“Tired of those lonely dark nights? No one in your settlement suitable? We are here to help! We will help you find the bride or husband to keep you company, raise your children, and be your partner building a dream together.”

The concept of this anthology from Wolfsinger Publications caught my eye. The idea of Space Brides LLC – a matchmaking agency designed to help people find love on the frontier of space – has great science fiction potential.

This book of 15 mini romantic space operas, edited by Dana Bell, certainly delivers on that. We visit moons, asteroids, caverns, planetary installations and digital worlds. We travel on warp starships and space trains. We meet humans, aliens, vampires and clones. It’s a feast of imagination, and while all of the tales bring something to this colourful party, there are a handful of stories that lingered in my memory after reading.

“Gravity” by Sage Kelly features Jake, a man whose sister has died. He is taking her three lively children (and their pet ferrets) to Mars in the hope of marrying into a farming family to secure them a stable future. Upon arrival however, he is devastated to discover that his betrothed has bailed on the arrangement, leaving her furious dad and brother to sort out the mess.
This is a warm story, thick was pathos, and perfectly evokes the rewarding chaos of domestic life, pets, children and family dynamics.

I loved “Runaway Bride” by Harriet Phoenix. It’s narrated by a skilled and adventurous young woman, Kasih, who is on the run and carrying a mysterious bag of which she’s very protective. She signs up with Space Brides and discovers an interesting prospect on the Saturn moon of Titan: a society where everybody is married to each other as one big collective.
This is one of my favourites of the anthology. It’s well written with a tight plot, full of interesting cultural concepts and fully-rounded characters, and delivers a superb pay-off regarding the contents of Kasih’s bag.
As Harriet Phoenix’s story was also one of my favourites in the recent Terrors from the Toy Box from Phobica Books, she is definitely a writer to watch.

I also loved “A Spectrum of Secrets” by Eric Taveren. This is the tale of Alice, a woman who works for Genetech – a cash-strapped genetics company – and whose young son is terminally ill with cancer. When she sees the profile of Jake, a brilliant scientist, on the Space Brides database, she realises that he might have the skills to cure her son.
With no intention of marriage, Alice travels to stay with Jake in a remote installation deep beneath the ice-crusted sea of the Jupiter moon Europa, and immediately starts to feel guilty about the deception. Especially when she realises she has genuine feelings for him.
This piece shines with slick storytelling, and draws us in immediately. The development of Alice and Jake’s awkward relationship is convincing, and the plot saves some eerie reveals before culminating in a taut and surprising finale.

I really enjoyed “Lapin Chasseur” by Jennifer Roberts. Here we find lunar-dweller Clarissa, who travels all the way to Pluto as part of a holiday trip. But upon arrival, she discovers with horror that she’s been cunningly set up by her horrible twin sister: Clarissa’s journey is a one-way ticket, and she’s actually there to marry a Plutonian mushroom farmer called Doug in the caverns deep beneath the planet.
After a tense start, this becomes a sweet and life-affirming tale that easily draws us into Clarissa’s plight. It has a strong sense of place, a weaving plot, and very relatable attention to detail despite the sf setting. Several of the characters shine with humanity, contrasting the villainous elements, and it saves some twists to conclude on a satisfying note.

The bulk of “Hope Among the Stars” by Luke T. Barnett is in the form of correspondence between Agnes, a previously rich but now impoverished woman from Ganymede, and William, a successful businessman on Mars. They are very much the traditional lady and gentleman, so their written courtship gushes with manners and etiquette. But when disaster strikes during Agnes’ space journey to him, the story takes a surprising and dark turn in which most unladylike behavior will be required for Agnes to survive.
This story stands out with its epistolary structure, quaint characters and drama. We are gently guided into rooting for Agnes and William, and the story constantly keeps us guessing as to how it’s all going to pan out.

The last story – “She’s a Bit Green” by Bogna Jordan – finishes the book on a high. Here we meet Voymir, a soldier who undertakes dangerous missions in a flying suit of armour. After he is seriously injured after an attack on a pirate base, his Space Brides match turns up in the form of Nimfa: a winged and green-skinned woman who is used to a life of racism and rejection.
Both broken in very different ways, the characters and their mutual reticence are believable, and their feelings really power this hopeful tale of recovery and longing.

Special mention also goes to Dana Bell for “Had My Reasons”: an immersive piece that shows us the potentially dangerous side of love with a not-quite-human on an asteroid.
And G.A. Babouche’s “The Titan and the Princess” is a fun and compulsive read that asks if love can flourish between a spirited, jaded princess and a proud alien king.

Of the stories with strong conceptual approaches, credit to Laura Hilse for the clever romantic thriller “Romance of the Algorithm” which shows us the Space Brides process, and explores how the AI used by such agencies could pinpoint things that mere humans might miss.

Despite the niche theme, Space Brides LLC has plenty of variation and we meet all manner of characters looking to find their soul mate. As well as all the above, we meet a Venusian witch,  a troubled clone who is running out of chances, and a purple-eyed alien general. We see collapsing Neptune mines, exclusive lunar hotels, virtual realities, and a shootout in a Martian tomato farm. Niche themes can become samey, but this anthology deftly avoids that pitfall.

As I usually read horror, and the darker and more bleak side of science fiction, Space Brides LLC was a pleasant and refreshing change of tone. The clashes of culture and creed make for some colourful romances and thrillers, and there are several heartwarming stories that show love against the odds. And while that might be a well-beaten trope, it’s a harmless one to indulge sometimes.

A neat concept thoroughly explored, this an enjoyable escapist book.

Available from Wolfsinger Productions here, and through Amazon Kindle stores.