Planetfall

Reviews

“Planetfall is some of the finest sociological science fiction I have read…[A] heartbreaking maze of a book.”

“A strange but mesmerizing book in which almost nothing is as it seems…The book reads at once like a character study, a mystery, a hard science fiction tale about the survival of colonists on an alien world, and surrealist science fiction about alien life. Above all, this is a novel about the price of secrets.”

“This heartbreaking adventure is a tragedy of science and faith…Newman begins with the high stakes of a new colony and raises the risk to every human life as events unfold. She carefully manages her pacing until events make each revelation as inevitable as it is destructive.”

“Think Interstellar, think Prometheus…an unfolding alien mystery and complex, utterly believable characters. You will want to believe.”

“Newman has crafted a thrilling tale of murder, mystery, and madness on a world where humanity is still its own worst enemy. Horrifying and heartbreaking in equal measure, the catastrophe driving this narrative will keep you riveted until the very last page. Don’t miss this one.”

“You’ve never read a science fiction book like this. A masterful study of mental illness with the ruins of an enigmatic alien race serving as therapist for one of the most unsparingly drawn fictional characters you’ll ever read.”

“Filled with wonders, revelations, and edge-of-the-seat suspense, Planetfall is a fascinating, heartbreaking exploration of love and loneliness set against an awe-inspiring backdrop. An instant classic of the genre.”

“Newman quickly introduces us to the colony’s de facto leaders, Renata Ghali and Cillian Mackenzie, and reveals that they’re keeping some pretty big secrets. It’s an interesting choice to keep the story’s focus not on the secrets themselves, but on how they’re exposed…Brilliant yet mentally ill, completely unlikable yet poignantly human, and a woman of color besides—Ren is a rare science fiction protagonist, and Newman handles her complexities with aplomb. She doesn’t do nearly as well with the antagonists, who teeter on the line of caricature. But in the story’s tight focus on Ren, these external villains barely matter; her inner demons are the stars of the show. The climax is cathartic and transcendent enough to smooth over any flaws along the way.”

“Planetfall is a strange but mesmerizing book in which almost nothing is as it seems…The book reads at once like a character study, a mystery, a hard science-fiction tale about the survival of colonists on an alien world, and surrealist science fiction about alien life. Above all, this is a novel about the price of secrets.”

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