Queen Bee

Colvin Stark only ventures out from the domed city of Vishwan because Joanie has left him. She's fled to Chorale, a settlement deep in the jungle of the colony planet Rhapsody, a world where native and Terran biochemistries clash and compete. Most Rhapsodian lifeforms are harmless; many induce hallucinations, euphoria or sheer, irreversible insanity; some are deadly. Stark must brave them all if he is to find Joanie, but worst of all he must confront his own destiny.

Traditional science fiction with a contemporary spin, "Queen Bee" showcases the short fiction talent of an author described by Locus as belonging in "the recognized front ranks of SF writers".