Exit Black

October 23, 2023
In this exciting sci-fi thriller from Pitkin (Stranger Bird), the world’s first orbital hotel, Imperium, becomes a horrifying battlefield. As the novel opens, Dr. Chloe Bonilla, a plant physiologist who lives on the station researching gravitropism in bean sprouts, greets Imperium’s first group of exorbitantly wealthy guests. Later, she awakens in the small hours to find that three of her fellow crew members are being cast out into space by heavily armed terrorists from a group called the Reckoners. As the Reckoners remove their disguises and initiate a hostage situation, Chloe remains hidden, ready to throw a wrench in their plans. Chloe is extraordinarily—often unbelievably—capable of navigating this Die Hard–style setup: a crack shot whose scientific knowledge and fighting instincts make her a serious threat. Throughout, Pitkin’s research shines, as realistic dangers—including low gravity and depressurization—propel the plot. Through rotating perspectives Pitkin punctuates the action with intriguing commentary on death, animal instincts, and the wealth gap. While the time spent introducing each hotel guest slows the beginning, their unique stories all come together for a nail-biting climax. Fans of suspenseful hard science fiction will revel in every detail. Agent: Scott Veltri, Storre Pictures.

November 1, 2023

Dr. Chloe Bonilla is the Imperium's resident biophysicist, researching plants aboard the most expensive low-earth orbit structure ever created. Now, with the labs empty more than not, much of the Imperium has become an elite hotel for the wealthy. The first rocket of high rollers is arriving--a motley crew of tech investors, billionaires, and other unconventional people. The celebration quickly turns terrifying, though, when some hotel crew members are revealed to be members of the Reckoners, a terrorist group that takes on economic inequality and are now demanding an $8 billion ransom from their hostages. Bonilla is the only person left free on the station, and she must find a way to save everyone before the only way out is through an airlock and into the black. VERDICT Pitkin's (Stranger Bird) science fiction thriller is fast-paced and, with multiple points of view, shows off the unusual twists of individual perspectives. Fans of the movies Knives Out and Die Hard, plus authors such as Blake Crouch and Andy Weir, may want to add this to their to-be-read list.--Kristi Chadwick

Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2023
Dr. Chloe Bonilla is the lead--and only remaining--scientist stationed aboard Imperium, the first hotel in low Earth orbit. She is wrapping up cleanup and maintenance aboard the station ahead of a swanky gala celebration of the �ber-rich and various dignitaries who just arrived aboard the station. In the early morning after the gala, Chloe can't sleep, and when she can't reach the station network to make a call, she finds her fellow crew investigating the sabotage of the station rocket and watches in shock as the flight crew drift away from the station to their death. Now Chloe is in a deadly game of cat and mouse against a team of hijackers holding a handful of the richest people in humanity hostage. She must not only survive but also figure out a way to stymie the hijackers in their attempts to redistribute a significant portion of the Earth's wealth. This low-G version of Die Hard will appeal to fans of fast-paced adventure with a sf twist in a familiar, not-too-distant future.

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