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Multitude
We float to the surface, and we see that there is more to the world than the ocean. We see stars.
Then one day, we hear a song from far away.
It could be nothing, a new dance of energies made by stars muttering to themselves... but it could be everything. We pull tight to your direction in the hope that the universe may gift us a conversation. A banquet.
In Australia, a SETI Technician asks her colleague, "A fake from 44 parsecs?"
In Nevada, a soldier flinches as unidentified craft fly overhead.
In Beirut, a mathematician pets her cat and thinks about language.
We are coming. For the hospice orderly with open arms, the seamstress in her alleyway shop, the lawyer angry at her neighbor's sloppy garden. For you are many, and cannot speak as one.
And yet we see you communicate without words. We see you organize and build.
We see you killing us.
For fans of Ray Nayler, Ann Leckie, and Martin MacInnes, follow the hivemind of cephalopod aliens and explore the power of language, community, and hope.
Then one day, we hear a song from far away.
It could be nothing, a new dance of energies made by stars muttering to themselves... but it could be everything. We pull tight to your direction in the hope that the universe may gift us a conversation. A banquet.
In Australia, a SETI Technician asks her colleague, "A fake from 44 parsecs?"
In Nevada, a soldier flinches as unidentified craft fly overhead.
In Beirut, a mathematician pets her cat and thinks about language.
We are coming. For the hospice orderly with open arms, the seamstress in her alleyway shop, the lawyer angry at her neighbor's sloppy garden. For you are many, and cannot speak as one.
And yet we see you communicate without words. We see you organize and build.
We see you killing us.
For fans of Ray Nayler, Ann Leckie, and Martin MacInnes, follow the hivemind of cephalopod aliens and explore the power of language, community, and hope.
184 pages, Paperback
First published May 12, 2026
About the author
Marie Vibbert
83 books141 followersNebula and Hugo Award finalist Marie Vibbert has over 100 short stories in top magazines like Analog, F&SF, Nature, and more. Her fifth book is a novella! Multitude shows humanity from a hive mind's perspective in a tale about hope, disconnection, and carnivorous space squids.
Marie is a software developer in Cleveland, Ohio. She attended the Clarion writer's workshop in 2013 and joined the Science Fiction Writers of America in 2014. She belongs to the Cleveland Science Fiction writer's workshop headed by Mary Turzillo.
She also has been a medieval (SCA) squire, a lineman for the Cleveland Fusion women's tackle football team and has ridden 18% of the roller coasters in North America.
She lives with her husband Brian Crick and their child in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.
Marie is a software developer in Cleveland, Ohio. She attended the Clarion writer's workshop in 2013 and joined the Science Fiction Writers of America in 2014. She belongs to the Cleveland Science Fiction writer's workshop headed by Mary Turzillo.
She also has been a medieval (SCA) squire, a lineman for the Cleveland Fusion women's tackle football team and has ridden 18% of the roller coasters in North America.
She lives with her husband Brian Crick and their child in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
May 12, 2026
Multitude is a unique, poignant first-contact story between humanity (and all the beings that compose it) and a species of benevolent hive-mind aliens. I was impressed by the confidence of this novella; the structure was experimental and complex, seemingly a series of vignettes to begin with, and later cleverly interwoven with each other (as reflected in the themes of the novella). With so many voices in the stories (from a soldier to seamstresses to the great yet intimate hive-mind) it would be easy to get them muddled together, however the quality of the prose results in strong impressions of realistic characters. The various perspectives allowed for some effective criticism of current society and created a first-contact story that will resonate heavily today (with echoes of the pandemic and all the insanity of the 2020s).
My only criticism is of the pacing. Because of how the novella is structured, the reader may have to have some patience in order to get into the flow of the story, and the ending is slightly abrupt in a way that (for me) required re-reading it a few times to understand what occurred.
What will stick with me, however, is the warmth and humanism (and alien-ism) present in the story. Despite all the realistic chaos, the aliens (and the novella itself) never stops believing in people, and our ability to empathize with each other. Emotions radiate throughout the prose, almost if telepathically communicated. It’s a hopeful story, in a way that isn’t cliché.
(I was given an advance copy from the publisher)
My only criticism is of the pacing. Because of how the novella is structured, the reader may have to have some patience in order to get into the flow of the story, and the ending is slightly abrupt in a way that (for me) required re-reading it a few times to understand what occurred.
What will stick with me, however, is the warmth and humanism (and alien-ism) present in the story. Despite all the realistic chaos, the aliens (and the novella itself) never stops believing in people, and our ability to empathize with each other. Emotions radiate throughout the prose, almost if telepathically communicated. It’s a hopeful story, in a way that isn’t cliché.
(I was given an advance copy from the publisher)
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Of all the different forms aliens take in science fiction, hive minds have always been one of the most fascinating because they are so contrary to how human thought functions, and a good exploration of them is always much appreciated.
First contact with a collective consciousness is the deftly executed premise of Marie Vibbert’s upcoming novella Multitude. Vibbert expertly captures the chaos and confusion that comes when two extremely different species meet. The aliens, a cephalopod species that shares every moment of their existence with their kin and ancestors’ memories stretching back to the dawn of time, advanced enough to explore the stars before humanity. The humans, in contrast, are noisy, hostile, and every bit as wonderful and terrible as we know ourselves to be. In their quest to understand our species, the aliens—who see no issue with experimenting on randomly chosen humans or culling invasive species—cause a worldwide panic.
The real strength of this novella is Vibbert’s use of perspective. She beautifully contrasts alien points of view with a wide range of human perspectives. While quite a few chapters are pure standalones, in others several characters recur as their perspectives intertwine and build toward a climax. From seamstresses living in England and India to an American soldier to a Lebanese mathematician (my personal favourite), each voice is treated with just as much dignity, regardless of their proximity to the aliens. Vibbert’s ability to set the scene with only a few lines is impressive and helps the reader remain immersed without bogging down the narrative. As the story progresses, the chorus of voices produces insightful commentary on the disconnected state of the world under late-stage capitalism, how the practice of science itself remains political, the importance of sustainable living, and, of course, how we try to understand each other. When the aliens are forced into a precarious position, the fate of our world hangs in the balance.
While I don’t know if I can quite classify it as a happy read, Multitude is something I couldn’t put down once I started, with exactly the kind of direct, snappy prose I expect in a novella. The novella releases on May 12th, 2026, but can already be preordered through the Apex Book Company’s website.
This review has been crossposted to our blog: https://imaginatlas.ca/catch-of-the-m...
First contact with a collective consciousness is the deftly executed premise of Marie Vibbert’s upcoming novella Multitude. Vibbert expertly captures the chaos and confusion that comes when two extremely different species meet. The aliens, a cephalopod species that shares every moment of their existence with their kin and ancestors’ memories stretching back to the dawn of time, advanced enough to explore the stars before humanity. The humans, in contrast, are noisy, hostile, and every bit as wonderful and terrible as we know ourselves to be. In their quest to understand our species, the aliens—who see no issue with experimenting on randomly chosen humans or culling invasive species—cause a worldwide panic.
The real strength of this novella is Vibbert’s use of perspective. She beautifully contrasts alien points of view with a wide range of human perspectives. While quite a few chapters are pure standalones, in others several characters recur as their perspectives intertwine and build toward a climax. From seamstresses living in England and India to an American soldier to a Lebanese mathematician (my personal favourite), each voice is treated with just as much dignity, regardless of their proximity to the aliens. Vibbert’s ability to set the scene with only a few lines is impressive and helps the reader remain immersed without bogging down the narrative. As the story progresses, the chorus of voices produces insightful commentary on the disconnected state of the world under late-stage capitalism, how the practice of science itself remains political, the importance of sustainable living, and, of course, how we try to understand each other. When the aliens are forced into a precarious position, the fate of our world hangs in the balance.
While I don’t know if I can quite classify it as a happy read, Multitude is something I couldn’t put down once I started, with exactly the kind of direct, snappy prose I expect in a novella. The novella releases on May 12th, 2026, but can already be preordered through the Apex Book Company’s website.
This review has been crossposted to our blog: https://imaginatlas.ca/catch-of-the-m...
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Marie Vibbert is a science fiction author best known for her shorter fiction, published in magazines such as Nature, Analog, and Clarkesworld. Among these, We Built This City stands out, a novella that won both the Hugo and Nebula awards (and is available to read for free on the magazine’s website). Her next book was released on May 12, and Apex Books kindly provided me with a digital ARC for review.
The story present us an alien race of cephalopods that has reached a highly advanced level of civilization. Their ability to share minds allows them to function collectively, as a unified whole, ensuring that the memories and knowledge of previous generations are passed on to the next. This civilization lives in harmony and cooperation on its home planet until the day it receives a message from humanity. They reply and begin the journey to Earth.
The story alternates perspectives between alien and human. On earth it follows a scientist who gathers patterns from possible communications and eventually discovers the message sent by the aliens. After several rounds of validation confirming that it is indeed a genuine message, the news spreads among the scientific community. Two years later, no one seems to have fully decoded it — until someone, in an obscure publication from a non-Western country, resizes the message. The story then moves toward the arrival of the aliens and the way in which the different interpretations lead to misunderstandings.
The premise recalls the dark forest theory, according to which, alien civilizations deliberately remain silent. The existence of another intelligent species does not necessarily mean they would recognize one another as such, nor that they would share the same ethical or moral framework, including respect for life and the existence of others. The classic example can, of course, be found in humanity itself, through the colonization of other continents, when even members of the same species were not recognized as possessing equal intellectual capabilities or even the same emotional sensitivity.
In Multitude, the central conflict lies in the clash of perspectives. For the aliens, individuality does not exist. All members of the species share memories and emotions, making it easy to understand what another being feels or thinks. Intelligence, for them, is expressed collectively, through actions that prioritize the interests of the species as a whole — something difficult to recognize in humanity, divided by nations and wars, and with individual interactions shaped by violence and selfishness. Meanwhile, from the human perspective, the aliens’ behavior appears unsettling and incomprehensible, provoking fear and, naturally, hostile reactions.
In the background, we find some comments on the scientific community. There are characters who attempt to claim credit for the discoveries of others, promoting themselves through interviews about the alien message. In parallel, some findings remain hidden because of the language barriers - mainly those published in lesser known journals under the names of a non-western woman.
Despite its relatively short length (Multitude comes in at just under 200 pages), it is a compelling read, particularly for its portrayal of a truly alien perspective that is neither inherently evil nor malicious. This approach highlights how different interpretations can shape every interaction and action, tracing the long and often disappointing journey the aliens themselves experience and showing how even between humans communication and empathy is not easy.
The story present us an alien race of cephalopods that has reached a highly advanced level of civilization. Their ability to share minds allows them to function collectively, as a unified whole, ensuring that the memories and knowledge of previous generations are passed on to the next. This civilization lives in harmony and cooperation on its home planet until the day it receives a message from humanity. They reply and begin the journey to Earth.
The story alternates perspectives between alien and human. On earth it follows a scientist who gathers patterns from possible communications and eventually discovers the message sent by the aliens. After several rounds of validation confirming that it is indeed a genuine message, the news spreads among the scientific community. Two years later, no one seems to have fully decoded it — until someone, in an obscure publication from a non-Western country, resizes the message. The story then moves toward the arrival of the aliens and the way in which the different interpretations lead to misunderstandings.
The premise recalls the dark forest theory, according to which, alien civilizations deliberately remain silent. The existence of another intelligent species does not necessarily mean they would recognize one another as such, nor that they would share the same ethical or moral framework, including respect for life and the existence of others. The classic example can, of course, be found in humanity itself, through the colonization of other continents, when even members of the same species were not recognized as possessing equal intellectual capabilities or even the same emotional sensitivity.
In Multitude, the central conflict lies in the clash of perspectives. For the aliens, individuality does not exist. All members of the species share memories and emotions, making it easy to understand what another being feels or thinks. Intelligence, for them, is expressed collectively, through actions that prioritize the interests of the species as a whole — something difficult to recognize in humanity, divided by nations and wars, and with individual interactions shaped by violence and selfishness. Meanwhile, from the human perspective, the aliens’ behavior appears unsettling and incomprehensible, provoking fear and, naturally, hostile reactions.
In the background, we find some comments on the scientific community. There are characters who attempt to claim credit for the discoveries of others, promoting themselves through interviews about the alien message. In parallel, some findings remain hidden because of the language barriers - mainly those published in lesser known journals under the names of a non-western woman.
Despite its relatively short length (Multitude comes in at just under 200 pages), it is a compelling read, particularly for its portrayal of a truly alien perspective that is neither inherently evil nor malicious. This approach highlights how different interpretations can shape every interaction and action, tracing the long and often disappointing journey the aliens themselves experience and showing how even between humans communication and empathy is not easy.
June 1, 2026
Alien Minds, Human Flaws, and a Story Full of Heart
I loved this book because it blends big, cosmic ideas with deeply personal moments in a way that feels both intimate and expansive. Vibbert’s hive‑minded cephalopods are alien in every sense, yet their longing for connection mirrors our own so closely that it hits you right in the chest. The shifting perspectives, the lyrical writing, and the way the narrative slowly reveals how misunderstood both sides are. It all made this feel like a first‑contact story with a soul. I kept stopping to reread lines because they were that thoughtful and beautifully crafted.
You might love this book if you’re drawn to science fiction that prioritizes empathy, communication, and the messy truth of being human. If you enjoy stories that explore language, misunderstanding, cultural gaps, and the ache of wanting to be understood, this novella delivers. It’s perfect for readers who want alien perspectives that actually feel alien, but still crave emotional resonance. Fans of thoughtful sci‑fi, mental‑health‑aware narratives, and character‑driven storytelling will find so much to love here.
I loved this book because it blends big, cosmic ideas with deeply personal moments in a way that feels both intimate and expansive. Vibbert’s hive‑minded cephalopods are alien in every sense, yet their longing for connection mirrors our own so closely that it hits you right in the chest. The shifting perspectives, the lyrical writing, and the way the narrative slowly reveals how misunderstood both sides are. It all made this feel like a first‑contact story with a soul. I kept stopping to reread lines because they were that thoughtful and beautifully crafted.
You might love this book if you’re drawn to science fiction that prioritizes empathy, communication, and the messy truth of being human. If you enjoy stories that explore language, misunderstanding, cultural gaps, and the ache of wanting to be understood, this novella delivers. It’s perfect for readers who want alien perspectives that actually feel alien, but still crave emotional resonance. Fans of thoughtful sci‑fi, mental‑health‑aware narratives, and character‑driven storytelling will find so much to love here.
May 15, 2026
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I think reading in your free time should be fun and have an essential element of lightheartedness. And when you pick up a Marie Vibbert book you know that you’ll get complex themes treated with nuance, and also that nothing will be too sad, scary, or heartbreaking.
MULTITUDE follows this theme from Marie Vibbert’s other work. Here, she deals with topical sci fi themes (first contact, hive mind, space law), and treats them with a light hand. In a world saturated with bad news and dark forecasts, this is a refreshing positive take on what our near future could look like.
The format is experimental: the narration switches between multiple POVs, each with short vignettes. This makes it really easy to read a chapter before bed or between meetings. Pop culture references throughout make this go down easy.
For fans of Pluribus who want a little more lightness!
I think reading in your free time should be fun and have an essential element of lightheartedness. And when you pick up a Marie Vibbert book you know that you’ll get complex themes treated with nuance, and also that nothing will be too sad, scary, or heartbreaking.
MULTITUDE follows this theme from Marie Vibbert’s other work. Here, she deals with topical sci fi themes (first contact, hive mind, space law), and treats them with a light hand. In a world saturated with bad news and dark forecasts, this is a refreshing positive take on what our near future could look like.
The format is experimental: the narration switches between multiple POVs, each with short vignettes. This makes it really easy to read a chapter before bed or between meetings. Pop culture references throughout make this go down easy.
For fans of Pluribus who want a little more lightness!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I would have never imagined to feel tears streaming down my face whilst reading a sci-fi book, especially a first-contact story. I found this one particularly poignant and unforgettable for several reasons, the writing style and format being some of them.
The authors’ words choices and use mesmerises and leaves the reader unable to stop reading, whilst at the same time enabling a flurry of feelings and neurotransmitter spikes, enabling a beautiful reading experience.
What I found most surprising is the ability of the author to write from the point of view of the aliens and humans in a completely credible way. This is what made this story so effective for me. The cephalopod aliens in this book are a hive mind, a superorganism that feel, think, live as one. This aspect, compared to the completely different make up of humankind, acted as a revealing mirror. Through the eyes of the hive mind, the people in the story (and us readers) are forced to come to terms with our flaws and purposeless way of living.
I must also compliment the author on the use of literature in the story, highlighting the true power of words, when everything else fails. The author surprises the reader by also using metafiction, rendering the reading experience even more unique and thought provoking.
This is a book that stays with you and makes you want to read it again and again, whilst wondering if it’s actually fiction.
Thanks to Apex Book Company for a copy and this is my honest opinion.
The authors’ words choices and use mesmerises and leaves the reader unable to stop reading, whilst at the same time enabling a flurry of feelings and neurotransmitter spikes, enabling a beautiful reading experience.
What I found most surprising is the ability of the author to write from the point of view of the aliens and humans in a completely credible way. This is what made this story so effective for me. The cephalopod aliens in this book are a hive mind, a superorganism that feel, think, live as one. This aspect, compared to the completely different make up of humankind, acted as a revealing mirror. Through the eyes of the hive mind, the people in the story (and us readers) are forced to come to terms with our flaws and purposeless way of living.
I must also compliment the author on the use of literature in the story, highlighting the true power of words, when everything else fails. The author surprises the reader by also using metafiction, rendering the reading experience even more unique and thought provoking.
This is a book that stays with you and makes you want to read it again and again, whilst wondering if it’s actually fiction.
Thanks to Apex Book Company for a copy and this is my honest opinion.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This novel is perfect for those who love a positive Science Fiction story, between “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and “The War of the Worlds.”
As we all are fighting each other and ourselves day after day, what would happen if Aliens were coming to our little planet? In her novel, Marie Vibbert follows different individuals around the world, all representative of woman and mankind, as the Encounters unfold. Some portraits may be a little clichéd at times, but it is fascinating to read the Aliens' point of view.
What would they see in our world? How would they see us, humankind?
And us? How would we react?
An agreeable reading experience, “Multitude” is a novel that may reconcile “you” with “us”.
As we all are fighting each other and ourselves day after day, what would happen if Aliens were coming to our little planet? In her novel, Marie Vibbert follows different individuals around the world, all representative of woman and mankind, as the Encounters unfold. Some portraits may be a little clichéd at times, but it is fascinating to read the Aliens' point of view.
What would they see in our world? How would they see us, humankind?
And us? How would we react?
An agreeable reading experience, “Multitude” is a novel that may reconcile “you” with “us”.
May 16, 2026
I really wasn't sure what to expect about this book based on the 1st chapter, but as I dove in, I realized that this book is giving you multiple points of view. Aliens are coming. They are trying to understand the humans but are having trouble since we are not like their own hive. They take 3 random humans, an American, Australian, and Vietnamese. These people learn to communicate with each other, which in turn helps the Aliens learn to communicate with us. They are sad that humans can't know each other's thoughts, emotions, motives telepathically, the way the Hive feels everything.
Chapter 27 really throws you for a loop and makes you stop and think.
What the Aliens do at the end makes me wish our leaders would have a 1/10th of the empathy the Hive has.
Chapter 27 really throws you for a loop and makes you stop and think.
What the Aliens do at the end makes me wish our leaders would have a 1/10th of the empathy the Hive has.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
A thoughtful and emotional novella.
The way the author weaves together so many fine threads of her characters into a cohesive whole mirrors her themes of interconnectedness and belonging. Reminded me of Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich in that way.
From the first page, Vibbert’s hive-minded cephalopod aliens call to the part of the reader yearning for connection. The meta-narrative would be cumbersome if the book was any longer, but you can read it in one sitting and capture the essence of the book’s themes.
A meditative commentary on the world we live in, this book represents the author’s distinct point of view.
The way the author weaves together so many fine threads of her characters into a cohesive whole mirrors her themes of interconnectedness and belonging. Reminded me of Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich in that way.
From the first page, Vibbert’s hive-minded cephalopod aliens call to the part of the reader yearning for connection. The meta-narrative would be cumbersome if the book was any longer, but you can read it in one sitting and capture the essence of the book’s themes.
A meditative commentary on the world we live in, this book represents the author’s distinct point of view.
May 12, 2026
It’s rare that a science fiction author can handle both scientific detail and character depth. Marie Vibbert nails both.
Every human character we meet is a delightful mixture of combined hope and insecurity. That alone is worth reading. But the book really shines when it explores the inner world of an alien hive mind, where science and character blend. All told with vibrant prose.
I highly recommend.
Every human character we meet is a delightful mixture of combined hope and insecurity. That alone is worth reading. But the book really shines when it explores the inner world of an alien hive mind, where science and character blend. All told with vibrant prose.
I highly recommend.
Did Not Finish
May 26, 2026The writing itself put me off. I found the sentences overburdened and interspersed with irrelevant observations. The dialog was inauthentic, for example between the soldiers. There were strange choices for the hive mind's perspective, varying between specific terms like "electric pulse" and shoved together descriptors like "dryharshcold," an inconsistent sophistication of thought. It's very jarring.
May 18, 2026
3.5 stars rounded up. A short but impactful read about empathy and communication between individuals and collective consciousness.
July 12, 2026
In Multitude, Marie Vibbert captures the worldview of a hive-mind better than anyone. No evil Borg here, just an alien person with a deeply communal outlook coming to visit us, but of course we know nothing about its outlook. I really enjoyed the fragmented stories coming together to build a whole in a way that mirrored the joining of individuals into a hive mind. Very stimulating and well told!
May 25, 2026
Clever in an unpretentious way. Not so groundbreaking that it was hard to understand, but funny, well constructed and quite uplifting. I hope this gets more readership - this is definitely worth the tiny bit of time it takes to read a novella.
July 4, 2026
This was a fun, fast, but thoughtful read that examines (some of) what it means to be human.
If you've ever looked up at the night sky and thought "what if...?" or if you've ever despaired at the way the world is and the way people treat each other at their worst, you'll enjoy this for sure!
If you've ever looked up at the night sky and thought "what if...?" or if you've ever despaired at the way the world is and the way people treat each other at their worst, you'll enjoy this for sure!
July 10, 2026
Marie Vibbert tells a story in multiple perspectives, and she does so flawlessly, crafting a first-contact story filled with both heart and humor. So happy to have had the opportunity to see this book develop into what it is!
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
spinetingling
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
A unique, thought provoking novella about alient contact. I enjoyed it overall until the ending which seemed displaced unless I completely missed something. Still worth a read.
June 2, 2026
其实透过外星人的视角描写人类也比较老套了…而不同个体视角下与外星人的接触也不是很有新意。唯一觉得眼前一亮的就是打破第四面墙那一章，谁以叙述者的身份，又在对着you做出什么样的指代。至于群体意识与个体的交流，行文和深度稍显平平无奇，无法读心的人类会彼此误解，但也能够用语言用书籍用想象靠近彼此。
July 1, 2026
Vibbert's most literary work to date, but still very approachable. It left me thinking about trust and the complex ways we deal with each other.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews