Next week, readers can return to the universe of CENTRAL STATION in Lavie Tidhar‘s latest novel, NEOM! Due to be published by Tachyon Publications, on November 8th, here’s the synopsis…
The city known as Neom is many things to many beings, human or otherwise. Neom is a tech wonderland for the rich and beautiful; an urban sprawl along the Red Sea; and a port of call between Earth and the stars.
In the desert, young orphan Saleh has joined a caravan, hoping to earn his passage off-world from Central Station. But the desert is full of mechanical artefacts, some unexplained and some unexploded. Recently, a wry, unnamed robot has unearthed one of the region’s biggest mysteries: the vestiges of a golden man.
In Neom, childhood affection is rekindling between loyal shurta-officer Nasir and hardworking flower-seller Mariam. But Nasu, a deadly terrorartist, has come to the city with missing memories and unfinished business.
Just one robot can change a city’s destiny with a single rose — especially when that robot is in search of lost love.
CENTRAL STATION was published in 2016, also by Tachyon Publications. With an award-winning cover by Sarah Anne Langton, the novel was also the John W. Campbell Award Winner, Neukom Institute Literary Arts Award Winner, Xingyun Award Winner; it was shortlisted for the Arthur C. Clarke Award and Kurd Laßwitz Preis; longlisted for the British Science Fiction Award; was nominated for the Geffen Award (Best Translated Science Fiction Book); and it was a finalist for the Premio Italia, Best International Novel Award.
Here are just a few of the early reviews that NEOM has received so far…
‘… hauntingly beautiful… Written in a straightforward but luminous style… NEOM is a treasure… a compelling chapter in this future history that reflects so much about who we are and the basic things we yearn for.’ — SciFi Mind
‘Lavie Tidhar’s NEOM is a stunning return to his world of CENTRAL STATION, twinning the fates of humans and robots alike at a futuristic city on the edge of the Red Sea.’ — Green Man Review
‘This was superb and I’m in awe of Tidhar’s vision. He’s conjured up a futuristic city that feels simultaneously ultramodern and also run down. The rich histories of the region and its cultures are seamlessly interwoven into the fabric of this fully-realized world.’ — Speculative Shelf
To celebrate the release of NEOM (as well as the recent publication of MAROR and THE BEST OF WORLD SF, Volume 2), Lavie will be taking part in a number of events over the next few weeks. The date are below, with links for more details and information:
- 5th November — 42 Festival (in person), Barcelona
- 8th November — SRFC (in person) (see above)
- 12th November — Mysterious Galaxy virtual event, with Samit Basu
- 13th November — City Lit Books virtual event, with Daryl Gregory
- 19th November — NY Public Library online panel for THE BEST OF WORLD SF, Volume 2 [no event link just yet]
- 2nd December — Waterstones Kingston Xmas Evening, in-person event [no current link]
- 11th December — Jewish Museum Milwaukee online event
Tachyon also publishes Lavie’s UNHOLY LAND, THE VIOLENT CENTURY, and THE ESCAPEMENT.
