Science Fiction

Octagonal Raven

Octagonal Raven HCFrom the hardcover:
L. E. Modesitt, Jr., writes both fantasy and SF with equal sill and passion, and he has become one of the leading genre writers today. His greatest successes have been with his fantasy series, particularly the Saga of Recluce, but his reputation as an SF writer has been growing quickly as well. The Octagonal Raven, a far-future SF adventure novel set in a society whose foundations are about to crumble, is his best SF page-turner to date, a stand-alone novel with a strong thriller plot backed up by Modesitt's signature philosophical underpinnings.

Someone is trying to kill Daryn Alwyn. Born to privilege, with preselected genetic advantages and the next nanotech augmentation his father's fabulous fortune can buy, Daryn spurned the lucrative family Media Network to seek his own path, a crafty raven among soaring eagles. After serving with distinction as a space pilot in the military, he enjoys success as a media consultant. But when he finds himself the target of a sophisticated murder attempts, his world is turned upside down. It seems unlikely that his success outside the family business could have inspired such expensive assassination attempts, and his father and brother and sister would be more obvious targets within the family. Then his sister is killed, and Daryn is the heir—suddenly he is one of the richest and most powerful men in the world. Modesitt's new SF thriller lays bare the prejudices of the powerful in a fascinating future society, and is reads like and express train.


Octagonal Raven ARC From the ARC:
A new SF Thriller from the bestselling author of the Saga of Recluce

L.E. Modesitt, Jr.'s bestselling SF and fantasy novels have made him one of the leading genre writers today. We are pleased to present his new novel, Octagonal Raven, a stand-alone SF adventure set in the distant future, in a society whose foundations are about to crumble.

Someone is trying to kill Daryn Alwyn. Born to privilege, with pre-selected genetic advantages and the best nanotech augmentation his father's fabulous money can buy, Daryn spurned the lucrative family Media Network to seek his own path. After serving with distinction as a space pilot in the military, he enjoys success as a media consultant.

When he finds himself the target of sophisticated murder attempts, his world is turned upside down. It seems unlikely his success outside the family business could have inspired such expensive assassination attempts, and his father, brother, and sister would be more obvious targets within the family. Then his sister is killer, and Daryn, her heir, is suddenly one of the richest and most powerful men in the world. Modesitt's new SF thriller lays bare the prejudices of the powerful in a fascinating future society, and read like an express train.


Praise for The Octagonal Raven

Read the letter that came with the advance uncorrected proofs (.pdf)

Explorations, Barnes & Noble SF/Fantasy Newsletter,
December 2000/January 2001 (.pdf)