Transition

by Ian Patterson

Are you so sure you’re the painter, and not the painting?

Micah has a hangover, a looming deadline, and a very opinionated rat following him around the orbital station. No one else can see it—which is definitely not ideal.

Outside, the wealthy are fleeing Earth on seed ships. Inside, Micah’s team has days to perfect their gene-editing tech, or be left behind. On top of that, Micah’s unsure if reality is taking an extended vacation, or if his brain has finally short-circuited.

Equal parts absurdly funny, sharp-edged, and human, Transition explores the events that started The Narrator Cycle. Long before Nicholas, Dorothy, and Charon, there was Micah, a dying earth, a talkative rat, and a question—is reality such a fixed thing?

141 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication March 31, 2026

About the author

Ian Patterson is many things. Importantly here, he’s the author of The Narrator Cycle. He’s also an engineer, cyclist, foodie, coffee lover, cat dad, human father, and reader of books. Preferably, thick books that deal with strange things and big ideas. He’s dreamed of being an author for decades, but finally began the journey with the birth of his first daughter. This is an objectively terrible time to start work that requires quiet concentration, and he knows it, but he loves the chaos nonetheless. He lives in Colorado with his wonderful family.

Reviews

[Phil · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll start with a disclaimer that I received an early copy of Transition as a beta reader. Since this book is not yet out, I'll avoid any spoilers and talk about the book in a more general sense.

I loved Transition from the first sentence. There are lots of fun references to find in this one and the comedy knob was turned way up compared to Ian's other books. I found myself laughing through the book, even as things got more dire.

Transition is a mixture of sci-fi, comedy, and existential horror but tied together by the emotional maturation and development of Micah and his new companion. The slow development of the plot and how the quipping between Micah and his rat friend turns from being light hearted and a bit antagonistic to more meaningful and important is very well done. The emotions of this story really resonated with me.

I think Transition works well as a stand alone novella and adds to the universe that Ian's created with his other books without taking anything away from them. It's similar in style to novellas written in the Expanse universe by James S.A. Corey - something that fits in between or before the main stories but could be read along with or independently to them.This book made me wonder a lot about its universe and left me wanting answers to many questions, but in a way that left me excited instead of frustrated.

All in all, a great read that I would definitely recommend to others. I look forward to the next one!

[France Pinzon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of the novella, which allowed me to read it and share my review early.

As a fan of Transference, I equally enjoyed reading this prequel. I usually have reservations about origin stories, mostly because they can feel like an excuse to overexplain the main message—where the reader might otherwise be left alone to grapple with the lingering questions after finishing a story. Despite that, Transition was a justified move by the author. Without spoiling too much, it explores how the world still ends up facing even greater problems in the future, in spite of all its technological advancements, through the dazed eyes of Micah, one of the standout characters in the Duology.

The story is in no way a glimpse into our near future, but our human flaws are already consistent—and in that regard, the author hits the nail right on the head about what or who we should keep an eye on when the shit’s about to hit the fan in this reality.

I wanted to give this five stars, however, (spoiler?) I didn’t like how the story ended for the protagonist. Still, don’t let this personal opinion drive you away from reading it. Transition is equal parts philosophical and humorous—a worthy addition to Ian Patterson’s enigmatic Narrator’s Cycle, confronting us with complicated questions about our right to existence and the rising cost of it.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don’t worry if you haven’t yet read the Narrator Cycle. This book, which works as a prequel to those events works perfectly well on its own but I can guarantee after reading this one you will want to read the rest of them! You won’t be disappointed. They are all equally as good.

This is a relatively short read in itself but packs in so much. There are some interesting ideas at play here but for me it’s Micah who really makes it. He’s a compelling character and I loved spending time inside his head. It’s not often a character stays with you long after finishing the last page, but Micah is one of those people.

There’s a wonderfully surreal feeling to this book, not just the mutant talking rat, but I’ll leave it to you to find out what I’m talking about.

All in all an excellent book which I thoroughly recommend.

[Happy Nielsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

“it’s only loneliness if it comes from the lonely region of France.”

Just one example of dozens of hilarious quotable lines. I found myself grinning or laughing out loud almost the entire read through.

But damn what an absolute treasure of a book. So entertaining but relatable and poignant, with a side of existential dread.

I did read the other books in the series but that isn’t necessary at all for this standalone prequel. Maybe it’s the recency bias, but I think this is my favorite of the three so far.

If you like sci-fi, dystopians, or just sarcastic and funny protagonists, you won’t regret this.

[Alex Shifman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured this book in three sittings. Ian’s given us some of the sharpest, weirdest imagery of his career in this one—things I still think about today.
It’s funny, it’s very strange, and truly haunting. I strongly recommend.