THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER . . .

The future of storytelling is here.

Life has thrown Zelu some curveballs over the years, but when she's suddenly dropped from her university job and her latest novel is rejected, all in the middle of her sister's wedding, her life is upended. Disabled, unemployed and from a nosy, high-achieving, judgmental family, she's not sure what comes next.

In her hotel room that night, she takes the risk that will define her life - she decides to write a book VERY unlike her others. A science fiction drama about androids and AI after the extinction of humanity. And everything changes.

What follows is a tale of love and loss, fame and infamy, of extraordinary events in one world, and another. And as Zelu's life evolves, the lines between fiction and reality begin to blur.

Because sometimes a story really does have the power to reshape the world.

Our Starbright Exclusive edition is a Royal hardback and features:

An exclusive redesigned cover (by Kels Gottschlich; design by @chattynora)
Full colour and foil on the hardback (by @olabukoo; design by @chattynora)
Digitally printed edges (by Kels Gottschlich)
Illustrated endpapers (front by Kels Gottschlich; back by @olabukoo)
Signed by the author
Standalone adult science fiction
Black disabled FMC

If you like novels within novels and books that make you think, we think you’ll enjoy this one!

Photos by @bookwormgram

Sci-fi in The Vault

Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor (Starbright February 2025 Exclusive)