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Lightless
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Series:
Lightless volume 1.
Published:
Random House Worlds 2015
Status:
Available from OverDrive
Description
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY BUZZFEED AND KIRKUS REVIEWS • With deeply moving human drama, nail-biting suspense—and bold speculation informed by a degree in physics—C. A. Higgins spins a riveting science fiction debut guaranteed to catapult readers beyond their expectations.
 
Serving aboard the Ananke, an experimental military spacecraft launched by the ruthless organization that rules Earth and its solar system, computer scientist Althea has established an intense emotional bond—not with any of her crewmates, but with the ship’s electronic systems, which speak more deeply to her analytical mind than human feelings do. But when a pair of fugitive terrorists gain access to the Ananke, Althea must draw upon her heart and soul for the strength to defend her beloved ship.
 
While one of the saboteurs remains at large somewhere on board, his captured partner—the enigmatic Ivan—may prove to be more dangerous. The perversely fascinating criminal whose silver tongue is his most effective weapon has long evaded the authorities’ most relentless surveillance—and kept the truth about his methods and motives well hidden.
 
As the ship’s systems begin to malfunction and the claustrophobic atmosphere is increasingly poisoned by distrust and suspicion, it falls to Althea to penetrate the prisoner’s layers of intrigue and deception before all is lost. But when the true nature of Ivan’s mission is exposed, it will change Althea forever—if it doesn’t kill her first.
Praise for Lightless
 
“Gripping . . . sci-fi flavored with a hint of thriller.”—New York Daily News
 
“[A] measured, lovely science-fiction debut [that is] more psychological thriller . . . contained, disciplined, tense . . . The plot is compulsive. . . . Lightless is the first of a planned series, and you can’t help looking forward to learning what’s next.”The New York Times
Lightless is full of suspense and fun as hell to read.”BuzzFeed
“Absolutely brilliant . . . This is science fiction as it is meant to be done: scientific concepts wedded to and built upon human ideals.”—Seanan McGuire, New York Times bestselling author of the October Daye series

“The stakes in this story are high—life and death, rebellion and betrayal—and debut novelist Higgins continually ratchets up the tension. . . . A suspenseful, emotional story that asks plenty of big questions about identity and freedom, this is a debut not to be missed.”Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“A taut, suspenseful read.”—Tech Times

Lightless is an exercise in lighting a very slow fuse and building the tension to an unbearable pitch while making us guess just how apocalyptic the ultimate explosion will be. . . . It is a high-wire act, a wonderment, and a fine accomplishment from a name we’ll be seeing again.”Sci Fi
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Format:
Adobe EPUB eBook, Kindle Book, OverDrive Read
Street Date:
09/29/2015
Language:
English
ISBN:
9780553394436
ASIN:
B00R04IRHM
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Citations
APA Citation (style guide)

C.A. Higgins. (2015). Lightless. Random House Worlds.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation (style guide)

C.A. Higgins. 2015. Lightless. Random House Worlds.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities Citation (style guide)

C.A. Higgins, Lightless. Random House Worlds, 2015.

MLA Citation (style guide)

C.A. Higgins. Lightless. Random House Worlds, 2015.

Note! Citation formats are based on standards as of July 2022. Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy.
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Date Added:
Jun 12, 2018 16:18:04
Date Updated:
Mar 16, 2023 06:02:21
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Mar 24, 2024 07:41:57
Last Metadata Change:
Dec 30, 2023 11:25:56
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      • bioText: C. A. Higgins writes novels and short stories. She was a runner-up in the 2013 Dell Magazines Award for Undergraduate Excellence in Science Fiction and Fantasy Writing and has a B.A. in physics from Cornell University. She lives in Montclair, New Jersey.
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fullDescription
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY BUZZFEED AND KIRKUS REVIEWS • With deeply moving human drama, nail-biting suspense—and bold speculation informed by a degree in physics—C. A. Higgins spins a riveting science fiction debut guaranteed to catapult readers beyond their expectations.
 
Serving aboard the Ananke, an experimental military spacecraft launched by the ruthless organization that rules Earth and its solar system, computer scientist Althea has established an intense emotional bond—not with any of her crewmates, but with the ship’s electronic systems, which speak more deeply to her analytical mind than human feelings do. But when a pair of fugitive terrorists gain access to the Ananke, Althea must draw upon her heart and soul for the strength to defend her beloved ship.
 
While one of the saboteurs remains at large somewhere on board, his captured partner—the enigmatic Ivan—may prove to be more dangerous. The perversely fascinating criminal whose silver tongue is his most effective weapon has long evaded the authorities’ most relentless surveillance—and kept the truth about his methods and motives well hidden.
 
As the ship’s systems begin to malfunction and the claustrophobic atmosphere is increasingly poisoned by distrust and suspicion, it falls to Althea to penetrate the prisoner’s layers of intrigue and deception before all is lost. But when the true nature of Ivan’s mission is exposed, it will change Althea forever—if it doesn’t kill her first.
Praise for Lightless
 
“Gripping . . . sci-fi flavored with a hint of thriller.”—New York Daily News
 
“[A] measured, lovely science-fiction debut [that is] more psychological thriller . . . contained, disciplined, tense . . . The plot is compulsive. . . . Lightless is the first of a planned series, and you can’t help looking forward to learning what’s next.”The New York Times
Lightless is full of suspense and fun as hell to read.”BuzzFeed
“Absolutely brilliant . . . This is science fiction as it is meant to be done: scientific concepts wedded to and built upon human ideals.”—Seanan McGuire, New York Times bestselling author of the October Daye series

“The stakes in this story are high—life and death, rebellion and betrayal—and debut novelist Higgins continually ratchets up the tension. . . . A suspenseful, emotional story that asks plenty of big questions about identity and freedom, this is a debut not to be missed.”Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“A taut, suspenseful read.”—Tech Times

Lightless is an exercise in lighting a very slow fuse and building the tension to an unbearable pitch while making us guess just how apocalyptic the ultimate explosion will be. . . . It is a high-wire act, a wonderment, and a fine accomplishment from a name we’ll be seeing again.”Sci Fi
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      • source: The New York Times
      • content: "Gripping . . . sci-fi with a hint of thriller."--New York Daily News "[A] measured, lovely science-fiction debut [that is] more psychological thriller . . . contained, disciplined, tense . . . The plot is compulsive. . . . Lightless is the first of a planned series, and you can't help looking forward to learning what's next."
      • premium: False
      • source: BuzzFeed
      • content: "Lightless is full of suspense and fun as hell to read."
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      • content: "Absolutely brilliant . . . This is science fiction as it is meant to be done: scientific concepts wedded to and built upon human ideals."
      • premium: False
      • source: Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
      • content: "The stakes in this story are high--life and death, rebellion and betrayal--and debut novelist Higgins continually ratchets up the tension. . . . A suspenseful, emotional story that asks plenty of big questions about identity and freedom, this is a debut not to be missed."
      • premium: False
      • source: Tech Times
      • content: "A taut, suspenseful read."
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      • source: Sci Fi
      • content: "Lightless is an exercise in lighting a very slow fuse and building the tension to an unbearable pitch while making us guess just how apocalyptic the ultimate explosion will be. . . . It is a high-wire act, a wonderment, and a fine accomplishment from a name we'll be seeing again."
      • premium: True
      • source: Library Journal
      • content:

        September 15, 2015

        Several hundred years in the future humanity has spread across the solar system, with all settlements ruled from Earth. Computer scientist Althea has dedicated her life to developing the computer and AI system for Ananke, an experimental military ship, and she's deep into her experiments when pirates launch simultaneous cyber and physical attacks. When the invaders turn out to be among the most wanted criminals in the system, Althea's world is turned upside down. With constant surveillance and a totalitarian government, it's not easy to rebel, or even think subversive thoughts. Yet Ivan, the charismatic criminal, seems to do both. As Ananke races toward the edge of the solar system, can Althea save her ship and herself from the combined forces of rebellion and government? VERDICT This debut novel is an excellent choice for fans of James S.A. Corey's "Expanse" series.--JM

        Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

      • premium: True
      • source: Publisher's Weekly
      • content:

        June 29, 2015
        Debut author Higgins blends political philosophy into space opera adventure with moderate success in a series launch that rewards a patient reader. The experimental spaceship Ananke moves slowly across a solar system ruled by a ruthless Earth-based government too literally named the System. After two thieves with revolutionary leanings come on board, the ship—and its caretaker, Althea—will change forever. Higgins struggles a bit with the pacing after setting up the main characters, spending too long matching wits between thief Ivan, a jaded, unbreakable man who questions the System, and ambitious interrogator Ida, a flat example of government evil, while Althea tries to fix a ship that is transforming in response to the behavior of Ivan’s partner, Mattie. However, the pace improves as the characters find common ground, and Higgins brings deep questions to the fore along with serious consequences for the characters’ actions. There’s plenty more to explore in this world for readers who can forgive a few newbie stumbles.

      • premium: True
      • source: Kirkus
      • content:

        Starred review from July 15, 2015
        A tense psychodrama set on a malfunctioning spaceship.There should only be three people on the Ananke: Domitian, the captain; Gagnon, the senior scientist; and Althea, the mechanic who monitors every inch of the ship and every line of code to make sure it's in good repair. So when two strangers show up out of the blackness of space, it's bad news. But Althea, at least, is not as worried about these intruders' possible terrorist connections as she is about how they tricked the Ananke into letting them board or what one of them might have done to damage her beautiful ship's code. Even as one of the intruders slips out of the crew's grasp and a coldhearted intelligence officer named Ida Stays arrives to interrogate the remaining prisoner, a handsome, manipulative charmer named Ivanov who may or may not know the identity of the wanted terrorist known as the Mallt-y-Nos, all Althea can think about is Ananke and what kind of virus might be worming its way toward the ship's heart. Meanwhile, always, everywhere, the all-powerful surveillance state that rules our solar system, and brooks no disobedience, is watching. The stakes in this story are high-life and death, rebellion and betrayal-and debut novelist Higgins continually ratchets up the tension as the handful of people on board the Ananke struggle to uncover one another's secrets. A suspenseful, emotional story that asks plenty of big questions about identity and freedom, this is a debut not to be missed.

        COPYRIGHT(2015) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY BUZZFEED AND KIRKUS REVIEWS • With deeply moving human drama, nail-biting suspense—and bold speculation informed by a degree in physics—C. A. Higgins spins a riveting science fiction debut guaranteed to catapult readers beyond their expectations.
 
Serving aboard the Ananke, an experimental military spacecraft launched by the ruthless organization that rules Earth and its solar system, computer scientist Althea has established an intense emotional bond—not with any of her crewmates, but with the ship’s electronic systems, which speak more deeply to her analytical mind than human feelings do. But when a pair of fugitive terrorists gain access to the Ananke, Althea must draw upon her heart and soul for the strength to defend her beloved ship.
 
While one of the saboteurs remains at large somewhere on board, his captured partner—the enigmatic...
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