New Issue: Trans Special Issue, 31 May 2021

Welcome to the 31 May 2021 issue of Strange Horizons, our Trans Special Issue, celebrating trans lives, identities, complexities, and love. We hope you enjoy this incredible issue as much as we enjoyed putting it together for you.

It's the day before Pride Month officially begins, and we're very excited to finally share this issue with you all. All the excellent fiction and poetry is available now, and more brilliant non-fiction and reviews will be released throughout the week!

We begin with an introduction by AJ Odasso, poetry editor at Strange Horizons.

"The Chicken House" by JennyFried is a journey of remembering, a too-big dress, a green tractor, and a truth that follows close behind. 

"Women Want Me, Fish Fear Me" by Paris Green will dig itself into your dreams, exploring genetic mixtures, messiness, and living on.

"A Welling Up" by Natalia Theodoridou pulls on the depths of grief and the slipperiness of family ties, endless lakes and growing puddles.

Amari Low's "Themself" ruminates on stolen words from tangled lexicons and the rules that make "errors" out of people.

Lu Christófaro's "I see you too" is a long-forgotten returned memory, juicy jabuticabas sliding easy down the throat.

"After Watching "Moonlight"," by Beasa A. Dukes is a gasp of breath, a night sky brightened, and a peace found.

Avi Silver shares "Passing Diamonds," a feast of memory and silence, of holding freedom within a dream of escape.

Emmanuel Ojeikhodion presents "Do not say a boy's body is a taboo," an ode to desire and unquenchable inner fires.

Brooke Abbey's "How to Adult" nails the transition from child to adult, couched in uncertainty.

"Luna" by Alexander Te Pohe wraps the shame and fear of being made to feel other with the joy of freedom and flight.

M. Darusha Wehm brings you "The Chrononaut," sinking into change and discovery without limit as time trips onward.

Elliott Dunstan's "Inherited Battlefield" pulls you to a constant war's frontline of landmines and crushed white flags, a forward-march to the clashing of barbed tongues and cold nights.

The art for "The Chicken House" was done by Sunmi, a cartoonist and illustrator. Dante Luiz interviews Sunmi about zine-making, comics (including their forthcoming graphic novel from HarperCollins), and their creative process.

This issue's non-fiction begins with "JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure and Nonbinary Joy" by Francesca Tacchi takes a look at how an anime gave viewers queer joy with camp, fashion, and bold visual representation.

On Wednesday, we plan to publish the two other non-fiction articles of the issue. First is "Gender Expression and Exploration Through Gaming: A Dialogue with Trick Dempsey," Trick Dempsey and Strange Horizons poetry editor Romie Stott talk about player avatars, game design, and self-expression in the game industry.

The second non-fiction piece for Wednesday will be "Towards Hope And Inclusivity: A Conversation." Enjoy one of many continuing discussions celebrating trans and nonbinary voices in sci-fi and fantasy, with Joyce Chng, Charlie Jane Anders, and Keffy R. M. Kehrli. 

For Monday's review, we have "Trans Wizard Harriet Porber and the Bad Boy Parasaurolophus," by Chuck Tingle, reviewed by Phoenix Scholz. 

Wednesday, Julian K. Jarboe reviews "Sea-Witch" by Never Angeline Nørth, the unique four-hundred page omnibus that collects a chapbook-zine series of the same name. 

Follow Phoenix Scholz's Monday review with their Friday review of the next book in Chuck Tingle's series, "Trans Wizard Harriet Porber and the Theater of Love."

You can also listen to Courtney Floyd's "The Chicken House"  and Paris Green's "Women Want Me, Fish Fear Me," as podcasts! Additional podcasts will go up as they are finished.