Curious Wine. Katherine V. Forrest. 1983. 160p. (Lesbian)
A cabin at Lake Tahoe is the setting for this romance between Lane and Diana who meet during a ski weekend. The two begin a good friendship that evolves into a romance over the weekend that surprises everyone –and to some extent themselves. The pace is slow and romantic with a lot of dialogue that matches the building romance between the two women. Main characters are believable but some supporting ones are flat and stereotypical.
Trans-Sister Radio. Chris Bohjalian. 2000. 344p. (Transgender)
A woman falls in love with her male teacher only to discover later that he is planning to have a sex-change operation and live as a woman. Story is told in three parts via radio interviews on NPR between the main character Allison, her daughter Carly and Dana the man who over the course of the book becomes a woman. The story explores what love means to each of these characters and how it does or does not change as Dana changes. This book has a slow romantic pace that allows story to unfold with lots of dialogue. Characters are well-developed and believable in their quest to understand what is going on.
The Powerbook by Jeannette Winterson. P. 289. L T
Winterson creates an unusual story of intrigue, passion, love and escape. The pace is neither slow nor fast as a love affair is built between the author and the reader. This cyber love story makes the reader as much of a character of the book as the narrator. The different historical settings add a level of intrigue and ambiance. The storyline is based on the idea of the reader escaping their life through the power of storytelling. The frame rests on time and geographical travel as well as the discovery of mind and heart.
Hybrids by Robert J. Sawyer. P. 394. B
Hybrids is the third book in Swayer’s The Neanderthal Parallax which features two Earths, one with Homo neanderthalesis in his story and Homo sapiens. Hybrids continues with the characters of the older books, but the reader can follow the third book without reading the first two books. The characters are likable and complex. The storyline is based off of the relationship of Mary and Ponter as they make the decision to create a child together. The frame of the story is based on alternative- yet present day- universe of the two earths, Neanderthal – bisexual Earth and Homo sapiens – heterosexual Earth.
Other books in the Neanderthal Parallax:
Exit to Reality by Edith Forbes. P. 313. T
Forbes forces readers to examine the boundaries that define humans in both body and mind. The story begins by building a tension of boredom which is soon replaced by the tension of intrigue. The characters are smart, believable, and easy to identify with. The storyline is based on a time when many human problems are non-issues. For example society is crimeless, beauty is a given, population control a non-issue, even the traumas of childhood do not exist. The framing of the story is set in a sterile and futuristic (AD 3000) United States that has an abundance of food, people and contentment. Maybe too much contentment.
Tales of Nevèrÿon by Samuel R. Delany. P.264. G L B
Delany wastes no time creating a world of danger, passion, and power. The characters are believable, engaging and the center of attention. The nicely paced storyline connects the individual experiences of the characters to a moment of triumph over slavery and prejudice. Framed in land of swords and dragons Delany proposes that the really dragons are within humans’ thirst for power and dominance.
The Wild Swans by Peg Kerr. P. 446. G
Kerr intertwines a 17th century and a 20th century fairy tale, drawing attention to social fears and prejudices as well as human love. The nicely paced stories pass from current to past with ease. The characters are believable, easy to relate to and the focus of the story. The storyline is rooted in the folktale curse of brothers turned into swans and the modern day curse of AIDS. The frame is dark as death looms over all of the characters, yet love is a dominate emotion which ties together a fairytale atmosphere with hope and promise.
The Chosen by Ricardo Pinto. P. 510. G
Pinto spins a tale of mystic intrigue, of classism, family, love, and even exile. The pace of the story is faster than most fantasies which creates a gripping and fast read despite the size of the book. The characters are the heart of the story yet the reader will enjoy letting their imagination loose on in the landscape that Pinto has created. The storyline is rooted in a fantasy world of rules, classism, love and hate from different perspectives. The story is framed in a world of power and grace as well as greed and passion.
If Pinto is the story teller for you or your patrons you will be happy to know that The Chosen is just book one of The Stone Dance of the Chameleon series. Book two is The Standing Dead and book three is The Third God.
Dhalgren by Samuel R. Delany. P. 801. B
Ending much how the story begins Delany’s Dhalgren implies to the reader that it is the events in the middle of a book that make a story. The story begins at and retains a steady pace with some peaks in tempo along the way. The characters and the place in which they live, or have come to, are practically equals to the storyline and in fact are the story itself. The storyline is based partially on the protagonist’s amnesia as well as an awakening that both the protagonists and the reader are just realizing or maybe never fully do. The framing of the story is setting in the US but the landscapes and environments will feel foreign and familiar at the same time. Delany uses Dhalgren to explore and examine place, race, gender, class, and sexuality from an unlimited perspective that Science Fiction provides.
Swordspoint: A Melodrama of Manners by Ellen Kushner. P.286. G L B
Kushner tells of swordfights, glory and love in Swordspoint. The story unfolds in a veiled tension of death and love. The characters slowly reveal their true natures and identities as the passions unfold. The storyline is one of survival at sword point as well as survival of the human heart. The framing is an alternative to the renaissance we think of in history; yet it is so believable, reality looks false.
If you are looking for a follow up to Swordspoint, have no fear Kushner wrote a second book The Privilege of the Sword in 2007.
