come together in this visionary look at humanity's future.

Review Quotes

"Balancing humor and heavy themes, and ending on a cliff-hanger, this sci-fi romp is a charmer."-- "Audiofile"

"You know those books you tear right through, fiercely craving the pleasure you're getting from every new page - until you suddenly realize you're almost at the end, at which point you sloww wayyyyy down because you don't want it to end? Sunward is one of those. I only hope Will Alexander will have mercy and give us more stories about this world and its people. Oh, and theater. More intergalactic theater, please."--Ellen Kushner, author of Swordspoint

"Do you want highly intelligent intelligences in training? A Moon Queen? Intrigue and Murder? All packaged up and delivered to you by secret interstellar courier? YES yes you do. This book is a delight and brings so much joy into the universe."--Fran Wilde, author of The Ship of Stolen Words

"I loved this book! I'm a sucker for brilliant space operas--for heroic bots, ethical assassins, jealous siblings, and renegade daughters. The story/plot revolves around delicious, inspired technology. The human and nonhuman characters surprise and delight. They stumble and overreach. They risk everything, who they are, have been, and might become, to wrangle their own truth from a deadly deluge of data. We could all drown in the data stream. William Alexaner's Sunward is the book to take you to stars."--Andrea Hairston, author of Master of Poisons

*"An award-winning children's author transitions to adult novels with this sf thriller...[that] will delight fans of Robin Sloan's Moonbound."-- "Booklist, starred review"

*"Readers who loved Aimee Ogden's Emergent Properties, Silvia Park's Luminous, and Aliette de Bodard's Navigational Entanglements will find this to be a delightful combination of similar elements."-- "Library Journal, starred review"

About the Author

William Alexander writes unrealisms for readers of all ages. His work has won the National Book Award, the Eleanor Cameron Award, the Librarian Favorites Award, the Teacher Favorites Award, two CBC Best Children's Book of the Year Awards, and two Junior Library Guild Selections. As a small child he honestly thought that his Cuban American family came from the lost island of Atlantis.