LEGACY OF A PRINCESS

A planetary princess fakes her death to escape her royal family in Kinde’s SF novel.

In the year 2130, humanity has spread across the galaxy, but not much else has changed. People still drink wine, get married, have children, use phones and cars, and deal with pandemics. Capitalism still exists, and humanity continues to support and condemn hereditary monarchies. Dyanna Meng Wang, formerly princess of Kepler Prime, now lives on Old Earth as Myra Foley. Myra, the reader quickly realizes, is a thinly veiled, futuristic version of the 20th century’s Princess Diana. Like Diana Spencer, Myra marries an imperial heir who cheats on her and moves in with his mistress, “the love of his life.” Myra scandalously diverges from her expected role as princess and comes into conflict with her mother-in-law, the queen, experiences overwhelming depression and suicidal ideation, and provides an heir and a “spare,” a clear allusion to the title of Prince Harry’s memoir (“Without a doubt, my sons, those two boys I had to turn my back on so I could live, were pawns”). This and a few other elements of the book feel a bit insensitive; the first clue to the character’s inspiration is the day of her faked death, Aug. 31, the same day Princess Diana died. The reader learns that Myra lives with her new husband, Jones, who assisted in her escape after they fell in love. After traveling the galaxy, the couple moved to Old Earth, where they bought a winery and live in anonymity with their daughter, Katla. Now, several decades after their flight, Myra and Jones, now 66 and 72, respectively, live a satisfying life running the winery and spending time with Katla’s daughters. The conflict of the first half of the book largely comes from Myra’s memories, but at the midway point mysterious forces bring imperial drama back into Myra’s life. Although the plot slogs at points and the real-world inspiration is problematic, this is a rare work of SF featuring a woman in her 60s, making this a unique entry into the genre.

Futuristic fan fiction in questionable taste.