Reviews
" The Outside is a gripping examination of the battle between good and evil on a grand scale" - the Guardian "Hoffmann confidently layers morality and disability rights into a breezily told adventure that bursts with sheer fun... This beautifully smart, uncynical space opera will charm fans of Charles Stross and Lois McMaster Bujold." - Publishers Weekly "With its vast setting, compassion for its characters, and an incredible mad scientist at the center of it all, The Outside is a science-fiction suspense novel like no other: unusual and twisty, a delicate balance of suspense, space opera, and cosmic horror." - B&N Sci Fi & Fantasy Blog "Hoffmann has created a beautifully immersive world, an intoxicating blend of science and divinity that held me captive from page one. Come for the cosmic horror, stay for the nuanced exploration of the nature of individuality, the soul, and the relationships that tie us together." - Caitlin Starling , author of The Luminous Dead " The Outside is a beautiful, stark reclamation of unknowable horror. Hoffman layers thoughtful worldbuilding and rich prose to build a stunning story of power, ambition and personal agency. I couldn''t put The Outside down for fear of what might happen while I was looking away." - Sarah Gailey , Hugo Award-winning author of River of Teeth "Hoffman''s debut is starkly original, and tinged with hints of horror fantasy - truly operatic stuff." - B&N SciFi & Fantasy Blog " The Outside is a fresh and mind-bending mix of cosmic horror and space opera, a compelling story that spans from the deeply personal to the vast mysteries of time and space. Unsettling and gorgeous, this is like nothing I have read before and the book I have been longing for without knowing it." - Karin Tidbeck , award-winning author of Amatka and Jagannath "With a boffo combination of hard science fiction, cosmic Lovecraftian horror, both cyber-and-god-punk, some ridiculously charismatic aliens, and a fascinating female protagonist somewhere on the autism spectrum, Ada Hoffmann''s The Outside feels like it was made to order for us" - Skiffy and Fanty blog Praise for Ada Hoffmann "There await wonders and horrors alike, wrapped in delicious prose and unforgettable imagery. And no matter how far into these fantastic and weird worlds we delve, there always remains a solid, comforting sense that we are not alone." - A Merc Rustad , Nebula Award finalist and author of So You Want to be a Robot "Unsettling and unique in equal measure... Reading this collection is like watching a centipede burrow into the center of your palm, knowing it will remain there, under your skin." - Bogi Takács , author of Iwunen Interstellar Investigations "A tangled knot of inter-dimensional intrigue that will have you reading with clenched teeth and curled toes." - Lara Elena Donnelly , author of spy thriller trilogy The Amberlough Dossier "A stunningly imagined novel! Hoffmann takes on the idea of vast, apathetic, cosmic horrors and then makes the most powerful force in the universe...compassion. The prose marries fast-paced action with intricate relationships and a mixture of religion, technology, and diversity that''s unlike anything I''ve come across before. It''s weird in all the best ways, filled with memorable characters and a sweeping plot that''s part mystery, part horror, and all heart." - Charles Payseur , Quick Sip Reviews "What I loved about The Outside were the shades of gray in characters and their choices, and the challenge of doing what''s right when right is a shifting target." "Great characters and big moral questions that go far beyond your standard space opera." - Sarah Pinsker, Nebula Award-winning author of Our Lady of the Open Road, Praise for Ada Hoffman "There await wonders and horrors alike, wrapped in delicious prose and unforgettable imagery. And no matter how far into these fantastic and weird worlds we delve, there always remains a solid, comforting sense that we are not alone." - A Merc Rustad , Nebula Award finalist and author of So You Want to be a Robot "Unsettling and unique in equal measure... Reading this collection is like watching a centipede burrow into the center of your palm, knowing it will remain there, under your skin." - Bogi Takács , author of Iwunen Interstellar Investigations, "Hoffman's debut is starkly original, and tinged with hints of horror fantasy - truly operatic stuff." - B&N SciFi & Fantasy Blog "Hoffmann confidently layers morality and disability rights into a breezily told adventure that bursts with sheer fun... This beautifully smart, uncynical space opera will charm fans of Charles Stross and Lois McMaster Bujold." - Publishers Weekly "Hoffmann has created a beautifully immersive world, an intoxicating blend of science and divinity that held me captive from page one. Come for the cosmic horror, stay for the nuanced exploration of the nature of individuality, the soul, and the relationships that tie us together." - Caitlin Starling , author of The Luminous Dead " The Outside is a beautiful, stark reclamation of unknowable horror. Hoffman layers thoughtful worldbuilding and rich prose to build a stunning story of power, ambition and personal agency. I couldn't put The Outside down for fear of what might happen while I was looking away." - Sarah Gailey , Hugo Award-winning author of River of Teeth " The Outside is a fresh and mind-bending mix of cosmic horror and space opera, a compelling story that spans from the deeply personal to the vast mysteries of time and space. Unsettling and gorgeous, this is like nothing I have read before and the book I have been longing for without knowing it." - Karin Tidbeck , award-winning author of Amatka and Jagannath "With a boffo combination of hard science fiction, cosmic Lovecraftian horror, both cyber-and-god-punk, some ridiculously charismatic aliens, and a fascinating female protagonist somewhere on the autism spectrum, Ada Hoffmann's The Outside feels like it was made to order for us" - Skiffy and Fanty blog Praise for Ada Hoffmann "There await wonders and horrors alike, wrapped in delicious prose and unforgettable imagery. And no matter how far into these fantastic and weird worlds we delve, there always remains a solid, comforting sense that we are not alone." - A Merc Rustad , Nebula Award finalist and author of So You Want to be a Robot "Unsettling and unique in equal measure... Reading this collection is like watching a centipede burrow into the center of your palm, knowing it will remain there, under your skin." - Bogi Takács , author of Iwunen Interstellar Investigations "A tangled knot of inter-dimensional intrigue that will have you reading with clenched teeth and curled toes." - Lara Elena Donnelly , author of spy thriller trilogy The Amberlough Dossier "A stunningly imagined novel! Hoffmann takes on the idea of vast, apathetic, cosmic horrors and then makes the most powerful force in the universe...compassion. The prose marries fast-paced action with intricate relationships and a mixture of religion, technology, and diversity that's unlike anything I've come across before. It's weird in all the best ways, filled with memorable characters and a sweeping plot that's part mystery, part horror, and all heart." - Charles Payseur , Quick Sip Reviews "What I loved about The Outside were the shades of gray in characters and their choices, and the challenge of doing what's right when right is a shifting target." "Great characters and big moral questions that go far beyond your standard space opera." - Sarah Pinsker, Nebula Award-winning author of Our Lady of the Open Road