Out There

April 1, 2022
An anthology packed with tales of queer love that will launch readers into alternate realities and distant futures. What if every straight person in the world suddenly vanished? What if you could transfer your consciousness to a new body on Mars? What if you could commune with souls and give everyone a proper homegoing? Asked to write the story they needed as teens, the 17 contributing authors present narratives centered on love, acceptance, and hope that span a multitude of genres, from epic space adventures to fervent romances, each infused with science-fiction elements. Reflecting the authors themselves, these short stories include characters of diverse races, ethnicities, genders, and sexualities and offer much-needed mirrors to queer readers young and old. Readers will encounter familiar names from YA such as K. Ancrum, Alechia Dow, Leah Johnson, Alex London, Abdi Nazemian, Adam Sass, and more. The seamless flow between each entry keeps readers engaged and immersed in worlds known and unknown. The stories are overall very well written, fleshed out with just enough details to keep readers fascinated by reimagined futures summed up in gratifying endings. Most delve into issues such as the microaggressions queer people face, oppressive governments, and humans' environmental impact on the world. However, none of this deters the protagonists from finding community and wholly embracing themselves. An enchanting collection. (contributors' biographies) (Science-fiction anthology. 14-18)

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