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Booksscience fictionThe Icarus Job
Cover of The Icarus Job by Timothy Zahn
№ 3 · The Icarus Saga

The Icarus Job,

by Timothy Zahn

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Rating4.0/ 5
Ratings3
Pages340
Reading Hours7h
Published2024
Language—

§Synopsis

01

Hoping to take possession of a new alien star-hopping portal, Roarke and Selene are tasked with transporting an assassin, who is herself being targeted. For years Gregory Roarke and his Kadolian partner Selene worked as crocketts, combing through the atmospheres of uninhabited worlds for places that might be colonized or hold valuable resources. Now, they work for the Icarus Group, a top-secret government organization hunting for portals created by a long-vanished alien race, portals that can teleport a person hundreds or thousands of light-years in the blink of an eye. Usually, those hunts are long and tedious. But Roarke has now been handed an intriguing offer. A criminal boss, Robertine Cherno, will hand over a hitherto unknown portal to the Icarus Group in exchange for Roarke and Selene agreeing to transport a passenger named Nikki across the Spiral. There’s only one catch. Nikki is a professional, high-priced, highly feared assassin. And she’s on the job. That would have been bad enough. But when the alien Patth also move to gain possession of the portal, bad quickly promises to go to worse. Especially when it becomes clear that Nikki herself is being hunted by someone. It’s up to Roarke and Selene to untangle the mysteries and get to the truth before they become someone’s collateral damage.

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§Genres
science fiction1

§About the Author

Timothy Zahn
Timothy Zahn

4 books in catalog

Science fiction literature expanded significantly through the detailed galactic narratives and intricate military strategy developed in space opera and tie-in storytelling. Author Timothy Zahn introduced pivotal characters and expansive lore to the Star Wars expanded universe while publishing dozens of standalone novels and original science fiction series across several decades.

Career & Background

Born in Chicago, Illinois, and raised in Lombard, Timothy Zahn studied physics at Michigan State University before turning his attention to full-time fiction writing. His early work in short fiction earned major critical recognition when his novella Cascade Point won the Hugo Award for Best Novella in 1984. Zahn gained broad public attention with the release of Heir to the Empire, a bestselling novel set after the events of Return of the Jedi that introduced Grand Admiral Thrawn and Mara Jade. Over his career, Zahn has written more than forty novels, including the Conquerors' Trilogy, the YA Dragonback series beginning with Dragon and Thief, and multiple original sci-fi sagas.

Writing Style & Themes

Zahn is recognized for combining technical precision, tactical military science fiction, and fast-paced adventure. His narrative style frequently emphasizes strategic planning, political maneuvering, and logical problem-solving over raw force. In original work like his Icarus series—which includes titles such as The Icarus Job, The Icarus Needle, and The Icarus Changeling—as well as his media tie-in work, Zahn consistently examines themes of duty, military discipline, alien diplomacy, and high-stakes interstellar survival.

Major Works

  • Heir to the Empire — A bestselling Star Wars novel set after Return of the Jedi that launched the Thrawn Trilogy and revitalized interest in Star Wars prose fiction.
  • Cascade Point — A celebrated science fiction novella that won the Hugo Award for Best Novella in 1984.
  • The Icarus Job — An original sci-fi adventure novel exploring interspecies dynamics and high-stakes space exploration in Zahn's Icarus universe.
  • The Icarus Needle — An entry in the Icarus series showcasing Zahn's signature focus on tactical strategy and suspense.
  • The Icarus Changeling — A novel expanding the sci-fi mystery and strategic conflicts within the Icarus setting.
  • Dragon and Thief — The first book in the Dragonback young adult series, named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults.

§Featured Series

The Icarus Saga

Cover of The Icarus Job by Timothy Zahn

The Icarus Job

Timothy Zahn, 2024
Cover of The Icarus Changeling by Timothy Zahn

The Icarus Changeling

Timothy Zahn, 2024
Cover of The Icarus Needle by Timothy Zahn

The Icarus Needle

Timothy Zahn, 2024
§Genres
science fiction1

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2024 Book Releases

1000 books