The Vanished Birds: A Novel

Simon Jimenez

Jan 2020 · Sold by Del Rey

About this eBook

A “highly imaginative and utterly exhilarating” (Thrillist) debut that is “the best of what science fiction can be: a thought-provoking, heartrending story about the choices that define our lives” (Kirkus Reviews, Best Debut Fiction and Best Science Fiction & Fantasy of the Year).

FINALIST FOR THE LOCUS AWARD • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY TORDOTCOM AND KIRKUS REVIEWS

A mysterious child lands in the care of a solitary woman, changing both of their lives forever.  

I expected many things from this trip. I did not expect a family.

A ship captain, unfettered from time. A mute child, burdened with unimaginable power. A millennia-old woman, haunted by lifetimes of mistakes. In this captivating debut of connection across space and time, these outsiders will find in each other the things they lack: a place of love and belonging. A safe haven. A new beginning.

But the past hungers for them, and when it catches up, it threatens to tear this makeshift family apart.   

Praise for The Vanished Birds

“This is the most impressive debut of 2020.”—Locus

“This extraordinary science fiction epic, which delves deep into the perils of failing to learn from one’s mistakes, is perfect for fans of big ideas and intimate reflections.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“A lyrical and moving narrative of space travel, found families, and lost loves set against an evocative space-opera background.”—Booklist (starred review)
 
“The Vanished Birds finds an intimate heartbeat of longing in a saga of galactic progress and its crushing fallout. . . . A novel of vast scope that yet makes time for compassion, wonder, and poetry.”—Indra Das, author of The Devourers

Ratings and reviews

I received a free electronic ARC of this excellent debut SciFi novel from Netgalley, Simon Jimenez, and Random House, Ballantine. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. Simon Jimenez writes a fine tale, one that keeps you reading long after lights out. When my children were tween's we all, as a family, watched the TV series 'FireFly'. Could that have really been 2002-2003? How time does pass. We have watched it together again a couple of times over the last 15 years, always finding something new to marvel over, and appreciating very much the shear talent expressed by the special effects crew. I read this novel feeling that same connection and excitement, that dread as the pages dwindled and the ending is nigh. This is a novel to savor and share. You too will adore Ahro and Nia and feel comfortable in the Pocket and on various city planets. This is definitely a trip worth taking...

About the author

Simon Jimenez’s short fiction has appeared in Canyon Voices and 100 Word Story’s anthology of flash fiction, Nothing Short Of. He received his MFA from Emerson College. This is his first novel.