First published 2003
Joseph Farber creates art in the uncomfortable Earth colony on Weinunnach, surrounded by the alien Cian civilization. Centuries have passed since humanity spread across the galaxy using technology gifted by alien traders, but humans remain second-class citizens on most worlds they visit. The Cian culture moves Farber deeply, especially their rituals and traditions so different from his own. He falls in love with Liraun, a humanoid Cian, despite laws forbidding relationships between their species. Farber undergoes genetic modification so they can marry and have children together. The couple soon learns that fundamental differences between human and Cian nature create barriers they cannot cross. They struggle to truly communicate or understand each other's deepest thoughts and feelings. Their relationship faces a tragic climax that reveals truths about the impossibility of bridging the gap between alien minds and hearts.
Genres: science-fiction, romance, literary-fiction
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, star-crossed-lovers
Setting: Weinunnach, Earth
Period: Centuries
240 pages · Paperback · UNKNO
Content warnings: racism, sexism