Phoning Faust

Gen Z LGBT+ Retelling of Goethe's Faust

by Sophie Mutiara Nova

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Pub Date Jun 02 2026 | Archive Date May 08 2026

ARC provided by NineStar Press

LGBTQIAP+ | New Adult | Romance

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Description

A devilishly Sapphic Gen Z take on GOETHE'S FAUST highlighting mental health, queer identity, & unrestricted internet access (WE'RE ALL GOING TO THE WORLD'S FAIR x EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM WILL SOMEDAY BE DEAD).

Queer mixed Indonesian college student Dian Faust attempts to call the suicide hotline only to dial the wrong number, her finger slipping and typing in six three times (the mark of the Devil). The mysterious voice on the other end of the line is revealed to be a charming scam caller named Memphis with a penchant for chattiness, trapped in a dingy bus stop bathroom, wanting to learn a concerning amount about the lonely Dian’s life.

The Devil themself has come to collect Dian’s soul, and “Memphis” is actually Mephistopheles—Hell’s foremost golden-tongued agent and notorious liar lurking in the pixels on Dian's screen.

In this Faustian bargain, will Dian save her soul before time runs out—or will she fall prey to the renowned storytelling deception of the infamous Mephistopheles?

A Note From the Publisher

SOPHIE MUTIARA NOVA (they/them) is a Queer, half-Indonesian, neurodivergent & immunocompromised Writer-Director and garden fairy goth. They’re the Writing Fellow of Lambda Literary and the ACEX TV Initiative. They’ve won the Launchpad Pilot Competition, ScreenCraft Horror Competition, and over eighty other awards. Their book PHONING FAUST features a tatted genderfluid demon & internet-addicted unreliable narrator. Haunting @thesophiewhit.

Advance Praise

"There is something fascinating about blending pop culture, religious trauma, and metaphysical philosophy into a singular story... enraptured to read in one sitting." (Mourning Star -- Author of Necromantic: True Love)

GOODREADS REVIEWS

"Phoning Faust feels like making a late-night call you instantly regret… except the voice on the other end already knows your secrets... A fresh, tech-twisted take on Faustian bargains."

"...kept me guessing until the end. And BOY what an ending it is."

"mental health and queer representation straight from the start. Devoured it in just one day...characters are so fascinatingly constructed. And the way everything turns on its head like 3/4 through??? Wow wow wow. Loved."

"The twist of what is and what isn't true kept me on my toes. I will be recommending this to my friends."

"This skilled story features the complex character of Mephistopheles (whom I adored as an intense teen), retold by Sophie Mutiara Nova within the veil of mental health, friendship, and attraction. It is really well written and manages to be dark as well as cute."

"...rollercoaster of emotions... with a twist at the end."

Available Editions

EDITION	Ebook
ISBN	9781648908927
PRICE	$4.99 (USD)
PAGES	219

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