New short story: We Could Be Heroes

When I went to the Women's March in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 2017, I was overwhelmed by the masses of marchers and the pain that so many of us felt at the inauguration of our current president.

But I was also amazed by so many other things: the sharp wit of the protest signs; the thousands upon thousands of hot pink knitted pussy hats; the feeling, prevalent throughout the city, of a nation on the edge of something huge and unknown.

After I returned home, I couldn't stop thinking about it. As is my way, I started wondering: what if something else happened at that inauguration? Since I'm a writer who has written science fiction, and I'm an American who (of course) has watched Independence Day, I naturally thought: what if there were an alien invasion?

That question — half serious, half humorous (because you have to see the absurdity in life, especially in our current climate, to avoid driving yourself batty) — led me to write a short story about a lesbian couple who attends the inauguration protest of a Trump-like president when, yes, a giant UFO appears in the sky over Washington, D.C.

Illustration by e. russo

Today that story has just been published by one of my favorite websites, Autostraddle. Now, Autostraddle, which covers pop culture, life, politics, and more by and for queer women, doesn't typically publish short fiction. So I'm especially grateful to them for giving my story a home, and even more than that, they commissioned some fabulous illustrations by artist Eren Russo.

Finally, because it's at Autostraddle, you can read it right now for free.

I hope you enjoy it!