Today I have a lot to say both about the Bizarro genre, trans fiction, and I even have a review. This post will touch on a lot of issues that libraries need to be aware of. I have saved it for Women in Horror Month on the horror blog to highlight the inclusion of trans women in our celebration AND am cross posting on the general blog because there are also issues of collection development, EDI [equity, inclusion, and diversity], and providing access to popular but non mainstream genres.
I know that is a lot, but it is important and I want you all to pay attention because this post contains information for every library worker, from every size library, anywhere across the country, to use to help patrons.
First, I want to begin with an introduction to the increasingly popular speculative fiction subgenre of Bizarro.
Excerpted from the Wikipedia page on the genre:
Bizarro Fiction is a contemporary literary genre which often uses elements of absurdism, satire, and the grotesque, along with pop-surrealism and genre fiction staples, in order to create subversive, weird and entertaining world., The terms was adopted in 2005 but the independent publishing companies Eraserhead Press, Raw Dog Screaming Press and Afterbirth Books. Much of its community revolves around Eraserhead Press, which is based in Portland, OR and has hosted the BizarroCon yearly since 2008.... Bizarro [is] "literature's equivalent to the cult section at the video store," and a genre that "strives not only to be strange but fascinating, thought-provoking, and above all, fun to read."
...In general Bizarro has more in common with speculative fiction genres (such as science-fiction, fantasy, and horror)....
Please click here to read more about Bizarro and follow the many citations and links for more info, including the lists of Wonderland Book Award winners [Bizarro's well respected award- you can see every final
ballot here] and notable titles.
But even just this brief introduction should illustrate that there is a wide audience for these types of books. They are weird yes, but also fun. This is a place for the "weirdos" to have thought provoking conversations through art, find a community to which they can belong, and have a safe space to express themselves. But what I love about Bizarro, and what you will see in my review below, is that the focus on is on fun! These are books people will enjoy reading, if only they could have access to them.
The Bizarro author most likely to be included in library collections is
Jeremy Robert Johnson. I also featured Johnson and one of his more recent works
on the horror blog here. I would suggest his work as an introduction to the genre, but here's the thing, once people read and like him, where do they go next? We need to offer more. But how?
Look I realize not every library has space, money, and even a collection development policy that would allow for these weird and often raunchy titles. I know some of you can't even buy Erotica. But here is the thing, Bizarro, like Erotica before it, is gaining in popularity among mainstream audiences. We need to find a way to provide access. I have an easy solution though. For any emerging genre, especially those with sex and/or violence, get a Kindle for the genre. So in this case let's say and Erotica one and a Bizarro one. You load them with ebooks of the most popular titles and authors and you catalog them as "Bizarro Kindle." You can change out titles as often as you want. You can get hundreds of titles for a very low price, and still be able to offer emerging genres to your patrons without sacrificing shelf space.
But back to the main point here. This definition of Bizarro and its appeal focuses on the fun, which it is. But it is important to also note that this is a place where people who might not fit into mainstream society can also express themselves, hence my focus on a trans framed title by Larissa Glasser today--
F4.
I am going to explain why I loved this title and think all library workers need to be aware of it below, but I also want to make a stand here and proclaim that I include trans women in celebrations of women in [fill in the blank]. I know there are some in the Women in Horror month world who take issue with including trans women, but I am not one of those. And in fact, I specifically chose Glasser to highlight this month to make my position clear.
But the real reason I am highlighting Glasser today is because she is a great writer. I was first introduced to Glasser when she was on a panel at StokerCon last year. She was sitting next to Victor LaValle. I don't remember the exact question, or her answer, but I remember sitting there watching and listening to Larissa answer a difficult question. I was also watching Victor watching her, nodding along. When Larissa finished, it was Victor's turn. He said something to the effect of--She answered it perfectly. I have nothing to add. He was right and I knew that I needed to meet this smart, fascinating woman and read her book.
And so I did, and the book, it was awesome [more below]. We connected and I also found out that Glasser is one of us, a Librarian too.
I asked Glasser to introduce herself to all of you. Here is what she wrote:
Larissa Glasser is a Librarian-Archivist from New England. She writes dark fiction centered on the lives of trans women, library science, and heavy metal. Her work is available in Transcendent 3: The Year's Best Transgender Speculative Fiction [Lethe Press], Tragedy Queens: Stories Inspired by Lana Del Rey & Sylvia Plath [Clash Books]. Her debut novel F4 is available from Eraserhead Press. Larissa is a Member at Large of Broad Universe [a not for profit that supports women writers and editors in the speculative genres]. She is on Twitter @larissaeglasser and on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Larissa-Glasser/e/B077VRYC8L/
Now to my review of
F4 which I highly suggest you use to start your own e-Bizarro collection:
First let's begin with the publisher's summary:
A cruise ship on the back of a sleeping kaiju. A transgender bartender trying to come terms with who she is. A rift in dimensions known as The Sway. A cruel captain. A storm of turmoil, insanity and magic is coming together and taking the ship deep into the unknown. What will Carol the bartender learn in this maddening non-place that changes bodies and minds alike into bizarre terrors? What is the sleeping monster who holds up the ship trying to tell her? What do Carol’s fractured sense of self and a community of internet trolls have to do with the sudden pull of The Sway?
Further Appeal: I know I have said it already but I cannot stress how fun this book is. There is adventure, a steam punk frame, science fiction, great character development, and a compelling plot filled with action, emotion, and interest. Carol is a hero to root for- a trans woman hero to root for. And that is key. This book is both a great genre romp that also features a trans main character. This is key.
Carol is a complete person. Bring trans is part of who she is and while this book talks a bit about her
"hatching," it is more about her and this fun, slightly raunchy, strange adventure. This is so important. We need to read and know about books like this so we can learn about the trans experience. This book taught me so much while I had fun reading it. It opened a window to the trans woman experience, feelings, and even terminology [I had urban dictionary open while reading this book and learned so much]. I am someone who tries to be inclusive and accept people for who they are but until you have a chance to understand them from their experience how can you?
As library workers who want to help people find titles both that reflect their experiences and open them to the experiences of others-- what we call "own voices"-- we need titles like this one; a book that is a great read, has a trans woman hero, and is not solely about coming out.
This book manages to weave an overall theme about how humans transform things to fit their needs in a way the encompasses the entire story not just the transgender portions. It was enlightening and thought provoking. Really. Amidst all the weird, crazy, and sexual action, there was so much to ponder here. Thought provoking issues for all humans to consider. It was eye opening for more than just the "trans education" I received. This was a nice surprise.
Okay but back to the fun again for a second. The set up-- the kaiju ship [it reminded me of
Leviathan for grownups] in particular was cool. I liked the world Glasser created here as a speculative fiction fan.
And finally, there is the plain fact that Glasser herself is a writer to watch. I think I made that clear above, but seriously, she has the writing chops. Her stories are being accepted in anthologies from trans themed to general speculative fiction. She is garnering critical acclaim everywhere she goes, and as I mentioned above, Victor LaValle knows how smart and talented she is, and he knows what he is talking about. You don't need to just trust me.
Please do yourself a favor and read this book. It will both open your eyes to trans framed stories AND Bizarro.
Three Words To Describe This Book: Fun, Speculative, Compelling
Readalikes: The great thing about Bizarro is that there are so many places the genre can take you.
Please refer to the author list here and especially those who have won the Wonderland Book Award, but here are a few I can suggest from personal experience:
- Jeremey Robert Johnson [mentioned and linked above]
- Brian Everson
- Carlton Mellick III
- Laura Lee Bahr
- John Edward Lawson
- C V Hunt
There are many more
to see at this link, but those are a few of the current authors who you should check out.
