This is my first Tchaikovsky and it left me wanting more so I cannot wait to read some of his other books. The world building was just so well done and wasn't intimidating despite there being a lot to learn. The plot is thrilling and entertaining and page turning. This is what I have been wanting in a sci-fi recently.

Ahoy there me mateys! This book is plain weird.  I read Tchaikovsky's work because I know it will have interesting ideas to explore and make me think.  This is no exception.

Kiln is a distant planet where there are artifacts of an alien civilization.  Earth, run by a political entity called The Mandate, wants to solve the mystery of who and what the builders are.  However, they want to do this as secretly and cheaply as possible.  So they ship their dissidents and prisoners to the planet on a one-way trip to their prison camp.  Professor Arton Daghdev is one of the prisoners.  Upon arrival he is torn between being a prisoner and excitement about studying alien life up close.  The problem is the lifeforms are toxic to humans.  Will the planet or the prison kill him first?

The highlight of the book was the world building.  Tchaikovsky manages to make the alien lifeforms feel about as far away from Earth life as possible.  He does this through the use of symbiotic relationships in a fascinating way.  I loved reading about the dissections, decontamination procedures, and how the creatures changed human biology.  The excursions to the ruins and Arton's thoughts on the wild life were extremely thought provoking.  Are the aliens intelligent or do they build structures like ants or termites?

While the world building was amazing, I found the plot and pacing to be a  hard sell due to personal preferences.  I wanted to read about the planet's evolution not the humans' revolution.  I did not care about The Mandate or the internal hierarchy of the prisoners.  I found the discussion about the dissent's revolutionary ideas and relationships to be uninteresting.  Also there was a lot of jumping around in time that I would have preferred to be avoided.  As the narrator, Arton could get wearisome due to his inflated sense of self.

The real exploration of the planet did not begin until around the 60% mark.  The first 20% of the book discussing how Arton gets to the planet and his initial impressions was so exciting.  The middle of the book was rough though the mystery of the alien structures kept me wondering.  The aspects of the camp life trying to avoid infection and their viewpoints about their jobs were also fascinating.  There was just such an odd mix to my reading experience.  Anytime the aliens were mentioned I would perk up.  Talk about politics or revolution and I would falter.

But I never thought about not finishing.  This may not have been a five star read for me but does prove that I will read anything by Tchaikovsky.  Arrrr!

3.5 rounded up

i’ll keep this review short cause i don’t have much to say about this story overall. the writing is very stream of consciousness as the mc Arton is on this outer planet work camp, there’s a lot talking and i was expecting something completely different than what i got. i honestly felt like this was chore to read and some of the terminology went completely over my head. the aliens in this book aren’t the kind that i enjoy in my sci-fi books, so that was also disappointing too. im sure other people will love this more than i did but it’s just not for me.

1984 meets The Expanse meets batshit crazy. Alien Clay is science fiction plus political revolution with a dash of body horror balanced by the total opposite - would we call it body satisfaction? An intriguing and unpredictable standalone sci-fi novel!

The pacing was very academic and I think that’s what the intent of the book was go sure. I loved the premise of the book and was intrigued with the story line. The plot was direct and accessible. The main characters were very uni-dimensional at time, being academics and all. Great story.

This book was amazing. I saw another review comparing it to Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer, which is one of my favorite books. I really like the way Tchaikovsky took the story. The first chapter hooked me quickly and I really enjoyed the pacing overall. I'd probably give this book somewhere between a 4 and 5 star rating. I don't think it was an all time 5 star favorite. However, I had a great time and think the plot and characters were very strong.

My favorite thing about this book was the entire concept of the alien life. So much sci-fi is lazy and unimaginative of what non-earth life could look like and it's always refreshing to read something creative and truly alien on a fundamental biological level. I also appreciated the parallels with how effective fighting against The Mandate always fails because it can always divide you when you don't have the means to fully trust your fellow co-conspirators.

I have two main gripes with this novel, however. The first one is the main character. The inner monologue is giving privileged sarcastic know-it-all who, ironically, has main character syndrome. There are moments of self-awareness but they're nowhere near enough to make him likable. At no point do I feel sorry for him even though the audience is definitely meant to. He is simply insufferable and I don't blame any of the other characters for disliking him at any point.

The second one is the pacing. There are multiple times when the narrative gears up to follow a journey and then the next chapter skips to the end of the journey and tells you about what happened through small flashbacks. It's a mess and stops and starts in fits and does not flow. It's like the author couldn't figure out which narrative structure he wanted to use and it absolutely affected the reading experience.

In general, it was more of an interesting exploration of a concept but not necessarily a good narrative story or character exploration. Which is not necessarily a bad thing and the parts I did enjoy, I enjoyed a lot.

Thank you Netgalley and Orbit for the ARC.

Overall Rating: 3 Stars

plot: 1/2
prose: 1/4
pace: 1/4
main character: 0
side characters: 1/4
worldbuilding: 1/2
concept: 1/2
ending: 1/4
entertainment value: 1/4
emotional resonance: 1/4

Our central character is transported to a far-off planet as a prisoner in a work camp following his involvement in a rebellion against the earthly government. This planet, known as Imno 27G or to the inhabitants as 'Kiln', is tasked with the study of the local plants, animals, and buildings to uncover the origins of the deserted structures of Kiln. There's a wealth of research to be done and a harsh landscape to navigate, but as an expedition veers off course, the authority of the work camp begins to weaken, and Kiln reveals its true essence.
The narrative is rich with diverse characters and detailed world-building, making Alien Clay a captivating exploration of our desire to discover, comprehend, and dominate, while also highlighting the resilience of nature to reclaim its domain.

Thank you to Net Galley and Orbit for the ARC. I really enjoyed the concept of this book. I liked the ecological perspective of exploring an alien planet and I also enjoyed the reflections about science's search for truth versus the Mandate's orthodoxy. My favorite part about this novel was the world building, from the politics, to the revolution sub committees, to the actual world of Kiln. This was a really good book, its just that at some point in the middle the pace becomes a bit slower and tedious to read, but it does pick up again at the end so I still really enjoyed reading this book and it definitely is a book that is going to stay with me and that I'll keep thinking and wondering about.

Now I want to start off by saying that this wasn’t a bad book, it was good even. It was just not my cup of tea.

While I enjoyed the over arching ideas, I didn’t quite enjoy the execution. I felt like the pacing lacked climaxes, just when something big was about to happen, it slowed down immediately. I did enjoy the characters, and how they interacted with the story, but unfortunately they felt flat and one dimensional to me.

I typically enjoy Tchaikovsky’s writing, but this was a miss for me.

Space to me is a glorious vast tapestry of possibility, where anything could happen, almost invariably positive. I know, pipe dreams. So whenever I encounter Space Dystopia, I am immediately thrown into an Abyss of Existential Despair. Such is the case with ALIEN CLAY [I felt I was reading an account of some Earthbound Third World fascist totalitarianism, only in this case run by Academic Intellectuals rather than by military juntas or upstart thugs. Instead of helicopter tossing, The Powers That Be ship "dissidents" to far-distant "prison planets" and ensure the most troublesome don't survive stasis.] In this respect, ALIEN CLAY tops even the author's own earlier CITY OF LAST CHANCES and the despair of Premee Mohammed's THE SIEGE OF BURNING GRASS. How can one hope for an infinite ever-expanding Future of Possibilities when Humans persist in ensuring the survival of their very worst qualities?
As Kurtz lamented in Joseph Conrad's HEART OF DARKNESS: "The Horror, The Horror."

This was an interesting book but not to my liking really. Mr. Tchaikovsky is an author that I like, and I read a lot his books, but this one didn't do it for me. I think there are those that would appreciate the story though.

Adrien Tchaikovsky is a book writing machine. No matter your feelings on one of his specific books, there will always be another out soon. Personally, I’ve bounced more off Tchaikovsky’s science fiction stuff and have grown to really love his fantasy work. I loved his City of Last Chances (you can read about that here). Alien Clay was a bit of a let down from that but it was still really solid and worth reading.

Alien Clay is set on the prison planet of Kiln. Our main character is a professor and political dissident who has found himself imprisoned there. We get lots of alien flora and some alien creatures and it’s definitely a Tchaikovsky book. They are all evocative and very cool. It’s ultimately a solid piece of science fiction and I enjoyed it but just maybe a bit less than his fantasy offerings.

I think the part that leapt most out to me is that Tchaikovsky is quickly becoming my go-to author for when I need a book that skewers capitalism and highlights the value of labor movements. It was one of the best parts of City of Last Chances and it was the part that leapt out most to me about this book. I would read a history of labor movements written by Tchaikovsky but until then I’ll just keep loving his fiction’s portrayals of it.

It was fine. There are some really, really great parts. I loved the exploration of the system this world has in place, as well as how that impacts the people within this world. Of course, in typical Tchaikovsky writing, this exploration heavily relates to our world as well. The world we're in is incredibly interesting. Unfortunately, it's written in such a casual but still scientific way that it felt as if I were reading a textbook at times rather than a sci-fi. His children of time series reads like watching the discovery channel, but I'm expecting that. I was not expecting it with it. That definitely doesn't mean it was bad. It was beautifully written and phenomenally done. It just wasn't written in a style I was expecting.

Professor Arton Daghdev had always wanted to study alien life up close. Then his wishes become a reality when he is exiled from Earth to Kiln’s extrasolar labour camp.

Kiln boasts a ravenous, chaotic ecosystem like nothing seen on Earth. If Arton can somehow escape the camp’s oppressive regime, the world of Kiln holds a wondrous, terrible secret. It will redefine life and intelligence as he knows it, and might just set him free . . .

This book was so beautifully composed, right down to the most gruesome moments!! The world building in particular just had me in a choke hold - by the end of it all, I WANTED TO VISIT KILN!! I'm in love with Tchaikovsky's writing style. The details and descriptions of everything were so over the top, just phenomenal!! I felt completely immersed in this world! I can't stop thinking about it! Honestly, I'm having trouble even finding the right words to accurately describe how I feel about. Nothing I can say will do this masterpiece justice! READ IT! You will not be disappointed!!

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. This was my first novel by Adrian Tchaikovsky, and I REALLY enjoyed it. It had an interesting plot and world building, though at times I did feel like I had been info-dumped at times (though I quickly got thrown back into the story). I found the tone/style of narration to be interesting, and can't wait to see what happens in the next chapter of the story! 4.25 stars

3.5* Rounded Up

This is one of the trippiest/weirdest books I have read and even though I enjoyed it I also think that it had a bit too slow of a first half that almost kept me from reading further. The concept for this book was very interesting and honestly like a plausible future dystopia. The alien planet was wild and so different from Earth which is possibly the main reason I kept reading to figure out more about this place and how it worked. The political parts were not my favorite not because they were not well done but because it was just a bit boring as it reminded me a bit too much of reality. I wanted to focus more on this alien planet than on how terrible people with power can be but once we started to focus on the planet about 35-40% into it then I became super invested in this. I have read now 3 books by this author, all standalones and though this is my least favorite I have enjoyed all 3. They are all on the surface crazy sci-fi scenarios but they dig deeper into human emotions, society and current issues in a way that doesn't feel preachy. If you want a weird book then this one is for you, I also think it would make a great sci-fi horror movie.

Thanks to Netgalley and Orbit for granting me access in exchange for an honest review.

In Alien Clay, we follow Professor Arton Daghdev, who always wanted to study alien life. Due to his political activism on Earth, he is shipped to a prison on a dangerous exoplanet known as Kiln- where the prisoners are forced to assist in the dangerous study of the alien life and old ruins found on the planet.

Together with the other prisoners, Professor Daghdev quickly becomes part of another revolution and learns that there is more to Kiln's bizarre alien life than he could have ever imagined.

"Science, as a creed, should care about truth. It shouldn't be bent for political aims."

Alien Clay is a riveting adventure in science fiction and political revolution. It has tongue-in-cheek humor with hard science fiction. Tchaikovsky created a fantastic and realistic ecosystem on Kiln, that is both fascinating and terrifying. I could not put this standalone book down. It was well-paced and managed to seamlessly explain the totalitarian system and alien planet without being an info dump. The science fiction and ecology were 5 stars, while the characters were pretty good at 4 stars. Overall, I gave Alien Clay 4.5 stars and highly recommend it to fans of hard sci fi and specifically ecological sci fi.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the copy of the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

With this work, I must admit that I have become a fan of the author and the distinctive, almost surreal style of prose that he uses to tell his stories. Alien Clay continues in that vein, if a touch darker. There is a certain feel to the world-building, supported by hard science details, that makes it all almost believable before it stretches it all into fantasy where it is easier to see how the characters themselves are driving the plot. Here we start with an academic that gets swept up in the political purges on earth and then shuttled out to the prison planet Kiln … with no hope of returning. The story is then divided into three parts … a sort of introduction section where we get to know all of the players and the brutality of prison existence where the tiny human outpost seems to be under siege by the very nature of the planet … and we get a brief though experiment into the idea of macro-species where instead of specialized body cells we have specialized body parts that can apparently disburse and recombine into new organisms in something like a high speed evolution. Part 2 takes up that last idea and runs with it, giving the reader just a little bit more on the struggle between the planet to subdue its alien (human) parasites and those same human organisms trying to maintenance the own independence. It all builds up to an interesting, if somewhat predictable, and even in some respects dissatisfying, conclusion … which is the only reason this book doesn’t take top marks.

I was given this free advance reader copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

#AlienClay #NetGalley

This review is based on an eARC (Advance Reading Copy) provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Alien Clay will be released on September 17, 2024.

As far as I can tell, Adrian Tchaikovsky has been a wildly prolific sci-fi/fantasy author for a solid decade by now, but after getting popular attention with Children of Time, he’s been increasingly on the radar in my circles the past few years. Because he’s so prolific, it can be hard to keep up with the new releases, but when I saw that Alien Clay would be set in a labor camp on a strange planet full of bizarre biology, I knew this would be one I absolutely had to make time for. 

Alien Clay follows an academic whose revolutionary politics saw him on the wrong side of a government that strictly monitors research that may threaten the worldview on which they’ve based their power. And so he’s given a one-way ticket to another planet full of strange creatures—a place that would’ve been a research dream under other circumstances—where he’s forced to work alongside other failed revolutionaries and assorted malcontents, trying to find a government-sanctioned explanation for the life that exists now, all while keeping himself and his fellows from suffering the grisly fate of far too much of the expendable labor. And avoiding that fate may take a lot of science. Or a revolution. Or both. 

It’s clear from the beginning that the revolutionary politics are going to play a key role in Alien Clay—in case you were tempted to confusion, the three sections of the story are titled Liberté, Égalité, and Fraternité—but there’s a whole lot of time exploring and musing over a deeply strange ecology. The setting of Alien Clay feels a little bit like Jeff VanderMeer’s Area X, and Tchaikovsky is absolutely willing to hammer home that weirdness, even if it requires a lull in the plot. But Tchaikovsky’s tone is different than VanderMeer’s, and even if Alien Clay leans into the weirdness, there’s always an explanation and a plot acceleration in the offing. And when it does all come together, all those strange pieces truly click wonderfully into place, leading to a finish that is equal parts thrilling and satisfying, elevating everything that came before it. 

Those elements that came before always had something to offer, because Tchaikovsky is a good storyteller, but they didn’t quite live up to my sky-high expectations. A number of the story elements, from the cynical academic main character to the labor politics to the exploration of intelligent life beyond humanity, are things I’d seen Tchaikovsky explore in previous books, so there weren’t necessarily fresh themes to provide an early hook. The main character didn’t have the vibrancy to carry the narrative on his own, and Tchaikovsky isn’t one to try to carry a story on mood, a la Annihilation. All of it made for an interesting story, but there wasn’t any element that truly carried the tale—at least not after factoring in a reader who has seen many of the tricks before. And so the book was heading firmly toward good-but-not-great territory before the closing convergence made a pretty firm run at greatness, one that took so many of those tricks I’d seen before and made them feel fresh in the ways they were combined. Even it I didn’t have that feeling from start to finish, it’s still a book I’m very glad to have read. 

Ultimately, Alien Clay combines a lot of Tchaikovsky’s favorite themes into a single package. If you’re new to his work, it’s a great chance to see what he’s about, even though I’d personally prefer Children of Time or Elder Race. If you’ve read and loved his work in the past, and you don’t mind revisiting a few common threads, you’ll probably have a good time. And even if you, like me, don’t have any particular fondness for the cynical narrator that features in so much of his work, this one comes together in a way that brings a whole lot to like. 

Recommended if you like: weird first contact, revolutionary politics, Tchaikovsky's catalog.

Overall rating: 16 of Tar Vol's 20. Four stars on Goodreads.