QSFer Clara Ward has a new queer sci-fantasy book out (ace, non-binary, trans, lesbian, gay): Dream the Deep.
You don’t need to reach Mars to reach your dreams.
Robbed of their chance at leaving Earth to pursue green-energy innovations, Ryn embraces new dreams—fighting deep sea threats in conjunction with a giant cephalopod. It’s 2139 in the Cali-Coastal Corporate Zone, and Ryn struggles with their own body and brain as they fight to survive five days locked up with academic rivals and the military-backed billionaires who’ve misled them all since their teenage years.
Ryn needs an exit strategy but doesn’t know whether to trust Akira, the hacker-spy who may have saved their life, or Jay, the geeky military rebel with a secret stash of hot chocolate. Not to mention, Jay keeps falling asleep in their bed, and Ryn’s not sure if either of them is interested in more—but at least they like the same shows!
Five Days. One Ocean. Unlikely allies connect to Dream the Deep.
Get It At Amazon | Publisher
Excerpt
The door was unlocked, as it had been whenever Ryn came for paper or an extra blanket. Now they pushed past a disused desk and zeroed in on the boxes at the back, covered with old military stamps. They found a case of twelve chicken stew MREs, their second favorite after pizza, and carrying it in both arms, headed out.
This time, a lone figure leaned against the wall outside the supply room. It was a military man in a tight black tee shirt and the pixelated camouflage pants all but the Space Force military now wore. The key card at his belt confirmed his Ocean Force rank of Commander and his pronouns. He raised one dark eyebrow below messy dark hair and asked, “Hungry?”
Author Bio
Clara Ward spends their days in or near the Pacific Ocean in California. Their new novella, Dream the Deep, and their previous novel, Be the Sea, explore sea creature perspectives, marine technology, and chosen family, while delving into our oceans, our selves, and how all futures intertwine.
| Author Website | https://clarawardauthor.wordpress.com/about-me/ |
|---|---|
| Author Other Social Media | https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7302339.Clara_Ward |
Their shorter works are featured in The Neurodiversiverse: Alien Encounters, Strange Horizons, and Tales & Feathers by Augur. When not using words to teach or tell stories, Clara uses wood, fiber, and glass to make practical or completely impractical objects.