Description: "There have been teachers in space, senators, and the wealthy who buy tickets. But never has a journalist been launched over the atmosphere. Until Smythe's gripping novel." -- New York Post "The Explorer by James Smythe is quiet, dark book which focuses on the dark and quiet of space....It may not be a flashy...but it is a fascinating character study that could only exist in a science-fictional world." -- io9.com "Beautifully written, creepy as hell. The Explorer is as clever in its unravelling as it is breathlessly claustrophobic." -- Lauren Beukes, author of Zoo City "This is a remarkable book: a state-of-the-art spacecraft constructed from ideas, and propelled by a powerful story. Gripping, terrifying and audacious--an exploration in every sense of the word." -- Charles Yu, author of How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe "Science fiction is best when it does what we least expect, when it transforms narrative into something you don't see coming....It's a trick not every writer can master, but Smythe makes a marvel of this world, and these characters, and makes this reader want the sequel now." -- Romantic Times BOOKclub (Top Pick!) "The Explorer is smart, scary and seductive. Like its protagonist, it explores the queasy strangeness of space-time, and puts the reader at the heart of a tale of watching and fearing that comes off like a collaboration between Hitchcock and Heinlein. Excellent stuff." -- Lloyd Shepherd, author of The English Monster "Dark, cold, claustrophobic, and oh so very scary. THE EXPLORER is literary science fiction at its blackest best." -- Adam Christopher, author of Empire State and Seven Wonders "The Explorer is essentially exemplary: a short, sharp shock of a story from an author who deserves to do as well for himself as he does by us. It's perfectly plotted, smartly characterised and rife with insight and excitement." -- Tor.com "A challenging and stimulating read." -- Booklist "A] mind-bending, heart-wrenching, avalanche of a reading experience... an oasis for readers thirsty to find an engaging book... books like this are the kind that create fans, and I'm proud to be one." -- SF Signal "The first person perspective and unpretentious prose style are enhanced by accomplished pacing." -- SFX (UK) "A brilliant book -- funny, desperate, desolate, sad, all in equal measure." -- Chuck Wendig "Unsettling." -- Daily Telegraph (London) "The Explorer has the dreamlike detachment of an Ishiguro novel.... reminiscent of a 1970s space movie, where the darkness of the void mirrors the darkness of the human soul." -- Financial Times "A wonderful examination of coping with loss, time and death." -- SFX "As if Philip K Dick and David Mitchell collaborated on an episode of The West Wing. Unsettling, gripping and hugely thought-provoking." -- FHM

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