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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
This anthology drove me on, even when I didn't really "get" it. There's a lot of fabulism and allegory in here. Personally I was left suspecting a lot of it went over my head.
For particular standouts, "Tiny Magic" was a satisfying note to end the anthology on. "Seaflowers" is something I appreciate for its lyrical poignancy if I didn't take the point.
"Because my Mother Tells Me So" is one of the ones that really baffled me. Why does the protagonist like to put worms in her shoes and what did that have to do with the rest of the narrative? It's details like this that leave me scratching my head.
"We've Been Trying to Reach You" is gruesome and relentless, an exercise in self-destruction which continues after all hope of recovery is lost. Also how I found out that dental horror really makes me recoil. That seems to be a recurring motif within the anthology so be warned if that kind of thing is something you'd rather avoid.
"Brother Maternitas" is one of the ones I actually got, straightforward in its pregnancy-as-body-horror premise. "Fencing Chestplate" was also one I could easily follow, and stood out for that reason, direct in its literalism. "Hybrid" and "Simulacrum" are good riffs on lab-created super soldiers/living weapons, although maybe a little too close in subject matter to sit comfortably in the same anthology.
"The Divine Carcass" is something that I tried to understand, and I almost think I could make sense of it, but I worry that it seems that way because I've missed the point entirely. Kudos though for getting away with using second person narrative without feeling obtrusive or gimmicky.
"Why We Keep Exploding" is one case where I understood the symbolism, but I was afraid to finish it for fear of where it would go. Take from that what you will.
For particular standouts, "Tiny Magic" was a satisfying note to end the anthology on. "Seaflowers" is something I appreciate for its lyrical poignancy if I didn't take the point.
"Because my Mother Tells Me So" is one of the ones that really baffled me. Why does the protagonist like to put worms in her shoes and what did that have to do with the rest of the narrative? It's details like this that leave me scratching my head.
"We've Been Trying to Reach You" is gruesome and relentless, an exercise in self-destruction which continues after all hope of recovery is lost. Also how I found out that dental horror really makes me recoil. That seems to be a recurring motif within the anthology so be warned if that kind of thing is something you'd rather avoid.
"Brother Maternitas" is one of the ones I actually got, straightforward in its pregnancy-as-body-horror premise. "Fencing Chestplate" was also one I could easily follow, and stood out for that reason, direct in its literalism. "Hybrid" and "Simulacrum" are good riffs on lab-created super soldiers/living weapons, although maybe a little too close in subject matter to sit comfortably in the same anthology.
"The Divine Carcass" is something that I tried to understand, and I almost think I could make sense of it, but I worry that it seems that way because I've missed the point entirely. Kudos though for getting away with using second person narrative without feeling obtrusive or gimmicky.
"Why We Keep Exploding" is one case where I understood the symbolism, but I was afraid to finish it for fear of where it would go. Take from that what you will.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
challenging
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
fast-paced
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
fast-paced
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A wonderful short story collection. All of the stories were interesting and unique.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
like most anthologies/collections, this has some real hits and some real misses. also like most works from small presses, there are some typos and some places where this could have been copyedited more thoroughly. all said, though: I LOVE YOU, TRANS PEOPLE. what i appreciate most about this collection--and about indie and transgender work in general--is how unabashedly weird it is, how willing the writers are to go all the way Out There. spend your money on indie work! find weird corners of the fiction internet! it may be less polished but i promise it will twist and remold your brain!
favorite stories:
Fencing Chestplate by Avi Burton
What happened was nasty, I won't lie, but hey: if Coach and the administration weren't such a bag of dicks, then the school wouldn't have had to hire six exorcists to clear out the gym. Hmm. That sounds a little victim-blamey, now that I say it aloud. Can you scratch that from the record?
full disclosure: avi burton is one of my best friends. that said, i mean it sincerely when i say this story whips ass. the voice is fantastic. the musings on trans assimilation hit hard. the main character deals with high school sports bigotry by summoning a demon. it fucking rocks
Tonsilstonespunksplatter666! by Rain Corbyn
"-just think it should be out there that THEY, okay, he uses THEY/THEM now, okay? That THEY have very different ideeas of how to navigate consent and power dynamics than I do, okay?" Ah shit. "So just like, watch out, alright? I'm safe now, going underground. But watch out for hi-uh, them. If you want to support me in this time, my Etsy link is in my bio."
how do i even describe this. it's splatterpunk, it's an action movie, it's a brutal satire of transmisogynistic partner abuse, it's luridly-visual representation of masking and autism, it's crazy. it feels a little like two stories stuck together, and i would love to see a longer version, but it is also living rent free in my head forever and ever. narrator of this i love you so dearly
Brother Maternitas by Viktor Athelstan
After I was taken, It did something to my body. I don't know why, but It did something.
one thing about me is i LOVE pregnancy-as-horror. pregnancy is so fucking scary. goddamn. another thing about me is i love to follow around a miserable little man that nobody likes. this story is great for both of those things. also, MONKS! shoutout brother columba congrats on the everything
Because My Mother Tells Me So by Dayna Ingram
I am being stalked by a zombie. He's unlike other zombies in that he's completely cognizant; he sits on my front porch and taunts me. I have a porch swing and he leans back in it, kicking his feet against the rail. He says, "Come on out, little girl," and flashes his rotted teeth at me. I haven't left the house in four days.
another fantastically out-there one. the zombie is evangelizing jesus christ. i'm not sure if i fully got what this one "means," but i loved the prose and i really enjoyed it, particularly the way it transmits the experience of being the only person who recognizes this type of stalkery evangelism as violence. what was with the worms in the shoes tho
Lost in Reincarnation by Devaki Devay
The knife was sharp. She sliced quickly, two slits like eyes squinting against the morning light. They squeaked like rubber as she cut.
i have no idea if this counts as horror but i liked it. very brief but the prose is absolutely gorgeous. i want to be an octopus tf
The Divine Carcass by Bitter Karella
When god died, we first thought that it was from lack of faith. Perhaps prayers nourished the body of the lord as much as they nourished the spirits of the faithful. Perhaps too many people had lost their faith, turned away from their prayers, and god had starved. But it was more likely that god had just been hit by an asteroid.
this one is soooooo fucking cool. the prose fucks hard. the setting is a ship on its way to dump the corpse of god into a black hole so a new god can be born. the protagonist loses her (?) dick. i did want this to be a little longer, a little coherent--i was left with some dangling questions that distracted me from the climax of the story--but this still rips like crazy
anyway, although there were definitely stories in here i liked more than others (and a couple i was baffled by entirely), i really enjoyed reading this collection! particularly as the lead-up to my Very Transgender December (top surgery. i got top surgery); i love wacky indie queer art. in sum: read transgender fiction, for it shall set thee free into a new world of weird shit.
favorite stories:
Fencing Chestplate by Avi Burton
What happened was nasty, I won't lie, but hey: if Coach and the administration weren't such a bag of dicks, then the school wouldn't have had to hire six exorcists to clear out the gym. Hmm. That sounds a little victim-blamey, now that I say it aloud. Can you scratch that from the record?
full disclosure: avi burton is one of my best friends. that said, i mean it sincerely when i say this story whips ass. the voice is fantastic. the musings on trans assimilation hit hard. the main character deals with high school sports bigotry by summoning a demon. it fucking rocks
Tonsilstonespunksplatter666! by Rain Corbyn
"-just think it should be out there that THEY, okay, he uses THEY/THEM now, okay? That THEY have very different ideeas of how to navigate consent and power dynamics than I do, okay?" Ah shit. "So just like, watch out, alright? I'm safe now, going underground. But watch out for hi-uh, them. If you want to support me in this time, my Etsy link is in my bio."
how do i even describe this. it's splatterpunk, it's an action movie, it's a brutal satire of transmisogynistic partner abuse, it's luridly-visual representation of masking and autism, it's crazy. it feels a little like two stories stuck together, and i would love to see a longer version, but it is also living rent free in my head forever and ever. narrator of this i love you so dearly
Brother Maternitas by Viktor Athelstan
After I was taken, It did something to my body. I don't know why, but It did something.
one thing about me is i LOVE pregnancy-as-horror. pregnancy is so fucking scary. goddamn. another thing about me is i love to follow around a miserable little man that nobody likes. this story is great for both of those things. also, MONKS! shoutout brother columba congrats on the everything
Because My Mother Tells Me So by Dayna Ingram
I am being stalked by a zombie. He's unlike other zombies in that he's completely cognizant; he sits on my front porch and taunts me. I have a porch swing and he leans back in it, kicking his feet against the rail. He says, "Come on out, little girl," and flashes his rotted teeth at me. I haven't left the house in four days.
another fantastically out-there one. the zombie is evangelizing jesus christ. i'm not sure if i fully got what this one "means," but i loved the prose and i really enjoyed it, particularly the way it transmits the experience of being the only person who recognizes this type of stalkery evangelism as violence. what was with the worms in the shoes tho
Lost in Reincarnation by Devaki Devay
The knife was sharp. She sliced quickly, two slits like eyes squinting against the morning light. They squeaked like rubber as she cut.
i have no idea if this counts as horror but i liked it. very brief but the prose is absolutely gorgeous. i want to be an octopus tf
The Divine Carcass by Bitter Karella
When god died, we first thought that it was from lack of faith. Perhaps prayers nourished the body of the lord as much as they nourished the spirits of the faithful. Perhaps too many people had lost their faith, turned away from their prayers, and god had starved. But it was more likely that god had just been hit by an asteroid.
this one is soooooo fucking cool. the prose fucks hard. the setting is a ship on its way to dump the corpse of god into a black hole so a new god can be born. the protagonist loses her (?) dick. i did want this to be a little longer, a little coherent--i was left with some dangling questions that distracted me from the climax of the story--but this still rips like crazy
anyway, although there were definitely stories in here i liked more than others (and a couple i was baffled by entirely), i really enjoyed reading this collection! particularly as the lead-up to my Very Transgender December (top surgery. i got top surgery); i love wacky indie queer art. in sum: read transgender fiction, for it shall set thee free into a new world of weird shit.
dark
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A