Second Skin by Paul J. McAuley

“Second Skin” is a 1997 science fiction novelette by Paul J. McAuley. It is about a man who visits Proteus as a secret spy of a trade delegation.

Non-Spoiler Summary In A Nutshell:

The story follows Ben Lo as he arrives on Proteus, one of the moons of Neptune, with several other members of a trade delegation. As he is escorted around the city of Elfhame by his tall, government sanctioned, female escort, he comes in contact with his former wife, Avernus – now a famous scientist on the losing side of a previous war. He eventually gives his guide the slip and he and Avernus make plans for her escape.

Ben Lo and the six other members of the first trade delegation to Proteus since the war were transferred onto the transport as it looped around Titan, still sleeping in the hibernation pods they’d climbed into in Earth orbit. Sixty days later, they were released from the transport in individual drop capsules of structural diamond, like so many seeds scattered by a pod.

My Two Cents:

• The good:

• The city of Elfhame is really cool! It is set in a one kilometer deep trench burned in the ice of Proteus. Covered with a diamond roof it was pressurized so humans could build on its steep slopes. It even comes complete with a lake on the bottom!
• The ending of this story is excellent on many different levels. We finally get to find out who Ben Lo really is, and what is in store for him!

• The bad:

• Overall it is really good, but watch out for the few adult situations that present themselves.

Fact Sheet:

• Page Count: 16

• “Second Skin” garnered the following awards:

• It placed 14th in the 1998 Locus Poll for best novelette.

Where you can find “Second Skin”:

• This novelette first appeared in the April 1997 issue of Asimov’s Science Fiction.
• “Second Skin” is included in Gardner Dozois’s amazing collection The Best of the Best: 20 Years of the Year’s Best Science Fiction. (Read my review of this book.)

Some Interesting Links:

• Before reading this story you may want to brush up on your knowledge of Neptune’s moon, Proteus.
• Did you know that the author of “Second Skin”, Paul J. McAuley has been making a living from writing since 1996? Yep, you can learn more about him by visiting his blog, “Earth and other unlikely worlds.”

Craving More Stories?
If you enjoyed this story then you might also like A Spy in Europa, about a spy who travels to one of Jupiter’s moons, by Alastair Reynolds.

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