Red Star Hustle

Announcing RED STAR HUSTLE.

HUGE MAGNIFICENT WOW MOMENT NEWS:

My next novel RED STAR HUSTLE will be published in 2025 by Saga Press, an incredible imprint of Simon & Schuster.

It’s about Aran, a far-future outer-space rent boy who gets framed for murder, who is on the run and trying to clear his name (pursued by a bad-ass bounty hunter pursued by her own demons), and his life gets even more complicated when he falls for the beautiful damaged clone of a puppet monarch. Some of you might have met Aran already – he was the protagonist of my novelette “Planetstuck,” which was a finalist for the Asimov’s Readers Award.

And Saga is releasing the book as part of the launch of its new line “Saga Doubles,” an homage to old-school pulp paperbacks that would publish two short novels or novellas together, back to back – a format I’ve long been super obsessed with. And my bookmate here is the brilliant APPREHENSION, by Mary Robinette Kowal – who isn’t just one of the best writers in the genre, she’s also just an all-around joy.

The book drops October 21, 2025, and you can preorder it already! Here’s what the publisher has to say about it:

Two expertly crafted crime stories set in a far-future science fiction universe, from two award-winning authors known for their gripping plots and unforgettable characters—a short novel and a long novella that will thrill fans of space adventures, mystery, and intergalactic intrigue in this Saga Double

Red Star Hustle
Aran, an optimistic, high-class escort, is on the run after his famous filmmaker client is assassinated. With an ace security contractor (read: bounty hunter) trailing—who is also running from her own boss who happens to be both her mom and the head of one of the most powerful groups in the galaxy—Aran is running out of time. This science fiction thriller is a crisscross of heartbreak, addiction struggles, and trauma which comes together in a fast-paced space-hopping fight with the whole damn galaxy by Nebula Award–winning author Sam J. Miller.

Apprehension
A family vacation arranged by Bonnyjean, a grieving mother, her son-in-law Jax, and her six-year-old grandson Tristan, quickly becomes disastrous as Tristan is kidnapped by a terrorist operation that is hoping to affect the planet’s upcoming elections between rival parties. They believe Bonnyjean was given a secret by the double agent who died in her arms. However, not only is this a deadly misunderstanding, but it’s also a dangerous one as Bonnyjean was last on Nahatanau when she was a special forces operative. Unfortunately, that was over thirty years ago, but she won’t let the years nor her bad hip get in the way of rescuing her grandson. Beloved Hugo Award–winning author Mary Robinette Kowal has crafted an intricate mystery of mistaken identity on an alien planet.

Double cover of RED STAR HUSTLE and APPREHENSION, two novels published together as a Saga Double.