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A review by rakoerose
We're Here: The Best Queer Speculative Fiction of 2020 by Charles Payseur, C.L. Clark
4.0
This is a fantastic little collection full of a variety of speculative themes and elements that are heightened by this anthology’s focus on queer identities! I found myself enjoying more stories than not and I think any reader will find at least one thing they jive with.
Hollow says, “You have your own form and function, and it is beautiful.”
— “8-Bit Free Will”
This collection is full of queer love, queer struggles, and was resoundingly compelling. Relatable and chock full of so many fun elements!! Being able to point at some pages and say “this is me” is always a wonderful feeling, and it’s similarly wonderful to point at other pages with underrepresented identities and say “and there they are!”
For me it was the more magical-fantasy and technology focused stories that I loved the most. Like “The Currant Dumas” with its dystopia filled with little technological choices and a hint of magic. Or “Rat and Finch Are Friends” which perfectly captures that young-love dynamic while imbuing it with shape-shifting. “The Last Good Time to Be Alive” decimated me with its tension and use of the internet as a vehicle for hope.
Surprisingly, it was some of the last stories in this that made a giant impression on me. “Salt and Iron” was a wonderful tale focusing on how we as individuals are whole and worthy just by existing, and nothing can take that away.
“Monsters Never Leave You” by Carlie St. George is my favorite, I think. It was the perfect length, covering some amazing themes around family acceptance and how children should be given free choice about how they will live. Its focus on two different sibling pairs made it right up my alley. That being said, this story does discuss familial abuse and I’d recommend looking for a content warning list if you know you may have some sensitivities before reading this anthology.
Overall, super pleased that I’ve been able to go back to my library recently and start picking up things that spark my interest, like this collection! This was a great read full of authors I plan to keep my eye out for as time goes on.
Hollow says, “You have your own form and function, and it is beautiful.”
— “8-Bit Free Will”
This collection is full of queer love, queer struggles, and was resoundingly compelling. Relatable and chock full of so many fun elements!! Being able to point at some pages and say “this is me” is always a wonderful feeling, and it’s similarly wonderful to point at other pages with underrepresented identities and say “and there they are!”
For me it was the more magical-fantasy and technology focused stories that I loved the most. Like “The Currant Dumas” with its dystopia filled with little technological choices and a hint of magic. Or “Rat and Finch Are Friends” which perfectly captures that young-love dynamic while imbuing it with shape-shifting. “The Last Good Time to Be Alive” decimated me with its tension and use of the internet as a vehicle for hope.
Surprisingly, it was some of the last stories in this that made a giant impression on me. “Salt and Iron” was a wonderful tale focusing on how we as individuals are whole and worthy just by existing, and nothing can take that away.
“Monsters Never Leave You” by Carlie St. George is my favorite, I think. It was the perfect length, covering some amazing themes around family acceptance and how children should be given free choice about how they will live. Its focus on two different sibling pairs made it right up my alley. That being said, this story does discuss familial abuse and I’d recommend looking for a content warning list if you know you may have some sensitivities before reading this anthology.
Overall, super pleased that I’ve been able to go back to my library recently and start picking up things that spark my interest, like this collection! This was a great read full of authors I plan to keep my eye out for as time goes on.