To Love Like Venus

To Love Like Venus is a literary novel in a near-future setting that’s all about love and relationships—and how we cope with the heights and disappointments, whether in partners, ideals or the symbols that become our children.

After delighting readers and reviewers with Event Horizon: Stories of No Turning Back, 2022 Chautauqua Janus Prize winner Stephanie Nina Pitsirilos returns, this time with a debut novel following some of its characters. This book requires a trip to Venus, which means immense heat, crushing pressure, and the risk of getting burned. Did we mention this is the planet of love?

Cover by Baris Sehri and Interior Design by Lewelin Polanco, The Cosmic Lion.

“Pitsirilos has crafted a compelling exploration of what it means to be human, weaving together themes of artificial intelligence, environmental degradation, mother-son relationships, and the difficulty of modern love. [...]A scintillating modern love story that will leave a lasting impression.”

— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“A radical, sex-positive exploration of the necessity for love with sex. Even in the future, this is the ongoing, pivotal question we must answer for ourselves. To Love Like Venus though, shows us that that question can also obfuscate all the ways we really love.”

— Ivelisse Rodriguez, author of Love War Stories