What a weird book! Tchaikovsky seems to have an endless imagination when it comes to playing around with the weirdness of evolution and what life might look like on other planets. Alien Clay is definitely one where he’s pushed further than anything I’ve ever read, and does so in a very interesting context. The book opens with Professor Arton Daghdev – main character and narrator – plummeting towards the planet Kiln as his body is rehydrated after the long transit on the prison ship from Earth. It’s a brutal opening, and also quite entertaining in the way Arton wryly recounts it. But immediately it sets the tone, a hostile existence on a hostile world, a world where the alien life of Kiln is always trying to merge with anything it touches, and that includes the human body. It’s decidedly creepy!

The narrative style reminded me of another of the author’s standalone novels, Cage of Souls, as that too is told by a political prisoner living in an environment where the alien wildlife is an ever-present threat. You can see some of the ideas from Cage of Souls developed further in Alien Clay. And in the same way, having the main character narrate from an unknown future, with frequent phrases that allude to that future and all the revelations that brought him there, drove me onward to discover what would unfold.

It took me about half the book to decide if I liked Arton Daghdev, because though he was a good storyteller, he wasn’t always the best person. In the end, I don’t know if I fully decided, but either way he was incredibly compelling and the plot – of which I will say no more to avoid spoilers – has stuck with me since I finished the book back in March… it’s one of the strangest things I’ve ever read, and I still don’t know how to feel about the ending! But I did have fun reading it, and it was written very well, so I think I’ll just describe it as an experience, and one I think any fan of weird SF should try.

As punishment for rising against an authoritative state, Professor Arton Daghdev is sent to the distant world of Kiln, where he will remain for the rest of his life. Not only does he have to contend with a mysterious sentient alien life, but Daghdev has to juggle the simmering tension of the other prisoners and scientists as well as the brutal regime of the prison.
Written in the first person with a continuous foreshadowing by the main character I found this one difficult to enjoy. Due to the almost jokiness of Professor Daghdev's internal monologue and the casualness of the writing, I did not experience any intensity or tension within the story resulting in not really caring about the main character.
Credit to Adrian Tchaikovsky, the hard science was enjoyable and his ideas are well thought out, but the presentation and the style of writing didn't work for me.

This one was really rather philosophical. Starting with the premise of exoplanet colonization using a prison camp work force kind of situation run by an authoritarian regime that runs Earth. Throw dissident scientists into the mix and you have the initial situation. It quickly diverges as our MC (one of the dissident scientists) discovers there is a lot more to this planet than anyone back on Earth knows.

Another great work from the king of speculative sci-fi, Adrian Tchaikovsky takes us to the world of Kiln where everything and nothing is quite what it seems.

Credit given for non-binary characters within the work, something I am noticing Tchaikovsky does more and more of, and it is good to bring more NB characters to the page.

A book that I enjoyed but not as much as previous ones which has left me feeling disappointed. Such great potential but I just couldn't gel with the characters. Thanks so much for the opportunity to read

I'm not massive fan of sci-fi, but this novel is quite interesting. Written as a sort of a diary. Not exactly easy, fast read, but not bad. Overall 3.5 star.

This was perfectly enjoyable! I liked the sci fi concepts in this a lot but i wish we could get more depth from our characters/ their dynamics. I think it would have strengthened the themes of the novel considerably. I thought the ending was really fascinating, if Tchaikovsky ever revisits this world I would love to see what could happen next in this world.

"Alien Clay" by Adrian Tchaikovsky is a compelling exploration of identity, culture, and survival in an alien world. The story follows a group of humans attempting to establish a colony on an unfamiliar planet, only to encounter unexpected challenges from both the environment and the indigenous alien species. Tchaikovsky's adept storytelling and intricate world-building create a vivid and immersive experience.

The novel excels in its portrayal of the alien species, the Nhskara, whose unique biology and social structures are meticulously detailed. Tchaikovsky masterfully conveys the complexities of inter-species communication and the difficulties in bridging the cultural divide. The interactions between humans and Nhskara are fraught with tension and misunderstanding, highlighting the novel’s themes of coexistence and adaptation.

The protagonist, Dr. Miriam Gray, is a well-developed character whose expertise in xenobiology is crucial to the colony’s survival. Her journey from skepticism to understanding mirrors the broader narrative of humanity’s struggle to find its place in a vast and indifferent universe. The supporting cast is equally compelling, each character bringing their own strengths and flaws to the story, enhancing the richness of the narrative.

Tchaikovsky’s prose is both elegant and accessible, balancing scientific detail with engaging storytelling. The plot is well-paced, with a blend of action, discovery, and introspection that keeps readers engaged throughout. "Alien Clay" is not just a tale of survival, but a profound meditation on what it means to be human in an alien world.

Overall, "Alien Clay" is a thought-provoking and thrilling read that will appeal to fans of hard science fiction and those interested in the complexities of alien encounters. Tchaikovsky’s ability to blend scientific rigor with rich, emotional storytelling makes this novel a standout in the genre.

Did not finish. I read over 40 percent of this book, but found the plot to be slow, The book had an interesting premise, which I found intriguing, however, there was not enough to keep me engaged. Sadly not for me.

Exploration of a strange alien planet, political coup scientific themes this book is a lot of fun. Beautiful concept and the humour adds a nice counter point to themes that are quite heavy.

Thank you so much for this advanced copy,

As always, Adrian Tchaikovsky was one of the best scifi writer. Page turning!

This was fascinating. In terms of personal enjoyment I would probably score it 3 stars but that’s because I’m a complete science ignoramus plus something in my brain just turns off if the science gets too much. I love this author and luckily he writes excellent fantasy too so I’m not short of material! Many thanks to NetGalley for an arc of this book.

Earth has found a unique way to deal with political activists. Kiln is a far-flung planet, one of the greatest discoveries ever made in humanity’s spacefaring journey. It is a one-way trip. Professor Arton Daghdev has spoken out too loudly against the government structure of Earth, the Mandate, and earned himself a journey to Kiln, condemned to the work camps there. Daghdev has lectured and considered much about alien life for his entire university career and always dreamed of getting to study it in person. His exile from Earth to Kiln’s hostile ecosystem is about to give him his wish.

Kiln is a violent planet, nothing like Earth. The life on Kiln interacts with the human body in odd and often deadly ways. All the lifeforms seemingly want to kill you. The camp is kept secure, but each time Daghdev steps outside, he is one step closer to death. That is if the Camp Commandant and his oppressive regime in the camp don’t kill him first.

The Camp Commandant wants Daghdev to solve the mystery of local artefacts that dig teams have found. These are tall seemingly man-made towers which appear to have writing on them. The problem is, that the writing can’t be deciphered, and there is zero trace of those who could have built them. Daghdev is working on these artefacts and also studying the local biology, which is based on symbiosis. He is starting to gain an understanding of how it all works and is connected to one another.

While all this is taking place, he is recruited to the worker's revolution group. This group is all exiled prisoners like Daghdev. They are hoping to overthrow the Commandant and take control of the camp. Daghdev agrees to help, but the coup goes terribly wrong, and Daghdev finds himself demoted from lab work to physical labour out in the most dangerous terrain of Kiln, clearing the ground around newly found artefacts. It is while on these missions that Daghdev unlocks the secrets of Kiln, and nothing will be the same again.
Tchaikovsky delivers again with Kiln. It is another masterpiece of a story, on a wondrous alien planet, which is different enough to be almost creepy. Tchaikovsky manages to create a political context on Earth that is almost as terrifying. What monsters can create the concept of Acceptable Wastage in space travel and prison camps and be so blase about it? It makes alien life forms seem friendly. Kiln is like many other Tchaikovsky books. It slowly reels you in. You start reading thinking you are perhaps not that into the story, then realise you are well and truly hooked. You can’t stop, and delight in the cracker of a read you are enjoying. Tchaikovsky has a way with pacing that tricks you and makes it hard to put the book down. His writing is excellent, his world-building fantastic, and his writing really makes you think and question so much. Absolutely recommend Alien Clay!

*I received this book from NetGalley for review, but all opinions are my own.

Dnf just before halfway.
I absolutely love some of Mr Tchaikovsky's books: he has a way with words, he now more often allows his humour to infiltrate his stories, and he creates aliens and alien worlds like noone can. His science is fascinating and i love the way he explores "what ifs".
What i cannot do though is his writing style. In many of his books his prose gets bogged down by philosophising at length, focusing heavily on character conversations and meandering too much.
Alien clay was one of those.
In my opinion the book would have benefited from a healthy world introduction/action/characters balance, instead we got a 70% character dynamics based story (to the point i read at least) that focused on toxic scientists bickering, with a barely 30% sprinkling of alien space stuff.
I don't mind first person pov, but reading a whole book on one person's thoughts created a story told, not shown. That mafe for a stupendously frustrating read.

A real thrill ride from one of my favourite scifi authors and one of the most interesting "first contact" books I have read. Really hope there is a sequel set on earth, but suspect there won't be as would be tough to continue to make the lead character(s! IYKYK) sympathetic. Highly recommended

A book that mixes speculative fiction, classic sci-fi, and the story of how an exiled scientist was able to study an alien civilization and escape from death.
Adrian Tchaikovsky is one of the best sci-fi writer of this time and this another story which is both entertaining but also force you to deal with very serious topics.
I loved it, a highly recommended novel.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

In Alien Clay, our primary protagonist finds himself exiled to a distant alien planet known as Imno 27G, or 'Kiln' to the locals, after being convicted for his involvement in an uprising against the Earth government. This desolate planet serves as a labour camp where the workforce is tasked with researching the local flora, fauna, and architecture to uncover the origins of the abandoned ruins scattered across Kiln.

Despite the challenging terrain and the abundance of research opportunities, the camp's control begins to wane when a research expedition goes awry, revealing Kiln's hidden dangers. With a diverse cast of characters and meticulous world-building, "Alien Clay" offers a compelling exploration of humanity's drive to explore, understand, and dominate. However, it also highlights how nature, when given the opportunity, will reclaim its territory.

3.5/5.

In Tchaikovsky's increasingly huge canon of work, there are clear subgenres you can explore. Post Children Of Time, one of those is very much speculation on alien intelligence (or the uplift of Earth animal intelligences) and other forms life. Alien Clay is not part of the Children sequence, though I can see how the ideas housed within could fit perfectly within that narrative. Instead he fits this exploration of alien life within a different kind of human dystopia, allowing him to also discuss aspects of human intelligence and politics. Not least the difficulty of doing science within a fascistic framework.

It has a great in media res start where our protagonist Professor Arton Daghdev and political prisoner is being dropped to the alien planet in a pod, discussing a compatriot who burns up on re-entry. It does a good job of discussing the backstory here, and the callous nature of the human government, with acceptable losses on its scientist prisoners. Arton wasn't particularly dissenting, but his theories suggested that humanity might not be the cradle of life, and being connected to the wrong person with the wrong person had him exiled to life on the planet Kiln, where ironically he slowly gets to encounter life. Though not intelligent life as we know it, there are bugs, creepy crawlies, but nothing that appears to be on top of the food chain in an intelligent way, yet there are also ruins, and prisoners going mad.

There is a slow-burn mystery here which takes the nature of evolution and gives it a different spin. What if the entire flora and fauna evolved in symbiosis, as some kind of lego construction kit of life, If you need transport, bolt on the legs, if you need burrowing, grab some paws. And playing this down to a microscopic level, and also macroscopic - intelligence and sentience is just another thing that can be bolted on - and is relatively low down in the pecking order of useful adaptations for the day-to-day life on Kiln. But also how does it then work with humans which don't play so nicely with symbiosis, initially, though they may have something the planet wants (hint, it might be space travel).
All of this slowly takes over the previous narrative which shows how sucking up to a hierarchy is terrible for scientific progress, and that trying to provide illogical political theories rather than letting the science guide you is madness. And a different kind of madness to being stuffed with an alien parasite. A really good done in one and a real return to form.

Wow! Thank you to netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. This is not a genre I generally read and it took me a little while to get on board with the 'sciencey' aspects. That's said, the world building was phenomenal and I could totally see this being made into a film. Lots of drama and action with a satisfying outcome.

It's opened my eyes to this author and this genre!

Professor Arton Daghdev is being shipped off to an alien planet as punishment to a labour campon Kiln. There he is condemned to work in this alien world until he dies. The planet Kiln has the strangest ecosystem which when given a chance will invade the human body and take over. Daghdev has to fight to stop Kiln invading his body as well as the strict regime of the labour camp and its leader. Which will kill him first ? Kiln has a secret will Daghdev be the one to discover what others have failed to find.

I had a great time reading this. A very creepy dark atmosphere. I will be thinking about this book for quite some time. This is a brilliant sci fi quick read and I would highly recommend it.

Thank you to Netgalley, Pan MacMillan and Adrian Tchaikovsky for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.