My Mother Murdered The Moon by Stephen Deas

(NewCon Press, 2022)

Reviewed by Stuart Carter

It’s not an easy life on Saturn’s moon Epimetheus: there are only three of you stationed there, each tour of duty lasts ten years (three years there, three years back and four years in the middle on Epimetheus); plus, it takes an hour for any communications to even reach Earth, let alone get back.

On the plus side, you’re doing vital and important work, watching over the mass accelerators stationed there ready to deflect any rogue comets or asteroids that might be inclined to pay Earth a visit. And, if you’re Roxy Micah, you’re also glad to be a long way away from your mother, the infamous General Micah, currently on trial for ordering the bombardment, six years ago, of the moon colonies, after they tried to secede from the home world. Or did they? Not everyone’s convinced they really blew up that old SpaceX Station and threatened to attack Earth with their lunar mass drivers, but hopefully the truth will come out during the trial. Hopefully. Anyway, you’ll soon find out: the long-overdue court verdict is due any day, and it’s not as though you’re close to your mother—you haven’t had a proper conversation with her for a long time now, thanks largely, but not entirely, to the time-lag. You were having communication problems with your mother long before that.

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Review from BSFA Review 18 - Download your copy here.