
The Blue, Beautiful World
Longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2024
Karen Lord(Author)
Gollancz (Publisher)
Published on 9. May 2024
Book
Paperback/Softback
256 pages
978-1-3996-1888-5 (ISBN)
Description
LONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2024
'This complex, engaging novel takes an unusual approach to the classic trope of aliens in our midst, with a warmth and intelligence reminiscent of Ursula K Le Guin'
GUARDIAN
The world is changing, and humanity must change with it. Rising seas and soaring temperatures have radically transformed the face of Earth. Meanwhile, Earth is being observed from afar by other civilizations . . . and now they are ready to make contact.
Vying to prepare humanity for first contact are a group of dreamers and changemakers, including Peter Hendrix, the genius inventor behind the most advanced VR tech; Charyssa, a beloved celebrity icon with a passion for humanitarian work; and Kanoa, a member of a global council of young people drafted to reimagine the relationship between humankind and alien societies.
And they may have an unexpected secret weapon: Owen, a pop megastar whose ability to connect with his adoring fans is more than charisma. His hidden talent could be the key to uniting Earth as it looks toward the stars.
But Owen's abilities are so unique that no one can control him and so seductive that he cannot help but use them. Can he transcend his human limitations and find the freedom he has always dreamed of? Or is he doomed to become the dictator of his nightmares?
A visionary science fiction novel set a century into our future against a familiar backdrop of rising seas and climate crisis, The Blue, Beautiful World fuses a propulsive first contact adventure with a profoundly hopeful ode to the power of human connection as a genius inventor, a beloved celebrity, a young activist, and a pop megastar are brought together to forge a new path into the future.
'Gorgeously detailed' DAILY MAIL
'Wildly original' MARTHA WELLS
'Essential reading' SAMIT BASU
'Thoughtful and dreamlike' TESSA GRATTON
'A gorgeous, wise tale' ANNALEE NEWITZ
'Beautifully-crafted' KATE ELLIOTT
'A cracking high-stakes story' MALKA OLDER
'This complex, engaging novel takes an unusual approach to the classic trope of aliens in our midst, with a warmth and intelligence reminiscent of Ursula K Le Guin'
GUARDIAN
The world is changing, and humanity must change with it. Rising seas and soaring temperatures have radically transformed the face of Earth. Meanwhile, Earth is being observed from afar by other civilizations . . . and now they are ready to make contact.
Vying to prepare humanity for first contact are a group of dreamers and changemakers, including Peter Hendrix, the genius inventor behind the most advanced VR tech; Charyssa, a beloved celebrity icon with a passion for humanitarian work; and Kanoa, a member of a global council of young people drafted to reimagine the relationship between humankind and alien societies.
And they may have an unexpected secret weapon: Owen, a pop megastar whose ability to connect with his adoring fans is more than charisma. His hidden talent could be the key to uniting Earth as it looks toward the stars.
But Owen's abilities are so unique that no one can control him and so seductive that he cannot help but use them. Can he transcend his human limitations and find the freedom he has always dreamed of? Or is he doomed to become the dictator of his nightmares?
A visionary science fiction novel set a century into our future against a familiar backdrop of rising seas and climate crisis, The Blue, Beautiful World fuses a propulsive first contact adventure with a profoundly hopeful ode to the power of human connection as a genius inventor, a beloved celebrity, a young activist, and a pop megastar are brought together to forge a new path into the future.
'Gorgeously detailed' DAILY MAIL
'Wildly original' MARTHA WELLS
'Essential reading' SAMIT BASU
'Thoughtful and dreamlike' TESSA GRATTON
'A gorgeous, wise tale' ANNALEE NEWITZ
'Beautifully-crafted' KATE ELLIOTT
'A cracking high-stakes story' MALKA OLDER
Reviews / Votes
This is the thrilling, cerebral, empathetic, and hopeful speculative fiction the world absolutely needs-now and always * Samit Basu * A complex story of first contact from a unique perspective that is warm, engaging, and wildly original * Martha Wells *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Orion Publishing Co
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 196 mm
Width: 129 mm
Thickness: 21 mm
Weight
228 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-3996-1888-5 (9781399618885)
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

E-Book
08/2023
Gollancz
€3.99
Available for download
Person
Barbadian writer Dr. Karen Lord is the author of Redemption in Indigo, which won the William L. Crawford Award and the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Literature and was nominated for the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel. Her other works include the science fiction novels The Best of All Possible Worlds and The Galaxy Game, and the crime fantasy novel Unraveling. Lord also edited the anthology New Worlds, Old Ways: Speculative Tales from the Caribbean.