The Rainseekers

by Matthew Kressel

Burned out and looking to put her past behind her, a former addict and recovering influencer interviews her fellow travelers en route to witness the first rain on Mars.

Sakunja Salazar had it all. Money, toys, women, and all the drugs money could buy. A breakout Holo influencer, seemingly overnight she lifted her family out of their tiny Mexico City apartment and into the world of the rich and famous. That all changed when she hopped on a rocket and blasted into the cosmos, never to hawk lavender moisturizer again.

What goes up must come down, and when Sakunja finally crashed back down on Mars an alcoholic, addict, and has-been she thought her life was pretty much over. That is, until a magazine editor discovered her photography and offered her a job. Now, she’s the resident documentarian on a barebones expedition seeking to be the first humans to witness rain on Mars. For the first time in her life, Sakunja is turning the spotlight on someone else–interviewing her fellow travelers about what brought them to join this incredibly foolhardy crew of souls adrift in a world unseen.

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

Genres: Science Fiction, Novella, Fiction, Short Stories, Queer, Space

149 pages, Paperback

First published February 17, 2026

About the author

The short:

I’m a software developer and speculative fiction writer with three Nebula Award nominations, a World Fantasy Award nomination, and a Eugie Award nomination. I am the co-host of the Fantastic Fiction at KGB reading series in New York City. And I created the Moksha submissions system, in use by some of the largest publishers in speculative fiction today.

The long:

I’m a software developer and writer of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. My fiction has been nominated three times for a Nebula Award and once for a Eugie Foster Memorial Award. And I’ve also been nominated for a World Fantasy Award for my former editorial and publishing work. My fiction has been translated into many languages, including Japanese, Spanish, French, Chinese, Romanian, Russian, Czech, Polish, and Farsi.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved hearing and telling stories. I spent a lot of time alone as a child, and I would entertain myself by creating entire worlds in my head and inhabiting them fully (sometimes to the chagrin of my parents and teachers). This world-building continued well into my adulthood, when, after a particularly vivid dream, I decided to write my stories down. Once I began writing seriously, I’ve never stopped.

My fiction tends to explore themes of loss, death, mourning and rebirth, but also hope and possibility. I consider myself a mindful optimist, even though my fiction can sometimes be very dark. I believe humanity is capable of great feats, but what we often lack is will, imagination, or foresight. Sometimes I tend my fiction to inspire. Sometimes I write cautionary tales. Sometimes I just follow my dream-id where it leads. I’m always surprised by what my subconscious brings up.

I work incredibly hard at my writing, and my only wish is that you enjoy reading my work as much as I enjoy creating it.

My short story “The Last Novelist” was a 2017 Nebula Award finalist as well a 2018 Eugie Award finalist. My short story “The Meeker and the All-Seeing Eye” was a 2014 Nebula Award finalist. And my short story “The Sounds of Old Earth” was a 2013 Nebula Award finalist. My work has also appeared in several year’s best anthologies and received numerous honorable mentions.

My many short stories have appeared in such publications as Lightspeed, Nightmare, Tor.com, Clarkesworld, Analog, io9.com, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Interzone, Electric Velocipede, Apex Magazine, and the anthologies Mad Hatters and March Hares, Cyber World, After,The People of the Book, and many other places.

My debut novel, King of Shards, was hailed as “Majestic, resonant, reality-twisting madness,” from NPR Books. I have a novella forthcoming in 2026 from Tordotcom / Reactor titled The Rainseekers. And a novel, Space Trucker Jess, coming in 2025 from Fairwood Press.

Every second Wednesday, I co-host the Fantastic Fiction reading series at the famous KGB Bar alongside veteran speculative-fiction editor Ellen Datlow.

In 2011 I was nominated for World Fantasy Award in the category of Special Award, Non-Professional for my work editing Sybil’s Garage. The magazine’s website has been archived here.

In 2003 I started the speculative fiction magazine Sybil’s Garage, and the stories and poetry therein have received multiple honorable mentions in the Year’s Best Fantasy & Horror. Under the rubric of Senses Five Press, I published Paper Cities, which won the 2009 World Fantasy Award for Best Anthology.

I have been a long-time member of Altered Fluid, a Manhattan-based writing group which has many successful past and present members, including N.K. Jemisin, Sam J. Miller, Alaya Dawn Johnson, E.C. Myers, Mercurio D. Rivera, and many others. I am also obsessed with Blade Runner (both films).

When I’m not writing, I design websites and write software. I am probably best known for the Moksha submissions system, which I created, and which is currently used by some of the largest SF markets including The Magazine of Fantasy

Reviews

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know how you make a 150 page story about storm-chasers on Mars boring but that's kind of an achievement in and of itself.

[Cathy Doyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was provided an advanced copy of this book for review.

Mars’s terraforming has advanced far enough that it can rain again. A group is chosen to try and experience the rain. One of the members, Sakunja Salazar, a former influencer on Earth, documents the trip and her fellow travelers. They all have interesting life stories and the voyage to seeks rain provides an interesting background.

[Kaitlyn Monique ♥ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Short, and a good story, but names were so hard to pronounce. At times, I would find my mind wandering off because I was not able to stay interested. Probably because this is not what I would normally find myself reading, a novella about Mars and a group living there waiting for the first rainfall.

[Tucker Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m always a sucker for character-centric sci fi. this book is intimate, personal, and very human, and I loved getting to discover the world of the story through the eyes of the people who inhabit it

[Mallory Pierce · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 ⭐️ rounded up
I have very mixed feelings about this book. I wanted to like this and I just don’t, but I also don’t dislike it either. The synopsis of this book had so much promise, but I don’t think it was executed in the best way. The science-fiction aspect took a back seat to the character stories, which was disappointing, though the stories were definitely tragic.

[A · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sakunja Salazar (Saki) was born on Earth, traveled to Mars, which some consider fortunate given Earth's current chaotic state caused by humanity (believable). However, what they lack is water—rain. She and 46 others have decided to risk everything to see rain on Mars. as it may be their last chance due to the harsh planet's terrain and the requirements to sustain their life.

Saki's background is in photography and blogging, which brought her fame but also misfortune. She fell into drugs and hit rock bottom, but eventually she managed to recover and became a journalist. This journey led her to this mission—a documentation of her interviews with fellow travelers. Through their stories, readers gain insight into each person's reasons, hardships, choices, and motivations as they risk their lives, including Saki.

The characters embody themes of redemption and resilience—proof to themselves that they can make a difference or even earn love and pride again. The story uses the rain as a central motif, but ultimately, it shifts focus to the personal struggles and growth of each character, highlighting the author's exploration of perseverance and hope.

[Megan Middlebrooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25
This novella is essentially a series of connected short story vignettes of the lives of the people on the trip and how/why they have undertaken this dangerous mission. Despite having such short glimpses into the travelers lives, each story is touching and poignant in its own way. I also liked the main character and the framing narrative of her writing an article. Definitely a worthwhile read, one of the better novellas I've read.

[keegan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wants to be a lot more profound than it is, sadly. The main character doesn't have a strong voice which I would argue is critical for this kind of writing (and is very funny given that a plot point is that she's offered a job at a magazine on the strength of her voice). Additionally none of the people profiled in the book really feel like real people to me (their voices are not strongly conveyed either). If you've already read To Be Taught if Fortunate by Becky Chambers and want something like that but not as good, pick this up, if you haven't read the Chambers just read that instead.

[Kit Garton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compelling collection of stories and the importance of experiences to humanity, although I did feel that in the stories in the first half, it felt very judgy about people who are poor or addicts. The second half really was what sold me on this book.

[DaniPhantom · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first half of this scifi novella about a group of people who travel to Mars to see the rain are recollections of peoples pasts that are collected from Sakunja, a former addict and influencer-turned-photographer. We see how capitalism, ecocide and vanity almost destroyed humanity. We see how AI destroys the future beyond our current understanding. We see how people will go to great lengths to help humanity, when humanity still badgers those same people into thinking they’re worthless.

The later half is the build up to finally seeing rainfall on Mars, and how everything has led to this beautiful moment. About the losses that occurred on this strange planet, and how everyone recoups after the harsh climate and experience.

Really a unique book, and I appreciated how it covered a wide range of topics in a novella.

[Kami]

Told as a series of life stories about a group on mars looking to be the first to see rain on the terraformed planet, this is more a story of what it means to be human than a plot driven sci-fi. Super quick to read so perfect for a weekend read. Thanks to the publisher for the gifted copy

[Csimplot Simplot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book!!!

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

For 160 short pages you will truly go on a journey. This book follows Sakunja who is on a trip with a very different group to see the first rainfall on Mars. This book reminded me of the book Hyperion quite a bit and that is a complement. I have also seen references to Canterbury Tales. We truly see how an unlikely group full of religious and cultural differences can coexist and how they all want to experience the rain amongst everything else happening in the world. This is a solid 160 pages and I highly recommend.

Thank you to Tor Publishing and Macmillan for my review copy!

[Kaitlyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite taking place on Mars and in the future, this book barely felt like Science Fiction to me, as it focused on the stories of the characters more than the plot of seeking rain on Mars. It was well-written and edited into a nice short novel, but it read more like a series of vignettes lacking real-time character development, so I struggled to become fully immersed. Solidly 3.5 stars but I wasn't really wowed enough to bump my rating up to 4.

Thank you Tor Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC. :)

[Marlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

The blurb isn’t exactly wrong, but the emphasis is on the wrong person. Not that Sakunja Salazar doesn’t tell her own story in this story, but it’s not about her. It’s about all of them, collectively. A somewhat motley crew of characters in search of the ineffable, surprisingly like Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales – and isn’t that a bit of a surprise?

The story takes place in a future that is close enough that we recognize the past they look back at as our present. More or less. Still, it’s far enough out that Mars has not just been colonized, but has been terraformed just long enough that the success of THAT enterprise is starting to show.

There’s water on Mars. Water that mostly falls in the form of snow, because it’s still DAMN cold, but water is starting to flow. And the oxygen level is rising – not enough to survive long term without an oxygen mask, BUT, enough that there are a few spots where it’s possible for a few hours on occasion – if one is very, very lucky.

Which this bunch hasn’t been, at least not so far. Because the ineffable that they have trekked far away from Mars’ safe and settled underground cities to see, the thing that they are seeking, is rain. Not snow, not merely free flowing water, but actual rain falling from a sky full of clouds. Something that has not happened on Mars since before humans evolved into, well, humans.

But it’s about to. It really is. The expedition hopes to be the first people to see it happen, to literally be in the place where it happens – even if that’s the biggest room in the world.

This could have been the story of the expedition, its planning, its execution, the minutiae of driving away from civilization to a remote location where something wondrous will appear. But that’s not the important bit.

This is a story about the journey – not the trek itself, but the journey that this group of seekers has taken, not just this single trip but the journey of their lives and the journeys that brought them to Mars in the first place. Even when those journeys are not theirs but their parents’ or grandparents’.

Very much like The Canterbury Tales, this is journalist Sakunja Salazar interviewing her fellow travelers, hearing their stories in their own words, painting a portrait of what brought each of them to this singular time and place – and what motivates them to keep going in the face of multiple disasters and setbacks – and not just on this particular trip.

Along the way she gets to tell her own story, to become part of this fascinating and surprising whole. And what comes after.

Escape Rating A-: As is frequently the case, I didn’t exactly know what I was getting into with this one – but I was sure it was short and sometimes that’s enough to start with. I was definitely misled just a bit by the blurb, because that description left me expecting a kind of redemption story, that Sakunja had hit rock bottom and was going to come out better for this experience – or possibly not.

This isn’t that story, and it’s better for it. For one thing, Sakunja has already reinvented herself. Not that she didn’t hit rock bottom, but that sorry state is in her rearview and has been for years. She doesn’t need the money for doing the article, what she’s looking for here is the experience of looking outward instead of inward. She doesn’t want to be the star this time around, because she recognizes that the part of her life where she was was empty.

So the story is about her being just like everyone else on the trip. They each have a story. They’ve each done stupid things and glorious things. They are each in pursuit of something indefinable, something that they find – not in the water, but in their bonding with each other.

This isn’t exactly a light story – although it has light moments. Each of the travelers has survived life’s tragedies, each has experienced something less than a happy ending. But each has also found a kind of peace within themselves – even as they frantically hold each other up as their trek faces setbacks that cut their odds of either seeing what they came to see or surviving the journey.

But their individual stories, and their collective story, do a marvelous job of representing the human experience – even in a place that is far from where our species began. I’m glad I read this one., and I’ll certainly look for this author again.

Originally published at Reading Reality

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to both NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for an advance copy of this novella that takes place on Mars featuring a diverse cast of adventurers, seekers, dreamers and the lost, waiting for the first natural occurence of weather on the planet they now call home.

I was blessed to have a strong library in our town that had numerous book sales when I was growing up, probably the only way my parents could afford my book habit. We had bag sales where one could pack a bag for a buck or two, so I would go nuts. I was young when I scored a bunch of books about Mars, A John Carter book, War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells, and The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury. The John Carter was basically Conan in space, War of the Worlds had aliens, battles and well aliens. The Martian Chronicles though was different. Mars was just a place, a place of wonder yes, but the stories were about people. People lost, missing things, looking for things, trying to make sense of things. I think this is when I realized that science fiction was about more than cool aliens, laser beams and strange worlds. This is something I think is lost in much that is published now. So it was refreshing to find the human factor an important part of this novella, along with a story that was both wondrous and magical. The Rainseekers by The Rainseekers, by Matthew Kressel is a novella about the future, about people, technology, the small moments, the momentous, and trying to make sense of it all.

Sakunja Salazar was once one of the biggest influencers in the future. A skill that Salazar developed early to get her family out of their dire circumstances, and into the world of wealth, power and safety. Until Salazar realized what is was costing her, pushing things she couldn't care less about, addicted to things that were destroying her, and lost in the spotlight of social acceptance. Salazar hit the spaceways, traveling among the planets that had been settled, and finding a skill that Salazar had no idea she had. An editor for a feature media group saw the photos that Salazar was creating and offered Salazar a job. On Mars a diverse group of amateur adventurers were setting up an expedition to see the first natural rain fall on Mars. Salazar job is to go with them, get a story, and lots of photos. For Salazar this is new. Salazar is used to showing every part of herself, to push things she didn't care for. Now she was to win trusts, her stories, and not judge. Even when the expedition finds unexpected things, things that cold change everything.

A really strong novella, one that hits with the impact of a bigger novel. Kressel does a good job of setting up Salazar, dropping hints on why Salazar got out of the influencer game. Kressel builds the world carefully, sharing bits in stories, in comments, and in speeches that Salazar shares with us. The other characters are just as interesting. A mix of Martian Chronicles, something that is hard to avoid, Canterbury Tales, and a bit of Kim Stanley Robinson, especially showing the changes brought to Mars by the humans. Kressel has a very sure hand creating this story, and again for a novella offers a very rich story.

A science fiction book for those who love stories about humans and the future. As with the best of genre fiction this might be of the future, but deals with the now, the problems we have with social media, the environment, and with human interaction, something that is getting stranger everyday. A really interesting novella, from an author I will be following.

[Melissa Corday · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hopeful. Optimistic. Beautifully human.

The Rainseekers takes place 200ish years in the future and is told from the POV of a washed-up influencer trying to find meaning in life after becoming wholly disillusioned (when the world- and the solar system- is at your feet, what else is there to give a shit about? "In a hundred years, would anyone give a fuck that I once hawked lavender-scented moisturizing cream?"). They do this by strapping themselves with their infinite dollars to a rocket bound for Mars, which is undergoing terraforming processes, to join a crew on the hunt for the first Martian rainfall. Our protagonist describes the trek across the sparsely-grassed planet while she and 45 other pilgrims hunt for a weather system that just might be the first to produce rain. Oh, we have snow already, and frozen water is common enough now. We even have clouds on Mars! But liquid rain falling from the sky? To be the first to behold it, the first to feel it, in the Mount Everest-thin newly-oxygenated air? Well, now, that is truly rarified.

Protagonist Sakunja Salazar isn't in it for herself though. Well, not entirely. She spends the quest for rain interviewing her fellow travelers, asking them simply, "How'd you get here?" where "here" means "Mars". Sakunja looks to answer the question "Who are we, these forty-six fools bumbling across this ancient desert?" Chapters switch between travelling companions backstories and Sakunja (Saki to her friends, if she has any) describing the terrain, her history, the difficulties the red planet throws at them, and at one point, the tragic accidental death of a travelling companion.

Through these vignettes, readers get multiple stories in one: we get, of course, the big and obvious FIRST RAIN ON MARS (hell yeah), and through casual conversation there's some worldbuilding (Saturn and Jupiter are tourist destinations, Mars has beautiful gardens under huge domes, and all the while the Mars Development Council is the bureaucracy from superhell.) but we also get the small human moments, the ones that reveal that all life is important, that every story is worth telling and worth hearing. "Inside every person is a story worth telling, and we have only ourselves to blame if we don’t perk up our ears and listen."

A short book, clocking in at 160 pages, but well worth the read. Highly, highly recommend.

[Chantaal · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, thanks to NetGalley and TorDotCom for the eARC. This will be available on February 17th!

The Rainseekers has a pretty simple premise: in a future where solar system exploration is possible and Mars is colonized, a group of Mars residents go out on a trip to try to be the first to stand under the first rainfall on Mars. Along the way, a former influencer turned journalist writes about the stories of her fellow travelers for an article about the experience.

This feels like a book of interconnected short stories at times, but with a cohesive narrative framework putting them together. We get to learn about this version of humanity's future through the lens of a few very different individuals, and I thought the variety of stories did really well to not only explore different people, but to piece together the world for us through their eyes.

Our journalist and narrator Sakunja ties everything together, her sections telling the story of this trip to find the first rainfall and her own past as a former influencer. (For anyone who may be like me and may tire of Influencer storylines/tropes/etc., Sakunja tells her story from a place of reflection and introspection, we don't actually experience her in current time as an influencer.)

I very much enjoyed my time with this, though I felt there was just a touch of something missing that kept the entire story at arm's length for me. It's evident that Kressel wrote this with care and I commend him for that. I think I could have used a bit more length to it, especially with Sakunja's present journey on Mars. We do get her briefly interacting with the characters whose stories she tells, but only one or two show any real emotional connection with her in the present day and I wish there had been much more of that all around.

If you want something a little different, a bit introspective, showing off various walks of life, then check out The Rainseekers.

Content warnings: domestic abuse, child abuse, cancer.

[The Captain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ahoy there me mateys!  This book was beautifully written but I had disconnect when it came to the characters.  The story is about a Mars expedition going into the wildness of the planet hoping to experience the first rain on Mars.  It is written as a series of short stories tied together by the mission.

Based on the blurb, I thought I was going to get a documentary reporter getting stories about the expedition members life on Mars and why they want to feel the rain.  Instead, only a few people are interviewed and they talk about how they came to live on Mars.  Those stories were interesting too but ultimately was not what I expected.  The tone kept the characters emotions and opinions at a remove.

The other issue was the reporter.  She is an ex-influencer who gave up the spotlight for life on Mars as a photographer.  Even with the change of both occupation and planet, she just comes across as self-absorbed and uninterested in those around her.  Honestly, it felt almost like I was reading a coming-of-age story about how an unhappy adult finds her purpose and inner calm.  Again, well written but sometimes hard to like.

It is a slow paced thoughtful read but focused more on the past than on the present mission for rain.  There are lots of flashbacks.  I didn't necessarily need high impact adventure but I wanted a different focus for the novella.  The parts that did talk about the rain or landscape or life on Mars were lovely.  I also liked the hints about technology and terraforming.

This may not be what I wanted or expected but I have no regrets reading it or recommending it as long as expectations are adjusted.  I would read something else by this author because the writing at times could be extremely evocative and insightful.  Arrr!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel operates as a series of short stories. It's a good premise and the structure works, although I didn't love the journalist/narrator's voice.

The characters are with each other only for a few days, so there isn't time for them to have the develop the relationships necessary for the social-focused sci-fi, but this doesn't really fit any other standard sub-genre: they're on a journey, but only for a few days; they are on Mars and there's some world-building, but that's really not the focus, even if it's the reason for their trip; they encounter trouble with their vehicle and have to survive on the surface, but for a time best measured in hours.

The pacing is slower and there's not much in the way of adventure or space swashbuckling; sci-fi readers who tend to enjoy spaceship battles probably won't connect to this. Although there isn't a mystery element in this, maybe suggest to readers who liked The Spare Man or other space-set sci-fi?-- the widely-varied cast of characters is the book's main focus and strength.

eARC from NetGalley.

[Rishali Dey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up The Rainseekers because the premise completely sold me — rain on Mars??? Say less. I was expecting something expansive and science-heavy, maybe diving deep into the mechanics and implications of that discovery.

But this ended up reading much more like literary fiction than sci-fi.

The novella is structured as interconnected short stories, each exploring the personal journeys of the characters who eventually become part of this first mission to experience rain on Mars. The focus is very much on their internal worlds — their memories, motivations, and emotional baggage — rather than on the science or world-building itself.

There are hints of a larger futuristic setting, but it’s never fully fleshed out. I kept waiting for the sci-fi elements to be explored more deeply, and they just… weren’t. If you’re going in hoping for rich planetary detail or strong speculative themes, you might feel a little underwhelmed.

That said, I did appreciate the character-driven approach, and the ending really worked for me. It felt wholesome and quietly hopeful, which left me with a warm feeling even if the journey there wasn’t quite what I expected.

Thank you Tor Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange of my honest review.

[Elizabeth Harrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really good book if you enjoy adventure mixed with sci fi.

In a not too far future,space travel is possible and people have been living on Mars for a few decades. Due to a project that created the right atmosphere there will be the first rain on Mars. In a sort of first people to reach the top of Everest .

The protagonist is Sakunja a former influencer from Mexico ,who became disillusioned with the life it brought especially after her estranged friend dies. She goes on a soul searching journey of space and Earth tourism leading her to become a photojournalist on Mars
She us approached to write the story of the first rain on Mars and the expedition to get to it.

We meet the participants and all their stories are so poignant . A reformed Persian/French criminal who made a career for herself in mechanics,the ancestor whose great great great grandfather created the technology to travel to Mars ,and a man who beat the foster system to become a success in engineering.

There is a struggle to get to the destination but I found more interest in the stories of the characters to get to this moment. This surprised me because I was expecting more a general adventure.
It is a short read too good for a rainy weekend or a flight .

[The Library Lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

This reminds me of another book I recently read and loved, Orbital, in that it is science fiction but it's really about the people. Some time in the future a group of humans on a terraformed Mars are on an expedition searching to see the first rain. But this book is really about the life stories of several of the group, told to another member of the group. What brought them to this place? Their stories are poignant and utterly believable.

That said, I had a big issue with the world building here.There is talk of the "Climate Wars" and social chaos in the past, and it seems to have been several hundred years ago. Yet the lives of the group seem to be 21st century lives in terms of technology, pop culture, etc. There is nothing to show any sort of change. I found that jarring. None the less there is enough here to win the book 4 stars.

[Abigail Pankau · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a teenager, Sakunja Salazar was a famous holostar and influencer. But after the fame went away, she found herself traveling the solar system, and finally landing on Mars. There she started teaching herself photography, and has been hired as a journalist to cover a small group trying to be the first humans to experience rain on Mars. She’s documenting the journey, but also the different people who are on the trip, from descendants of famed scientists who worked on the terraforming of Mars to recovered addicts starting a new life on Mars. But there is something that connects them all on this dangerous trip to experience something extraordinary.

An interesting novella about the various people who have settled on Mars. It’s interesting because you get five different life stories interspersed in the short story of the journey; and the world-building is very excellent. But overall, I sadly felt “meh” about it.

Content warning: abusive parents, foster system, addiction, abusive husband, cancer.

[Danielle Louth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as a giveaway from Goodreads. Overall, the Rainseekers is an imaginative and engaging science fiction novel that combines adventure with thoughtful questions about colonization and survival. I enjoyed this book despite my usual lack of interest in Sci-Fi type genres. The book was a quick read, almost a short story in format that kept my attention due to the authors writing style without over explanation of the science theories. It is a great choice for readers who enjoy stories about space exploration, harsh environments, and characters facing difficult choices in unfamiliar worlds. I would recommend this book for anyone looking for a quick read with adventure with meaningful themes, rather than fast sci-fi that focuses only on technology or battles.

[Jay Brantner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very much a “travelers tell their stories while on a long and dangerous journey” sort of novella. Which is all well and good, but while the characters all come from different backgrounds, the stories have a tendency to hit a whole lot of the same beats. Part of that is clearly intentional in a novella that’s making a point about hope and pressing on even when it seems like there’s no reason to. But it can feel repetitive, even in a very short book.

The themes are solid, the journey itself is solid, the writing is pretty good. But the bulk of the page time is dedicated to the flashbacks, so if they’re feeling repetitive, it’s a big issue.

First impression: 12/20. Full review to come at www.tarvolon.com

[Aiden Aprt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Tordotcom for sending me a copy of the ARC from a giveaway!

Man, I don’t usually go for narratives like this, but I absolutely devoured this book. From page 1, I was drawn in by the book’s promise of a life-changing expedition and its colorful narrator whose imagery helped me feel like I was actually on Mars with them. Not only that, but in this novel’s short span, it manages to tug on your heartstrings so many damn times I lost count. And to wrap it all up, Kressel manages to write a book of perfect length. He doesn’t write more than he should and lets the book and its characters truly speak for themselves.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up. Thank you to Tor and author for an early copy!
This follows a woman who has decided to adventure out to the Martian desert with a group of others in hopes of being the first to ever experience rain on Mars. Sakunja is in a group of about 40 people, and while on their trek she decides to interview others on how they came to be in Mars. So this book is basically a collection of short stories on how they all ended up where they are - and a lot of the history or terraforming mars as well. While I read this super slow, I really did enjoy it (minus some of the dialogue - am not a fan of how they talk in the future lol) and recommend it as a scifi novella with multiple POVs

[Mason Kendrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I usually do most of my reading with audiobooks while I'm at work, but only a few minutes into this one I knew it was the one I wanted to sit down for. I love the "oral history" genre, in this Novella is a great entry into that genre, telling the story of the many different kinds of people who would find themselves in the Martian wilderness looking to become a part of History. My only issue is that I wish there was more stories, but as the author says we are but fixed beings in time and there will always be stories that are missed.

[Max · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Rainseekers is a short but beautiful read. It is couched in this Sci-fi setting in the nearish future, but at its heart, it is story of what it means to be human. The tales are relatable, heartwarming, and heartbreaking all at the same time. If you are in mood for a reflective book, going through a life change, or feel like you are in a rut, I highly recommend The Rainseekers.

Thank you Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group for providing me an ARC.