Author: Walter Jon Williams

Length: novella

First Publication: Asimov’s Science Fiction, 2003

Awards: Hugo Nomination for Best Novella 2004, Nebula for Best Novella 2004.

What the Story is About: In the far future an engineered virus that allows people to photosynthesize food prevents food shortages. The story’s perspective alternates between a far-future mermaid who is searching old archives and the man she is researching, John Terzian, who helped develop the photosynthetic virus.