Children of Time

The novel won the Arthur C. Clarke Award for best science fiction novel of 2015, beating a shortlist that included works by Becky Chambers and Dave Hutchinson. The award is one of the most prestigious honors in British science fiction.

The novel depicts the evolution of Portia labiata, a real species of jumping spider, which develops intelligence and a complex civilization over millennia on a terraformed planet. Tchaikovsky researched actual spider behavior extensively to ground the fictional species in real biology.

Yes, Adrian Tchaikovsky wrote two sequels: "Children of Ruin" (2019), which introduces sentient octopus-like creatures and an alien virus, and "Children of Memory" (2022), which extends the series' exploration of non-human intelligence. A fourth book, "Children of Fear," was published in 2024.

The novel follows two parallel storylines: the last remnants of humanity aboard a generation ship called the Gilgamesh seeking a new home, and the parallel evolution of a spider civilization on a planet that was meant to be seeded for human colonization. The two species' paths eventually converge in a dramatic climax.