What do you think?
Rate this book
Retaking Elysium: A Mars Consortium story
Mars is good place to reinvent yourself, isn't it?Jules Morales's life has always been a state of contact change. When the opportunity comes up, why not take a trip to Mars to work on the platinum mining operation-and make a load of money? But what if there is more to Mars than just a payday and an adventure?The woman now calling herself Lisa Marie has spent her whole life trapped by the struggle to make ends meet, and sometimes held hostage by her own memories. On Mars she might finally find financial security, but will she also find something to care about today, and maybe even for the future?Mars is a world in transition, caught in the balance between capitalist exploitation and human exploration. The first people of Mars need to find a way to build a functioning economic zone and liveable habitat on the Red Planet. But could they do more-create a community, a true new home for humanity?
- GenresScience FictionLGBT
91 pages, Paperback
Published January 28, 2020
32 people want to read
About the author
M. Darusha Wehm
36 books67 followersM. Darusha Wehm is a Nebula Award winner and Sir Julius Vogel Award winner, the author of Hamlet, Prince of Robots, the game The Martian Job, and over a dozen other novels. Their short fiction has been published widely and their poetry has been a finalist for the Rhysling Award.
Writing as Darusha Wehm, their mainstream books include the Devi Jones’ Locker YA series and the humorous coming-of-age novel The Home for Wayward Parrots.
Darusha is a member of the Many Worlds writing collective and they are a fifth of the writing team Darkly Lem, the author of The Formation Saga which starts with Transmentation | Transience.
Originally from Canada, Darusha lives in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand after several years sailing the Pacific.
Writing as Darusha Wehm, their mainstream books include the Devi Jones’ Locker YA series and the humorous coming-of-age novel The Home for Wayward Parrots.
Darusha is a member of the Many Worlds writing collective and they are a fifth of the writing team Darkly Lem, the author of The Formation Saga which starts with Transmentation | Transience.
Originally from Canada, Darusha lives in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand after several years sailing the Pacific.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 1, 2019
I greatly enjoyed this deeper exploration of the Mars that M. Darusha Wehm established in their Nebula-nominated interactive novel from Choice of Games. This isn't a story about high drama or stakes; no, it's about people on Mars who are working and living and loving, and how they come together to start a resistance movement.
February 21, 2022
Lisa Marie has been on Mars for a while and kind of feels like she's drifting aimlessly through life. Jules is just beginning a new life on Mars and is excited about the potential it offers. Both get caught up (in different ways) in the burgeoning civil rights movement taking shape on Mars.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novella.
Lovers of social sci-fi will relish this thoughtful, character-driven sci-fi novella that imagines workers taking on faceless corporate overseers on Mars.
Reminiscent of both Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress and (if I may be so bold) my own Livid Skies.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novella.
Lovers of social sci-fi will relish this thoughtful, character-driven sci-fi novella that imagines workers taking on faceless corporate overseers on Mars.
Reminiscent of both Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress and (if I may be so bold) my own Livid Skies.
October 29, 2022
Retaking Elysium is an interesting futuristic forecast about the initial settlement on Mars. The colony is driven by platinum mining and is owned by a private enterprise. The story follows two women, Jules and Lisa Marie who come from atypical backgrounds and have follow different career paths, only to come together when the idea of a collective Martian society is threatened by the development of a tourist facility.
I really liked the two protagonists in the story. They come from different backgrounds and have different reasons for being on Mars. There is an anticipation that they will meet at some point during the story, but not indication on how or when it will happen, and what will be the ultimate result. The characters are beautifully quirky, each with their own sets of problems, and I warmed up to them instantly as they tried to find their way. There are also just enough interesting side characters to keep the story moving.
I loved the author’s vision of Mars. The Mars world is far beyond basic survival, but not yet a completely functioning community. There are growing pains and part of this can be seen through the attempts to commercialize the area around the settlement, perhaps too soon for the infrastructure to sustain.
My only gripe is that the story ended too soon and without a satisfactory conclusion. It ends just as the protagonists finally get together, and although they talk about, and act toward the future of the community, the story somewhat abruptly ends. It’s crying for a sequel, or better yet, an expanded version that takes the story to a decisive end point.
Overall, I loved the story until the end, where I felt like it left me hanging. The world and characters are spot on. I’m giving this one a strong four of five on Goodreads.
I really liked the two protagonists in the story. They come from different backgrounds and have different reasons for being on Mars. There is an anticipation that they will meet at some point during the story, but not indication on how or when it will happen, and what will be the ultimate result. The characters are beautifully quirky, each with their own sets of problems, and I warmed up to them instantly as they tried to find their way. There are also just enough interesting side characters to keep the story moving.
I loved the author’s vision of Mars. The Mars world is far beyond basic survival, but not yet a completely functioning community. There are growing pains and part of this can be seen through the attempts to commercialize the area around the settlement, perhaps too soon for the infrastructure to sustain.
My only gripe is that the story ended too soon and without a satisfactory conclusion. It ends just as the protagonists finally get together, and although they talk about, and act toward the future of the community, the story somewhat abruptly ends. It’s crying for a sequel, or better yet, an expanded version that takes the story to a decisive end point.
Overall, I loved the story until the end, where I felt like it left me hanging. The world and characters are spot on. I’m giving this one a strong four of five on Goodreads.
May 13, 2023
I really enjoyed this novella, though I was missing some context when I started it. This is a deeper look at an interactive novel published with Choice of Games, which I have not read, but I don’t think it’s absolutely necessary to have done so. I enjoyed spending time with Jules and Lisa Marie in a slice-of-life story of growth, identity, and resistance.
Just as important, I enjoyed this as an audiobook and the author did a great job with the narration. Not all authors can do that. I’m going to go pick up one of the more standalone books now. :p
Just as important, I enjoyed this as an audiobook and the author did a great job with the narration. Not all authors can do that. I’m going to go pick up one of the more standalone books now. :p
Read
April 12, 2023to-read
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews