A review by humblebee20
Bound in Flesh: An Anthology of Trans Body Horror by Lor Gislason

5.0

This book is absolutely disgusting and I loved every second. The is a collection of Trans and Non-binary horror short stories that dip into any depraved thing you can think of. Some are subtle and creeping, while others are screaming and angry. Not all of them were my favorite, but there are a few standout stories that I'm still thinking about days later. "Wormspace" drew me to buy this book and gives a wonderful example of what you're in for. It's gross and wet and actually made me shudder. My personal top 3 would include in book order would be "Wormspace", "A Brief History of the Santa Carcossa Archipelago", and "Looking for the Big Death". It could be argued that these some of the more explicit stories in the collection, but 90% of this novel is super gross (again, I mean this in the best way possible). In any case, I loved this book, but I caution those who are faint of heart, or don't like explicit horror or sexual acts. This book does not hold back anything. As a genderqueer person, it always lovely to see other queer artists show off their writing chops, especially when it's for one of my favorite genres. There is nothing better that horror as a space to explore metaphors for queer relationships that then wraps back around to horror. I never thought I would swoon over a death of a character and their lover, but the format allows an "anything goes" view that makes the stories have more room to breathe when not smothered by censors or media scrutiny. If you are LGBTQ and like extreme horror, please read this book, there is something in these stories for you. It's wonderful to see stories of coming out, not only from the closet, but the tight skin we have been forced to live within.