A Planet Called Happy
Ellis appears to have it all – a great job, a loving girlfriend, and a loyal dog – yet each morning he wakes up feeling that something is missing. In a desperate quest for true happiness, he boards a luxury shuttle to Planet Happy, a hedonistic paradise where guests seek the elusive ‘Happiness X’, the trademarked secret to instant joy.
There, he encounters Nara, a VIP attendant with her own dreams of freedom, whose job is to ensure Ellis has the time of his life. But when an activist group disrupts their plans, Ellis and Nara embark on a thrilling adventure that challenges their understanding of happiness and the influence of corporate power. Will they find what they’re searching for, or will they discover something even more valuable?
Reviews
"[August] write[s] with a wildly inventive, cinematic eye as we race through parks based on music festivals and pastoral scenes, thrill rides and virtual reality. As one chapter barrels into another, it’s always exciting to discover the next place they’re whisking us away to visit...All in all, it’s quite the ride."
"At once fun, satirical, and sharply prescient, this wild adventure of a novel holds up a broken mirror to our own world and asks: are you happy yet? I loved every moment and hit the last page feeling both thoughtful and uplifted."Sierra Branham, author of Love Galaxy
"A Planet Called Happy really did make me happy. This book was a cosy, scathing takedown of AI and surveillance capitalism – an echo of the primal scream we all let out each time a chatbot asks how it can help us. Riley August just writes science fiction at its best."Olivia Atwater, author of Half A Soul
"I liked watching them chase happiness until they learned a few lessons about what it really takes, even if the cost was an entire planet. I’d definitely recommend this cozier sci-fi adventure for anyone interested."