Book Synopsis

Klara and the Sun meets S. A. Barnes's Dead Silence with a touch of Becky Chambers' A Psalm for the Wild-Built in Nebula Award-winning author A.D. Sui's darkly philosophical, locked room murder mystery, as a death monk and a team of researchers trapped onboard a spaceship of the dead encounter something beyond human understanding...

Vessel Iris has devoted himself to the Starlit Order, performing funeral rites for the dead across the galaxy, guiding souls back into the Infinite Light. Despite the meaning he finds in his work and the comfort of AI companionship, his relationships with the living leave him longing for deeper connection.

The spaceship Counsel of Nicaea has been lost for more than a thousand years, its passengers reduced to dust and bone. A relic of Earth's dying past, its sudden appearance has attracted a team of academics eager to investigate its archeological history. And Iris has been assigned to bring peace to the crew's long departed souls.

Carpeted in moss and intertwined with vines, Nicaea is more forest than ship. Iris's religious rituals are met with bemusement by the scientists--and outright hostility by engineer Yan Fukui.

But the plant life isn't the only sentience to have survived in the past millennia. Something onboard is stalking the explorers one by one. And Iris with his AI enhancement may be their only hope for survival. . .

IN OUTER SPACE NO ONE CAN HEAR YOUR PRAYERS

Review Quotes

Praise for The Iron Garden Sutra

"Sui's elaborate novel takes a locked-room murder mystery into outer space. Exploring themes of faith and philosophy, evolution and self-awareness, Sui creates a beautifully crafted world, sprinkled with a bit of horror and romance." --Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW

"Sui blends horror and religion in this thrilling sci-fi outing, the first in a series...Sui skillfully balances the cerebral, the spiritual, and the terrifying. Readers will eagerly await Iris's next adventure." --Publishers Weekly

"A fresh, inventive tale that is as brutal as it is beautiful. With stunning prose and a deep, pulsing heartbeat, The Iron Garden Sutra is filled with tender moments and meaningful catharsis among the horrors. Richly layered and intensely compelling from start to finish." --Kelsea Yu, Shirley Jackson Award-nominated author of Bound Feet and Demon Song

"This atmospheric book has everything: space opera, horror, philosophy, mushrooms, and love in an enthralling story about a monk and a group of academics trapped on an ancient generation ship that may not be as abandoned as they think. A. D. Sui's world is lush, unique, and deliciously claustrophobic. It's still tickling my brain stem. Fans of S. A. Barnes and the movie Sunshine will eat this up." --Yume Kitasei, author of The Stardust Grail

"At once contemplative and visceral, vast and intimate, A. D. Sui's work takes us on a spiritual and physical journey like no other: an impressive feat of both range and balance." --Samit Basu, Locus Award-nominated author of The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport

"Meditative and philosophical, with a compelling mystery at its dark heart, The Iron Garden Sutra deftly delivers on multiple fronts: immersive cultural worldbuilding, creeping dread seen only in the best sci-fi horror, and an interrogation of the nature of intelligence, life, and humanity's place in the universe, all building to a smart, satisfying finish." --Victor Manibo, author of The Sleepless and Escape Velocity

"It's not enough to call The Iron Garden Sutra a locked room mystery in space; it's that and so much more. A.D. Sui deftly navigates questions of the mind, the soul, and the body while bringing a fresh and inventive perspective to the genre, blending suspense and self-reflection in a page-turning tale that promises and delivers on its central premise." --Mia Tsai, author of The Memory Hunters

"A contemplative, creepy, compulsive story and unique cast of characters in which you cannot help but fall in love. The exploration of the theme of death through the perspective of a Starlit monk felt both fresh and familiar. Complete with a slow-burn and tender romance, a thoughtful take on how AI might be integrated into a futuristic society, and a suspenseful locked room mystery (that is, if the locked room were a decrepit generation ship), this character-driven sci fi is perfect for fans of Annihilation and Ocean's Godori!" --T. A. Chan, author of The Celestial Seas

"A perfect, page-turning fusion of dark spaceship thriller and philosophical drama. Tense and interrogative, this eerie tale questioning obligations to both the dead and the living, as well as how we navigate this universe alone and with each other, will get under your skin and squeeze your heart until the very last page." --Ness Brown, author of The Scourge Between Stars

"A haunted story--literally and metaphysically. This book is an ambitious exploration of death, how we may come live with it, and the vast gulf of uncertain space in that journey." --Em X. Liu, author of The Death I Gave Him

"A wonderful puzzlebox of a novel that is alternatively heartbreaking and joyous. The Iron Garden Sutra is also truly interested in religion and what it means to devote oneself to a religious life, and the world A.D. Sui has built around these ideas is fascinating." --Lina Rather, author of Sisters of the Vast Black and Sisters of the Forsaken Stars

About the Author

A.D. Sui is the Nebula Award-winning, Ukrainian-born author of speculative fiction, including The Dragonfly Gambit and The Iron Garden Sutra. Their work is supported by the Ontario Arts Council, Government of Ontario, and Canada Council for the Arts, and their Sturgeon and Pushcart-nominated works of short fiction have appeared in several notable venues including Augur, Haven Spec, and Baffling. A failed academic and retired fencer, they live in Canada and can be found online at TheSuiWay.ca on social media @thesuiway.