The Genesis of Misery cover art

The Genesis of Misery

Preview

Try Premium Plus free
1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Genesis of Misery

By: Neon Yang
Narrated by: Livvie Lin
Try Premium Plus free

$16.45 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $26.99

Buy Now for $26.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using voucher balance (if applicable) then card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions Of Use and Privacy Notice and authorise Audible to charge your designated credit card or another available credit card on file.
Cancel

About this listen

An immersive, electrifying space-fantasy, Neon Yang's debut novel The Genesis of Misery is full of high-tech space battles and political machinations, starring a queer and diverse array of pilots, princesses, and prophetic heirs.

It’s an old, familiar story: a young person hears the voice of an angel saying they have been chosen as a warrior to lead their people to victory in a holy war.

But Misery Nomaki (she/they) knows they are a fraud.

Raised on a remote moon colony, they don’t believe in any kind of god. Their angel is a delusion, brought on by hereditary space exposure. Yet their survival banks on mastering the holy mech they are supposedly destined for, and convincing the Emperor of the Faithful that they are the real deal.

The deeper they get into their charade, however, the more they start to doubt their convictions. What if this, all of it, is real?

A reimagining of Joan of Arc’s story given a space opera, giant robot twist, the Nullvoid Chronicles is a story about the nature of truth, the power of belief, and the interplay of both in the stories we tell ourselves.

A Macmillan Audio production from Tor Books.

©2022 Neon Yang (P)2022 Macmillan Audio
Adventure Fiction Science Fiction Space Opera Space

Critic Reviews

2022, NYPL Best Books of the Year, Long-listed

“This vibrant tour de force presents a simultaneous embrace and inversion of Chosen One narratives. Yang’s prose is lush and gripping throughout, and [the] universe is complex and gorgeously rendered . . . This is a triumph.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Come for the giant robot space battles, stay for the fascinating worldbuilding and the heartbreaking insight into the politics of fanaticism and emotional manipulation.”—Martha Wells, New York Times bestselling author of the Murderbot Diaries

“Neon Yang conjures a glittering, dangerous world where politics and religion clash in gemstone castles that float among the stars. Misery will tantalize, frustrate, and seduce you.”—Annalee Newitz, author of Autonomous

What listeners say about The Genesis of Misery

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Hang on to your hat, this is a wild ride!

This Joan of Arc retelling is absolutely luscious. There is potential madness and holy crystals that Misery can manipulate and use. There are mechs and space stations and epic space battles. And it’s very, very queer. I really loved the structure of this story and the nuances of the characters. I loved that each character was introduced with their pronouns and that Yang uses such a huge range of pronouns, a lot of which I haven’t seen in books before. (As someone who uses neo pronouns this particularly made me happy). And the world is so intricate with so many layers! My tip to you is don’t rush this one. Savour it, and pay attention because there is a lot going on in the story! The narration is excellent!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.