The humans of Mars have been taught a false history—that Mars had always been humanity's home, that a virulent pathogen drove them into their shielded habitats, and that there was nothing but dust and debris in the night sky. The memory of Earth has been erased, a policy adopted by the early colonists intended to free humanity from the guilt of having left a world they consumed to die in their absence.

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When Lee Weir finds an old book by someone named Carl Sagan in his dead grandmother’s apartment, these fundamental facts of human history are thrown into question, and the future of the true history suddenly rests on his ability to do the one thing he has struggled with his entire life—tell the truth. 

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Lee and his best friends—explosive and confident Kurza and his long-time love interest Minato—become the targets of a deadly cabal dedicated to keeping Earth in the distant past. The mysterious and murderous Keeper pursues Lee across Mars, intent on eliminating him and his inheritance. Lee must choose between safety in complicity, giving up the book and killing the memory of Earth again, and the risks inherent in disclosure. It will be hard for the humans of Mars to confront their past, but remembering their history might be the key to safeguarding their future.

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The novel interrogates the settler colonial mentality which informs many of our real-world responses to climate change, and explores questions related to artificial intelligence and the social construction of history. The novel also features a complicated but ultimately happy queer romance.

 

Connor is represented by Jamie Cowen at The Ampersand Agency.