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cameron778's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
4.5
Spooky trans vampire archivist queer romance mystery written by a trans archivist! With niche archives references! Probably not for everyone but definitely exactly for this trans archivist :D
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Transphobia, Medical content, and Blood
uranaishi's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Chronic illness, Confinement, Dysphoria, Transphobia, Medical content, Outing, and Sexual content
Moderate: Body horror, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Deadnaming, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Hate crime, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Alcohol and Car accident
rorikae's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
'Dead Collections' by Isaac Fellman is a relatively slow and contemplative novel about death, life, identity, and belonging.
The story centers on Sol, an archivist who also happens to be a vampire. Since he can't go out in the sun, he lives and works in the basement archives of his job. When a woman donates the collection of her recently deceased wife, who just so happens to also be the writer of one of Sol's favorite sci-fi television series, the two hit it off and begin a slow but caring relationship. But Sol's collections appear to be decaying faster than they should be and Sol has to determine what is happening while also considering his own role as an archivist and a vampire.
There are so many things that I really liked about Dead Collections. I do think it is important going in to know that this story is much slower and more contemplative than the jacket copy suggests. It is much more Sol's musing on being an archivist, Sol's life as a trans man who is also a vampire, and exploring identity. The first half in particular is quite slow and I found that there wasn't any great stakes or intense plot moments. There is a light mystery, some romance, and many deep questions considered.
There are great discussions on identity between Sol and Elsie, who is considering her own gender and identity. There are also great discussions on archives and the work of an archivist. As someone who is fascinated by archives, I found this interesting but it may be a bit boring for someone who has less interest in it.
One of my favorite aspects of the book is the way the story is told. Most of the story is told through prose but there are also letter and email correspondences, forum discussions, and text messages included as well. This was a great compliment to the discussions of archives and the different pieces that Sol is sorting, which are also highlighted in spots throughout the narrative.
I did find myself highlighting quite a few quotes as Fellman does so much great work with his characters on identity, archives, and belonging. Utilizing Sol's vampirism, Fellman is able to dive further into these themes.
Even though I don't think that this book is for everyone, I do think that it will find a number of people who will love it fiercely. If you are interested in slow, contemplative novels that focus more on the characters and their discussions, like the idea of different formats used throughout the book, and have an interest in archives, I would recommend picking up 'Dead Collections.'
The story centers on Sol, an archivist who also happens to be a vampire. Since he can't go out in the sun, he lives and works in the basement archives of his job. When a woman donates the collection of her recently deceased wife, who just so happens to also be the writer of one of Sol's favorite sci-fi television series, the two hit it off and begin a slow but caring relationship. But Sol's collections appear to be decaying faster than they should be and Sol has to determine what is happening while also considering his own role as an archivist and a vampire.
There are so many things that I really liked about Dead Collections. I do think it is important going in to know that this story is much slower and more contemplative than the jacket copy suggests. It is much more Sol's musing on being an archivist, Sol's life as a trans man who is also a vampire, and exploring identity. The first half in particular is quite slow and I found that there wasn't any great stakes or intense plot moments. There is a light mystery, some romance, and many deep questions considered.
There are great discussions on identity between Sol and Elsie, who is considering her own gender and identity. There are also great discussions on archives and the work of an archivist. As someone who is fascinated by archives, I found this interesting but it may be a bit boring for someone who has less interest in it.
One of my favorite aspects of the book is the way the story is told. Most of the story is told through prose but there are also letter and email correspondences, forum discussions, and text messages included as well. This was a great compliment to the discussions of archives and the different pieces that Sol is sorting, which are also highlighted in spots throughout the narrative.
I did find myself highlighting quite a few quotes as Fellman does so much great work with his characters on identity, archives, and belonging. Utilizing Sol's vampirism, Fellman is able to dive further into these themes.
Even though I don't think that this book is for everyone, I do think that it will find a number of people who will love it fiercely. If you are interested in slow, contemplative novels that focus more on the characters and their discussions, like the idea of different formats used throughout the book, and have an interest in archives, I would recommend picking up 'Dead Collections.'
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Blood, and Grief
Moderate: Sexual content and Transphobia
Minor: Infidelity and Medical content
lipstickitotheman's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Genuine addition to the vampire canon. I really really liked reading this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Sexual content, Medical trauma, Dysphoria, Hate crime, Suicidal thoughts, and Transphobia
Moderate: Deadnaming, Homophobia, Outing, Car accident, Blood, and Infidelity
toopunkrockforshul's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
As a vampire fan I loved it, the lore was really interesting, and as an archivist I loved it, it was like a love letter to the job. And as a transmasc Jew in fandom I loved it because it felt like being seen.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Outing, Deadnaming, Car accident, Body horror, Blood, Death, Transphobia, Medical content, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Sexual content, and Confinement
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Incest
booksthatburn's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
DEAD COLLECTIONS is an exploration of memories and identity via a Jewish trans vampire living in his office as an archivist, falling in love with a widow who drops off a collection for the archive.
I love this book. The explorations of gender and identity follow a general template that feels meant to open the door for the reader to ask themselves questions, while also being deeply specific to the characters (a trans man who’s also Jewish and a vampire, a person who begins the story identifying as a bisexual woman) and the setting (USA, circa 2018). The romance is intimate and erotic, with an intensity which comes from two people exploring themselves as much as they're getting closer to each other.
This feels so wonderfully believable and specific in every little detail, from the attempt at safety which led to Sol living at work, to the messiness of Elsie exploring new love as she deals with the stuff left behind after her wife’s passing. Sol and Else talking, laughing, and fucking, with the background issue of Sol dealing with things at work.
The worldbuilding is subtle and minimalistic, basically modern times but where vampires exist and are known to medical science. It grounds itself in a time and a place (but with vampires) and then doesn't try to explain what the place means, but lets itself just exist.
The audiobook narrator is great. There’s a bit a little past halfway through involving several people’s emails back and forth, and it’s a pretty serious moment, but there’s a memetic quality to the way the narrator reads it. If you like audiobooks then definitely give this one a shot, as their performance works so well with the story and the characters.
I love this so much, it's a fantastic premise, well executed, and the whole thing is just so perfect.
I love this book. The explorations of gender and identity follow a general template that feels meant to open the door for the reader to ask themselves questions, while also being deeply specific to the characters (a trans man who’s also Jewish and a vampire, a person who begins the story identifying as a bisexual woman) and the setting (USA, circa 2018). The romance is intimate and erotic, with an intensity which comes from two people exploring themselves as much as they're getting closer to each other.
This feels so wonderfully believable and specific in every little detail, from the attempt at safety which led to Sol living at work, to the messiness of Elsie exploring new love as she deals with the stuff left behind after her wife’s passing. Sol and Else talking, laughing, and fucking, with the background issue of Sol dealing with things at work.
The worldbuilding is subtle and minimalistic, basically modern times but where vampires exist and are known to medical science. It grounds itself in a time and a place (but with vampires) and then doesn't try to explain what the place means, but lets itself just exist.
The audiobook narrator is great. There’s a bit a little past halfway through involving several people’s emails back and forth, and it’s a pretty serious moment, but there’s a memetic quality to the way the narrator reads it. If you like audiobooks then definitely give this one a shot, as their performance works so well with the story and the characters.
I love this so much, it's a fantastic premise, well executed, and the whole thing is just so perfect.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Blood, Sexual content, and Cannibalism
Moderate: Cursing, Transphobia, Death, Dysphoria, Violence, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Murder
_autumn_'s review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Gore, Transphobia, Toxic relationship, Outing, and Medical content
Minor: Car accident and Dysphoria
middumullu's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
paper copy. i was really interested in the premise of it. i liked the exploration of fandom a lot and thought that was fun. also was interested in the ways that the characters explored and played with gender. again the analogies were not subtle but they still were solid.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia, Blood, Chronic illness, Medical content, Outing, and Sexual content
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Car accident, Suicidal thoughts, and Death
yavin_iv's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Grief, Transphobia, Dysphoria, Blood, Death, Sexual content, and Outing
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Car accident, Deadnaming, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Infertility
elliotvanz's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Wow. This cut close to the quick for me.
If you're looking for slick supernatural vampires doing slick supernatural vampire things that's not what this book is interested in. This one is more literary and interested in considering what vampirism might look like if it was more like an illness. I for one found it fascinating, and I was glad I went into it with very little foreknowledge nor expectations. This is a meditative and broody book, not an adventure yarn.
This story reads a bit like a noir, especially with the snappy dialogue, but there isn't really a mystery to solve in any traditional sense. It's much more of a romance than anything else, though the style and structure are not what I would call romantic. It's peppered with alternate styles of writing, like message board posts, articles, emails, and text threads, just like the archives that are so central to the story and the main character. The writing is crisp and evocative, descriptive without ever becoming flowery. The pace clips along. The real focus, though, is on character and how it feels to walk through life when you're different and the world isn't made for you, especially when you feel hollowed out and stuck. You could replace vampirism with any host of disabilities and the story remains intact.
So much of this book is about trans identity (especially trans masculine and genderfluid), disability, discrimination, being nocturnal, being in love, watching an old life and the things you cared about decay, and trying to build something new when you're scared and don't know if you can. It's about taking chances, some you should and some you shouldn't. It's about figuring out who you are and who you want to be. It's also about archives and what we leave behind. And yeah, I guess it's also about vampires.
I'm glad I took a chance on this one when the author's debut was so lukewarm for me. I look forward to future offerings.
If you're looking for slick supernatural vampires doing slick supernatural vampire things that's not what this book is interested in. This one is more literary and interested in considering what vampirism might look like if it was more like an illness. I for one found it fascinating, and I was glad I went into it with very little foreknowledge nor expectations. This is a meditative and broody book, not an adventure yarn.
This story reads a bit like a noir, especially with the snappy dialogue, but there isn't really a mystery to solve in any traditional sense. It's much more of a romance than anything else, though the style and structure are not what I would call romantic. It's peppered with alternate styles of writing, like message board posts, articles, emails, and text threads, just like the archives that are so central to the story and the main character. The writing is crisp and evocative, descriptive without ever becoming flowery. The pace clips along. The real focus, though, is on character and how it feels to walk through life when you're different and the world isn't made for you, especially when you feel hollowed out and stuck. You could replace vampirism with any host of disabilities and the story remains intact.
So much of this book is about trans identity (especially trans masculine and genderfluid), disability, discrimination, being nocturnal, being in love, watching an old life and the things you cared about decay, and trying to build something new when you're scared and don't know if you can. It's about taking chances, some you should and some you shouldn't. It's about figuring out who you are and who you want to be. It's also about archives and what we leave behind. And yeah, I guess it's also about vampires.
I'm glad I took a chance on this one when the author's debut was so lukewarm for me. I look forward to future offerings.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Transphobia, Chronic illness, Ableism, and Blood
Moderate: Medical content, Outing, Terminal illness, Grief, Body horror, Car accident, Confinement, and Dysphoria
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Deadnaming, and Infertility