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We Interrupt This Transition

This queer comedy novel is a darkly humorous satire of gender politics and the entertainment industry · By Kerry Ann Boyko

Review: One of the best trans novels to date

A topic by FayeBliss created 58 days ago Views: 94 Replies: 2
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I have read a lot of transgender fiction, hundreds of stories, comics, and novels.  This story is one of the first ones that I would recommend to people who ask me where to start.  There are several reasons for this.

First of all, it is very funny.   There are a lot of good jokes both from within the characters themselves (several of whom work in television or comedy) and in the overall situation.   Fuego!  It has a rather large cast of characters and each of them add to the general chaos as all of them get swept into a scheme that everyone realizes is insane, but continues forward anyway.   The plotting never drags and the twists include several moments of surprise.

The second reason is that I think it is a great introduction to trans literature.   There has not been a lot about transgender people written by us, and a lot of what was available tended to trauma porn and sensationalism.   It is really only in the last few years that I've seen real comedy in the space, laughing with and not AT us.   There are copious footnotes explaining every queer/trans reference, so if you don't know what "egg" or "twink" means the author has you covered.   There is also a lot of general trivia scattered throughout that I found entertaining.   One of the major characters experiences a late-in-life realization that she is a trans woman. Speaking from experience, this is portrayed wonderfully.  The importance of finding a good support group comes clear as she tries to navigate her life.   I would not be surprised if reading this would cause some realizations in certain readers.   

Which brings me to the final point.  A lot of trans fiction made these days is wish fulfuillment.  We write stories where we are the heroes, in sharp contrast with what society thinks of us.   This story is kind of that, but it's not that simple.    Real world events work their way into the story and the effects of transphobia, large and small, are all over it.   The author actually fled the country during writing it.   Yet, even with all that is going wrong in both their personal lives and the world at large, these characters manage to persevere, they manage to fall in love, and they manage to grow.  At a time where we are under such an attack, a story of a group of realistically drawn (except maybe Gucci) characters banding together... that's just what we need right now.   I have no idea what the future of trans fiction looks like (it looks pretty grim, honestly) but this story so perfectly captures what it is like to be trans in 2024.

Developer

This... this is amazing. Thank you so much, Faye!

> realistically drawn (except maybe Gucci) characters

I won't hear a word against Gucci.  Just because they're hilarious to read about doesn't mean there aren't real people out there who are just as weird. 

But yeah, everything Faye said and more.  This is definitely one of the best trans novels I've ever read.