Earth is suffering the effects of overpopulation, disease, starvation and lack. When salvation comes, it comes in the form of an accident. The haan are an alien race whose ship crashed on our planet, killing millions. With them came advanced technology that proved to be just what was needed to improve food production and to begin to stem the tide of humanity’s march towards extinction. That technology comes at a price, for the haan need a significant portion of the area’s food supply to survive, and human existence depends on the survival of the haan.

Dragan Shao has been a model soldier, defending his nation’s resources by guarding the borders and dealing with the hunger-driven people who see the haan not as our saviors, but as parasites that need to be destroyed. Something has driven Dragan Shao to turn in his resignation, to return to civilian life. What that something is, even Dragan Shao is not sure of, but his return to Hangfei, in what would be the equivalent of future China, will find him examining those reasons as his former skill set thrusts him into the fray of what some citizens feel is necessary to survive.

Ember is a prequel novella to James K. Decker’s series which began with last year’s The Burn Zone and continues with this week’s release of Fallout. It is an exciting introduction to Decker’s imagined future Earth. I review it in more detail, while remaining spoiler free, over on SF Signal. Please join me over there where I do my best to convince you that this is one you’ll want to pick up.