Description
~Publishers Weekly Pick of the Week, May 12~
A science fiction novel that begins as a murder mystery and is taken over by an interstellar treasure hunt.
What could draw poet, explorer, loner and paranoid Mykol Ranglen away from the relative peace of his own stellar habitat? He has no choice in the matter as one by one acquaintances are murdered or disappear altogether. Propelled by ever changing and deepening mysteries Mykol embarks to uncover secrets which could make people rich beyond their wildest dreams…or tear apart human civilization. The escalating quest takes him through worlds of many dangerous extremes, leading him to confront the deadly alien “fist of thorns,” extinct species refusing to give up their power over the future, and those racing against him to uncover the secret first. But in the course of his pursuit, he must also face his own secrets. And some of these are more dangerous.
What Are They Saying About The Man Who Loved Alien Landscapes
“In Wendland’s intricately plotted, character-driven debut, pulp exploration meets philosophical speculation, and a moralistic sensibility is fused with Philip K. Dick’s paranoid fantasies and Ray Bradbury’s awe of alien encounters.…Impending doom pervades ripping action scenes, the Lovecraftian theme of ancient warring aliens lends cosmic menace and authenticity to a grandiose mystery…deeply absorbing.”—Publishers Weekly starred review
“…shows a narrative energy and enthusiasm for the genre…there is an intriguing mystery subplot, and when the action picks up, readers will want to stay for the final act.”—Library Journal
“A mixture of adventure, mystery, and science fiction, each aspect is included in the recipe in just the right proportions for the scope of the tale. The intricate web of the plot and its characters makes Wendland’s work particularly impressive for its size. Overall coherence is managed while also delighting readers with details into the world, such as some of the ‘hard’ science behind the technology…”—Reading 1000 Lives
“Mystery, heart-pounding adventure, and the dazzling wonders of far-flung space play significant roles in Wendland’s breakout novel, all while gifting us with a mesmerizing tour of alien landscapes destined to get under your skin and remind you of the very reason science fiction exists: Not to escape to other worlds, but to find ourselves within them.” —Diana Dru Botsford, author of The Drift and Four Dragons
“In The Man Who Loved Alien Landscapes, Albert Wendland tells of an exotic and transcendent technology, but the truly amazing machine operative in this novel is the one Wendland stores in his skull: a device that can ingest back issues of Black Mask and Astounding, extract their respective hardboiled and hard-SF essences, and bring forth a narrative bursting with the pulpistic pleasures we’ve all been missing without knowing it.”
—James Morrow, World Fantasy and Nebula Award-winning author
“Inside are alien worlds and titanic space habitats and a brilliant and paranoid hero, all skillfully blended together with long-vanished galactic secrets. Science fiction…good science fiction, by a college professor of literature who loves good SF.” —William H. Keith, New York Times Best Selling Author
“Al Wendland truly is a man who loves alien landscapes…his debut novel is gripping and clever and infused with painterly vividness. It manages to be both a page-turning yarn and a thoughtful piece of universe-building, bejewelled with startling concepts, and with a sinuous and carefully wrought plot. This is a treat for lovers of classic SF: it is exemplary popular fiction.”
—Philip Palmer, award-winning novelist, playwright, and screenwriter