Snakeskins - Softcover

"Startling imagery, deft storytelling, and assured and engaging writing make Snakeskins simply unmissable." -Tim Lebbon, of The Silence (now a Netflix movie starring Stanley Tucci) "A premise worthy of Wyndham becomes a twisty political SF thriller in the hands of Major. Snakeskins is full of action and surprise, keeping me reading, but the real hook lies in the rich seam of humanity within."-Aliya Whiteley, author of The Beauty "Another great page-turner from Tim Major! We follow Caitlin, a teenage girl, whose ability to produce 'snakeskin' clones causes emotional ripples that spread more widely than she'd ever anticipated. It's a gripping and thought-provoking tale, with Major exploring the wider implications of cloning and extended life-spans in the growth of a corrupt new government which has consequences for all."-Alison Littlewood, author of The Hidden People "John Wyndham meets Black Mirror in Tim Major's scintillating novel, a parallel world thriller, which takes as its themes duplicity, paranoia and what it truly means to be human. Snakeskins wrapped its coils around me and wouldn't let go."-Mark Morris "Tim Major has a talent for combining big ideas to create something exciting. With Snakeskins he gives us a SF thriller brimming with questions about identity."-Priya Sharma "A cautionary tale for our times." -James Brogden "Whether as page-turning thriller, coming of age story, or timely satire on a broken Britain, 'Snakeskins' is a delight."-Robert Shearman "This taut and fast-paced sf thriller ably plays around with its central device, exploring the ramifications being duplicated has on society and the self." - Booklist "a remarkably thoughtful consideration of identity and humanity, as the best sci-fi thrillers invariably are" - The Frumious Consortium "an unusual setup for an intricate political thriller that coils in on itself, tightening the tension as it circles toward satisfyingly shocking answers" - Barnes & Noble SFF Blog "being touted as a work that's perfect for fans of the TV series Humans, but I'd also throw Westworld and Altered Carbon in there, too. Or, you know, anything that makes the idea of what it means to be human kind of weird and uncomfortable" - Culturess "A twisty tale...skillfully crafted and guaranteed to make you think." - Books Bones and Buffy If you're in the mood for a SF novel with plenty of twists and turns, Snakeskins delivers." -George Kelley

An SF thriller examining the repercussions of rejuvenation and cloning on individuals' sense of identity and on wider society. Caitlin Hext's first shedding ceremony is imminent, but she's far from prepared to produce a Snakeskin clone. When her Skin fails to turn to dust as expected, she must decide whether she wishes the newcomer alive or dead. Worse still, it transpires that the Hext family may be of central importance to the survival of Charmers, a group of people with the inexplicable power to produce duplicates every seven years and, in the process, rejuvenate. In parallel with reporter Gerry Chafik and government aide Russell Handler, Caitlin must prevent the Great British Prosperity Party from establishing a corrupt new world order. Snakeskins is an SF thriller examining the repercussions of rejuvenation and cloning on individuals' sense of identity and on wider society, with the tone of classic John Wyndham stories and the multi-strand storytelling style of modern TV series such as Channel 4's Humans.