2014 ALEX Award Winner
When out-of-shape IT technician Roen woke up and started hearing voices in his head, he naturally assumed he was losing it.
He wasn’t.
He now has a passenger in his brain – an ancient alien life-form called Tao, whose race crash-landed on Earth before the first fish crawled out of the oceans. Now split into two opposing factions – the peace-loving, but under-represented Prophus, and the savage, powerful Genjix – the aliens have been in a state of civil war for centuries. Both sides are searching for a way off-planet, and the Genjix will sacrifice the entire human race, if that’s what it takes.
Meanwhile, Roen is having to train to be the ultimate secret agent. Like that’s going to end up well…
“Just your usual “I’ve got an immensely wise alien in my head who wants me to become an international man of mystery” story. Which is to say, a page-turning homage to other classic SF like Hal Clement’s Needle. Recommended.”
—Steven Gould, author of the Jumper series
“Filled with non-stop action and brilliant asides on the history of our species, the book is sure to thrill and amuse.”
—Ken Liu, Nebula Award winning author of The Paper Menagerie
“Tipping his hat to both science fiction novels and comic books, Chu delivers a narrative that is at times pulse-pounding, laugh-out-loud funny and thoughtful. Part James Bond, part Superman, part Orphanage. There’s something here for everyone.”
—Myke Cole, author of Control Point and Fortress Frontier
“Wesley Chu is my hero... he has to be the coolest science fiction writer in the world.”
—Lavie Tidhar, World Fantasy Award winning author of Osama and The Bookman Histories
“One part Deep Space Nine, three parts Babylon Five, and two parts Chuck.”
—Gini Koch, author of the Alien/Katherine "Kitty" Katt series
“A fast-paced, high-action SF mix of Jason Bourne meets the Hero’s Journey, jam-packed with dark conspiracies, wild romance, ancient aliens, and a secret, globe-spanning war. Loved it!”
—Matt Forbeck, author of Amortals and Hard Times in Dragon City
“A totally original sci-fi thriller that will have you hooked from page one with both riveting action and a sly wit. This is a story of human history, the hidden powers that have shaped it, and one man’s transformation from complete nobody to a key fighter in the war for humanity’s future.”
—Ramez Naam, H.G. Wells Award winner and author of Nexus
