Faceless Galaxy
Gripping action, dark humor, and unlikely survival electrify this collection of the acclaimed Faceless cycle: seven previously published tales, and three all-new stories pitting a shapeshifting assassin’s will against the most insurmountable challenges deep space has to offer…
Throughout the gutters and sanitation systems of the civilized galaxy, amorphous, nameless blobs called Torrhoids digest other species’ trash to clean air and water.
The Great Races don’t consider Torrhoids intelligent. But when one Torrhoid receives a baffling kindness, its curiosity ignites. The shapeshifter discovers it can mimic its overlords—not only their voices, but their forms and movements, too.
It can escape the prison planet where it is kept cold, hungry, and fighting for life. It can evade those who would throw it back into the sewers. With ingenuity, quick thinking, and the power of surprise, it can strike down even the oligarchs and influence traders who rule the galaxy. So begins the career of the assassin known only as “Faceless.”
Still learning the cultures of the beings it impersonates, testing the limits of its abilities, and evading revulsion for its natural form, Faceless is never far from detection and death. Ethics are a luxury it can ill afford.
But as the stories of this sharp, twisty cyberpunk collection prove, a gutter scavenger’s justice may still beat an empire’s.
Stories included in Faceless Galaxy:
Adaptation and Predation
Applied Linguistics
Proof of Concept
Punctuated Equilibrium
Tool Consciousness
Brood Parasitism
Vestibular Dysfunction
Rates of Acceleration
Planned Obsolescence
Infection Vector
Reviews
"The Faceless stories are filled with the kind of sense of wonder storytelling that is at the heart of great science fiction. This compilation is a priceless testimony to Habershaw's talent. He's rapidly claiming a spot among the top science fiction writers of our time."Tim Akers, author of Wraithbound
"Auston Habershaw is one of the most accomplished writers of short fiction working in the field today. I've had the privilege of reading his stories over the years, and am very pleased to see so many of his works finally brought together in this stellar collection."T. R. Napper, author of 36 Streets
"There continues to be nice worldbuilding in these stories, and the sense of stakes and danger are well done."
"A good little story with an interesting twist at the end."
"An excellent piece of world building, something that is often lacking in short fiction but which Auston Habershaw accomplishes here with panache."
Awards & Accolades
Locus Recommended Reading List: "Proof of Concept"