Dark Eden
2012 • 450 pages

Ratings31

Average rating3.7

15

WINNER OF THE ARTHUR C. CLARKE AWARD • “A stunning novel and a beautiful evocation of a truly alien world.”—Sunday Times (UK) “Beckett renders the terror of the darkness beyond the forests with a riveting deftness that evokes all primordial fears of the unknown.”—N. K. Jemisin, The New York Times Book Review On the alien, sunless planet they call Eden, the 532 members of the Family take shelter beneath the light and warmth of the Forest’s lantern trees. Beyond the Forest lie the mountains of the Snowy Dark and a cold so bitter and a night so profound that no man has ever crossed it. The Oldest among the Family recount legends of a world where light came from the sky, where men and women made boats that could cross the stars. These ships brought us here, the Oldest say—and the Family must only wait for the travelers to return. But young John Redlantern will break the laws of Eden, shatter the Family and change history. He will abandon the old ways, venture into the Dark . . . and discover the truth about their world. Already remarkably acclaimed in the United Kingdom, Dark Eden is science fiction as literature: part parable, part powerful coming-of-age story, set in a truly original alien world of dark, sinister beauty and rendered in prose that is at once strikingly simple and stunningly inventive. Praise for Dark Eden “A linguistic and imaginative tour de force.”—The Guardian (UK) “Captivating and haunting . . . human plight and alien planet are both superbly evoked.”—Daily Mail (UK) “Pure astonishment and pleasure, a storytelling ride full of brio and wonder.”—Locus


Become a Librarian

Series

Featured Series

2 primary books3 released books

#1 in Dark Eden

Dark Eden is a 3-book series with 2 released primary works first released in 2011 with contributions by Chris Beckett, Patrick Carman, and J. Ember Hintz.

#1
Dark Eden
#1.5
Phantom File
#2
Scars of Seduction and Sacrifice

Reviews

Popular Reviews

Reviews with the most likes.

I won this book in a First Reads giveaway. I give it a solid four stars. I would categorize it as more a dystopian novel with a science fiction setting. It was a melding of Adam and Eve meets Cain and Abel meets The Lord of the Rings. Good book.

View

A great story of the human condition in the face of adversity (much like the dynamics of The Walking Dead) and a coming of age story of ‘going against the flow' and shattering long-held beliefs. (M Night Shyamalan's ‘The Village')

For Fans of: Hugh Howey's Silo Saga

April 24, 2017
December 29, 2013

Top Lists

See all (61)

List

25 books

Fantasy

Bloodchild and Other Stories
Forging Divinity
The Obelisk Gate
The Last Wish
Blood of Elves
The Gospel of Loki
Anno Dracula

List

31 books

Sci Fi

Quantum Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner, Vol. 2
Year of the Black Rainbow
Year of Our War
Bloodchild and Other Stories
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet
This is How You Die: Stories of the Inscrutable, Infallible, Inescapable Machine of Death
The Girl with All the Gifts

List

79 books

Fiction

The Day Watch
The Last Wish
Legion
This is How You Die: Stories of the Inscrutable, Infallible, Inescapable Machine of Death
Brilliance
The Girl with All the Gifts
Solaris

Related Books

Books

9 books

Readers of This Book Also Enjoyed

If you enjoyed this book, then our algorithm says you may also enjoy these.