Sci-fi short about exoplanet with euphoria-inducing parasite
November 8, 2024 6:31 PM Subscribe
I'm trying to find a story published on Clarkes World or tor.com or something similar, in the last ~15 years? A woman protagonist is on an exoplanet, and we become aware that she's being transformed by a parasite from the planet, but her experience of it is expansive and euphoric.
I think it explicitly mentions the tongue-eating louse, though I could be misremembering that bit.
Response by poster: Woodroar, that has overlap but is not it.
I want to say that the protagonist here is just touched by a mote of something, and knows it's bad, but the event is innocuous at the time.
posted by german_bight at 8:06 PM on November 8, 2024
I want to say that the protagonist here is just touched by a mote of something, and knows it's bad, but the event is innocuous at the time.
posted by german_bight at 8:06 PM on November 8, 2024
I know the story you mean, and I remember the last line of it is her dying as her body cracks open to set the parasite's winged forms free, and she thinks "how beautiful". I can't remember the name of it either but it stuck with me, and it probably was linked here on Mefi
posted by The otter lady at 8:11 PM on November 8, 2024 [2 favorites]
posted by The otter lady at 8:11 PM on November 8, 2024 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: The otter lady: yes--that is exactly what I'm hunting for.
posted by german_bight at 8:40 PM on November 8, 2024
posted by german_bight at 8:40 PM on November 8, 2024
is it "the only neat thing to do" by james tiptree?
posted by guybrush_threepwood at 9:41 PM on November 8, 2024
posted by guybrush_threepwood at 9:41 PM on November 8, 2024
Best answer: Here's everything I can remember about the story:
Female author, it won some award, pretty sure it was on tor.com
Alien planet is discovered, colonization starts, the woman protagonist is an early colonist, they discover that the planet has this parasite that can infect humans, so colonization is scrapped, but the woman has already been infected, so she and other infected beings (I think there was a cow) are isolated but cared for on the planet, by a team of humans in full PPE, to let the disease run its course (which they know will kill the host).
The woman at first is freaking out about her disease, of course, and writes letters home full of getting the last word in with her mom, etc, but as the parasite spreads, she becomes 'enlightened' and peaceful, kind, empathic, introspective, and writes more letters, apologizing for her past anger and forgiving everyone.
She lives about a year or two on the planet, gradually adapting as the parasite's various life stages work through her body. She finds she can breathe underwater, thanks to the parasite, and swims through the beautiful alien corals etc. She finds that she and other infected have a distinctive smell, that to her smells like orange blossom, and to others smells like rotting garbage. She explores the beautiful alien world without fear, and is sad that other humans will never be able to live here.
She wonders if ants, infected with cordyceps, have some kind of euphoria like she does, or mice, with toxoplasmosis, watching the cat approach, feel fearless and calm. Gradually, her nerves start to act up, making her hands twitch and curl, as the parasite reaches her spinal cord for their final form. She is compelled to climb somewhere, high as she can, and does so, with the last of her strength. Her spine splits, the shimmering, rainbow-winged form of the parasites fly free, and her last thought is "how beautiful.... how beautiful."
I think it was about 5-6 years ago, almost certain it was less than 10 years ago, very sure it was less than 15 years ago.
posted by The otter lady at 9:35 AM on November 9, 2024 [1 favorite]
Female author, it won some award, pretty sure it was on tor.com
Alien planet is discovered, colonization starts, the woman protagonist is an early colonist, they discover that the planet has this parasite that can infect humans, so colonization is scrapped, but the woman has already been infected, so she and other infected beings (I think there was a cow) are isolated but cared for on the planet, by a team of humans in full PPE, to let the disease run its course (which they know will kill the host).
The woman at first is freaking out about her disease, of course, and writes letters home full of getting the last word in with her mom, etc, but as the parasite spreads, she becomes 'enlightened' and peaceful, kind, empathic, introspective, and writes more letters, apologizing for her past anger and forgiving everyone.
She lives about a year or two on the planet, gradually adapting as the parasite's various life stages work through her body. She finds she can breathe underwater, thanks to the parasite, and swims through the beautiful alien corals etc. She finds that she and other infected have a distinctive smell, that to her smells like orange blossom, and to others smells like rotting garbage. She explores the beautiful alien world without fear, and is sad that other humans will never be able to live here.
She wonders if ants, infected with cordyceps, have some kind of euphoria like she does, or mice, with toxoplasmosis, watching the cat approach, feel fearless and calm. Gradually, her nerves start to act up, making her hands twitch and curl, as the parasite reaches her spinal cord for their final form. She is compelled to climb somewhere, high as she can, and does so, with the last of her strength. Her spine splits, the shimmering, rainbow-winged form of the parasites fly free, and her last thought is "how beautiful.... how beautiful."
I think it was about 5-6 years ago, almost certain it was less than 10 years ago, very sure it was less than 15 years ago.
posted by The otter lady at 9:35 AM on November 9, 2024 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Someone on MFM suggests it's The Glad Hosts by Rebecca Campbell.
posted by TheophileEscargot at 10:58 AM on November 9, 2024 [2 favorites]
posted by TheophileEscargot at 10:58 AM on November 9, 2024 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: THANK YOU to TheophileEscargot and The otter lady! That's the one.
posted by german_bight at 11:48 AM on November 9, 2024
posted by german_bight at 11:48 AM on November 9, 2024
Thank you TheophileEscargot! It's funny, re-reading it now, how my impressions were so strong, yet so different from the actual text. Huh. Maybe I have some kind of brain parasite.
posted by The otter lady at 12:46 PM on November 9, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by The otter lady at 12:46 PM on November 9, 2024 [1 favorite]
You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments
posted by Woodroar at 7:23 PM on November 8, 2024