Awake Chimera

What does the asexual shape-shifting governor of a remote outpost in the swamp have in common with a hermaphrodite native struggling to fit into human society? Much more than either of them expected. United in their mutual dislike and distrust of the humans that dominate their world, their friendship develops into something more, something that might prove dangerous to them both. And when a deadly menace invades from the distant mountains, Shaka Mahdi and Prilock become the key to the survival of the very race they resent so much.

"Justine Graykin's fascinating new novel Awake Chimera observes three species competing for control of their destinies on an alien world. Refreshingly, homo sapiens are not the default good guys. Rather, in one of many pleasant surprises, the focus is on an unlikely friendship between a plucky trader with a long reptilian tail and a shape shifting bureaucrat. Check it out: Justine Graykin's SF debut is a winner."

-- James Patrick Kelly, winner of the Hugo, Nebula and Locus awards.

"Justine Graykin is a terrific writer, and Awake Chimera is a wonderful read. Gender politics, philosophy, and slam-bang action make for a heady brew in this first-rate story."

-- Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo Award-winning author of Red Planet Blues