NOW AVAILABLE: Shoeshine Boy & Cigarette Girl by P.A. Cornell
We are delighted to announce the release of Shoeshine Boy & Cigarette Girl by award-winning author P.A. Cornell!
We are delighted to announce the release of Shoeshine Boy & Cigarette Girl by award-winning author P.A. Cornell!
About the Book
Shoeshine Boy & Cigarette Girl is a retrofuturistic, romantic science fiction novelette by P.A. Cornell, with cover art by Kim Herbst and interior illustrations by Ahmed Raafat.
Just beneath the hovercar lanes, in a Toronto very much like ours, sits an unassuming diner called Rocket Ray’s. There, Shoeshine Boy spots the girl of his dreams—if his dreams ever got that good. No stranger to men, Cigarette Girl isn’t easily impressed, but something about Shoeshine Boy tells her this one just might be worth her time.
Over steaming cups of coffee, they dream of a life just out of reach. Good-hearted Shoeshine Boy just wants to give his girl the moon, even if that means risking everything. Cigarette Girl, a grifter used to looking out for number one, finds her priorities shifting as her heart soars like the rockets in the sky.
When a well-dressed stranger enters the picture, he presents them with opportunities that put their love to the test. Will Shoeshine Boy & Cigarette Girl make each other’s dreams come true, or lose each other in the process?
Praise for Shoeshine Boy & Cigarette Girl
Here is a selection of review blurbs for Shoeshine Boy & Cigarette Girl by P.A. Cornell:
“SHOESHINE BOY & CIGARETTE GIRL is a contemporary fairy tale that weaves perfectly the cautionary and the heartfelt, exploring themes of new love, idealism, desperation, deception, sacrifice, forgiveness, and understanding.”
— Ai Jiang, Nebula and Bram Stoker Award winner and Hugo Award finalist of A Palace Near the Wind and Linghun
“With a tenderness reminiscent of The Little Prince, Cornell has crafted a comforting retrofuture love story that is brimming with optimism.”
— Angela Liu, Hugo, Nebula, Ignyte, Rhysling, Locus, and Astounding Award finalist writer
“A hard-worn romance that means it, the hope and commitment we need right now, from the best writer called P. Cornell.”
— Paul Cornell, author of I Walk With Monsters, the Lychford novels, and writer on Doctor Who
“Shoeshine Boy & Cigarette Girl is a fun, nostalgic romp through an alternate Toronto with a laser-focused message: love conquers all. Cornell’s prose is as clear and crisp as a mountain spring, and you’ll be rooting for her characters from page one. With plenty of action and a bold sincerity that pervades so much of Cornell’s work, this book will leave you smiling, eager for Shoeshine Boy & Cigarette Girl’s next grand adventure.”
— Derrick Boden, Sturgeon Award finalist author featured in Lightspeed and Clarkesworld
“P.A. Cornell gives us a fun romantic tale set in a retrofuturistic Toronto. A story not only about fulfilled love but also of trust and care for each other. Shoeshine Boy & Cigarette Girl will leave you smiling and wishing for more happy endings.”
—Renan Bernardo, Nebula and Ignyte finalist and author of Disgraced Return of the Kap’s Needle
More Information and Where To Buy
We encourage you to order from your favorite bookseller! And should you need any purchasing links, we have some collected on the dedicated book page here:
We adore this romantic sci-fi fable by P.A. Cornell, and we think you will too. Congratulations, P.A.!
Ad astra per fabulas,
Stars and Sabers Publishing
Jendia Gammon, Editor-in-Chief
