I loved this brief novel for so many reasons A sci-fi scenario – something is floating down in spores from the moon after an asteroid strike, and it’s setting up residence on earth. Despite its ultra-modern setting it reminded me of John Wyndham, in its psychological depth and breadth. And its alien organisisms: they are properly thought through, strange yet compelling, terrible yet without malice, as plausibly, hungrily indifferent to the lives of earth creatures as we are to the lives of plants.

Just as a great sci-fi read, it’s a gripping, persuasive, terrifying, (and on that score alone it justifies its stars).

But oh! I love it for so many more reasons too. Strong intelligent, complicated female leads, linked by a lifetime of convincing, imperfect friendship. A realistic political scenario, set in the Persian gulf, but with three dimensional people, not American cartoon “foreigners”. A novel with people whose English isn’t perfect and this doesn’t mean they’re stupid; a novel with people who don’t have an American mindset but this doesn’t mean they’re primitive or terrorists (big sigh… such observations shouldn’t have to be made, let alone seem remarkable... but yes, I found these things refreshing).

This is a really careful, thoughtful novel. A future classic of its genre.