This sci‑fi twist on Moby-Dick will blow your mind

image via New Scientist

April 10, 2026, 10:00 AM

• •Alexis Hall's novel "Hell's Heart" reimagines Moby-Dick as a queer sci-fi space opera.
• •The book explores themes of unknowability and exploration through space whales and AI.
• •Hall discusses his approach to adapting the classic novel, incorporating scientific elements, and creating a new universe.
• •The interview highlights the characters, world-building, and themes of the book, including its connection to the modern world.

Author Alexis Hall discusses his reimagining of Herman Melville's Moby-Dick as a queer science fiction space opera, "Hell's Heart." The novel features space whales, AI, and a trans woman protagonist navigating a new sci-fi universe. Hall explains his inspiration, drawing on the original novel's themes of unknowability and exploration, while also incorporating scientific elements and playful fictionalizations. The interview explores the creation of the novel's world, including the different types of space leviathans and the futuristic Earth.

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