''Trouble and Her Friends'' is a

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...

novel by American writer

Melissa Scott Melissa Scott (born 1960, in Little Rock, Arkansas) is an American science fiction and fantasy author noted for her science fiction novels featuring LGBT characters and elaborate settings. Biography Scott studied history at Harvard College and B ...

, first published in 1994. It is set in the United States of America sometime in the near future, and tells the story of India Carless, who goes by the name "Trouble" in her life as a criminal

hacker A hacker is a person skilled in information technology who uses their technical knowledge to achieve a goal or overcome an obstacle, within a computerized system by non-standard means. Though the term ''hacker'' has become associated in popu ...

, and her ex-lover Cerise. After leaving the underground behind three years earlier, they discover someone impersonating Trouble online, and reunite to travel across the country to confront him. In its extensive use of

virtual reality Virtual reality (VR) is a simulated experience that employs pose tracking and 3D near-eye displays to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video games), educ ...

and neural implants, the novel is a solid example of

cyberpunk Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction in a dystopian futuristic setting that tends to focus on a "combination of lowlife and high tech", featuring futuristic technological and scientific achievements, such as artificial intelligence and cyber ...

; however, it is unusual for that genre for having, like much of Scott's work, a distinct feminist perspective and main characters who are gay or lesbian. The novel won the 1995

Lambda Literary Award Lambda Literary Awards, also known as the "Lammys", are awarded yearly by Lambda Literary to recognize the crucial role LGBTQ writers play in shaping the world. The Lammys celebrate the very best in LGBTQ literature.The awards were instituted i ...

for Gay & Lesbian Science Fiction and Fantasy. Melissa Scott had previously been nominated in 1993 and 1994 for her novels ''Dreamships'' and ''Burning Bright'', and would win again in 1996 for ''Shadow Man''.

References

1994 American novels 1990s LGBT novels Novels by Melissa Scott Novels with lesbian themes Feminist science fiction novels American science fiction novels 1994 science fiction novels Cyberpunk novels LGBT speculative fiction novels Lambda Literary Award-winning works American LGBT novels Tor Books books {{1990s-LGBT-novel-stub