The Splinter in the Sky
2023 novel by Kemi Ashing-Giwa
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The Splinter in the Sky is the debut novel of American writer Kemi Ashing-Giwa. Written during her sophomore year at Harvard University when she was 19, the book was published by Saga Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, in July 2023, when she was 22.[1][2] It appeared on the USA Today Bestseller list and won the 2024 Compton Crook Award.[3]
| |
| Author | Kemi Ashing-Giwa |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Science fiction |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster |
| Publication date | July 11, 2023 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Pages | 350 |
| Award | Compton Crook Award (2024) |
| ISBN | 9781668008478 |
Reception
The Splinter in the Sky earned starred reviews from Kirkus,[4] Publishers Weekly,[5] Booklist,[6] and BookPage.[7] It won the 2024 Compton Crook Award[3] and appeared on the 2023 Locus Recommended Reading List alongside Ashing-Giwa's short story "Thin Ice" in Clarkesworld Magazine.[8]
The novel was highlighted as one of the best debuts of the year by BookPage[9] and Booklist,[10] and was named one of the best science fiction books of 2023 by BiblioLifestyle,[11] and of July by Amazon[12] and New Scientist.[13] It was further featured in Ebony,[14] Tor.com/Reactor,[15] Ms. Magazine,[16] Publishers Weekly,[17] Gizmodo,[18] Goodreads,[19][20] Literary Hub,[21] and Brittle Paper.[22][23]
Critic Aigner Loren Wilson, writing for Lightspeed Magazine, called the debut "intriguing and enthralling," highlighting the "cultural divides, setting, and bigotry in the world in a way that mimics... what marginalized people from colonized cultures in the real-world face."[23]
Natalie Zutter, writing for Reactor Magazine, wrote that Ashing-Giwa had discovered "inventive new ways to critique colonialism through a sci-fi lens, in a standalone novel that nonetheless has an eye toward a hopeful future." She concluded that readers will "find a profound message that will stick with you long after you're done."[24]