Melancholy and humour pierce Prosser’s second novel, which swings in zany directions as its fabulous central character tries to escape the shitshows of 21st-century life
Do you have what it takes to survive on Mars? Abby Horne, the protagonist of Jordan Prosser’s second novel, Blue Giant, is certain that she has the chops. When an egocentric tech billionaire named Tor Skovgaard invites volunteers to join a mission to Mars, a “new chapter in the history of human civilisation”, Abby thinks she’s found her calling – or at least a way to escape her chaotic life.
To apply to MarsNow, she just has to shoot “a video of no longer than FIVE minutes in length stating why YOU are the BEST candidate to take HUMANITY to the STARS”. She must, she resolves, find a gimmick, “something I can do that no one else can”. Abby embarks on a training program that involves holding her breath and solving puzzles at the bottom of Fitzroy pool, desperate not to blow this one chance to shine.
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