Slow Gods: A space opera of breathtaking imagination from the most original voice in speculative fiction

Name: Slow Gods: A space opera of breathtaking imagination from the most original voice in speculative fiction
Rating: 4.529411792755127 (17 reviews)

Claire North

Nov 2025 · Hachette UK

17 reviews

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432

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'ASTONISHING AND THOUGHT-PROVOKING' Adrian Tchaikovsky, author of Children of Time

From the million-copy-bestselling Claire North - one of the most original and dazzling voices in speculative fiction - comes an intergalactic tale of conspiracy, war and the fall of empires.

***Winner of the Utopiales Prize***
***Shortlisted for the Ursula K. Le Guin Prize for Fiction***
***Shortlisted for the Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel***

My name is Mawukana na-Vdnaze, and I am a very poor copy of myself.

In telling my story, there are certain things I should perhaps lie about. I should make myself a hero. Pretend I was not used by strangers and gods, did not leave people behind.

Here is one truth: out there in deep-space, in the pilot's chair, I died. And then, I was reborn. I became something not quite human, something that could speak to the infinite dark. And I vowed to become the scourge of the world that wronged me.

This is the story of the supernova event that burned planets and felled civilizations. This is also the story of the many lives I've lived since I died for the first time.

Are you listening?

Discover this thrilling and breathtakingly imaginative space opera from the multi-award-winning Claire North, perfect for fans of Ann Leckie, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Iain M. Banks and Arkady Martine.

Praise for Slow Gods:

'An extraordinary novel that will surely be shortlisted for multiple awards' SFX

'The best kind of science fiction: mind-blowing and wildly thought-provoking' Kirkus

'North's worldbuilding is dizzying and dazzling, full of fascinating and convincing characters (human, AI, and other), and thought-provoking meditations on destiny, duty, and power. Add in a doomed romance and stirring action, and this immersive, inventive space opera proves a sheer delight' Publishers Weekly

'Deeply imaginative and achingly human, Slow Gods lures you gently into the dark between the stars' Megan E. O'Keefe, author of Velocity Weapon

'A riveting and complex story . . . One of the best science fiction books of 2025' Locus

'ASTONISHING AND THOUGHT-PROVOKING' Adrian Tchaikovsky, author of Children of Time From the million-copy-bestselling Claire North - one of the most original and dazzling voices in speculative fiction - comes an intergalactic tale of conspiracy, war and the fall of empires. ***Winner of the Utopia...

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Ratings and reviews

17 reviews

Leonie de Bot

August 26, 2026

What a special book! I didn't love it all the way but I loved many elements of it. I loved the end. It was very satisfying, bringing me to the heart of the story and its themes. I loved how I could relate to the main character in those final chapters. This is also the thing I loved less. The main character was often too alien for me to relate and bond to very well. And I found it really interesting how Claire North painted a picture of how AI can be sentient beings. In a way unlike but also not unlike humans. I picked up this book because it won an Ursula K. le Guin prize and I can see why it did. A book that changed me.

WineCup Sage

December 15, 2025

I don't know, I am not sure. Perhaps the book was stretching me a bit. That could be a good thing. 🙂

Harri Kirik

December 1, 2025

Mesmerizing

About the author

Claire North is a pseudonym for Catherine Webb, who wrote several novels in various genres before publishing their first major work as Claire North, The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August. It was a critically acclaimed success, receiving rave reviews and becoming a word-of-mouth bestseller. They have since published several hugely popular and critically acclaimed novels, won the World Fantasy Award and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award, and been shortlisted for the Sunday Times/PFD Young Writer of the Year Award, the Arthur C. Clarke Award and the Philip K. Dick Award. They live in London.

Claire North is a pseudonym for Catherine Webb, who wrote several novels in various genres before publishing their first major work as Claire North, The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August. It was a critically acclaimed success, receiving rave reviews and becoming a word-of-mouth bestseller. They...

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