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Alien Clay
- Narrated by: Ben Allen
- Length: 13 hrs and 55 mins
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Alien Clay
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Summary
Alien Clay is a thrilling far-future adventure by acclaimed Arthur C. Clarke Award-winning author Adrian Tchaikovsky.
This audiobook edition includes an exclusive interview between Ben Allen and Adrian Tchaikovsky.
They travelled into the unknown and left themselves behind . . .
On the distant world of Kiln lie the ruins of an alien civilization. It’s the greatest discovery in humanity’s spacefaring history – yet who were its builders and where did they go?
Professor Arton Daghdev had always wanted to study alien life up close. Then his wishes become a reality in the worst way. His political activism sees him exiled from Earth to Kiln’s extrasolar labour camp. There, he’s condemned to work under an alien sky until he dies.
Kiln boasts a ravenous, chaotic ecosystem like nothing seen on Earth. The monstrous alien life interacts in surprising, sometimes shocking ways with the human body, so Arton will risk death on a daily basis. However, the camp’s oppressive regime might just kill him first. If Arton can somehow escape both fates, the world of Kiln holds a wondrous, terrible secret. It will redefine life and intelligence as he knows it, and might just set him free . . .
‘A warning for a future we don’t want . . . Highly recommended’ – Tade Thompson
‘Unputdownable. Adrian Tchaikovsky is fast becoming the voice of his generation in British SF’ – Stephen Baxter
‘One of our finest writers of SF right now . . . an excellent story told with Adrian's trademark skill and flair’ – James Oswald
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What listeners say about Alien Clay
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- The haunt
- 22-05-24
Another interesting Adrian Tchaikovsky book!
The first 3/4 of the book were excellent and interesting with characters which were fun to listen to and a developing story.
However, later I found thr story and key developments in it weren't explained amazingly and felt like they clashed with earlier points a little bit.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Youssii
- 17-04-24
The most imaginative alien biology in modern science fiction
Adrian Tchaikovsky always delivers incredible biology but really outdid himself with this one, creating a whole alien ecology that feels fundamentally different to our own but still feels scientifically grounded.
The protagonist is sarcastic narrates the thoughts and feelings of an exiled academic who failed to be the kind of revolutionary he wanted to be on dictatorship earth.
Perhaps what is most terrifying is not the Elephant's Dad who stampedes through the forest, or the cackling infected researcher who hoots and laughs in the night, but the fact that the human society known as the Mandate feels as though it really could lie in our real world future.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- JohnW
- 06-04-24
1984 Meets Avatar
Great protagonist, great story. Almost a hypothetical solution fulfilling communism, only solved in fantasy horror.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Nat
- 12-05-24
Interesting life on this planet
Totally absorbed into this alien world - fascinating concept with political themes to boot. For me it was a little of Journey to the centre of the Earth meets 1984! Only in space! Loved it! Would read it again.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jasper
- 17-07-24
Another excellent title
Tchaikovsky has a lot to say about authoritarianism and he does so very eloquently. He's refreshingly unsubtle about the parallels one can draw between what biology can teach us and how life is not a zero sum game. I'd heartily recommend staying to listen to the interview at the end.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sebrina Calkins
- 03-09-24
This was bloody brilliant!
Tchaikovsky fully getting wild with biology and anthropology with some anarcho-communism and anti-fascism thrown in for good measure.
In many ways it feels laser focused to my interests.
I thoroughly enjoyed the story, but not necessarily a huge amount more than the ideas, buf it was still great
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Mr
- 26-07-24
Not my favourite
I finished this book but almost gave up part way through. The grim narrative, on a distant planet amongst political prisoners was fairly slow paced. A decent storyline just about kept me listening.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 04-06-24
Psychologic and Sociologic effects of isolation vs connection
It makes you see loneliness and empathy in a different light. How our limits of communication and connection results in fear. This fear is the building block of authoritarian regimes. It makes us less than human. While connection makes us more then human, a community. How much is too much though?
I loved the ending, it satisfies you but also keeps you questioning. It is a stand-alone book and it does conclude the story neatly. A second book is possible but not a must.
I loved how accurate the science is in the story. It's not magic in disguise, it doesn't even provide shortcuts for the plot's sake like having a quick way to space travel. Though I like those stories as well, a pure science fiction hits different.
I loved the main character's scientist mind that keeps being curious in extreme situations without being unrealistic. It was quite satisfying to read the dynamic between him and the commandant. And I loved the comment the writer made on it in the interview which you can listen at the end of the book.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sean
- 08-04-24
Another great book by Adrian Tchaikovsky
I loved this book, from the alien ecology to the politics, which has a lot to say about our current situation and the need for authoritarian regimes to be validated by the people they hate because they can't control them.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Bob Conrod
- 15-04-24
Fantastic
Yet another display of fantastic, suspenseful writing. Loved it from start to finish. Hopefully there will be more stories coming based in this storyline
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1 person found this helpful