In 2279 AD, some surprising 20th century contraband, smuggled from Earth to a colony on Mars, becomes a catalyst for a tentative young couple on the edge of love…

RED PLANET BLUE is kind of a letter - not a love letter, more a thank you note - to the compound fluoxetine, commonly known as Prozac. Coming from a long line of smiling depressives (and some not so smiling - my father's father died in a 1950's asylum while having ECT to ‘cure’ suicidal tendencies) I’m grateful for stability. But do I miss the huge feelings that used to riot in my head before I met Prozac? Every single day. Because mood medications dull the emotions at the extreme ends of the register. So although despair is no longer my regular companion, there’s also no euphoria, no giddy uncontrollable laughter. And joy, when it does visit, often brings along its unwelcome friend, foreboding. The world of RED PLANET BLUE categorically isn’t a dystopia - in fact it’s idyllic in many ways: On this Mars, humans have adapted in order to save mankind, becoming passive, selfless empaths whose relationships are only ever platonic. They wear all-over body suits for practical reasons, but also to ‘protect’ them from strong emotions. I wrote RED PLANET BLUE to at least discuss - if not come to terms with - the emotional state that has become my default setting. As an allegory, the story doesn’t broadcast its true genesis, but I have a feeling that people like me will get it. But I hope that people not like me will experience it for what it is: a low concept story - a sweet, simple romance - in a high-concept wrapper.