Published by Tor in April 2026
Review by Lisa Timpf
How would humans react if we discovered a rogue black hole was headed for the Earth? That’s the scenario contemplated by TJ Klune’s We Burned So Bright, and some of the answers are what you might expect. There are reports of riots, road rage, and burning cities. There is despair. But there is also hope and the determination to make the best of the time that remains.
We Burned So Bright follows the travels of an older gay couple, Don and Rodney, as they trek cross-country from Maine to Washington State in a beat-up RV. Faced with the coming of the end, they have one last thing they need to do, and it’s a race against time to see if they can reach their destination before the world literally falls apart.
The nature of Don and Rodney’s errand is revealed gradually, and the suspense of finding out what has compelled them to travel across the country at a time like this is part of the book’s appeal. As they travel, they see signs of the black hole’s approach in the blotting out of the stars, and in news reports about other planets being consumed one by one.
Though scientists can predict roughly how much time remains before the Earth is destroyed, they can’t say with to-the-minute exactitude. As the black hole creeps closer, radio transmissions are no longer possible, keeping the travellers in the dark save for the phenomena they can see with their own eyes. Along the road, there is time for philosophical discussions, and for nostalgia. As they travel, Don and Rodney are painfully aware of everything that will be lost.
They encounter families and couples, lone travellers and those voyaging in groups, people with varying philosophies and approaches. Some are angry, some are helpful, and some are suspicious and protective. The interactions with different travellers give Klune the opportunity to show different possible reactions to the coming disaster.
When they meet a pair of younger gay women who see them as ‘Gay Elders’, Rodney and Don share some of their back story, including how it felt to lose friends to AIDS. Don and Rodney have been together for over forty years, and this long familiarity has led them to know one another’s moods. Though their bodies have changed with age, there is still the lasting attraction, supported by years of memories built together.
At one point, Don reflects that ‘maybe love – a well-worn love, like a cherished old sweater – could still be exciting, surprising. Extraordinary, even . . . You love someone long enough, their bodies become comfort, a home in blood and bone.’ I found it refreshing to see older characters portrayed with such empathy and understanding.
In the book’s Acknowledgements, Klune notes that the idea for We Burned So Bright was inspired by a one-off comment by his editor Ali Fisher. During back-and-forth discussions for Somewhere Beyond the Sea, Fisher wrote a note to the effect of, ‘There is a one in a trillion chance that a black hole could make its way to our galaxy.’ This gave Klune the spark of a story idea, and he read up on black holes as part of the research for We Burned So Bright.
As the Author’s Note says, the book contains ‘discussions of death in different forms, including death by suicide,’ so readers who might find this type of content disturbing should be advised.
While there may not be a planet-hungry black hole headed our way anytime soon (okay, there might, but the odds are against it), I have, as I’ve aged, become increasingly aware of the need to come to terms with my own mortality. Reading We Burned So Bright made me think of all the things I take for granted, about my own unfinished business, and about the wonder and fragility of the planet we live on.
We Burned So Bright is a multi-layered and moving read. It’s not the first apocalyptic novel I’ve read, but it offers some unique and compelling perspectives.
Lisa Timpf lives in Simcoe, Ontario, where she writes poetry, book reviews, short stories, and creative nonfiction. Lisa’s speculative poetry collections Cats and Dogs in Space (2025) and In Days to Come (2022) are available from Hiraeth Publishing. Lisa is a member of SF Canada and the Science Fiction and Fantasy Poetry Association. You can find out more about Lisa’s writing projects at http://lisatimpf.blogspot.com. Lisa is also on Bluesky