Quynh Ha had expected the Dust Queen to be… tall and large, filling the room with her mere presence. But the woman sitting before her was old and frail–breathing, it was clear, only with the help of the bots clinging to her throat; her skin as pale and translucent as the best jades; the skin of her hands bearing the peculiar tightness of too many rejuv treatments.

A story set in the near future, dealing with the terraformation of Mars, the flooding of the Mekong Delta, the celebrations of New Year’s Eve–and how far a young woman will go to help her idol…

Shortlisted for a Locus Award, 2014