The Book of Strange New Things

"Michel Faber writes books you lug around — in your bag, in your head, in your conscience. The author of the giant Victorian novel The Crimson Petal And the White has bounded across genres in his new book, straight into fully realized science fiction. Peter, a Christian pastor, takes a missionary gig — introducing Jesus to the aliens of the planet Oasis. Trouble is, he is separated from his wife, Bea, for the first time and things are not going well on Earth, where he has left her. If you’re feeling bad about the state of the world — and if you’ve heard a newscast, you probably are — you should be warned that parts of this book are bleak, and the future isn’t just dark, it’s lonely. But like all the best books that dare to speculate about new, foreign lands — be they alien, human or animal — this one leaves you with a warmth and gratitude for what we’ve got in our own."

"Both books drew me in irresistibly, not least because they run contrary to type."