Confirmed geeks and childhood friends, Lem and Devon are looking forward to reuniting at a convention. Despite their diverging lives and their fair share of secrets, a shared love of cosplay and science fiction brings them together in ways that nothing else could.
But not all friendships are perfect. When their old schoolfriend Nerys joins them for the day, rifts soon begin to show as the three realise how far they’ve grown apart.
Struggling with Nerys’s insensitivity and her misguided approach to non-binary gender expression, the group are determined to make the most of their time together and embrace their nerdy selves. But with tensions rising, can their friendship withstand the dramatic ways their lives have changed?
A short, thought-provoking backdrop to the author’s White Hart series and her forthcoming Starship Teapot series, Stardust Wake provides an insightful glimpse at complex issues while brimming with passion for all things geek.
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Fans of these other sci-fi and fantasy authors may also enjoy this series: Charlie Jane Anders, Becky Chambers, Robert Rankin, Terry Pratchett, Douglas Adams, Lindsay Buroker, Jim C Hines, John Scalzi, John Wilker, Ethan Freckleton, J.R. Frontera, Matthew Metzger, Kaia Sønderby, Gareth Powell, Robert J Sawyer, Corinne Duyvis, Mary Robinette Kowal, Mike Chen, TJ Berry, P. Djèlí Clark, Charles Stross
File under: free science fiction, transgender books free, sci-fi, quirky characters, misfit characters, British, short story, bumbling hero, strong female characters, dungeons & dragons, D&D, TTRPG, cosplay, transgender characters, agender characters, asexual, autistic characters, found family, outsiders, London, Comicon, Eastercon
SI CLARKE is a misanthrope who lives in Deptford, sarf ees London. She shares her home with her partner and an assortment of waifs and strays. When not writing convoluted, inefficient stories, she spends her time telling financial services firms to behave more efficiently. When not doing either of those things, she can be found in the pub or shouting at people online – occasionally practising efficiency by doing both at once.
As someone who’s neurodivergent, an immigrant, and the proud owner of an invisible disability, she strives to present a diverse array of characters in her stories.