The Photonic Effect
Published on 21. May 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
448 pages
978-1-6680-8379-6 (ISBN)
Description
"What space opera is meant to be. A brilliantly complex novel about love, loss, and war." -K.B. Wagers
A starship captain and her crew face conspiracies and betrayals as they clash with various factions of a galactic civil war in a thrilling space adventure by New York Times bestselling author Mike Chen.
The starship Horizon's crew spent ten years trapped across the expanse of space. Now they're finally home-only it's not the home they knew. The Cluster, once a peaceful coalition of planets, has fractured in the wake of civil war.
Captain Demora Kim wants nothing more than to protect her surviving crew. It's what she owes them after years of instability and terror. But in times of war, no one is allowed neutrality.
After an attack on a mining station leaves thousands dead, Demi's efforts become almost impossible. Every ship is needed on the frontline. Thrust deeper into a conflict she barely understands, Demi considers a bold choice-one that might keep her promises but tip the galaxy further into chaos.
"Mike Chen has done it again. The Photonic Effect is bursting with unexpected twists and wild rides, but most of all, it's full of heart." -Annalee Newitz
"One of the strongest space operas I've read in recent years. A thrilling, emotionally grounded story about survival, leadership, and the true cost of command." -Karen Osborne
A starship captain and her crew face conspiracies and betrayals as they clash with various factions of a galactic civil war in a thrilling space adventure by New York Times bestselling author Mike Chen.
The starship Horizon's crew spent ten years trapped across the expanse of space. Now they're finally home-only it's not the home they knew. The Cluster, once a peaceful coalition of planets, has fractured in the wake of civil war.
Captain Demora Kim wants nothing more than to protect her surviving crew. It's what she owes them after years of instability and terror. But in times of war, no one is allowed neutrality.
After an attack on a mining station leaves thousands dead, Demi's efforts become almost impossible. Every ship is needed on the frontline. Thrust deeper into a conflict she barely understands, Demi considers a bold choice-one that might keep her promises but tip the galaxy further into chaos.
"Mike Chen has done it again. The Photonic Effect is bursting with unexpected twists and wild rides, but most of all, it's full of heart." -Annalee Newitz
"One of the strongest space operas I've read in recent years. A thrilling, emotionally grounded story about survival, leadership, and the true cost of command." -Karen Osborne
Reviews / Votes
"Mike Chen has done it again. He's turned theoretical physics inside-out to make you fall in love with a band of misfits from across the multiverse. The Photonic Effect is a delightful adventure bursting with unexpected twists and wild rides, but, most of all, it's full of heart." -- <b>Annalee Newitz, bestselling author of <I>Automatic Noodle</I> and <I>The Terraformers</I></b> "A superb sci-fi story about 21st-century issues set in a futuristic space environment, featuring flawed but lovable characters doing their best with whatever challenges the galaxy presents." * <I>Library Journal</I> (starred) * "What space opera is meant to be. The Photonic Effect is a brilliantly complex novel about love, loss, and war that's populated by characters so alive you can feel their hearts in each beat of your own."-- <B>K.B. Wagers, author of <I>A Pale Light in the Black </I></B> "Mike Chen expertly combines the challenges of a First Contact story with creditable alien-y aliens, problem-solving under extreme pressure, and a romance. It's brilliant!"
-- <B>Stina Leicht, author <I>Persephone Station</I></B> "I loved this book! One of the strongest space operas I've read in recent years, full of tasty political intrigue, impossible choices, and richly realized characters. Chen never loses sight of the real people caught in the crossfire of this galactic-scale war, delivering a thrilling, emotionally-grounded story about survival, leadership, and the true cost of command." -- <b>Karen Osborne, author of <i>Architects of Memory</i></b> "Found family goes multiverse and science is better than war in this rousing sci-fi adventure! Watching Chen's cast slam into the pointless cruelty of wartime bureaucracy, and fight for a better way, feels way too relatable in our times. Perfect for fans of Essa Hansen and Ren Hutchings." -- <B>Bethany Jacobs, author of <I>These Burning Stars</I></B> PRAISE FOR MIKE CHEN
A Beginning at the End offers an intimate, surprisingly gentle vision of post-disaster humanity, less concerned with how we might survive than with why-and for whom." -Alix E. Harrow, New York Times Bestselling author
Chen has a true gift for making the biggest of worlds center around the most complex workings of hearts, and his newest is compelling, realistic, and impossible to put down." -Booklist, starred review on A Beginning at the End
"Chen does what the very best sci-fi writers do--he takes a fascinating concept and elevates it with brilliant execution and deeply heartfelt plot twists that make this story less about the (fun) conventions of the genre and more about the profound experience of being human."-Michael Moreci (Black Star Renegades, Star Wars) on Here and Now and Then
"Chen's strength in writing poignant character arcs, especially within family dynamics, shines here, as does his ability to craft intriguing blends of literary and speculative fiction with compelling, character-driven plots." -Library Journal on Light Years from Home
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Publishing group
Simon & Schuster
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Dimensions
Height: 212 mm
Width: 141 mm
Thickness: 29 mm
Weight
335 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-6680-8379-6 (9781668083796)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
Mike Chen is the New York Times bestselling author of The Photonic Effect, Star Wars: Brotherhood, Here and Now and Then, A Quantum Love Story, and other novels, as well as Star Trek: Deep Space Nine comics. He has covered geek culture for sites such as Nerdist and The Mary Sue, and in a different life, he's covered the NHL. A member of SFWA, Mike lives in the Bay Area with his wife, daughter, and many rescue animals.