Children of Strife -- Adrian Tchaikovsky, Hardcover

A new entry in the wildly successful Children of Time series from award-winning master of science fiction Adrian Tchaikovsky.

Centuries ago, a maverick terraforming team played god with a distant planet. Out of their vanity and spite, something terrible and unexpected arose.

Generations later, tormented scientist Alis is among the crew of the research vessel that rediscovers this lost outpost. But Alis wakes from nightmares of her own making to an all-too real catastrophe on board. The crew has vanished - leaving only Cato, the belligerent mantis shrimp captain, and Kern, the ship's AI.

In searching for their fellows, Alis and Cato must venture into the darkness of the planet below. What did those ancient terraformers unleash? And could their last surviving cremate become a greater threat than the world itself?

Children of Strife is the extraordinary next volume set in the Children of Time universe, featuring epic adventure, first contact and the nature of intelligence among the stars.

Author: Adrian Tchaikovsky
Publisher: Orbit
Published: 03/17/2026
Pages: 496
Binding Type: Hardcover
Size: 9.50h x 6.25w x 1.53d
ISBN: 9780316598965

About the Author

Adrian Tchaikovsky was born in Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire, and headed off to university in Reading to study psychology and zoology. For reasons unclear even to himself, he subsequently ended up in law. Adrian has since worked as a legal executive in both Reading and Leeds and now writes full time. He also lives in Leeds, with his wife and son. Adrian is a keen live role-player and occasional amateur actor. He has also trained in stage-fighting and keeps no exotic or dangerous pets of any kind--possibly excepting his son.