Elizabeth Byron

I write character-driven science fiction about the messy people who just happen to live in space. Think Andy Weir’s problem-solving protagonists crossed with Becky Chambers' found families and a strong dose of thriller.

(And I own 48+ pairs of Crocs!)

— Elizabeth Byron

About Defiance, The Exodus Project Book #1:
A character-driven science fiction thriller.

Their 125-year journey was a promise. Now, it's a death sentence.

A catastrophic explosion cripples the UNCS Jens Andersen's life support and breaches the vital radiation shield, turning the long colonization voyage into a guaranteed killer for the hundreds aboard.

Brilliant but rebellious engineering cadet Erin devises the only audacious solution that can save them all. But Chief Engineer Manik's crushing insecurity escalates his professional opposition into a dangerously obsessive campaign to stop her.

A life-or-death deadline looms in the form of a stellar flare directly in their flight path. As the clock ticks down, Manik's attempts to stop Erin escalate from obstruction to outright subversion.

Can Erin prove her radical theory is sound and outwit a desperate, violent saboteur before the Andersen's last hope—and its last chance at colonization—is destroyed?

DEFIANCE, The Exodus Project Book #1: Fans of Andy Weir and Becky Chambers will appreciate this character-driven sci-fi thriller.

Recommended for adults and mature teens.
​​​​​​​Content advisory: Contains violence and mature psychological themes. Reader discretion is advised.

March 1, 2026 release.