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A review by schnaucl
Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey
adventurous
dark
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
The time period is a little hard to place. There's a reference to the Why We Fight shorts which played before films which suggests WWII era, but the towns they visit seem smaller than that. Cars exist but aren't used because all the fuel is used for the far off war. It definitely has an old west or even westward expansion feel to it.
The rest is sadly a prescient view of how some people want America to be. The State controls all entertainment/media, books, music and film. Those State approved materials rigidly reinforce cisgender heterosexual norms to the point where anyone who isn't cisgender or anyone who is anything other than straight can't conceive of a world where there are more people like them, or that they might deserve and be able to attain as much happiness as anyone else.
The librarians (always women, I believe) go from town to town, distributing the Approved Material and collecting worn Approved Material in need of repair. Of course, sometimes the librarians secretly distribute Unapproved Material and help people escape to the free areas of the country (ironically, in this story that includes Florida).
I would definitely read more about these characters and this world, but I think this is a stand alone.
The rest is sadly a prescient view of how some people want America to be. The State controls all entertainment/media, books, music and film. Those State approved materials rigidly reinforce cisgender heterosexual norms to the point where anyone who isn't cisgender or anyone who is anything other than straight can't conceive of a world where there are more people like them, or that they might deserve and be able to attain as much happiness as anyone else.
The librarians (always women, I believe) go from town to town, distributing the Approved Material and collecting worn Approved Material in need of repair. Of course, sometimes the librarians secretly distribute Unapproved Material and help people escape to the free areas of the country (ironically, in this story that includes Florida).
I would definitely read more about these characters and this world, but I think this is a stand alone.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Lesbophobia, Sexism, Violence, Death, Gore, and Gun violence
Minor: War