Alastair Reynolds - Poseidon's Wake

‘Visitors.’

Little gold things were crossing space to Zanzibar . They came in several antlike processions, dozens at a time, converging from different directions. Each was a tiny double sphere with many golden appendages. It was impossible to say precisely where they had originated from — the green world, the orbiting Mandalas or the larger planet beyond the green one. Memphis allowed himself a moment’s speculation as to their intentions. Perhaps they meant ill to Zanzibar and its citizens — startled and alarmed by the sudden arrival of this oddly shaped rock. More charitably, though, he could presume their intentions were benign, for the time being, at least.

They would arrive very shortly. It occurred to Memphis that the prudent thing might be to wake up some of the Friends, to see what the humans made of the golden envoys. In time, he decided, he would do just that. The humans were owed their stake in Zanzibar , after all — they would all have to share its spaces for a while.

But for the moment, just for now, the Risen had no need of anyone else.

Thank you to the editors who have been involved with this trilogy during its long road to completion — Jo Fletcher, Simon Spanton and Gillian Redfearn in the UK, and Ginjer Buchanan, Lisa Rogers and Diana Gill in the United States, and the many good people at Orion, including (but not limited to!) Charlie Panayiotou, Marcus Gipps and Krystyna Kujawinska who have worked to bring my books into the world, and helped them find their audience, both here and abroad. Thanks also to my agent, the indefatigable Robert Kirby, for endless enthusiasm and support during the long six years that it took to write these books, and to the readers who have followed me from Earth to the waters of Poseidon.

Novels

Revelation Space

Redemption Ark

Absolution Gap

Chasm City

Century Rain

Pushing Ice

The Prefect

House of Suns

Terminal World

Blue Remembered Earth

On the Steel Breeze

Short Story Collections:

Diamond Dogs, Turquoise Days

Galactic North

Zima Blue