The year is 2035. After ecological disasters nearly destroyed the Earth, 26 survivors—the last of humanity—are trapped by an alien race in a sterile enclosure known as the Shell. Fifteen-year-old Pete is one of the Six—children who were born deformed or sterile and raised in the Shell. As, one by one, the survivors grow sick and die, Pete and the Six struggle to put aside their anger at the alien Tesslies in order to find the means to rebuild the earth together. Their only hope lies within brief time-portals into the recent past, where they bring back children to replenish their disappearing gene pool. Meanwhile, in 2013, brilliant mathematician Julie Kahn works with the FBI to solve a series of inexplicable kidnappings. Suddenly her predictive algorithms begin to reveal more than just criminal activity. As she begins to realize her role in the impending catastrophe, simultaneously affecting the Earth and the Shell, Julie closes in on the truth. She and Pete are converging in time upon the future of humanity—a future which might never unfold. Weaving three consecutive timelines to unravel both the mystery of the Earth's destruction and the key to its salvation, this taut adventure offers a topical message with a satisfying twist.
Industry Reviews
"This isn't the usual post-environmental apocalypse/alien invasion survival book... Readers of science fiction and those interested in environmental issues will question the current wisdom about our environment and climate science, as well as how much effect humans may--or may not--have on the future." -- School Library Journal (April 2012) "A very impressive and obviously heartfelt work." --www.bookgasm.com "It's hard to imagine a better writer of science fiction in America today than Nancy Kress - to call Kress a science-fiction writer seems too limiting. She's one of our best writers." -- Salt Lake Tribune "I highly recommend this book." --www.NerdsInBabeland.com "A disturbing, lively piece of fiction." --www.SeattlePI.com "Nebula- and Hugo-winner Kress mixes time travel, global catastrophe, and mysterious aliens in this strong postapocalyptic tale... Kress handles the crisscrossing timelines with cool elegance." -- Publishers Weekly (March 19, 2012) "An elegant novella that combines several wildly different science fiction ideas into a tight package... Expect to see this one on the final ballots of the major awards next year." --www.tor.com "A highly intelligent, sublimely understated glimpse into humankind's future - it's comparable in thematic impact to Walter M. Miller, Jr.'s classic A Canticle for Leibowitz ." --Paul Goat Allen, www.bn.com
