Second Shift

From the time when the station wakes her up, Birdie Doran is on the clock. It's just her and one or two others on Terracorp's isolated outpost, processing comets. So she slips into virtual reality, with the station creating adventures for her as she does repairs, routine maintenance, and checks the status on all the systems. But when Birdie discovers another abandoned station just within walking distance of her own, she begins to question her isolation, and her own memories of what her job - and her life - really is. And at every turn, she starts finding the things the station has been hiding from her.

Publisher Marketing: "Anderson transports readers into realms of imagination while simultaneously grounding them in relatable emotions. It's a testament to the power of storytelling to transcend boundaries and captivate hearts and minds." - Booklist Review Quotes : "Anderson whisks readers to the liminal space between daily life and fantasy in this tender collection of comics stories. By toying with color, panel boundaries, and layered narration, she explores themes including loss, anxiety, and connection with nature." - Publishers Weekly Publisher Marketing : From the time when the station wakes her up, Birdie Doran is on the clock. It's just her and one or two others on Terracorp's isolated outpost, processing comets. So she slips into virtual reality, with the station creating adventures for her as she does repairs, routine maintenance, and checks the status on all the systems. But when Birdie discovers another abandoned station just within walking distance of her own, she begins to question her isolation, and her own memories of what her job-and her life--really is. And at every turn, she starts finding the things the station has been hiding from her. Ignatz Award-nominated author Kit Anderson presents a psychological science fiction exploration of the lines between reality inside and outside the mind.

Format: Paperback | Pages: 160 | Publication Date: 2025-06-26