What if the person you loved was on another planet?

'Every detail is sharply placed ... a scorching sense of humor and a soft spot for humanity down here on Earth' The New York Times 'Fleishman Is In Trouble, but in space' Bobby Palmer A NEW YORK TIMES READERS' FAVOURITE OF 2023 LONGLISTED FOR THE 2023 SCOTIABANK GILLER PRIZE Kevin is a thirtysomething homebody, happily committed to his hydroponics-expert girlfriend, Amber, as they grow weed in their basement in Vancouver. Out of the blue, Amber announces that she has been selected for a reality show where she will compete for one of two seats on the first human-led mission to Mars. If selected, she must stay on Mars for good, because the technology to come home doesn't exist yet. Is this a suicide mission or a bold new frontier? Girlfriend on Mars is the story of love unravelling in a world where truth is dictated by Facebook ads and 'reality TV' is as scripted as any politician's speech. With rapt viewers voting for Amber to stay on the show and crates of Mars-mission branded protein shakes arriving at his door, is it any wonder Kevin wants to stay in the basement forever?

"A bleak yet darkly funny story that dissects with compassion and wit the reality of "reality TV" and the fantasy of escaping eco-catastrophe by moving to another planet." - Guardian

"Funny, increasingly touching and occasionally shocking, I can't imagine any fiction lovers not enjoying this sparky debut ... quirky and highly amusing" - Big Issue, hottest fiction 2023

"It's the sundry strains of long-term relationships that are under the microscope most here, and the author tackles these with deftness and bags of humour ... readers are kept guessing about how this one will play out right until the last." - Crack magazine Book of the Month

"Willis zooms in and out on her chosen subjects, adroitly examining the physical and emotional distances that separate people from one another - and from the mysteries of their lives" - New York Times Book Review