Adrian Tchaikovsky

Note: once you know this book is about first contact with alien life, this is a spoiler-free zone!

Set in the far future, with humanity still on its own, trying to spread out far and wide across the universe, the story focuses on one particular colonial encounter.

In the Prospector413 system, the spaceship Garveneer approaches a moon that is always on the dark side of the planet.

Juna Ceelander and others are brought out of cold-storage to explore the planet to determine its suitability for exploitation by way of strip-mining. One irony is that Ceelander lives in a corporate world that exploits her and she has, it seems, no choice but to extend the influence and reach of her bosses and exploit the alien moon.

To put the plot at its simplest, Ceelander and company encounter alien life. The book describes this from the perspective of the humans — driven on by corporate budgets, goals, timetables, and internal politics — and the aliens. The communications gulf and the consequential challenges are patiently and logically shown. The writing is evocative and engrossing as you are drawn in to the struggle for comprehension. The human characters are well drawn. Their interactions are meaninful and authentic. The alien parts are outstanding — fresh, new, and challenging. The backdrop is as much a character in the drama as anyone else. The pacing is just right, maintaining the tension without overdoing things.

This is the best science-fiction book I have read in a long, long time. To keep the review spoiler free, it’s short. But don’t let that fool you. There is a lot packed into Shroud and you will be missing out if you don’t read it. I have had some misses in the past with this author, however Shroud is definitely a hit. Highly recommended.