Share 
Category: Fiction
Kezza, an aerialist in the Martian circus, can never return to Earth – but she can assassinate the man she blames for her grim life on the red planet. Her murderous plans take an unexpected turn, however, when she uncovers a sinister secret. A thousand years into the future, Azad lives a safe but controlled life on the beautiful desert planet of Nabatea. His world is upended when he joins a crew of space-traveling historians seeking to learn the true reason that their ancestors left Mars. Separated by time and space, Kezza and Azad’s stories collide in the Martian desert.
Nadia Afifi is the author of A Rebel’s History of Mars, The Sentient and its sequels, and numerous science fiction short stories. Her debut novel, The Sentient, was lauded as “staggering and un-put-downable” in a starred Publisher’s Weekly review. Analog Magazine describes her as “a brand-new voice in our field, and one you should become familiar with.” The Sentient is the first novel in a near-future series about a controversial cloning project, human consciousness and a high-stakes conflict between religious fundamentalism and science. Her short fiction has appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction (“The Bahrain Underground Bazaar”) and Clarkesworld (“The Lonely Time Traveler of Kentish Town”, “A Thousand Tiny Gods.”)
Nadia grew up in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, where she read every book she could get her hands on, but currently calls Denver, Colorado home. She is a member of the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writer’s organization. Her background as an Arab American who lived overseas has inspired her fiction writing, particularly her passion for exploring complex social, political and cultural issues through a futuristic lens.
When she isn’t writing, she spends her time practicing (and falling off) the lyra (aerial hoops), hiking through Colorado’s many trails, jogging through Denver’s streets and working on the most challenging jigsaw puzzles she can find. She also loves dogs, travel and cooking. Follow her latest musings and adventures on her Web site (www.nadiaafifi.com), Twitter (@nadoodles) or Facebook (nadiawritesscifi).
