Description

‘Every detail is sharply placed … a scorching sense of humor and a soft spot for humanity down here on Earth’ The New York Times

‘Fleishman Is In Trouble, but in space’ Bobby Palmer

A NEW YORK TIMES READERS’ FAVOURITE OF 2023

LONGLISTED FOR THE 2023 SCOTIABANK GILLER PRIZE

Kevin is a thirtysomething homebody, happily committed to his hydroponics-expert girlfriend, Amber, as they grow weed in their basement in Vancouver.

Out of the blue, Amber announces that she has been selected for a reality show where she will compete for one of two seats on the first human-led mission to Mars. If selected, she must stay on Mars for good, because the technology to come home doesn’t exist yet. Is this a suicide mission or a bold new frontier?

Girlfriend on Mars is the story of love unravelling in a world where truth is dictated by Facebook ads and ‘reality TV’ is as scripted as any politician’s speech. With rapt viewers voting for Amber to stay on the show and crates of Mars-mission branded protein shakes arriving at his door, is it any wonder Kevin wants to stay in the basement forever?

Publisher Review

Energetic, wise-cracking style … horribly convincing — Clare Chambers, author of Small Pleasures A bleak yet darkly funny story that dissects with compassion and wit the reality of “reality TV” and the fantasy of escaping eco-catastrophe by moving to another planet. — Lisa Tuttle * Guardian * Girlfriend on Mars pulls off that most unusual balancing act; humour, heartbreak and biting social commentary – the writing is feather-light and scalpel-sharp. — Keiran Goddard, author of Hourglass Funny, increasingly touching and occasionally shocking, I can’t imagine any fiction lovers not enjoying this sparky debut … quirky and highly amusing * Big Issue, hottest fiction 2023 * It’s the sundry strains of long-term relationships that are under the microscope most here, and the author tackles these with deftness and bags of humour … readers are kept guessing about how this one will play out right until the last. * Crack magazine Book of the Month * Witty and moving … A wild ride — Oana Aristide, author of Under the Blue Bizarre, bleak and very funny … Fleishman is in Trouble but in space — Bobby Palmer, author of Isaac and the Egg How did Deborah Willis manage to write about love, grief, corporate greed, climate change, and a reality show that sends two people to Mars with such grace and humor and compassion? Girlfriend on Mars blew my mind! This is one of the most original novels I’ve read in a long time. — Ann Hood, author of The Book that Matters Most Funny, tender, bizarre in the best of ways, and as infinite as our universe itself — Amanda Leduc, author of The Centaur’s Wife Previous praise for Deborah Willis — : Willis is an immensely talented writer … sharply observed, elegant, and incisive — Emily St John Mandel The emotional range and depth . . . the clarity and deftness, are astonishing — Alice Munro Willis zooms in and out on her chosen subjects, adroitly examining the physical and emotional distances that separate people from one another – and from the mysteries of their lives * New York Times Book Review *