
Air
Geoff Ryman(Author)
Gateway (Publisher)
Published on 14. May 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
400 pages
978-1-3996-4039-8 (ISBN)
Description
"AIR is wonderful...Ryman is a true, graceful writer and this is a novel you move into and inhabit for as long as you can make it last" - Kit Reed
"This book constantly surprised me ... great for a lot of seriously original ideas and a deep dive into the consequences" - Goodreads Reviewer
Mae Chung lives in the rice-farming village Kizuldah, in Karzistan. She's a self-styled fashion expert, guiding the village women in dress, make-up and hairstyle, which makes her an informal village leader.
When the UN decides to test Air - a radical new technology that works without power lines or machines - Mae finds herself with the memories of a deceased village elder, Mrs Tung. Struggling with information overload, the resentment of much of the village, and a complex family situation, Mae works fiercely to learn what she needs to ride the tiger of change.
Geoff Ryman's triumphant return to science fiction is a powerful, evocative story of information technology in a changing world.
"This book constantly surprised me ... great for a lot of seriously original ideas and a deep dive into the consequences" - Goodreads Reviewer
Mae Chung lives in the rice-farming village Kizuldah, in Karzistan. She's a self-styled fashion expert, guiding the village women in dress, make-up and hairstyle, which makes her an informal village leader.
When the UN decides to test Air - a radical new technology that works without power lines or machines - Mae finds herself with the memories of a deceased village elder, Mrs Tung. Struggling with information overload, the resentment of much of the village, and a complex family situation, Mae works fiercely to learn what she needs to ride the tiger of change.
Geoff Ryman's triumphant return to science fiction is a powerful, evocative story of information technology in a changing world.
Reviews / Votes
"One of recent science fiction's acknowledged masterworks. Enthralling." -- Matt Coward * Morning Star *More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Orion Publishing Co
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 197 mm
Width: 130 mm
Thickness: 27 mm
Weight
280 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-3996-4039-8 (9781399640398)
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
Geoff Ryman is a Canadian living in the United Kingdom. His first book based on events in Cambodia was published in 1985, the award-winning The Unconquered Country. The King's Last Song was inspired by a visit to an Australian archaeological dig at Angkor Wat in 2000. He has been a regular visitor since, teaching writing workshops in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap twice, and publishing three further novellas set in Cambodia. In Britain he produced documentaries for Resonance FM, London, on Cambodian Arts. He has published nine other books and won fourteen awards. He teaches creative writing at the University of Manchester.