The Radiant Dark: A Novel

by Alexandra Oliva

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

“The Radiant Dark is incandescent.” —Sarah Jessica Parker

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 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 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, Contemporary, Adult, Literary Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Family Drama

Kindle Edition

Expected publication 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

[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! 🙏🏼

[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.

[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!

[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.

[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.

[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!

[Bandit · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Oliva's debut novel and liked her follow-up quite a lot too. So, this was an automatic click request from Netgalley for me, although I was concerned about the "women's fiction" tag on the book.
And sure enough ... yes, it is. Mind you, Oliva h's previous two novels also feature female protagonists. In fact, one of her greatest strengths is that she can write compelling, non-clichéd women. But with this book, she has obviously slipped into the not-so-radiant dark side of "mommy fiction."
Which is to say that despite this book's beautiful writing, despite it's fascinating First Contact premise, despite how cleverly it speaks to the very nature of connection and communication between
your own and other species, etc., at its base this is the story of mothers and daughters ... and a rather tedious one at that.
Maybe because it starts off with Carol, who isn't just a bad mother but a bad person and much too dumb to change her ways, maybe it's because it gives Carol so much page time, maybe it's because her own daughter, who is by contrast very smart, takes so long to realize and address the toxicity of their relationship. Maybe it's because the men of this book, although almost uniformly nicer and kinder, get permanently shifted into such secondary roles, as to say, "Screw equality, we know that it's mostly women who buy books, so this is for the ladies." Maybe it's because the book won't shut up about post-partum. Maybe because the message here is so tragically unoriginal: "Motherhood is tough, but it's so worth it." Maybe because the novel makes so many conscious choices to veer away from what's interesting (alien species sending signals to Earth!) and focus on what isn't: "diapers, etc."
Maybe it's because of all these things, that I found this an annoyingly disappointing read, full of wasted potential.
Reading Oliva's biography, it's easy to see how this book might be deeply personal, and how much she might be like her scientist protagonist. But that isn't enough either.
For a writer who can clearly do so much more, this feels kind of like pandering. And yet, her writing is so freaking good that I can't help but uprate the book to four stars.
Thanks Netgalley.

This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/

[Brad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alexandra Oliva only releases a book every few years. And when she does, you should put it on your list because it's going to be a great story full of wonderful characters. The Radiant Dark is her newest book, coming in April.

"It's 1980 - A flickering of light turns out to be a communication from intelligent life on another planet. What does that mean for humanity knowing that we're not alone? Carol, a new mother, searches for spiritual meaning. Her son, Michael, is drawn to the environment. And daughter, Ro, wants to work in intestellar communication. For five decades, the family chases their dreams."

Wow! This book has a slow start and then 40% in I could not put it down. Oliva writes these great characters. Carol - that I shook my head at a lot - gets involved in a cult and has some interesting conversations with herself. And has the ability to rationalize abandoning her children. Michael - who is always searching. And wonderful Ro - who lives with the death of a friend and has an unending desire to see what's out there.
Oliva moves the story by big time jumps. We go from 1980 to 2034 - 50 years of life for this family. There are some terrifying moments - a little redemption - lots of hope - and a search for life, here and there.
I loved the ending. I think it will surprise some.

Do not miss this story from Alexandra Oliva.

[Rachel Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Radiant Dark is absolutely gorgeous, exploring what it means to be human with the knowledge that we are not alone. Deeply moving and beautifully written, I couldn't put this book down and yet wanted to read slower so I could savor it for longer. I haven't stopped thinking about it since I finished, and I will absolutely be adding the hardcover to my shelves upon release. Highly, highly recommend.

[Ruby Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the book's premise, and the writing is excellent. I started very interested in Carol, her marriage, and family, and I read the first part of the book without stopping. However, midway through, it became difficult to care about any of the characters, except for Carol's kids. I went into this thinking it was sci-fi fiction, when it was really more about unhappy/toxic mothers, and the way they traumatize and fail their children. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.