The Heartless Series
A near‑future, climate‑tilted, time‑tangled science fiction saga about a stubborn climate scientist, her cyborg husband, and an AI meerkat in a world that’s falling apart in all the wrong ways. Each novel tells a complete story in the same world, and you don’t have to start with Book 1
If you like high emotional stakes, start with Time Is Heartless
You’ll get…
- near-future Earth, full of strange weather and even stranger tech,
- thoughtful, emotional science fiction with plenty of joy,
- Quinn is learning that motherhood is sleepless, messy, and not always joyful, while Tig, her cyborg husband, is always working
- her AI meerkat has run away
- and her best friend is missing from cryogenic freeze
If you like fast‑paced adventure and big world-building, start with Nostalgia Is Heartless
You’ll get…
- time travel with consequences
- a principled (and pregnant) scientist trying to hold it together
- humour, action, and a thread of romance
- an AI meerkat having an existential crisis
- the world is bracing for a catastrophic solar storm
If you’re a completist and want the whole journey, start at the beginning with Gravity Is Heartless
You’ll get…
- Quinn would rather be BASE jumping and studying clouds than planning her wedding
- a devastating climate tragedy that changes everything
- globe‑spanning search for answers,
- an unlikely crew (including an AI meerkat and a guerrilla fighter), and a mysterious cyborg who’s not telling her everything.
Time Is Heartless
"Richly emotional and inventive near-future SF drama . . . the novel pulses with ideas, humanity, and adventure." — BookLife Editor's Pick Review
The third thrilling installment of the award-winning Heartless Series will delight lovers of sci-fi and romance adventures. Perfect for fans of Kaliane Bradley, Hugh Howey, and Becky Chambers.
Earth, 2053. Scientist Quinn Buyers discovers motherhood is not the joy-filled experience she thought it would be. Adding to the sleepless nights, boundless love, and ceaseless worry, Tig, her cyborg husband, is never home. Her AI meerkat has also run away, and her best friend is mysteriously missing from CyberSleep's cryogenic freeze.
When offered the chance to visit the world’s most advanced technology show, Quinn doesn’t hesitate—this might be the place to jump-start her flagging career. But with the expo's events underway, she didn’t expect to encounter old foes or run into her wayward husband. Soon, she must confront her own mortality and the choices that brought her and Tig together. Unfortunately, time is not on her side.
The explosive finale to the Heartless Series is a heart-stopping and unforgettable story that celebrates the victory of love over time.
Reviews
“Equal parts thought-provoking and riotously joyful, Time is Heartless is a book I’ll be thinking about for months—maybe even years. It’s genuinely, completely hilarious in the brilliant, sparkling, ridiculous way the future with all its boundless potential could be . . . some of the most intricately imagined worldbuilding I’ve ever read, and yet it feels completely accessible.” —Independent Book Review
“The surprising, emotionally resonant third entry in Lahey’s near-future Heartless Series blends thoughtful, inventive science fiction with romance, family drama, and a heartwarming commitment to love . . .” —BookLife Editor’s Pick Review
"Author Sarah Lahey has crafted an imaginative and compelling work. I was particularly impressed by the way the many levels of the novel worked together, and how much work the author pours into every moment of the worldbuilding, plot construction, and character development to make this possible.” — Readers' Favorite Five-Star Review ★★★★★
Gravity Is Heartless
“Thoroughly engrossing.An engaging adventure set in a deftly illustrated future.” —Kirkus Reviews.
This first thrilling installment of the award-winning Heartless Series will delight lovers of romance and sci-fi adventures. Perfect for fans of Kaliane Bradley, Hugh Howey, and Becky Chambers.
Earth, 2049. Scientist and BASE jump enthusiast Quinn Buyers would prefer to be studying clouds than getting ready for her wedding day. When an unforeseen tragedy strikes, robbing her of everything, including her famous scientist mother, she embarks on a quest for answers that takes her across the globe.
Along the way, she gathers an unlikely band of allies, including an AI meerkat and a tough yet witty guerrilla fighter. Unexpectedly, she falls in love with a mysterious cyborg who seems to know more about her than she does about him.
Set in the not-too-distant future, Gravity Is Heartless offers a compelling and thought-provoking exploration of love, loss, and the boundless possibilities of the human spirit.
Awards for Gravity Is Heartless
2021 American Fiction Awards Winner in Science Fiction: General / 2021 IPPY Awards Gold Winner in Science Fiction / 2021 International Book Awards Finalist in Fiction: LGBTQ and Science Fiction/ 2021 Readers' Favorite Book Awards Finalist in Fiction: Adventure / 2020 Best Book Awards Finalist Fiction: LGBTQ
Nostalgia Is Heartless
“A thrilling and immersive work of speculative climate fiction.”— Kirkus Reviews
This second exciting installment of the award-winning Heartless Series will delight lovers of romance and sci-fi adventures. Perfect for fans of Kaliane Bradley, Hugh Howey, and Becky Chambers.
Earth, 2050. Pregnant, unemployed, and living back home with her father, scientist Quinn Buyers wonders how she got to this point. Her famous scientist mother is still mysteriously missing, the planet is at risk from a massive solar storm, and the pesky Transhumans want to take a colony to Titan. As if that weren’t enough, her assisted living companion, a robotic meerkat, is depressed. But her biggest challenge is her partner. How can she reconcile her long-distance relationship with this reserved, enigmatic cyborg?
This time, Quinn’s adventures take her across the globe to Antarctica . . . where it rains all day, every day. Full of humor and whimsy, Nostalgia Is Heartless will delight readers as they follow Quinn’s race to save her planet and—hopefully—her love life.
Awards for Nostalgia Is Heartless
2022 Chanticleer Book Awards: Cygnus Sci-Fi Winner / 2022 Indie Reader Discovery Awards: Winner Environment Category / 2022 16th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards Finalist in Science Fiction / 2022 International Book Awards Finalist in Fiction:/ Cross-Genre and Fiction: Science Fiction / 2022 Forward Indies Awards: Finalist Science Fiction / 2022 Eric Hoffer Award Finalist Science Fiction / 2021 American Fiction Awards: Finalist Science Fiction
Book Reviews
Loved it. An adventure romp . . . set in a not too distant future and played for high stakes. Gravity Is Heartless is packed with insightful and oft heart-warming observation about what makes us human in the first place. It’s fun, witty and endlessly inventive . .. Bravo. Peter FitzSimons, journalist, commentator and author of over 20 books, including, Kokoda, Gallipoli and Nancy Wake.
This is an impressive first novel by Sarah Lahey with its scope, literary qualities, and philosophical insight. I highly recommend Gravity Is Heartless to readers who are looking for intellectual stimulation and, at the same time, an entertaining adventure in the not too distant future. Readers Favorite 5-Star Review.
The first volume is a new The Heartless series, Gravity Is Heartless is an inherently fascinating and fully entertaining read that showcases author Sarah Lahey's impressive flair for originality and the kind of narrative storytelling style that keeps the reader's attention fully focused from cover to cover. Midwest Book Review
Infused with wonder and the brilliance of the real world, Lahey excels in Quinn’s narration, breathing life into the dying world while giving Quinn a unique, knowledge-based personality. The nuclear engineer’s fascination with the periodic table, in particular, was a narrative delight that strengthened relationships while showing off Quinn’s science-honed mind. Paperback Paris
The amount of research that went into this in unbelievable. The way the author describes certain things and goes into detail is amazing. This world feels so real and I was quite shocked while reading this. The novel is set in 2050, which is only 30 years away and it felt like I was there in the year 2050 with those characters. Everything Lahey exquisitely describes feels so realistic. If you would tell me that this is how the world will look in 30 years, I would believe you. And that again shows how much thought and research went into this.Heavenly Bookish
In the aftermath of the tragedy, which included losing her scientist mother, Quinn is left to fend for herself and grows tremendously as a character. The supporting cast, including her best friend, a robotic meerkat, and a tough yet witty guerrilla fighter, are interesting in their own right, and almost steal the show. Lahey's debut is the beginning of a trilogy, so it is fitting that it ends with a cliffhanger, leaving readers unsure of Quinn's next steps in an increasingly unstable world. Booklist
A highly entertaining read about the effects of global warming. I found the book utterly entertaining. The setting was (sadly) realistic, and the characters and story were very creative.” Pondering the Prose.
Sarah Lahey’s realistic science fiction novel Gravity is Heartless is set in the near future; it involves a mystery, political intrigue, and romance. Launching a new trilogy well, the futuristic science fiction novel Gravity is Heartless is a fun trip through a climate-changed world.Forward Reviews
The author’s Earth of the not-too-distant future is an intriguing, alien place, and readers will delight in watching Quinn move through it. Lahey’s prose is lush - describing a deeply imaginative world - and on the whole, the story is thoroughly engrossing. An engaging adventure set in a deftly illustrated future. Kirkus Reviews