Veronica wakes up in a hospital with only fragments of memory left. Added to that is a certainty she can’t ignore: she is pregnant. She can’t easily accept this reality, so she begins digging for the child’s father and for the memories she has pushed aside.
Elsewhere, an unseen foe clutches another figure in a firm grip and “promotes” her to the role of Controller. Her conscience confronts her daily with uncomfortable truths she can no longer push away. When a dispatch hints at Veronica’s detention, her mind is made up: she will prevent the access, whatever the cost.
Between Collapse and Hope
Dana S. Beier’s debut novel Salut Venus, Adieu Mars (Amazon-Affiliate-Link) blends a queer romance with science fiction. Reality and dream collide, with powerful emotions standing beside crushing defeats. The plot travels between painful experiences and moments of exuberant joy.
Yet the starting point sits fairly low: a “Underkitten” and a drama queen have fallen flat on their faces. Both must relearn how to stand. From this moment, a story unfolds that relies on contrasts and pays little mind to conventional norms.
The tone remains serious, and the characters’ losses are treated with a weight that can be exhausting. Still, there are pauses for breath and passages that invite dreaming. Hope and the sea are among the novel’s recurring motifs, as is a love for France, for life, and for all extraterrestrials. (dd/pm)
Dana S. Beier: Salut Venus, Adieu Mars. Novel. 220 pages. BoD — Books on Demand. Paperback: $12.99 (ISBN 978-3-69637-682-6).
