Shawna Ayoub moves "beyond a book review" in not only recommending great books by diverse writers but highlighting a technique to apply to your own writing.
Fault, by Lumen Reese
Queer author Lumen Reese pens science fiction, fantasy, and horror from Michigan with an eye toward diverse characters and happy endings. In Fault, a sci-fi horror adventure that takes place at sea, mother Lucille “Ceely” Bennett builds a submarine to retrieve the bodies of her two daughters who are killed by flooding when the San Andreas Fault opens up and a creature emerges. Her sub is equipped with harpoons to battle the creature, and when she initiates contact, she and her daughters’ bodies are launched 30 years forward in time, complete with aging.
The Last Chance rescues Ceely and takes her on as crew. Because she is an engineer and capable cook, she is an asset. But as this ship is crewed by “the damned,” or rather, a group of male felons including two violent rapists, Ceely is also a liability. She develops a camaraderie with the ship’s captain even as he and the ship’s clerk investigate her late-night forays into the bowels of the ship. Ceely is making repairs to her sub with the goal of reengaging the creature. She wants to be cast back in time, but summoning the massive beast will put everyone on the ship at risk.
Meanwhile, an ecoterrorist plot is brewing aboard the Last Chance. The narrative in this book shifts from Ceely to Jacob, the ship’s clerk, to the captain, to another rescue by the Last Chance. Each perspective adds depth to this imagined future where a creature a mile long swims out of the earth’s core and destroys cities. It is unclear who will survive or how. The reading is tense.
Additionally, there is a gay romance on the ship between the clerk and one of the crew. All the character follow this development, and the author explores the risks of such a relationship in such an environment. This queer representation is thoughtful, exposing the toxicity of homophobia amidst a hetero-centric male crew. I found it interesting, but not in a crane-your-neck kind of way. I found myself wondering, what will happen to these people? Their story was part of the overall story. I was invested. And that spoke to me because it was a reflection of real life.
Worth the risk
It may seem like I’ve meandered a little here, but everything I’ve shared comes back to one question: For whom or for what would you risk it all?
For Ceely, it was her children. The captain, clerk, and each member of the crew had a different answer to this question. What is your answer?
Writing prompt
For 15 minutes, flesh out your response to this question: Who or what would cause you to risk it all? Define “all.” What do you imagine happening that would cause you to take this risk? What do you imagine the risk looking like? Finally, how would you succeed? Would your efforts be worth the risk?
After writing, check in with yourself. What did this writing teach you about yourself? Is there anything you want to explore further?
If you want to read this novel for yourself, consider purchasing Fault at Abebooks.com (not available on Bookshop.org).
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Beyond a Book Review: Unwieldy Creatures and retelling our stories
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