First published 2014
John Newhouse lives as an addict and dealer on Nullaqua, a barren planet where giant whale-like creatures swim through seas of dust. His drug of choice is syncophine, known as Flare, which comes only from the oil of these massive beasts. When the galactic Confederacy bans Flare, Newhouse faces a crisis. His addiction demands a steady supply, but legal sources have vanished. He signs aboard a dustwhaler as crew, joining other junkies and outcasts who hunt the creatures across silica oceans seventy miles below the surface. The ship's captain harbors secret motives, while a batlike alien woman suffers pain from human contact. Newhouse sails into the crater depths seeking both his next fix and some form of salvation, but the hunt will force a confrontation between human desperation and the raw power of the creatures they pursue.
Genres: science-fiction, dystopia, addiction, adventure
Vibes: dark, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: anti-hero, man-vs-nature, redemption
Setting: Nullaqua
Period: Future
181 pages · ebook · Open Road Media Science & Fantasy
Content warnings: addiction, drug-use