title: Silversands
text: # Silversands
  
  Silversands (ISBN 1906864063, published by Pendragon Press) is a science fiction novel by British writer Gareth L. Powell. It was his debut novel.
  
  ## Plot summary
  
  In an age where interstellar travel is dangerous and unpredictable, and no-one knows exactly where a trip ends up, Avril Bradley is a Communications officer on board a ship sent to re-contact as many of these lost souls as possible. But a mysterious explosion strands her in a world of political intrigue, espionage and subterfuge; a world of retired cops, digital ghosts and corporate assassins who fight for possession of computer data that had lain undisturbed for almost a century.
  
  ## Ebook edition
  
  As Silversands was only produced in a limited run in hardcover, online publisher Anarchy Books released a mass-market ebook edition in April 2012, including the bonus short story "Memory Dust".
  
  ## Critical reception
  
  The novel received mostly favorable reviews, including reviews from Interzone and Eric Brown in The Guardian. Brown regarded the novel as a "fine hi-tech romp" but was critical of what he called "a rushed and melodramatic dénouement."
  
  