The Bright Highway

A shining sci-fi adventure, blending raw action with layered introspective wit. Crawford's cinematic stylings create one of the most visceral and rewarding debuts in modern fiction.A 2025 Eyelands Book Awards grand prize winner!“Phenomenal ... a hell of a debut novel.”—The BH Book Club“[An] engrossing tale of a man torn between two worlds.”—Kirkus ReviewsIt's been seven years since Emmett Hayes set foot on Earth. Seven years in higher orbit, piloting a cannon to protect his world. Seven years since the catastrophic Chicago Storm.Now Emmett must return to his hometown, a dusty southern county better known as Old Dallas. It's a stalwart refuge for natural human beings, especially those with certain patriotic inclinations, those who'd rather share no air with the Earth's first invasive species: Reachers.Emmett should hate the invaders more than anyone. He was orphaned by their violence when he was just eleven years old. He is eager to assume his new role as a Reacher Hunter in the United Territories special forces. Or rather, half of him is excited. The other half is always working, always whispering behind his eyes. She was supposed to be an experiment, a prototype spacesuit reverse-engineered from alien tech, but Emmett knows she's more than that. After living seven years inside his rare and outlawed Reacher gunsuit, Emmett's body is becoming theirs — enhanced, evolved, shared. He should hate the invaders more than anyone.But there is something to these whispers... something dark and distinctly true that is making his planet's cause in this great war seem less convincing every day.The Bright Highway is an action-packed sci-fi adventure exploring tribalism, identity, and the darkening effects of an ever-advancing technological state. Through the misguided eyes of Emmett Hayes, you will suffer loss, discover strength, and learn to shine. Read more