Journey among the stars on faster-than-light spaceships and settle on planets and space stations with these stories of humankind’s foray beyond Earth.
In Beyond The Hallowed Sky, the first book is his new space opera, Ken MacLeod imagines humankind on the precipice of discovery. When a scientist gets a letter from herself about faster-than-light travel, she doesn't know what to believe. The equations work, but her paper is discredited. Exiled by the establishment, she gets an offer to build her starship from an unlikely source. But in the heights of Venus and on a planet of another star, a secret is already being uncovered that will shake humanity to its foundations.
In Adam Oyebanji’s debut novel Braking Day, it’s been over a century since three generation ships escaped an Earth dominated by artificial intelligence in pursuit of a life on a distant planet orbiting Tau Ceti. When engineer-in-training Ravi becomes haunted by visions of a young woman floating helmetless in space, his investigation into their source starts to unravel the truth behind the Archimedes’ departure from Earth. With Braking Day approaching, will his discoveries change everything?
Welcome to Deep Wheel Orcadia, Harry Josephine Gile’s debut verse novel, written in the Orcadian dialect. Astrid is returning home from art school on Mars, looking for inspiration. Darling is fleeing a life that never fit, searching for somewhere to hide. They meet on Deep Wheel Orcadia, a distant space station struggling for survival as the pace of change threatens to leave the community behind.
Chaired by Annie Rutherford
About the event
Running time: 60 minutes
Venue: Pleasance Theatre
Price: £10/£8 concession - In Person - or £6/£4 concession - Live Stream - (plus 50p booking fee)
This event takes place in person and is broadcast via live stream.
About the authors
Ken MacLeod is the author of seventeen science fiction novels, four novellas, over thirty short stories, and a few poems. His work has been widely translated and ranges from near-future dystopia to far-flung space opera, drawing on his first-hand knowledge of biological science, information technology, and political activism. An experienced speaker, event chair and organiser, he has given talks, workshops and readings at public events, libraries, universities and schools.
Follow Ken MacLeod on Twitter @amendlocke.
Of Scottish and Nigerian descent, Adam Oyebanji is an escapee from Birmingham University and Harvard Law School. He currently lives in Pittsburgh, PA with a wife, child, and two embarrassingly large dogs. When he’s not out among the stars, Adam works in the field of counter-terrorist financing: helping banks choke off the money supply that builds weapons of mass destruction, narcotics empires, and human trafficking networks.
Praise for Braking Day
‘This richly imagined, intricately plotted adventure is crammed with ideas, and has many surprises in store.’ The Guardian
‘If you're after action, mystery, and mind-bending mega-structures, look no further than Adam Oyebanji's Braking Day... It zips along with some wonderful world-building and a lot of unexpected turns.’ Washington Post
Harry Josephine Giles is a writer and performer from Orkney, now living in Leith. She has lived on four islands, each larger than the last. She has a MA in Theatre Directing from East 15 Acting School and a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Stirling. Harry Josephine’s work generally happens in the crunchy places where performance and politics get muddled up.
Follow Harry Josephine Giles on Twitter @HJosephineGiles or visit their website.