S. Z. ATTWELL
Science Fiction Author
AESTUS | Sci-fi dystopian
An underground city, built centuries ago to ride out the devastating heat. A society under attack. And a young solar engineer whose skills may be the key to saving her city…if she doesn’t get herself killed first.
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“…at the level of Frank Herbert’s Dune.”
– IHeartSci-Fi
“…nothing short of brilliant.”
– C. J. Shane
“…has the makings of a viral sensation.”
– Ian the Reader, SPSFC2 judge
“…masterful…on par with the best in the genre.”
– A. R. Saida
“…flat out one of the best science fiction novels I’ve read in recent years….S.Z. Atwell is a gifted writer who knows how to maintain suspense as well as anyone writing today….”
– C. Dorman, science fiction writer
“One of the best books I’ve ever read.”
– The Very Bookish
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When Jossey was ten, the creatures of the aboveground took her brother and left her for dead, with horrible scars. Now, years later, she’s a successful solar engineer, working to keep her underground city’s power running, but she’s never really recovered. After she saves dozens of people during a second attack, she is offered a top-secret assignment as a field Engineer with Patrol, but fear prevents her from taking it…until Patrol finds bones near where her brother disappeared.
She signs on and finds herself catapulted into a world that is far more dangerous, and requires far more of her, than she ever imagined. The creatures and the burning heat aboveground are not the only threats facing the City, and what she learns during her assignment could cost her her life: one of the greatest threats to the City may in fact lie within. With thousands of lives at stake, can she act in time?
Aestus is an adult dystopian science-fiction series set centuries after climate change has ravaged much of Earth. An epic story of vengeance, power, shifting loyalties, and survival that looks at just how far people will go to protect what they love, brought to you by science writer S.Z. Attwell, Aestus paints a picture of a world in which far too little has changed.
Read an excerpt| Click here to read more reviews
Aestus Book 1: The City
Aestus Book 2: The Colony [Warning: Book 1 spoilers]
Blog and news/events
Blog | S.Z. Attwell
Book Ads | A Guide
I really enjoy making my own book ads for social media. I realize this is not the case for everyone, but there are some concepts that can make it easier. I thought I’d share some of my thoughts on design/my tips and tricks (some of which may be pretty obvious, but that’s fine – fundamental…
Short story: Thompson, Ellis, and Patrol
A side fic from the Aestus fictional world Thompson plunked himself down on the ground and reached for the cookies. He grabbed two and stuffed them in his mouth. Ellis yanked the tin away. Thompson half-dove as he reached over, sputtering in protest, only to be met by a broad palm squashed against his face…
Producing My Own Audiobook! (Part 1)
I decided I wanted to try producing an audiobook after several months of people asking if I had one/for accessibility reasons/looking at the market and realizing audiobooks were a major trend. I used to hate how I sounded reading aloud – in fact, reading aloud was a source of terror as a child, because I…
bio
S.Z. Attwell is a bestselling science-fiction author as well as a sci-comm writer. She is a member of the SFWA (Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association) and her work has been featured in Simultaneous Times. The first book in her series Aestus was a 2021 finalist for the Kindle Book Award and B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree and is currently a finalist in the SPSFC2.
In her free time, she does photography and archery. She lives in the Boston area.
Find her on social media at @szattwellauthor (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) and on Mastodon! (Also here!)
