The Terraformers is a science fiction novel by Annalee Newitz, published on January 31, 2023. Environmentalism is a major theme.
 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 |
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.