Alien ClayAlien Clay
What it's about
Kiln is the planet where the tyrannical Mandate keeps its prison colony, and the journey there is one-way. Professor Arton Daghdev, a xeno-ecologist and political dissident, discovers that Kiln has a secret: humanity is not the first intelligent life to set foot there.
Why it's worth reading
It was a Hugo Award finalist. Adrian Tchaikovsky's alien worlds are among the most inventive in science fiction.
You'll love it if you liked
Children of Time
Service Model
Shards of EarthGood to know
It's a standalone novel, political and philosophical.
By the numbers
- Readers44 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics25 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller24 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz72 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #153 of the 313 science fiction books we rank
- #238 of the 459 fantasy books we rank
- #275 of the 481 new books we rank
- #1602 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking, Adventurous, Dark
More by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Children of Time
ShroudService ModelIf you like this, read next
The Tainted Cup
A Drop of Corruption
The Will of the Many
The Everlasting
Cloud Cuckoo Land
BabelExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Alien Clay worth reading?
Yes. It was a Hugo Award finalist. It ranks #1,602 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 67.4 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Alien Clay about?
Kiln is the planet where the tyrannical Mandate keeps its prison colony, and the journey there is one-way. Professor Arton Daghdev, a xeno-ecologist and political dissident, discovers that Kiln has a secret: humanity is not the first intelligent life to set foot there.
How long does it take to read Alien Clay?
About 10 hours (390 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Alien Clay?
If you liked it, try Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky, Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky or Shards of Earth by Adrian Tchaikovsky.