Ever had the feeling you don't belong? Has the thought "What the hell was I thinking?" ever crossed your mind? Well, New Jersey chef, Dix Jenner did the moment the colony he joined (the first human outpost on Mars) exploded, leaving him alone on a foreign planet with nothing but his space suit, limited oxygen, and two weed-filled brownies. What ensues is a hilarious "rescue" mission by a local Martian couple, Bleeker and Seepa. They bring Dix into their underground home (which has oxygen thank goodness) and try to help him assimilate into their society. But Dix is no NASA trained astronaut, he's just a homesick chef. He struggles to fit in and decides to share a little bit of his Earth home with Mars. He finds success he never could have gotten on Earth, and maybe even a little extra something with a friendly, seductive neighbor.
Handler's crisp, direct writing and sarcastic humor makes this a fun read. The characters are so real, you'll want to make a trip to Mars and meet up for a game or two of Sling. (Don't forget your helmet!) The parallels to the political and societal systems here on Earth poke great satirical fun at our failures and stereotypes and at the same time, make you think of ways we can--and should-- do better. I highly recommend picking up a copy when it is released on August 14th from Kyanite Publishing. I definitely will be!