Monday 18 July 2022

42 Years of Summer - Karina Fabian

42 Years of Summer
Karina Fabian
Laser Cow Press
ASIN B0B2X4YTPQ


I admit it I am a big fan of Fabian’s works, across all her series, and worlds. I absolutely love the books and published short stories by her. I have not read anything that disappointed or even that was ho-hum. The stories usually enthral, surprise, and always entertaining. They make me laugh, make me cry, entertain me, and often cause me to think and reflect on the meaning of life the university, and everything. But they also have an undercurrent that inspires and challenges. But this story was greatly entertaining! 

The description of this story states that it is:

“When we married, he promised we'd see the summer through and greet the winter together. Uranus wouldn't let him keep that promise.

On the eve of winter, Allison Hoag reminisces on her summer romance. But when summer lasts 42 years, it's a story of enduring love as they raised a family in the harsh environment of a mining station on Uranus.”

This story was previously published in the Planetary Anthologies: Uranus, in 2020. I have picked up a few of those anthologies but had not got around to reading them yet. And the main reason I picked them up was Fabian’s offering. After reading a few of her published stories I picked up the rest of the anthologies before they are out of print. In the ‘Thanks for Reading’ Section Fabian states:

“I love writing for anthologies, and I’d already written several other Planetary Anthology stories. Uranus, however, had proven a challenge to me…at least until I read that it only had two seasons – one of light (summer) and one of darkness (winter), and that each lasted 42 years. It struck me as a very romantic setting to marry just as the sun rose and filled Uranus with blue light.

That’s when Grandma Hoag appeared and told me her story. All I had to do was write it down.

I’ve been lucky that I’ve had great examples of enduring love in my life (Thanks, Mom & Dad), and that I married the perfect partner, Rob. It was easy to imagine a love that could endure even the harsh environment of a gas giant.

Thanks, too, to those friends in the CWG SFF crit group who made this story worthy of the anthology.”
 
Of the four stories Fabian released in a few days, this is the shortest. But it is also an interesting tale. This is a wonderful story of colonization, hard work, fighting for what is fair, but mostly it is a story of family and relationships. Grandma Hoag states:

“We had fifteen more good years together. Yes, Earth years. I know, I know, but thinking in Uranus time is for your generation. Grandpa would be proud of you for it. He did love all you children - once you could start asking the good questions. He worked so hard to make sure you would be able to take this station and this world forward. That’s what he lived for.” 

On Social media Fabian stated:

“I’m generally not a romance writer, but when I learned that Uranus’s orbit means half the planet faces the sun for 42 years and is away from the sun 42 years, it seemed the perfect backdrop for a long-term commitment.”

And this is a great read. I highly recommend it.  

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2022 Catholic Reading Plan!

Books by Karina Fabian:
Why God Matters: How to Recognize Him in Daily Life
Frightliner

Dex Hollister Series:

The Old Man and the Void
Dex's Way
...

Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator Series :
Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator
I Left My Brains in San Francisco
Shambling in a Winter Wonderland


DragonEye PI Series:
DragonEye PI Novels:
?.0 Magic, Mensa and Mayhem (Revised edition)
?.0 Live and Let Fly (Revised edition)
...  

DragonEye PI Short Stories:

DragonEye PI Original First Editions:
Live and Let Fly
...

Space Traipse Series:
Space Traipse: Hold My Beer, Season 1
Space Traipse: Hold My Beer, Season 2
Space Traipse: Hold My Beer, Season 3
Space Traipse Stories

Mind Over Series:
Mind Over Mind
Mind Over Psyche
Mind Over All
Hearts Over Mind


Edited by: Karina Fabian:
Infinite Space, Infinite God I
Leaps of Faith
Infinite Space, Infinite God II


Contributed to:
Firestorm of Dragons
The Zombie Cookbook
The Book of Tentacles
Twisted Fayrie Tales
FRIGHTLINER: And Other Tales of the Undead
Mother Goose is Dead
Word by Word: Slowing Down with the Hail Mary
Image and Likeness Literary Reflections on the Theology of the Body
Corrupts Absolutely? Dark Metahuman Fiction
Weird Noir
The Complete Guide to Writing Paranormal Novels
Manifesto UF
Avenir Eclectia
Planetary Anthology: Jupiter
Planetary Anthology: Pluto
Planetary Anthology: Luna
Planetary Anthology: Uranus
FlagShip Science Fiction and Fantasy v2i5
My Little Book of Headdesks
To Be Men: Stories Celebrating Masculinity
...











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