(Slipstream) When Finley gets bitten by a vampire, he’s pissed because he didn’t consent. When he learns he’s going to become a vampire, he’s really upset, because it’s not legal for a trans person to be a vampire at all. (9,183 words; Time: 30m)
Rating: ★★★☆☆ Average
"Small Changes Over Long Periods of Time," by K.M. Szpara [bio] (edited by Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas), appeared in Uncanny Magazine issue 16, published on May 2, 2017.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Pro: There are plenty of funny lines here. “No government lackey is going to hear out a gay trans guy who was illegally turned into a vampire.” Or “Probably wants to know what a vampire’s lair is like. Apparently it’s like the inside of a Swedish furniture store.”
Behind the humor, though, there’s a serious look at a trans man’s life and the daily struggles that that involves. And the parallel between becoming a vampire (which you can’t reverse) and transitioning (which you also can’t reverse) is very strong.
Con: Beyond the message, the story is rather thin. Finley gets bitten, becomes a vampire, deals with it. Any problems are instantly sorted by Andreas's magic.
A minor nit is that Andreas seems to be able to come up with bathtubs full of blood rather easily.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 16)
K.M. Szpara Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
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Behind the humor, though, there’s a serious look at a trans man’s life and the daily struggles that that involves. And the parallel between becoming a vampire (which you can’t reverse) and transitioning (which you also can’t reverse) is very strong.
Con: Beyond the message, the story is rather thin. Finley gets bitten, becomes a vampire, deals with it. Any problems are instantly sorted by Andreas's magic.
A minor nit is that Andreas seems to be able to come up with bathtubs full of blood rather easily.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 16)
K.M. Szpara Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
Greg, this story is in no way humor.
ReplyDeleteHmm. So how would you categorize it? Horror with a lot of comic relief?
DeleteI'll admit I sometimes agonize over how to class certain stories, and feedback is always welcome.
Darkly humorous, paranormal erotica? :) Yeah, this one is tough to categorize. Humor is certainly part of it even though it's looking at a serious and complicated topic. (I think the sayings on the blood mugs were my favorite comic bit.)
DeleteThis one should probably be labeled slipstream, now that I think about it.
Delete