← All books
All The Birds In The Sky
by Charlie Jane Anders · 2017
Buy on Amazon
An ancient society of witches and a hipster technological startup go war as the world from tearing itself. To further complicate things, each of the groups’ most promising followers (Patricia, a brilliant witch and Laurence, an engineering “wunderkind”) may just be in love with each other. As the battle between magic and science wages in San Francisco against the backdrop of international chaos, Laurence and Patricia are forced to choose sides. But their choices will determine the fate of the planet and all mankind. In a fashion unique to Charlie Jane Anders, All the Birds in the Sky offers a humorous and, at times, heart-breaking exploration of growing up extraordinary in world filled with cruelty, scientific ingenuity, and magic.
Recommended by
"There aren’t any swords or lasers in Charlie Jane Anders’ All the Birds in the Sky — instead, it mixes science fiction and fantasy in a profound alchemy. The love story of a young, bird-communing witch and a young, time-traveling scientist, Birds sensitively raises some of the philosophical issues the human race faces as it ventures further into the future. The book is as full of quirkiness and playful detail as it is packed with overwhelming depth and poignancy — but more than that, it’s a laser sword straight to the heart."
"Yes – Anders plays with the trope very explicitly. There are two children: one can (frustratingly infrequently!) speak to animals. One is a scientific genius. The two are on course to represent fantasy and sci fi archetypes, and – according to a vision seen by a morose and largely inept assassin – eventually destroy the world. This book is so much fun. From the moment Patricia, our witch, talks to a bird who introduces himself as Dirrpidirrpiwheepalong, you know you are in the hands of a capable entertainer. It’s pacy, it’s unpredictable, it’s inventive. And it is very playful about the tropes of nature and magic going hand in hand – very intelligently playful, questioning this separation of ‘nature’ as its own other realm. Yes! The next fantasy winner was in 2022, for the Nebula."