The Kiss Catastrophe

by Raima Larter

It is 2071, 29 years after Earth's Great Climate Catastrophe. Syd, a chemist at a powerful mega-corporation, meets Jake who takes her to a cave that contains a portal to another planet, Cascadia an oceanic world suffering its own climate crisis. Meanwhile on Cascadia, Ruddy, a poet employed by the Ministry of Poetry is pursued by resistance forces of an enslaved minority, the In-Between, who see him as the key to their deliverance. An explosion strands him and an In-Betweener scientist on Earth and the four must join forces to save both planets from their climate crises.

279 pages, Paperback

Published June 3, 2024

About the author

Raima Larter is a writer and scientist. A former college professor and government scientist, she is the author of numerous short stories, three novels, and the popular science book, "Spiritual Insights from the New Science: Complex Systems and Life," published by World Scientific in 2021. Her newest novel is "The Kiss Catastrophe," published in 2024. Raima's first novel, "Fearless," was published by New Meridian Arts Press in February, 2019. Her second novel, "Belle o' the Waters" was published by Mascot Books in April, 2019. Her short stories have been nominated for awards, including the Pushcart Prize. Raima authors the blog, Complexity Simplified, covering topics from science to religion and spirituality and also contributes articles about scientific discoveries to the American Institute of Physics website and other online publications. She has two short story collections, “The Gate of Heaven and Other Story Worlds,” published in 2012, and "Motherhood and Other Magical Realms," published in 2022.

Reviews

[Lydia Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved how the author wove action packed sci-fi, fantasy and science in her book. The Kiss Catastrophe is intriguing, has a socially conscious plot and engaging characters. There's humor and humanity throughout. Highly recommend!

[Margaret Rodenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun, thoughtful book! The Kiss Catastrophe has it all: an intriguing, socially conscious plot, engaging characters, and imaginative world building. The author's background as a scientist shines through, illuminating the story without burdening the reader. There's humor and humanity throughout. If you love a well written yarn that's thought-provoking and entertaining, The Kiss Catastrophe is for you.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Raima Larter was a fellow professor and teaching colleague. I was privileged to hear a very small sampling of some of her "tucked it away in drawers" fiction. And I am overjoyed that she has found this important calling as a writer.

The Kiss Catastrophe is a well thought out first contact novel. Earth is plagued with severe fires and firestorms that behave like hurricanes. While this could be prophetic biblically, I think the author intended this to be an extension of the inevitable results of unchecked global warming.

Without giving storyline and plot descriptions away, two distant planets, Earth and Cascadia, are somehow linked via an unstable portal. Cascadia is a land of rain, oceans with two suns. It is a racially fractured world with Wet Ones who live in a continent of perpetual rain, Bright Siders, the ruling minority who live in perpetual sunshine that is now being threatened by encroaching rain, and the In-Betweeners who seem to have mastered science and have discovered this portal. Suffice it to say that a few folks cross over through the portal but not without some tragedy.

There are interesting issues that occur; namely, how does one handle a first contact? Should government become involved? How about solving the firestorms before they consume the planet? How do we learn to communicate with alien species. DNA analyses reveal shocking news. Chemical spectography identifies stones on Earth that definitely are not of earthly origin. Then, when beings do crossover, how do we return safely? How do we avoid or engage in alien politics? These and other issues are addressed thoughtfully albeit not with such an in-depth discussion that might demand a 600-page tome. Likewise, the principle characters are sketched cleanly but with minimal depth - just the right amount of development to keep the story moving. Raima doers this well.

What we have is a thought provoking story; a story that moves along nicely without lapsing into lengthy and cliched disaster scenes or gory battle scenes. There is just enough exposure to each to allow the reader to imagine the unfoldings.

I have reviewed two of the author's short story collections elsewhere on Goodreads. This is her first novel that I have read and I eagerly await her continued forays into the realm of science fiction. This was a truly original story line with regard to two worlds helping to save each other's planets.