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gay's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
11corvus11's review against another edition
4.0
I have to admit that Meanwhile Elsewhere and I got off to a rough start. I was very excited about reading this book as it's been on my to-read list since it came out. Perhaps my expectations were a bit high. One of the stories really let me down, but I am glad I didn't give up on it, because some of the stories are excellent.
The first story is erotica, which is not my bag, but the second story- Delicate Bodies by Bridget Liang- made me put the book down and ask if I wanted to read a collection edited by people that would include a story like this. It is a zombie story and a rape fantasy in which the protagonist- a trans woman who is obviously the author's zombie self- rapes and tortures cis men who have said mean things about her or refused to have sex with her because she is trans. I am not sure how much worse the mens offenses were because I quit after the second rape. Not only is rape and torture the punishment, the men are portrayed as deserving it and eventually liking the rapes. It is the epitome of rape culture, which we as trans people are not immune from promoting. This story makes that very clear. Did we really need a story portraying a trans woman as a sexual predator? The story itself doesn't even fit with the theme the editors claim they chose for the book and it is a horror story, not SF/F. I then saw a review or two in which some people claimed this was one of their favorite stories. I was disgusted by this as well. The author obviously being the rapist in the story is extra worrisome and fucked up. So, here I am, devoting a large chunk of my review to this one disgusting story that almost made me put the book down and wonder if it was included solely because the author had some sort of connection.
I eventually gave myself some space, calmed down, and decided to continue this highly anticipated read. The book does get infinitely better as it goes on. There are definitely not anymore rape fantasy horror stories. It's a mixed bag like any anthology, but many are well written and entertaining. Some of the stories seem all about being trans which was a little disappointing to me. I was hoping that a book like this would showcase more that we have talents outside of talking about transition. That said, in the afterword, the editors claim this was a conscious decision- to not choose stories that just happen to have trans characters, but to choose ones that center being trans. In other ways, stories that centered this imagined futures where transition related issues are thought of and orchestrated in different ways. This was definitely interesting. There is some real variation in topics across the stories. Like any collection, it's hit or miss, but the stories that I did like, I really liked, hence the higher rating.
The best stories in the book, according to my personal tastes, are:
(In order of appearance in the text)
"What Cheer" by RJ Edwards
"Rent, Don't Sell" by Calvin Gimpelevich
"Control Shift Down" by Paige Bryony
"After the Big One" by Cooper Lee Bombardier
"Cybervania" by Cybil Lamb
"Imago" by Tristan Alice Nieto
This does not mean all other stories were bad. These ones in particular, though, were the ones that led me to seek out the authors online and find out if they have written any books I could add to my list.
Overall, this is an important collection in that it showcases many talented trans writers who may otherwise go unnoticed. It contains one highly objectionable rapey trash story that I believe folks would do well to skip or at least go in heeding my warning. It contains a whole lot of stories that not only have good consent politics woven in, but good style and plot. I grabbed a copy of "I've Got a Time Bomb" by Sybil Lamb right after reading her story, I adored it so much. So, this is definitely worth a read as far as SF/F collections go. It's one of the better ones, and not just because it has trans people in it.
This review was also posted to my blog.
The first story is erotica, which is not my bag, but the second story- Delicate Bodies by Bridget Liang- made me put the book down and ask if I wanted to read a collection edited by people that would include a story like this. It is a zombie story and a rape fantasy in which the protagonist- a trans woman who is obviously the author's zombie self- rapes and tortures cis men who have said mean things about her or refused to have sex with her because she is trans. I am not sure how much worse the mens offenses were because I quit after the second rape. Not only is rape and torture the punishment, the men are portrayed as deserving it and eventually liking the rapes. It is the epitome of rape culture, which we as trans people are not immune from promoting. This story makes that very clear. Did we really need a story portraying a trans woman as a sexual predator? The story itself doesn't even fit with the theme the editors claim they chose for the book and it is a horror story, not SF/F. I then saw a review or two in which some people claimed this was one of their favorite stories. I was disgusted by this as well. The author obviously being the rapist in the story is extra worrisome and fucked up. So, here I am, devoting a large chunk of my review to this one disgusting story that almost made me put the book down and wonder if it was included solely because the author had some sort of connection.
I eventually gave myself some space, calmed down, and decided to continue this highly anticipated read. The book does get infinitely better as it goes on. There are definitely not anymore rape fantasy horror stories. It's a mixed bag like any anthology, but many are well written and entertaining. Some of the stories seem all about being trans which was a little disappointing to me. I was hoping that a book like this would showcase more that we have talents outside of talking about transition. That said, in the afterword, the editors claim this was a conscious decision- to not choose stories that just happen to have trans characters, but to choose ones that center being trans. In other ways, stories that centered this imagined futures where transition related issues are thought of and orchestrated in different ways. This was definitely interesting. There is some real variation in topics across the stories. Like any collection, it's hit or miss, but the stories that I did like, I really liked, hence the higher rating.
The best stories in the book, according to my personal tastes, are:
(In order of appearance in the text)
"What Cheer" by RJ Edwards
"Rent, Don't Sell" by Calvin Gimpelevich
"Control Shift Down" by Paige Bryony
"After the Big One" by Cooper Lee Bombardier
"Cybervania" by Cybil Lamb
"Imago" by Tristan Alice Nieto
This does not mean all other stories were bad. These ones in particular, though, were the ones that led me to seek out the authors online and find out if they have written any books I could add to my list.
Overall, this is an important collection in that it showcases many talented trans writers who may otherwise go unnoticed. It contains one highly objectionable rapey trash story that I believe folks would do well to skip or at least go in heeding my warning. It contains a whole lot of stories that not only have good consent politics woven in, but good style and plot. I grabbed a copy of "I've Got a Time Bomb" by Sybil Lamb right after reading her story, I adored it so much. So, this is definitely worth a read as far as SF/F collections go. It's one of the better ones, and not just because it has trans people in it.
This review was also posted to my blog.
olivercompton's review against another edition
4.0
Despite some stories in here that I really didn’t enjoy, some were pretty good and other were just fantastic. Favs include Imago, Rent, Don’t Sell, No Comment and Kid Ghost.
precise's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
5.0
I first read this collection in 2018 and came back to it in 2024. It's hit or miss but the parts that hit were really effective for me. I had never read anything like it in 2018, and since then much more trans speculative fiction has sprung up, which I'm glad about. I still highly recommend this collection, just skip to the next story if you hate the one you're on.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Transphobia
several stories grapple directly with transphobia, both tinternalized and external sourcesbunrab's review against another edition
3.0
Collection is worth it for "No Comment" by Ayse Devrim - this story could stand in any anthology without needing to be marketed specifically to readers with an interest in transgender issues. "God could not be reached for comment."
dee9401's review against another edition
5.0
A really good and important collection of SF stories. “Thieves and Lovers” by Emma Addams was hands down excellent, one of the best pieces in whole collection. I loved RJ Edwards “What Cheer”, a beautiful, sad, hopeful, deep and lingering story. The same goes for Tristan Alice Nieto’s “Imago”. In a word, wow. It was a fantastic, sad, and emotive story filled with beautiful prose. Other excellent pieces were Cooper Lee Bombardier’s “After The Big One”, Beckett K. Bauer’s “Notes From A Hunter Boy”, and Janey Lovebomb’s “Under The Rainbow”. “Themyscira”, by Colette Arrand, was amazing and accomplished so much in such a short number of pages.
Aisling & Ember Fae’s “Satan, Are You There? It’s Me, Laura” was a laugh out loud funny and enchanting! Go Lucy! While reading “Control Shift Down” by Paige Bryony, all I could think was “wow. It was dark but really good. Rachel K. Zall’s “Control” was good and Bridget Liang’s “Delicate Bodies” was a really interesting (and at times gross) story. I absolutely loved Morgan M. Page’s “Visions”, until the last sentence. I was like “WTF”. Still, great story, I just wanted it to end a little differently. Not her fault. Sadie Avery’s “Using A Treadmill, You Can Run Until Exhaustion Without Moving” was interesting. I was like meh at the start but near the end it got intriguing and I enjoyed it.
Some of the pieces and authors I’d encountered before. For example, I read Calvin Gimpelevich, “Rent, Don’t Sell” in his Invasion collection of short stories (2018) and really liked it. The one in this collection is an earlier version. It’s a little slower paced. I think I liked the editing he did for the newer version better. I much preferred Imogen Binnie’s novel Nevada to her short story here, “Gamers”. I really wanted to like this story and it was interesting. I wonder if I hadn’t read her novel if I’d have rated it higher as the writing is great. I have Jeanne Thornton’s “Summer Fun” in my to read queue, so I was excited to read her short story entry, “Angels Are Here To Help You”. The writing was great but story didn’t capture my imagination. Ryka Aoki, another author I’ve encountered before, wrote such a cute story called “The Gift”. If only it were that easy.
Some of the stories didn’t capture my interest but were well written and worth perusing. Nat Buchbinder’s “Kid Ghost” was really interesting, but I thought it needed more space to fulfill the story. I wonder if they will publish a longer version in the future? Dane Figueroa Edidi’s “Matchmaker” was a good story but fantasy isn’t my cup of tea.
A few others just didn’t work at all for me. But as a whole, this collection merits 5 stars and was time well spent … in its production and in my consumption.
Aisling & Ember Fae’s “Satan, Are You There? It’s Me, Laura” was a laugh out loud funny and enchanting! Go Lucy! While reading “Control Shift Down” by Paige Bryony, all I could think was “wow. It was dark but really good. Rachel K. Zall’s “Control” was good and Bridget Liang’s “Delicate Bodies” was a really interesting (and at times gross) story. I absolutely loved Morgan M. Page’s “Visions”, until the last sentence. I was like “WTF”. Still, great story, I just wanted it to end a little differently. Not her fault. Sadie Avery’s “Using A Treadmill, You Can Run Until Exhaustion Without Moving” was interesting. I was like meh at the start but near the end it got intriguing and I enjoyed it.
Some of the pieces and authors I’d encountered before. For example, I read Calvin Gimpelevich, “Rent, Don’t Sell” in his Invasion collection of short stories (2018) and really liked it. The one in this collection is an earlier version. It’s a little slower paced. I think I liked the editing he did for the newer version better. I much preferred Imogen Binnie’s novel Nevada to her short story here, “Gamers”. I really wanted to like this story and it was interesting. I wonder if I hadn’t read her novel if I’d have rated it higher as the writing is great. I have Jeanne Thornton’s “Summer Fun” in my to read queue, so I was excited to read her short story entry, “Angels Are Here To Help You”. The writing was great but story didn’t capture my imagination. Ryka Aoki, another author I’ve encountered before, wrote such a cute story called “The Gift”. If only it were that easy.
Some of the stories didn’t capture my interest but were well written and worth perusing. Nat Buchbinder’s “Kid Ghost” was really interesting, but I thought it needed more space to fulfill the story. I wonder if they will publish a longer version in the future? Dane Figueroa Edidi’s “Matchmaker” was a good story but fantasy isn’t my cup of tea.
A few others just didn’t work at all for me. But as a whole, this collection merits 5 stars and was time well spent … in its production and in my consumption.
maxlper's review against another edition
3.0
Lots of stories I loved in here, a few I didn't like and one I found deeply disturbing. Would recommend you skip Delicate Bodies by Bridget Liang.
I will come back and list all my favourite stories later.
I will come back and list all my favourite stories later.
digitaltilde's review against another edition
4.0
Even if you don't want to commit to the whole thing, there'll be a story or two in here for you. My favourite was "Rent, Don't Sell" by Calvin Gimpelevich, but "No Comment" by Ayse Devrim, "Thieves and Lovers" by Emma Addams, and "Imago" by Tristan Alice Nieto all deserve honourable mentions as well as your time.
lesbrary's review against another edition
4.0
As always in an anthology, some of these were bigger hits than others, but overall I really enjoyed these. Tons of sapphic stories, too! Some of the first stories were so fascinating, I could easily write essays about them.
The stories vary a lot. There are more sci fi stories than fantasy, and more trans women than nonbinary or trans men main characters. The plots vary from someone quietly ruminating in space about microaggressions to intense cyberpunk... cyber post-punk? In fact, quite a few of the stories have a punk undertone.
Definite trigger warnings for transphobia, transmisogyny, violence, gore, and rape. In fact, the one story I had a problem with is Delicate Bodies, in which the main character is a zombie who rapes and then kills her ex-boyfriends/crushes. I get the zombie revenge fantasy, but I was honestly getting nauseated reading about her brutally raping multiple people, and the text seems to suggest that they deserve it. They may have been jerks, but they didn't do anything comparable. That soured the collection for me.
The stories vary a lot. There are more sci fi stories than fantasy, and more trans women than nonbinary or trans men main characters. The plots vary from someone quietly ruminating in space about microaggressions to intense cyberpunk... cyber post-punk? In fact, quite a few of the stories have a punk undertone.
Definite trigger warnings for transphobia, transmisogyny, violence, gore, and rape. In fact, the one story I had a problem with is Delicate Bodies, in which the main character is a zombie who rapes and then kills her ex-boyfriends/crushes. I get the zombie revenge fantasy, but I was honestly getting nauseated reading about her brutally raping multiple people, and the text seems to suggest that they deserve it. They may have been jerks, but they didn't do anything comparable. That soured the collection for me.
mxsallybend's review against another edition
5.0
Meanwhile, Elsewhere: Science Fiction and Fantasy from Transgender Writers is, in a word, brilliant. You want other words? Okay, how about fantastic, original, engaging, wondrous, amusing, exciting, arousing, and intellectually stimulating. Fair enough, that last one was two words, but it needed to be said.
Multi-author anthologies are always a hit-or-miss proposition, even when built around a theme, but Cat Fitzpatrick & Casey Plett have done an astounding job here. Sure, there were a few stories that did not really resonate with me, but there were so many that had me committing the cardinal sins of dog-earing pages and highlighting passages that I can hardly complain.
Rather than run through the whole collection, I would like to do something different, and count down my fave fives in the collection . . . only, there is no way I can pick just five, so I guess we will have to settle for the more clichéd top ten.
10. Rent, Don't Sell by Calvin Gimplevich - This one starts out with the old staple of body-swapping, but puts some interesting twists on it. There is the typical joyriding by the rich, a creative means of personal training, and what seems to be a brilliant solution to gender dysphoria . . . but with a final emotional twist that I adored.
9. What Cheer by RJ Edwards - A weird bit of sci-fi, this one puts a more thoughtful, heartfelt spin on the idea of alien body snatchers. What would you do, if a perfect clone of yourself hatched before your eyes, and only had a few short days to experience humanity?
8. Control by Rachel K. Zall - On the surface, this is simply the story of an illicit affair between transgender lovers from different sides of the tracks, but the Orwellian influences give it a perfect edge that carries over into their frantic eroticism. It also had some of my favorite images and descriptions, including this gem:
Specks sparkled in the moonlight; they could have been tiny diamonds of miniature polished skulls. She fell through the glittering cloud and landed on top of him, grabbing his hair and smashing her lips into his. His little cock was hard between his thighs; her clit was tenting her skirt.
7. Gamers by Imogen Binnie - This one had a definite nostalgic element for me, and one that really just tickled my fancy. I have never really been a gamer, but I do have an old-school passion for Zelda, so Samara's story . . . well, it just made me smile.
6. Thieves and Lovers by Emma Addams - This is a story about role playing, costumes, identities, secrets, and more, but with a sci-fi twist. Imagine if you will a world of wearable holograms, one where themed genre bars exist. There is a lovely story here of attraction and seduction, contrasting dreams with reality, and it all just clicks.
5. The Gift by Ryka Aoki - This is probably the least progressive story in terms of technology, but the most progressive in terms of attitudes. It was a sweet, easy-going, uplifting story of coming out as transgender and being immediately loved and accepted. My heart still swells over this one.
4. Delicate Bodies by Bridget Liang - When being transgender is so often treated by like a disease, and when so much of society treats you as a monstrous freak, maybe becoming a sentient flesh-eating zombie isn't such a bad thing. This was a fantastic story, equal parts dark and quirky, with a truly brilliant final paragraph.
3. Themyscira by Colette Arrand - I think a big part of the appeal here was in how it subverted my expectations. Here we have an island of voluntary exiles, with one young woman feeling out of place due to being the only one with a penis - at least, until another transgender girl washes up on shore. This one pairs well with Delicate Bodies, looking at gender as a disease, and exploring how it infects those around us.
2. Matchmaker by Dane Figueroa Edidi - In terms of sheer story, this is far-and-away my favorite in the collection. This could have been a blockbuster sized epic novel, and I still would have wanted more. A magic-fueled urban fantasy, full of colorful characters, plot twists, and betrayals, it hinges on the simple idea that a transwoman could be close enough to the Goddess to be a witch, but it is so much more than that.
1. Satan, Are You There? It's Me, Laura by Aisling Fae - No other story in the collection amused me, delighted me, and entertained me quite like this. This is a gloriously blasphemous story about a girl who tried to summon Satan and got God in disguise, and who then goes on to play matchmaker for the star-crossed lovers. It is full of so many little moments, so many clever deconstructions of religion, but it all boils down to this:
"What do you think people would think, if they knew their terrible Devil was some tranny and their God a fag?"
Perhaps the best collection of transgender fiction I have ever had the pleasure of reading, Meanwhile, Elsewhere: Science Fiction and Fantasy from Transgender Writers has only one small flaw, and that is the absence of author biographies. Maybe they are just missing from the ARCs, and will show up in the finished product but, damn it, I want to know more about my sisters!
As reviewed by Sally at Bending the Bookshelf
Multi-author anthologies are always a hit-or-miss proposition, even when built around a theme, but Cat Fitzpatrick & Casey Plett have done an astounding job here. Sure, there were a few stories that did not really resonate with me, but there were so many that had me committing the cardinal sins of dog-earing pages and highlighting passages that I can hardly complain.
Rather than run through the whole collection, I would like to do something different, and count down my fave fives in the collection . . . only, there is no way I can pick just five, so I guess we will have to settle for the more clichéd top ten.
10. Rent, Don't Sell by Calvin Gimplevich - This one starts out with the old staple of body-swapping, but puts some interesting twists on it. There is the typical joyriding by the rich, a creative means of personal training, and what seems to be a brilliant solution to gender dysphoria . . . but with a final emotional twist that I adored.
9. What Cheer by RJ Edwards - A weird bit of sci-fi, this one puts a more thoughtful, heartfelt spin on the idea of alien body snatchers. What would you do, if a perfect clone of yourself hatched before your eyes, and only had a few short days to experience humanity?
8. Control by Rachel K. Zall - On the surface, this is simply the story of an illicit affair between transgender lovers from different sides of the tracks, but the Orwellian influences give it a perfect edge that carries over into their frantic eroticism. It also had some of my favorite images and descriptions, including this gem:
Specks sparkled in the moonlight; they could have been tiny diamonds of miniature polished skulls. She fell through the glittering cloud and landed on top of him, grabbing his hair and smashing her lips into his. His little cock was hard between his thighs; her clit was tenting her skirt.
7. Gamers by Imogen Binnie - This one had a definite nostalgic element for me, and one that really just tickled my fancy. I have never really been a gamer, but I do have an old-school passion for Zelda, so Samara's story . . . well, it just made me smile.
6. Thieves and Lovers by Emma Addams - This is a story about role playing, costumes, identities, secrets, and more, but with a sci-fi twist. Imagine if you will a world of wearable holograms, one where themed genre bars exist. There is a lovely story here of attraction and seduction, contrasting dreams with reality, and it all just clicks.
5. The Gift by Ryka Aoki - This is probably the least progressive story in terms of technology, but the most progressive in terms of attitudes. It was a sweet, easy-going, uplifting story of coming out as transgender and being immediately loved and accepted. My heart still swells over this one.
4. Delicate Bodies by Bridget Liang - When being transgender is so often treated by like a disease, and when so much of society treats you as a monstrous freak, maybe becoming a sentient flesh-eating zombie isn't such a bad thing. This was a fantastic story, equal parts dark and quirky, with a truly brilliant final paragraph.
3. Themyscira by Colette Arrand - I think a big part of the appeal here was in how it subverted my expectations. Here we have an island of voluntary exiles, with one young woman feeling out of place due to being the only one with a penis - at least, until another transgender girl washes up on shore. This one pairs well with Delicate Bodies, looking at gender as a disease, and exploring how it infects those around us.
2. Matchmaker by Dane Figueroa Edidi - In terms of sheer story, this is far-and-away my favorite in the collection. This could have been a blockbuster sized epic novel, and I still would have wanted more. A magic-fueled urban fantasy, full of colorful characters, plot twists, and betrayals, it hinges on the simple idea that a transwoman could be close enough to the Goddess to be a witch, but it is so much more than that.
1. Satan, Are You There? It's Me, Laura by Aisling Fae - No other story in the collection amused me, delighted me, and entertained me quite like this. This is a gloriously blasphemous story about a girl who tried to summon Satan and got God in disguise, and who then goes on to play matchmaker for the star-crossed lovers. It is full of so many little moments, so many clever deconstructions of religion, but it all boils down to this:
"What do you think people would think, if they knew their terrible Devil was some tranny and their God a fag?"
Perhaps the best collection of transgender fiction I have ever had the pleasure of reading, Meanwhile, Elsewhere: Science Fiction and Fantasy from Transgender Writers has only one small flaw, and that is the absence of author biographies. Maybe they are just missing from the ARCs, and will show up in the finished product but, damn it, I want to know more about my sisters!
As reviewed by Sally at Bending the Bookshelf