The Girl Who Fell To Earth
A THRILLER SET IN THE FUTURE NOW UNIVERSE
Imagine travelling to Earth after living on another planet your entire life. Millions await your arrival, but only one person matters - the man you are meant to marry. The man who can help you save Venus from ruin. But there is more to this marriage than you’ve been told, and factions that want to use you for their own purposes. But you are not alone - those millions of people have watched every minute of your life on Venus - they are your fans, and maybe, your army.
You are The Girl Who Fell To Earth - and what you do next will determine the fate of two planets.
ABOUT
The Story
Since the day she was born on Venus, capital of the Sunside Colonies, Mirela was taught that working toward the greater good of the colony was the most creative act she could participate in. Each and every colonist had to take this message to heart if they wanted to survive in the unforgiving vacuum of space—you adapt or you die.
That’s why, in 2084 she is making the long voyage from her Venusian home to Earth where she will meet Wang Hao the man her parents have arranged for her to marry.
Everything depends on this marriage: without the massive influx of cash coming from the Wangs, in exchange for Venus’ mineral rights, the colony on Venus will soon grow too big to support itself. The colonists will suffer and starve. The future of Venus rests entirely on Mirela’s shoulders.
Which is how Mirella finds herself hurtling toward a foreign planet, away from everything she knows and everyone she loves, where she’ll have to quickly adapt to new customs, cultures, environments, in-laws, and a future husband who is a perfect stranger.
But Mirela is part of a bigger game than she realizes. The Wangs have rivals - people who want Venus’ riches for themselves. Mirela will have to navigate the politics of a world she’s just set foot on, where anybody could be a hidden enemy seeking to manipulate her, or an unlikely ally, offering other opportunities to fulfill Mirela’s mission to save Venus.
But Mirela is also seduced by everything that Earth has to offer, the cultures, and natural wonders she has only viewed in the Fold.
Ultimately Mirela will need to decide; can she forge her own destiny and save her people? Or, does the ‘greater good’ mean she must give up her own dreams and maybe, her life?
Art by John Walker
WHAT IS IT ABOUT?
The Girl Who Fell To Earth follows a woman caught between two literal worlds, striving to live up to the expectations and responsibilities of those she's been loyal to her whole life, while discovering newfound freedom and the opportunity to truly be herself in a foreign place. It's a universal narrative about finding one's place in the world, chafing against societal norms and familial pressures, and discovering personal identity.
have your say
Will Mirela marry Wang Hao and secure the deal that could save her people? Or will she strike her own path? Where would you travel if visiting the Earth for the first time?
You can help us decide what happens next in the comments below and by engaging with the story on Wattpad.
AUTHOR
Miranda Newman is a writer and editor based out of Toronto. Her work has appeared in The Literary Review of Canada, Broadview Magazine, The Walrus, the Montreal Gazette, and more. She’s co-editor of AFTERNOON, a yearly arts and letters publication, and publishes Life as a Lunatic, a monthly newsletter about coping with symptoms of mental illness. In her spare time, she’s a volunteer member of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health’s National Youth Action Council, and is a youth advisor on the Client Learning Fund Committee.
Learn more about the author on our Creators Blog.
CHAPTERS
CHAPTER 1: WAKING
En route to Earth, Venusian Princess Mirela reflects on her situation. Thinking about her upbringing on Venus, the development of the colony, and the pressure on her to save it with her arranged marriage to the son of the world’s wealthiest man. Read On Wattpad Now
Fan Art by Rachel Lazary
CHAPTER 2: ARRIVING
Arriving on Earth, Mirela meets her fiancée Wang Hao and his family. Nothing is quite as she expected it to be and, after a brief encounter with a protester, she suspects there is information being withheld from her. Read on Wattpad Now
Concept Art by Christian Hecker
Chapter 3: ADJUSTING
As Mirela prepares for her engagement ceremony, she begins to doubt the mission of the marriage, before receiving a mysterious message promising her information that could save her planet. Read on Wattpad Now
Concept Art by Shang
Chapter 4: EXPLORING
Following the mysterious instructions, Mirela is introduced to a secret virtual world for Earth’s elite, where she witnesses a thrilling race, and is given a dangerous offer. Read on Wattpad Now
Concept Art from Mokushi / Doktov
Chapter 5: Discovering
As Mirela ponders the proposal from the Moon Council, Hao takes her out for a night on the town filled with both revelry and revelations. Read on Wattpad Now
JOIN THE COLLECTIVE
For even more opportunities to shape the Future Now universe, join our collective and participate via comments, community polls, and exclusive events!
CONNECTED STORIES
The Girl Who Fell To Earth is designed as a means for viewers to explore the Earth of 2084 from the perspective of someone who is stepping foot on it for the first time. By reading it you will travel all over the world and get first hand experience of just about everything including;
Mirela’s Home: The Venusian Colony
Mirela’s home planet is under attack from many sources all vying for the vast quantities of newly valuable Carbon in the atmosphere. Explore the Venusian Monarchy, which started as a penal colony in the 2060’s and transformed into one of the first societies modelled after Paradisian principles. Though it’s Paradisian values are fading, first with the adoption of a Monarchy, then as civil unrest spread through the colony. Learn more
The Wang Family
The Wang Family are Earth’s wealthiest family - but might they also be members of the Ecclesia - the ruling elite who secretly seek to control humanity's destiny? The Wang’s definitely have one secret - their fortune is in jeopardy, the wedding to Mirela would see them control all of the Sunside Colonies’ wealth - re-securing their destiny. However, between circling enemies, and the family’s internal struggles, it may be too late. Will the Wangs destroy Venus’ future to keep anyone else from benefiting from it? More Info Coming Soon
Concept Art by Sam Samuels
The Moon Council
The Moon Council represents the interests of not only the millions of inhabitants of Earth's stellar cousin but that of all of the Off World colonies. They see the Wang’s arrangement with the Venusian Monarchy as a potential threat to their interests and another example of Earth’s elites infringing on Off-Earth territory. More Info Coming Soon
The Paradisian Movement
The Venusian colony once represented a shining example of the potential for the Paradisian World View, where a former penal colony became the solar system's first government based on Paradisian values. But then the Venusians installed a Monarchy and are now seeking to partner with a hyper-capitalist space mining company that will only further pollute their Paradisian ways. Is the Paradisian movement doomed? Will it ever regain the influence it had in the 2040s? Find out on the Paradisian page.
Explore the entire Future Now universe on our World page.