The Splinter in the Sky is the debut novel of American writer Kemi Ashing-Giwa. Written during her sophomore year at Harvard University when she was 19, the book was published by Saga Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, in July 2023, when she was 22.[1][2] It appeared on the USA Today Bestseller list and won the 2024 Compton Crook Award.[3]
 | |
| Author | Kemi Ashing-Giwa |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Science fiction |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster |
| Publication date | July 11, 2023 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Pages | 350 |
| Award | Compton Crook Award (2024) |
| ISBN | 9781668008478 |
Reception
editThe Splinter in the Sky earned starred reviews from Kirkus,[4] Publishers Weekly,[5] Booklist,[6] and BookPage.[7] It won the 2024 Compton Crook Award[3] and appeared on the 2023 Locus Recommended Reading List alongside Ashing-Giwa's short story "Thin Ice" in Clarkesworld Magazine.[8]
The novel was highlighted as one of the best debuts of the year by BookPage[9] and Booklist,[10] and was named one of the best science fiction books of 2023 by BiblioLifestyle,[11] and of July by Amazon[12] and New Scientist.[13] It was further featured in Ebony,[14] Tor.com/Reactor,[15] Ms. Magazine,[16] Publishers Weekly,[17] Gizmodo,[18] Goodreads,[19][20] Literary Hub,[21] and Brittle Paper.[22][23]
Critic Aigner Loren Wilson, writing for Lightspeed Magazine, called the debut "intriguing and enthralling," highlighting the "cultural divides, setting, and bigotry in the world in a way that mimics... what marginalized people from colonized cultures in the real-world face."[23]
Natalie Zutter, writing for Reactor Magazine, wrote that Ashing-Giwa had discovered "inventive new ways to critique colonialism through a sci-fi lens, in a standalone novel that nonetheless has an eye toward a hopeful future." She concluded that readers will "find a profound message that will stick with you long after you're done."[24]
References
edit- ↑ The Splinter in the Sky. 2023-07-11. ISBN 978-1-6680-0847-8.
- ↑ "Clarkesworld Magazine - Science Fiction & Fantasy". Clarkesworld Magazine. Retrieved 2024-12-18.
- 1 2 "Ashing-Giwa Wins Compton Crook Award". Locus Online. 2024-04-16. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
- ↑ "The Splinter in the Sky". Kirkus Reviews.
- ↑ "The Splinter in the Sky by Kemi Ashing-Giwa". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
- ↑ "Splinter in the Sky, by Kemi Ashing-Giwa". Booklist Online.
- ↑ Hubbard, Laura (2023-07-10). "Book review of The Splinter in the Sky by Kemi Ashing-Giwa". BookPage. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
- ↑ "2023 Recommended Reading List". Locus Online. 2024-02-01. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
- ↑ "The 23 best debut novels so far in 2023 Archives". BookPage. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
- ↑ "Top 10 SF/Fantasy & Horror Debuts: 2023, by Susan Maguire". Booklist Online.
- ↑ BiblioLifestyle (2023-01-13). "The Best 2023 Science Fiction Fantasy Books". BiblioLifestyle. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
- ↑ "Best Books of the Month: Science Fiction & Fantasy @ Amazon.com". www.amazon.com. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
- ↑ "The best new science fiction books of July 2023". New Scientist. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
- ↑ Dixon, Delaina. "Required Reading: Colson Whitehead's Next Harlem-Centered Novel and Other Great Books To Read This July". Ebony. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
- ↑ Orlando, Christina (2023-07-19). "30 More SFF Titles to Look Forward to in 2023". Reactor. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
- ↑ Strand, Karla J. (2023-07-07). "July 2023 Reads for the Rest of Us". Ms. Magazine. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
- ↑ "PW Picks: Books of the Week, July 10, 2023". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
- ↑ "62 New Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror Books to Put on Your Radar for July". Gizmodo. 2023-06-30. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
- ↑ "Readers' 54 Most Anticipated Books of Summer". Goodreads. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
- ↑ "The Big Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Horror Books of Summer". Goodreads. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
- ↑ Zutter, Natalie (2023-01-04). "21 Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books to Look Forward to in 2023". Literary Hub. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
- ↑ "Kemi Ashing-Giwa's Sci-fi Debut The Splinter in the Sky is a Multicultural Space Opera". brittlepaper.com. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
- 1 2 Wagner, Wendy (2023-08-17). "Book Review: The Splinter in the Sky by Kemi Ashing-Giwa". Lightspeed Magazine. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
- ↑ Zutter, Natalie (2023-09-25). "Kemi Ashing-Giwa's The Splinter in the Sky Gets Under Your Skin in a Good Way". Reactor. Retrieved 2024-12-04.