MP3 Audio Sample
Short Synopsis
Bella Lind and the crew of her nuclear-powered ship mine comets, and they are good at it. But nothing can prepare them for the surprises in store when one of Saturn's ice moons inexplicably leaves its natural orbit and heads out of the solar system at high speed.
Full Synopsis
2057. Humanity has raised exploiting the solar system to an art form. Bella Lind and the crew of her nuclear-powered ship, the Rockhopper, push ice. They mine comets. And they're good at it.
The Rockhopper is nearing the end of its current mission cycle, and everyone is desperate for some much-needed R & R, when startling news arrives from Saturn: Janus, one of Saturn's ice moons, has inexplicably left its natural orbit and is now heading out of the solar system at high speed.
As layers of camouflage fall away, it becomes clear that Janus was never a moon in the first place. It's some kind of machine—and it is now headed toward a fuzzily glimpsed artifact 260 light-years away. The Rockhopper is the only ship anywhere near Janus, and Bella Lind is ordered to shadow it for the few vital days before it falls forever out of reach.
In accepting this mission, she sets her ship and her crew on a collision course with destiny—for Janus has more surprises in store, and not all of them are welcome.
Author Alastair Reynolds
Narrated by John Lee
Publication date Nov 2, 2010
Running time 19 hrs
Available Formats
audio download