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
ISBN (print): 978-1-83421-026-1
ISBN (ebook): 978-1-83421-027-8
Want a signed copy?
In Canada (and non-US international folks willing to pay overseas shipping): pre-order signed copies from Bookmark Halifax (be sure to mention you’d like it signed).
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 from Bookshop, which will help cover the postage, and Bookshop gives over 80% of their profit margin to independent bookstores.
All the places to order:
- Canada:
- Bookmark Halifax (especially if you want it signed—and be sure to mention that!)
- Independent bookstores like Audreys or King’s Co-op—find one close to you at Bookmanager or Indie Bookstores (in both cases, click the “shop local” button)
- My publisher, Inanna
- Their distributor, UTP Distribution
- Or chain bookstores like Amazon or Indigo/Chapters/Coles.
- USA:
- Bookshop.org (especially if you want it signed—and email me your address, see above)
- Independent bookstores like The Bookshop or Parnassus—find one close to you at Bookmanager or Indie Bookstores (in both cases, click the “shop local” button)
- Or chains like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Books-A-Million.
- International:
You can also help this book find its audience by requesting that your library buy a copy, putting a copy on hold in Libby or whatever your library uses to loan out ebooks, and by leaving reviews at Goodreads or Storygraph or wherever it is sold online! If you are a reviewer, you can request ARCs from my publisher or from NetGalley.
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