In the frozen wilderness of Antarctica, a team of researchers makes a shocking discovery: a century-old ship buried deep in the ice. As they begin to excavate the vessel, they realise that it holds a dark secret - inside, they find the frozen remains of a crew, long dead from a mysterious plague.
Alerted to the event, an agent of the Outlier division is dispatched to investigate. Discovering that the ship was part of Shackleton’s expedition to the South Pole and that the plague on board is unlike any they have seen before. With the help of the only survivor from the research team, they must race against time to unravel the mystery of the plague and prevent it from being unleashed on the world once again.
But as they dig deeper into the secrets of its past, they soon realise that there was a darker side to the expedition involving an ancient ritual and a powerful man who would stop at nothing to possess it. Can they uncover the truth and prevent disaster, or will they become the latest victims of the deadly plague?
Filled with danger, adventure, and time-travelling twists and turns, “Contagion” is a thrilling tale of survival in a world where the past and the future are intertwined.
Andy was born in 1967, and grew up with a love of science fiction inspired by the TV shows of the late 70s. Having always had a creative eye, he graduated with a BA Honours in Graphic Design, and has gone on to have a successful career as a Creative Director within a number of digital agencies, creating award-winning work for some of the largest global brands. During this time he nurtured his passion for writing sci-fi and secured a commission with the BBC for his first script, The Department of Unknown Origins, a Victorian X-Files set in the Natural History Museum, exec produced by Jon Plowman and considered by BBC Drama and Sky One.
The Anachronist is his first novel, one of a three part series called 'The Infinity Engines.' You can find out more about it on his blog: www.infinityengines.com
He lives in Surrey with his wife, two teenage daughters and a troublesome puppy.
Everytime I finish one of The Infinity Engine books I can't wait to read the next!! Andrew Hastie is an amazing author!! The wealth of researched historical information is astounding!! Weaving this information through the lives an adventures of his beloved characters makes for such exciting reading. Would highly recommend 💖
Words just cannot express my thoughts about your exquisite books. I've tried to think and imagine what I can say. Your imagination is beyond everything; all that history knowledge and the beautiful weaving in your story. I feel bereft that your story has 'ended', 😟 but has it 🤗
Reasonably easy read in the most part but did get a little confusing at times. Several shows and other books made a brief appearance but nothing too strong. A good series, will wait to see what happens.
Last book of the series , and fair play I enjoyed them,and interesting twist on time travel. Another new great author in the genre. Highly recommended .
To All the Page-Turners Out There (including my own little beasties), I just finished this book called *Contagion* by Andrew Hastie, and I think you’d too would get a kick out of it.
It's part of *The Infinity Engines* series, which is all about time travel, history, and some seriously wild adventures. This one starts in Antarctica, where researchers find a frozen ship buried in the ice.
But get this—it’s not just a random ship. It’s connected to Ernest Shackleton's famous South Pole expedition, and there's this creepy plague that wiped out the crew. Doesn’t that sound like something straight out of a Netflix show?
Then it goes deeper. There’s an investigator from this secretive group called the Outlier Division, and they start unraveling this massive mystery. It ties into all these fascinating historical events, like an ancient Chinese emperor’s tomb and even rituals linked to Aleister Crowley, who was this infamous occultist back in the day. The story jumps across timelines—seriously, we’re talking the Cretaceous period, ancient China, and beyond. -Artmis Fowle not quite but similiar
What I loved about it is how much it feels like you’re actually there. Hastie must’ve done his research because the historical parts feel so real. Plus, the characters are complex and relatable, even with all the insane stuff happening around them. Personally, I love stories that mix history with a bit of the fantastical—this one hits the mark.
Honestly, I think you’d enjoy it for different reasons. some of you, will probably like all the action and the science-fiction edge, and while others, will fall in love the historical depth and how it weaves everything together. The way it makes the past and future collide is pretty thought-provoking.
You don’t need to have read the earlier books to enjoy this one, but I bet you’ll want to go back once you’ve tasted the series. I’ve got a feeling the page-turners be hooked.
I also need archaeologists to stop opening shit they dug up that's been underground for a long time (that's not really what happened here but it's all I could think of when they were at the ship).
The same, well developed characters, with a couple of fun new o especially added! This story line is different, and can almost stand alone. Nicely done!
I really enjoyed this. I think it's one of the best in the series. A fab blend of time travel, character diversity and some added ridiculously fun nods.