‘Local Heavens’: K.M. Fajardo’s Dystopian Queer Cyberpunk Debut Reimagines the American Dream

K.M. Fajardo, a second-generation Filipino-Canadian writer and digital designer based in Toronto, will soon make her mark on the literary scene with the release of Local Heavens, her debut novel scheduled for October 14, 2025. The book has already generated significant excitement within literary and LGBTQ+ circles for its innovative blend of genres and fresh perspective on both classic literature and contemporary issues .

Billed as a “genre-bending dystopian love story and queer cyberpunk reimagining of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic tale of glamour, desire, and desperation,” Local Heavens thrusts readers into a near-future world shaped by accelerating technology, widening social divides, and the aftermath of a global pandemic . Like Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, the novel interrogates the promises and pitfalls of the so-called American Dream—but Fajardo’s vision is filtered through the lens of late-stage capitalism, the impact of digital culture, and the lived realities of queer and trans characters.

Fajardo has described her inspiration as rooted in the “interesting (and scary) period where the wealth gap is widening and people are growing cynical about the future,” noting that “every day feels more and more like a Black Mirror episode that won’t end” . Local Heavens explores these themes through ambitious world-building and the intimate struggles of its protagonists, who must navigate both the seductive allure and the inherent dangers of a society obsessed with spectacle, technology, and curated realities.

Fajardo’s path to publication began in Toronto’s vibrant creative and tech communities. A graduate of the University of Waterloo, she holds a degree in Global Business and Digital Arts and brings her digital savvy to both her fiction and her professional work in the tech industry .

She first conceived the idea for Local Heavens in early 2020, during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic—a period that deeply influenced the novel’s themes of isolation, social transformation, and uncertain futures. After initially shelving the manuscript, Fajardo returned to the project in 2023, drawing on both classic cyberpunk literature and contemporary literary influences to shape her story and hone her characters’ voices .

The book was completed over the course of nearly a year and quickly garnered the attention of literary agent Laura Rennert of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, signaling strong industry interest in Fajardo’s distinctive narrative style and subject matter .

Local Heavens stands out not only for its speculative world-building but also for its unapologetic centering of LGBTQ+ characters and concerns. Fajardo, who is active in queer and literary communities, has emphasized the importance of creating stories where queer and transgender people are not just present but central, complex, and fully realized .

The novel’s engagement with themes of identity, love, and belonging within a context of technological upheaval places it in conversation with both classic LGBTQ+ literature and contemporary speculative fiction. Early descriptions and interviews suggest that the book will resonate with readers looking for narratives that both challenge and affirm, offering new visions of possibility within—and beyond—the boundaries of genre .

Fajardo’s work reflects and amplifies conversations happening across the LGBTQ+ community, particularly around the intersections of technology, capitalism, and queer life. As she noted in an interview, “The challenge is both what makes me want to give up some days and what inspires me to keep going on other days. It’s all about perspective.” She credits her writing community, her Filipino heritage, and her experiences as a digital designer for shaping both the content and form of her work .

With Local Heavens now available for pre-order and set for global release in mid-October, anticipation is high among readers of speculative fiction, LGBTQ+ literature, and anyone interested in the future of narrative art . The novel’s arrival is likely to spark discussion about the role of queer and trans voices in shaping the future of genre fiction, as well as the enduring relevance of classic literary themes in a rapidly changing world.

Fajardo’s debut promises to offer not just a compelling story, but a vital contribution to the ongoing evolution of LGBTQ+ representation in literature—a reminder that, even in the darkest imagined futures, queer voices remain central to the stories we tell about ourselves and our world.