Book Review: Meanwhile Elsewhere: Science Fiction and Fantasy from Transgender Writers

Image: The cover of the book is divided in half with the lower half being a mint green and the upper half composed of a yellow background with a dark brown/black triangle filling the entire space of its shape. On the right side of the triangle in black letters it states, "THIS BOOK CHANGED THE WAY I DREAM," and the person quoted is in small letters too difficult for me to read. Centered on the green section in black letters are- line one: "FITZPATRICK & PLETT'S original all-new," line two and three in larger letters "MEANWHILE, ELSEWHERE," line four and five in smaller letters:"SCIENCE FICTION and FANTASY from TRANSGENDER WRITERS."

I have to admit that Meanwhile Elsewhere and I got off to a rough start. I was very excited about reading this book as it's been on my to-read list since it came out. Perhaps my expectations were a bit high. One of the stories really let me down, but I am glad I didn't give up on it, because some of the stories are excellent.

The first story is erotica, which is not my bag, but the second story- Delicate Bodies by Bridget Liang- made me put the book down and ask if I wanted to read a collection edited by people that would include a story like this. It is a zombie story and a rape fantasy in which the protagonist- a trans woman who is obviously the author's zombie self- rapes and tortures cis men who have said mean things about her or refused to have sex with her because she is trans. I am not sure how much worse the mens offenses were because I quit after the second rape. Not only is rape and torture the punishment, the men are portrayed as deserving it and eventually liking the rapes. It is the epitome of rape culture, which we as trans people are not immune from promoting. This story makes that very clear. Did we really need a story portraying a trans woman as a sexual predator? The story itself doesn't even fit with the theme the editors claim they chose for the book and it is a horror story, not SF/F. I then saw a review or two in which some people claimed this was one of their favorite stories. I was disgusted by this as well. The author obviously being the rapist in the story is extra worrisome and fucked up. So, here I am, devoting a large chunk of my review to this one disgusting story that almost made me put the book down and wonder if it was included solely because the author had some sort of connection.

I eventually gave myself some space, calmed down, and decided to continue this highly anticipated read. The book does get infinitely better as it goes on. There are definitely not anymore rape fantasy horror stories. It's a mixed bag like any anthology, but many are well written and entertaining. Some of the stories seem all about being trans which was a little disappointing to me. I was hoping that a book like this would showcase more that we have talents outside of talking about transition. That said, in the afterword, the editors claim this was a conscious decision- to not choose stories that just happen to have trans characters, but to choose ones that center being trans. In other ways, stories that centered this imagined futures where transition related issues are thought of and orchestrated in different ways. This was definitely interesting. There is some real variation in topics across the stories. Like any collection, it's hit or miss, but the stories that I did like, I really liked, hence the higher rating.

The best stories in the book, according to my personal tastes, are:
(In order of appearance in the text)
"What Cheer" by RJ Edwards
"Rent, Don't Sell" by Calvin Gimpelevich
"Control Shift Down" by Paige Bryony
"After the Big One" by Cooper Lee Bombardier
"Cybervania" by Cybil Lamb
"Imago" by Tristan Alice Nieto

This does not mean all other stories were bad. These ones in particular, though, were the ones that led me to seek out the authors online and find out if they have written any books I could add to my list.

Overall, this is an important collection in that it showcases many talented trans writers who may otherwise go unnoticed. It contains one highly objectionable rapey trash story that I believe folks would do well to skip or at least go in heeding my warning. It contains a whole lot of stories that not only have good consent politics woven in, but good style and plot. I grabbed a copy of "I've Got a Time Bomb" by Sybil Lamb right after reading her story, I adored it so much. So, this is definitely worth a read as far as SF/F collections go. It's one of the better ones, and not just because it has trans people in it.

This review was also posted to my goodreads.

Book Review: Semi Queer

 

Image: The cover of the book is navy blue with light blue lettering. The op half of the book is an aerial view of 4.5 shipping trucks parked in spaces outlined in light blue. The trucks are all white except for the one in the center that is rainbow colored. Below that in large serif letters is "Semi Queer" and below that in capital, sans serif letters is "Inside the world of gay, trans, and black truck drivers." Below that is the author's name- Anne Balay- and "author of steel closets"

I have always been interested in and fascinated by truck driving. The idea of being alone in a big rig and traveling all over the country appeals to my introvert self. I knew, however, just like any job that there were likely many struggles I wouldn't understand until I was in the job. I did not anticipate, however, just how many struggles there are for truckers. This book put a great many things in perspective.

Anne Balay's "Semi Queer: Inside the World of Gay, Trans, and Black Truck Drivers" has a limiting title despite its length. The book goes further than these three categories and also includes the voices and perspectives of Brown, Indigenous, Intersex, and Disabled drivers. The text is academic in that it is a study, but it is written accessibly. Balay- a lesbian former truck driver herself- quickly dispels the myth of an almost glamorous lone wolf driver making decent money and traveling all over while enjoying the scenery. Semi Queer is a fascinating and dark catalogue of an intensely difficult and dangerous profession. It includes a large range of voices as well as illustrations and images of some of the drivers featured. Being of marginalized identities definitely compounds the struggles of the job for many, but some also shared that it gave them freedom as well.

A common theme in the book is that truck driving for many people- especially trans people and people with felony charges- is a job choice of opportunity. Those who struggled to find employment due to their gender or race found a home in truck driving. Some narrators described trucking as "addictive" or as something that comes to be your calling- however difficult or dangerous- once one spends so many years there. Some claimed they would never recommend truck driving to anyone- especially women- and only took the job because it was the only one they could get. While voices varied greatly- they all still came back to the reality of the profession as an extremely taxing, over-regulated, often hellish, and very very dangerous thing to do.

One thing that surprised me was just how many oppressive regulations drivers have to deal with. Pretty much all drivers including the author agreed that generally, many regulations made the job more dangerous, for both truck drivers and cars on the road. The impossible sets of standards drivers must meet often contradict each other, making for a damned-if-you-do situation all around. In attempting to meet the impossible regulations, the drivers are also at risk for other dangers such as assaults at truck stops and untreated health problems.

I don't think many people realize- self included- just how little time off truck drivers can take in order to barely make a living wage. Many drivers reported having a few days at home out of an entire year. Many described losing relationships, family, or a stable residence. Many described continuing to work even when the injuries caused by the job were so significant that it consumed their life and thinking.

There were definitely differences in experiences of people based on their identity. Unfortunately, a large number of white LGBT people interviewed held racist views, choosing to blame hardships of the job and lack of opportunity on people of color and immigrants rather than on the mega corporations with all of the power. LGBT peoples experiences with identity-based oppression unsurprisingly depended on how able they were to go stealth. White, always passing, trans men reported being far more worried about trans women than themselves. Black and other people of color reported racist attacks from both employers and fellow drivers. Women across the board- cis and trans- shared experiences of assault, rape, sexual harassment, and discrimination from both employers and other truckers. Almost all of the contributors shook these things off as part of the job and things they did not feel safe reporting, claiming that a take-no-shit attitude is the way you survive. 

I was also surprised, though I shouldn't have been, by the amount of driving-related trauma drivers described as well. Many shared witnessing horrific accidents and moving through impossible and terrifying weather conditions. Again, drivers claimed these are all normal things that are part of the job rather than freak occurrences. Time and time again, they told stories of times they had to push through deadly and dangerous conditions so that they met their goals and kept their jobs. 

Along with PTSD from trauma, physical disabilities are inevitable for anyone sticking with trucking for many years. There is lack of access to proper healthcare (and no time for it.) Healthcare results are also often shared with employers leading to regulations that affect people's ability to work. As a result many drivers continue at full speed with injuries that become extremely disabling that might otherwise have been treatable with time off. To be a truck driver is to become injured and disabled younger and faster than people in many other professions.

The things I have listed in this review are only part of the story. My review would be even longer if I catalogued everything I learned from this book. I cannot recommend it enough. It is well written, well organized, extremely well researched, and very informative. I have a new appreciation for truck drivers- without whom we would have nothing. Marginalized truckers have it even harder. I already considered them while out on the road, but I now think about them in more complex ways. This book is fascinating and is one I believe everyone should read.

This review was also posted to my goodreads.