Meanwhile, Elsewhere: Science Fiction and Fantasy from Transgender Writers

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Joe Macaré: Can you tell us a little about the genesis of this project? Where did the idea come from to collect stories by trans people writing speculative fiction in particular? 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. a task that asks pupils to identify remnants of the local history that they could conceivably visit – thus encouraging them to see and appreciate the history all around them Themyscira by Colette Arrand - I think a big part of the appeal here was in how it subverted my expectations. Here we have an island of voluntary exiles, with one young woman feeling out of place due to being the only one with a penis - at least, until another transgender girl washes up on shore. This one pairs well with Delicate Bodies, looking at gender as a disease, and exploring how it infects those around us.

I read fifteeen of the twenty-five pieces. I was not keen on some of these, often because they were too erotic, too grusome, too Ready Player One level nerdy, or most often the prose was simply disinteresting.

For example, if someone is discussing a new product launch, they might say “Meanwhile, the marketing team is working on a strategy to promote the product.” I love sci-fi!!!! I love trans writers!!!! So much incredible sex writing in here? I never want to read sex that isn't t4t ever again. Some of these stories didn't work for me but that's to be expected in a book this long. Part One: The Doctor, Cass and Alex land to find out what's causing temporal anomalies with the TARDIS, and come across an uninhabited planet, a mysterious factory, and a weapon so dangerous, it could destroy the Universe. But things go catastrophically wrong…

Angels Are Here To Help You" by Jeanne Thornton, about a mediocre programmer in a technocapitalist dystopia who embezzles from her celebrity cat to fund a money-making scheme involving a recently-discovered alien empathy drug--genuinely one of the best short stories I've ever read, with some strikingly resonant predictions about the future of everyday tech and feelings of tech inadequacy. Dystopia is a common theme in these stories, but in some cases the line between dystopia and utopia isn’t at all clear (like in Sybil Lamb’s “Cybervania”). Why do you think that is? As always in an anthology, some of these were bigger hits than others, but overall I really enjoyed these. Tons of sapphic stories, too! Some of the first stories were so fascinating, I could easily write essays about them.

One common mistake people make is using the word “elsewhere” when they actually mean “meanwhile.” For example, saying “I was at the grocery store. Meanwhile, my sister was elsewhere” is incorrect. The correct sentence would be “I was at the grocery store. Meanwhile, my sister was at home.” Mistake #2: Using “Meanwhile” Instead Of “Elsewhere” Plett: Well, there are already a few trans erotica anthologies out there. ( Nerve Endings edited by Tobi Hill-Meyer and Take Me There edited by Tristan Taormino come to mind, both of whom share some authors with us actually!) I feel like a trans noir anthology would definitely have the potential for some subversive, meaningful work that could be both tough and fun. Anyone want to edit a noir anthology? Not it.