Review of Luminescent Machinations
Luminescent Machinations: Queer Tales of Monumental Invention, edited by Rhiannon Rasmussen and dave ring (Neon Hemlock, 2023), is a fantastic anthology of speculative fiction stories (mainly sci-fi, but not entirely) featuring queer characters and filled with mecha and other technologies that are deeply integral to the stories.
As usual with anthologies, I have a handful of favorite stories to mention. “And Your Name Rings Out Tonight” by Iori Kusano is a gorgeous blending of mecha with Japanese legends that is unapologetic about using Japanese terms without explanation (but still allowing the reader to follow along without knowing the language). Anya Markov’s “Recovery” is set in a world in which ocean levels have risen dramatically, requiring humanity to live on floating platforms, with the main character piloting a mermaid-like mecha that she uses as a form of womb, creating a brilliant parallel to her protection of her unborn child within her physical womb.
“A Sword Between the Stars” features a main character overcoming immense odds and using clever tactics to do what no clone has done prior. Ann Leblanc’s “Ten Lies from a Silenced Monster” confronts the difference between a hero and a villain from what is ostensibly the latter’s perspective, but may have you second guessing that assessment by the end. I also loved “The Ganymede Blues” by e rathke for its playing with memory and time and RJ Theodore’s “An Extraplanetary Capsule Lands in a Bog in Winter” for a wonderfully human-seeming mecha finding ways to connect to the human “piloting” it.
It is worth noting that a number of the stories include oppressed people, physical violence, and depictions of dead humans, among other potential content notes. However, most of these things are easy to identify within a few pages of the beginning of the story, so they can be skipped if necessary. There are plenty of stories (and a couple of poems and a game) that should appeal to a wide range of readers!
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