Ymir

By: Rich Larson

Narrated by: Alan Medcroft

A gripping, far-future retelling of Beowulf from an award-winning author, perfect for fans of Richard K. Morgan. Yorick never wanted to see his homeworld again. He left Ymir two decades ago, with half his face blown off and no love lost for the place. But when his employer's mines are threatened by a vicious alien machine, Yorick is shipped back home to hunt it.

All he wants is to do his job and get out. Instead, Yorick is pulled into a revolution brewing beneath Ymir's frozen surface, led by the very last person he wanted to see again—the brother who sent him off in pieces twenty years ago.

Critic reviews

“An astonishing SF thriller with whiplash surprises and an ending that resonates…Ymir gets all over you and won’t come off.”—James Patrick Kelly, winner of the Hugo, Nebula and Locus awards

“Larson is a writer who can do just about anything, and in his second novel he splices Iain M. Banks with Alastair Reynolds…This is brain-busting sci-fi for the hardcore crowd.”—Nick Wolven, author of "Snowflake"

“Original, unpredictable, and starkly beautiful. A screaming dirge of a story.”—Ted Kosmatka, author of The Flicker Men

“Cyberpunk as fuck…I loved every gritty, punishing page of it.”—Tim Miller, director of LOVE DEATH + ROBOTS and Deadpool

“Endlessly inventive, richly textured, and pricked with poignant beauty. If Alien met Neuromancer, and the mutant progeny was birthed in the amniotic fluid of pure myth, Ymir would be the result.”—Alvaro Zinos-Amaro, Hugo and Locus finalist

"[Ymir] hurtles forward at dizzying speeds on an engine of jagged gorgeous writing. I adored Yorick, with his broken heart and his bad attitude and worse decisions...I ached with every twist and turn of his hideous beautiful journey."
-Sam J Miller, Nebula-award-winning author of Blackfish City—Sam J. Miller, Nebula award-winning author of Blackfish City

"Phenomenal, visceral, high-octane scifi... Altered Carbon unsleeves in a dystopian Beowulf."—Derek Künsken, Aurora-award-winning author of The Quantum Magician

“Icy, dangerous, yet darkly hopeful. An exhilarating journey that left me awed.”—Hugo finalist Sheree Renée Thomas, author of Nine Bar Blues: Stories from an Ancient Future

“Sci-fi thriller at its ice-cold coolest... Propulsive, terrifying, and human.”—Tamsyn Muir, New York Times best-selling author of the Locked Tomb series

Best piece of writing I've read in years

Rich Larson's world and character creation is unparalleled. This isn't an old, recycled, worn out story; it's full of excitement and intrigue the whole way through. If you like Black Mirror, Love Death & Robots, or are just into incredible, fresh sci-fi you've GOT to give this a try. I couldn't put it down even if I wanted to.

pretty well done

I was sceptical walking into this. I was proven wrong. while not flawless, this was good world building, good character building and a solid story

Outstanding, in every way 

Wow, just wow. This is the best gritty cyberpunk I’ve read maybe ever. Felt so fresh and new even though it has that classic cyberpunk feel. And the reading was outstanding. I wish so much that this narrator has done more science-fiction and fantasy! I hope he will do more Soon. Strong recommend. 

Ymir

I have been in a book slump for 6 months. Ymir has been one of the few books that I have managed to finish. I don't regret the purchase and will listen to it again someday.

A boring listen

Not sure why this was recommended as sci fi, it’s just a tiresome listen and credit could be used better on another title