Listen to a sample
The Infinite State
Decurion Saga (Related to this series)
- Author
- Richard Swan
- Publisher
- Orion
- Publish Date
- 6 August 2026
- Run Time
- 15 hours 19 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
Not available in your country
We don't have the rights to sell this audiobook where you are. If it's already in your library you can still listen to it in My Books.
What to expect
'Prescient, dark, and ultimately hopeful' PIERCE BROWN
'Excellent' PETER F. HAMILTON
'A menacing experience' FONDA LEE
'Science fiction at its finest' SUNYI DEAN
In this brand-new blistering science fiction epic, Sunday Times bestselling author Richard Swan presents a thrilling tale of survival and an eviscerating examination of totalitarianism.
WHO GIVES YOU LIFE?
PATER AETERNUS.
Katherine Fuller's husband is dead. As an esteemed member of Pater Aeternus - governing party of the fascist, galaxy-spanning Decurion Empire - he has left behind an estate of immeasurable wealth. And Katherine is going to inherit it.
WHO GIVES YOU PURPOSE?
PATER AETERNUS.
Life under the Eternal Father is rigidly stratified, surveilled, and controlled - each new day to be endured, not lived. But with Katherine's newfound fortune, she is presented with a rare and dangerous opportunity: purchase a virgin world, and create a better, fairer society.
WHO GIVES YOU JOY?
PATER AETERNUS.
But the Empire cannot allow its wayward daughter to succeed. And as Katherine works in secret, recruiting allies she's not even sure she can trust, she will discover exactly how far Pater Aeternus is willing to go to stop her. Because Katherine is going to create something nobody has seen for many years.
A democracy.
1984 meets The Man in the High Castle in gripping sci-fi The Infinite State from Richard Swan, which begins at a flashpoint in the lives of a widowed party member, a disgraced investigator, and a hypersled pilot - entangled in a plot to escape the suffocating authority of a fascist state.
'A thrilling vision of resistance to dystopian fascism' J.T. GREATHOUSE
'Absorbing and thought-provoking' SCOTT DRAKEFORD
'Richard's writing is scapel-sharp' NICHOLAS EAMES
'A masterclass in storytelling' DAILY MAIL
Critics Review
-
Prescient, dark, and ultimately hopeful, The Infinite State mauled my heart and kept me reading well into the winnowing hours of the night
Pierce Brown, No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of RED RISING
-
The Infinite State is the kind of future that's so horrific you hope in your heart it will never exist. But Richard Swan has made it believable
Peter F. Hamilton, New York Times bestselling author of EXODUS: THE ARCHIMEDES ENGINE
-
A menacing experience in a despicable galactic empire. I had a great time
Fonda Lee, author of THE LAST CONTRACT OF ISAKO and the GREEN BONE SAGA
-
The Infinite State is science fiction at its finest, doing what sci-fi does best: showing us how to build a better future. This book is a reflection of our times, and for our times
Sunyi Dean, Sunday Times bestselling author of THE BOOK EATERS
See more reviews See fewer reviews
-
A thrilling vision of resistance to dystopian fascism in the intergalactic future, with an exactly perfect portion of sentient murder gorillas
J. T. Greathouse, author of THE TOWER OF THE TYRANT
-
This was excellent. Richard's writing is scalpel-sharp, and the future he envisions is so starkly relevant one hopes it isn't right around the corner. If you're looking for smart, sophisticated science fiction to fill the Iain Banks-shaped hole in your soul, this is it
Nicholas Eames, author of KINGS OF THE WYLD
-
Absorbing and thought-provoking. Quintessential Richard Swan
Scott Drakeford, author of the AGE OF IRE series
-
A compelling and original science fiction novel that shines a light into the darkness of space and the human spirit
David Goodman, award-winning author of A RELUCTANT SPY
-
A masterclass in storytelling, Swan shifts seamlessly through the gears: it's a The Handmaid's Tale fascist nightmare with pod-racers; Blade Runner gloom pierced by shafts of light . . . gritty, unflinching and suffocatingly atmospheric
Daily Mail
-
A tour-de-force in science fiction storytelling that has me absolutely chomping at the bit for the rest of the Decurion Saga . . . Swan is a master at crafting a story that just keeps you turning the pages. Chapter after chapter he mixes in oppressive fear, excitement, twists, turns, and thoughtful and inventive SF writing with characters you just can't put down . . . the start of this new trilogy, The Infinite State, is going to have readers hooked
Grimdark Magazine
-
One of the great joys of this book is how wonderful its villains are . . . thoroughly enjoyable, with plots nesting within plots, and machinations within machinations. It's well designed and well thought through; no loose threads here . . . a clever, inventive and satisfying book, and hats off to its author. I look forward to more of the Decurion Empire's revolting offspring
New Scientist
-
Riveting and utterly addictive. Sci-fi that demands and commands your attention from grim start to epic finish
FanFiAddict
-
Part scathing critique of fascism, part political science experiment, this page-turner is packed full of satisfying intrigue and game-changing reveals
Publishers Weekly, starred review
-
A promising beginning to a saga of escaping the oppressive clutches of an imperial state
Booklist
-
This novel's attempt to construct a plausible defeat of a Big Brother-analog government is both interesting and hopeful
Kirkus Reviews
User Reviews
No reviews yet.
Details
- Author
- Richard Swan
- Narrator
- Chris Rowe, Helen Keeley, Nathaniel Priestley
- Duration
- 15 hours 19 minutes
- Release Date
- 6 August 2026
- ISBN
- 9781399627771
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Orion
- Genre
- Science fiction: space opera, Dystopian and utopian fiction, Thriller / suspense fiction, Political / legal thriller
Synopsis
**THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER**'Prescient, dark, and ultimately hopeful' PIERCE BROWN'Excellent' PETER F. HAMILTON'A menacing experience' FONDA LEE'Science fiction at its finest' SUNYI DEANIn this brand-new blistering science fiction epic, Sunday Times bestselling author Richard Swan presents a thrilling tale of survival and an eviscerating examination of totalitarianism.WHO GIVES YOU LIFE?PATER AETERNUS.Katherine Fuller's husband is dead. As an esteemed member of Pater Aeternus - governing party of the fascist, galaxy-spanning Decurion Empire - he has left behind an estate of immeasurable wealth. And Katherine is going to inherit it.WHO GIVES YOU PURPOSE?PATER AETERNUS.Life under the Eternal Father is rigidly stratified, surveilled, and controlled - each new day to be endured, not lived. But with Katherine's newfound fortune, she is presented with a rare and dangerous opportunity: purchase a virgin world, and create a better, fairer society.WHO GIVES YOU JOY?PATER AETERNUS.But the Empire cannot allow its wayward daughter to succeed. And as Katherine works in secret, recruiting allies she's not even sure she can trust, she will discover exactly how far Pater Aeternus is willing to go to stop her. Because Katherine is going to create something nobody has seen for many years.A democracy.1984 meets The Man in the High Castle in gripping sci-fi The Infinite State from Richard Swan, which begins at a flashpoint in the lives of a widowed party member, a disgraced investigator, and a hypersled pilot - entangled in a plot to escape the suffocating authority of a fascist state.'A thrilling vision of resistance to dystopian fascism' J.T. GREATHOUSE'Absorbing and thought-provoking' SCOTT DRAKEFORD'Richard's writing is scapel-sharp' NICHOLAS EAMES'A masterclass in storytelling' DAILY MAIL
About xigxag
xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK's only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.
There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at $13.95. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from $7.95. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.
Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.
Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.