Sun-Daughters, Sea-Daughters

 Sea-Daughters, Sun-Daughters by Aimee Ogden (2021) 110 Pages

A brief, beautiful sci-fi novella. In a futuristic world where multiple human-hybrids live in different clans across the globe and stars, many of whom are developing viruses. Artuale, a former sea-dwelling human hybrid is on the hunt for a cure for the current plague that is terrorizing her new clan and home. Her husband, whom she genetically changed for, lives above water on land and is currently dying. The land-dwelling hybrids do not get along with the clans of the ocean-dwellers. Artuale seeks out the World Witch, a former lover, but also someone who can get a hold of just about anything, for a price. Artuale is hoping the World Witch can help save her husband. The World Witch, Yanja, has also changed...he is now a male. In this world, it is much easier to shape or genetic variance or even sex. Yanja takes Artuale through the gates, off-world, where they come to a place which might be able to genetically formulate a cure for the plague. They are told they must quarantine for two weeks, which they decide is too much time to waste. Artuale suits up and cuts into the station, hoping to infiltrate the place in order to get her samples tested. She is found and arrested, along with the Yanja. Artuale believes that all hope is lost when the guild responsible for medical experimentation and creation intervenes and allows the samples to be tested. They have values in which the human hybrids must be saved by all means. Artuale is given a choice...she must either leave this civilization forever and never leave her place with her husband again or become a citizen of star civilization. She chooses to return to her world, never to leave. She saves her village and her new hybrid species. On the return flight, her and Yanja have relations, which results later in a pregnancy which her body accepts (since she was previously ocean-clan, her body would not produce children with her current husband). Overall, I really loved this short novella. The various ways in which the author dives into sexuality and LGBTQ themes really melds well with the story. I definitely will be reading more from this author, as I wish this story wasn't so brief!