Rites of Passage

Rites of Passage gathers four long stories, one of which is original to the collection. ?Bartholomew Burns and the Brain Invaders? features a Victorian London facing the threat of alien invasion and the mysterious ?Guardian? who saves the day. ?Guardians of the Phoenix? is set in a near-future, post-apocalyptic world where water is in short supply and roaming bands will do anything to obtain it, while ?Sunworld? is about a strange world where the sun is fixed eternally overhead and Yarrek Merwell makes a discovery that will change everything. The longest story in the collection, ?Beneath the Ancient Sun? has never appeared before and is set on a far-future Earth where giant crabs and a swollen sun threaten humanity?s very existence.

Eric Brown?s stories combine memorable characters, fascinating settings, and a passionate concern for story-telling that has made this BSFA award-winning author one of the leaders of the field.


?Brown sketches a complex world full of bitter idealists and fantastic landscapes where nothing is as it seems? Publishers Weekly

?Eric Brown spins a terrific yarn? SFX

?This is the rediscovery of wonder? Stephen Baxter on Helix

?SF suffused with a cosmopolitan and literary sensibility? Paul McAuley

?Brown?s spectacular creativity creates a constantly compelling read? Kirkus Book Reviews