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skycrane's review against another edition
5.0
Just read "Helicopter Story" for the first time. Holy shit is that a brutal read. It's beautiful and devastating. But I guess because of all the bullshit reactions I'll probably never get to read anything else by this author. What happened here was a tragedy, not just on a personal level, but on an artistic one.
drmaernardi's review against another edition
3.0
I liked everything about this save for the writing itself. Great idea (almost sounds like a dare prompt), theme exploration and sci-fi concepts (the pear AI was amazing). I definitely hope the author decides to publish some more.
samjunipero's review against another edition
4.0
We are propelled by disaster. We are moving swiftly.
Beautiful and visceral and fantastic! I love when science fiction causes me to think about things in our own world differently.
Beautiful and visceral and fantastic! I love when science fiction causes me to think about things in our own world differently.
wanderlustlover's review against another edition
5.0
Spring 2021 (April);
Another incredibly well-written, creepy, and sudden twist ending. I was so involved with this one. It was cat-and-mouse, guilt-leads-to-diaster, leads to even harder choices, thriller the whole way. I've loved Kritzter since I was a young wee thing, but this just exploded my love for her a million times wider. Both of her stories in the Hugo's this year were entirely different, but both were amazingly good.
Merged review:
Summer 2021 (June);
2021 Hugo Nominee
This is one of those stories with such an epic and histories background to how it hit the masses and caused a cannonball reaction through everything. While I feel it got a little overhyped due to that, I actually really liked all these different risky moves she took with it. I love all the commentary on gender, and what it is-isn't-might be throughout this story being the whole point of it.
Another incredibly well-written, creepy, and sudden twist ending. I was so involved with this one. It was cat-and-mouse, guilt-leads-to-diaster, leads to even harder choices, thriller the whole way. I've loved Kritzter since I was a young wee thing, but this just exploded my love for her a million times wider. Both of her stories in the Hugo's this year were entirely different, but both were amazingly good.
Merged review:
Summer 2021 (June);
2021 Hugo Nominee
This is one of those stories with such an epic and histories background to how it hit the masses and caused a cannonball reaction through everything. While I feel it got a little overhyped due to that, I actually really liked all these different risky moves she took with it. I love all the commentary on gender, and what it is-isn't-might be throughout this story being the whole point of it.
chirson's review against another edition
4.0
Read: Helicopter Story (so smart and original) and Monster (very effective, great use of interwoven chronology, thought-provoking).
clara_de_limon's review against another edition
5.0
Familia, hoxe toca clase de historia.
Clarkesworld é unha revista destas de relatos cortos de ciencia ficción: autores de todos os niveis e famas envían as súas historias á publicación, estes colaboran un pouco coa edición, e as publican na súa web, unha ferramenta marabillosa para escritores empezando a súa carreira. En xaneiro de 2020, Isabel Fall foi unha destas autoras en comezo. A súa historia titulouse "I Sexually Identify As An Attack Helicopter". O internet explotou.
O título fai referencia a un famoso meme reaccionario que se mofa das identidades non binarias, e en xeral das persoas transxénero, coa parodia de que transicionar a ser un helicóptero de combate é tan ridículo como querer cambiar de pronomes e tomar hormonas. 4chan en concreto fíxose moi famoso por utilizar estas bromas en "trollear" xente, facendo campañas ficticias de promoción da identidade helicopteril, irrumpindo eventos lgtbq lexítimos coas súas merdas, e en xeral levando a súa bilisb alá onde foran.
Trala publicación do relato, numerosos lectores da revista pensaron que este podía ser outro troll que esquivara o proceso de moderación, e reclamaron. Non só iso, senón que numerosos autores de moita sona enteráronse do tema e protestaron, entre eles N.K. Jemisin, autora da serie The Broken Earth, Arinn Dembo, autora prolífica no mundo da ciencia ficción, pero destaca a súa novela The Deacon's Tame, e mais Neon Yang, autore da serie de novelas sci fi Tensorate e persoa non binaria. Acusaron o texto de insultante á experiencia trans, dañino na súa representación do que é a disforia de xénero e a transición, e de que só un home cis podería ter escrito tal cousa. Houbo numerosos intentos de desenmascarar a identidade real tralo pseudónimo, e de que Clarkesworld respondise ás acusacións e dese á identidade do/dos autor/es. Debido ao estrondo que esta situación xerou, o relato acabou por ser retirado da revista, e agora só é accesible por medio de versións arquivadas na nube.
Pero Isabel Fall non era un troll. Isabel Fall era unha muller trans, que acababa de publicar a súa primeira historia como tal. Foi ela a que lle pediu retirar o relato a Neil Clark, o manager da revista, por medo pola súa vida. Unha autora explorando a súa identidade cun relato subersivo, e Twitter comeuna.
I Sexually Identify As An Attack Helicopter conta a historia de Barb, nacida muller, pero transicionada a helicóptero de combate, que loita para o exército americano nun cercano futuro posapocaliptico. Barb reflexiona sobre a sexualidade, a imposición social do xénero, a internalidade do mesmo, e incluso da industria militar americana e da súa capacidade para adaptar todo o que poda para os seus fins armamentísticos, incluida a experiencia interna humana. Todo isto ven comunicado cunha prosa maxistral, as descripcións de ter un corpo feito de aceiro e cables, as conversas co seu piloto Alexis, o monólogo interno coas súas opinións difíciles de mastigar... A historia é cortísima e impactoume máis ca todos os libros que lin ata agora. Literal non é máis de media hora, e é facilísima de atopar. Lédea porfaplis, non perdedes nada!!
"Helicopter Story", o novo título que recibiu o relato pouco despois do incidente, foi en 2021 finalista aos premios Hugo ao Mellor Relato. A avalancha de críticas, por sorte, trouxo atención á calidade que había detrás, e a opinión actual é totalmente positiva. Algúns autores de renome a apoiaron dende o principio, coma Carmen Maria Machado, ou Chuck Tingle, pola transgresividade do seu contido, e a orixinalidade en convertir un meme tan tóxico nunha obra tan incisiva e persoal. Tamén gran parte das críticas orixinales disculpáronse: Yang pediu perdón pola reacción desmedida, e admitiu que o non saber quen era Isabel Fall creou un aura de desconfianza, con xente que nin chegara a ler o relato sumándose á oposición. Incidentemente, Jemisin non lera o relato, e pediu disculpas, aínda que non foron moi alá. Dembo foi aínda peor nisto, pois según ela o problema foi que Clarkesworld non tera publicado explícitamente a identidade de Isabel e as súas intencións coa historia, e que a retirada do relato da web "aforroulle unha posible angustia mental a moitas persoas". (Vou parar aquí un intre, que dereito ten ninguén de esixirlle a un artista que faga un comunicado coa súa historia persoal e o mensaxe que pretendía comunicar coa súa obra para determinar se é válida ou moral?? Dádevos conta do ridículo que iso é??? E como estes estándares multiplícanse por mil cando se aplican a calqueira minoría???? Perdón pola interrupción).
Houbo máis disculpas, e máis críticas positivas recoñecendo a brillantez do relato, e ata atraeu a novos lectores coma min, que o lin 3 anos despois da súa publicación. Pero iso non importa xa. Despois de todo o acoso que sufriu, das críticas dicindo que "só un home podería escribir así", e demais barbaridades infundadas, Isabel Fall renunciou á súa carreira como autora. Os bosquexos de novas historias na mesma liña, á basura. E o máis importante: renunciou ao seu nome, e á súa transición. A resposta ao primeiro paso que deu foi tan hostil que decidio abandoar todo desexo de ser trans. E como muller trans que son, non podo facer énfase do duro que é que acabase nese punto. Hai un lema na comunidade que di "transición ou morte". Porque si, renunciar á túa identidade síntese igual que renunciar á túa vida, non, é o mesmo. Á persoa detrás do pseudónimo deséxolle o mellor, unha vida tranquila e próspera, e que incluso retome a lectura, pero por ela e non por nós o público; pero Isabel Fall está morta, e o Internet a matou. E a matou por non rixirse as estrictas regras do que é apropiado. A matou por falar de temas complicados. A matou por osar subvertir as normas.
Sei que isto foi un tochaco, e probablemente ninguén de vós o lérades, porque pa qué, sempre escribo moito e nunca digo nada de interese, pero se chegastes ata aquí, quero que te lembres sempre de Isabel, das súas historias, a que escribiu e a que viviu, e que penses nela cada vez que os fachas falan de "cultura da cancelación" cando non poden falar da cuestión xudea en telecinco. Cada vez que une moze de 17 anos critica unha serie por ter escenas de sexo innecesarias. Cada vez que unha persoa queer da o paso e revela a súa identidade nun grupo de amigos, ou coa súa familia. Que isto nunca volva a suceder
Clarkesworld é unha revista destas de relatos cortos de ciencia ficción: autores de todos os niveis e famas envían as súas historias á publicación, estes colaboran un pouco coa edición, e as publican na súa web, unha ferramenta marabillosa para escritores empezando a súa carreira. En xaneiro de 2020, Isabel Fall foi unha destas autoras en comezo. A súa historia titulouse "I Sexually Identify As An Attack Helicopter". O internet explotou.
O título fai referencia a un famoso meme reaccionario que se mofa das identidades non binarias, e en xeral das persoas transxénero, coa parodia de que transicionar a ser un helicóptero de combate é tan ridículo como querer cambiar de pronomes e tomar hormonas. 4chan en concreto fíxose moi famoso por utilizar estas bromas en "trollear" xente, facendo campañas ficticias de promoción da identidade helicopteril, irrumpindo eventos lgtbq lexítimos coas súas merdas, e en xeral levando a súa bilisb alá onde foran.
Trala publicación do relato, numerosos lectores da revista pensaron que este podía ser outro troll que esquivara o proceso de moderación, e reclamaron. Non só iso, senón que numerosos autores de moita sona enteráronse do tema e protestaron, entre eles N.K. Jemisin, autora da serie The Broken Earth, Arinn Dembo, autora prolífica no mundo da ciencia ficción, pero destaca a súa novela The Deacon's Tame, e mais Neon Yang, autore da serie de novelas sci fi Tensorate e persoa non binaria. Acusaron o texto de insultante á experiencia trans, dañino na súa representación do que é a disforia de xénero e a transición, e de que só un home cis podería ter escrito tal cousa. Houbo numerosos intentos de desenmascarar a identidade real tralo pseudónimo, e de que Clarkesworld respondise ás acusacións e dese á identidade do/dos autor/es. Debido ao estrondo que esta situación xerou, o relato acabou por ser retirado da revista, e agora só é accesible por medio de versións arquivadas na nube.
Pero Isabel Fall non era un troll. Isabel Fall era unha muller trans, que acababa de publicar a súa primeira historia como tal. Foi ela a que lle pediu retirar o relato a Neil Clark, o manager da revista, por medo pola súa vida. Unha autora explorando a súa identidade cun relato subersivo, e Twitter comeuna.
I Sexually Identify As An Attack Helicopter conta a historia de Barb, nacida muller, pero transicionada a helicóptero de combate, que loita para o exército americano nun cercano futuro posapocaliptico. Barb reflexiona sobre a sexualidade, a imposición social do xénero, a internalidade do mesmo, e incluso da industria militar americana e da súa capacidade para adaptar todo o que poda para os seus fins armamentísticos, incluida a experiencia interna humana. Todo isto ven comunicado cunha prosa maxistral, as descripcións de ter un corpo feito de aceiro e cables, as conversas co seu piloto Alexis, o monólogo interno coas súas opinións difíciles de mastigar... A historia é cortísima e impactoume máis ca todos os libros que lin ata agora. Literal non é máis de media hora, e é facilísima de atopar. Lédea porfaplis, non perdedes nada!!
"Helicopter Story", o novo título que recibiu o relato pouco despois do incidente, foi en 2021 finalista aos premios Hugo ao Mellor Relato. A avalancha de críticas, por sorte, trouxo atención á calidade que había detrás, e a opinión actual é totalmente positiva. Algúns autores de renome a apoiaron dende o principio, coma Carmen Maria Machado, ou Chuck Tingle, pola transgresividade do seu contido, e a orixinalidade en convertir un meme tan tóxico nunha obra tan incisiva e persoal. Tamén gran parte das críticas orixinales disculpáronse: Yang pediu perdón pola reacción desmedida, e admitiu que o non saber quen era Isabel Fall creou un aura de desconfianza, con xente que nin chegara a ler o relato sumándose á oposición. Incidentemente, Jemisin non lera o relato, e pediu disculpas, aínda que non foron moi alá. Dembo foi aínda peor nisto, pois según ela o problema foi que Clarkesworld non tera publicado explícitamente a identidade de Isabel e as súas intencións coa historia, e que a retirada do relato da web "aforroulle unha posible angustia mental a moitas persoas". (Vou parar aquí un intre, que dereito ten ninguén de esixirlle a un artista que faga un comunicado coa súa historia persoal e o mensaxe que pretendía comunicar coa súa obra para determinar se é válida ou moral?? Dádevos conta do ridículo que iso é??? E como estes estándares multiplícanse por mil cando se aplican a calqueira minoría???? Perdón pola interrupción).
Houbo máis disculpas, e máis críticas positivas recoñecendo a brillantez do relato, e ata atraeu a novos lectores coma min, que o lin 3 anos despois da súa publicación. Pero iso non importa xa. Despois de todo o acoso que sufriu, das críticas dicindo que "só un home podería escribir así", e demais barbaridades infundadas, Isabel Fall renunciou á súa carreira como autora. Os bosquexos de novas historias na mesma liña, á basura. E o máis importante: renunciou ao seu nome, e á súa transición. A resposta ao primeiro paso que deu foi tan hostil que decidio abandoar todo desexo de ser trans. E como muller trans que son, non podo facer énfase do duro que é que acabase nese punto. Hai un lema na comunidade que di "transición ou morte". Porque si, renunciar á túa identidade síntese igual que renunciar á túa vida, non, é o mesmo. Á persoa detrás do pseudónimo deséxolle o mellor, unha vida tranquila e próspera, e que incluso retome a lectura, pero por ela e non por nós o público; pero Isabel Fall está morta, e o Internet a matou. E a matou por non rixirse as estrictas regras do que é apropiado. A matou por falar de temas complicados. A matou por osar subvertir as normas.
Sei que isto foi un tochaco, e probablemente ninguén de vós o lérades, porque pa qué, sempre escribo moito e nunca digo nada de interese, pero se chegastes ata aquí, quero que te lembres sempre de Isabel, das súas historias, a que escribiu e a que viviu, e que penses nela cada vez que os fachas falan de "cultura da cancelación" cando non poden falar da cuestión xudea en telecinco. Cada vez que une moze de 17 anos critica unha serie por ter escenas de sexo innecesarias. Cada vez que unha persoa queer da o paso e revela a súa identidade nun grupo de amigos, ou coa súa familia. Que isto nunca volva a suceder
ratgrrrl's review against another edition
5.0
Note: I use neutral they/ them pronouns when referring to Isabel Fall in this review as I am unsure of those they use.
I finally read I sexually identify as an Attack Helicopter by Isabel Fall. It was unfortunately removed from this issue of Clarkesworld after an internet shit storm, but searching for it online you can find both the text and the original Clarkesworld podcast reading by Kate Baker, which is hosted on archive.org.
I'm not going to talk about the controversy too much, other than to say as Genderqueer Transfemme Bisexual Panromantic Lesbian, I am burdened with the knowledge that some of the people who hate and hurt us [LGBTQIA+/ GSRM folx] the most tragically are us, and that I genuinely cannot understand how anyone who actually read the story in their darkest imagination could ever truly perceive it as anything but genuine and respectful. I truly sympathise with anyone who was negatively effected by reading the title or the story itself (I am certain most reactions were simply due to the title). Dysphoria, internalised transphobia, and the stresses of living in an increasingly hostile world during a trans genocide are things I personally struggle with and wouldn't wish on anyone. However, the do not excuse anyone from dogpiling, harassing, and forcing a trans person to have their story taken down, out themselves, and disappear due to the sheer volume of hate and threatened violence.
So often when one waits so long to finally get their hands on something it cannot help but disappoint. I Sexually Identify as an Attack Helicopter confounded this and blew away any expectations I might have had. While I have a propensity for being hyperbolic, I am stone cold sober when I say this is one of the single most unique and brilliant works of science fiction ever created. As a study and extrapolation on gender and the commodification and weaponisation of every aspect of the human experience, particularly the dehumanisation and exploitation of marginalised people and everything we have painstakingly fought for and built, including the minutia of our identities. This should be discussed in the same breath as any of the speculative science fiction luminaries like Phillip K. Dick, Octavia Butler, and Urusla K. le Guin, especially in discussion of gender, as with Le Guin's seminal The Left Hand of Darkness.
I Sexually Identify as an Attack Helicopter is many things. At once, a reclamation of the semiotics of hate speech that are an empowering legacy of our communities from the pink triangles of Nazi concentration camps to terms like Queer and dyke. In this it is taking the bigoted 'One Joke' of transphobes that incorrectly asserts that being trans is simply making a decision on your identity and announcing it, exemplified by the only more hilarious with every repetition, "I identify as an attack helicopter", and actually taking a serious look at how this could be a gender identity. Quite frankly, gender contains infinitely more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in the ignorant person's philosophy, and with xenogenders we are seeing people who experience and express their gender in innumerable ways that may be difficult for many to comprehend without an open mind and a little work, but most importantly allow people to better understand themselves.
We also see the POV character's relationship with themself and their gender now and before, and the circumstances that have influenced their identity. The way in which Fall translates emotion and sensation through aspects of an attack helicopter are not just beautifully illustrative, they are written with glorious evocative language that makes the esoteric absurdity wholly parsable. It is in this the sincerity and care is so explicit with a clear understanding and experience in the exploration and discussion of the facets of gender and individual experience.
It is a fascinating view on a unique relationship two people have with themselves, each other, their roles in the military, and the tools they operate. This complex and heartfelt relationship is both professional, personal, and facing potential upheaval with the different ways they relate to the horrific work they do, their rationales, and consciences.
It is also a wry, prescient look at the way the military uses previously 'unacceptable' identities and intersections of marginalisation as tools for recruitment and in aspects of propaganda and the sanitised image of the armed forces, as well as just being an incredibly well written sci-fi short story.
I absolutely adored finally reading/ hearing it and I am only more confused and miserable about the reaction this story and its author garnered. This truly is something special and the trauma suffered and phenomenal voice lost are victims of ignorance and hate that still infects out own communities. Just as those who don't and/ or refuse to comprehend our Queer and transness, everyone would do well to understand that one's own negative feelings, being upset or triggered, and/ or taking offence to something that doesn't contain harm, do not equate to something being bad and hateful. A subjective disagreement on taste and enjoyment should never lead to torch wielding and harassment (to be clear, call out bigots and explain the harm/ perception of harm in things, but don't reach right got the pitchforks without doing some critical thinking).
Wherever Isabel Fall is now, I wish them the very best, express my most sincere sympathise for everything they experienced, and wholeheartedly thank them for penning one of the most beautiful, thoughtful, and unique short stories every conceived. I truly believe this will become a fundamental text in gender studies, as the abuse that followed the publishing of it should be a stark reminder of mob mentality and the propensity for ignorance and harm is not something our own communities are free from.
I finally read I sexually identify as an Attack Helicopter by Isabel Fall. It was unfortunately removed from this issue of Clarkesworld after an internet shit storm, but searching for it online you can find both the text and the original Clarkesworld podcast reading by Kate Baker, which is hosted on archive.org.
I'm not going to talk about the controversy too much, other than to say as Genderqueer Transfemme Bisexual Panromantic Lesbian, I am burdened with the knowledge that some of the people who hate and hurt us [LGBTQIA+/ GSRM folx] the most tragically are us, and that I genuinely cannot understand how anyone who actually read the story in their darkest imagination could ever truly perceive it as anything but genuine and respectful. I truly sympathise with anyone who was negatively effected by reading the title or the story itself (I am certain most reactions were simply due to the title). Dysphoria, internalised transphobia, and the stresses of living in an increasingly hostile world during a trans genocide are things I personally struggle with and wouldn't wish on anyone. However, the do not excuse anyone from dogpiling, harassing, and forcing a trans person to have their story taken down, out themselves, and disappear due to the sheer volume of hate and threatened violence.
So often when one waits so long to finally get their hands on something it cannot help but disappoint. I Sexually Identify as an Attack Helicopter confounded this and blew away any expectations I might have had. While I have a propensity for being hyperbolic, I am stone cold sober when I say this is one of the single most unique and brilliant works of science fiction ever created. As a study and extrapolation on gender and the commodification and weaponisation of every aspect of the human experience, particularly the dehumanisation and exploitation of marginalised people and everything we have painstakingly fought for and built, including the minutia of our identities. This should be discussed in the same breath as any of the speculative science fiction luminaries like Phillip K. Dick, Octavia Butler, and Urusla K. le Guin, especially in discussion of gender, as with Le Guin's seminal The Left Hand of Darkness.
I Sexually Identify as an Attack Helicopter is many things. At once, a reclamation of the semiotics of hate speech that are an empowering legacy of our communities from the pink triangles of Nazi concentration camps to terms like Queer and dyke. In this it is taking the bigoted 'One Joke' of transphobes that incorrectly asserts that being trans is simply making a decision on your identity and announcing it, exemplified by the only more hilarious with every repetition, "I identify as an attack helicopter", and actually taking a serious look at how this could be a gender identity. Quite frankly, gender contains infinitely more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in the ignorant person's philosophy, and with xenogenders we are seeing people who experience and express their gender in innumerable ways that may be difficult for many to comprehend without an open mind and a little work, but most importantly allow people to better understand themselves.
We also see the POV character's relationship with themself and their gender now and before, and the circumstances that have influenced their identity. The way in which Fall translates emotion and sensation through aspects of an attack helicopter are not just beautifully illustrative, they are written with glorious evocative language that makes the esoteric absurdity wholly parsable. It is in this the sincerity and care is so explicit with a clear understanding and experience in the exploration and discussion of the facets of gender and individual experience.
It is a fascinating view on a unique relationship two people have with themselves, each other, their roles in the military, and the tools they operate. This complex and heartfelt relationship is both professional, personal, and facing potential upheaval with the different ways they relate to the horrific work they do, their rationales, and consciences.
It is also a wry, prescient look at the way the military uses previously 'unacceptable' identities and intersections of marginalisation as tools for recruitment and in aspects of propaganda and the sanitised image of the armed forces, as well as just being an incredibly well written sci-fi short story.
I absolutely adored finally reading/ hearing it and I am only more confused and miserable about the reaction this story and its author garnered. This truly is something special and the trauma suffered and phenomenal voice lost are victims of ignorance and hate that still infects out own communities. Just as those who don't and/ or refuse to comprehend our Queer and transness, everyone would do well to understand that one's own negative feelings, being upset or triggered, and/ or taking offence to something that doesn't contain harm, do not equate to something being bad and hateful. A subjective disagreement on taste and enjoyment should never lead to torch wielding and harassment (to be clear, call out bigots and explain the harm/ perception of harm in things, but don't reach right got the pitchforks without doing some critical thinking).
Wherever Isabel Fall is now, I wish them the very best, express my most sincere sympathise for everything they experienced, and wholeheartedly thank them for penning one of the most beautiful, thoughtful, and unique short stories every conceived. I truly believe this will become a fundamental text in gender studies, as the abuse that followed the publishing of it should be a stark reminder of mob mentality and the propensity for ignorance and harm is not something our own communities are free from.
dlsmall's review against another edition
4.0
Not quite my demo, but it’s a shame that the folks who cancelled Isabel and her work didn’t read it first and see that she wrote it for them.
alexriina's review against another edition
4.0
I think the creepiness of this is very well done and loved how clear the characters are in such a short space. The thing that didn't work for me though was the science fiction aspect which was a bit jarring when introduced.
par3's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 Stars. This review is for the novelette, I Sexually Identify as an Attack Helicopter by Isabel Fall:
It’s really quite good and makes you think. Just not a very appealing genre to me. I can see the award nomination for sure. I cannot see what everyone complained about… Conor Oberst said it best.. “I do not read the reviews. No, I am not singing for you.”
Read: 11/6/21-11/7/21
It’s really quite good and makes you think. Just not a very appealing genre to me. I can see the award nomination for sure. I cannot see what everyone complained about… Conor Oberst said it best.. “I do not read the reviews. No, I am not singing for you.”
Read: 11/6/21-11/7/21