Architects of Memory

by Karen Osborne

Overview

Millions died after the first contact. An alien weapon holds the key to redemption—or annihilation. Experience Karen Osborne's unforgettable science fiction debut, Architects of Memory.

2021 Locus Award for Best First Novel—Finalist

SyFY Wire SFF Reads to pick up in September

Terminally ill salvage pilot Ash Jackson lost everything in the war with the alien Vai, but she'll be damned if she loses her future. Her plan: to buy, beg, or lie her way out of corporate indenture and find a cure. When her crew salvages a genocidal weapon from a ravaged starship above a dead colony, Ash uncovers a conspiracy of corporate intrigue and betrayal that threatens to turn her into a living weapon.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250215475
Publisher:	Tom Doherty Associates
Publication date:	09/08/2020
Series:	The Memory War , #1
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	294,764
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 8.10(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

KAREN OSBORNE is a speculative fiction writer and visual storyteller living in Baltimore. She is a graduate of Viable Paradise and the Clarion Writers’ Workshop, and won awards for her news & opinion writing in New York, Florida, and Maryland. Her short fiction appears in Uncanny, Fireside, Escape Pod, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, and more. Architects of Memory is her science fiction debut.

Editorial Reviews

05/04/2020

Osborne’s promising but uneven debut is a twisty, political space opera about corporate espionage and alien contact. Ashlan “Ash” Jackson, a scrappy and traumatized salvage pilot determined to buy citizenship into the corporation-state of Aurora, does her best to hide both her degenerative neural disease and her on-again-off-again relationship with her captain, Kate Keller. When Ash and Kate’s crew is sent to an old battlefield, Ash salvages a mysterious piece of alien technology, sparking an arms race, as various factions fight to gain control of the technology. Osborne’s worldbuilding shines: the rival corporations are seductive, manipulative, and inescapable, and the constraints on Ash’s life as an “uncitizen” are palpable. Unfortunately, most of the characters never quite come to life, and the endless betrayals and reveals leave readers little time to get their bearings. In this overstuffed plot, Ash’s strange connection to the alien technology—which leads her to have borderline-psychedelic experiences—packs the biggest punch. Despite the flaws, Osborne sticks the landing, delivering a bleak, believable ending that balances horror and hope. Space opera enthusiasts will enjoy this fast-paced tale and look forward to more from Osborne. Agent: Dorian Maffei, Kimberley Cameron & Assoc. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

Osborne’s worldbuilding shines: the rival corporations are seductive, manipulative, and inescapable, and the constraints on Ash’s life as an “uncitizen” are palpable.”—Publishers Weekly

“Exciting and scary and fun and smart and sad and moving all at the same time. You need this book in your life.”—Sam J. Miller, Nebula Award Winning author of The Art of Starving and Blackfish City

“A thrilling labyrinth of plot twists exploring loyalty, trust, and promises.”—Sue Burke, Arthur C. Clarke Award finalist and author of Semiosis

“A nonstop dystopian space opera adventure that screams F*** CAPITALISM at the top of its lungs. Equal amounts sweet and painful, but 100% human, this is a mystery and a treatise and a nail-biting kick to the stomach all in one.”—K. A. Doore, author of The Perfect Assassin

“Kick-ass and poetic.”—Emily Devenport, author of Medusa Uploaded

“Far-future corporate dystopia plus deep-space mystery plus powerful character drama. For fans of Firefly, Killjoys, and The Wrong Stars.”—Michael R. Underwood, author of Annihilation Aria

“Completely heartbreaking. Utterly brilliant.”—K.B. Wagers, author of A Pale Light in the Black

“An absolutely stunning debut . . . razor-tipped and diamond-sharp. A deadly first shot from one of the most incisive new voices in the genre.”—Tyler Hays, author of The Imaginary Corpse

“Architects of Memory is the queer, nail-biting lovechild of the humanity of The Expanse and the action-fast pulse of Die Hard, and I loved every minute of it.”—A.J. Hackwith, author of The Library of the Unwritten

“... A plot twisty, heart-stealing delight. It’s the whole space opera package: the Vai are some of the most perspective-shifting, most poignant, most alien extraterrestrials I’ve ever encountered, the corporate overlords have their scum dials turned up to eleven, and the love story at its core is tragic and hopeful and beautiful all at once. It’s a safe bet that this debut is the start of something really special.”—Bryan Camp, Author of The City of Lost Fortunes and Gather the Fortunes

From the Publisher