First published 1992
Bron Helstrom has made a new life for himself on Triton, Neptune's moon transformed into a utopian society. But Earth has declared war on this distant world, and Bron finds himself caught between two civilizations in conflict. As an immigrant trying to fit into Triton's sexually fluid culture, Bron struggles with expectations about gender and identity that challenge everything he thought he knew about himself. The war escalates around him while his personal battles grow more complicated. Characters reveal hidden depths and surprising truths about who they really are. Bron's journey takes him from the outer reaches of the solar system to Earth's Outer Mongolia, but his greatest voyage may be inward. When his troubles become too much to bear as a man, he makes the ultimate transformation and becomes a woman. This comedy of manners balances humor with genuine emotion as it explores what it means to be human in a society that has reimagined the possibilities of existence.
Genres: science-fiction, literary-fiction, social-science, speculative-fiction
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, transformation
Setting: Triton, Neptune, Earth, Outer Mongolia
Period: 20th-century
369 pages · Paperback · Grafton