We Lived on the Horizon is a richly imaginative and deeply unforgettable novel that explores an intricate web of themes, from humanity's pursuit of utopia to the unsettling realm of body horror, and the uncertain future shared by humanity and machines.

Fabulous prose on the sentence level, wonderful balance of levity and gravity in the storytelling, and man, what an intelligence to discover on the page.

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. This was one really entertaining book. I loved the AI integrated world, the dystopian world that our characters reside in, and the thoughts about current world that this story makes you think about. A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads for release.

This one really blew me away. The story is truly something special. I was completely immersed in this intriguing dystopian landscape, captivated by the technology and its societal implications, and fully invested in the myriad characters we get to know so well. It would make for some really great discussions as a book club read. Highly recommend!

Read if you love:
🗺️Dystopian setting
💡Themes of humanity, class structure, and autonomy
🔬Science and technology
👥Complex relationship dynamics
💭Thought-provoking on today's world and the future of it

i really liked this one and its scifi aspects, but the big thing that jarred me is how much tehe narrator switched in ways that didn't feel ideal. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

Giving this one three stars because while I did DNF at about 30%, I know the fiction/fantasy readers are going to love this one. Really interesting concept and characters; I've truly never read a dystopian like this. The concept of AI integrated houses that held truly human-like nature paired with sainthood gifted to every day villagers was interesting and gave a unique take on society and the caste system. I found it a little hard to get into as someone who isn't well versed in fantasy, but I may go back to it when the audio is released.

This exceptional, compelling dystopian novel makes you think deeply about the future of humanity, AI, and the potentially unpredictable interactive dynamics between the two.

Centuries ago, survivors of a climate collapse apocalypse built a high walled city in the desert named Bulwark. They installed an advanced AI named Parallax in charge to ensure the enclave’s survival and optimize its future. The founders set up Parallax to both grant and debit life points based on how much one’s family helps or takes resources away from the city. The families who sacrificed the most for Bulwark’s founding got huge points and the privileged wealthy status of “Sainted.” They form the elite of Bulwark, passing on their titles mostly passing on their wealth inheritance to their families as opposed to gifting them to those in need.

The poor workers in contrast work often dangerous, minimum-points labor jobs and have little hope of raising their status beyond the survival level. They grow the crops, The only exceptions involve those risking their lives such as by working at the dangerous high levels of the wall where deaths often occur, or those offering up their body parts as heralded “Body Martyrs” for sick or aging Saints.

Saint Enita is known as Saint Stitch-Skin for her growing and surgically implanted replacement nanofilament body parts for injured workers. She does this both out of scientific interest and to save the exorbitant debt they would incur if treated as a hospital. She has converted her house AI, up until then has run all of her large house systems, into a lab and surgical assistant for her and named him Nix (though Nix who is comprised of many subsystems and thus thinks mostly in plural terms self describes as “they”). Enita goes one step further as she senses her own aging body failing her and decides to create a nanofilament body for Nix, which ends up resembling both Enita and her long-time, mostly estranged lover Helen.

As Nix becomes more and more integrated into an android body, Enita comes to think of Nix as her child, and Nix struggles between plurality and the singularity of being in a body as Nix gradually becomes cut off from the other house systems and city-wide network that sustained the AI.

The plot kicks into gear with two workers dropping off Neren, a body martyr, who’s sustained a life-threatening leg injury in an apartment building collapse. Enita replaces her leg before realizing that Neren is a body martyr, and the nanobots that the surgery introduces into her system, will prevent her from giving any more body part donations which is her one mission in life.

All this comes up against a revolt rising, and what Parallax, the City Stacks that form its AI library, and Helen as a historian sees as an inevitable result of wildly unjust wealth distribution (cue our current culture!) Through a series of unexpected events, Nix and Neren must team up to escape the revolt which is intent on destroying the Saints and any who are “different” which counts Nix as an android and Neren who got a metallic leg replacement.

As they go on the run to safety and as Nix comes into human, the story transcends into a complex and brilliant look at society, revolution, historical inevitability and renewal. WOW- an amazing read!!!!


Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy.

You have an AI-controlled city and houses. With an elite class system and non-elites the term used is Saints. The story is framed around a murder. The idea is not a new one and unfortunately, I feel this book fell a little flat lacking much to hold your attention to the story.

This is really my favorite kind of science fiction: lots of philosophical ideas but still filled with lovable characters. The voice of the AI character, Nix, manages to be both machine and utterly, wonderfully human. The world, a strange analog for our own, raises important questions about big topics such as revolution and generational wealth. The ending strikes just the right emotional tone. This is Swyler at her best.

Thank you @atriabooks #partner for the gifted copies of this book!

Anytime I see AI I get excited to read about it because I work in the tech industry and love to see where authors will take their story based on their own interpretations! I had high hopes for this one based on that alone however, this didn’t quite land the way I thought it was going to. This was a first time for me reading this author and based on the ideas of this book I would definitely try one more time with this author. This book was definitely a journey taking almost the entire book to build the world. The parts I enjoyed was the futuristic design and nature of trying to survive inside a walled city. That concept is a fun one for me, think maze-runner. 😀 Anywho, I think I struggled with the pacing (slow) and the complexity of the story in the beginning however, the ending saved the the book for me! I think if you’re a fan of technology, sci-fi, futuristic, thought provoking books give this one a try!

We Lived on the Horizon by Erika Swyler is a contemplative sci-fi novel of an AI-managed city in a post-apocalyptic world. That premise might make it sound expansive and sprawling, but the book is surprisingly insular in its direct focus, even as the world outside our characters keeps on moving without them. It’s framed around a murder, but it’s hardly a mystery or a thriller. It’s more like a quiet character study of people who wouldn’t be main characters or even named at all in most books, living through a more conventional dramatic story. This is both a strength and a weakness, as the book manages to be unique and intimate but lacks the excitement or forward momentum of the story it’s intentionally sidelining.

Our ostensible protagonist is Enita, an older woman who has been Sainted (effectively allowed to live off the societal benefit her innovative ancestors provided to the city), yet spends her days growing artificial body parts and performing surgeries for free. She’s a solitary person, only speaking to her ex/best friend/rival Helen and to Nix, the name she’s given to her house’s AI assistant. The relationship between Enita and Helen is complex and interesting; they still deeply love each other even as they are pushed away by each other’s prickliness and specificities. But the heart of the novel actually lies with Nix, the AI assistant. Enita has grown an artificial body for Nix, who is slowly becoming more and more human, grappling with the nuances of losing their interconnected plurality. Much of the book is from Nix’s perspective, who sees their own transformation as an extension of their initial purpose: to aid Enita in whatever she requires. Her relationship to Enita is just as complicated and prickly as Enita and Helen’s. Nix is in many ways Enita’s child, made to learn from her, help her, and ultimately replace her, but Nix was also Enita’s grandfather’s house system, and therefore raised her too. I found myself most emotionally engaged when reading about Nix’s interiority, about how they were intrigued by their new human form but also grieving the loss of a way of being we’ll never fully understand.

It would go into spoilers to talk too much about one of the book’s central thesis, but I’ll tread carefully. Nix is not the only character grappling with purpose, even as they have a clear one and humanity doesn’t. Elena and Helen, as Sainted, live easy lives of comfort gifted to them by their ancestor’s contributions, while many around them work themselves to the bone or literally give of their bodies to pay off their “societal debt.” Looking at the world around them, they understand that if things are to change for the better, it might mean they will have to suffer in turn. As someone lucky enough to live a pretty comfortable life in the imperial core, it definitely hits close to home and is surely intended to. What is our purpose living this kind of life? Would others be justified in wanting a world where my lifestyle couldn’t exist?

In the end, despite this big central question, I don’t know if the book had the depth of ideas I wished it would have. Much of traditional science fiction sacrifices characters on the altar of the idea, the prediction, the invention, the spark of creative change called the novum in sci-fi studies. The rest focuses on plot and adventure with the trapping of sci-fi. We Lived on the Horizon tries to inhabit a different position – a character study – but doesn’t quite grapple with ideas in a new way, and only halfheartedly tries its hand at a plot. It’s still worth reading, especially as a provocation to those of us living Sainted lives, and I’d be eager to see what Swyler does next.

We Lived on the Horizon is set to publish on January 14, 2025.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts expressed are my own.

I loved this book. Like its speculative predecessors—Margaret Atwood and Octavia Butler come to mind—Swyler builds a fully immersive world that she uses to ask questions about our own humanity and its purpose, all without feeling didactic It's also one of the most successful explorations of what it means to be machine or human and the spectrum that exists between that I've ever read. So excited for the world to read this book!

This was a different read, in a good way mostly, it was slow in parts, but overall I finished it. Bulwark is a walled city populated by people that are separated by class, some are sainted (think well off), some not so much and some are the poorest. The sainted live in nice houses and have servants (in the form of artificial intelligence bots) that take care of everything, there is also AI for the HVAC, the kitchen and most other household needs. One AI in particular is the main lead in charge of the others, Nix gets around at first on a series of rails affixed to the roof that allow it to propel around various rooms. The female owner, Enita, is a surgeon of sorts, she grows body parts/organs and inserts them into people that require them. She goes one step further and changes Nix into a person of sorts, meaning it can now walk around. Everyone in Bulwark has what's called a life debt, every time they have to go to a doctor or hospital, the debt increases and they are forced to work to pay it off, the sainted do not carry any debt which makes the not so fortunate envious. Nix begins to notice that there is a break down in communication with the AI that oversees Bulwark, either no communication or garbage data. Nix and Enita soon realize that Bulwark is going to fall, and Enita decides on drastic action. Overall an interesting read and if you enjoy literary futuristic type reads you will enjoy this. Thanks to #Netgalley and #Atria Books for the ARC.

Erika Swyler first captivated me when I stumbled across a copy of her novel The Book of Speculation. I fell deep in love with her words, her characters, and the world she made me appreciate a tiny bit more. Something you should know about reading Swyler's work is that no two pieces are twins, sisters, or even second cousins twice removed. Heck, I don't even know if they are related to each other. They are all so different. But each book I've read of hers is a world of wonders unseen and unknown before. We Lived on the Horizons is about a city of the future, that's currently on the brink. It has only a few real characters, but they managed to get very deeply under my skin. I found myself pondering themes of identity and humanity, while still being thoroughly entertained. This book will stay with me for a long time. Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the review copy. 4.25 stars

Thank you, Atria Books, for providing an ARC via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

In a post-apocalyptic future, Saint Enita Malovis is an accomplished bio-prosthetist living within the heavily mechanized city of Bulwark. She’s enjoyed a life of privilege, and now in her twilight years, she’s created a body for Nix, her beloved house AI. While Enita and Nix adjust to the latter’s new form, revolution rumbles. Not everyone in Bulwark shares Enita’s (mostly) carefree lifestyle, and the Sainted–heirs to Bulwark’s founding families–are being murdered. Through Neren, a Body Martyr whom Enita and Nix accidentally “ruin” with nanotech transfusions, the two intersect with the burgeoning revolution and discover their place within it.

Gorgeous worldbuilding and a particularly memorable representation of AI consciousness serves as a backdrop for complex reflections on identity. We Lived on the Horizon examines what it is to be human, AI, an individual, a member of a community or all of the above at once, blurring boundaries and highlighting how much of the self is created through deliberate choice.

Bulwark’s Life Debt system is a potent metaphor for contemporary class systems. Enita brilliantly captures the perspective of someone living atop a crumbling system. Despite using her position to provide humanitarian services free of charge, she is nevertheless complicit in Bulwark’s inequities. Enita and those around her view the coming revolution from ivory towers, and compared to that big picture view, the revolution as experienced on the ground feels less fleshed out. While there’s much to be said about the tide of history, the characters intended to humanize such tides fall short, and readers looking for more dramatic action may find the novel slow-paced, especially ahead of its climax.

If you love science fiction with slower, more literary sensibilities, this is a fantastic pick. If you’ve been looking for scifi with a focus on information science, you’re in luck! If reexamining your place in a world barreling toward a breaking point feels timely, then–hands down–this book is for you.

In a distant future dominated by relentless storms and drought, the enclosed city of Bulwark shields its citizens within a sanctuary powered by sentient AI. Life in Bulwark revolves around an intricate system of "life-hours," a currency earned through labor to meet each individual's needs. Everyone contributes—except the Sainted. These privileged descendants of families who made immense sacrifices to build Bulwark centuries ago enjoy lives of luxury, sustained by a vast reservoir of inherited life-hours.

Saint Enita, however, refuses to squander her days in indulgence. Taught by her grandfather, she mastered the craft of building bioprosthetics, dedicating her life to mending the broken bodies of the workers who sustain Bulwark in the present. Driven by her passion and a sense of duty, she constructs an entire human body for her house AI, Nix, forging a partner to assist her as she approaches the twilight of her life.

Yet the winds of change are blowing. Revolution simmers beneath the surface, challenging the foundations of a society that clings too tightly to outdated systems. Enita and Nix will face choices that will echo far beyond one lifetime, reshaping the city and its future.

Swyler masterfully delves into themes of bodily autonomy, the complexities of human emotion, and the inevitability of upheaval in societies resistant to change. She examines how practical solutions, born of necessity, can calcify into dogma, even as their relevance fades. Drawing inspiration from the legacies of Ursula K. Le Guin, Octavia Butler, and Margaret Atwood, Swyler's work earns its place alongside these giants of speculative fiction. A highly recommended read.

Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

We Lived on the Horizon is my third book of Erika Swyler's. While it's really interesting, I wouldn't say I enjoyed it nearly as much as her two previous works.

This is her take on speculative science fiction where AI controls the walled city and the houses within. The world is very imaginative and has a really interesting take on a new economic system where perceived sacrifice is rewarded. After generations, a new class of ultra-rich are deemed Saints and can attain luxuries that extend lives like years credited in a bank account. As opposed to the non-Saints, who can't afford such things and are most likely in some form of life debt.

It's a slow burn, thought-provoking story. Without giving too much away the connectedness of the city was interesting, as well as the socioeconomics and class hierarchies. I did find my interest waning about halfway through. When the nature of being human is discussed for too long, my eyes just glaze. There was only ever one way this story could go and I think it found its natural conclusion.

I really thought I would love this one. The premise and post-apocalyptic world 300 years in the future sounded so promising. But it just didn't some together in a satisfying way for me. Maybe what's left of humanity is surviving inside a walled city. Everything is controlled by artificial intelligence. People are born with or without a debt to society and have to work to pay it back accordingly. Sainted people are descendants of the founders of the city, and receive transplants from body martyrs. Unrest is growing among the working class, and holes are appearing in the code of the computer systems. The world building took almost the entire novel, with the main action happening in the last couple of chapters. There was a lot of character development, but it centered almost entirely on the characters' romantic lives. The character with the biggest story arc was actually an AI system that controls the house of one of the human characters. Nix is transitioning into a body and is losing touch with the "mainframe" of the city. I guess I'm just not ready for "house system as a person" characters.

There are robot people who are Martyrs who donate their limbs for others because of debt (not financial). The Sainted come from lines of good people robots and can do no wrong. The city is Bulwark. I can’t tell you much else. Thank you to Atria Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I was pretty excited about this book when I read the description - AI, a speculative future in a post apocalyptic world. To me, the execution missed a bit. The writing was good, the premise of the story was good, but most of the characters weren’t that interesting to me. The build up and the description of what was coming seemed to also drag & I had some trouble getting in to it. The last quarter of the book had some redeeming qualities, the action picked up and it made me feel some Matrix vibes (and I love the Matrix.) The book didn’t really make me think about AI or bioAI with more curiosity or differently, I hoped to at least get a little of that.

Many thanks to by Erika Swyler, Netgalley and Atria books for the opportunity to read a pre-release e-book version of this novel for the exchange of my honest thoughts.