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The Doors of Eden

Adrian Tchaikovsky (Goodreads Author)

3.92 · Rating details · 1,570 ratings · 353 reviews

Lee’s best friend went missing on Bodmin Moor, four years ago. She and Mal were chasing rumours of monsters when they found something all too real. Now Mal is back, but where has she been, and who is she working for?

When government physicist Kay Amal Khan is attacked, the security services investigate. This leads MI5’s Julian Sabreur deep into terrifying new territory, whe ...more

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Published August 20th 2020 by Tor

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May 21, 2020 Petrik rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arcs-and-review-copies

ARC provided by the publisher—Tor UK—in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5 stars

Children of Time has won the Arthur C. Clarke Award in 2016, and Children of Ruin won the “best novel of the year” in The British Science Fiction Association Award a few days ago. Tchaikovsky’s newest work, The Doors of Eden, will definitely continue to win him more prestigious SFF awards in the future.

Tchaikovsky has written a LOT of books, and I’ve read only Children of Time and Children of Ruin prior to reading t ...more

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Mar 01, 2020 James Tivendale rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: freecopy, sci-fi

I received an uncorrected proof copy of The Doors of Eden in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank Adrian Tchaikovsky and Tor for the opportunity.

Four years ago, young lovers Lee and Mal went in search of the Birdman of Bodmin. The girls were cryptid hunters and they were fascinated by the unexplained including creatures such as the aforementioned Birdman, the Sasquatch and the Loch Ness Monster. During their hunt on the moors of Bodmin, events took a turn for the worse and only o I received an uncorrected proof copy of The Doors of Eden in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank Adrian Tchaikovsky and Tor for the opportunity.

Four years ago, young lovers Lee and Mal went in search of the Birdman of Bodmin. The girls were cryptid hunters and they were fascinated by the unexplained including creatures such as the aforementioned Birdman, the Sasquatch and the Loch Ness Monster. During their hunt on the moors of Bodmin, events took a turn for the worse and only one of the girls returned from that holiday expedition. In current day London, Mal miraculously resurfaces yet Lee has no idea what transpired that day on the moors or where her girlfriend has been all this time. No contact. No phone calls. No messages.

"You ever get the feeling there are cracks in the world... my girlfriend fell into one somehow."

The back of the novel states that:
These strange disappearances have taken place since time began, as the unwary have fallen through the cracks between our worlds and others. But now these cracks are widening, and it's not just Mal who returned to Earth.

The Doors of Eden is truly epic is ambition and scale. The novel follows its main characters across many alternative Earths. Each world has changed - and creatures have evolved differently - across these multiple timelines. In Tchaikovsky's science fiction masterclass Children of Time, we were presented with highly intelligent spiders. Here, we're witness to extremely advanced rat-creatures, bird-like tribal dinosaurs, and science-savvy cavemen too. There are even village-sized insects that can act as flying vehicles. Tchaikovsky's imagination is bizarre, mindboggling yet at the same time is utterly brilliant.

The novel follows approximately six human point of view perspectives. These include the already mentioned Lee, MI5 agent Julian who is nothing like James Bond, transgender genius scientist Dr Kay Amal Khan, and ex-army type Lucas May. We, as readers, learn about the multiple different species, societies, advancements and Earths from very human perspectives. However, you could say that there is one viewpoint from a species that is not human but I will not go into any further details regarding this. The characters' stories cross over as the walls between Earths become thinner, meaning potential outcomes could be drastic and even Earth(s)-shattering. The majority of the characters are a pleasure to follow. They are likeable, well-developed and relatable. In addition to the main characters, I had a soft spot for the awesome Dr Rat and his translator, and also Mal's "cousin" friend Stig.

When reading Tchaikovsky's science fiction work I always get the feeling that I am reading something that is extremely special. The Doors of Eden come across as intelligent, well-researched, and incredibly detailed. Some of the science-specific language and the interludes written by the fictional Professor Ruth Emerson were a bit "over my head" at times yet this is possibly intentional because as a reader I learned to understand the complexities just as the characters themselves did. I'm afraid that I did skim-read a couple of the interludes to return to the main bulk of the story until I understood their importance and how they actually fit with the overall narrative. If I reread this novel I will not make this mistake again.

The imagery Tchaikovsky creates is sensational throughout, especially when depicting these alien worlds. Some of the set pieces are phenomenal. One moment springs to mind instantly which is when two Earths cross over when members of the ensemble are on the ninetieth floor of a skyscraper. The ending sequence(s) were intriguing and presented in a very clever way. Overall, The Doors of Eden was an outstanding and entertaining thriller that deserves to be Tchaikovsky's next science fiction megahit. Highly recommended.

"We're here because they trust us." Mal chuckled. "It's a million-to-one long shot, and only these two desperate lesbians can save the world. Perfect action movie material." ...more

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Jul 21, 2020 Bradley rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2020-shelf, worldbuilding-sf, fanboy-goes-squee, biopunk, mindfuq, space-opera, sci-fi, history

I just read one of my new favorites not just for this year... but perhaps for this entire decade.
Or rather, let's just scratch that and say it's one of my favorites.
Period.

Adrian Tchaikovsky himself said, about this book, "I have quite the trip in store for readers," and he wasn't joking around. The opening seems rather scientific and dry, and perhaps some people will appreciate the little primer on evolutionary science through deep time, the first building blocks of life through Earth's curre I just read one of my new favorites not just for this year... but perhaps for this entire decade.
Or rather, let's just scratch that and say it's one of my favorites.
Period.

Adrian Tchaikovsky himself said, about this book, "I have quite the trip in store for readers," and he wasn't joking around. The opening seems rather scientific and dry, and perhaps some people will appreciate the little primer on evolutionary science through deep time, the first building blocks of life through Earth's current cycle.

Hell, I was personally wondering what the hell it had to do with anything. Of course, with a little patience, it turns out to have EVERYTHING to do with EVERYTHING.

Adrian Tchaikovsky has repeatedly brought OTHER intelligent life to us in so many different forms and thought patterns. Just look at Children of Time (intelligent spiders butting heads with humans) or Children of Ruin (that includes intelligent squid) in a full space opera. Or let's look at his fantasy series with tons of animals (and insects) with their own societies in an epic fantasy! He has a thing for biology. And he takes it further in Doors of Eden than he's taken it anywhere else.

This book is simultaneously MORE accessible, more down-to-earth Modern Earth, than any other book (not including novellas) that he's ever written. But it is ALSO one of the hardest SF novels he's ever written.

Yeah. That tickles me to death, too. How can it be light and heavy at the same time? Because he pulls in real science, truly fantastically creative speculation on how Earth's own species could arise to intelligence if luck had JUST been on their side, and he wraps it all up with excellent modern technothriller sensibilities.

I can't even begin to count how many tropes Tchaikovsky brings in to stand on their head, change forms, and then come back out like a cyborg of its original form.

Or, I COULD, but then I'd be simply listing all the fantastic ideas and how he made them even more fantastic and how the novel kept growing and growing and growing in scope until I felt like it had forever ruined the best aspects of Sliders for me while also sticking a fork in the best First Contact novels I've ever read. :)

To sum up... this book should win all the awards. It's not only accessible, but it does all the Hard-SF ideas justice.

...more

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Mar 22, 2020 Nick Borrelli rated it it was amazing

Adrian Tchaikovsky has always been one of my "must read" authors. Part of the reason why is that he is so incredibly adept at creating magnificent and compelling stories across multiple genres. Over the years he has written some excellent science-fiction, space opera, as well as epic fantasy. If you get a chance to check out some of his previous works, you will see exactly what I'm talking about.

I had no idea that Adrian had a brand new book coming out this Spring (May 28th to be precise) until Adrian Tchaikovsky has always been one of my "must read" authors. Part of the reason why is that he is so incredibly adept at creating magnificent and compelling stories across multiple genres. Over the years he has written some excellent science-fiction, space opera, as well as epic fantasy. If you get a chance to check out some of his previous works, you will see exactly what I'm talking about.

I had no idea that Adrian had a brand new book coming out this Spring (May 28th to be precise) until it showed up one day on my doorstep. Thank you to publisher Tor for graciously sending me a copy of his latest, THE DOORS OF EDEN. As soon as I saw the stunning cover and read the summary on the back, I just couldn't wait to dig in.

THE DOORS OF EDEN begins as partners and best friends Lee and Mal are embarking on a bit of a road trip adventure to Bodmin Moor. You see the two, besides being very much in love, are are also very much cryptid enthusiasts and have been interested in legendary monsters like Nessie, Bigfoot, Yeti, etc... for as long as they can remember. One day while looking at some online cryptid videos, they come across one showing a farm not too far from their home. As the video is about to cut out, a creature appears in the background for just a few seconds. The image is somewhat difficult to make out and could very likely be a hoax, but it is so haunting and nags at them enough that they eventually decide to pay a visit to Bodmin Moor to see for themselves.

Something terrifying happens though when they investigate the farm and Mal inexplicably vanishes into thin air. There is no body found. It's as if she was there one second and gone the next. Lee struggles to understand exactly what happened on that night and after four years go by with no answers or clues as to Mal's whereabouts, she gives up any hope of ever seeing her again. That is until Mal calls her one day. Could it really be her after all these years? Or is it just a prankster playing some sick joke on Lee? It really sounds like Mal though, but that can't be possible. Can it?

Coupled with the story of Lee and Mal is that of MI5 government employee Julian Sabreur, former army grunt Lucas May, and physicist Kay Amal Khan. They have been aware for years of something otherworldly happening on the Moors as well as other locations around England. They believe that they may have discovered a crack in this world that allows people to travel to a parallel Earth where hideous monsters live. The problem is these cracks can also allow those monsters access to our world too. As these cracks keep getting bigger and greater in number the race to discover how to close them, if that is even possible, could ultimately determine the fate of humanity.

Wow, was that a thrill ride that kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time that I was reading it. It is kind of difficult to pinpoint what genre this book falls into. It's also what I loved about it quite frankly. Part science-fiction novel, part portal fiction, part bio-thriller, part mystery, all combining to make one heck of an epic story in the end. It delivers on every front. This was so refreshing and came at exactly the right time for me as I have been reading a lot of standard fantasy and SF lately. But THE DOORS OF EDEN simply defies convention as Adrian Tchaikovsky once again proves that he can't be pigeon-holed into any one genre category.

Being a bit of a cryptid fan myself, this book was the best of both worlds for me as it scratched that itch as well as gave me a fascinating SFF story to digest as well. The characters are so well done and each has their own motivation (some not exactly ethical) for discovering what happened on that fateful night on Bodmin Moor. This book is also creepy as hell in certain parts and it kept me completely engaged as I couldn't believe what I was reading sometimes. In my opinion this is one of the more brilliantly inventive SFF books to come along in a long time. It reminded me of some of my favorite Neal Stephenson books, but unlike Neal's novels, Adrian Tchaikovsky really knows how to ramp up the tension and always delivers a stunning conclusion that satisfies.

Be forewarned that there are a lot of big ideas within these pages and at times things can get pretty involved. So you very much have to pay attention to every detail as the story unfolds. Another thing I should mention is that there are some brief interludes that appear every few chapters. These interludes explain the biological evolution and history of a mysterious race of creature spanning thousands of years. This has an essential bearing on the story so you definitely do not want to skim through these. I just can't say enough about how awesome this book was and I hope that everyone decides to check out THE DOORS OF EDEN by Adrian Tchaikovsky. It is a wild journey that I highly recommend to everyone who loves a phenomenal story that you can really sink your teeth into! ...more

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May 16, 2020 Nils | nilsreviewsit rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

‘If it was Narnia, it was a Narnia where the White Witch had won. Always winter, forever and forever, in a world that had died a hundred million years before lions might have evolved.’

I’ve heard it said that Adrian Tchaikovsky is an incredible writer. I’ve heard The Doors of Eden hailed on Goodreads as ‘an extraordinary feat of the imagination’. Well, I’m here to say I wholeheartedly agree.

This is a multiple of firsts for me, as not only was this my first novel by Tchaikovsky, but this was also ...more

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Jan 25, 2020 Olivia rated it really liked it

Shelves: sci-fi

Netgalley.

Bullet points:

* Tchaikovsky is a “will read anything” author for me.
* This has parallel worlds and is mostly science fiction.
* Lots of evolutionary biology. If evolutionary speculation and analysis of how life on our world could have evolved differently isn’t your jam, this probably isn’t for you.
* If you always wanted to know what the world could look like if there were more lemurs or giant centipedes, this is for you.
* lesbians, trans characters and more diversity.
* Possibly a bit ...more

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Aug 24, 2020 Jamie rated it it was amazing

Stories involving multiple timelines, i.e. the multiverse, are a well worn sci-fi trope by now, going back decades. For me they always bring to mind the Star Trek mirror universe episodes where the crew meets evil versions of themselves, easily discernible by their sinister goatees. These stories generally riff on our reality in fairly minor ways, though sometimes with interesting and profound implications. Adrian Tchaikovsky, however, takes this concept to the next level, and in a completely or ...more

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Aug 22, 2020 Gabi rated it it was amazing

Shelves: outstanding_one_way_or_another

THIS. WAS. GLORIOUS! SO DAMN GLORIOUS!

I'll need some time with my English dictionary to get a decent review together. This is definitely one of those books where I wished I could have a category above 5 stars, for the really outstanding, mindboggling works I've read. ...more

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Aug 25, 2020 Kaitlin rated it really liked it

* I received this free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review *

This was a book I was really looking forward to as soon as I heard that Adrian Tchaikovsky had written a new SF novel (a.k.a doorstop) and after I had the privilege to hear him and Christopher Paolini discussing their new novels and the research and ideas that went into them. The book did not disappoint, and I ended up doing a combination of reading and also audiobooking it.

The story is a big one, but it starts off fair * I received this free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review *

This was a book I was really looking forward to as soon as I heard that Adrian Tchaikovsky had written a new SF novel (a.k.a doorstop) and after I had the privilege to hear him and Christopher Paolini discussing their new novels and the research and ideas that went into them. The book did not disappoint, and I ended up doing a combination of reading and also audiobooking it.

The story is a big one, but it starts off fairly small with Mal and Lee who are a lesbian couple who love to hunt for cryptic/supernatural or weird things. They're the best of friends as well as lovers, and every time they have a chance they go together to explore somewhere that weird things could be, like the Bodmin Moor where they are hinting Birdmen. Once there, things are immediately weird and Lee ends up doubting all her memories, whilst Mal is missing for more than 4 years...

The plot which starts as a mystery, grows in the telling with additional characters and plots being brought in. We have a government Physicist, Kay, an MI5 agent, Julien and his friend and co-worker Alison. They all get brought into the story when some sort of veiled threats or maybe alien threats are being brought against Kay, and then weird, weird things start to link them to the disappearance of Mal and the footage they have of that.

Eventually, the plot is spanning all sorts of times and beyond, and it's quite an epic conclusion. I think this is certainly a story which builds in the telling and I really enjoyed the journey through the science and beyond.

There's also dinosaurs, evolution, biology and more. The interludes of the book tell us about all sorts of changing cultures and creatures throughout the ages, and eventually we see how these research interludes connect into the overall plot too.

Having read Tchaikovsky's Children of Time I am confident that if you like one you will like the other, and I definitely recommend this. I ended up giving it 4*s overall, and I think that it's a solid SF standalone which was hard to put down :) ...more

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Oct 08, 2020 OKSANA rated it really liked it · review of another edition

“The Doors of Eden”
Book by Adrian Tchaikovsky
@macmillan 2020
⠀
Do you believe in God? In aliens? In parallel universe?
⠀
Do you want to have that experience?
Imaginary walk with dinosaurs?
Words creation or apocalypse experience?
⠀
You can!
⠀
For a day or two, while enjoying this fabulous book!
⠀
Sometimes you are loosing the feeling of reality, and starting to guess:
is this still reality or author’s imagination?
⠀
Great reading experience full of new thoughts and ideas!
⠀
Quote:
⠀
“You’are quiet, now, subdued by ...more

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Oct 07, 2020 Lindsay rated it it was amazing

Shelves: science-fiction

While cryptid hunting on Bodwin Moor, young friends and lovers Mal and Lee get separated after an encounter where three standing stones become six and midsummer Cornwall suddenly becomes a much colder scarier place. Mal goes missing, presumably wherever the cold other three stones are and with the monstrous inhabitants of that place. Lee manages to go on with her life until four years later, out of the blue, she gets a call from Mal who has some strange new friends.

MI5 analyst Julian Sabreur and ...more

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Jan 30, 2020 Kate rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: out-in-2020-and-read, favourites-read-in-2020

Children of Time is one of my very favourite novels and so I read The Doors of Eden the moment I could. It's thoroughly entertaining as it immerses us in its fractured worlds. Some intriguing and extremely varied main characters! Gorgeous descriptions, some moments to make you shiver and others to make you laugh, plus an important message. Review to follow closer to publication on For Winter Nights. ...more

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Aug 11, 2020 Justine rated it it was amazing

Shelves: science-fiction, audiobooks, netgalley, favorite-authors, read-in-2020

Originally posted to I Should Read That

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This review is spoiler-free.

A new book from Adrian Tchaikovsky, one of my favourite authors, is always an exciting event. The Doors of Eden was a book that immediately caught my attention with its stunning cover and intriguing concept. I had sky-high expectations for this book, and I am so pleased to say thatthey were absolutely met! The Doors of Eden is an incredibly accessible, fun, and thou ...more

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Aug 27, 2020 Dawn C rated it liked it

Not gonna lie, Adrian Tchaikovsky is one of my favorite authors, and yet I was unfortunately disappointed in this novel.

Apparently the world was ending because the fabric between different realities, alternate Earths, was crumbling, though why this was happening or exactly how was never made clear. How any of the people from the various realities were able to travel between these worlds is not explained either. One of our human protagonists explains that she just sort of thinks of doing it and t ...more

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Oct 10, 2020 Mogsy (MMOGC) rated it liked it

Shelves: review-copy, science-fiction, wishlist, alternate-and-parallel-worlds

3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2020/10/15/...

Let me just start by saying that I don’t think Adrian Tchaikovsky is actually capable of writing a bad book, but some are definitely better than others. When it comes to The Doors of Eden, I would probably place it somewhere in the middle as I quite enjoyed it, but I also didn’t think it was his best. Once again, we may have high expectations to blame here.

The Doors of Eden is told through multiple perspectives which are 3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2020/10/15/...

Let me just start by saying that I don’t think Adrian Tchaikovsky is actually capable of writing a bad book, but some are definitely better than others. When it comes to The Doors of Eden, I would probably place it somewhere in the middle as I quite enjoyed it, but I also didn’t think it was his best. Once again, we may have high expectations to blame here.

The Doors of Eden is told through multiple perspectives which are all kind of jumbled and layered on top of each other, because this is a novel involving parallel worlds and alternate timelines. We begin with childhood-friends-turned-lovers Lee and Mal, two young women who’d bonded over a lifelong interest in cryptozoology, heading off into the Bodmin Moor to investigate rumors of a creature known as the Birdman. But something strange happened to them out there in the wilderness, something Lee knows she can’t explain without coming across like she’s completely lost her mind. All that mattered was that at the end of the day, only she emerged from the moorlands while Mal was gone, vanished without a trace.

Next, we meet M15 agent Julian Sabreur, who in his more private moments likes to compare himself to James Bond. He has been placed in charge of providing security and protection for government physicist Kay Amal Khan, a foul-mouthed chain-smoking trans woman who has become the target of a racist hate group. But when the attack comes, it is not Julian’s team who ends up stopping it. While no one actually witnessed the massacre, the attackers appeared to have been ripped apart by someone or something very big and very strong, judging by the grisly bloodbath left behind in Dr. Khan’s living room.

Tasked with finding out what happened, Julian finds himself going down a rabbit hole of conspiracy, mystery, and the unexplained. Meanwhile, it has been four years since Mal’s disappearance, but the grief has not abated for Lee. Incredibly, one day she gets a phone call from Mal, who simply tells her she wants to meet—like she hasn’t been gone this entire time. Even more confounding is when Lee finally does see Mal again, her girlfriend does not appear to be the same person. Everything eventually comes to a head as Julian shows up on Lee’s doorstep, led there by a grainy image taken of a woman who was believed to be dead.

First off, I’m a big fan of sci-fi stories about alternate universes and parallel worlds. I love the endless possibilities they offer, and the mind-warping questions they always seem to leave behind. But on the flip side, these kinds of books often have a lot going on in them, and sometimes, the intricate web of plotlines and character lives can get a tad overwhelming. Tchaikovsky did a great job organizing multiple threads and streamlining the overall narrative, but I think even he stumbled at times and lost control of the story because it occasionally felt like things got away from him. This was especially the case as we delved further into the middle sections of the book, where the storytelling didn’t feel as tightly plotted or well-paced.

Case in point, I knew something was up when I realized I found more pleasure in reading the interludes from the point of view of Professor Ruth Emerson discussing the evolutionary trajectory of various alternate Earths and what they might look like. I mean, granted I’m a biology nerd, but also, the truth is, for most of the book, I just didn’t find the main storyline or any of the main POVs to be all that interesting. In focusing his attention on developing the science and the world-building, it almost felt as if the author neglected to develop his characters with the same amount of care and detail. For a long time, they were mostly defined by their diversity labels, and only later on did the deeper aspects of character-building come in, like personality, interests, and values. Perhaps that was why I never really felt too connected or sympathetic towards the characters.

Still, The Doors of Eden was by no means a bad book—it kept me turning the pages, after all. That said, I thought it could have been better—more entertaining and engaging at least, if the characters had been better developed right off the bat, and if the pacing had been a bit more even. Admittedly, I also expected a lot going into this novel, so that might have played a part in how I ultimately felt too. But is the disappointment going to make me any less excited to read the author’s books after this? Heck no. Like I said, you’re pretty much guaranteed a good read whenever you pick up something by Adrian Tchaikovsky, especially if you enjoy original and clever ideas in SFF. Children of Time remains my go-to recommendation when it comes to his work, but if the sound of The Doors of Eden captures your interest, I would check it out. ...more

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Nov 19, 2020 Alex Bright rated it it was amazing

This was simply BRILLIANT!

4.5 stars, rounded up

Tchaikovsky is a master story-teller, starting with the microcosm of two characters and eventually spreading out to encompass the macrocosm of the universe. The grand philosophical/scientific concepts marry perfectly with the intimate relationships of multiple characters, allowing the audience to comprehend what would otherwise be insanely difficult ideas to grasp. It doesn't hurt that the LGBTQ+ representation is fierce, either! In fact, differenc ...more

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Nov 28, 2020 Hank rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I am very pleased that I liked this book. This is my third Tchaikovsky book and sort of my first test to see if I like Tchaikovsky or if I just like his Children of Time series. Fortunately for me it was great. Perhaps not as great as Children of Time but still very good. Tchaikovsky returns again to his main theme of "What if..." In this case, instead of exploring if one or two species evolving intelligence along side or with the help of humans, he explores the idea of completely separate (unti ...more

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Oct 07, 2020 Oleksandr Zholud rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This is a SF by Adrian Tchaikovsky, one of the most interesting authors in current SF (according to me). It is a story connecting possible evolutions, parallel universes and multiple references, which should endear the fandom. I read is as a part of monthly reading for October 2020 at SFF Hot from Printers: New Releases group.

The story starts with two teenage girls, Lee and Mal, who weren’t much liked by their classmates (Lee is of Pakistani origin as was seen as other, Mal is from a rich famil This is a SF by Adrian Tchaikovsky, one of the most interesting authors in current SF (according to me). It is a story connecting possible evolutions, parallel universes and multiple references, which should endear the fandom. I read is as a part of monthly reading for October 2020 at SFF Hot from Printers: New Releases group.

The story starts with two teenage girls, Lee and Mal, who weren’t much liked by their classmates (Lee is of Pakistani origin as was seen as other, Mal is from a rich family, who “come over from a very posh school that had told her she was better than everyone else. Being thirteen, she’d told her new peers that too, and had been surprised to discover they hadn’t agreed”), but founds a common interest in science (a book The Nature of Things: The Secret Life of Inanimate Objects was their first common ground). A friendship growth to love (nothing racy) and joint interest in seeking cryptozoological creatures. In one of their expeditions (they do it for fun, not really believing in cryptozoology, but wanting to be different) they got more than they expected.

A few year later another line starts: forty-something man, working for domestic security, and with some (unsuccessful) attempts to style himself as James Bond, with a help of a woman data analyst, found that a far-right group with links high up, plans to “teach” a transgender mathematician, who works on Her Majesty government.

All chapters are starting with Excerpts from Other Edens: Speculative Evolution and Intelligence by Professor Ruth Emerson of the University of California, a work that describes how sentience and sapiens could have developed, from Cambrian period onward, with quite a diverse versions of sapient lifes from trilobites to felines. These inserts are real gems, well thought off and often rather unexpected.

All characters actively make homages to other SF and fantasy, from checking wardrobes for doors into other worlds to teaching non-humans to cite from famous movies.

While I guess both a lesbian pair and the transgender were added to be in line with current fandom, it was done quite gracefully and naturally, unlike a lot of works that make it for wokeness sake.

This is definitely a worthy nominee for the next year SFF awards.

...more

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Aug 20, 2020 Lou rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

The world is stranger than they'd thought. And more dangerous than they'd feared. Lee’s best friend went missing on Bodmin Moor, four years ago. She and Mal were chasing rumours of monsters when they found something all too real. Now Mal is back, but where has she been, and who is she working for? When government physicist Kay Amal Khan is attacked, the security services investigate. This leads MI5’s Julian Sabreur deep into terrifying new territory, where he clashes with mysterious agents of an ...more

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Nov 14, 2020 Scarlett Readz and Runz....Through Novel Time & Distance rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Eden, such a powerful word: to some, it's a name, to others, an imaginary thing or altogether, a place of delight and contentment laden with cosmological or eschatological imagery. In Tchaikovsky's THE DOORS OF EDEN, it is the inception of many worlds that began like ours with a differentiating evolutionary timeline and development with variant extinctions. A novel that combines fantasy, realism, science, technology, and history into a readable feast for the mind and senses. A modern sci-fi thri ...more

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Nov 03, 2020 Lata rated it it was amazing

Shelves: x2020-read, scifi-fantasy

Adrian Tchaikovsky is an author whose work consistently surprises and engages me. I knew I’d like this story when I saw a timeline of the history of this planet, shown by age (e.g., Ordovician, Permian, etc) before the story even started. And the story was wonderfully complex, fast-moving, with compelling situations and characters, with my favourite being Kay Amal Khan, profane, funny, and a massive genius of really esoteric and difficult mathematics, and Alison Mitchell, MI5 analyst and profess ...more

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Mar 06, 2020 Kirsty ❤️ rated it liked it

It took me a while to get into this one. The book has 6 different points of view covering the disappearance and then reappearance of Mal several years later. It also has interludes of a book discussing other potential earths and what life would be like on them. It's those chapters that lost me a bit. I'm not so hot on hard sci-fi and I haven't read this author before although I've heard lots of good things. It#s quite pacy and builds well and there's some good world building but ultimately a lit ...more

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Oct 17, 2020 S A M | The Book in Hand rated it really liked it

Shelves: audiobooks, netgalley-arcs, read-again, scifi-books

REVIEW:

Here are a few things you can expect from :

Multiple POV’s;
Parallel worlds and Portals;
Intrigue; and
LGBT.

On to the full review…

As I said above, I listened to this via audiobook so I feel it’s only right to say a few things about that…

This is narrated by Sophie Aldred, and I am super thankful to her for providing me with, not only, my first ever audiobook but one I could actually listen to!

I requested this on NetGalley thinking I wasn’t going to lose out on my hard earned cash if I hated i ...more

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Jan 25, 2020 Andreas rated it really liked it

Shelves: science-fiction, 2020

Two British girls Lee and Mal write articles for Fortean Times which specializes on speculations about anomalous phenomena, Cryptozoology (think of Yetis), or conspiracy theories. Out in the Wales landscape, they encounter a mysterious bird man, and it seems that their journalistic dream came true. Only that one of them got lost for several years. Four years later, the story sets off by slowly opening the doors to alternative Earths in parallel universes. Don't expect Werewolfes jump scaring you Two British girls Lee and Mal write articles for Fortean Times which specializes on speculations about anomalous phenomena, Cryptozoology (think of Yetis), or conspiracy theories. Out in the Wales landscape, they encounter a mysterious bird man, and it seems that their journalistic dream came true. Only that one of them got lost for several years. Four years later, the story sets off by slowly opening the doors to alternative Earths in parallel universes. Don't expect Werewolfes jump scaring you like in an Urban Fantasy. Instead, Tchaikovsky explores diverging paths in Earth's history where other entities could have developed intelligence - there are the Neanderthals of course, but also rat populations, as well as far more bizarre developments like huge immortal cambrian trilobites conquering the solar system and beyond, or super intelligent squids.

This mixes well with a secret agent story arc around MI5 agent Julian and intelligence analyst Alison working from their London offices. They try to save and rescue a kidnapped mathematician Khan who should solve the multiverse puzzle - because the universe is collapsing.

Last time I read something from Tchaikovsky was Children of Time in 2015, and it went very well. First of all, I like Tchaikovsky's style in this novel: His tongue in the cheek telling of cryptoid hunting girls uncovering an alternate reality. Interleaving the story, pseudo scientific articles extrapolate how biology could have evolved. Also, I loved the setting - the landscape of Great Britain with London as a focal point as a welcomed divergence from so many SF novels, with its insights to British culture like the weird magazine Fortean Times. I found the pacing very good with a slow exposition turning to high speed James Bondish stunt action resolving in a thoughtful unexpected ending. All characters are relatable and charming in their diversity. I just miss a single main protagonist that I could focus on.
It is certainly a different story than his Space Opera Children of Time or his fantasy novels - as it is set in our time and our world (mostly). But then again it is not so much different, as there are spiders and WhatIf scenarios about alternate biological developments.

I'd like to recommend this book on your watch list, it will be published at May 28th 2020. ...more

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Mar 21, 2020 Sambora rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Adrian Tchaikovsky... I don't know how this man does it. This book is incredible. This was my 4th Tchaikovsky novel and my gosh did it push for that number one spot.

A huge thank you to Pan Macmillan for the ARC they sent me in exchange for an honest review.
The Doors Of Eden is the upcoming novel by Adrian Tchaikovsky - set to release on the 20th August 2020.

*Completely Spoiler-Free*

The story this book tells is unlike anything I've read before. That isn't to say that books similar to this one do ...more

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Sep 25, 2020 Liviu rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2020_releases_read, top_25_2020_books, read_2020, genre-sf

Excellent sf - very absorbing and one of the best books of the year.

The book combines biological speculation (alternate Earths where intelligence evolved at earlier points) with an old-fashioned adventure-chase type of sfnal storyline with various organizations chasing a main character who has (part of) the key to life, the universe, and all, so in a way, the book is fairly standard, but what kept me reading was the energy and flow that had me turning the pages even when the alternate earth int ...more

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Oct 12, 2020 Charlie - A Reading Machine rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This is one crazy book. Tchaikovsky always gives his readers mind bending concepts to grapple with but this reminds of the very end of Men in Black when the camera pans out from our planet, our solar system, our galaxy and then our entire universe only to reveal we are a marble being played with by a being of such scale that it makes one feel utterly insignificant. Not that I was there but it reminds of the first pictures of the earth as seen from space being sent back to earth and no one really This is one crazy book. Tchaikovsky always gives his readers mind bending concepts to grapple with but this reminds of the very end of Men in Black when the camera pans out from our planet, our solar system, our galaxy and then our entire universe only to reveal we are a marble being played with by a being of such scale that it makes one feel utterly insignificant. Not that I was there but it reminds of the first pictures of the earth as seen from space being sent back to earth and no one really gave a fig about the moon that was also visible. It’s that moment of realising what’s right in front of you and how fragile and impossibly beautiful that existence is.

Two amateur monster hunters, Lee and Mal, are drawn by credible footage to a location visited by 'The Birdmen'. The weather around them turns freezing cold and after they see with their own eyes a creature that could only have come from another world, they are separated and only Lee is returned to familiar surroundings. It’s four years later when Mal makes contact again.

Julian and Alison are members of Her Majesty’s Secret Service, the first a field agent though definitely not James Bond and the second an intelligent and resourceful analyst. Tasked with keeping an eye on a brilliant theoretical mathematician, a trans woman known as Dr Kahn who has been threatened by radical forces, they are drawn into the otherworldly plot when strange people intercept a group on their way to do her harm and utterly eviscerate them whilst also kidnapping the aforementioned Doc.

It seems that the universe and in fact the multiverse is collapsing in on itself and the brightest minds are being gathered together to try and stop the end of everything we know.

Running parallel to this main storyline is a series of interludes that discuss different branches of evolution the world may have taken. If you like having your mind blown you’ll find these sections a great deal of fun. It’s a bit like David Attenborough finding a multiverse where creatures of all kinds have at some stage or another somehow gained an evolutionary foothold and for whatever reason have been the beings to progress. Space faring Trilobites, crabs that terraform an entire planet, rat/mole creatures that multiply faster than the world can kill them and so many more...nothing is off the table when you’re dealing with the imagination of Tchaikovsky.

In regards to these epic concepts it’s certainly an indomitable strength of his as a writer but it can also lead to a few moments where, as a non scientific reader, it is really hard to keep up. I’m totally okay with admitting there were a number of occasions in the final third of the book where things just went over my head so whilst I hesitate to say this book is for everyone, I personally enjoyed the ride and it’s one I’d recommend.
...more

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Oct 12, 2020 Vigasia rated it it was amazing

I've read many good books this year, but this one is so far in top five. Adrian Tchaikovsky once again proves that he can write a novel full of unique ideas with bunch of characters that as as diversive as can be, but also, very likeable.

As for the plot: there is the end of the world coming and only a pair of lesbians, a trans woman, a female MI5 agent and her skeptical friend who has no clue what is going on can save it. Did I sell it to you already? There's also a lot of creatures from other ...more

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Sep 07, 2020 Filip rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi, 2020, best-of-2020

This review was originally published over at The Fantasy Hive.

Published by: Tor
Genre: Science fiction
Pages: 597
Format: Hardcover
Review Copy: Sent to me by Tor.uk in exchange of an honest review.

Adrian Tchaikovsky’s latest is a triumph. A perfect jumping-on point for his body of work, The Doors of Eden convinced me I need to explore the author’s previous novels in due haste. Tchaikovsky exhibits formidable skill in every chapter of this 600-page masterpiece, and boundless imagination in every interlude punctuating the text.

The Doors of Eden takes a “big picture” view towards evolution, every interlude serving to develop a singularly gripping idea – what if, in Earths much like our own, the evolutionary lottery had fallen on a different sequence entirely? How about several sequences? Tchaikovsky not only asks, “What if intelligence evolved over the different geological periods of the history of Earth?” but he offers answers as well, with poise and mastery. Each ‘What if?’ scenario is more gripping than the next, every one a piece of the ambitious puzzle he has set out for you, Reader. On the first page before the Prelude, you will find a timeline of our planet’s geological timeline; keep an eye on it. Return to it after every interlude and watch as it all clicks to place.

I have, perhaps, began backward; not with the gist of the story, but with the gaps between its building blocks. But it is all connected, dear Reader, and in what a way! The main story — and if you’ve read the blurb, you’ll have picked up on this — has a lot of moving parts. Much of its first third (or even half) reads as an exceptional thriller would. Some mystery is at work, thinning the barriers between our world and others. It’s a mystery pocked at from several different perspectives. We are first introduced to Lee, who is contacted by her girlfriend Mal, missing now for four years. The second perspective is that of Julian Sabreur and his close colleague, analyst Alison, as they attempt to make sense of unseen forces trying to snatch. The third, follows Lucas, the career henchman to a ruthless billionaire who has his fingers in more than just one pie. He is written so well; though his actions are reprehensible and abhorrent, viewing events from his PoV is persuasive enough you can’t help but have a soft spot for a man who only cares about his own skin. And the forth? It’s scientist Kay Amala Khan herself, the absolute biggest smartass in history. Every time she opens her mouth, it’s like bloody fireworks go off!

Tons of supporting characters make for memorable clashes and encounters with each of our PoV characters – the absolute stand-outs are Sabreur’s boss, Leslie Hind, who is a cold-blooded badass, and Dr. Rat, a mad genius of the most entertaining variety.

I was well-impressed from the very start; the prose is lively, its tone thoroughly modern, its message one of inclusion and acceptance. No one to illustrate this better than Kay Amal Khan, the star physicist of a theoretical branch of physics so alien and new to the science that no more than three scientists in all the world can wrap their heads around it. Kay is trans, and her representation is on point throughout – her portrayal has inspired me, in fact, to write an essay on identity in the book, on the attempt of certain characters to muzzle who Kay is through force, and her retaking it. This is the kind of book The Doors of Eden is, a novel that inspires you to deconstruct and analyse in search of deeper understanding.

Few of the intelligences Tchaikovsky illustrates in the intervals between the chapters are like our own; some of them are as alien and unknowable as the very finest exemplars of science fiction (the AlienPrimes in Peter F. Hamilton’s Commonwealth Saga come to mind, though there is no place for comparison in terms of behaviour, only in strangeness, otherness).

Tchaikovsky strikes the right note in terms of humour, too, which goes a long way to help deal with (at times) tense and heavy subject matter. This novel contains within it the funniest example of a man really needing his phone. Beyond that, I admire that Tchaikovsky makes his political allegiance present and clear. It is the writer’s prerogative to illustrate his view of the world; authors of sci-fi, always with their eye to the future, are well-suited to the task.

I closed the covers of The Doors of Eden with the hugest smile plastered over my face. It’s a big book, and dense with ideas, and without doubt a modern classic of the science fiction genre. Peter F. Hamilton has the right of it: “Tchaikovsky has created a fantastic and highly imaginative new genre: evolution SF.” More impressive yet, he has found a way to fuse with the cold, rational idea of evolution something of the soul. And that, dear Reader, demands attention. ...more

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Aug 13, 2020 imyril rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Well 2020 finally has an upside: I’ve enjoyed a book by Adrian Tchaikovsky! This will take a bit of chewing over, but in a nutshell a motley group of unlikely souls must try and save alternate realities from collapse. I think this is overlong, but I found the characters charming and I can’t argue with the sentiment.

Crucially, no spiders.

Having chewed it over a bit more: Full review

3.5 stars

I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Beyond Reality: The Doors of Eden (1/21): Roll call and first impressions	12	24	2 hours, 55 min ago
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About Adrian Tchaikovsky

Adrian Tchaikovsky

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ADRIAN TCHAIKOVSKY was born in Lincolnshire and studied zoology and psychology at Reading, before practising law in Leeds. He is a keen live role-player and occasional amateur actor and is trained in stage-fighting. His literary influences include Gene Wolfe, Mervyn Peake, China Miéville, Mary Gently, Steven Erikson, Naomi Novak, Scott Lynch and Alan Campbell.

Books by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Empire in Black and Gold (Shadows of the Apt, #1)

Dragonfly Falling (Shadows of the Apt, #2)

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Quotes from The Doors of Eden

“We’re here and they trust us.’ Mal chuckled. ‘It’s a million-to-one long shot, and only these two desperate lesbians can save the world. Perfect action movie material.” — 1 likes

“Only one needs to find the answer, but difference is strength. To save everything, we need as much difference as possible.” — 1 likes

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