“Neal Stephenson’s enthralling new novel, Polostan, drops readers into a bloody, inspiring, conflict-ridden, and pivotal period of the early 20^th century. . . With its flair for characterization, precision of language, witty apercus, and fecundity of events, the novel delivers what we’ve come to expect from the author of such fantastical classics as The Diamond Age, Snow Crash, and Cryptonomicon." — Washington Post

“Stephenson is a writer of exuberant prose who revels in embracing big ideas.” — New York Times

“The work is deeply convincing, from polo playing out West to a meeting of varied officials in Russia that is so engrossing in the subtle dynamics at play (despite being a scene of only minor importance) that I’m reminded of John Le Carré. . . Wildly, almost shamelessly entertaining.” — Parade

“The first installment in Stephenson’s historical epic paints an engrossing picture of the United States during the Great Depression, the Soviet Union in its tumultuous and violent early years, and the looming threat of the technological advancements that will soon lead to the atomic bomb and the space race. . . . A deeply immersive historical epic.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Polostan is by far the most engaging book I have read this year. . . . Stephenson has said that his superpower is writing novels and he may well be right." — Book and Film Globe

“Stephenson is one of speculative fiction’s most meticulous architects. . . .Termination Shock manages to pull off a rare trick, at once wildly imaginative and grounded.” — New York Times Book Review

“With meticulously rendered action scenes, surprising plot twists, relatable, off-kilter characters and charming dialogue, [Stephenson's] books are page-turners. His latest proves no exception . . . Termination Shock deals brilliantly and innovatively with our era’s most pressing existential matter—while delivering stratospheric gigatons of carefully engineered delight.” — Washington Post

“This book is the rare climate thriller that’s realistic about political stonewalling in the face of disaster yet unafraid to imagine a possible future where people might actually come together and try to save civilization. The kind of climate-change fiction we all need.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) on Termination Shock

“The novel is classic Stephenson: fiercely intelligent, weird, darkly witty, and boldly speculative. . . . Stephenson has become one of the most revered science fiction writers of his time.”  — Publishers Weekly on Termination Shock

“Neal Stephenson has never been afraid of engaging with big ideas within genre forms, and Termination Shock might be his most visionary, and timely, book yet.” — Chicago Review of Books

“Stephenson is a towering talent whose discursive writing style meshes smoothly with the complexity of this plot and its characters.” — Library Journal

What would happen if the world were ending?

A catastrophic event renders the earth a ticking time bomb. In a feverish race against the inevitable, nations around the globe band together to devise an ambitious plan to ensure the survival of humanity far beyond our atmosphere, in outer space.

But the complexities and unpredictability of human nature coupled with unforeseen challenges and dangers threaten the intrepid pioneers, until only a handful of survivors remain. . . . Five thousand years later, their progeny—seven distinct races now three billion strong—embark on yet another audacious journey into the unknown . . . to an alien world utterly transformed by cataclysm and time: Earth.

A writer of dazzling genius and imaginative vision, Neal Stephenson combines science, philosophy, technology, psychology, and literature in a magnificent work of speculative fiction that offers a portrait of a future that is both extraordinary and eerily recognizable. As he did in Anathem, Cryptonomicon, the Baroque Cycle, and Reamde, Stephenson explores some of our biggest ideas and perplexing challenges in a breathtaking saga that is daring, engrossing, and altogether brilliant.