Love Deuce Metamorphoses

In this riveting and imaginative tale, Quixote Syzygy spins a modern myth that takes the reader from the heat of Wimbledon’s tennis courts to the fate of humanity itself. When an epic mixed doubles match between two British pairs – Daphne Laurel and ‘Fool’ Hardy, and Iphis Tangle and Tiresias Tingle – stretches on interminably, the players and spectators alike start to wilt under the relentless summer sun. But Daphne, who possesses the ancient ability to transform into a laurel tree, realizes that human self-importance is the root cause of the deadly heat. She tries to save the crowd by teaching them to become trees themselves. As people around the world take up the call to ‘Be a Tree’, society splits between the Money-Lovers, who scorn the idea and continue to destroy the earth, and the Earth-Lovers, who sacrifice themselves to try to cool the planet. With appearances by the earwig philosopher Cyril, and interventions from the gods Apollo and Zeus, the tale builds to a shattering conclusion. Syzygy skillfully weaves classical mythology with a pointed critique of modern values, crafting a fable that is both whimsical and devastating. Love Deuce Metamorphoses is a story of magic, sport, love, and the perils of disregarding our impact on the natural world. This haunting work will make readers see trees, and perhaps themselves, in a whole new light.