Review of Aether Beyond the Binary
Aether Beyond the Binary (Duck Prints Press, 2024) is an anthology of speculative short stories with gender diverse characters, all revolving around a concept of aether, a semi-magical substance that has properties as different as the stories in which it features.
Each of the 17 stories has a listing of “tags” at the beginning of each, some of which serve as content warnings. As such, there were a few stories I opted not to read, specifically those involving body horror. But of the remaining stories, I particularly enjoyed several. “We Might Contain Multitudes” by Lyonel Loy features a protagonist who shares their body with several entities working to track down an aether spirit of a recently deceased pet, but they wind up encountering more than they’d anticipated. Em Rowntree’s “Cadillac’s Bus” features a long-term friendship between two non-binary characters who share a love of racing without the assistance of devices on which so many other racers depend. Scarlett Gale’s “N(ae)ghbours” is a sweet meet cute story with incredibly realistic characterizations. “Ancient Hearts Unearthed” by Terra P. Waters has archaeology and advanced medical technology from an earlier time, plus wonderful characters. Finally, “Un Charco, Un Lago,” by Sebastian Marie seamlessly interweaves Spanish and English and a fully bigender character who I read as incredibly neurodivergent and relatable.
Many of my favorite stories involved characters who were deeply involved with research and academia, and this theme permeates many of the stories in the collection. My one disappointment was that some stories reached their end at a point where I felt like a larger story was just beginning. I would love to see longer versions of many of these stories in the future!
If you enjoy a collection of themed short stories revolving around diverse genders and sexualities, along with plenty of imaginative settings and plots, check out Aether Beyond the Binary!
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