Invisible Line

Some families we choose, some battles we can't avoid, some lines we must cross together. A bomb at the airport. A mysterious disappearance. A family pushing boundaries. Three years after finding refuge in near-future Montreal, Laek and Janie prepare to expand their unconventional family. But when their friend Philip's arrival coincides with an explosion at the airport, their sanctuary begins to crack. Struggling with PTSD, Laek must forge an alliance with someone he doesn't trust as street kids start vanishing from his school. Meanwhile, Janie dreams of building a larger family through a polyamorous union, even as dangers mount around them. Their community of queer, poly, and neurodivergent activists fights for justice in a city that's both haven and battleground. But when protecting others means risking everything they've built, how much are they willing to sacrifice? In a world of invisible lines, which ones are worth crossing? Sunburst Award-nominated Su J Sokol crafts hopepunk science fiction where hope isn't just resistance-it's revolution.

Some revolutions start with a roar, others with the quiet turn of a wheel. A hostile government. A desperate escape. A sanctuary city that holds their future. In a near-future New York crushed under authoritarian rule, history teacher Laek can no longer hide his radical past. After a brutal confrontation with the NYPD, he and his family must flee across the border-by bicycle-into Québec. Their only chance lies in convincing Montreal to grant them refugee status. Janie, an activist lawyer, fights to build a new life while protecting her family in a transformed Montreal. Between legal battles and cultural adjustments, she discovers that sanctuary comes with its own challenges. Their children, Siri and Simon, must navigate a new world where everything is different-the language, the culture, and their place in it. As they adapt to their refuge, they learn that sometimes the strongest borders are the invisible ones we create ourselves. Will they find safety in their new home, or will the past catch up with them? Sunburst Award-nominated Su J Sokol crafts hopepunk science fiction where hope isn't just resistance-it's revolution.