Lyssa Strata by Martti Nelson

A small-town librarian finds her voice and kicks some misogynist butt in the process in Lyssa Strata, the debut comedy novel by Martti Nelson

Synopsis: Inspired by the classical Greek comedy, Lysistrata, librarian Lyssa Strata has long begged the Town Council of Athena, Massachusetts, to repeal its disgusting, old, misogynist, and racist laws, but the Council, an all-male entity for 400 years, has blown her off as a redheaded spinster—who, according to a 1673 law, should legally be run out of town at the end of a musket upon a poor fiscal year. When Lyssa seeks to invade the male bastion as the first woman ever on the Council, the men in charge treat her candidacy as a hilarious joke; that is, until Lyssa leads the women of the town on a sex strike.

Author bio: Martti Nelson's writing has appeared in The Belladonna, Weekly Humorist, Robot Butt, Daily Drunk Magazine, and Slackjaw. Lyssa Strata is her debut novel. Her second novel, Attack of the Rom-Com, will be available later this year.

Praise for Lyssa Strata

“A wickedly clever, sly take on the Greek classic that will have you rolling in the aisles of your own home as hard as the ancient Greeks rolled in the …aisles? Of their…. Ancient theaters??? Whatever, I didn’t read the original Aristophanes and neither did you. Save yourself the trouble and read this hilarious reimagination of it instead.”

--Emily Flake, Saint Nell's Proprietrix & Cartoonist, New Yorker

"If you've ever wondered what it would have been like if Terry Pratchett wrote The Handmaid's Tale, this is the book for you."

—Jenny Trout, USA Today and internationally bestselling author

“There's a lot to be frustrated about: the pink tax, politics, old white guys. Nelson deftly satirizes local politics and the patriarchy in Lyssa Strata. The ladies of Athena, Massachusetts may cherish a secret, but I don't—read this book.”

--Brooke Knisley, Your Local Redheaded Succubus. Oh, and Also Writer.

“Martti Nelson has created a character in Lyssa the librarian who anyone could love, admire, and relate to—one who has had enough of the BS and does something about it. This novel will make you feel alive, or at least awake.”

--Jessica Delfino, author of Amazon #1 bestseller “Dumb Jokes For Smart Folks”

"Nelson's deliciously laugh-out-loud funny spin on an ancient Greek tale shreds modern-day sexism with OG feminism."

--Marta Acosta, award-winning author of the Casa Dracula series

“Fans of Parks and Recreation, rejoice - there's a new Leslie Knope to be found in Martti Nelson's Lyssa Strata. Packed with callbacks to the Greek myth on which it's based, this book will make for a satisfying read for any woman who's mad at hell at the patriarchy and isn't going to take it anymore, but also wants a laugh a minute along the way.”

—Lana Schwartz, author of Build Your Own Romantic Comedy: Pick Your Plot, Meet Your Man, and Direct Your Happily Ever After

"Funny and rage-inducing is a tough balance but Martti Nelson has written a book that is equal parts laugh riot and just plain riot. I want to be Lyssa Strata's best friend!"

—Jen Mann, New York Times Bestselling Author of People I Want to Punch in the Throat 

 Books will begin shipping after May 1st.

Title: Lyssa Strata: A Comedy for the Frustrated

Author: Martti Nelson

ISBN: 978-1-954158-04-7 

Release date: 5/1/21

Genre: Fiction