It is autumn 1845, and Elizabeth Bennet is a part of the second generation embarking on a centuries-long flight to Alpha Centauri, working in the signal room and studying engineering aboard a massive centrifugal ship. When she is thrown into the orbit of the conventional Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth finds him haughty and intolerable.
But then her younger sister elopes. For all of their progress in the new society of the ship, a woman can still be ruined by an imprudent attachment. Can Elizabeth and Darcy save Lydia’s reputation, learn to like each other, and avoid being convicted of murder?
Aether and Ego is a steampunk retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, with the addition of space travel, dogs, and accidental death.
Jump down to: ordering options; reviews.
Release date: 15 September 2026, Inanna Publications.
Cover art by: Pei Yuan Li.
Want a signed copy?
In Canada: pre-order signed copies from Bookmark Halifax.
In the US: pre-order a paperback from Bookshop.org and email me your mailing address (joannemerriam at gmail) so I can send you a signed bookplate. I’ll get a small affiliate payment, and Bookshop gives over 80% of their profit margin to independent bookstores.
All the places to order:
- Canada: my publisher, Inanna; Amazon; Indigo/Chapters/Coles; McNally Robinson; independent bookstores like Audrey’s (Edmonton, AB) or King’s Co-op (Halifax, NS)—find yours at Bookmanager or Indie Bookstores (in both cases, click the “shop local” button).
- USA: Amazon; Barnes & Noble; Books-A-Million; Bookshop.org; independent bookstores like The Bookshop or Parnassus (both my former home of Nashville, TN) or Joseph-Beth (Lexington, KY)—find yours at Bookmanager or Indie Bookstores (in both cases, click the “shop local” button).
- International: Amazon (Australia, Belgium, Brazil, France, Italy, Mexico, Spain).
You can also help this book find its audience by requesting that your library buy a copy, and by leaving reviews at Goodreads or Storygraph or wherever it is sold online!
Reviews:
“Aether and Ego is enormous fun and a worthy tribute to Austen. It left me dreaming of a better world.”
—Kate Heartfield, author of The Embroidered Book
“A skillful reimagining of Pride and Prejudice with a speculative twist that casts familiar characters in a whole new light and breathes fresh life into a classic tale. Aether and Ego repeatedly subverts expectations and yet every twist feels utterly earned. Masterfully done!”
—A.C. Wise, author of Wendy, Darling
“Elegant, smart, and transportive. Aether and Ego will delight Pride and Prejudice fans and alternative history readers alike.”
—Laura Stanfill, author of Singing Lessons for the Stylish Canary