The Radiant Dark

by Alexandra Oliva

Arrival meets Wild Dark Shore in this captivating novel that follows a family for over fifty years—a bold and compassionate exploration of the universe around us and what it truly means to be human.

It’s March 1980, and Carol Girard and her husband are living an ordinary life in a small town in the Adirondacks. They have just had their first child, and though Carol is struggling with the challenges of new motherhood, her future seems clear. Until something extraordinary happens: an inexplicable flickering of light in the sky, which is ultimately determined to be communication from intelligent life on another planet. But these beings are eleven light-years away, and nothing is known about them other than the fact that they seem to know we exist too. And so begins a decades-long exchange of messages with this mysterious, faraway civilization.

As humanity reels from a shifting understanding of its place in the universe, we follow the stories of the Girard family: Carol, whose fascination with this other life sparks a desperate search for spiritual meaning; Michael, her loyal son, who finds solace not in the stars above his head but in the ground beneath his feet; and Ro, Carol’s bright and ambitious daughter, whose childhood goal to work in interstellar communication will evolve into something far grander.

Tracing five decades of love, loss, ambition, and self-discovery, The Radiant Dark is a stunning examination of a family navigating their lives with the knowledge that we are not alone.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Contemporary, Literary Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Adult

416 pages, Hardcover

First published April 28, 2026

About the author

Alexandra Oliva is the author of The Radiant Dark, Forget Me Not, and The Last One. She grew up in a small town in New York's Adirondack Mountains. A first-generation college graduate, she has a BA from Yale University and an MFA in Creative Writing from The New School University. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family.

Though she is not active on Goodreads, Alexandra can be reached via Instagram (ali.oliva) and her website.

Reviews

[Liana Gold · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️ 4 ⭐️ Based on the premise, I thought this would be a science fiction novel about a family who begins a long line of exchanges with a mysterious, faraway civilization. Perhaps I was mistaken and thats on me, but I could have sworn I've picked this one up from the 'sci-fi' genre section. I was under assumption that we are going to read some exchanges between the aliens and the humans and run along the promised Arrival meets Wild Dark Shores vibes but this was neither of those things. First and foremost, I don't want anyone to be misguided but the Radiant Dark is nowhere near the sci-fi genre. It's more like general/women's fiction that centers on a family from a small town of Adirondacks that explores generational trauma, motherhood, spouses with a very small sprinkle of a possibility of life on other planets.

It opens with an isolated and overwhelmed mother, Carol who learns that Earth received a message from an alien civilization about eleven light years away. Carol just gave birth to Michael and the weight of motherhood is growing heavy. With no help from her husband, she's growing increasingly lonely and the weighted blanket of expectations is drowning her. She feels overwhelmed and adrift. Jake is the typical 1980's male--give me my beer, 'let me be woman' and make me my dinner type of a man and you can't help but feel Carols sadness and frustration. Carol learns that she is pregnant again & gives birth to her baby girl, Rosanna, who is named after the exoplanet Ross 128. She raises both kids in the shadow of the 'Rossians' and we follow the events that span 50 years. In essence it's a family saga/family drama that follow a family over the course of 50 years.

Initially disappointed, the story picks up around 40-45% mark and I couldn't put it down. It's a deep dive into a character study that feels rich and emotional, perhaps frustrating at times. Its grounded in fears, lots of hope and how some events impart our lives in different ways. It's about what we carry and how we pass it down the generations. It superficially explores the relationship between space and humans--How does it feel knowing that we are not alone? That there is life beyond our universe?What exactly is there beyond the stars and what does it mean to be human in the face of the unknown?

Alexandra Oliva takes us through large time span, 1980's to 2034 and ends with an epilogue thats ends in 2138 that is emotionally powerful.The Radiant Dark is quiet, it's literary, it will be personal for some. Underneath it all, it looks at humanity and how we need and look for a much deeper connection with ourselves and each other.


Many thanks to NetGalley, Zando Projects and the author, Alexandra Oliva for an early copy.

Publication date: April 28, 2026

[Alisha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn’t wait to finish this book. Something pushed me to finish reading it, I think I was hopeful for an interesting conclusion. The payoff was just okay. Comparing this to Arrival and Wild Dark Shore (one of my favorite books) is really just a marketing trick. This book was about a very selfish and toxic mother and her relationship with her kids. I’m so glad it’s over and everyone escaped relatively unscathed.

[book_reviews_with_lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐.5

I don’t even know where to start with this 🤩

So many layers, so much depth, so much emotion 🏆

An epic tale of space, intelligent life, spirituality, trauma, belief systems, motherhood, family relationships, cults…. And all told with an authenticity that makes all of it SO real. I couldn’t put this book down 🥇

This is my first read by Alexandra and I will certainly be reading more by her!

What an amazing read ✨

I am so grateful for being approved to read this ARC via @NetGalley

This is released on April 28th 2026- save the date! 🙏🏼

[Lauren W · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 I’m torn on this one. I expected heavy-leaning sci-fi plot, but instead found a serious, character-heavy novel focused on the complexities of motherhood and identity. While the writing is quite good, the lack of character growth and somber tone made it a challenging read at times. The sci-fi elements are subtle threads rather than the main focus. Great for fans of literary speculative fiction, but it’s a heavy one.

[Hannah Decker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t expect to love this as much as I did. It explored so many different concepts like the possibility of other planets, generational trauma, what makes a good mother, cults, etc. I was attached to some of the characters and couldn’t stand some of the others. A one of a kind read.

Thank you, NetGalley!

[Breanne Burch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coming off the high of Artemis and Project Hail Mary, I needed another spacey read and this one delivered. But it was so much more than just space. It unraveled like an onion, layer by layer… touching on motherhood, postpartum, messy family dynamics, cults, belief systems, and extraterrestrials 👽👾🛸

[Bonnie Margolies · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED.

I’m such a sucker for a space-y book and this one is fantastic. I know I’ll be thinking about it for a long time.

Thanks to Book Huddle and Zando Projects for the ARC!

[Hannah Chaussee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow wow wow this was easily the most relatable space-adjacent book I’ve ever read. The descriptions of motherhood and relationships in general were so accurate in my opinion. This book discussed environmental concerns, religion, relationships of all kind, humanity’s future, and so much more in such a graceful, perfect manner.

[Inês Beato · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 ⭐️

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book. I hope this one wins all the awards next year. A classic example of a book that is both heartbreaking and deeply hopeful. The heartbreak and the hope centers around a mother in the 80s in upstate New York who is a survivor of abuse without understanding it, fully typical of that time. She gives birth to and nurtures two exceptional children right after first contact, one of.of whom will look to the universe and the other of whom will protect everyone he knows on the planet. But she is completely alone and cannot heal herself. This family dynamic is deeply explored from all perspectives in excruciating detail. I think everyone will recognize themselves in some part of this family. The hope comes from the ultimate gift these children become to the world and the constraints that they are able to cast off without really understanding the gift their mother gave them. On top of it is a story of first contact and how this changes everyone on earth. Again, it is a story both heartbreaking and beautiful. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this novel.

[Zoë · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic study of mother daughter relationships set against the background of alien contact. The transitions between years and references to real events throughout made it that much more special as an alternate history

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Radiant Dark is about how first contact, and the knowledge of extraterrestrial life, impacts a single family through generations. But at its heart, it is an examination of the relationship between a mother and daughter, motherhood, and generational trauma. We follow Carol (the mother) and Ro (the daughter) for much of the book, starting with Carol as a new mother, struggling through postpartum in the 80’s with no support, on the night of first contact. We spend some time with the dad (but so minimally I can’t remember his name) who is emotionally absent and the brother, Mikey, who keeps his focus on the earth. But for me, this is really about the mother-daughter relationship. It examines the mistakes a mother makes over time, how it impacts her daughter, and how when the daughter has a daughter of her own, it can change the perspective on her mother’s experience. As a woman that is no-contact with my own living mother, the toxicity and emotional immaturity of Carol through Ro’s life was like reading a story about my own childhood. The way Carol undermines her daughter and consistently centers everything around herself and her own experience, was like looking at my own mother. Then when Carol lands in a cult, because she is searching for answers and belonging, she fails to see her children as they are, and it draws parallels to today’s Q-anon and MAGA cults.

I found the dynamic between Ro and Carol beautiful and heartbreaking since we as readers get to experience both sides. We can see the damage Carol does to Ro, but we can also see the immaturity of Carol. It brought some perspective to my own circumstance and helped me see my mom as a woman. And all the while, the “Rossians” exist in the background, driving time forward, impacting each family member differently.

I was particularly touched by the depictions of new motherhood for both Carol and Ro. It was incredibly honest and dark. Those early days of new motherhood are both a singular experience and a universal one. Carol’s motherhood journey had no support. She was totally alone with no one to help guide her through it or notice her. Ro had a supportive spouse and family that she could lean on when her feelings during postpartum got dark. Because of the difference, they grow through new motherhood so differently and their relationships with their daughters show it.

All that to say, this is slow and meandering, deeply complicated and emotional, beautifully written, and a unique read. Yes, it is sci fi and yes there are aliens, but really, Oliva examines how time passes no matter what. Families grow, evolve, change, live and die, because time waits for no one, even aliens. It is both hopeful and heartbreaking, and I recommend it.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel begins in 1980, when new mom Carol is shaken up from her post-partum depression by the news that scientists have just discovered that flashing lights that have appeared in the sky are actually beacons from a far away planet. The book then follows Carol and her two children Michael and Rosanna over decades as we see how the beacon has changed both their lives and the world around them.

Between that description and the first severe of the publisher blurb calling this book “Arrival meets Wild Dark Shore,” I thought this was going to be a science fiction book, but it really isn’t. Rather, that speculative premise is really just more of a window/inciting incident to a dysfunctional family drama over decades, more like Hello Beautiful or a Mary Beth Keane or Tracey Lange book. Plus a little bit of a character-driven alternate history grounded in this new reality - like the tv show For All Mankind. (Though the very last bit finally got science fiction-y in a way I’d love to dive deeper into - perhaps a sequel???) Anyway, despite the book not being what I expected and feeling a tad long, I found it an absorbing and interesting read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy (out now); all opinions are my own.

[jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

i am in awe of the scale of this novel both in terms of time & geography. we have two parallel stories happening simultaneously: an intimate family drama mainly focusing on the challenges & struggles of motherhood alongside earth making contact with aliens for the first time. it's compelling! and i love the way that these stories parallel each other but don't eclipse one another. each character has a different approach to where they focus their energies: on earth or on space. and there were plot points that legitimately made me gasp, and others that made me cry because of their tenderness. this is the funky family drama i've been wanting to read for a while.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ The Radiant Dark is an epic family saga that explores our place in the universe, in ways both big and very small. As the characters attempt communication with another faraway planet, they continue to struggle and fail to communicate with one another — an oh-so-human failing, and just one part of what makes this story so relatable and affecting.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this. Wow, I actually had to sit in silence for a few minutes after it ended to just gather thoughts....or let reality come back to me. I really thought halfway through that I was going to rate it lower because I was constantly wanting more of the stars and science and space but it ended up being the most beautiful thread throughout the story of such a dynamic family. I kept getting drawn in deeper and deeper with every shift in the timeline and it ended in such a perfect full circle. I'm so pleased with my recent Aardvark picks!

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful book about family (and especially motherhood) with an unlikely, underlying sci-fi/first contact thread.

[Ggdansk · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Radiant Dark by Alexandra Oliva (to be published April 2026) is a generational story of mother-and-daughterhood that starts with Carol in 1980 as she holds her first days-old child when a message is intercepted from Ross 128b, an exoplanet 11 light-years away in another galaxy. She raises her two children in the shadow of the Rossians and of the back-and-forth messages between Earth and Ross 128b. Her daughter, Rosanna, is so inspired by these interactions that she grows up to work in a space agency. Her scientific pedigree is later in stark contrast to her mother’s devotion to a space cult, which is detrimental to their relationship. Ro’s own child Lydia works to both bring them together and to separate them even further. The last person in this generational story is Mica in 2138, who finds old pictures of people who she suspects are family members in an old book from 1980, and she sets out on a quest to find out their identities.

This story is quite interesting in its depiction of characters. They are all very well-built and characterized, and they grow and change organically and realistically as the story progresses. This family has strong relationships that develop both with love and exasperation, as well as contempt. None of these character are perfect or completely good people, but the reader feels and empathy for all of them, including Carol in her somewhat crazy stage. As Carol’s character progresses, she becomes more and more esoteric as she joins a cult and firmly believes in its message. The process that leads her into the cult is understandable and although she becomes somewhat moronic in her later stages, the reader can still feel sympathy for her plight, even if she does not know herself that she is in a strange situation. Carol meets Theodore in the cult, and both of their lives are narrated from within the cult and their own point of view as well as from the outside point of view of their families. This is interesting and adds another dimension to the tension in their family dynamics.

Read the full review here: https://www.ultramarinereview.com/pos...

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free ARC in exchange for an honest review💕

A story about discovering that aliens are real is certainly not new. First contact stories have been explored in countless ways in many different forms throughout (arguably) nearly all of human history. We all want to know the answer to the question of what our world, our lives, would look like if we were not the only 'intelligent' species we know of, if Earth was not the only planet to sustain human life, and space travel was possible.

The Radiant Dark by Alexandra Oliva offers a pretty different answer. What if, nothing really changed at all? If you're a stay at home mom (in the 80s!) struggling with post partum issues and have virtually no support system, does learning about the existence of aliens change your day to day? This is how our story begins, with Carol Girard, along with the rest of the world, learning that there is extraterrestrial life and that they have initiatied contact with Earth. While she is absolutely fascinated with this and it follows her for the rest of her life, her struggles do not go away just because of this incredible historic event.

We are with the Girard family for many decades throughout this book, and each member is extremely real, extremely flawed, and dealing with issues far beyond the celestial. Things get messy, issues are not always cleanly (or sometimes even ever) resolved, and people don't forget their differences just because there is something 'greater than themselves' out there.

Ultimately, what I took away from this incredibly story is that life continues to go on even in the midst of unpredecented circumstances (see 2020!), and real change takes time - so much in fact, that we may not even live to see it.

[Rachel Blalock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received the ARC from Net Galley through Book Huddle:

This book was so good! I love a space/alien/science book but it can be really easy for those stories to become too crazy or to not really contribute to enough of a plot. The Radiant Dark was a perfect in between. Learning about a family on Earth and how each they lived their lives in such different ways as a result of First Contact was so interesting to think about. I loved that the timeline of the book kept the plot from dragging and I was able to experience such a long range of years without it being overwhelming or boring. I wish I lived in this version of Earth to have the experience of learning so much like these characters did. Featuring stories about family dynamics, motherhood, cults, academia, conservation, and somehow also aliens in such a beautiful way, this book is great for sci-fi lovers that also like to think about normal world problems.

[Kelsey Beach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! I really loved this book. It took a bit for me to really get into it, but once I did I couldn't put it down. This story follows a family over multiple generations and is heartwarming, heartbreaking, frustrating, and inspiring all at once. I love the way this author covered different reactions to events in this family and how whether I agreed with the character's actions or not, I was able to see why they were doing/thinking certain things. Nothing was ever one dimensional, as is life. I found myself so connected to this family by the end of the book, which I absolutely loved. I will say the reason I picked this book was for the ADK setting, as I live in Central NY and spend a lot of time in the ADKs, but most of the book did not take place there. Nothing that effected my enjoyment of the book, just a heads up! 4.5 stars rounded up.

[Nina Alstrom · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book somehow feels like both a celebration of, and a warning for, humanity. The characters were given just as much careful attention as the plot, which could have easily gotten messy and confusing due to ongoing timeline shifts but avoided common pitfalls with clever writing and development. I'd consider this a must-read work of fiction for anyone who enjoys pondering the "why" of our place in the universe and in history. Absolutely loved it!

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping family drama with a Sci-Fi twist.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Radiant Dark by Alexandra Olivia is a beautifully layered and thought-provoking novel that takes a fresh and gripping approach to the classic first-contact scenario. From the very first page, I was pulled into a world teetering on the edge of change, as humanity grapples with the sudden and undeniable knowledge that we are not alone in the universe.

What really stood out to me was how Olivia chose to tell this story through a wide range of perspectives. Instead of focusing on a single character or a small team of scientists or government officials, we’re introduced to a rich cast of characters from different walks of life, belief systems, and emotional backgrounds. Each character’s chapter adds another piece to the puzzle, showing how news of alien life impacts people in vastly different ways; some are filled with hope and awe, others with fear, suspicion, or even existential dread. These reactions felt incredibly human and grounded the story in a very real emotional landscape.

The alien species themselves are shrouded in mystery, and I appreciated that Olivia didn’t go the route of over-explaining their biology, culture, or purpose right away. Instead, the novel explores the ripple effects of the aliens’ presence politically, socially, emotionally, and even spiritually. That ambiguity kept the tension high and made for a more immersive and unsettling experience.

Olivia’s writing is lyrical yet accessible, and the pacing is spot-on. Even with the rotating viewpoints, the transitions felt smooth and purposeful, never jarring. There were moments of quiet introspection, bursts of action, and incredibly emotional beats that hit hard. There was always a sense that we were witnessing something truly monumental unfold, yet the story never lost its intimacy.

What I found most compelling was how deeply the book delves into what it means to be human in the face of something incomprehensible. It raises thoughtful questions without hitting you over the head with them. How do we define identity, meaning, and belonging when our place in the universe is called into question? Do we rise to the challenge, or fall into chaos?

The Radiant Dark is one of those rare science fiction novels that balances big, bold ideas with quiet, personal truths. It’s emotionally resonant, intellectually stimulating, and deeply affecting. Alexandra Olivia has written something truly special, and I’ll definitely be on the lookout for what she writes next.

Thank you to NetGalley, Zando, and Alexandra Olivia for granting me access to a digital ARC of this title.

[Abee Bittle · Rating 4 out of 5]

4ish ⭐️

This was a slow start for me but I didn’t want to put it down towards the end.

This book is a sweeping generational saga. We meet Carol and follow her lineage while proof of an alien existence creates a cultural shift for humanity. I’d say aliens provide the context while the family provides the drama.
This was unlike any book I’ve read before. It feels hard to describe it without potential spoilers.

The marketing uses “Arrival” x “Wild Dark Shores” to describe Radiant Dark. I can see the comparison. I’d take it a step further and compare it to “Arrival” x “The Covenant of Water”.

Thank you, NetGalley and Zando for this eARC. All opinions are my own.
This book will be published 4/28/2026.

[Emilie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a heavy contender for my favorite book of the year.

The blurb described it as Arrival meets Wild Dark Shore but I’d say it’s more like a sci fi concept from Andy Weir but written by Kristin Hannah.

Earth received a beacon from a planet 11 light years away. Due to distance, the exchange of messages takes a total of 22 years minimum for a message to be sent and receive a reply. The novel is character driven and focuses on one multi-generational family and the ways the beacon affects their lives and relationships.

The novel begins in our 1980 and even has then president Jimmy Carter holding a press conference to announce that the beacon is sign of intelligent life and we are not alone. The novel focuses early on Carol and her experience with postpartum depression as the entire world copes with and celebrates the news.

This is a breathtaking and heartbreaking book.

[Krissi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was far from what I expected, but I loved it! While the plot is centered around the concept of alien communication with earth, it is NOT necessarily the primary focus of the book. Really what readers will experience is a story about what happens over the span of many decades while anxious, excited, and worried families and individuals wait for next contact points. How does each person internalize alien contact? How do they build their lives around it? The book mostly focuses on one family and how each person processes their personal journey forward, their relationships with each other, and their futures.

Really great read if you are interested in complicated family dynamics. Note that this is pretty light on the sci-fi, but is a beautifully written, literary book.

[Megan Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oliva has tenderly crafted a family story framed by world-changing events. She's able to hold two truths in your mind at once: things happen that completely shift the global paradigm and these events do not change individuals' struggles with their lives. However, she also slips a third situation into the mix--were it not for the paradigm shift, I wouldn't have had another child. Expertly juggling these three truths with dreamy prose and strong character development, The Radiant Dark is a fantastic literary fiction novel. The writing grounds each portion of the story in a specific place and time that unspools over a lifetime.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Family drama and science fiction are my two favorite genres and The Radiant Dark is both. A story spanning many generations of one family, and centered around contact with a planet many light years away from earth. It’s deep, complex, and heartbreaking, but everyone has one goal, and that is to find out what’s out there.

[Jennie Hays · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story so much! What I thought was going to be action and aliens was more about motherhood, trauma, forgiveness, understanding, humanity and SOME aliens. I loved it.