by Ryka Aoki
First published 2019
This anthology transforms familiar tales of beasts and beauties into something entirely new. A black girl navigates the dangerous assumptions others make about her body and desires as she comes of age. Mednick, a beast confined to zoo life, struggles with his captivity and identity. Each story and poem in this collection takes the traditional monster and reveals the queerness hidden within. The authors center voices from marginalized communities, flipping the script on who gets to be hero or villain. These pieces range from poetry exploring black girlhood to fiction that questions what makes someone truly monstrous. The writers dismantle familiar tropes, showing how society creates its own beasts through prejudice and fear. Each tale asks readers to reconsider their assumptions about beauty, monstrosity, and power.
Genres: fiction, short-stories, anthologies, fantasy, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, reclaimed-tropes
24 pages · Paperback · Dissonance Press
Content warnings: body-horror, racism, sexism