Metal from Heaven
August Clarke
(Author)
21,000+ Reviews
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Description
For fans of The Princess Bride and Gideon the Ninth: a bloody lesbian revenge tale and political fantasy set in a glittering world transformed by industrial change – and simmering class warfare.
He who controls ichorite controls the world.
A malleable metal more durable than steel, ichorite is a toxic natural resource fueling national growth, and ambitious industrialist Yann Chauncey helms production of this miraculous ore. Working his foundry is an underclass of destitute workers, struggling to get better wages and proper medical treatment for those exposed to ichorite’s debilitating effects since birth.
One of those luster-touched victims, the child worker Marney Honeycutt, is picketing with her family and best friend when a bloody tragedy unfolds. Chauncey’s strikebreakers open fire.
Only Marney survives.
A decade later, as Yann Chauncey searches for a suitable political marriage for his ward, Marney sees the perfect opportunity for revenge. With the help of radical bandits and their stolen wealth, she must masquerade as an aristocrat to win over the calculating Gossamer Chauncey and kill the man who slaughtered her family and friends. But she is not the only suitor after Lady Gossamer’s hand, leading her to play twisted elitist games of intrigue. And Marney’s luster-touched connection to the mysterious resource and its foundry might put her in grave danger – or save her from it.
H. A. Clarke’s adult fantasy debut, writing as August Clarke, Metal From Heaven is a caustic, dizzying eco-fantasy that addresses labor politics, corporate greed, and the relentless grind of capitalism, while also embodying a visceral lesbian revenge quest against the people and institutions who control and oppress the helpless.
"A riotous phantasmagoria that epitomizes the phrase 'be gay, do crime.'" - Melinda Borie, Collection Development Librarian, Floyd County Library (New Albany, IN)
He who controls ichorite controls the world.
A malleable metal more durable than steel, ichorite is a toxic natural resource fueling national growth, and ambitious industrialist Yann Chauncey helms production of this miraculous ore. Working his foundry is an underclass of destitute workers, struggling to get better wages and proper medical treatment for those exposed to ichorite’s debilitating effects since birth.
One of those luster-touched victims, the child worker Marney Honeycutt, is picketing with her family and best friend when a bloody tragedy unfolds. Chauncey’s strikebreakers open fire.
Only Marney survives.
A decade later, as Yann Chauncey searches for a suitable political marriage for his ward, Marney sees the perfect opportunity for revenge. With the help of radical bandits and their stolen wealth, she must masquerade as an aristocrat to win over the calculating Gossamer Chauncey and kill the man who slaughtered her family and friends. But she is not the only suitor after Lady Gossamer’s hand, leading her to play twisted elitist games of intrigue. And Marney’s luster-touched connection to the mysterious resource and its foundry might put her in grave danger – or save her from it.
H. A. Clarke’s adult fantasy debut, writing as August Clarke, Metal From Heaven is a caustic, dizzying eco-fantasy that addresses labor politics, corporate greed, and the relentless grind of capitalism, while also embodying a visceral lesbian revenge quest against the people and institutions who control and oppress the helpless.
"A riotous phantasmagoria that epitomizes the phrase 'be gay, do crime.'" - Melinda Borie, Collection Development Librarian, Floyd County Library (New Albany, IN)
Product Details
| Publisher | Erewhon Books |
| Publish Date | October 22, 2024 |
| Pages | 448 |
| Language | English |
| Type |  Hardback |
| EAN/UPC | 9781645660989 |
| Dimensions | 8.5 X 5.8 X 1.4 inches | 1.1 pounds |
About the Author
August Clarke is here and queer, etc. They have been published in PRISM international, Portland Review, and Eidolon. He was a 2019 Lambda Literary Fellow in Young Adult Fiction and a Locus Award, Dragon Award, and Pushcart nominee. They researched queerness, labor, and monstrosity at the University of Chicago. He is the author of the indie-bestselling series The Scapegracers, which he writes as H. A. Clarke.
Reviews
Praise for Metal From Heaven
“Metal from Heaven is a work of feral and furious imagination. It's pulpy, bloody, sexy, gleefully seditious and seditiously gleeful. It's a battle cry of a book; read it, and rise up.” —Alix E. Harrow, Hugo Award winner and New York Times bestselling author of Reese's Book Club Pick Starling House
“Rich with lush prose, Metal from Heaven is a murderously good tale of highway robbery and sapphic revenge, that tackles important issues head on, and hits with a powerful ending that will stay with you long after the book is closed.” —C.S. Pacat, New York Times Bestselling author of Dark Rise
“Metal from Heaven is a delirious shout, furious and grief-stricken and staggeringly beautiful. Clarke's voice is inimitable, shines hot and sharp in this historically-inflected fantasy about labor, anarchy, and highwaywomen. If you loved The Scapegracers, you'll love this even more.” —Amal El-Mohtar, New York Times bestselling co-author of This Is How You Lose the Time War
“August Clarke is one of the most electrifying voices in genre fiction today. In Metal from Heaven, the volume is turned all the way up. This one will blow your hair back.” —Sarah Gailey, Hugo Award winner and bestselling author of The Echo Wife
“I know comfort books are in, and yes, they have their place, but there's nothing quite like reading something dangerous. Something rich with ideas, something challenging, something transgressive, and revelatory, something that feels like it's pushing the genre forward, something punk in the true meaning of the word, something that truly does not give a f**k what you think of it. This is that book. Metal from Heaven is a thunderous, visceral, Sapphic fever dream of a book, thick with religion, myth, and revolutionary ideologies. The prose seduces, the worldbuilding astounds, and the heart bleeds pure. This one goes on my best of 2024 lists for sure.” —Rebecca Roanhorse, New York Times Bestselling and LAMBDA Literary Award nominated author of Black Sun
“An ambitious, ferocious, sex driven fever dream. Clarke’s prose is ornate, enveloping, radiant.” — Megan Whalen Turner, NY Times Best Selling Author, Thick As Thieves
“A sprawling, glorious, ichor-bright story that reads as both an ancient legend and an anti-capitalist howl of rage. Clarke’s hope for a better world spills out onto every page. You’re going to love this one.” —Andrew Joseph White, NY Times bestselling author of Hell Followed With Us and The Spirit Bares Its Teeth
“Surprising absolutely no one, Metal from Heaven is such an excellent book. I adored every heartbreak moment of Metal from Heaven. It’s a bitter triumph with an oil-slick beauty. This one’s for the dykes. It hits a lot of tender spots, beautifully done. If you trust me, read this book.” —C. L Clark, author of The Unbroken and The Faithless
“Delicious, chaotic, and whip smart, Metal from Heaven will leave you with the burning urge to rise up and revolt against tyranny. What starts as a swashbuckling tale of horny, queer outlaws blooms into a mediation on otherworldly geopolitics and consciousness itself. August Clarke has written a freakishly original novel and I love it.” —Annalee Newitz, author of The Terraformers and Stories Are Weapons
“Hits like a piston, loves like an outlaw, and thinks like China Mieville. Made me want to cry, left me feeling like a giant. I read this book and I must shout.” —Seth Dickinson, author of The Traitor Baru Cormorant
“This is industrial fantasy like you've never read before. With prose that drips like honey and burns like a forge, Metal from Heaven is all hungry revenge, human tenderness, and bloody political intrigue. August Clarke does something new here, and I can't wait for more!” —Bethany Jacobs, Philip K. Dick award-winning author of These Burning Stars
“Drenched in sex, blood, and hot pink ichorite, Metal from Heaven is a high-octane revenge story that doubles as a rallying cry for a better future. It's the chant of a picket line, the glory of a highway robbery, the heat of a lover's flesh. Clarke shoves you headfirst into unapologetic dykery as praxis, and it's worth every battle scar.” —Lauren Ring, World Fantasy Award winner and Nebula finalist
“A queer, bloody love letter to rebellion that’ll stick like a knife in your heart. At turns tender and violent, humming with tension, Metal from Heaven is immersive, rich, and an absolute joy to read.“ —Nino Cipri, Hugo Award-nominated author of Finna and Homesick
“Metal from Heaven is a book you sink into like molasses, like the ichorite so revered and reviled in its pages. More than revenge, this is a love story—for the pasts that shape us, for the communities who nurture us, and for futures we might not live to see. Vivid, visceral, vicious: August Clarke takes no prisoners.” —Naseem Jamnia, Crawford-, Locus-, Astounding-, and World Fantasy-nominated author of The Bruising of Qilwa
“Metal From Heaven goes down gritty and gets stuck between your teeth. Come in for the glorious, breakneck, fuck-you-Fordism dyke revenge story and don’t be surprised when Clarke handily devastates you as the dust settles.“ —Em X. Liu, author of The Death I Gave Him
“A poignant and visceral tale of blood-soaked revenge, set in a harsh eco-fantasy world that feels lived-in and textured. August Clarke masterfully combines murderous thrills and political intrigue so that both elements hit you like a hammer made of ichorite right to the face.” —Trevor Henderson, author of Scarewaves, creator of Siren Head
“Metal from Heaven is a work of feral and furious imagination. It's pulpy, bloody, sexy, gleefully seditious and seditiously gleeful. It's a battle cry of a book; read it, and rise up.” —Alix E. Harrow, Hugo Award winner and New York Times bestselling author of Reese's Book Club Pick Starling House
“Rich with lush prose, Metal from Heaven is a murderously good tale of highway robbery and sapphic revenge, that tackles important issues head on, and hits with a powerful ending that will stay with you long after the book is closed.” —C.S. Pacat, New York Times Bestselling author of Dark Rise
“Metal from Heaven is a delirious shout, furious and grief-stricken and staggeringly beautiful. Clarke's voice is inimitable, shines hot and sharp in this historically-inflected fantasy about labor, anarchy, and highwaywomen. If you loved The Scapegracers, you'll love this even more.” —Amal El-Mohtar, New York Times bestselling co-author of This Is How You Lose the Time War
“August Clarke is one of the most electrifying voices in genre fiction today. In Metal from Heaven, the volume is turned all the way up. This one will blow your hair back.” —Sarah Gailey, Hugo Award winner and bestselling author of The Echo Wife
“I know comfort books are in, and yes, they have their place, but there's nothing quite like reading something dangerous. Something rich with ideas, something challenging, something transgressive, and revelatory, something that feels like it's pushing the genre forward, something punk in the true meaning of the word, something that truly does not give a f**k what you think of it. This is that book. Metal from Heaven is a thunderous, visceral, Sapphic fever dream of a book, thick with religion, myth, and revolutionary ideologies. The prose seduces, the worldbuilding astounds, and the heart bleeds pure. This one goes on my best of 2024 lists for sure.” —Rebecca Roanhorse, New York Times Bestselling and LAMBDA Literary Award nominated author of Black Sun
“An ambitious, ferocious, sex driven fever dream. Clarke’s prose is ornate, enveloping, radiant.” — Megan Whalen Turner, NY Times Best Selling Author, Thick As Thieves
“A sprawling, glorious, ichor-bright story that reads as both an ancient legend and an anti-capitalist howl of rage. Clarke’s hope for a better world spills out onto every page. You’re going to love this one.” —Andrew Joseph White, NY Times bestselling author of Hell Followed With Us and The Spirit Bares Its Teeth
“Surprising absolutely no one, Metal from Heaven is such an excellent book. I adored every heartbreak moment of Metal from Heaven. It’s a bitter triumph with an oil-slick beauty. This one’s for the dykes. It hits a lot of tender spots, beautifully done. If you trust me, read this book.” —C. L Clark, author of The Unbroken and The Faithless
“Delicious, chaotic, and whip smart, Metal from Heaven will leave you with the burning urge to rise up and revolt against tyranny. What starts as a swashbuckling tale of horny, queer outlaws blooms into a mediation on otherworldly geopolitics and consciousness itself. August Clarke has written a freakishly original novel and I love it.” —Annalee Newitz, author of The Terraformers and Stories Are Weapons
“Hits like a piston, loves like an outlaw, and thinks like China Mieville. Made me want to cry, left me feeling like a giant. I read this book and I must shout.” —Seth Dickinson, author of The Traitor Baru Cormorant
“This is industrial fantasy like you've never read before. With prose that drips like honey and burns like a forge, Metal from Heaven is all hungry revenge, human tenderness, and bloody political intrigue. August Clarke does something new here, and I can't wait for more!” —Bethany Jacobs, Philip K. Dick award-winning author of These Burning Stars
“Drenched in sex, blood, and hot pink ichorite, Metal from Heaven is a high-octane revenge story that doubles as a rallying cry for a better future. It's the chant of a picket line, the glory of a highway robbery, the heat of a lover's flesh. Clarke shoves you headfirst into unapologetic dykery as praxis, and it's worth every battle scar.” —Lauren Ring, World Fantasy Award winner and Nebula finalist
“A queer, bloody love letter to rebellion that’ll stick like a knife in your heart. At turns tender and violent, humming with tension, Metal from Heaven is immersive, rich, and an absolute joy to read.“ —Nino Cipri, Hugo Award-nominated author of Finna and Homesick
“Metal from Heaven is a book you sink into like molasses, like the ichorite so revered and reviled in its pages. More than revenge, this is a love story—for the pasts that shape us, for the communities who nurture us, and for futures we might not live to see. Vivid, visceral, vicious: August Clarke takes no prisoners.” —Naseem Jamnia, Crawford-, Locus-, Astounding-, and World Fantasy-nominated author of The Bruising of Qilwa
“Metal From Heaven goes down gritty and gets stuck between your teeth. Come in for the glorious, breakneck, fuck-you-Fordism dyke revenge story and don’t be surprised when Clarke handily devastates you as the dust settles.“ —Em X. Liu, author of The Death I Gave Him
“A poignant and visceral tale of blood-soaked revenge, set in a harsh eco-fantasy world that feels lived-in and textured. August Clarke masterfully combines murderous thrills and political intrigue so that both elements hit you like a hammer made of ichorite right to the face.” —Trevor Henderson, author of Scarewaves, creator of Siren Head
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