Synopses & Reviews
From the ingenious author of Jennifer Government and Lexicon a brilliant work of science fiction that tells the intimate tale of four people facing their most desperate hour — alone, together, at the edge of the universe.
The video changed everything. Before that, we could believe that we were safe. Special. Chosen. We thought the universe was a twinkling ocean of opportunity, waiting to be explored.
Afterward, we knew better.
Seven years after first contact, Providence Five launches. It is an enormous and deadly warship, built to protect humanity from its greatest ever threat. On board is a crew of just four — tasked with monitoring the ship and reporting the war's progress to a mesmerized global audience by way of social media.
But while pursuing the enemy across space, Gilly, Talia, Anders, and Jackson confront the unthinkable: their communications are cut, their ship decreasingly trustworthy and effective. To survive, they must win a fight that is suddenly and terrifyingly real.
Review
"Providence is an absolute treat. Pulls the trick of being both irrepressibly old-school sci-fi and creepingly relevant to the data-driven future." Austin Grossman, author of Soon I Will Be Invincible
Review
"Action-packed and unsettling, Providence is a sleekly-written parable about the absurdity of war — and the deeply human urge to destroy everything we don't understand, whether it comes from a distant planet or right here on Earth." Annalee Newitz, author of Autonomous and The Future of Another Timeline
Review
"This is science fiction at its best — a ship so believably alive and characters so determined, flawed, and compelling that you'll forget you're not also part of the crew." Peng Shepherd, author of The Book of M
About the Author
Max Barry is the author of numerous novels, including Jennifer Government, Company, Machine Man, and Lexicon. He is also the developer of the online nation simulation game NationStates. Prior to his writing career, Barry worked at tech giant HP. He lives in Melbourne, Australia, with his wife and two daughters.