Neal Asher – författare

‘Balls-to-the-walls levels of exuberance and inventiveness’Locus Magazine on Dark DiamondFORGE A NEW FUTURE. OR BE CONSUMED BY THE PAST.Captain Blite and Agent Cormac thought they had defeated the malevolent AI Straeger. But Straeger’s mission to plunge the galaxy into a devastating war is far from over. With a twisted p-prador army bred from the Spatterjay virus, Straeger sets his plans in motion.Meanwhile, on the war-struck world of Yossander’s Hold, Blite and Cormac are trapped in a maelstrom of betrayal and violence. They must fight their way through the chaos as they seek to repair Blite’s damaged ship. But their escape requires resources from the Bracken, and aboard that ship, a terrifying transformation is underway . . .Recognizing the threat posed by the p-prador, the Prador Kingdom and the human Polity’s ruling AI form an uneasy alliance. But with Straeger’s plans unfolding and reality itself under threat, the galaxy is poised on the brink of destruction. Can Blite and Cormac survive the escalating war and the collapse of time itself?From Neal Asher, Dark Agent is the second entry in the Time's Shadow trilogy, following Dark Diamond. Set in Asher's expansive Polity universe, this is unmissable military space opera from a master of the genre.* * *Praise for the series‘The stakes are high, the pacing relentless, and the scale immense . . . Asher delivers again’ – 5* Goodreads Review‘Filled with action, suspense, and mind-wrenching twists. You’ll love it!’ – 5* Goodreads Review‘What the cosmos really needs is more megalomaniac artificial intelligences, belligerent alien crustaceans, and protagonists who treat death like a minor inconvenience’ – 5* Goodreads Review

Line War is the fifth and final novel in Neal Asher's action-packed Agent Cormac series.Their worlds are ending . . . The human Polity worlds are under attack from Erebus, a renegade AI. And it’s now merged with lethal Jain technology, and isn’t afraid to use it. When Erebus kills millions, on a world of no apparent significance, Agent Ian Cormac is sent to investigate. He’s also secretly struggling with an ability no human should possess – and starts questioning the motives of his AI masters.Further indiscriminate attacks attract the Polity’s most dangerous individuals. Mr Crane, a brass killing machine, seeks vengeance. Orlandine, part AI and part human, hunts a weapon of appalling power. And Dragon plans to wake the makers of Jain technology from their ancient slumber. But can Erebus be stopped – or is this the end for the Polity?

No one can outrun the past in Brass Man, is the third novel in Neal Asher's popular Agent Cormac series.Imperfectly resurrected by Jain technology, Mr Crane is back from the dead. The brass killing machine is haunted by a violent past he can’t fully forget or truly remember. He seeks to heal his shattered mind as his new master, an old biophysicist enemy of Agent Cormac, sets him on an improbable mission: to hunt a dragon on the frontier world of Cull.On Cull, each day is a struggle for survival. Ferocious insectile monsters roam the volatile planet. And the low-tech human settlers are desperate to reach their ancestors’ starship – orbiting tantalisingly out of reach. An entity calling itself Dragon assists them, but what are its real motives, and why is the biophysicist really here? Cormac must find the answers, and face multiple threats to the Polity.Brass Man is followed by Polity Agent, the fourth book in the Agent Cormac series.

Polity Agent is the fourth novel in Neal Asher's popular Agent Cormac series.There's danger without and within.Refugees arrive in the Polity from eight hundred years in Agent Cormac’s future. And once they are through, the gate they use is dumped into the sun, as something dangerous and non-human is in pursuit. Cormac soon learns that the Maker civilization they have come from has been destroyed – by alien Jain technology.Orlandine, an augmented human, is studying this lethal tech in Cormac’s timeline. She may manage to harness its power, or it might destroy her. Meanwhile, Cormac is desperate to stamp down on this same technology, but someone or something is spreading it. And just outside humanity’s Polity worlds, something very nasty indeed might just be pulling their strings.Polity Agent is followed by Line War in the action-packed Agent Cormac series

‘Balls-to-the-walls levels of exuberance and inventiveness’Locus Magazine on Dark DiamondFORGE A NEW FUTURE. OR BE CONSUMED BY THE PAST.Captain Blite and Agent Cormac thought they had defeated the malevolent AI Straeger. But Straeger’s mission to plunge the galaxy into a devastating war is far from over. With a twisted p-prador army bred from the Spatterjay virus, Straeger sets his plans in motion.Meanwhile, on the war-struck world of Yossander’s Hold, Blite and Cormac are trapped in a maelstrom of betrayal and violence. They must fight their way through the chaos as they seek to repair Blite’s damaged ship. But their escape requires resources from the Bracken, and aboard that ship, a terrifying transformation is underway . . .Recognizing the threat posed by the p-prador, the Prador Kingdom and the human Polity’s ruling AI form an uneasy alliance. But with Straeger’s plans unfolding and reality itself under threat, the galaxy is poised on the brink of destruction. Can Blite and Cormac survive the escalating war and the collapse of time itself?From Neal Asher, Dark Agent is the second entry in the Time's Shadow trilogy, following Dark Diamond. Set in Asher's expansive Polity universe, this is unmissable military space opera from a master of the genre.* * *Praise for the series‘The stakes are high, the pacing relentless, and the scale immense . . . Asher delivers again’ – 5* Goodreads Review‘Filled with action, suspense, and mind-wrenching twists. You’ll love it!’ – 5* Goodreads Review‘What the cosmos really needs is more megalomaniac artificial intelligences, belligerent alien crustaceans, and protagonists who treat death like a minor inconvenience’ – 5* Goodreads Review

‘Balls-to-the-walls levels of exuberance and inventiveness’Locus Magazine on Dark DiamondFORGE A NEW FUTURE. OR BE CONSUMED BY THE PAST.Captain Blite and Agent Cormac thought they had defeated the malevolent AI Straeger. But Straeger’s mission to plunge the galaxy into a devastating war is far from over. With a twisted p-prador army bred from the Spatterjay virus, Straeger sets his plans in motion.Meanwhile, on the war-struck world of Yossander’s Hold, Blite and Cormac are trapped in a maelstrom of betrayal and violence. They must fight their way through the chaos as they seek to repair Blite’s damaged ship. But their escape requires resources from the Bracken, and aboard that ship, a terrifying transformation is underway . . .Recognizing the threat posed by the p-prador, the Prador Kingdom and the human Polity’s ruling AI form an uneasy alliance. But with Straeger’s plans unfolding and reality itself under threat, the galaxy is poised on the brink of destruction. Can Blite and Cormac survive the escalating war and the collapse of time itself?From Neal Asher, Dark Agent is the second entry in the Time's Shadow trilogy, following Dark Diamond. Set in Asher's expansive Polity universe, this is unmissable military space opera from a master of the genre.* * *Praise for the series‘The stakes are high, the pacing relentless, and the scale immense . . . Asher delivers again’ – 5* Goodreads Review‘Filled with action, suspense, and mind-wrenching twists. You’ll love it!’ – 5* Goodreads Review‘What the cosmos really needs is more megalomaniac artificial intelligences, belligerent alien crustaceans, and protagonists who treat death like a minor inconvenience’ – 5* Goodreads Review

Doomed to die. And die again.Dark Diamond is the first in a high-octane space opera trilogy, Time’s Shadow. From Neal Asher, creator of the Polity universe.‘Infinitely entertaining’ – Locus MagazineSomebody is trying to kill Captain Blite, but each attempt ends in unexpected failure. All Blite knows is that a black diamond – left to him by the dark AI Penny Royal – is the cause of his unlikely survival.Each failed attempt on Blite’s life generates temporal anomalies, drawing the scrutiny of the ruthless Mobius AI Straeger, who craves the power and possibilities the diamond holds. But they also draw the attention of the legendary Polity agent Ian Cormac, whose skills and destructive reputation may make him Blite’s only hope. Caught in the crossfire of galactic forces, Blite must uncover the true nature of the dark diamond before it causes his destruction . . .Praise for Neal Asher‘Neal Asher’s books are like an adrenaline shot targeted directly for the brain’ – John Scalzi, author of Old Man’s War‘Non-stop action and unimaginable stakes’ – Yoon Ha Lee on The Soldier‘Imaginative, energetic and insane’ – SFX on Brass Man

Doomed to die. And die again.Dark Diamond is the first in a high-octane space opera trilogy, Time’s Shadow. From Neal Asher, it is set in his expansive Polity universe.‘Balls-to-the-walls levels of exuberance and inventiveness’ – Locus MagazineSomebody is trying to kill Captain Blite, but each attempt ends in unexpected failure. All Blite knows is that a black diamond – left to him by the dark AI Penny Royal – is the cause of his unlikely survival.Each failed attempt on Blite’s life generates temporal anomalies, drawing the scrutiny of the ruthless Mobius AI Straeger, who craves the power and possibilities the diamond holds. But they also draw the attention of the legendary Polity agent Ian Cormac, whose skills and destructive reputation may make him Blite’s only hope. Caught in the crossfire of galactic forces, Blite must uncover the true nature of the dark diamond before it causes his destruction . . .Praise for Neal Asher‘Neal Asher’s books are like an adrenaline shot targeted directly for the brain’ – John Scalzi, author of Old Man’s War‘Non-stop action and unimaginable stakes’ – Yoon Ha Lee, author of Ninefox Gambit, on The Soldier‘Imaginative, energetic and insane’ – SFX on Brass ManThe Time's Shadow trilogy continues in Dark Agent.

He can jump between worlds. But can he save his own?As the totalitarian Inspectorate tightens its grip, one man discovers the power to slip through the gaps and traverse alternate universes. World Walkers by Neal Asher is an exhilarating standalone novel set within the Owner universe.Ottanger is a rebel and mutant on an Earth governed by a ruthless Committee. But after its Inspectorate experiments on him, he discovers the ability to reach alternate worlds. The multiverse is revealed in all its glory and terror – and he can finally flee his timeline.Then Ottanger meets the Fenris, an evolved human visiting Earth from the far future. He’d engineered the original world-walking mutation, so those altered could escape the Committee’s regime. Yet this only aided a few, while millions still suffered. And Ottanger sees that the Committee will become unstoppable if not destroyed.However, the Fenris's visit also attracted the Hive. With the power of its trillion linked minds, it craves world-walking biotech and will do anything to get it. As conflict looms at home, and war threatens the multiverse – the Fenris, Ottanger and his companions must prepare for battle . . .Praise for Neal Asher'Neal Asher's books are like an adrenaline shot targeted directly for the brain' – John Scalzi, author of Old Man's War'Without a doubt the most entertaining science fiction author writing today' – SFF World

He can jump between worlds. But can he save his own?As a totalitarian Inspectorate tightens its grip, one man discovers the power to slip through the gaps and traverse alternate universes. World Walkers by Neal Asher is an exhilarating standalone novel set within the Owner Trilogy.Ottanger is a rebel and mutant on an Earth governed by a ruthless Committee. But after its Inspectorate experiments on him, Ottanger realizes the mutation allows him to reach alternate worlds. The multiverse is revealed in all its glory and terror – and he understands that he can finally flee his timeline.Then Ottanger meets the Fenris, an evolved human, visiting his Earth from the far future. He’d engineered the original world walking mutation, so those altered could escape the Committee’s nightmarish regime. Yet this only worked for a few, and millions continued to suffer. And Ottanger sees that that Committee will become unstoppable if not destroyed.However, the Fenris has drawn yet another threat to Ottanger’s Earth. With the power of its trillion linked minds, it craves world-walking biotech and will do anything to get it. As conflict looms at home, and war threatens the multiverse – the Fenris, Ottanger and his companions must prepare for a galaxy-altering battle . . .Praise for Neal Asher'Neal Asher's books are like an adrenaline shot targeted directly for the brain' – John Scalzi, author of Old Man's War'Without a doubt the most entertaining science fiction author writing today' – SFF World

He can jump between worlds. But can he save his own?As the totalitarian Inspectorate tightens its grip, one man discovers the power to slip through the gaps and traverse alternate universes. World Walkers by Neal Asher is an exhilarating standalone novel set within the Owner universe.‘World Walkers is Neal Asher in his prime’ – FanFiAddictOttanger is a rebel and mutant on an Earth governed by a ruthless Committee. But, after the Inspectorate experiments on him, Ottanger realizes his mutation allows him to reach alternate worlds. The multiverse is revealed in all its glory and terror – and he understands that he can finally flee his timeline.Then Ottanger meets the Fenris, an evolved human visiting his Earth from the far future. He engineered the original world-walking mutation so that those altered could escape the Committee’s nightmarish regime. Yet this only worked for a few, while millions continued to suffer. And Ottanger sees that the Committee will become unstoppable if not destroyed.However, the Fenris has drawn yet another threat to Ottanger’s Earth. With the power of its trillion linked minds, the Hive craves world-walking biotech and will do anything to get it. As conflict looms at home and war threatens the multiverse, the Fenris, Ottanger and his companions must prepare for a galaxy-altering battle . . .* * *Praise for Neal Asher:‘Neal Asher's books are like an adrenaline shot targeted directly for the brain’ – John Scalzi, author of Old Man's War‘Without a doubt the most entertaining science fiction author writing today’ – SFF World

The Soldier is the first novel in the no-holds barred Rise of the Jain series, by bestselling science fiction author Neal Asher.Her mission is vital. Her failure is unthinkable.A corner of space swarms with alien technology, a danger to all sentient life. It’s guarded by Orlandine, who must keep it contained – as it could destroy entire civilizations. An alien intelligence shares her vigil. But she doesn’t share everything with Dragon . . .Orlandine is hatching a plan to obliterate this technology, removing its threat forever. For some will do anything to exploit this ancient weaponry, created by a long-dead race called the Jain. This includes activating a Jain super-soldier, which may breach even Orlandine’s defences.Meanwhile, humanity and the alien prador empire also watch this sector of space, as neither can allow the other to claim its power. However, things are about to change. The Jain might not be as dead as they seemed and interstellar war is just a heartbeat away.The action continues in The Warship.

The Human is the final, thrilling, book in Neal Asher’s Rise of the Jain trilogy.Their enemy seems unbeatable. But humanity is indomitable . . .A Jain warship has risen from a prison five million years old, wielding a hoard of lethal technology. Its goal is to catch their old enemy, the Client, and it will destroy all who stand in its path.Humanity and the prador thought their mutual nemesis – the bane of so many races – was long extinct. But the Jain are back and Orlandine must prepare humanity’s defence. She needs the Client’s knowledge to counter this ancient threat. But is the enemy of your enemy a friend? Earth Central even looks to the prador for alliance. These old enemies must now learn to trust one another, or face utter annihilation.As the Jain warship crosses the galaxy, it seems unstoppable. Human and prador forces alike struggle to withstand its devastating weaponry ­­– far in advance of their own. And Orlandine’s life’s work has been to neutralize Jain technology, so if she can’t triumph, no one can. But could she become what she’s vowed to destroy?'Neal Asher's books are like an adrenaline shot targeted directly for the brain' John Scalzi, author of the Old Man's War series.'Magnificently awesome. Then Asher turns it up to eleven' Peter F. Hamilton on the first in the trilogy, The Soldier.

An epic adrenaline-filled space opera, The Human is the final thrilling book in Neal Asher’s Rise of the Jain trilogy.Their enemy seems unbeatable. But humanity is indomitable . . .A Jain warship has risen from a prison five million years old, wielding a hoard of lethal technology. Its goal is to catch their old enemy, the Client, and it will destroy all who stand in its path.Humanity and the prador thought their mutual nemesis – the bane of so many races – was long extinct. But the Jain are back and Orlandine must prepare humanity’s defence. She needs the Client’s knowledge to counter this ancient threat. But is the enemy of your enemy a friend? Earth Central even looks to the prador for alliance. These old enemies must now learn to trust one another, or face utter annihilation.As the Jain warship crosses the galaxy, it seems unstoppable. Human and prador forces alike struggle to withstand its devastating weaponry ­­– far in advance of their own. And Orlandine’s life’s work has been to neutralize Jain technology, so if she can’t triumph, no one can. But could she become what she’s vowed to destroy?'Neal Asher's books are like an adrenaline shot targeted directly for the brain' - John Scalzi, author of the Old Man's War series'Magnificently awesome. Then Asher turns it up to eleven' - Peter F. Hamilton on the first in the trilogy, The Soldier

In this second volume of Rise of the Jain, Neal Asher takes us on a thrilling ride into interstellar politics and impending war. Their nemesis lies in wait . . . Orlandine has destroyed the alien Jain super-soldier by deploying an actual black hole. And now that same weapon hoovers up clouds of lethal Jain technology, swarming within the deadly accretion disc’s event horizon. All seems just as she planned. Yet behind her back, forces incite rebellion on her home world, planning her assassination.Earth Central, humanity’s ruling intelligence, knows Orlandine was tricked into releasing her weapon, and fears the Jain are behind it. The prador king knows this too – and both foes gather fleets of warships to surround the disc. The alien Client is returning to the accretion disc to save the last of her kind, buried on a ship deep within it. She upgrades her vast weapons platform in preparation, and she’ll need it. Her nemesis also waits within the disc’s swirling dusts – and the Jain have committed genocide before.The Warship is set in Neal Asher's popular Polity universe.

Neal Asher takes us on a thrilling ride into interstellar politics and impending war, in this second volume of Rise of the Jain.Their nemesis lies in wait . . . Orlandine has destroyed the alien Jain super-soldier by deploying an actual black hole. And now that same weapon hoovers up clouds of lethal Jain technology, swarming within the deadly accretion disc’s event horizon. All seems just as she planned. Yet behind her back, forces incite rebellion on her home world, planning her assassination.Earth Central, humanity’s ruling intelligence, knows Orlandine was tricked into releasing her weapon, and fears the Jain are behind it. The prador king knows this too – and both foes gather fleets of warships to surround the disc.The alien Client is returning to the accretion disc to save the last of her kind, buried on a ship deep within it. She upgrades her vast weapons platform in preparation, and she’ll need it. Her nemesis also waits within the disc’s swirling dusts – and the Jain have committed genocide before.The Warship is set in Neal Asher's popular Polity universe.'Neal Asher's books are like an adrenaline shot targeted directly for the brain' – John Scalzi, author of Old Man's War and The Collapsing Empire.

The hunter becomes the hunted in Gridlinked, the first sci-fi thriller in Neal Asher's compelling Agent Cormac series.When a portal to other planets explodes on Samarkand, thousands are killed and a terraforming project is obliterated. Earth Central Security suspects sabotage – and assigns a legendary investigator. But Agent Ian Cormac has his own problems. Years spent mentally linked to the Polity’s AI network have eroded his humanity, and this gridlink has to be severed or he’ll die. Without it, he has only his wits (and Shuriken, a throwing star with a mind of its own) to rely on.Cormac’s disastrous last mission also haunts him – as a psychopath and a murderous android track him across the galaxy, seeking revenge. Meanwhile, the ice-bound planet of Samarkand hides deadly secrets beneath its surface . . . secrets Cormac is about to disturb.Gridlinked is followed by The Line of Polity, the second title in the Agent Cormac series.***Praise for the series:'Asher is a modern master of Sci-Fi' – Starburst'Imaginative, energetic and insane' – SFX'A complex, multilayered story' – The Guardian

Old enemies meet on new worlds in The Line of Polity, the second novel in Neal Asher's popular Agent Cormac series.At the frontiers of human-occupied space, the Miranda space station has been utterly destroyed. Earth Central assigns Agent Ian Cormac to discover the truth, because the alien bioconstruct Dragon seems the most likely culprit.Meanwhile, rebellion is brewing on Masada. The planet’s people are enslaved on the surface, living in fear of their overlords in orbit, who punish transgressions with laser strikes. Leaving their compounds also means death, as monstrous predators roam the toxic wilderness. Civil war looms, while a rebel biophysicist brings lethal Jain technology to this world. Agent Cormac must find out what connects these events, if he is to avert catastrophe.The Line of Polity is followed by Brass Man, the third title in the Agent Cormac series.

Set in a lethal waterworld where sudden death is a way of life, The Skinner is the first novel in the far-future Spatterjay series by Neal Asher.The savage ocean planet of Spatterjay draws visitors with very different agendas. Erlin is immortal and seeks a reason to keep living. Janer hosts a hive mind, which paid him to find this planet. And Keech is an agent of Earth who’s been dead for seven hundred years – but still hunts a notorious criminal.On Spatterjay’s vast waterscapes, only the Old Captains risk the native life forms and their voracious appetites. However, they are now barely human. And somewhere out there Keech’s target – the Skinner – runs wild. Keech pursues the Skinner for atrocities committed in a centuries-past war, fought with the alien Prador. But one of these Prador is fast approaching Spatterjay to exterminate witnesses to his own war crimes. And he won’t spare its visitors.Continue the science fiction adventure with The Voyage of Sable Keech and Orbus.

The Voyage of the Sable Keech returns to Neal Asher's water-bound world of Spatterjay, teeming with bizarre characters and gruesome monsters.Taylor Bloc is a walking dead man, determined to live again. He also wants adulation, power and control – and will do anything to get them. Of Bloc’s kind, Sable Keech alone has achieved resurrection. So Bloc will retrace Keech’s journey across Spatterjay’s wild seas, with his crew of killers, to grasp his secret.Erlin wanted solitude to understand her eternal life, until an attack prompts her own strange journey. And Janer returns, with forbidden weaponry. He must stop an agent controlled by a hive mind with a death fixation. But a wider crisis will overshadow personal missions. In the deeps, an alien Prador is stirring, horribly transformed by Spatterjay’s immortality virus. And an enemy ship would destroy the planet to keep this secret.Continue the science fiction adventure series with Orbus, or start at the beginning with The Skinner.

Orbus continues the adventure of Captain Orbus in Neal Asher's high-octane, science fiction Spatterjay series.A cold war is turning white hot.Old Captain Orbus commandeered a ship to flee Spatterjay, desperate to escape the violent planet. Orbus’s alien enemy, the Prador Vrell, is also moving on. The Spatterjay virus mutated him into something even more dangerous. And he’s hunting the Prador King himself – who sought to kill him, to bury the secret of their similar transformations.Orbus and Vrell clash in the Graveyard, a lawless zone where the Prador have seized a key space station. Official action by humanity or Prador would end peace, as a centuries-long cold war simmers. So Earth commands Orbus to destroy the station, even as the King recruits a monster to exterminate Vrell. But their actions will awaken an intelligence that annihilated civilizations, as it stirs after five million years . . .

Prador Moon is one of Neal Asher’s most explosive excursions into the Polity universe – a vivid, visceral, brilliantly intense space opera that you won’t forget.It takes one encounter to turn peace into war . . . The worlds of the Polity stretch from Earth Central into the unfathomable reaches of the galactic void. And when humanity finally encounters alien life – in the form of massive, hostile carnivores known as the Prador – there can only be one outcome. Total warfare.Chaos reigns as, caught unawares, the Polity struggles to regain control. It must try and remake itself into a military society as starships clash, planets fall and space stations are overrun. But for Jebel Krong and Moria Salem, trapped at the centre of the action, this war is far more than a clash of cultures or technology versus brute force. This war is personal.Prador Moon is a standalone prequel to the dramatic events in Neal Asher's Spatterjay novels.

Discover action, intrigue and mind-bending science in Hilldiggers, a gripping science fiction novel from Neal Asher where four siblings holding the keys to unthinkable power.Two planets, bound by the same solar system, were once locked in war. Then a cosmic super-string overflowing with alien technology - or life - was discovered. For safety, it was stored within a maximum-security space station.Sometime later, a female scientist from the station became pregnant and gave birth to quadruplets. But she inexplicably committed suicide by walking directly out into space.When war finally ends, one planet is devastated. It has been decimated by the other planet's hilldigger weaponry, so named as their blasts are capable of transforming landscapes into mountains.As the remnants of their society rebuild, the quadruplets, adults now, begin their ascension to power. One of them has his sights set on claiming the hilldiggers and their power for himself. But with what consequences for humanity?Set in the aftermath of Neal Asher's Spatterjay trilogy, Hilldiggers is an action-packed science fiction story.

Seamlessly blending space opera, hard science fiction and cyberpunk, Neal Asher's Shadow of the Scorpion is a gripping prequel to the compelling Agent Cormac series.Following the devastation of the human-prador war, Ian Cormac is employed by the Earth Central Security. Yet he is haunted by childhood memories of a sinister scorpion-shaped war drone and the burden of losses he doesn’t remember.Tasked with restoring order on worlds ravaged by alien warfare, his cold capacity for violence soon makes him one of Earth's top agents. But chilling discoveries propel Cormac onto a path of revenge and revenge, where he'll have to use all his hard-won skills just to stay alive.

In Neal Asher's The Technician, the Theocracy has been dead for twenty years, and the Polity rules on Masada – but it is an order that the rebels of the Tidy Squad cannot accept, and the iconic Jeremiah Tombs is top of their hitlist.Its secrets could mean our survival . . .On the savage planet of Masada, one of the native aliens is spreading terror through the human population. It creates sculptures from its victims’ remains, earning it its nickname: the Technician. And only Jeremiah Tombs has survived an encounter. This sent him mad, but he may have learned something key to humanity’s survival – if he lives to remember it. Jeremiah was a member of a brutal regime, now deposed, and a radical sect still wants its revenge. The Technician buried something in Jeremiah’s mind about the alien Atheter, an entire race that committed suicide. However, in seeking to understand their disappearance, we may somehow be attracting the same fate. And to unlock Jeremiah’s secrets, Polity operatives must keep him alive.