The Scent of Tears
For the first time in print, Adrian Tchaikovsky has opened up the realm of the Apt, as featured in his best-selling Shadow of the Apt decalogy, to a carefully selected cast of fellow writers, inviting them to do their best and their worst within the world he has created.
They have done just that. Topped and tailed by two new stories form Adrian himself, some of the finest imaginations in fantasy, including winners of the David Gemmell Award, the Costa Book Award and British Fantasy Award, have combined to produce a stunning collection of tales that examine fresh aspects of the Apt world and its people.
Contents:
Old Blood – Adrian Tchaikovsky
The Scent of Tears – Keris McDonald
Wonder – Frances Hardinge
The Promise of a Threat – David Tallerman
The Unforeseen Path – Juliet E. McKenna
The Message – John Gwynne
The Mantis Way – Peter Newman
Poor Little Earwig Girl – Tom Lloyd
Forwards, Up, Back, Down – Joff Leader
Recipes for Good Living – Justina Robson
God of Profound Things – Adrian Tchaikovsky
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Adrian Tchaikovsky
In the realm of speculative fiction, where the boundaries between science and imagination blur, Adrian Tchaikovsky writes with the precision of a biologist and the curiosity of a philosopher. Known for weaving evolutionary theory into alien worlds and giving sentience to the most unexpected of creatures, he crafts stories that challenge not just what it means to be human—but what it means to be alive.
Tchaikovsky’s breakout novel, Children of Time, didn’t just introduce readers to a distant planet populated by hyper-intelligent spiders—it redefined what readers expect from space opera. Bold, cerebral, and emotionally resonant, the book went on to win the Arthur C. Clarke Award, with its sequel Children of Ruin deepening the saga’s exploration of consciousness, cooperation, and survival. In 2023, the Children of Time series earned the Hugo Award for Best Series, a fitting recognition for stories that dare to look evolution in the eye and ask: what if?
Tales of the Apt
Tales of the Apt consists of four books. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
Main series Shadows of the Apt
