A hard sci-fi exploration of transhumanism, sentience, and the biological traps that shape collective failure - perfect for fans of Delta-V, The Expanse, and Don't Look Up.

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First contact was nothing like we imagined.

Can the aliens save Earth? Should they?

With the Earth teetering on recovery from humanity's 21st century mistakes, two highly advanced aliens observing from the Moon are suddenly on opposite sides of an ethical battle over a dire cosmic threat.

As governments seek to destroy them, the aliens wrestle and scheme, entangling all of humanity as they influence and empower specific humans to achieve their contrary objectives.

Among them are a brilliant AI expert who has channeled her autism in the service of science, and a violent, anti-secular zealot who hates everything she stands for.

Drawn into the conflict, Laurence and Matt must reach minimum safe distance from human nature itself - their own, the rest of humanity's, and of the former-human, techno-demon 'monstas'.

Chased into the ruins of the US, they struggle to distill the meaning of personhood, discover the value of their own lives, and in so doing decide the fate of the solar system.

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FIRST-PLACE WINNER, International Firebird Book Awards, Literary Fiction category, Q3 2025

FINALIST, The Wishing Shelf Book Awards 2023

FINALIST, Colorado Authors League Book Awards 2024

"Our Verdict: GET IT" -- Kirkus Reviews

9/10 -- Booklife Prize 2024

4/5 -- Foreword/Clarion

5/5 -- Readers' Favorite

5/5 -- The Wishing Shelf

"There is a lot to like here" -- blueInk Review

Debut novel!

About the Author

X. Ho Yen is an autistic, mixed genetics aerospace engineer ( 30 yrs) who now writes inclusive, irreverent, hopepunk, literary sci fi. He does not write tropey sci fi.His pen name is essentially his Cantonese grandfather's name. Genetically, he is half East Prussian, quarter Cuban, quarter Chinese.Full list of Lauds with links: XHoYenAuthor.com/laudsInterviews at XHoYenAuthor.com/mediaBoth of his released novels ("Minimum Safe Distance" and "Custodians of the Future") are carried in Arapahoe Library System, Biblioboard, and CO State Library Book Club Resource.CotF is the stylistic opposite of MSD. X. Ho Yen is not a one trick pony. He's always working to improve and have creative fun with novel structure.His third book, "Space Autistic Author's Puzzling Innerverse" (Nov 2024), is not a novel. It's an immersive, educational brain tasks book promoting emotional health and critical thinking.Keep in touch at XHoYenAuthor.com.

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**Please note our transit times are from the date of dispatch.** We first started out as ?The Paperback Exchange,? a chain of physical bookstores where we would part exchange your beloved books for new stories to transport you to faraway places. However, as shopping started to evolve to online shops and marketplaces, we bid our stores goodbye to become ?PBShop.? This transition has only allowed us to blossom as we now ship thousands of titles to book lovers across the globe. We pride ourselves in being a community of local book lovers which allows our passion and devotion to shine in everything we do. In 2020 we not only celebrated our 20th birthday but our 1st birthday as being completely employee owned after becoming an E.O.T in September 2019. We are proud to be different and embrace standing apart on a book mountain by working from a virtual inventory which allows us to provide thousands of books that may be difficult to get for your bookshelf or your studies. Working with a number of different suppliers allows us to explore other avenues such as puzzles, sheet music and even stationery so we really do have something for everyone. Life is about being versatile in all realms of existence. If this is your first purchase with us, or you are a returning customer, we would like to welcome you to the PBShop family, for there is no friend as loyal as a book. We are a company who put our customers at the centre of everything we do as we understand the importance of reading because once you learn to read, you will forever be free. There are a whole lot of things in this world of ours that we are yet to explore, which is why we will forever inspire curious minds.

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We ask all customers to contact us for authorisation should they wish to return their order. Orders returned without authorisation may not be credited.
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You shall send back the goods or hand them over to PBShop.store UK, Fairford, United Kingdom, +44 1285 712917, without undue delay and in any event not later than 14 days from the day on which you communicate your withdrawal from this contract to us. The deadline is met if you send back the goods before the period of 14 days has expired. You will have to bear the direct cost of returning the goods. You are only liable for any diminished value of the goods resulting from the handling other than what is necessary to establish the nature, characteristics and functioning of the goods.

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Shipping rates from United Kingdom to U.S.A.
Order quantity	10 to 20 business days	10 to 20 business days
First item	� 5.02	� 5.02

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