A Hole in The Sky
Arkship Trilogy Book I
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- Pre-Order
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- Expected 20 Jan 2026
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- USD 9.99
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- Pre-Order
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- USD 9.99
Publisher Description
From internationally bestselling author Peter F. Hamilton comes the first in a new, coming of age trilogy where life on a generation ship takes a turn for the worst when the delicate cycle of life is disturbed... A great read for fans of Alastair Reynolds and Miles Cameron.
Sixteen-year old Hazel lives in the Daedalus, a generation ship on a centuries long flight in search of a new world. The ship has been traveling for 500 years, searching for a world to settle in after having to abandon its last world. Everyone on board Daedalus lives a very simple existence in farming villages. The age of machines supplying their needs was lost during a mutiny 500 years ago. The AI captain regained control of the ship after a huge struggle. Now, with finite resources, everything in the habitat is Cycled, including humans, who essentially are suicided at 65 so they don't deplete the biosphere's resources.
Hazel encounters the Cheaters, people who refused to Cycle, who tell her the Daedalus has been damaged and its atmosphere is leaking away. When her brother has a paralyzing accident which condemns him to be Cycled since he can no longer be productive, Hazel runs off with him to join the Cheaters. While with the Cheaters, she discovers that much of what has been told to the people living on Daedalus for the last 500 years is untrue, and soon, Hazel is in a thrilling race to help repair the ship and help the people of the Daedalus.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This promising first installment of a new space opera trilogy, originally published as an audiobook in 2021, from British Science Fiction Award winner Hamilton (the Salvation trilogy) takes place aboard the Daedalus, a generation ship large enough to support an Earth-like habitat. Seventeen-year-old Hazel is honored to be the flower girl on Cycling Day, a disturbing yearly ceremony in which Daedalus residents over the age of 65 are recycled (read: killed) "to make room for the new generations." Her special day is interrupted by the capture of three Cheaters—villagers who escaped recycling—one of whom tells Hazel that the habitat is running out of air. Hazel almost dismisses the older woman's words—until an accident paralyzes her brother, Frazer. As he's no longer able to work, he's set to be recycled. Instead, Hazel flees with him, seeking out the hidden community of Cheaters. There, Hazel encounters revelation after revelation about the true history of her world as she struggles to help her brother and save everyone on the ship. The twists are frequent and thrilling, though it somewhat strains credulity that Hazel manages to escape so many deadly scrapes unscathed. Still, readers ready to suspend disbelief will be continually surprised and delighted.
