Discovering you are one.

In Ghost Planet by Sharon Lynn Fisher, Elizabeth is a psychologist ready to make a change in her life. She accepted a job on a newly discovered world—a world where every colonist is tethered to an alien who manifests in the form of a dead loved one. She thought her biggest challenge would be facing her alien “ghost” when it materialized.

It came as a shock to learn she’d died in a transport crash en route to the planet and she wasn’t the real Elizabeth. Discovering she’s a ghost and on the wrong side of the planet-wide Ghost Protocol, which forbids colonists to acknowledge or interact with her leaves her confused and alone. Making matters worse she is symbiotically linked to Murphy—the charming Irishmen who created the protocol.

Forced to live in Murphy’s home while he is forced to ignore her presence becomes a torment for them both, but Elizabeth isn’t easily defeated. She breaks every rule and breaks down Murphy’s defenses as she works to unlock the secrets of her own existence.

This is a story of a struggle between the powerful forces on the planet, both human and alien, and one couple determined to expose the truth and return the planet to harmony.  It’s a quiet but powerful read, reminiscent of Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough. It’s marketed as a science fiction rather than a romance, but the romance is central to the plot and is richly developed and explored. This is one of those books that raises big questions and leaves you to ponder them long after the story comes to a satisfying conclusion.

What I loved about Elizabeth: She is bookish-psychologist and uses her head to cope with an unbearable circumstance.

What I love about Murphy: He is every inch the quiet, intellectual hero.  From the moment he drops his coat on the ground, so he can give it to the shivering Elizabeth without overtly breaking the rules, I was charmed. He risks everything for Elizabeth and plays hero from the background.

Publisher: Tor Science Fiction

Genre: Science Fiction

Primary format: Mass Market Print

Publication date: October 30, 2012