Railhead

When petty thief Zen Starling is hired by the mysterious Raven to steal a box from the Emperor of the Universe’s train, he is promised a life of luxury and his family cared for in return. But his task is complicated, as Zen discovers many secrets about Raven and about the universe and he falls in love with a motorik, an artificial intelligence creation, and Zen must make a difficult decision whether to value his own life and safety above that of the rest of the universe. This easy-to-read sci-fi novel can be used as a class, literature circle, or independent novel, and examines issues of gender roles, sexuality, socio-economic issues, social status, use of technology, and sustainability in a futuristic society.