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Lost on Paradise
New York Times bestselling author Alan Dean Foster, master of both action and emotion, reveals a world where everything is perfect, but nothing is as it seems ...
Earth is crowded, polluted, and dismal.
Like millions of others, Jonos and Liina scrape by on her poorly paying job and what little money he gets selling items scavenged from rich people's trash.
Like millions of others, Jonos and Liina dream of Paradise.
a beautiful, clean, verdant world where three races live in harmony--at least, according to the videos sent back to Earth. There are the Eiquan, masters of astonishing technology; the Lusanata, hunters and farmers; and humans, who may be restricted to a few scattered settlements, but still live a life ten times better than those on Earth.
On the run after a criminal act, Jonos and Liina finally escape to Paradise.
It's everything they hoped for.
Until tragedy strikes.
Earth is crowded, polluted, and dismal.
Like millions of others, Jonos and Liina scrape by on her poorly paying job and what little money he gets selling items scavenged from rich people's trash.
Like millions of others, Jonos and Liina dream of Paradise.
a beautiful, clean, verdant world where three races live in harmony--at least, according to the videos sent back to Earth. There are the Eiquan, masters of astonishing technology; the Lusanata, hunters and farmers; and humans, who may be restricted to a few scattered settlements, but still live a life ten times better than those on Earth.
On the run after a criminal act, Jonos and Liina finally escape to Paradise.
It's everything they hoped for.
Until tragedy strikes.
- GenresScience FictionFiction
272 pages, Hardcover
Published October 20, 2026
About the author
Alan Dean Foster
539 books2,112 followersBestselling science fiction writer Alan Dean Foster was born in New York City in 1946, but raised mainly in California. He received a B.A. in political science from UCLA in 1968, and a M.F.A. in 1969. Foster lives in Arizona with his wife, but he enjoys traveling because it gives him opportunities to meet new people and explore new places and cultures. This interest is carried over to his writing, but with a twist: the new places encountered in his books are likely to be on another planet, and the people may belong to an alien race.
Foster began his career as an author when a letter he sent to Arkham Collection was purchased by the editor and published in the magazine in 1968. His first novel, The Tar-Aiym Krang, introduced the Humanx Commonwealth, a galactic alliance between humans and an insectlike race called Thranx. Several other novels, including the Icerigger trilogy, are also set in the world of the Commonwealth. The Tar-Aiym Krang also marked the first appearance of Flinx, a young man with paranormal abilities, who reappears in other books, including Orphan Star, For Love of Mother-Not, and Flinx in Flux.
Foster has also written The Damned series and the Spellsinger series, which includes The Hour of the Gate, The Moment of the Magician, The Paths of the Perambulator, and Son of Spellsinger, among others. Other books include novelizations of science fiction movies and television shows such as Star Trek, The Black Hole, Starman, Star Wars, and the Alien movies. Splinter of the Mind's Eye, a bestselling novel based on the Star Wars movies, received the Galaxy Award in 1979. The book Cyber Way won the Southwest Book Award for Fiction in 1990. His novella Our Lady of the Machine won him the UPC Award (Spain) in 1993. He also won the Ignotus Award (Spain) in 1994 and the Stannik Award (Russia) in 2000.
Foster began his career as an author when a letter he sent to Arkham Collection was purchased by the editor and published in the magazine in 1968. His first novel, The Tar-Aiym Krang, introduced the Humanx Commonwealth, a galactic alliance between humans and an insectlike race called Thranx. Several other novels, including the Icerigger trilogy, are also set in the world of the Commonwealth. The Tar-Aiym Krang also marked the first appearance of Flinx, a young man with paranormal abilities, who reappears in other books, including Orphan Star, For Love of Mother-Not, and Flinx in Flux.
Foster has also written The Damned series and the Spellsinger series, which includes The Hour of the Gate, The Moment of the Magician, The Paths of the Perambulator, and Son of Spellsinger, among others. Other books include novelizations of science fiction movies and television shows such as Star Trek, The Black Hole, Starman, Star Wars, and the Alien movies. Splinter of the Mind's Eye, a bestselling novel based on the Star Wars movies, received the Galaxy Award in 1979. The book Cyber Way won the Southwest Book Award for Fiction in 1990. His novella Our Lady of the Machine won him the UPC Award (Spain) in 1993. He also won the Ignotus Award (Spain) in 1994 and the Stannik Award (Russia) in 2000.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is my first time reading a book by Alan Dean Foster and honestly, it is likely to be my last. I really enjoy science fiction but I think my personal tastes really need the sci-fi to have a fantasy lean to it that is somewhat lacking here. Overall, however, I just didn't vibe all that well with the way that Foster wrote this book. He's clearly very talented at writing and also very clearly likes to write his worlds in to existence - but there was way to much exposition and not enough living and adventuring happening in the pages themselves. Furthermore, I don't think I've actually read many books where the MC's were just so.... dumb. Not in endearing ways and not in ways that made them just look naive, but straight up dumb. They supposedly survived the streets of an overcrowded Earth and managed to steal some unknown yet large sum of money from a criminal, but then they were robbed the minute they got to Paradise? Bamboozled out of money and their possessions through a series of stupid decisions and moves? I gave myself a headache rolling my eyes at each new stupid thing they did.
Additionally, there were several continuity issues throughout the book - times where the characters accomplished something they were told clearly wasn't possible through nothing other than... existing? There were a lot of arbitrary rules that just didn't seem to matter after they were initially introduced. This became pretty frustrating over time.
The bones of a good story were there and the writing was lovely - I just don't think it is for me.
**Arc from Netgalley**
Additionally, there were several continuity issues throughout the book - times where the characters accomplished something they were told clearly wasn't possible through nothing other than... existing? There were a lot of arbitrary rules that just didn't seem to matter after they were initially introduced. This became pretty frustrating over time.
The bones of a good story were there and the writing was lovely - I just don't think it is for me.
**Arc from Netgalley**
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Alan Dean Foster is always reliable. This story has an interesting setting and the plot definitely didn't go where I was expecting it to. I'm not sure if there will be a sequel but I'd like to read it if there is.
October 23, 2026
I really wish I could say I loved this book. From the main plot to the individual story lines, to the main characters’ histories, I felt like Lost on Paradise had so much potential. Unfortunately, the execution didn’t quite live up to the concept for me.
Overall, This wasn't a bad read—it simply never reached the emotional payoff I was looking for. The ideas behind the story are compelling, but I found myself wanting stronger character development and a smoother execution to fully bring them to life.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Overall, This wasn't a bad read—it simply never reached the emotional payoff I was looking for. The ideas behind the story are compelling, but I found myself wanting stronger character development and a smoother execution to fully bring them to life.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Lost on Paradise
by Alan Dean Foster
Crime doesn't pay, Unless you can get away with it. The book looks into the nature of exploitation. The two central criminals learn a hard lesson in opportunity. They attempt to change their life by going to paradise, but like many immigrants you find that things are not as they seem. There is opportunity for all but that just makes greed and guile more prevalent.
by Alan Dean Foster
Crime doesn't pay, Unless you can get away with it. The book looks into the nature of exploitation. The two central criminals learn a hard lesson in opportunity. They attempt to change their life by going to paradise, but like many immigrants you find that things are not as they seem. There is opportunity for all but that just makes greed and guile more prevalent.
November 3, 2026
**A Beautiful Paradise with a Disturbing Secret**
In *Lost on Paradise*, Alan Dean Foster presents an intriguing science-fiction premise built around one of humanity's most enduring dreams: escaping a troubled world in search of a better life. Through Jonos and Liina, readers are introduced to an Earth overwhelmed by pollution, overcrowding, and economic hardship, where even basic comfort feels increasingly out of reach.
For the couple, Paradise represents the possibility of a fresh beginning. Described as a beautiful, clean, and fertile world, it appears to offer everything Earth can no longer provide. Its three inhabitants—the technologically advanced Eiquan, the farming and hunting Lusanata, and the human population living in scattered settlements—seem to coexist peacefully. The reassuring videos sent back to Earth make this distant world look almost impossibly perfect.
Yet Jonos and Liina's journey is not simply an adventure about finding a new home. After fleeing a criminal act, they finally reach the world they have dreamed about, only to discover that their expectations may not match reality. The promise that everything is perfect becomes increasingly unsettling when tragedy strikes.
One of the most compelling aspects of the premise is this contrast between desperation and apparent salvation. The story raises an interesting question: what happens when the place we believe will solve all our problems turns out to be more complicated than we imagined? The differences between the three races also provide opportunities to explore coexistence, technology, social inequality, and the meaning of a genuinely harmonious society.
Foster's combination of action and emotional storytelling gives the novel an appealing foundation. Jonos and Liina's personal struggle makes the larger science-fiction setting feel grounded in recognizable human hopes and vulnerabilities.
Overall, *Lost on Paradise* promises an engaging science-fiction adventure for readers who enjoy unfamiliar worlds, social questions, unexpected dangers, and stories that challenge the idea of an ideal society. Its central mystery gives the premise an especially compelling edge: sometimes the greatest danger lies not in the world we are escaping, but in the paradise we are desperate to find.
In *Lost on Paradise*, Alan Dean Foster presents an intriguing science-fiction premise built around one of humanity's most enduring dreams: escaping a troubled world in search of a better life. Through Jonos and Liina, readers are introduced to an Earth overwhelmed by pollution, overcrowding, and economic hardship, where even basic comfort feels increasingly out of reach.
For the couple, Paradise represents the possibility of a fresh beginning. Described as a beautiful, clean, and fertile world, it appears to offer everything Earth can no longer provide. Its three inhabitants—the technologically advanced Eiquan, the farming and hunting Lusanata, and the human population living in scattered settlements—seem to coexist peacefully. The reassuring videos sent back to Earth make this distant world look almost impossibly perfect.
Yet Jonos and Liina's journey is not simply an adventure about finding a new home. After fleeing a criminal act, they finally reach the world they have dreamed about, only to discover that their expectations may not match reality. The promise that everything is perfect becomes increasingly unsettling when tragedy strikes.
One of the most compelling aspects of the premise is this contrast between desperation and apparent salvation. The story raises an interesting question: what happens when the place we believe will solve all our problems turns out to be more complicated than we imagined? The differences between the three races also provide opportunities to explore coexistence, technology, social inequality, and the meaning of a genuinely harmonious society.
Foster's combination of action and emotional storytelling gives the novel an appealing foundation. Jonos and Liina's personal struggle makes the larger science-fiction setting feel grounded in recognizable human hopes and vulnerabilities.
Overall, *Lost on Paradise* promises an engaging science-fiction adventure for readers who enjoy unfamiliar worlds, social questions, unexpected dangers, and stories that challenge the idea of an ideal society. Its central mystery gives the premise an especially compelling edge: sometimes the greatest danger lies not in the world we are escaping, but in the paradise we are desperate to find.
November 1, 2026
**Goodreads Review: Lost on Paradise by Alan Dean Foster**
*Lost on Paradise* by Alan Dean Foster sounds like a fascinating science-fiction adventure that explores the difference between the world we dream of and the reality we eventually discover. Its premise immediately draws readers into a future where Earth has become overcrowded, polluted, and increasingly difficult to survive in, making the promise of a beautiful new world almost impossible to resist.
Jonos and Liina are particularly interesting central characters because their circumstances make their dream of Paradise deeply personal. Struggling financially and living with limited opportunities, they represent people desperate for a fresh start. Their eventual escape to this seemingly perfect world feels like the beginning of a new life, but the suggestion that tragedy soon follows creates an intriguing sense of uncertainty.
One of the most compelling aspects of the story is the society established on Paradise. The coexistence of the technologically advanced Eiquan, the hunting and farming Lusanata, and the human settlements creates an interesting foundation for exploring culture, cooperation, and the possibility of harmony between different civilizations. However, the question of whether this apparent perfection is genuine adds an exciting layer of mystery.
I particularly appreciate the contrast between Earth's harsh conditions and Paradise's seemingly idyllic environment. It raises meaningful questions about escapism, inequality, and whether a place that appears perfect from a distance can truly offer the happiness people are searching for. Jonos and Liina's experience promises to challenge their expectations in ways they could never have anticipated.
Overall, *Lost on Paradise* offers an intriguing science-fiction premise built around adventure, discovery, and unexpected consequences. It should appeal to readers who enjoy imaginative futuristic worlds, alien civilizations, and stories that question whether paradise is ever quite what it seems.
*Lost on Paradise* by Alan Dean Foster sounds like a fascinating science-fiction adventure that explores the difference between the world we dream of and the reality we eventually discover. Its premise immediately draws readers into a future where Earth has become overcrowded, polluted, and increasingly difficult to survive in, making the promise of a beautiful new world almost impossible to resist.
Jonos and Liina are particularly interesting central characters because their circumstances make their dream of Paradise deeply personal. Struggling financially and living with limited opportunities, they represent people desperate for a fresh start. Their eventual escape to this seemingly perfect world feels like the beginning of a new life, but the suggestion that tragedy soon follows creates an intriguing sense of uncertainty.
One of the most compelling aspects of the story is the society established on Paradise. The coexistence of the technologically advanced Eiquan, the hunting and farming Lusanata, and the human settlements creates an interesting foundation for exploring culture, cooperation, and the possibility of harmony between different civilizations. However, the question of whether this apparent perfection is genuine adds an exciting layer of mystery.
I particularly appreciate the contrast between Earth's harsh conditions and Paradise's seemingly idyllic environment. It raises meaningful questions about escapism, inequality, and whether a place that appears perfect from a distance can truly offer the happiness people are searching for. Jonos and Liina's experience promises to challenge their expectations in ways they could never have anticipated.
Overall, *Lost on Paradise* offers an intriguing science-fiction premise built around adventure, discovery, and unexpected consequences. It should appeal to readers who enjoy imaginative futuristic worlds, alien civilizations, and stories that question whether paradise is ever quite what it seems.
November 2, 2026
Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC.
I haven't read an Alan Dean Foster book in a while and this wasn't one that I was expecting. Where the story starts, and where it ends, are pretty stark contrasts. It's a book about family and differences, but also hope,.......with a mixture of aliens and dystopia thrown in,
Definitely worth a read, and something a little different than other recent scifi books.
I haven't read an Alan Dean Foster book in a while and this wasn't one that I was expecting. Where the story starts, and where it ends, are pretty stark contrasts. It's a book about family and differences, but also hope,.......with a mixture of aliens and dystopia thrown in,
Definitely worth a read, and something a little different than other recent scifi books.
November 11, 2026
If you are looking for sophisticated hard science fiction or complex character development you probably want to look elsewhere. However I found this a fun read. There is a bit of tragedy involved and some redemption and what character development there was kept me interested. Additionally the interaction between the alien species and the humans seemed well thought out.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews