P. Finian Reilly
softcover 978-1-961905-47-4
e-book 978-1-961905-48-1
June 2025 | 346 pages
In 2123, the world is dying—and Antarctica’s last remaining glaciers are the final source of fresh water. Controlled by the all-powerful StarCross Corporation, Spigot—the continent’s largest water extraction facility—feeds a desperate planet. But off this continent’s frigid shore lies a secret that could change everything.
Roscoe Slake thought his internship with StarCross would be his ticket off-world, away from Earth’s collapsing ecosystems and corporate rule. Instead, he’s stuck in Spigot’s archives, combing through centuries-old documents—until he stumbles upon a forgotten record from the Ross Antarctic Expedition of 1839-43. What Roscoe discovers could upend the balance of power and make fresh water plentiful again—if he survives long enough to expose it.
Blending historical intrigue with near-future climate fiction, Ice’s End is a gripping sci-fi thriller perfect for fans of Miller’s Blackfish City, Bacigalupi’s The Water Knife, and Qiufan’s Waste Tide. With echoes of Simmon’s The Terror and Robinson’s The Ministry for the Future, this novel takes readers on a high-stakes journey into Antarctica’s frozen frontier—where the past and future collide, and survival is never guaranteed.
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“P. Finian Reilly is a fresh new voice in sci-fi—Ice’s End is a deeply researched historical novel from the age of Antarctic exploration and an imaginative view of our harsh climate future on the harshest continent on Earth. From glacier mining to water credits to secret missions, Reilly twists today’s climate crisis into a future environmental thriller. Through it all, he maintains suspense, humor, and plenty of heart. Ice’s End is a propulsive read that responds to our times.”
—Adrian Horton, arts writer for Guardian US
“Ice’s End is a compelling read, offering a chilling look at a bleak future starved of resources that feels frighteningly plausible.”
—Mike Lucibella, former editor of the Antarctic Sun
“P. Finian Reilly’s Ice’s End plunges readers into Antarctica’s icy secrets, ones that may hold the key to the survival of a planet whose drinking water supply has nearly run dry. Its propulsive plot brings the cautionary tales of early Antarctic exploration into a futuristic world whose power-hungry entrepreneurs have learned too little from the past. A page-turner from the get-go, with a sense of urgency that resonates in a warming world.”
—Gwen Florio, award-winning author of the Lola Wicks and Nora Best mysteries and Silent Hearts
