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Pheonix Extravagant
Yoon Ha Lee
Fantasy
2020
Prose Novel, Adult, LGBTQIA+
From Storygraph:
“Gyen Jebi isn’t a fighter or a subversive. They just want to paint.
One day they’re jobless and desperate; the next, Jebi finds themself recruited by the Ministry of Armor to paint the mystical sigils that animate the occupying government’s automaton soldiers.
But when Jebi discovers the depths of the Razanei government’s horrifying crimes–and the awful source of the magical pigments they use–they find they can no longer stay out of politics.
What they can do is steal Arazi, the ministry’s mighty dragon automaton, and find a way to fight… “
”
I’m in a weird place with this book to the point where I debated if I wanted to expand my thoughts on it at all. If I had to simplify it, I’d say content thin with pretty set dressing. I guessed right on all the story beats within the first few chapters. That would be fine if the journey was fun to get there with…eh?
Then I have to realize that I’ve been reading fantasy and other speculative fiction for very literally thirty years. I’m simply going to run into books that don’t really push against my expectations.
This is what I think the hidden strength of this book is: it does a lot of different things in an approachable way for a reader with less experience. Never read fantasy or books with structured magic systems? This has a pretty easy one to follow with some real gut punch elements to them. If you’ve only ever read fantasy anchored in western cultural aesthetics, this book’s primary setting resembles Japan occupied Korea. If you need something with well-integrated LGBTQIA+ representation or a non-binary lead for your bookclub Bingo card, this covers that without queerness necessarily being the central talking point of the story.
This is the reason I actually took my copy to one of the nearby Little Free Libraries. I’m hoping that it turns someone into a fantasy reader that wasn’t before, because I think it would be really good for that.
Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia
Sabrina Strings
Non-fiction, History, Sociology
2019
Audiobook (Narr. Allyson Johnson), Adult
From Storygraph:
“Strings weaves together an eye-opening historical narrative ranging from the Renaissance to the current moment, analyzing important works of art, newspaper and magazine articles, and scientific literature and medical journals–where fat bodies were once praised–showing that fat phobia, as it relates to black women, did not originate with medical findings, but with the Enlightenment era belief that fatness was evidence of “savagery” and racial inferiority.
The author argues that the contemporary ideal of slenderness is, at its very core, racialized and racist. Indeed, it was not until the early twentieth century, when racialized attitudes against fatness were already entrenched in the culture, that the medical establishment began its crusade against obesity. An important and original work, Fearing the Black Body argues convincingly that fat phobia isn’t about health at all, but rather a means of using the body to validate race, class, and gender prejudice.”
The description on Storygraph really covers the bones of what this book offers, and the book does it well. It’s very dense and information heavy which, for me, is what I would want from a text like this. The other reviews of this book actually proved interesting to me, as well.
I saw a number that lamented enough “analysis” within the text. I would argue that the book took a more “self-evident” analysis approach. In that it wasn’t trying to tell you something new, rather, it was assuming you had already figured out the conclusion on your own, and this book is just trying to ply you with the history. A “how we got here” not a “why?”
I’m a fat, femme person existing in the world, so there was very little that was revelatory. That wasn’t what I expected to get from it, though. So there’s something to be said, here, about the managing of expectations.
Galaxy: As the World Falls Down
Jadzia Axelrod (W), Rye Hickman (I)
Sci-Fi, Superhero
2026
Graphic Novel, Young Adult, Sapphic, LGBTQIA+
From Storygraph:
“Taylor Barzelay is finally living as her authentic self, a purple alien space princess with blue hair and superpowers. With a loving girlfriend, Kat, and an adorable talking corgi that doubles as a bodyguard, Taylor should feel more at home on Earth than ever. So why doesn’t she?
As Kat plans for life after high school, Taylor begins to wonder what the future holds for her. Despite dealing with bigots in her hometown, protecting her friend Nia Nal from an evil alien aunt, and honing her powers more than ever before, Taylor still isn’t sure she can claim her identity as the superhero Galaxy.
When the Vane, an alien race that destroyed her home planet, finally arrive on earth in search of Taylor, her biggest fear becomes reality. If Superman can’t even handle this threat, what chance does Taylor have to save her best friend, the love of her life, and the entire world?! Will she cast aside any doubt in time to become the hero she was always destined to be?“
This is the sequel to Galaxy: The Prettiest Star that I read last quarter, and it is just as good as the first book. Building on Taylor’s struggle with her gender and being an alien, we get a new little whammy of “how to be a hero.” There’s an excellent bit, using Superman himself as a vehicle, about white male privilege that is a wonderful meta-textual commentary on the nature of superhero comics themselves.
It is not a “direct” sequel, however, in that there is a graphic novel between them entitled Bad Dream: A Dream Story. My husband and I figured this out as we were trading the books back and forth.
These books got my husband super into these characters, and it’s great.
Queer as Folklore
Sacha Coward
Nonfiction, Mythology, Folklore, LGBTQIA+ History
2024
Audiobook (Narr. Will Watt), Adult
From Storygraph:
“…an exhilarating journey across centuries and continents which reveals the unsung heroes and villains of storytelling, magic and fantasy. Featuring images from archives, galleries and museums around the world, each chapter investigates the queer history of different mythic and folkloric characters, both old and new.”
Because I’ve been studying folklore and mythology as a hobby basically my whole life, this was one of those books where I didn’t really learn anything new. There are also two sections at the end about piracy and science fiction that were added under the guise of “modern folklore” that I think could have been dropped in favor of more analysis of classic folklore. Not that I don’t want information about queer pirates and aliens, but rather they deserved their own, separate book. It felt like we were trying to meet a word count with only broad information.
Basically, there are a lot of ways I would have personally written this book different that still would have included “modern folklore.”
At the same time, if the intersection of queerness and folklore is something you have no experience with, this is an excellent primer. It’s a quick-moving, easy listen/read that covers a broad array of topics in a very personable way.
Astrophysics for People in a Hurry
Neil deGrasse Tyson
Nonfiction, Science
2017
Audiobook (Narr. Tyson), Adult
From Storygraph:
“While waiting for your morning coffee to brew, or while waiting for the bus, the train, or the plane to arrive, Astrophysics for People in a Hurry will reveal just what you need to be fluent and ready for the next cosmic headlines: from the Big Bang to black holes, from quarks to quantum mechanics, and from the search for planets to the search for life in the universe.”
It’s what it states on the tin. On audio-book at double speed, you can come out of a couple hours of Sunday deep-cleaning just a little smarter. Whatever the general complaints about deGrasse Tyson, he’s a great science communicator.
We Only Find Them When They’re Dead
Al Ewing (W), Simone Di Meo (I)
Sci-Fi, Body Horror
2024
Graphic Novel, Adult, LGBTQIA+
From Storygraph:
“Captain Malik and the crew of the spaceship the Vihaan II are in search of the only resources that matter–which can only be found by harvesting the giant corpses of alien gods that are found on the edge of human space. But Malik’s obsession with being the first to find a living god will push his crew into the darkest reaches of space and many decades into the future, where the universe has changed in ways beyond comprehension. Rival religious factions clash throughout the galaxy as the Vihaan II is on a quest to discover—once and for all—the origins of the Gods. Will the lines between humanity and the divine blur even further?“
I’m leading with the fact that this story is hard to follow in terms of the raw timing of events. I’m following that up with, “it doesn’t matter.”
I was introduced to Ewing through his work with Marvel where, in theory, he had some reigns on him. For an original work, those are generally gone, and you can see him when he opens up.
This is one of those stories where the characters are decidedly compelling, but the story’s not really about them. As you move through this multi-generational political and religious epic, the central characters are dragged along with you, all of you sort of lost and drowning in this huge narrative. Which is the point.
It’s the kind of story where you have to turn your brain off. Not because the story isn’t worthy of intellectual analysis. Far from it. Instead, if you try to “figure it out” as you’re reading, you’re going to get bogged down.
It’s a comic series that’s very much about vibes, supported heavily by illustration made of large shapes and bright colors.
Current Comic Ongoings
Fantastic Four
Ryan North et al.
We’re through the first major arc of this current run, and it continues to deliver. The “Invincible Woman” arc that sort of started this run really hammers home just how powerful the Fantastic Four really are when you start to examine their powers. It asks the question, what is true power? What you’re capable of or what you choose to hold back?
The series is continuing to deliver on that old-fashioned sci-fi adventure feeling.
Wade Wilson: Deadpool
Benjamin Percy et al.
When this series began I was nervous. I liked the way Percy wrote Deadpool in Deadpool/Wolverine. From what I’ve read of his X-Force run and his Red Band Punisher mini, he’s doing something right in terms of balancing physical action with character and narrative. I never know how much is artist versus writer, but the fight choreo scenes are just consistently excellent. So I knew that the book on its own merits would be good. But where are Ellie and Princess?
Now I get setting Princess aside because she is, indeed, hella goofy, and he’s clearly going for a bit of a darker tone. But he also diegetically gets rid of Ellie really early in the story. So what are we doing with Wade? Because through the Wong and Ziglar runs he’s been through a lot in terms of getting through some of his self-loathing and finding external purpose. So while I’ve enjoyed this first arc immensely in terms of story, I’m sort of waiting to see what Percy will actually do, long term. We’re only five or six issues in. The new arc that started this week is going to be very intriguing, but I do hope that growth continues to be there.
Comic Back Catalog
Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows (2015)
Dan Slott (W), Andy Kubert (I), Scott Hanna (I)
This is the one of the comics that happens during the little break during the 2015 Secret Wars event. Where all of the books just stop and we get these little glimpses of theoretical other versions of our heroes. In this alternate reality, Peter and Mary Jane are still married and have a little girl. Peter has to faces this moment of “will I keep being Spider-Man?”
It’s an exceptionally cute little story that sets up a very fun “what if…?” that does make you a little sad considering Peter and MJ’s current status.
Deadpool vs Carnage
Cullen Bunn (W), Salvador Espin (I), Kim Jacinto (I)
Absolute Carnage vs Deadpool
Frank Tieri (W), Andrea Broccardo (I), Emily Ryan Lerner (I), Rachelle, Rosenberg (I), Roberto Poggi (I)
Reading these two back to back is fascinating. Because you can tell when Frank Tieri doesn’t like a character, and I don’t think he particularly likes Deadpool. Deadpool shits on himself as a person, so you don’t really need to also do it, as a writer. And I think Tieri pushes a little further over that line than he needs to, sometimes.
With Cullen Bunn, I’ve read his Venom, Deadpool, and some of his original work. And if he doesn’t like any of what he’s doing, you wouldn’t know it. He genuinly seems to be having fun in the writing. Like he’ll slap a symbiote on Deadpool and just gun it, and it’s fun every. Single. Time.
So one of these series is a fun little romp. One of these is a little edgelord tied into a larger, even more edgelordy big bad (Knull). So read Tieri for something grim and gory, and the Bunn for absurdist dark comedy.
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