The Infinite State
The dystopian science fiction epic from the bestselling author of GRAVE EMPIRE
Will be published approx. on 6. August 2026
Book
Hardback
416 pages
978-1-3996-2773-3 (ISBN)
Description
'Prescient, dark, and ultimately hopeful' PIERCE BROWN
'Excellent' PETER F. HAMILTON
'A menacing experience' FONDA LEE
'Science fiction at its finest' SUNYI DEAN
In this brand-new blistering science fiction epic, Sunday Times bestselling author Richard Swan presents a thrilling tale of survival and an eviscerating examination of totalitarianism.
WHO GIVES YOU LIFE?
PATER AETERNUS.
Katherine Fuller's husband is dead. As an esteemed member of Pater Aeternus - governing party of the fascist, galaxy-spanning Decurion Empire - he has left behind an estate of immeasurable wealth. And Katherine is going to inherit it.
WHO GIVES YOU PURPOSE?
PATER AETERNUS.
Life under the Eternal Father is rigidly stratified, surveilled, and controlled - each new day to be endured, not lived. But with Katherine's newfound fortune, she is presented with a rare and dangerous opportunity: purchase a virgin world, and create a better, fairer society.
WHO GIVES YOU JOY?
PATER AETERNUS.
But the Empire cannot allow its wayward daughter to succeed. And as Katherine works in secret, recruiting allies she's not even sure she can trust, she will discover exactly how far Pater Aeternus is willing to go to stop her. Because Katherine is going to create something nobody has seen for many years.
A democracy.
1984 meets The Man in the High Castle in gripping sci-fi The Infinite State from Richard Swan, which begins at a flashpoint in the lives of a widowed party member, a disgraced investigator, and a hypersled pilot - entangled in a plot to escape the suffocating authority of a fascist state.
'A thrilling vision of resistance to dystopian fascism' J.T. GREATHOUSE
'Absorbing and thought-provoking' SCOTT DRAKEFORD
'Richard's writing is scapel-sharp' NICHOLAS EAMES
'Excellent' PETER F. HAMILTON
'A menacing experience' FONDA LEE
'Science fiction at its finest' SUNYI DEAN
In this brand-new blistering science fiction epic, Sunday Times bestselling author Richard Swan presents a thrilling tale of survival and an eviscerating examination of totalitarianism.
WHO GIVES YOU LIFE?
PATER AETERNUS.
Katherine Fuller's husband is dead. As an esteemed member of Pater Aeternus - governing party of the fascist, galaxy-spanning Decurion Empire - he has left behind an estate of immeasurable wealth. And Katherine is going to inherit it.
WHO GIVES YOU PURPOSE?
PATER AETERNUS.
Life under the Eternal Father is rigidly stratified, surveilled, and controlled - each new day to be endured, not lived. But with Katherine's newfound fortune, she is presented with a rare and dangerous opportunity: purchase a virgin world, and create a better, fairer society.
WHO GIVES YOU JOY?
PATER AETERNUS.
But the Empire cannot allow its wayward daughter to succeed. And as Katherine works in secret, recruiting allies she's not even sure she can trust, she will discover exactly how far Pater Aeternus is willing to go to stop her. Because Katherine is going to create something nobody has seen for many years.
A democracy.
1984 meets The Man in the High Castle in gripping sci-fi The Infinite State from Richard Swan, which begins at a flashpoint in the lives of a widowed party member, a disgraced investigator, and a hypersled pilot - entangled in a plot to escape the suffocating authority of a fascist state.
'A thrilling vision of resistance to dystopian fascism' J.T. GREATHOUSE
'Absorbing and thought-provoking' SCOTT DRAKEFORD
'Richard's writing is scapel-sharp' NICHOLAS EAMES
Reviews / Votes
Prescient, dark, and ultimately hopeful, The Infinite State mauled my heart and kept me reading well into the winnowing hours of the night * Pierce Brown, No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of RED RISING * The Infinite State is the kind of future that's so horrific you hope in your heart it will never exist. But Richard Swan has made it believable * Peter F. Hamilton, New York Times bestselling author of EXODUS: THE ARCHIMEDES ENGINE * A menacing experience in a despicable galactic empire. I had a great time * Fonda Lee, author of THE LAST CONTRACT OF ISAKO and the GREEN BONE SAGA * The Infinite State is science fiction at its finest, doing what sci-fi does best: showing us how to build a better future. This book is a reflection of our times, and for our times * Sunyi Dean, Sunday Times bestselling author of THE BOOK EATERS * A thrilling vision of resistance to dystopian fascism in the intergalactic future, with an exactly perfect portion of sentient murder gorillas * J. T. Greathouse, author of THE TOWER OF THE TYRANT * This was excellent. Richard's writing is scalpel-sharp, and the future he envisions is so starkly relevant one hopes it isn't right around the corner. If you're looking for smart, sophisticated science fiction to fill the Iain Banks-shaped hole in your soul, this is it * Nicholas Eames, author of KINGS OF THE WYLD * Absorbing and thought-provoking. Quintessential Richard Swan * Scott Drakeford, author of the AGE OF IRE series * A compelling and original science fiction novel that shines a light into the darkness of space and the human spirit * David Goodman, award-winning author of A RELUCTANT SPY * Riveting and utterly addictive. Sci-fi that demands and commands your attention from grim start to epic finish * FanFiAddict *More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Orion Publishing Co
Product notice
Trade binding
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 156 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-3996-2773-3 (9781399627733)
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
Richard Swan
The Infinite State
The dystopian science fiction epic from the bestselling author of GRAVE EMPIRE
E-Book
approx. 08/2026
Gollancz
€14.99
Not yet available
Person
Richard Swan is a Sunday Times bestselling genre writer. He is known for his Empire of the Wolf and Great Silence trilogies, as well as the upcoming Decurion Saga. He has also written fiction for Black Library and Grimdark Magazine. His work has been translated into nine languages. Richard is a qualified lawyer, and before writing full time spent ten years litigating multimillion pound commercial disputes in London. He currently lives in Sydney with his wife and three young sons.