They looked into darkness. The darkness looked back . . .

An utterly gripping story of first contact on a hostile planet from Adrian Tchaikovsky, author of the Arthur C. Clarke Award-winningChildren of Time.

New for this edition:The short story Sins of the Children, the fascinating prequel toShroud.

An expedition to a distant star system discovers a pitch-black moon alive with radio activity. Its high-gravity, high-pressure, zero-oxygen environment is deadly to human life, but ripe for exploitation.

They name the moon Shroud. But they never mean to go there . . . until a catastrophic accident forces Juna Ceelander and Mai Ste Etienne to crash-land on its inhospitable surface in a barely adequate escape vehicle. Alone, and fighting to survive, the two women embark on a gruelling journey in search of salvation. But Juna and Mais tenuous existence is threatened by Shrouds extraordinary alien species. If they can escape, theyll have to explain the impossible and translate the incredible . .