Vagabonds

AD 2201: Earth and the colonies of Mars attempt a reconciliation after a century-long Cold War. Can two mutually antagonistic cultures forget the past and embrace the future?

Can the void between two worlds be bridged?
AD2201. Just over a century ago, the Martian colonies declared their independence. After a brief conflict, Earth and Mars cut ties, carving separate trajectories into the future, viewing each other with suspicion and even hatred. Five years ago, a group of Martian students were sent to Earth as goodwill ambassadors from the Red Planet. Now the young men and women are coming home, escorting a delegation of prominent Terrans to see if the two worlds can bridge the void that has opened up between them.

Almost immediately, negotiations break down and old enmities erupt.

How do you escape the gravity of the past?
Luoying, one of the returning Martians, is caught amidst the political intrigue and philosophical warfare. Martians and Terrans, old friends and new mentors, statesmen and revolutionaries – everything and everyone challenges her, pushing her to declare her allegiance. Torn between her native land and the world on which she came of age, Luoying must discover the truth amid a web of lies spun by both sides, she must chart a course between history and the future, or face the destruction of everything she's ever loved.

Short-listed for Arthur C. Clarke Award 2021 (UK)

“'Quietly provocative ... A handsome, thorough and measured story' Tor.com on Folding Beijing .”

Hugo Award-winner Jingfang's cerebral, futuristic debut explores the interplay between societal values and individual dreams in crisp, gorgeous prose... Fans of literary science fiction will relish this challenging tale' Publishers Weekly
A thoughtful debut with ample scope for reader engagement Kirkus Reviews
[A] masterful narrative. Highly recommended for fans of Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars trilogy or readers who enjoy sf with a focus on social and political themes Booklist
A long, generous, and often quite graceful novel... Jingfang's ambitious novel [...] represents a significant new voice in world SF' Locus Magazine
Luoying holds the keys to peace between the planets, but the author, an economist based in Beijing, is more interested in the subtleties of her journey than in her arrival, offering up a long, satisfying meditation on political and creative freedom. Vagabonds juxtaposes Earth's capitalist free-for-all with Mars's centralised, authoritarian high-mindedness The Times
In a leisurely, discursive narrative Hao spins a fascinating and even-handed examination of two very different possible futures Guardian
[A] spellbinding novel Asia House

Ken Liu is the winner of the Nebula, Hugo, Locus, World Fantasy, Sidewise, and Science Fiction & Fantasy Translation Awards. He is the author of The Grace of Kings and The Wall of Storms, in his epic series The Dandelion Dynasty. He is also the translator of Cixin Liu's Hugo-winning and Nebula-nominated The Three-Body Problem.

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