Shroud
Published on 22. January 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
480 pages
978-1-0350-1381-4 (ISBN)
Description
'Thrilling, terrifying and fascinating'- Tim Peake, British ESA astronaut
They looked into darkness. The darkness looked back . . .
An utterly gripping story of first contact on a hostile planet from Adrian Tchaikovsky, author of the Arthur C. Clarke Award-winning Children of Time.
New for this edition: The short story 'Sins of the Children', the fascinating prequel to Shroud.
An expedition to a distant star system discovers a pitch-black moon alive with radio activity. Its high-gravity, high-pressure, zero-oxygen environment is deadly to human life, but ripe for exploitation.
They name the moon Shroud. But they never mean to go there . . . until a catastrophic accident forces Juna Ceelander and Mai Ste Etienne to crash-land on its inhospitable surface in a barely adequate escape vehicle. Alone, and fighting to survive, the two women embark on a gruelling journey in search of salvation. But Juna and Mai's tenuous existence is threatened by Shroud's extraordinary alien species. If they can escape, they'll have to explain the impossible and translate the incredible . . .
* * *
Praise for Shroud
'Evokes an unrelatable extraterrestrial world . . . keeps you guessing throughout' - SFX, 5* Review
'Clever, vivid and terrifying . . . No one has an imagination like Adrian Tchaikovsky' - Jim Al-Khalili, presenter of BBC Radio 4's The Life Scientific
'Crunchy, conceptual SF at its best' - Richard Morgan, author of Altered Carbon
'This is hard-edged science fiction that never loses its soul' - Sue Burke, author of Semiosis
'Makes Andy Weir's vision of Mars in The Martian look like a Caribbean beach resort' - The Fantasy Hive
They looked into darkness. The darkness looked back . . .
An utterly gripping story of first contact on a hostile planet from Adrian Tchaikovsky, author of the Arthur C. Clarke Award-winning Children of Time.
New for this edition: The short story 'Sins of the Children', the fascinating prequel to Shroud.
An expedition to a distant star system discovers a pitch-black moon alive with radio activity. Its high-gravity, high-pressure, zero-oxygen environment is deadly to human life, but ripe for exploitation.
They name the moon Shroud. But they never mean to go there . . . until a catastrophic accident forces Juna Ceelander and Mai Ste Etienne to crash-land on its inhospitable surface in a barely adequate escape vehicle. Alone, and fighting to survive, the two women embark on a gruelling journey in search of salvation. But Juna and Mai's tenuous existence is threatened by Shroud's extraordinary alien species. If they can escape, they'll have to explain the impossible and translate the incredible . . .
* * *
Praise for Shroud
'Evokes an unrelatable extraterrestrial world . . . keeps you guessing throughout' - SFX, 5* Review
'Clever, vivid and terrifying . . . No one has an imagination like Adrian Tchaikovsky' - Jim Al-Khalili, presenter of BBC Radio 4's The Life Scientific
'Crunchy, conceptual SF at its best' - Richard Morgan, author of Altered Carbon
'This is hard-edged science fiction that never loses its soul' - Sue Burke, author of Semiosis
'Makes Andy Weir's vision of Mars in The Martian look like a Caribbean beach resort' - The Fantasy Hive
Reviews / Votes
Thrilling, terrifying and fascinating in equal measure. A gripping story of survival and human endeavour against all odds. The most thought-provoking book I've read in a long time -- Tim Peake, British ESA astronaut Crunchy, conceptual SF at its best . . . the best alien contact novel I've read since Peter Watts' Blindsight, and that is high praise indeed -- Richard Morgan, author of <i>Altered Carbon</i> Clever, vivid and terrifying. Shroud is probably the most alien world anyone could possibly imagine. But no one has an imagination like Adrian Tchaikovsky -- Jim Al-Khalili, presenter of BBC Radio 4's <i>The Life Scientific</i> The most inventive alien world I've ever encountered in SF . . . Pure Tchaikovsky. I swear the man is some kind of genius -- Peter Watts, author of <i>Blindsight</i> Adrian Tchaikovsky explores worlds where no one else would dare to go, and the unimaginable becomes believable . . . This is hard-edged science fiction that never loses its soul -- Sue Burke, author of <i>Semiosis</i> A terrifically gripping story of survival and First Contact on a pitch-black death world . . . Bravo! -- Paul McAuley, author of <i>The Quiet War</i> Makes Andy Weir's vision of Mars in The Martian look like a Caribbean beach resort * Fantasy Hive * This is one of the best books I've read this year . . . I can't remember the last time I was this impressed - or moved - by a sci-fi book -- 5* NetGalley Review There's so much I want to express but I'm speechless . . . That Adrian Tchaikovsky can spin another sci-fi tale this detailed and yet so distinct is mind-blowing -- 5* NetGalley Review Tchaikovsky is writing at the very peak of his powers and he is fizzing with more interesting ideas than any one human has a right to -- <i>New Scientist</i> Simply put, Shroud is the best first-contact novel I have read in years -- <i>Locus Magazine</i> A pacy adventure that keeps you thinking -- <i>SFX</i>, 5* Review Wonderfully curious . . . an excellent sci-fi * Grimdark Magazine *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Pan Macmillan
Target group
Interest Age: From 18 years
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 194 mm
Width: 128 mm
Thickness: 30 mm
Weight
324 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-0350-1381-4 (9781035013814)
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
02/2025
Tor
€15.99
Available for download
Person
Adrian Tchaikovsky was born in Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire, has practised law and now writes full time. He's also studied stage-fighting, perpetrated amateur dramatics and has a keen interest in entomology and table-top games.
Adrian is the author of the critically acclaimed Shadows of the Apt series, the Echoes of the Fall series and other novels, novellas and short stories. Children of Time won the prestigious Arthur C. Clarke Award, and Children of Ruin and Shards of Earth both won the British Science Fiction Award for Best Novel. The Tiger and the Wolf won the British Fantasy Award for Best Fantasy Novel, while And Put Away Childish Things won the BSFA Award for Best Shorter Fiction.
Adrian is the author of the critically acclaimed Shadows of the Apt series, the Echoes of the Fall series and other novels, novellas and short stories. Children of Time won the prestigious Arthur C. Clarke Award, and Children of Ruin and Shards of Earth both won the British Science Fiction Award for Best Novel. The Tiger and the Wolf won the British Fantasy Award for Best Fantasy Novel, while And Put Away Childish Things won the BSFA Award for Best Shorter Fiction.