A provocative, beautiful and visionary novel of first contact by New York Times bestselling author Steven Erikson. Imagine a First Contact without contact, and an alien arrival where no aliens show up. Imagine the sudden appearance of exclusion zones all over the planet, into which no humans are allowed. Imagine an end to all violence, from the schoolyard bully to nations at war. Imagine an end to borders, an end to all crime. Imagine a world where hate has no outlet and the only harm one can do is to oneself. Imagine a world transformed, but with no guidance and no hint of what's coming next. What would you do? How would you feel? What questions can you ask -- what questions dare you ask -- when the only possible answers come from the all-too-human face in your mirror? On the day of First Contact, it won't be about them. It will be about us.