Imagine Knives Out unfolding in orbit, with stakes dwarfing any earthly fortune. Nicolas Pollet’s ISS Stargraber delivers a sci-fi mystery that fuses speculative brilliance with a whodunit’s relentless twists. Set aboard 2153’s Stargraber Geo Orbital Station, a 25,000-mile-long “river of diamonds” powering a utopia, this electrifying thriller grips like a cosmic puzzle, daring you to unravel it.
If you crave Annihilation’s enigma or The Expanse’s pulse, grab this book now.
In Pollet’s 2153, the Stargraber, born from the 2112 earthquake’s ruins, is humanity’s triumph. Its solar panels and “one-legged” space elevators fuel a hunger-free Earth, housing 10 million in a “veritable anthill.”
But a saboteur lurks, tampering with systems that could doom billions. Who’s behind the “accidents,” and can the station survive? Pollet crafts a lived-in future. It is advanced yet fragile, where every gleaming module hides a threat.
Meet John Desmond. Scarred by loss, he was a former Navy pilot who began racing a Bugatti at “253 miles per hour” prior to tragedy. Now Stargraber’s security chief, he’s driven by guilt and duty: “Whoever was responsible for this incident would have to answer to him.” Teaming with geochemist Victoria Palmers, whose seismic insights link Earth’s core to the crisis, John navigates a maze of betrayal and politics.
Their hunt, set against “egg-shaped luxury palaces,” feels urgent and human.
The novel’s strength lies in its structure. Each chapter tightens the mystery, every clue meticulously planted. No cheap reveals, just a steady, thrilling unraveling. As you piece together the truth amidst defiance that goes, “I’m still convinced there are other ways,” Pollet keeps you right behind John. The pace resembles the heartbeat of a thriller, combining quiet, interpersonal tension with orbital chases, all based on believable technology similar to NASA’s solar experiments in 2025 (New Scientist, March 2025).
Pollet’s prose is sharp, his 2153 world flawed yet hopeful. From flycars at “186 miles/h” to a force field called “Earth 2,” the tech dazzles. But human emotions—grief, resolve, and hope—drive the story. Plus, the cosmic stakes never overshadow the intimate. For fans of The Martian’s smarts or The Expanse’s scope, ISS Stargraber sings. It’s a mystery orbiting above, alive in the void.
Don’t miss this 2025 gem. Will John stop the saboteur? Can Stargraber endure? Get ISS Stargraber from Amazon, indie shops, or digital platforms and dive into a thriller that’ll keep you guessing.
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