Boys, Beasts and Men

eBook

English language

Published June 13, 2022 by Tachyon Publications.

ISBN:
9781616963736

View on OpenLibrary

5 stars (1 review)

Despite his ability to control the ambient digital cloud, a foster teen falls for a clever con-man. Luring bullies to a quarry, a boy takes clearly enumerated revenge through unnatural powers of suggestion. In the aftermath of a shapeshifting alien invasion, a survivor fears that he brought something out of the Arctic to infect the rest of the world. A rebellious group of queer artists create a new identity that transcends even the anonymity of death.

Sam J. Miller (Blackfish City, The Art of Starving) shows his savage wit, unrelenting candor, and lush imagery in this essential career retrospective collection, taking his place alongside legends of the short-fiction form such as Carmen Maria Machado, Carson McCullers, and Jeff VanderMeer.

3 editions

Raw, powerful, joyful, relevant

5 stars

I rarely rate a book 5 stars. But I was incredibly and forcefully moved by the stories in “Boys, Beasts and Men.” For some odd reason I hadn’t come across Sam Miller’s work until a recent interview (I think) in Clarkesworld. These stories struck me like a bolt of lightning. It feels so good to read direct and transgressive gay literature that feels so raw, intense and intelligent. I don’t think I’ve felt this strongly about a book since reading Samuel R Delaney’s novels.

No spoilers. Just read this book!