The Million - by Karl Schroeder (Paperback)

About the Book

"Every thirty years, ten billion visitors overrun Earth during one month of madness: partying, polluting, and brawling. In between, the world is ruled by the Million; the inheritors and custodians of all of humanity's wealth and history, they lead unimaginable lives of privilege and wealth, and they see it as their due. Gavin Penn-of-Chaffee is an illegal child--a visitor hidden among the Million. When the family that raised him in secret is torn apart, Gavin must impersonate a dead boy to survive. What he doesn't know is that his new identity is expected at the School of Auditors--the Million's feared police force, sworn to find and capture outcasts like him to keep the peace. In order to solve the murder of his adoptive father, Gavin must keep his disguise and his wits intact within the stronghold of those threatened by his very existence"--

Book Synopsis

Futurist and award-winning author Karl Schroeder imagines infiltrating the elite of a marginal society in The Million.

Every thirty years, ten billion visitors overrun Earth during one month of madness: partying, polluting, and brawling. In between, the world is ruled by the Million; the inheritors and custodians of all of humanity's wealth and history, they lead unimaginable lives of privilege and wealth, and they see it as their due.

Gavin Penn-of-Chaffee is an illegal child--a visitor hidden among the Million. When the family that raised him in secret is torn apart, Gavin must impersonate a dead boy to survive. What he doesn't know is that his new identity is expected at the School of Auditors--the Million's feared police force, sworn to find and capture outcasts like him to keep the peace. In order to solve the murder of his adoptive father, Gavin must keep his disguise and his wits intact within the stronghold of those threatened by his very existence.

Review Quotes

"One of our finest futurists. I hope our future looks more like the things he imagines."--Tobias Buckell

"Karl Schroeder is one of our best hard SF writers." --Gregory Benford, author of Timescape

"Schroeder has the rare and invaluable ability to develop wholly new concepts and turn them into compelling narratives." --Stephen Baxter

About the Author

KARL SCHROEDER is the author of Ventus, a New York Times Notable book; the Prix Aurora Award-winning works Permanence and The Toy Mill; and Virga, an acclaimed epic space opera series that begins with Sun of Suns. He divides his time between writing fiction and analyzing, conducting workshops, and speaking on the future impact of science and technology on society. Schroeder lives in Toronto, Ontario.