Indies Introduce

Fiction

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  The Vanished Birds, Simon Jimenez
  Del Rey, 9780593128985, January 14, 2020 (Fiction)
  

  “The Vanished Birds by Simon Jimenez is set over the course of millenia - a snapshot of humanity on the brink of Earth’s climate meltdown and that same humanity flung far into the future and across star systems. This is at once a space opera and meditation on mourning. It is a queer coming of age story and an exploration of the nature of trauma. It shows the courage of loving another blindly, and the desperate pain of that love. This is science fiction at its best - a sideways glance at the realities of the world we live in, refracting the nuance and complications of life through its lens. The Vanished Birds speaks to where we are now by showing us where we can go - and asking us how much will really change when we arrive.”

  Barak Lake, Pegasus Books (Berkeley, CA)
  
  

  “Character-driven science fiction where the technology and space setting serve to explore questions of what it means to be human.  What happens to memory, love, cruelty, loyalty, loss, relationships, and coming-of-age when time is elastic and the Earth that we know is long gone?  Wonderful writing and well-drawn characters make this existential exploration a pleasure to read.”

  Mimi Hannan, La Playa Books (San Diego, CA)
  

   

  “Beautiful imagery and complex characters emerge in this cacophony of distant planets, corporate greed, and technology run amok. This lyrical debut offers hope in humanity through the selfless love and sacrifice that Nia and the others aboard the Debby give to ensure Ahro's survival. Compelling, and written with compassion, this is a story of the loves and losses you find in a complex universe.”

  Susan Schlesinger, Books on the Square (Providence, RI)