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The Infinite State
Not yet published
Expected 6 Aug 26WHO GIVES YOU LIFE?
PATER AETERNUS.
Katherine Fuller’s husband is dead. As an esteemed member of Pater Aeternus—governing party of the fascist, galaxy-spanning Decurion Empire—he has left behind an estate of immeasurable wealth. And Katherine is going to inherit it.
WHO GIVES YOU PURPOSE?
PATER AETERNUS.
Life under the Eternal Father is rigidly stratified, surveilled, and controlled—each new day to be endured, not lived. But with Katherine’s newfound fortune, she is presented with a rare and dangerous opportunity: purchase a virgin world, and create a better, fairer society.
WHO GIVES YOU JOY?
PATER AETERNUS.
But the Empire cannot allow its wayward daughter to succeed. And as Katherine works in secret, recruiting allies she's not even sure she can trust, she will discover exactly how far Pater Aeternus is willing to go to stop her. Because Katherine is going to create something nobody has seen for many years.
A democracy.
PATER AETERNUS.
Katherine Fuller’s husband is dead. As an esteemed member of Pater Aeternus—governing party of the fascist, galaxy-spanning Decurion Empire—he has left behind an estate of immeasurable wealth. And Katherine is going to inherit it.
WHO GIVES YOU PURPOSE?
PATER AETERNUS.
Life under the Eternal Father is rigidly stratified, surveilled, and controlled—each new day to be endured, not lived. But with Katherine’s newfound fortune, she is presented with a rare and dangerous opportunity: purchase a virgin world, and create a better, fairer society.
WHO GIVES YOU JOY?
PATER AETERNUS.
But the Empire cannot allow its wayward daughter to succeed. And as Katherine works in secret, recruiting allies she's not even sure she can trust, she will discover exactly how far Pater Aeternus is willing to go to stop her. Because Katherine is going to create something nobody has seen for many years.
A democracy.
416 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication August 4, 2026
2490 people want to read
About the author
Richard Swan
18 books1,796 followersRichard Swan is a critically acclaimed British genre writer. He is the author of the Sunday Times bestselling Empire of the Wolf and Great Silence trilogies, as well as fiction for Black Library and Grimdark Magazine. His work has been translated into ten languages.
Richard is a qualified lawyer, and before writing full time spent ten years litigating multimillion pound commercial disputes in London. He currently lives in Sydney with his wife and three young sons.
For updates follow him at stonetemplelibrary.com.
Richard is a qualified lawyer, and before writing full time spent ten years litigating multimillion pound commercial disputes in London. He currently lives in Sydney with his wife and three young sons.
For updates follow him at stonetemplelibrary.com.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 2, 2025
Giving this 5 stars to counteract the clearly malicious 1 star reviews on a book that hasn’t even been announced yet. The people doing that are clowns
Want to read
August 27, 2025honestly, im always here for a wayward daughter plot!
Review of advance copy received from Author
TL;DR Review: Instantly familiar yet utterly unique sci-fi. Riveting, compelling, and entirely unputdownable.
Full Review:
Whoooo boy, what a wild ride this one was!
From the beginning, the Decurion Empire instantly evokes the hostility, suspicion, and total control of both Nazi Germany and Cold War Russia. From Empire-wide propaganda to mysterious men in black coats showing up uninvited in your bedroom at midnight, from conversation topics that can get you disappeared forever to the Handmaid’s Tale-esque emphasis on producing offspring to feed to the Imperial war machine, this place is exactly as dark and twisted as you’d imagine from an Empire that refers to itself in third person as “the Fatherland”.
We’re introduced to fascinatingly disparate cast of characters:
- The wealthy wife of a prominent “Party” member who is desperate to find meaning in the wake of her husband’s mysterious accident (which I’m still not 100% sure isn’t going to turn out to be some kind of murder). What’s she to do with the vast fortune she’s inherited when she has no one to share it with? A chance encounter at a library sets her down the path to establishing her own sovereign nation in a world she will own and rule. The question is: can she actually survive long enough to make her newly discovered dream a reality.
- The hypersled racing prodigy who is harboring a secret that would bring down everything he’s worked hard for, and which has the potential to get him and everyone around him killed—or, worse, reprogrammed. Unwilling pawn as he may be in the beginning, his is one of the most fascinating of the journeys—and filled with some of the best scenes in the book. Think Formula One racing meets the pod races from Star Wars by way of your favorite Mario Kart tracks, and you’ve got an inkling of just how exhilarating (and potentially murderous) it is.
- The disgraced, alcoholic inspektor who wants nothing more than to remain wholly unnoticed. Alas, a simple murder case quickly spirals out of control and leads to him being unwittingly caught up in a tug-of-war between the Empire’s two most powerful secret forces (a horrifying and fascinating blend of the SS, CIA, and the KBG, with the only thing separating the two entities a nominal distinction in their job descriptions). His is the most “classic” story, and easily the most relatable. And it does a spectacular job of showing the seedy underbelly of the Empire and its ruthless practices.
Their three stories could not be more different, yet fate and circumstance (and very likely, men in black leather coats and gloves) conspire to bring them together in surprising ways in the effort to found a new democratic world.
And this is yet another place where The Infinite State truly shines. Like in Empire of the Wolf, the author finds a way to take something potentially dry and make it fascinating. At no point was I bored when Katherine and co. discussed the intricacies of colonizing and terraforming a new planet, building a city, establishing a system of governance, and all the other ought-to-be-tedious-but-made-interesting minutia that is required to create this fledgling nation.
I compare it to Safehold by David Weber (one of my all-time favorite sci-fi series), which did something similar (advancing through technological eras where this one broke down the basics of government and nation-building). I didn’t go into reading this book expecting to learn, yet here I sit, far more educated while also immensely entertained.
The Infinite State demands and commands attention. It’s riveting and entirely unputdownable. Get ready for a colorful cast of complex, well-conceived, and immensely interesting characters (particularly one, who is revealed way later into the book, and really dials up the “Damn, this is messed up!” of it all), a world that is instantly familiar yet so much darker than you’d expect, and a plot that is forever unpredictable and utterly enthralling.
Get ready for a sci-fi story unlike anything I’ve read, and brace yourself, because in true Richard Swan fashion, things are going to get DARK.
Full Review:
Whoooo boy, what a wild ride this one was!
From the beginning, the Decurion Empire instantly evokes the hostility, suspicion, and total control of both Nazi Germany and Cold War Russia. From Empire-wide propaganda to mysterious men in black coats showing up uninvited in your bedroom at midnight, from conversation topics that can get you disappeared forever to the Handmaid’s Tale-esque emphasis on producing offspring to feed to the Imperial war machine, this place is exactly as dark and twisted as you’d imagine from an Empire that refers to itself in third person as “the Fatherland”.
We’re introduced to fascinatingly disparate cast of characters:
- The wealthy wife of a prominent “Party” member who is desperate to find meaning in the wake of her husband’s mysterious accident (which I’m still not 100% sure isn’t going to turn out to be some kind of murder). What’s she to do with the vast fortune she’s inherited when she has no one to share it with? A chance encounter at a library sets her down the path to establishing her own sovereign nation in a world she will own and rule. The question is: can she actually survive long enough to make her newly discovered dream a reality.
- The hypersled racing prodigy who is harboring a secret that would bring down everything he’s worked hard for, and which has the potential to get him and everyone around him killed—or, worse, reprogrammed. Unwilling pawn as he may be in the beginning, his is one of the most fascinating of the journeys—and filled with some of the best scenes in the book. Think Formula One racing meets the pod races from Star Wars by way of your favorite Mario Kart tracks, and you’ve got an inkling of just how exhilarating (and potentially murderous) it is.
- The disgraced, alcoholic inspektor who wants nothing more than to remain wholly unnoticed. Alas, a simple murder case quickly spirals out of control and leads to him being unwittingly caught up in a tug-of-war between the Empire’s two most powerful secret forces (a horrifying and fascinating blend of the SS, CIA, and the KBG, with the only thing separating the two entities a nominal distinction in their job descriptions). His is the most “classic” story, and easily the most relatable. And it does a spectacular job of showing the seedy underbelly of the Empire and its ruthless practices.
Their three stories could not be more different, yet fate and circumstance (and very likely, men in black leather coats and gloves) conspire to bring them together in surprising ways in the effort to found a new democratic world.
And this is yet another place where The Infinite State truly shines. Like in Empire of the Wolf, the author finds a way to take something potentially dry and make it fascinating. At no point was I bored when Katherine and co. discussed the intricacies of colonizing and terraforming a new planet, building a city, establishing a system of governance, and all the other ought-to-be-tedious-but-made-interesting minutia that is required to create this fledgling nation.
I compare it to Safehold by David Weber (one of my all-time favorite sci-fi series), which did something similar (advancing through technological eras where this one broke down the basics of government and nation-building). I didn’t go into reading this book expecting to learn, yet here I sit, far more educated while also immensely entertained.
The Infinite State demands and commands attention. It’s riveting and entirely unputdownable. Get ready for a colorful cast of complex, well-conceived, and immensely interesting characters (particularly one, who is revealed way later into the book, and really dials up the “Damn, this is messed up!” of it all), a world that is instantly familiar yet so much darker than you’d expect, and a plot that is forever unpredictable and utterly enthralling.
Get ready for a sci-fi story unlike anything I’ve read, and brace yourself, because in true Richard Swan fashion, things are going to get DARK.
October 24, 2025
I read Justice of Kings as a netgalley arc back in the day, excited by the buzz and premise, and of course adored it. And pressured my friends to read it. It is once again my privilege to read one of his ARCs, because I loved the premise and knew that Richard would handle the topic of founding democracy with intelligenct and nuance.
It is not controversial to say that we live in turbulent times. The far-right is on the rise, and most people--apart from the far right themselves--seem able to recognise that. Like ancient evil in a fantasy book, authoritarianism never dies, only slumbers for awhile. Currently, it is waking up all over the world.
What, then, does this mean for authors--folks whose livelihood is the creation of fiction?
Personally, I think we have a duty to write stories which not only dissect and critique the world around us, but which offer a vision for how we can build better futures. Everything we create, from art to philosophy to politics to science and beyond, starts with an idea or a vision. A sense of how something could be, might exist, may emerge. This, then, is what fiction can offer us, and why I truly believe science fiction is the genre of human potential: within it, we have the capacity to imagine the futures we wish to see, as well as the future we fear to see, and how to achieve one while avoiding the other.
INFINITE STATE is such a book. Swan shows us a world that is darker than our own, but not unimaginably so. We are familiar wtih these kinds of empires from dystopia and classic SF, after all, as well as actual authoritarian states IRL.
But where INFINITE STATE shines, and where it sets itself apart, is *how* it constructs a different for an alternate future. There is no glorious revolution with a chosen one and special powers, or a grand uprising of youthful voices. (That's not a criticism of those books, by any means--I enjoy them too! But I'm clarifying how this book differs from other fight-the-fascist novels). Instead, INFINITE STATE focuses on a handful of humans who are terribly flawed in different ways, yet still trying to create something new and bold within the awful strictures which press down on them.
INFINITE STATE is concerend with the nitty gritty of what setting up democracy entails. This is not a book about making grand speeches and invoking vast uprest, though perhaps that will come later in the series. It's about honest discussions of human society: what is fair? What is free? How do we choose laws which respects boundaries but keep people safe? And most importantly of all, how far will you go to fight for a better future? Because the characters must fight; they must make terrible choices, ones that directly go against all of their ideals and goals, in the pursuit of something better.
There is no pat solution or easy answers in INFINITE STATE. Only continued discussion, continued striving, the sticky struggle of imperfect people trying to improve a terrible world, and finding endless obstacles and heartbreak in their path.
This is science fiction at its finest, doing what scifi does best: showing us how to build a better tomorrow. We need stories like this to remind us of what is possible and what is good.
READ THIS FOR: nuanced discussions on the nature of government, society, and freedom; adult characters (incld a middle aged female MC) with baggage and complicated lives; morally grey decisions and difficult choices
It is not controversial to say that we live in turbulent times. The far-right is on the rise, and most people--apart from the far right themselves--seem able to recognise that. Like ancient evil in a fantasy book, authoritarianism never dies, only slumbers for awhile. Currently, it is waking up all over the world.
What, then, does this mean for authors--folks whose livelihood is the creation of fiction?
Personally, I think we have a duty to write stories which not only dissect and critique the world around us, but which offer a vision for how we can build better futures. Everything we create, from art to philosophy to politics to science and beyond, starts with an idea or a vision. A sense of how something could be, might exist, may emerge. This, then, is what fiction can offer us, and why I truly believe science fiction is the genre of human potential: within it, we have the capacity to imagine the futures we wish to see, as well as the future we fear to see, and how to achieve one while avoiding the other.
INFINITE STATE is such a book. Swan shows us a world that is darker than our own, but not unimaginably so. We are familiar wtih these kinds of empires from dystopia and classic SF, after all, as well as actual authoritarian states IRL.
But where INFINITE STATE shines, and where it sets itself apart, is *how* it constructs a different for an alternate future. There is no glorious revolution with a chosen one and special powers, or a grand uprising of youthful voices. (That's not a criticism of those books, by any means--I enjoy them too! But I'm clarifying how this book differs from other fight-the-fascist novels). Instead, INFINITE STATE focuses on a handful of humans who are terribly flawed in different ways, yet still trying to create something new and bold within the awful strictures which press down on them.
INFINITE STATE is concerend with the nitty gritty of what setting up democracy entails. This is not a book about making grand speeches and invoking vast uprest, though perhaps that will come later in the series. It's about honest discussions of human society: what is fair? What is free? How do we choose laws which respects boundaries but keep people safe? And most importantly of all, how far will you go to fight for a better future? Because the characters must fight; they must make terrible choices, ones that directly go against all of their ideals and goals, in the pursuit of something better.
There is no pat solution or easy answers in INFINITE STATE. Only continued discussion, continued striving, the sticky struggle of imperfect people trying to improve a terrible world, and finding endless obstacles and heartbreak in their path.
This is science fiction at its finest, doing what scifi does best: showing us how to build a better tomorrow. We need stories like this to remind us of what is possible and what is good.
READ THIS FOR: nuanced discussions on the nature of government, society, and freedom; adult characters (incld a middle aged female MC) with baggage and complicated lives; morally grey decisions and difficult choices
November 14, 2025
Star Wars meets 1928 meets The Expanse meets Brave New World.
This is a terrific dystopian sci-fi novel because the people and government are believably evil. There are reasons behind their that make sense for an authoritarian galactic empire, but also for the nation-states of today. It’s not evil for evils sake, it is cool and calculated evil.
The hero’s are not paragons of justice or holiness either, they are flawed, and again, believable. A fantastic read, I am already looking forward to more books in the series!
This is a terrific dystopian sci-fi novel because the people and government are believably evil. There are reasons behind their that make sense for an authoritarian galactic empire, but also for the nation-states of today. It’s not evil for evils sake, it is cool and calculated evil.
The hero’s are not paragons of justice or holiness either, they are flawed, and again, believable. A fantastic read, I am already looking forward to more books in the series!
Want to read
October 29, 2025Richard Swan writing dystopian novel with Roman/Kier Eagan vibes? And I hear there are killer gorillas?
Want.
Want.
January 31, 2026
Epic! I need book 2 right now!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews