First published 2023
In 2030, archaeologist arrives at the Batagaika Crater in the Arctic Circle to continue his deceased daughter's research. The melting permafrost reveals ancient secrets, including a perfectly preserved girl who died from a prehistoric virus. When scientists unleash this Arctic plague, it spreads across the globe and transforms human civilization for generations. The epidemic forces people to find new ways to survive and connect. A theme park employee working with terminally ill children falls for a desperate mother. A scientist searching for a cure discovers that one of his test pigs has gained human speech, offering him unexpected fatherhood. A widowed painter and her granddaughter search the cosmos for a new home planet. From funeral skyscrapers to hotels housing the dead to interstellar ships, linked characters navigate this changed world across hundreds of years. Their stories span continents and reach into space, revealing how people adapt, dream, and maintain connections even when facing extinction.
Genres: fiction, science-fiction, 21st-century, apocalyptic
Vibes: dark, emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, interconnected-stories
Setting: Arctic Circle, Batagaika Crater
Period: 2030
292 pages · Paperback · William Morrow Paperbacks
Content warnings: death, medical-trauma