San Mateo County Libraries is excited to welcome New York Times bestselling author Mike Chen!
On Saturday, May 9, at 2:00 PM at the Belmont Library, join us as he discusses his newest page-turning space opera, The Photonic Effect with fellow local author Andrea Stewart of The Drowning Empire series. Limited door copies of The Photonic Effect will be available at the event.
About The Photonic Effect
After ten years trapped across the expanse of space, Captain Demora Kim and the crew aboard the Horizon are finally home. Only it’s not the home they know. The Cluster, formerly a peaceful cooperative between planets, is on the verge of collapse due to a civil war.
A way to end the conflict may lie in the limitless energy that trapped the Horizon crew halfway across the galaxy and the engine they crafted to bring them home. But that means going back to the pocket of space they’ve only just escaped. Demi isn’t sure she’s up for the task. She fulfilled her promise. She brought her crew home. Maybe it’s time to walk away. However, leaving everything behind won’t be as simple as she thinks. Conspiracies are afoot, loyalties will be tested and Demi’s choices could shake the foundation of the galaxy.
Meet Mike Chen
Mike Chen is the New York Times bestselling author of The Photonic Effect, Star Wars: Brotherhood, Here and Now and Then, A Quantum Love Story and other novels, as well as Star Trek: Deep Space Nine comics. He has covered geek culture for sites such as Nerdist and The Mary Sue, and in a different life, he's covered the NHL. A member of SFWA, Mike lives in the Bay Area with his wife, daughter and many rescue animals.
Meet Andrea Stewart
Andrea Stewart is the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Drowning Empire trilogy and The Gods Below, and works as a writing coach at The Novelry. The Bone Shard Daughter was her debut and was a finalist for numerous awards, including the Goodreads Choice Award and the British Fantasy Award. When her (admittedly ambitious) dreams of becoming a dragon slayer didn't pan out, she instead turned to writing books. She now lives in sunny California, and in addition to writing, can be found herding cats, looking at birds and falling down research rabbit holes.
Praise for The Photonic Effect
What space opera is meant to be. The Photonic Effect is a brilliantly complex novel about love, loss and war that's populated by characters so alive you can feel their hearts in each beat of your own. — K.B. Wagers (A Pale Light in the Black)
Mike Chen has done it again. He's turned theoretical physics inside-out to make you fall in love with a band of misfits from across the multiverse. The Photonic Effect is a delightful adventure bursting with unexpected twists and wild rides, but, most of all, it's full of heart. —Annalee Newitz (Automatic Noodle, The Terraformers)
I loved this book! One of the strongest space operas I’ve read in recent years, full of tasty political intrigue, impossible choices and richly realized characters. Chen never loses sight of the real people caught in the crossfire of this galactic-scale war, delivering a thrilling, emotionally-grounded story about survival, leadership and the true cost of command. – Karen Osborne (Architects of Memory)
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