3.5 

The Nearest

By Greg Egan
The Nearest by Greg Egan digital book - Fable

Publisher Description

When a detective, a new mother, is assigned to the case of a horrific triple murder, it appears to be a self-contained domestic tragedy, a terrible event but something that doesn’t affect the rest of the community. But it slowly becomes clear that something much darker may be at play, something that spreads out from the scene of the crime to corrode the closest relationships of everyone it touches, in Greg Egan's The Nearest, a Tor.com Original.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

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The Nearest Reviews

3.5
“The Nearest was my first introduction to Greg Egan’s writing, and while science heavy speculative fiction isn’t usually my go-to genre, I found this short story unexpectedly absorbing. Rather than relying on action, the story draws its power from a single, unsettling idea and the quiet way its implications impact the characters. Egan’s approach feels deliberate and restrained. He provides just enough context to make the central concept understandable without explaining it away, allowing a sense of unease to linger well after the end of the story. The focus is less on traditional, emotionally driven character arcs and more on how humans respond when confronted with realities that challenge their assumptions about space, proximity, and understanding. What I appreciated most was the story’s willingness to sit with ambiguity. It doesn’t rush to offer comfort or resolution, instead left me to reflect on ideas that are fascinating precisely because they remain unsettling. It’s left me curious and I’m looking forward to reading more.”

About Greg Egan

Greg Egan published his first story in 1983, and followed it with more than a dozen novels, several short story collections, and more than numorous short stories. During the early 1990s Egan published a body of short fiction – mostly hard science fiction focused on mathematical and quantum ontological themes – that established him as one of the most important writers working in the field. His work has won the Hugo, John W Campbell Memorial, Locus, Aurealis, Ditmar, and Seiun awards. His novel, Dichronauts, is the first installment of a new science fiction universe.

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