Inner Space, A New Novel From Cyberpunk 2077, Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt, and The Blood of Dawnwalker Writer

[IBJamon]

Introducing INNER SPACE, From the Writer of Cyberpunk 2077, The Witcher 3, and The Blood of Dawnwalker

Jakub Szamalek takes his writing to new heights.

Warsaw, Poland - Jakub Szamalek, the visionary writer behind The Witcher 3, Cyberpunk 2077, and the narrative director behind the upcoming gameThe Blood of Dawnwalker, makes his English novel debut with INNER SPACE, an intense technothriller that explores human ambition, trust, and division against the backdrop of the International Space Station. INNER SPACE goes on sale on July 15, 2025 in bookstores around the world for $18.99 USD, and the novel promises to deliver the same rich narrative that video game fans have come to expect from Szamalek.

Advance Praise for INNER SPACE

“Space-based political drama skirts the edge of science fiction to produce a suspenseful narrative mystery in a unique setting…This adrenaline-fueled, political space thriller will keep readers on the edge of their seats.”
— Library Journal, starred review

“A Crichtonesque cascade of mistakes and misunderstandings in an all-too-plausible but entertaining thriller.”
— Booklist

“INNER SPACE is a wonderfully crafted space thriller. It has everything we loved about The Martian or Gravity, but more psychological depth. It’s also a chilling picture of the Russian mentality and its workings, written by someone who truly understands it. With the resurgent conflict between the East and the West and the return of the threat of totalitarianism, this blockbuster book couldn’t be more timely.”
— Zygmunt Miloszewski, bestselling author of Rage and Priceless

INNER SPACE delivers psychological complexity alongside gripping tension. With comparisons to favorites like The Martian and Gravity, Szamalek’s novel digs deeper into East-West tensions through the lens of space exploration, creating a story that’s alarmingly timely as it is set just before the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Set on the cusp of an interstellar disaster, INNER SPACE follows Lucy Poplasky, one of the ISS’s first female commanders, as an ammonia leak sparks suspicion and mistrust between American astronauts and Russian cosmonauts. When accusations of sabotage are hurled, the crew must confront cultural divisions and personal ambition, all while racing against a deadly ticking clock. Drawing readers into the claustrophobic confines of the ISS, Szamalek captures more than the drama of space survival; he probes the human heart.

Having garnered massive popularity in Poland, INNER SPACE now arrives for English audiences as a riveting commentary on technology, geopolitical divides, and the fragility of partnerships in dire circumstances. Szamalek, who is also the visionary behind the acclaimed video games The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077, brings his expertise in pacing and suspense to the novel’s unrelentingly intense storytelling.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

JAKUB SZAMALEK is Narrative Director at Rebel Wolves game studio. Born in Poland in 1986, he studied in the UK, at Oxford and Cambridge University, where he was a Cambridge Gates Scholar. He is an author and the writer behind the international video game bestsellers, including The Witcher 3, Cyberpunk 2077 and The Blood of Dawnwalker. He lives in Nova Scotia, Canada, with his family. His award-winning series of thrillers, The Hidden Web, has been adapted into a major motion picture by Monolith Films. Jakub has been named among Eastern and Central Europe’s Young Leaders (New Europe 100) by the Res Publica Foundation.