An Alien Light

An Alien Light

by Nancy Kress

4.2 (167)

4.2 stars from 167 reviews

390 pages~6.5 hr readPublished by arbor housePublished 1987-01-01

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Last checked: Jul 3, 2026

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Fans of these authors will like this...

  • Ursula K. Le Guin
  • C.J. Cherryh
  • Kim Stanley Robinson

Fans of these books will like this...

  • The Dispossessed
  • Doomsday Book
  • Blindsight

Perfect for you if...

  • You enjoy hard science fiction that uses alien contact to interrogate human nature and the weight of our evolutionary baggage.
  • You're drawn to ensemble casts where multiple perspectives across different cultures collide and reshape each other.
  • You appreciate character-driven speculative fiction where personal stakes and galactic stakes tangle together uncomfortably.

Maybe not for you if...

  • You want a straightforward alien invasion plot with clear heroes and villains.
  • You prefer lighter, faster-paced science fiction without dense philosophical underpinnings.
  • You need a neat resolution where the experiment's purpose and rules become fully transparent by the end.

About this book

Two warring tribes become subjects of a strange alien experiment in this science fiction novel. The story follows multiple characters across profoundly different societies: Arys, a glassblower and outcast; Jehane, a skilled female warrior; Dahar, who possesses a deeply inquisitive mind; and Grax, an alien with profound doubts. Hundreds of others are brought together in an experiment designed to determine the fate of humanity on Earth and in galactic colonies. For the Ged, an alien species, the experiment's outcome could decide the course of an ongoing war. For the human participants, who are unaware of the larger situation, participation offers incredible riches. However, only the Ged understand the criteria for selection. When this knowledge emerges, disagreement arises about whether, how, and when to use it. Some participants will betray others, some will sacrifice, and some will die, while others must succeed regardless of the cost.

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Price History

Kindle price over time. Green zones = periods when the book was free.

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Free$5.00$9.99Mar '23Nov '23May '25Jul '26
$1.99$9.99

Currently on sale at $1.99 — 80% off peak. Price has dropped 17 times over the last 3 years. Goes on sale roughly every 64 days. Typically stays discounted for 131 days.

Sales Rank

Amazon sales rank: lower number = better selling book. #1 is the bestseller.

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#2,432#356,345#710,257Mar '23Sep '25Nov '25Jul '26

Currently around #39K in the Kindle store — a steady mid-list seller. Climbing the charts — 27% improvement recently.

Rating & Reviews

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3.5★4.3★5.0★May '23Aug '23Sep '24May '26RatingReviews

Currently 4.2★ from 167 reviews

Gaining approximately 2 new reviews per month. Rating has dipped slightly from 4.5 to 4.2.

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Free$5.00$9.99Mar '23Nov '23May '25Jul '26PredictedJul '26

Actual Predicted

This book is currently discounted at $1.99. It typically returns to around $9.99.

Prices shown in USD from Amazon US. We continuously pull new data to improve tracking. If dates look old, it usually means there has been no significant change since the last data point.

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Nancy Kress

1 book on Vagrant Press

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