Fans of hard SF and social commentary will enjoy this assured, thought-provoking debut.
The appearance of a mysterious alien object on a distant moon sparks an international crisis on Earth in Argade’s sprawling SF epic.
In 2030, astronomer Shakuntala “Shaku” Bakshi shares her latest discovery with the Indian Space Research Organization: A golden, flower-shaped extraterrestrial item has materialized on Phobos, a moon of Mars. The structure, which Shaku names “Phool,” quickly throws diplomatic relations into disarray as various countries scramble to use the revelation to their own advantage. The ensuing chaos draws in a wide cast of characters, from scientists to presidents to political prisoners, but as the intergalactic threat grows more dire, they realize that the only way to save their planet is to set aside their differences and band together. The author, a retired physicist and computer architect, packs plenty of scientific expertise and granular explanation into this debut. However, the book is more preoccupied with the geopolitical implications of a major astronomical discovery, making the work a relevant commentary on the phenomenon of science denial. Some allusions to modern pop culture feel clunky—such as conservative media outlet Hawk News or pop star Caylor Quick—but the depiction of misinformation, political division, and opportunistic leadership feels especially timely. The novel introduces more plotlines than it’s able to resolve, although it ends on a cliffhanger that promises a second installment. Still, there’s an appealing sense of cohesion as various characters’ stories come together. Standouts include a tender romance between American scientists David Green and Karen Smith, the maturation of Indian high school student Drishti Mali, and the heartbreaking journey of Chinese robotics CEO Li Qiang. As the narrative progresses, their journeys inform one another in exciting ways. Overall, this interconnected tale of hope and humanity, grounded in scientific theory, will appeal to lovers of David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas (2004) and other, similarly ambitious sagas.
Fans of hard SF and social commentary will enjoy this assured, thought-provoking debut.Pub Date: March 30, 2026
ISBN: 9798993347912
Page Count: 412
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: April 27, 2026
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A tasty, if not always tasteful, tale of supernatural mayhem that fans of King and Crichton alike will enjoy.
Are we not men? We are—well, ask Bigfoot, as Brooks does in this delightful yarn, following on his bestseller World War Z(2006).
A zombie apocalypse is one thing. A volcanic eruption is quite another, for, as the journalist who does a framing voice-over narration for Brooks’ latest puts it, when Mount Rainier popped its cork, “it was the psychological aspect, the hyperbole-fueled hysteria that had ended up killing the most people.” Maybe, but the sasquatches whom the volcano displaced contributed to the statistics, too, if only out of self-defense. Brooks places the epicenter of the Bigfoot war in a high-tech hideaway populated by the kind of people you might find in a Jurassic Park franchise: the schmo who doesn’t know how to do much of anything but tries anyway, the well-intentioned bleeding heart, the know-it-all intellectual who turns out to know the wrong things, the immigrant with a tough backstory and an instinct for survival. Indeed, the novel does double duty as a survival manual, packed full of good advice—for instance, try not to get wounded, for “injury turns you from a giver to a taker. Taking up our resources, our time to care for you.” Brooks presents a case for making room for Bigfoot in the world while peppering his narrative with timely social criticism about bad behavior on the human side of the conflict: The explosion of Rainier might have been better forecast had the president not slashed the budget of the U.S. Geological Survey, leading to “immediate suspension of the National Volcano Early Warning System,” and there’s always someone around looking to monetize the natural disaster and the sasquatch-y onslaught that follows. Brooks is a pro at building suspense even if it plays out in some rather spectacularly yucky episodes, one involving a short spear that takes its name from “the sucking sound of pulling it out of the dead man’s heart and lungs.” Grossness aside, it puts you right there on the scene.
A tasty, if not always tasteful, tale of supernatural mayhem that fans of King and Crichton alike will enjoy.Pub Date: June 16, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-9848-2678-7
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Del Rey/Ballantine
Review Posted Online: Feb. 9, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK TO SCREEN
A new edition of the by now classic collection of affiliated stories which has already established its deserved longevity.
Pub Date: Aug. 16, 1963
ISBN: 055338256X
Page Count: -
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1963
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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