An astonishing new novel from the acclaimed and bestselling author of Eggshell Skull and The Work.
Mitchell is a brilliant biologist, committed to the environment and the growing global anti-natalist movement. For one month each year he lives with his colleague Frances in a utopia of radical equality and scientific dedication in Antarctica. They are concluding the Anarctos Project: a seed vault in an isolated, secret location. It is a biodiversity insurance policy against humanity’s devastating effects on the rapidly warming planet.
But when their helicopter doesn’t pick them up, and strange things begin to happen, their faith in science is suddenly not enough. Mitchell has been keeping big secrets – from Frances and from himself. The ice haunts him with memories of a devastating betrayal and questions of legacy and fairness crowd his mind.
If they don’t get back to McMurdo Station before the last flight home they face a long dark polar winter together. Alone. As the days get shorter, these two people of firm logic and reason begin finding fault lines in their perfect social experiment.
Thrilling, original and almost unbearably suspenseful, Seed offers an uneasy glimpse into isolation, love and our worst fears.
About the AuthorBri Lee is the multi-award-winning bestselling author of acclaimed non-fiction books
Eggshell Skull, Beauty and
Who Gets to Be Smart. Her journalism, essays, and short stories have been published widely, and she is the creator and editor of News & Reviews. Bri's bestselling first novel,
The Work, was published in April 2024 and has been longlisted for the 2025 Indie Award for Debut Fiction.
Industry Reviews
‘The best of both worlds: a literary page turner. I couldn’t put it down.’
– Chris Hammer, author of The Valley
‘Bri Lee’s expertly crafted novel is an urgent philosophical questioning of humanity and responsibility. It’s also an equally persuasive thriller. Dynamic and moving.’
– Christos Tsiolkas, author of The In-Between
‘Seed is a sublime work of literature that grapples with some of the most pressing moral questions of our time. My attention was taken hostage by this apocalyptic love story – as thrilling as it is philosophically profound. Bri Lee is a writer of rare technical skill and emotional range.’
– Lech Blaine, author of Australian Gospel
‘Seed is an absolute ripper of a novel. A propulsive, nail-bitingly tense thriller that asks urgent, uncompromising questions about love, hubris and how we decide what – and who – is worth saving.’
– Emily Maguire, author of Rapture
‘I raced through Seed with a pounding heart. It took me to an unfamiliar place and dropped me there, poking at my preconceptions while I tried to find a way home. It’s deeply original, intense and thrilling.’
– Holly Wainwright, author of He Would Never
‘Seed is a propulsive thriller that tackles one of the biggest questions of all: must we learn to love if we’re to save ourselves?’
– Sophie Cunningham, author of This Devastating Fever
