The Iron Garden Sutra by A. D. Sui

Erewhon Books is pleased to announce The Iron Garden Sutra by A. D. Sui, a science fiction debut novel of faith and horror, arriving in the spring of 2026.

Vessel Iris commits funeral rights for those dead found in the lonely dark of space. But when his monastery assigns him to commit rites for the dead aboard the Counsel of Nicaea, a powerless generation ship newly emerged from deep space, what he finds aboard will test the tenets of his faith and the depth of his humanity . . .

Author A. D. Sui said, “My goal with this project was to interrogate the tensions between the theory and praxis of faith, and how ultimately, it is up to each of us to decide what we are willing to place our beliefs in. It’s a bloody book, a system of competing interests with no clear villain or hero, and a love letter to life all at once. It’s a great honor and privilege to be working on this project with Diana Pho, and I am incredibly excited to embark on this journey with the Erewhon team. I can’t wait for readers to dig into this novel. In true Sui fashion, there will be tears.” 

Editor Diana Pho added, "What if Becky Chambers wrote a murder mystery thriller set on a generation ship? Perhaps you'd get A. D. Sui's debut novel The Iron Garden Sutra, which poses a question about long-term space exploration I had never even thought to ask before: what happens to those who die during the journey — and how does that interact with one's faith? While this book takes some dark turns, it pulls at the heartstrings in unexpected ways as it contemplates deeper questions about how to live a good and purposeful life, the meaning of love and attachment, and the perseverance of physical and spiritual survival. Plus, this story made me laugh as much as I cried!! I'm excited for readers to connect with Iris's story as much as I had!"

More on The Iron Garden Sutra below:

When Vessel Iris, a monk of the Starlit Order, accepts an assignment aboard the Counsel of Nicaea, a generation ship freshly emerged out of deep space travel, he wants nothing more than to recite the funeral rites, prepare the bodies of the deceased, and usher their souls to the One Beginning. Iris is a devoted Vessel. He’s kept his robes pearly white. He knows all the sutras by heart. And he’s been dutifully keeping to a vow of solitude. Yet, despite his dedication to the Starlit Order and the way of the Infinite Light, doubt plagues his mind.

Finding himself in the turbulent company of five academics sent to explore the ship by their research institute, Iris is suddenly torn between his duties as a Vessel and his yearning for human connection. Yes, even the attention from Yan, the snarky engineer, is welcome after decades of self-imposed solitude.

But the Counsel of Nicaea harbors deadly secrets, buried beneath the seemingly sentient carpets of moss and curtains of vines that reign over the ship. When his unlikely companions begin to perish in gruesome and mysterious ways, Iris must uncover the ship’s bloody history and discover just how far he’s willing to go to save his new friends, before the ship becomes his resting place as well.

Author Bio:

A.D. Sui is a Theodore Sturgeon and Pushcart nominated science fiction and fantasy writer and the author of The Dragonfly Gambit. She was born in Kharkiv, Ukraine but has since been calling Toronto home, even though she can’t afford to live there. Her path to writing has been a winding one, beginning with a decade-long stint as a professional fencer and member of the Canadian National Fencing Team where she competed at countless World Cups, Grand Prixes, and World Championships. After a career-ending injury, she put away her swords and took to higher education in London, Ontario where she begrudgingly resides to this day with her two dogs and hundreds of tropical plants. After an acceptable struggle, she received her Doctorate in 2022 from Western University. She has so far made very little use of it.

Sui’s short fiction has appeared in several, notable venues, including Augur, Haven Spec, and Baffling. Her short story “Toronto Isn’t Real and Other Metropolitan Anomalies” was short listed for the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award in 2023. Her flash “The Succubus and the Store Clerk”, first appearing in Baffling Issue #13 was on the Locus 2023 Recommended Reading List. 

Find her at www.thesuiway.ca

Cover reveal and preorder links to come soon!