A review by modenereads
Geek Love by Katherine Dunn

1.0

This book was referenced in a post-humanist lit class I took years ago and has been on my to-read list ever since. Finally getting around to reading it, I was disappointed that Dunn relies on shock-value descriptions of 'otherness' based on ableism, fatphobia, and transphobia. The book centers on characters who carry pride in their 'freakishness'. However, the writing failed to develop these characters far beyond the stereotypes associated with the differences in their bodies and appearance. There are so many fascinating writers out there who incorporate the strange and surreal experiences of living in different bodies in a way that is thought-provoking, creative, and does not assume a reader who is cisgender, able-bodied, and thin. This book is not one of them.