We’re thrilled to share the cover for BEYOND THE REACH OF EARTH (UK) by Ken MacLeod, the second book in the Lightspeed trilogy, a gripping tale of first contact and dark conspiracies set among the stars.

BEYOND THE REACH OF EARTH hits shelves in March 2023, and is available for pre-order now. You can check out the stunning cover, designed by Duncan Spilling L,BBG below and read on for a taste of what’s in store. . .

With the invention of faster-than-light travel there is nowhere that humanity cannot go. New worlds are discovered, but with them come new dangers.

At the heart of the discovery is the Fermi, mysterious beings that have survived on alien worlds for longer than humanity has existed. But now the Fermi are awakening, and they do not seem pleased to find humans in their midst.

But for Lakshmi Nayak and the crew of the Fighting Chance, danger is a lot closer to home. Their search for answers will take them to places, and worlds, they never expected.

Praise for Ken MacLeod:

‘An exceptional blend of international politics, hard science, and first contact’ Michael Mammay, author of the Planetside series on Beyond the Hallowed Sky

‘MacLeod is up there with Banks and Hamilton as one of the British sci-fi authors you absolutely have to read’ SFX

‘Prose as sleek and fast as the technology it describes. . . watch this man go global’ Peter F. Hamilton on Star Fraction

‘Ken MacLeod has an enviable track record of extrapolating from current trends to produce mind-bending novels of ideas’ Guardian