A Half-Built Garden

By: Ruthanna Emrys

Narrated by: Kate Handford

A literary descendent of Ursula K. Le Guin, Ruthanna Emrys crafts a novel of extraterrestrial diplomacy and urgent climate repair bursting with quiet, tenuous hope and an underlying warmth. A Half-Built Garden depicts a world worth building towards, a humanity worth saving from itself, and an alien community worth entering with open arms. It's not the easiest future to build, but it's one that just might be in reach.

On a warm March night in 2083, Judy Wallach-Stevens wakes to a warning of unknown pollutants in the Chesapeake Bay. She heads out to check what she expects to be a false alarm—and stumbles upon the first alien visitors to Earth. These aliens have crossed the galaxy to save humanity, convinced that the people of Earth must leave their ecologically-ravaged planet behind and join them among the stars. And if humanity doesn't agree, they may need to be saved by force.

But the watershed networks that rose up to save the planet from corporate devastation aren't ready to give up on Earth. Decades ago, they reorganized humanity around the hope of keeping the world livable. By sharing the burden of decision-making, they've started to heal our wounded planet.

Now corporations, nation-states, and networks all vie to represent humanity to these powerful new beings, and if anyone accepts the aliens' offer, Earth may be lost. With everyone’s eyes turned skyward, the future hinges on Judy's effort to create understanding, both within and beyond her own species.

A Macmillan Audio production from Tor Books.

©2022 Ruthanna Emrys (P)2022 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“This complex, complicated, gorgeous musing on the future of humanity and the power of connection, the things we owe to each other and the essential strength of consensus, deserves to be the first contact novel that defines a generation.”—Seanan McGuire

“A fascinatingly rich and original vision of our future world, explored at a moment of crisis; a vitally important exploration of the meaning of family and community; and a refraction of today's conundrums through a fresh interpretation of first contact.”—Malka Older

“Emrys’ fast-paced and fun story paints a picture of a future that’s imaginable within our lifetimes. Hers is a unique and ultimately hopeful vision of the world we might bequeath to our grandchildren.”—Karl Schroeder

Truly Fantastic

I loved this book so much. It did everything that I could want from a sci-fi: it had a compelling character-driven story, it presented fascinating new ideas, it helped me to see our world in a new light. I simply cannot recommend this book strongly enough!

Wonderfully reimagined first contact

Ruthanna Emrys doesn't turn away from the hard things. This book is beautiful and hopeful, and highlights fears of what we are doing to each other and the planet right now. I would be so thrilled with this version of first contact.

delightful

A bit repetitive at times, but a delightful fantasy. I kept anticipating big plot twists that didn't come in the ways I expected. It's a straightforward story but still very enjoyable.

it is about the search for connection

This book deserves better than whatever I can write about it. it is apocalyptic and hopeful and despairing often at the same time and I loved every moment of it. This is the most important book I've read in a long time and I cannot emphasize that enough.

Extraordinary speculative fiction

Like nothing else I’ve ever read. A space opera set on earth. A future that is both dystopian and full of hope and wonder. A fantastic vision of where we could be headed societally and universally. Even the areas where suspension of disbelief are required are done artistically. Super interesting futuristic imagination.