Jordan Prosser’s *Blue Giant*: A Satirical Odyssey of Survival in the 2020s

*Blue Giant* follows Abby Horne, a thirty-something Melbourne resident whose life is marked by alcoholism, mental-health struggles, and a history of fleeing a bushfire. When tech billionaire Tor Skovgaard announces a public recruitment for a private Mars mission—MarsNow—Abby sees a chance to reinvent herself. The application requires a five-minute video explaining why she is the ideal candidate to take humanity to the stars. Determined to stand out, she undertakes a grueling training regimen that includes breath-holding drills and underwater puzzles, hoping to discover a unique “gimmick” that will secure her place on the mission.

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• Abby Horne – the titular “blue giant,” portrayed as a self-mythologising survivor who burns intensely and risks self-destruction.

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• Niki – Abby’s patient best friend who encourages therapy and offers emotional support.

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• Oscar – a fellow Mars hopeful who explains the “blue giant” metaphor: “live fast, die young,” likening such lives to supernovas that create black holes.

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The novel situates its action within the “polycrisis of the 2020s,” weaving climate terror, suicidality, and social media overload into a picaresque narrative. Prosser’s satire juxtaposes extravagant set pieces—a road trip along the Hume Highway, a 2025 Los Angeles fire, prison, Antarctica—with an action-movie climax involving SWAT teams. The review notes that while the plot is populated with absurd and profane moments, these reflect the “jolting affective distortions” of living through climate catastrophe and constant media bombardment. Ultimately, the story is less about the Mars mission than about Abby’s struggle to find meaning on a planet already on fire.

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Prosser’s writing mirrors the chaotic emotional landscape of his generation, using humor and grotesque imagery—such as constipation gags—to explore deeper melancholy. The narrative’s climax, where Abby becomes a global celebrity, underscores the novel’s commentary on fame, exploitation, and the search for personal redemption.

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*Blue Giant* functions as both a contemporary satire and a morality tale, suggesting that survival may require adapting to the planet we already inhabit rather than escaping to another. By framing personal crisis against the backdrop of climate emergency, the novel invites readers to consider how “burning hot” ambitions can both illuminate and consume, echoing broader societal anxieties about the future.

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