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Terrible Worlds: Destinations
Terrible Worlds: Destinations
Compilation of three novellas in the Terrible Worlds: Destinations series.
-Walking to Aldebaran
-One Day All This Will be Yours
-And Put Away Childish Things
-Walking to Aldebaran
-One Day All This Will be Yours
-And Put Away Childish Things
432 pages, Paperback
Published May 5, 2026
About the author
Adrian Tchaikovsky
202 books18.9k followersADRIAN TCHAIKOVSKY was born in Lincolnshire and studied zoology and psychology at Reading, before practising law in Leeds. He is a keen live role-player and occasional amateur actor and is trained in stage-fighting. His literary influences include Gene Wolfe, Mervyn Peake, China Miéville, Mary Gently, Steven Erikson, Naomi Novak, Scott Lynch and Alan Campbell.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 5, 2026
Three very different novellas, I enjoyed all of them in different ways. Notes below relating to spiders could be considered (very) minor spoilers.
-Walking to Aldebaran - 4/5
An astronaut tells a first person story of being lost inside an alien artifact. It's very depressing. But also rather chipper somehow. "I can’t go on. I’ll go on" if you know what I mean. I enjoyed how the story unfolded and found it the most satisfying of the three plot-wise. My random vibe comps: Becky Chambers gloomy-writing from a prompt by Peter Watts. Spiders as metaphors.
-One Day All This Will be Yours - 3/5
How we broke time and what happened next. Also first person. I'm not great with time travel stories ... I get too into trying to work out how it connects and works, when really I should just go "stuff happens, relax and enjoy." Random vibe comps: goofy-mood John Scalzi playing with themes from This Is How You Lose the Time War. Extra points for the dinosaur. Spiders as murder weapons.
-And Put Away Childish Things - 3.5/5
A kids' TV presenter discovers that his grandmother's Narnia-adjacent childrens books may not be the charming fantasy he'd always imagined. Third person. As with all of these (and living up to the title of the collection), the setting is vividly written, and for me easy to imagine. I also liked the pandemic timeline as a facet of the story, though it would have been too soon for me if I'd read this when it first came out. The story does its own playing with the CS Lewis comparison, so no vibe comps to add here, but just to note, if I was drawing genre lines, this would be in fantasy and only very slightly sci-fi. VERY spider.
Overall: this is why I love reading Tchaikovsky's writing (sci-fi in particular) so much. Three very different stories, doing different things in different tones, and so obviously having fun!
Rating: 15/20
This review is based upon a complimentary advance reading copy provided by the publisher.
-Walking to Aldebaran - 4/5
An astronaut tells a first person story of being lost inside an alien artifact. It's very depressing. But also rather chipper somehow. "I can’t go on. I’ll go on" if you know what I mean. I enjoyed how the story unfolded and found it the most satisfying of the three plot-wise. My random vibe comps: Becky Chambers gloomy-writing from a prompt by Peter Watts. Spiders as metaphors.
-One Day All This Will be Yours - 3/5
How we broke time and what happened next. Also first person. I'm not great with time travel stories ... I get too into trying to work out how it connects and works, when really I should just go "stuff happens, relax and enjoy." Random vibe comps: goofy-mood John Scalzi playing with themes from This Is How You Lose the Time War. Extra points for the dinosaur. Spiders as murder weapons.
-And Put Away Childish Things - 3.5/5
A kids' TV presenter discovers that his grandmother's Narnia-adjacent childrens books may not be the charming fantasy he'd always imagined. Third person. As with all of these (and living up to the title of the collection), the setting is vividly written, and for me easy to imagine. I also liked the pandemic timeline as a facet of the story, though it would have been too soon for me if I'd read this when it first came out. The story does its own playing with the CS Lewis comparison, so no vibe comps to add here, but just to note, if I was drawing genre lines, this would be in fantasy and only very slightly sci-fi. VERY spider.
Overall: this is why I love reading Tchaikovsky's writing (sci-fi in particular) so much. Three very different stories, doing different things in different tones, and so obviously having fun!
Rating: 15/20
This review is based upon a complimentary advance reading copy provided by the publisher.
May 12, 2026
Terrible Worlds: Destinations feels like the perfect showcase of everything Adrian Tchaikovsky does best: strange ideas, unsettling worlds, sharp speculative concepts, and stories that stay with you long after you finish them. This collection brings together three novellas that are wildly different in voice and premise, yet each carries Tchaikovsky's signature mixture of creativity and existential anxiety.
I had actually read Walking to Aldebaran years ago, and revisiting it here reminded me why it never fully worked for me. The opening concept is intriguing, a lone astronaut trapped inside a bizarre alien artifact while putting together what happened to his crew, and the atmosphere is undeniably eerie and claustrophobic. But after the initial few pages, I struggled to stay emotionally connected to the story. While I can absolutely appreciate the creepy science fiction horror elements and the creativity behind the alien setting, it’s probably not one I feel compelled to revisit in the future.
I liked One Day All This Will Be Yours much more. The premise of a man trying to stop humanity from endlessly abusing time travel was hectic, funny, and surprisingly clever. The deadpan humor really worked for me, especially against the bleak backdrop of a world shattered by time-based warfare. That said, I definitely felt like I was just going along with the story at times rather than fully understanding all the mechanics of what was happening. The time-travel logic becomes intentionally messy and convoluted, but somehow the novella still manages to stay entertaining even when it feels completely unhinged.
The final novella, And Put Away Childish Things, takes obvious inspiration from Narnia-style portal fantasy and twists it into something much stranger and much more unsettling. This was easily my favorite of the collection. The idea of a magical children’s world abandoned for generations is equally nostalgic and quietly horrifying. While it was slower than the other two for me, I still appreciated the creepy atmosphere and the way it explored the persistent impact of childhood fantasy.
What ties all three stories together is Tchaikovsky’s ability to create vivid worlds and memorable concepts in such a short space. None of these stories is cozy or comforting; the title Terrible Worlds fits perfectly, but they are imaginative, thoughtful, and consistently engaging. Even when the endings lean bleak, there’s something fascinating about the way Tchaikovsky explores isolation, humanity, time, and the consequences of exploration.
Overall, this is an excellent collection for both long-term Tchaikovsky fans and readers looking for an introduction to his work. If you enjoy speculative fiction that is creative, unsettling, and full of big ideas, Terrible Worlds: Destinations is absolutely worth reading.
I had actually read Walking to Aldebaran years ago, and revisiting it here reminded me why it never fully worked for me. The opening concept is intriguing, a lone astronaut trapped inside a bizarre alien artifact while putting together what happened to his crew, and the atmosphere is undeniably eerie and claustrophobic. But after the initial few pages, I struggled to stay emotionally connected to the story. While I can absolutely appreciate the creepy science fiction horror elements and the creativity behind the alien setting, it’s probably not one I feel compelled to revisit in the future.
I liked One Day All This Will Be Yours much more. The premise of a man trying to stop humanity from endlessly abusing time travel was hectic, funny, and surprisingly clever. The deadpan humor really worked for me, especially against the bleak backdrop of a world shattered by time-based warfare. That said, I definitely felt like I was just going along with the story at times rather than fully understanding all the mechanics of what was happening. The time-travel logic becomes intentionally messy and convoluted, but somehow the novella still manages to stay entertaining even when it feels completely unhinged.
The final novella, And Put Away Childish Things, takes obvious inspiration from Narnia-style portal fantasy and twists it into something much stranger and much more unsettling. This was easily my favorite of the collection. The idea of a magical children’s world abandoned for generations is equally nostalgic and quietly horrifying. While it was slower than the other two for me, I still appreciated the creepy atmosphere and the way it explored the persistent impact of childhood fantasy.
What ties all three stories together is Tchaikovsky’s ability to create vivid worlds and memorable concepts in such a short space. None of these stories is cozy or comforting; the title Terrible Worlds fits perfectly, but they are imaginative, thoughtful, and consistently engaging. Even when the endings lean bleak, there’s something fascinating about the way Tchaikovsky explores isolation, humanity, time, and the consequences of exploration.
Overall, this is an excellent collection for both long-term Tchaikovsky fans and readers looking for an introduction to his work. If you enjoy speculative fiction that is creative, unsettling, and full of big ideas, Terrible Worlds: Destinations is absolutely worth reading.
May 5, 2026
Terrible Worlds: Destinations by Adrian Tchaikovsky
4.25 rounded down to 4🔮orbs
Out now!!
Rebellion/Solaris Kindle Edition
Faraway places…
💡 Orbs Prologue: Imagine a thumb and forefinger gently gripping a meticulously crafted stem. The centrifugal force stabilizes the axis, a blur of motion, creating a movement similar to the beauty of a ballerina twirling effortlessly across the stage. While the dancer has predetermined steps, the spinning top navigates with a certain freedom. You watch the top closely. An emergence of contrast between the charcoal-colored table and small flecks of vibrant lunch scraps creates an interesting motif. Much like dreams of space travel, you imagine being inside the top, your personal spacecraft orbiting around small, undiscovered planets.
🧐 A small glimpse: Gary Rendell sends greetings through his astronaut visor. Our second main character, an unnamed survivor with big aspirations, resides on a farm. Lastly, Harry Bodie is the grandson of a famous children’s fantasy book author. These are the stalwarts in a collection that includes the three novellas, Walking to Aldebaran (2019), One Day This Will All Be Yours (2021), and And Put Away Childish Things (2023), written by Adrian Tchaikovsky. Fans and newcomers to Tchaikovsky's work have much to delve into. These three unique offerings are sure to please those hankering for a bit of science fiction, time travel, and fantasy cravings.
Walking to Aldebaran: In a galaxy far, far away, a strangely shaped planet, if one could call it that, appears. Gary Rendell searches this new "artifact" for answers that will change his life indefinitely. Space travel mixed with splashes of horror reigns supreme in this one! 4.25/5
One Day This Will All Be Yours: In a postapocalyptic scenario, an unnamed man tries to rewrite man’s mistakes. Having witnessed humanity’s final war, he vows to keep the peace by any means necessary. While things seem to be going quite swimmingly, the time traveler comes up against a most unforeseen foe. 4.25/5
And Put Away Childish Things: In what could be described as The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe-esque, our down-on-his-luck actor, Harry Bodie, becomes embroiled in an ancestral tale, one that includes deception, betrayal, and fantastical beasts. An influential children's story has some hidden meaning with real-life consequences. 4.25/5
👍 Orbs Pros: Tchaikovsky! A fabulous author! Splendid prose! Variety! Each story carves out its own special bit of fun. I found all of them extremely entertaining in their unique way. The characters! Loveable yet flawed and enough to get me invested in each story!
👎 Orbs Cons: Dragged on a tad! Strange, as these are three novellas and short stories already. Yet, I just felt like I wanted them to move at a bit quicker pace.
Highly Recommended: This is a wonderful little collection to dip your feet into the mind of Adrian Tchaikovsky. If you want to try your hand at some science fiction and are a bit weary, Tchaikovsky offers readers a perfect entryway. You really can’t go wrong with this one!
💡 Orbs Epilogue: Inside your imaginary cockpit, the g-force from the revolutions plasters your face to the captain’s seat. Looking out from the imaginary window, you see what looks to be a small crumb of cheese. A bright yellow circle, with small indents reminiscent of craters on the moon. Barely missing the golden planet, you are whisked away to what looks to be an oblong pickle slice. The sheen of the briny surface extends a hearty welcome as imaginary Pillsbury Doughboy hands wave as you pass by. Teetering, the bridge becomes unstable, and turbulence shakes the cabin. Before you, an endless black hole materializes, or something you recognize as some inconveniently spilled Worcestershire sauce that brings your epic journey to an end.
Many thanks to Rebellion/Solaris for the ARC through NetGalley. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
4.25 rounded down to 4🔮orbs
Out now!!
Rebellion/Solaris Kindle Edition
Faraway places…
💡 Orbs Prologue: Imagine a thumb and forefinger gently gripping a meticulously crafted stem. The centrifugal force stabilizes the axis, a blur of motion, creating a movement similar to the beauty of a ballerina twirling effortlessly across the stage. While the dancer has predetermined steps, the spinning top navigates with a certain freedom. You watch the top closely. An emergence of contrast between the charcoal-colored table and small flecks of vibrant lunch scraps creates an interesting motif. Much like dreams of space travel, you imagine being inside the top, your personal spacecraft orbiting around small, undiscovered planets.
🧐 A small glimpse: Gary Rendell sends greetings through his astronaut visor. Our second main character, an unnamed survivor with big aspirations, resides on a farm. Lastly, Harry Bodie is the grandson of a famous children’s fantasy book author. These are the stalwarts in a collection that includes the three novellas, Walking to Aldebaran (2019), One Day This Will All Be Yours (2021), and And Put Away Childish Things (2023), written by Adrian Tchaikovsky. Fans and newcomers to Tchaikovsky's work have much to delve into. These three unique offerings are sure to please those hankering for a bit of science fiction, time travel, and fantasy cravings.
Walking to Aldebaran: In a galaxy far, far away, a strangely shaped planet, if one could call it that, appears. Gary Rendell searches this new "artifact" for answers that will change his life indefinitely. Space travel mixed with splashes of horror reigns supreme in this one! 4.25/5
One Day This Will All Be Yours: In a postapocalyptic scenario, an unnamed man tries to rewrite man’s mistakes. Having witnessed humanity’s final war, he vows to keep the peace by any means necessary. While things seem to be going quite swimmingly, the time traveler comes up against a most unforeseen foe. 4.25/5
And Put Away Childish Things: In what could be described as The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe-esque, our down-on-his-luck actor, Harry Bodie, becomes embroiled in an ancestral tale, one that includes deception, betrayal, and fantastical beasts. An influential children's story has some hidden meaning with real-life consequences. 4.25/5
👍 Orbs Pros: Tchaikovsky! A fabulous author! Splendid prose! Variety! Each story carves out its own special bit of fun. I found all of them extremely entertaining in their unique way. The characters! Loveable yet flawed and enough to get me invested in each story!
👎 Orbs Cons: Dragged on a tad! Strange, as these are three novellas and short stories already. Yet, I just felt like I wanted them to move at a bit quicker pace.
Highly Recommended: This is a wonderful little collection to dip your feet into the mind of Adrian Tchaikovsky. If you want to try your hand at some science fiction and are a bit weary, Tchaikovsky offers readers a perfect entryway. You really can’t go wrong with this one!
💡 Orbs Epilogue: Inside your imaginary cockpit, the g-force from the revolutions plasters your face to the captain’s seat. Looking out from the imaginary window, you see what looks to be a small crumb of cheese. A bright yellow circle, with small indents reminiscent of craters on the moon. Barely missing the golden planet, you are whisked away to what looks to be an oblong pickle slice. The sheen of the briny surface extends a hearty welcome as imaginary Pillsbury Doughboy hands wave as you pass by. Teetering, the bridge becomes unstable, and turbulence shakes the cabin. Before you, an endless black hole materializes, or something you recognize as some inconveniently spilled Worcestershire sauce that brings your epic journey to an end.
Many thanks to Rebellion/Solaris for the ARC through NetGalley. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 10, 2026
Thank you to Netgalley and Rebellion for the free copy of this collection in exchange for my review.
Walking to Aldebaran: 4 ⭐ A lone astronaut exploring the mysterious crypts found inside a strange alien space artefact nicknamed the Frog God while we learn, through flashbacks, why he's on his own and what happened to the rest of his team.
This was enjoyable and reminded me a bit of Project Hail Mary at the beginning. It's hard to review without spoilers, though, so you just have to believe me when I say it's worth the read.
One Day All This Will Be Yours: 4⭐ A time traveller on a ranch at the end of the world is visited by some unexpected guests.
This is such a fun premise and an even better execution with a ton of dry humour to pad it out. Great time travel story and my favourite novella in here. I think fans of Doctor Who and the wibbly wobbly timey wimey of it all will enjoy this.
And Put Away Childish Things: 3.5 ⭐ This is Narnia but insane (but not really but also...Kinda?)
Reading this felt kind of how I imagine catching all the Muppets on a smoke break would feel. This one's unfortunately my least favourite of the three, though. It's not bad, by any means but I had a hard time staying engaged with it. I liked the premise but I feel like it could have been better executed.
Overall solid little collection of novellas with some unique concepts that don't over stay their welcome.
Walking to Aldebaran: 4 ⭐ A lone astronaut exploring the mysterious crypts found inside a strange alien space artefact nicknamed the Frog God while we learn, through flashbacks, why he's on his own and what happened to the rest of his team.
This was enjoyable and reminded me a bit of Project Hail Mary at the beginning. It's hard to review without spoilers, though, so you just have to believe me when I say it's worth the read.
One Day All This Will Be Yours: 4⭐ A time traveller on a ranch at the end of the world is visited by some unexpected guests.
This is such a fun premise and an even better execution with a ton of dry humour to pad it out. Great time travel story and my favourite novella in here. I think fans of Doctor Who and the wibbly wobbly timey wimey of it all will enjoy this.
And Put Away Childish Things: 3.5 ⭐ This is Narnia but insane (but not really but also...Kinda?)
Reading this felt kind of how I imagine catching all the Muppets on a smoke break would feel. This one's unfortunately my least favourite of the three, though. It's not bad, by any means but I had a hard time staying engaged with it. I liked the premise but I feel like it could have been better executed.
Overall solid little collection of novellas with some unique concepts that don't over stay their welcome.
Review of advance copy
Individually I would rate Walking to Aldebaran 4 stars, One Day All This Will Be Yours 4.5 stars, and And Put Away Childish Things 3.5 stars. Fun, fast reads with great voices and world building you would expect from Adrian Tchaikovsky.
To be 100% transparent, I read the three novellas that make up the Terrible Worlds: Destinations anthology rather than the aggregated volume which will be released next month. To avoid bloating my "read" list, I try to read and rate anthologies over individual short stories and novellas where possible.
To be 100% transparent, I read the three novellas that make up the Terrible Worlds: Destinations anthology rather than the aggregated volume which will be released next month. To avoid bloating my "read" list, I try to read and rate anthologies over individual short stories and novellas where possible.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A fun sci-fi collection from one of the genre’s most prolific authors. Each story gets better as it goes, showcasing Tchaikovsky’s improvement as a writer. I thoroughly enjoyed these!
Walking to Aldebaran
Mysterious and covered in dread as we try to figure out what is happening on this planet. 3 ⭐️
One Day All This Will Be Yours
Hilarious time-travel story about the person bored at the end of time. Some fun twists and timey-wimey shenanigans. 4⭐️
And Put Away Childish Things
What if Narnia was based on a real place and the chosen one left that world for Earth, leaving theirs to rot? My favorite story of the three. I love the main character and his development as he explores the Narnia-esque world. Nostalgic and meaningful. 5⭐️
Walking to Aldebaran
Mysterious and covered in dread as we try to figure out what is happening on this planet. 3 ⭐️
One Day All This Will Be Yours
Hilarious time-travel story about the person bored at the end of time. Some fun twists and timey-wimey shenanigans. 4⭐️
And Put Away Childish Things
What if Narnia was based on a real place and the chosen one left that world for Earth, leaving theirs to rot? My favorite story of the three. I love the main character and his development as he explores the Narnia-esque world. Nostalgic and meaningful. 5⭐️
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews