These Fragile Graces, This Fugitive Heart

January 8, 2024
A queer anarchist commune in near-future Kansas City is threatened by corporate espionage in this fun and well-paced neo-noir cyberpunk adventure from Wasserstein (All the Hometowns You Can’t Stay Away From). Theodora “Dora” Madsen lives in “self-imposed exile” from the commune she once called home, but when her ex-girlfriend, Kay, is found dead of an apparent overdose, Dora, suspicious, is compelled to investigate. Now an outsider to the tight-knit community, her investigations raise echoes of the conflict that led to her departure, and call into question the very principles on which the commune was founded. Can Dora discover the truth without tearing apart the community that sheltered her when she needed it most—and before someone else gets hurt? Wasserstein makes clever use of genre tropes, including clones, snappy noir-style dialogue, and the damaged, insomniac detective archetype. With a complex and enjoyably flawed trans protagonist and a portrayal of queer life that goes deeper than casual representation, this marks Wasserstein as a voice to watch out for in LGBTQ science fiction. Agent: Dorian Maffei, Kimberley Cameron & Assoc.

February 15, 2024
In this gritty thriller set in a future Kansas City, a trans woman named Dora investigates the death of her ex-girlfriend Kay. The book begins as an effective murder mystery, with Dora--a security specialist and unofficial detective--suspecting Kay was killed by someone in the tightknit commune Dora had been part of years ago. But it turns into much more as her investigation progresses and visions of the past resurface. To find out what happened to Kay, Dora must regain the trust of community members she left behind following a furious disagreement over her proposed security measures, which conflicted with the community's guiding principles of anarchic self-determination. Before Dora can get a handle on anything, a new drug circulates in the community, more people go missing, a feud between major corporations threatens the commune, and she is confronted with a most unexpected assailant--Theo, a clone of her pre-transition self. Classic genre tropes, including an impulsive, damaged detective and noir-style dialogue, are expanded through a trans protagonist and the complex relationship she develops with her pre-transition clone--a most delightful surprise of a character. Dora's rogue independence and search for answers are problematized by Theo's existence and strong will to live. Within a twisted conspiracy thriller is a compelling slice of queer life, uninterested in simple representation. An irresistible afterword will leave readers eager for more from Wasserstein. This book is perfect for anyone interested in community politics, body politics, the craft of writing, or a page-turning thriller. A noir that explores crime, security, gender, and selfhood.

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Starred review from January 26, 2024

DEBUT A trans woman confronts her past along with the person she might have been in this queer, noir technothriller set in a near-future, dystopian Kansas City. Dora's ex-girlfriend is dead, and her old commune expects her to return and solve the crime. But it's not merely a murder, and it's not a result of any of the standard motives, nor is the perpetrator any of the usual suspects. Instead, Dora finds a scientist operating an illegal cloning facility, trying to create easily programmable, disposable lab rats and super soldiers while also creating additional versions of Dora the way he wants her to be: obedient, worshipful, and unequivocally male. Dora has to literally plumb the depths of her city, her past relationships, and her present psyche in order to eliminate a threat she never imagined. The murder case is the best kind of technothriller, getting deeper into the guts of the tech and the skulls in the corporate skullduggery while putting the reader into the heart and soul of an investigator who can't stop trying to save the day for everybody else. VERDICT Recommended for SF readers who love a good mystery, can't resist a queer romance, and adore seeing a corporate conspiracy unraveled and undone.--Marlene Harris

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