Winner of the BSFA Award 2005, the James Tiptree Award 2005, and the Arthur C. Clarke Award 2006

"AIR is wonderful...Ryman is a true, graceful writer and this is a novel you move into and inhabit for as long as you can make it last" - Kit Reed

"This book constantly surprised me ... great for a lot of seriously original ideas and a deep dive into the consequences" - Goodreads Reviewer

Mae Chung lives in the rice-farming village Kizuldah, in Karzistan. She's a self-styled fashion expert, guiding the village women in dress, make-up and hairstyle, which makes her an informal village leader.

When the UN decides to test Air - a radical new technology that works without power lines or machines - Mae finds herself with the memories of a deceased village elder, Mrs Tung. Struggling with information overload, the resentment of much of the village, and a complex family situation, Mae works fiercely to learn what she needs to ride the tiger of change.


Geoff Ryman's triumphant return to science fiction is a powerful, evocative story of information technology in a changing world.

"One of recent science fiction's acknowledged masterworks. Enthralling."