by Paul Park
First published 1997
Simon arrives on Celestis as a political functionary from Earth, entering a world where human colonists have subjugated the native population. The Aboriginals submit to surgical procedures and drug treatments that reshape their bodies and minds to resemble their human rulers. Katharine lives as the altered daughter of a prosperous native merchant, her true nature buried beneath layers of medical intervention. When Aboriginal rebels launch an uprising against the failing colonial government, they capture both Simon and Katharine as hostages. Cut off from her supply of medication, Katharine begins reverting to her original alien form. Simon watches helplessly as the woman he has grown to love transforms before his eyes. Her suppressed Aboriginal consciousness resurfaces, bringing with it perceptions and ways of understanding that humans cannot grasp. The rebellion forces both characters to confront what it means to be human when identity itself can be chemically and surgically rewritten.
Genres: science-fiction, literary-fiction, fantasy, political-thriller
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, identity-crisis
Setting: Celestis, Earth
287 pages · Paperback · Tor Books
Content warnings: colonialism