Four lives are drawn together in a sweeping, panoramic new novel from Richard Powers, showcasing the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Overstory at the height of his skills.

Twelve-year-old Evie Beaulieu sinks to the bottom of a swimming pool in Montreal strapped to one of the world’s first aqualungs. Ina Aroita grows up on naval bases across the Pacific with art as her only home. Two polar opposites at an elite Chicago high school bond over a three-thousand-year-old board game; Rafi Young will get lost in literature, while Todd Keane’s work will lead to a startling AI breakthrough.

They meet on the history-scarred island of Makatea in French Polynesia, whose deposits of phosphorus once helped to feed the world. Now the tiny atoll has been chosen for humanity’s next adventure: a plan to send floating, autonomous cities out onto the open sea. But first, the island’s residents must vote to greenlight the project or turn the seasteaders away.

Set in the world’s largest ocean, this awe-filled book explores that last wild place we have yet to colonize in a still-unfolding oceanic game, and interweaves beautiful writing, rich characterization, profound themes of technology and the environment, and a deep exploration of our shared humanity in a way only Richard Powers can.

The Download was supposed to change the world. It was supposed to mean the end of aging, the end of death, the birth of a new humanity. But it wasn't supposed to happen to someone like Lia Kahn. And it wasn't supposed to ruin her life.

Lia knows she should be grateful she didn't die in the accident. The Download saved her—but it also changed her, forever. She can deal with being a freak. She can deal with the fear in her parents' eyes and the way her boyfriend flinches at her touch. But she can't deal with what she knows, deep down, every time she forces herself to look in the mirror: She's not the same person she used to be. Maybe she's not even a person at all.

Forced to the fringes of society, Lia joins others like her. They are looked at as freaks. They are hated...and feared. They are everything but human, and according to most people, this is the ultimate crime—for which they must pay the ultimate price.

Malevil is a gripping tale of survival and resilience. After a devastating nuclear holocaust ravages the Earth, a group of survivors find refuge in the depths of a castle in the south of France. This is not just a story of survival, but of the reconstruction of civilization itself. The survivors, led by Emmanuel Comte, transform the castle of Malevil into a beacon of hope and a new beginning.

The novel delves into various themes such as religion, politics, and the role of leadership in rebuilding society. It also explores the dynamics of a mini-community, highlighting the challenges and triumphs of starting anew in a world that has been reduced to ruins.

The narrative is a fascinating blend of post-apocalyptic fiction and robinsonade, where the characters must navigate the complexities of human nature and societal structures in their quest to rebuild what was lost. This is a story of hope, courage, and the indomitable spirit of humanity.