Friday, May 5, 2017

Small Changes Over Long Periods of Time, by K.M. Szpara

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(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

"," by (edited by Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas), appeared in issue 16, published on .

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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4 comments (may contain spoilers):

  1. Greg, this story is in no way humor.

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    Replies
    1. Hmm. So how would you categorize it? Horror with a lot of comic relief?

      I'll admit I sometimes agonize over how to class certain stories, and feedback is always welcome.

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    2. 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.)

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    3. This one should probably be labeled slipstream, now that I think about it.

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