A queer, Caribbean, anti-colonial sci-fi novella in which a betrayed captain seeks revenge on the interplanetary empire that subjugated her people for generations

Virika Sameroo lives in colonized space under the Æcerbot Empire, much like her ancestors before her in the British West Indies. After years of working hard to rise through the ranks of the empire’s merchant marine, she’s finally become first lieutenant on an interstellar cargo vessel.

When her captain dies under suspicious circumstances, Virika is arrested for murder and charged with treason despite her lifelong loyalty to the empire. Her conviction and subsequent imprisonment set her on a path of revenge, determined to take down the evil empire that wronged her, all while the fate of her people hangs in the balance.

Suzan Palumbo's profile page

Suzan Palumbo is a Trinidadian-Canadian dark speculative fiction writer and editor. Her short stories have been nominated for the Nebula, Aurora, and World Fantasy Awards. Her debut dark fantasy/horror short story collection, Skin Thief: Stories, is out now from Neon Hemlock. She lives in Brampton, ON.

“Palumbo’s debut novella, following the story collection Skin Thief, is a satisfying story of revenge and revolution that stokes the fire in readers.” — Library Journal

“Readers of Rebecca Roanhorse and Becky Chambers will be invested in this Afrofuturist novella.” — Booklist

“Palumbo’s post-colonial space opera take on Dumas’s novel moves at a whiplash-inducing pace ... fans of speculative revamps of classics will find plenty to enjoy.” — Publishers Weekly

“Suzan Palumbo’s Countess is an exceptional science fiction remix of The Count of Monte Cristo. It explores the same themes, but takes them in new and exciting directions … she has quickly proven herself a force to be reckoned with in speculative fiction.” — Reactor

“Countess is a heart-pounding story from Suzan Palumbo, who has been steadily building herself up as a writer to watch in the speculative space, and this is a book you won’t want to miss.” — Reactor

“I love Suzan Palumbo’s short fiction, so when I heard she had a novella, I jumped at the chance to read it. Countess is a space adventure that maintains the hurtling energy of a pulp while highlighting the cultural complexity of diaspora and empire, the cruelty of a colonial future, and the bite of injustice. Grab it!” — Derek Künsken, author of The Quantum Magician and The House of Styx

“Palumbo has woven a richly textured, beautifully complex tapestry of betrayal, anger, and revenge. The keen edge of justified rage against colonization and colonizers is wielded with great skill in this dark, intense retelling.” — Premee Mohamed, World Fantasy and Nebula Award-winning author

“Furiously compelling. Palumbo paints her star-spanning universe and its cast with fluid, natural strokes, then jams a meteor between imperial teeth and dares them to bite. A harrowing space opera journey of injustice and revenge worth every tensed nerve and desperate hope.” — Hailey Piper, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Queen of Teeth

“This is a gripping, intense story of loyalty and betrayal, against a vivid backdrop of an interstellar rebellion through labor solidarity. I can’t wait to see what Palumbo writes next!” — Martha Wells, bestselling author of The Murderbot Diaries and Witch King

“[Countess] is not only a dark story about life on other planets but also carries hope for life, liberty, and sexual freedom for everyone.” — Caribbean Camera