Description
THE MILE CORPSE (complete at 98,000 words) is a slightly experimental science fiction novel that explores the relationship between two cultures: ancient space aliens who use a language far too complicated for humans to understand, and the humans who colonize their planet. Ara Ara, the protagonist, is a "bilingual:" a human raised half by the alien Siph and half by her father, in order to learn both languages from infancy. When other bilinguals begin to disappear, Ara Ara flees her Siph hometown to journey to the human outpost nicknamed The Mile Corpse. On the way she uncovers secrets about Siph culture, the political aspirations of her human leader, and eventually the state of the Earth, light years away. THE MILE CORPSE mixes political intrigue, biology, linguistics, mind-reading, and homage to James Joyce, Milton, and Doctor Who. At the same time, it has the appeal of action and innocent romance. The alien language challenges the reader, as conversations have multiple layers involving physical motions and spoken word. There is a chapter written in unrhymed heroic verse, a recurring, corny television screenplay called "Professor Poltergeist," and it alludes to American cinema as a literary relic of the past.
Chapter 1: As Told by Monsters
