Michael M. Jones

32. [Scheherazade's Facade]: Fantastical Tales of Gender Bending, Cross-Dressing, and Transformation, edited by Michael M. Jones (****1/2)
Category: Unicorns from Space! (Part I)

As the title suggests, this anthology features fantasy stories with characters that exist outside the gender binary. Various characters in these stories shift genders at whim, have secret selves of the opposite gender, cross dress to hide their identity, are transgender, or perform other acts of gender bending. show more Through the book, the stories are consistently good with strong writing, interesting multi-dimensional characters, and fascinating worlds. Here are a few of my favorites:

"The Daemons of Tairdean Town," by CS MacCath — A scarred woman drifts into a small town, singing to plants along the way, breathing life into them and the world with her tunes. She brings with her a secret self, who connects with the secret selves of others and helps them to heal.

"Kambal Kulam" by Paolo V Chikiamco — As a kambal kulam, Erikson gets hired to protect his clients from evil curses. He does this by transforming himself into his clients and taking on the burden of the curse. He gets more that he's bargained for, however, when a woman hires him for protection. This one was a lot of fun.

"Keeping the World on Course," by Tanith Lee — The fantastical elements of this story are slim, allowing it to rely more on delightful humor, word play, and situational irony. It's hard to describe this story without ruining it, but it begins with two people who loathe each other.

"A Bitter Taste," by Aliette de Bodard — This compelling story about a goddess who abandons her companions in order to try to prevent war is full of bloodshed and regret. It's beautifully done.

"Going Dark," by Lyn C.A. Gardner — Such a beautiful tale of loneliness, love, and grief, at once eerie and moving, about a genderless (or both gendered) child that unintentionally steals the life force of others and finds comfort in the confines of a photography darkroom.

"How to Dance While Drowning," by Shanna Germain — Dancers cling to their beauty in a world where mermaids have been discovered and are exploited for their scales and faces (which can be surgically grafted onto humans). A bit dark and grim, but I loved this story.

"Treasure and Maidens," by Sarah Rees Brennan — Sexy dragon!

"Lady Marmalade's Special Place in Hell," by David Sklar — A transgender woman gets sent to hell for just being herself and completely takes control of the situation, along the way she manages to find forgiveness for herself and others. show less

I love the premise of this collection, and was surprised to discover I was drawn most to the darker and more morally complex stories within.

A fair number of mermaids/mermaid-type creatures in this collection, where genderbending often overlaps with mythical creaturedom. The best story, by Sarah Rees Brennan, features a dragon and a reminder that transformations are dangerous and not always welcome, even when they feel necessary.