KINDRED SPIRITS: An Anthology of Gay and Lesbian Science Fiction Stories

by Jeffrey M.--Ed. Elliot ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 1984

Twelve tales, 1959-81, ranging from seriously exploratory sf through futuristic sadomasochism to syrupy, meandering fables. The famous entries: Joanna Russ' ""When It Changed,"" in which sly, stupid men return to a planet occupied for centuries exclusively by women; Robert Silverberg's ""Passengers,"" where disembodied aliens occupy unwilling human bodies in order to explore the mysteries of the flesh (the gay element here is only incidental); and ""The Night Wind,"" Edgar Pangborn's sensitive portrayal of a young boy outcast because of his homosexuality. Also noteworthy: an artist who brutally manipulates his students in search of new compositions (Mike Connor); futuristic communes and confused gender roles (Paul Novitski); David Gerrold's tale of an unprepossessing, despised homosexual genius who gets his revenge by inventing a virus that prevents conception. And there's some ordinary material too, from sword and sorcery with lesbian heroines to interstellar exploration (which has no gay element at all). A fairly typical sf/fantasy spectrum, then--sometimes illuminating or incisive, elsewhere trivial, murky, or trite.

Pub Date: May 1, 1984

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Alyson

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 1984

Categories: FICTION