Machine

A White Space Novel

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Machine

By: Elizabeth Bear

Narrated by: Adjoa Andoh

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Summary

Meet Doctor Jens.

She hasn't had a decent cup of coffee in fifteen years.

The first part of her job involves jumping out of perfectly good space-ships. The second part requires developing emergency treatments for sick aliens of species she's never seen before.

She loves it.

But her latest emergency is also proving a mystery:

Two ships, one ancient and one new, locked in a dangerous embrace.
A mysterious crew suffering from an even more mysterious ailment.
A shipmind trapped in an inadequate body, much of her memory pared away.
A murderous virus from out of time.

Unfortunately, Dr. Jens can't resist a mystery. Which is why she's about to discover that everything she's dedicated her life to . . . is a lie.

Praise for Elizabeth Bear

'Like the best of speculative fiction, Bear has created a fascinating and complete universe
that blends high-tech gadgetry with Old World adventure and political collusion' Publishers Weekly

'This is certainly the best science fiction novel I've read in 2019 so far and I look forward to see how Bear develops the characters and her impressively rich universe' (POPULAR SCIENCE)

'Elizabeth Bear is just as comfortable writing steampunk and fantasy as she is hard science fiction, and Ancestral Night, first half of a duology, brims with heady concepts and sleek far-future hardware. There is a mordant wit at work' (FINANCIAL TIMES)

'Awesome, awe-inspiring space opera. Fittingly, it shifts from weighty themes to lighter humour with dexterity, grace and crackling dialogue' (Daily Mail)

'Bear has constructed a fascinating, absorbing universe populated with compelling and intelligent characters who conform to neither clichés nor stereotypes. It's sci-fi of the top order' (popmatters.com)

Elizabeth BearAdjoa AndohGollanczWhite Space

Cyberpunk

Dystopian

Fiction

Military

Science Fiction

Space Opera

Cyberpunk Dystopian Fiction Military Science Fiction Space Opera

Continue the series

The Folded Sky

By: Elizabeth Bear

Critic reviews

Machine is a fascinating, compelling, and ultimately satisfying space opera in a vast, complex, weird, and interesting universe

Bear has a striking command of tension and character, and a deep interest in ethics and human behaviour

Most relevant

I liked the first book in the series a lot. the narrator for that one was very good and critically, suited the style of story. It was quite an abrupt change going into this second story in the series. Although I think the narrator is good (except for the character Starlight...that was frankly annoying), the voice style suited more classic fiction rather than sci-fi. It was a bit like listening to a space opera read in the voice suited to Sense & Sensibility. The story, though not particularly original, was fun and some interesting ideas are discussed. However some parts dragged and could have used some tighter editing. And lastly, and it is probably a minor quibble, the word atavistic was used far too often and became very annoying.