The Mars House (2024), by Natasha Pulley, begins on a future Earth devastated by climate change. After flooding leaves London uninhabitable, ballet dancer January is forced to relocate to the only place that’s still accepting refugees—Tharsis, a colony on Mars which has developed a genderless society. Because of Mars’ low gravity, Earthborn immigrants (dubbed “Earthstrongers”) are three times stronger than Marsborn “Naturals”. Relegated to manual labor jobs, Earthstrongers must always wear cages that keep them from hurting others with their superior strength. The only way for an Earthstronger to become a citizen with full rights is to naturalize, a severely disabling and sometimes fatal medical procedure that will weaken their body permanently. When Gale, a xenophobic politician who believes in forced naturalization for Earthstrongers, visits January’s workplace on a publicity tour, the two of them get into a heated debate that goes viral on the internet, causing January to lose his job. Now unemployable, January has no option but to naturalize, even if it means he can never dance again… until Gale approaches him with a proposal. Gale has been dropping in the polls and believes that marrying January would help win over the working-class voters. If January plays along with the fake relationship in front of the media, he’ll be paid handsomely and won't have to naturalize. It’s a ridiculous idea—even ignoring the fact that Gale’s previous partner disappeared under mysterious circumstances—but January has nothing left to lose, so he agrees. Little does he know that the survival of the entire colony may soon be in his hands.
Thus begins a whirlwind of political intrigue, sabotage, and murder, laced with dark humor and a slow-burn romance. This novel explores topics like immigration, gender, class, language, and politics in a way that is sometimes disturbing but always thought-provoking. There are no purely good or bad characters here, only shades of gray. The plot can be absurd at times, but if you can suspend disbelief it’s an entertaining, unputdownable ride.