Ava, Lennox and Heather make contact with alien Sandy and head for a profound confrontation … The awe-inspiring, exquisitely moving sequel to The Space Between Us, as seen on BBC Two's Between the Covers.

‘A barnstorming thriller … and a wonderful and radical sense of a greater, wider way of seeing life on our planet’ Martin MacInnes

‘Terrifyingly plausible and an excellent allegory for our times … I’ll be recommending this to everyone’ James Oswald

‘A powerful and epic multi-layered story. Doug Johnstone is a true literary master’ Michael Wood

  **Longlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Best Scottish Crime Book**

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Six months since the earth-shattering events of The Space Between Us, the revelatory hope of the aliens’ visit has turned to dust and the creatures have disappeared into the water off Scotland’s west coast.

Teenager Lennox and grieving mother Heather are being held in New Broom, a makeshift US military base, the subject of experiments, alongside the Enceladons who have been captured by the authorities.

Ava, who has given birth, is awaiting the jury verdict at her trial for the murder of her husband. And MI7 agent Oscar Fellowes, who has been sidelined by the US military, is beginning to think he might be on the wrong side of history.

When alien Sandy makes contact, Lennox and Heather make a plan to escape with Ava. All three of them are heading for a profound confrontation between the worst of humanity and a possible brighter future, as the stakes get higher for the alien Enceladons and the entire human race…

Sequel to the bestselling The Space Between Us, The Collapsing Wave is an exquisite, epic first-contact novel, laced with peril and populated by unforgettable characters, and the awe-inspiring book we all need right now…

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PRAISE FOR The Space Between Us

**Selected for BBC 2 Between the Covers 2023**

‘A gateway book to sci-fi … I loved it’ Sara Cox

‘So readable and accessible’ Alan Davies

‘If you read one life-affirming book this year, make sure it’s this one’ Nina Pottell, Prima

‘Prioritising pace, tension and high stakes … a plea for empathy, compassion and perspective’ Herald Scotland

‘An emotionally engaging read’Guardian

‘Science fiction gains a new author’ Derek B. Miller

‘A delicious, demanding departure’ Val McDermid

‘As moving as it is magical and mysterious’ Mark Billingham

‘A first-contact tale full of heart and high-octane action’ D.V. Bishop

‘An adrenaline-filled ride of a novel, laced with empathy and understanding’ Rachelle Atalla

‘Pay attention, Steven Spielberg! This could be your next film’ Marnie Riches

‘Clever and unusual … I was on a journey with these characters, and completely transfixed’ Susi Holliday

‘A mesmerising tale of wonder and hope’ Marion Todd

‘Johnstone doesn’t shy away from complex themes and smartly leverages the lens of science fiction to cut deep into the human experience … the well-paced and carefully breadcrumbed plot is fed to the reader with tender finesse’ SciFi Now Book of the Month