Power to Yield and Other Stories

I LOVED THIS SO MUCH. This is the second collection of short stories from Bogi Takács, and I have loved them both. Bogi describes erself as a Hungarian Jewish agender trans person, and all of those facets are well reflected in eir stories. The scrutiny of strangers trying to decide what you are and if you belong here. Living in (and leaving) a place ripped apart by war. Jewish observance and gender. Community organizing and activism. Body modification and pain. Power and consent. These stories are generally in sci-fi settings with magical elements. Communicating with truly alien intelligences is also a theme. Probably my favorite story in the collection was "The First Interspecies Solidarity Fair and Parade," which takes place on an show more Earth that has been invaded by aliens three times. The first two waves were violent, and the third is a wave of refugees saying HOW DID YOU SURVIVE THOSE OTHER GUYS, CAN WE CRASH AT YOUR PLACE? But dealing with the scarcity mentality of rebuilding after war and how to build a new community.

Anyway, Bogi is amazing, as an author, an editor, and as a person. Follow em on social media if you are looking for more trans and intersex authors and books. As I recently shouted at a friend, BOGI IS AN INSTITUTION WHO NEEDS/DESERVES MORE FLOWERS. (And then Bogi sent me a link to a story e had recently published about transforming into an institution (well, a city)). show less

I enjoyed the breadth of experiences and worldviews, both human and inhuman. The science fiction and fantasy elements were well utilized to show expansive ways of being and understanding, from human-like AI to alien hive minds to the slow, strange plant-senses and aid the themes relating to communication and connection/alienation.
These stories were excellent at creating rich worlds and characters with the quick sketch provided by a short story, and it must be down to the care and interest in how all sorts of intersecting identities might interact and evolve in these environments.

A collection of 11 short stories and one novella, exploring different consciousnesses, gender identities, and Jewish thought. They are all in some way speculative, often blending science fiction and fantasy.

"Four-Point Affective Calibration" told as the recounted thoughts of a person prompted to think about four different emotions.

"An Errant Holy Spark" is the story of a construct with a soul, as they tell their story to the person who kidnapped them.

"And I Entreated" in which the narrator is a mother who's been transformed as a houseplant and can only communicate imperfectly while she watches her non-binary child practice for a bar mitzvah.

"Folded into Tendril and Leaf" is a very different tale but also has a character transformed into show more a plant. Also hints at the devastation of war.

"The Third Extension" only two pages long, told from an alien point of view.

"On Good Friday the Raven Washes Its Young" was probably the hardest for me to wrap my mind around the setting, as I couldn't really picture a bathysphere. But for all that, it's about a being who finds themselves the subject of bullying for being Other.

"Volatile Patterns" is set on the planet Eren, and the Ereni are similar to humans but magical. In this one, a pair has to go to another planet to figure out why there has been protests and disruption.

"The Ladybug, In Flight" may have been my favorite as the construct of a ladybug, part of a swarm, makes a friend.

"The 1st Interspecies Solidarity Fair and Parade" is a surprisingly hopeful tale set in a future where aliens have invaded, and now other species have come and want cooperation. The description of the fair/parade was pretty funny, too.

"A Technical Term, Like Privilege" in which our main character needs to give its sentient house blood to feed on magic. Explores how hairy "privilege" can actually be - the protagonist is trans and male presenting, so others assume they have a certain amount of privilege, but they are also very much abused by the system they live in.

And finally, the novella "Power to Yield," which is set in the same location as "Volatile Patterns" and gives readers of a glimpse of how the planet was founded and how imperfect its system is. The characters do their best with what they are given, but it was hard to read about the violence and pain involved. This was my least favorite of the bunch.

All in all, I enjoyed the creativity showcased in this collection, and I'll be tracking down more of Bogi Takacs's work in the future. show less