The Terraformers
 First edition cover | |
| Author | Annalee Newitz |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Science fiction |
| Publisher | Tor |
Publication date | January 31, 2023 |
| Pages | 352 |
| ISBN | 978-1-250-22802-4 |
The Terraformers is a novel by Annalee Newitz. It was published on January 31, 2023, and was received positively by book critics.
Plot[edit]
Set 60,000 years in the future, The Terraformers traces the development of a terraformed planet over the course of 1,000 years. The planet, Sask-E, has been transformed from a wasteland into a habitable planet by human involvement. Destry, a member of a team dedicated to continuing the planet's transformation, uncovers a secret city underneath the planet's surface that changes her understanding of the planet and her purpose.
Development and writing[edit]
Newitz was inspired to write The Terraformers after thinking about how fictional stories could carry messages relating to present-day environmental crises like climate change. They divided the book into three sections separated by a period of several hundred years each, which they told The Stranger was so they could track the entire terraforming process.[1] The terraforming process they describe within the book was heavily influenced by their own experience as a science journalist and by interviews with scientists in the field.[1][2]
Publication history[edit]
The Terraformers was published on January 31, 2023, by Tor Publishing.[3]
Reception[edit]
The Terraformers was positively received by book critics.[4] Paul Di Filippo, writing in The Washington Post, described the book as having "enough ideas and incidents to populate half a dozen lesser science fiction books," praising Newitz's prose.[5] A review by Mark Athitakis in the Los Angeles Times positively described the novel's optimistic message but criticized Newitz for what he viewed as cluttered prose.[6]
A starred review in Publishers Weekly praised the book, drawing comparisons between Newitz and fellow science-fiction writers Becky Chambers and Samuel R. Delany.[7] Booklist's Leah von Essen praised Newitz for their sense of humor and for the "pure moments of joy" sprinkled throughout the prose.[8] Library Journal and BookPage both published positive reviews, with the former describing the book as "incredibly emotional and action-packed" and the latter commenting that Newitz was able to comment on social issues without making the reader feel "lectured, bored, or disconnected" from the narrative.[9][10]
References[edit]
- ^ a b Baume, Matt (2023-01-31). "An Interview With Annalee Newitz". The Stranger. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
- ^ Newitz, Annalee (2023-01-18). "How a planet became a character in my new novel". New Scientist. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
- ^ Morgan, Adam (2023-01-11). "The science fiction and fantasy books we're excited for in 2023". Polygon. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
- ^ "Book Marks reviews of The Terraformers by Annalee Newitz". Book Marks. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
- ^ Fillippo, Paul Di (2023-01-27). "'The Terraformers' is a dazzling look at the distant future". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
- ^ Athitakis, Mark (2023-01-28). "In a new 'galaxy brain' novel, it's AD 59,000 — and we're still kind of a mess". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
- ^ "The Terraformers". Publishers Weekly. 2022-09-26. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
- ^ von Essen, Leah. "The Terraformers". Booklist. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
- ^ Chadwick, Kristi (2022-10-01). "The Terraformers". Library Journal. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
- ^ Pickens, Chris (2023-01-31). "The Terraformers". BookPage. Retrieved 2023-02-07.