{"id":334643,"date":"2025-12-08T10:34:59","date_gmt":"2025-12-08T10:34:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/uncategorized\/non-binary-authors-to-read-july-2021\/"},"modified":"2025-12-08T10:34:59","modified_gmt":"2025-12-08T10:34:59","slug":"non-binary-authors-to-read-july-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=334643","title":{"rendered":"Non-Binary Authors To Read: July 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thebooksmugglers.com\/category\/smuggler-specialties\/non-binary-authors-to-read\">Non-Binary Authors To Read<\/a>\u00a0is a regular column from A.C. Wise highlighting non-binary authors of speculative fiction and recommending a starting place for their work.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"400\" data-attachment-id=\"43068\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thebooksmugglers.com\/2018\/03\/non-binary-authors-read-march-2018.html\/non-binary-authors-to-read\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thebooksmugglers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/non-binary-authors-to-read.png?fit=800%2C800&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"800,800\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Non-binary authors to read\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thebooksmugglers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/non-binary-authors-to-read.png?fit=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thebooksmugglers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/non-binary-authors-to-read.png?fit=400%2C400&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-43068\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thebooksmugglers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/non-binary-authors-to-read.png?resize=400%2C400&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thebooksmugglers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/non-binary-authors-to-read.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thebooksmugglers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/non-binary-authors-to-read.png?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thebooksmugglers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/non-binary-authors-to-read.png?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"522\" height=\"71\" data-attachment-id=\"42656\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thebooksmugglers.com\/2018\/01\/women-to-read-where-to-start-january-2018.html\/untitled-design-5\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thebooksmugglers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Untitled-design.png?fit=522%2C71&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"522,71\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Divider\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thebooksmugglers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Untitled-design.png?fit=300%2C41&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thebooksmugglers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Untitled-design.png?fit=400%2C54&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-42656\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thebooksmugglers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Untitled-design.png?w=522&amp;ssl=1 522w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thebooksmugglers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Untitled-design.png?resize=300%2C41&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thebooksmugglers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Untitled-design.png?resize=262%2C36&amp;ssl=1 262w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 522px) 100vw, 522px\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Welcome back to Non-Binary Authors to Read! To my great shame, I let both this column, and its sibling column, Women to Read, lapse in the first half of the year. I don\u2019t really have a good excuse.\u00a0I\u2019ve still been reading\u00a0tons of fantastic fiction\u00a0that\u00a0I want to bring to people\u2019s attention, but\u00a0somehow\u00a0I blinked and half the year is gone. But, better late than never!\u00a0So\u00a0without further delay, here are four new\u00a0recommendations\u00a0for your reading pleasure.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Richard Ford Burley<\/strong>\u00a0is a speculative fiction author and poet, as well as Deputy Managing Editor of the journal\u00a0<em>Ledger.<\/em>\u00a0My recommended starting place for their work is\u00a0\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/kaleidotrope.net\/summer-2021\/the-stealing-gift-by-richard-ford-burley\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Stealing Gift<\/a>\u201d\u00a0published in the Summer 2021 issue of\u00a0<em>Kaleidotrope<\/em>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"203\" data-attachment-id=\"45887\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thebooksmugglers.com\/2021\/07\/non-binary-authors-to-read-july-2021.html\/kaleidotrope\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thebooksmugglers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kaleidotrope.jpg?fit=1600%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1600,300\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Kaleidotrope\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thebooksmugglers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kaleidotrope.jpg?fit=300%2C56&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thebooksmugglers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kaleidotrope.jpg?fit=400%2C75&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-45887\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thebooksmugglers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kaleidotrope.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thebooksmugglers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kaleidotrope.jpg?resize=300%2C56&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thebooksmugglers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kaleidotrope.jpg?resize=400%2C75&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thebooksmugglers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kaleidotrope.jpg?resize=1536%2C288&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thebooksmugglers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kaleidotrope.jpg?resize=1080%2C203&amp;ssl=1 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Thea is a war hero, or so the narratives about her claim. She\u2019s retired now, but once\u00a0she used her Gift to stop a bombardment of shells and bombs, saving hundreds of lives, though\u00a0at the cost of her vision. Max, a former friend and the journalist who contributed to her legend, and Esme, an army Engineer whose own Gift allows her to use technology to replicate the\u00a0Gifts of others, have come to\u00a0beg\u00a0Thea to explain how she did what she did in\u00a0hopes of\u00a0saving\u00a0more lives and maybe even ending\u00a0the war.\u00a0<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em>She closes her eyes again, remembering what she\u2019d done with her Gift that day. She can still see the wall of shimmering, golden light, the brilliant incendiary explosion she couldn\u2019t look away from\u2014that she\u2019ll never be able to look away from again. And she remembers the way that Max and the other embedded press had reported it. \u201cThea White, National Hero,\u201d the newspapers had proclaimed. But the headlines were as accurate at the stories that followed. As they\u2019d squawked on about Heroism and the National War Effort and her Great Sacrifice, they\u2019d never once managed to approach the truth.<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The story is at once beautifully-written and heartbreaking, examining the cost of war, and the narratives\u00a0surrounding\u00a0it that forward a\u00a0picture\u00a0of heroism while denying individuals their lived truths of grief, guilt, and\u00a0suffering. Thea\u00a0has already given all can for the war, and lost so much, yet the world wants more of her. From the outside, her refusal looks like selfishness, or cowardice. The\u00a0popular\u00a0narrative of\u00a0her\u00a0great heroism only increases her own feelings of powerless and guilt, as if she should be able to stop the war, save more lives, and protect those that matter to her, but she cannot.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In contrast to Thea\u2019s suffering, Esme could easily have been a flat character caught up in idealism and believing the propaganda fed to her. However, Burley gives us something more nuanced \u2013 a character who still holds on to hope, who genuinely wants to help others, and who sees Thea\u2019s pain and wants to help her as well. Neither of them\u00a0are\u00a0wrong, and the understanding they build over the course of the story adds another layer of richness.\u00a0While the subject matter is painful, dealing with loss, survivor\u2019s guilt, PTSD, and the horrors of war, the darkness is balanced with characters caring about each other and genuinely desiring to do good in the world.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Kel Coleman<\/strong>\u00a0is an author and editor, and my recommended starting place for their work is a bit of a cheat as I\u2019m recommending a\u00a0\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.diabolicalplots.com\/dp-fiction-72b-a-study-of-sage-by-kel-coleman\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">A Study of Sage<\/a>\u201d\u00a0published\u00a0at\u00a0<em>Diabolical Plots<\/em>\u00a0in February, paired with \u201cDelete Your First Memory for Free\u201d published\u00a0in\u00a0<em>Fiyah<\/em>\u00a0<em>Magazine #17<\/em>.\u00a0As I already reviewed \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/apex-magazine.com\/words-for-thought-may-2021\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Delete Your First Memory for Free<\/a>\u201d in my May 2021 Words for Thought column in\u00a0<em>Apex Magazine<\/em>,\u00a0I\u2019ll focus on \u201cA Study of Sage\u201d here,\u00a0while touching\u00a0on why the\u00a0stories\u00a0make for excellent paired reading.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA Study of Sage\u201d\u00a0opens with the main character using a simulation to practice breaking up with their girlfriend, Sage.\u00a0But no matter how many times they try,\u00a0nothing ever seems to go right \u2013 they end up feeling clumsy, guilty, apologizing, wanting to take Sage back and smooth things over. All the\u00a0while, Sage delivers passive-aggressive comments\u00a0and\u00a0cutting remarks, twisting the protagonist\u2019s words and making them feel small.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em>I don\u2019t remember the exact words, how she explained that I needed her more than she\u2019d ever needed me, but each syllable pecked and nipped until I was shredded. I tried to dredge up the script from dozens of simulations, reply with something smart and insightful, but the real Sage was more vicious than the designers could\u2019ve gleaned from her social media profiles or my account of our relationship. I hadn\u2019t seen her clearly, not after six years, not even near the end.<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The story pairs nicely with \u201cDelete Your First Memory for Free\u201d in that both showcase Coleman\u2019s talent for stories with incredibly personal stakes, where technology is used in an innovative way to solve one person\u2019s problem. There are no apocalypses on the horizon; humanity is not at stake, and maybe no one else will even notice the change wrought by the story\u2019s end, but to the protagonists of both\u00a0tales, the change matters deeply. It\u2019s an intimate\u00a0kind\u00a0of storytelling that we don\u2019t always see in science fiction.\u00a0Stories\u00a0where protagonists employ technology to save their community, or even the world at large,\u00a0are lovely too, but\u00a0it\u2019s nice to see\u00a0a story\u00a0one person\u2019s life is altered and it is enough. Coleman does small-scope stakes very effectively, underlining\u00a0that stories\u00a0whose events\u00a0impact just one person\u00a0are\u00a0still well-worth telling.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"45888\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thebooksmugglers.com\/2021\/07\/non-binary-authors-to-read-july-2021.html\/ff4-cover-screenshot\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thebooksmugglers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/FF4-Cover-Screenshot.jpg?fit=768%2C996&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"768,996\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"FF4-Cover-Screenshot\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thebooksmugglers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/FF4-Cover-Screenshot.jpg?fit=231%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thebooksmugglers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/FF4-Cover-Screenshot.jpg?fit=400%2C519&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-45888\" width=\"576\" height=\"747\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thebooksmugglers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/FF4-Cover-Screenshot.jpg?w=768&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thebooksmugglers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/FF4-Cover-Screenshot.jpg?resize=231%2C300&amp;ssl=1 231w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thebooksmugglers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/FF4-Cover-Screenshot.jpg?resize=400%2C519&amp;ssl=1 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>M.\u00a0B. Hare<\/strong>\u00a0is an author of weird fiction, and my recommended starting place for their work is\u00a0\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fusionfragment.com\/issue-4\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">You, Tearing Me Apart on Stage<\/a>\u201d published in\u00a0<em>Fusion Fragment\u00a0#4.\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Terry Weldon is a pop icon, forever\u00a0young-looking through a variety of enhancements, and forever beautiful. Every aspect of his life, his image, and his career is heavily managed.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em>Brand consistency is what sells me. Biweekly hormone suppression. Luxury iris reconfiguration. Hair re-glossing, liposuction, selective liquification pills. A carefully curated avatar in\u00a0meatspace\u00a0and the digital that maintains broad demographic appeal without appearing to change over the years in any significant way.\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Celebrity holds little appeal anymore, but neither does real life. Terry goes through the motions every night, performing as if watching someone else. Then one night he receives an invitation to a club on a shady server. Even knowing it\u2019s a bad idea, he goes\u00a0for the sheer fact that it\u2019s something different and new, only to discover that the club\u2019s specialty is virtual celebrities, including John Lennon, Britney Spears, and himself, who die and or dismember themselves on stage in a gory and\u00a0realistic\u00a0fashion\u00a0in front of a wildly cheering crowd.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a short and powerful story that explores the dark side of celebrity and the idea that their bodies and lives are public\u00a0property. A nude pictures leaks, and the celebrity themself is blamed. Paparazzi follow them everywhere, and if they dare complain, they\u2019re\u00a0called\u00a0ungrateful. They\u2019ve\u00a0been paid\u00a0in fame and recognition\u00a0and therefore\u00a0owe the public access to every single aspect of their lives. Hare takes this\u00a0line\u00a0of thinking\u00a0to the extreme, as Terry\u2019s image is literally dissected for the pleasure of the crowd, and of course, it\u2019s Terry doing it to himself, because who does he have but himself to blame? By being famous, he asked for this.\u00a0He\u2019s made himself into a commodity for his fans\u2019 approval, who is he to object when he\u2019s consumed? It\u2019s\u00a0an\u00a0effective exploration of the ways in which the line between public and private, product and producer, can blur, and the unhealthy relationships that can develop between fans and content creators.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"960\" data-attachment-id=\"45889\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thebooksmugglers.com\/2021\/07\/non-binary-authors-to-read-july-2021.html\/anathema-may-2021\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thebooksmugglers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Anathema-May-2021.jpg?fit=640%2C960&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"640,960\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Anathema-May-2021\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thebooksmugglers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Anathema-May-2021.jpg?fit=200%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thebooksmugglers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Anathema-May-2021.jpg?fit=400%2C600&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-45889\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thebooksmugglers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Anathema-May-2021.jpg?w=640&amp;ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thebooksmugglers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Anathema-May-2021.jpg?resize=200%2C300&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thebooksmugglers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Anathema-May-2021.jpg?resize=400%2C600&amp;ssl=1 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Nhamo<\/strong>\u00a0is an author of dark, speculative fiction, and my\u00a0recommended starting place for their work is\u00a0\u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/www.anathemamag.com\/before-whom-evil-trembles\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Before Whom Evil Trembles<\/a>\u201d\u00a0published in\u00a0<em>Anathema\u00a0Magazine<\/em>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This story pairs nicely with Hare\u2019s, showing another side of celebrity, and the darkness \u2013 both metaphorical and literal \u2013 that can lie behind a public persona. The protagonist is a ballerina, relentlessly driven and highly successful, but behind the fa\u00e7ade of her success, her life is miserable. When she was a child, her mother was murdered, reduced in the headlines to a \u201cdead prostitute\u201d. Her mother\u2019s profession, murder, and the fact that she\u2019s Arabic lead the ballerina to be bullied as a child\u00a0and mean\u00a0she has\u00a0to work at least twice as hard\u00a0for every scrap of success.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Even now, those around her primarily perceive her worth based on her skill as a dancer; she is still treated with suspicion, questioned as to whether she belongs when staying in a hotel with the rest of the company, viewed as an outsider and possibly a criminal due to the color of her skin. She is not seen as a human being, rather as a dancer or a threat, depending on who is perceiving her, until ultimately\u00a0it is revealed that she may indeed\u00a0something more than human after all.\u00a0<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em>The fur begins to sprout about your neck and face while you stand in the center of the stage, struck prostrate. En pointe. The toes that form the foundation of your grace\u2014battered, bruised, black beneath satin slippers. Black with and without the bruising.<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The story is\u00a0full of striking imagery and beautiful, poetic language. As with Hare\u2019s story, Nhamo\u2019s explores public versus private identity, but also the question of a person\u2019s worth and the way people are too often valued by what they can do for others, rather than being valued for themselves. The story also looks at ideas of monstrousness and beauty, and what is considered acceptable in society\u00a0(the monstrous ballerinas\u00a0and their treatment of the protagonist)\u00a0and what is\u00a0not (the supernatural nature of the protagonist, and her mere existence as a brown woman).\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ll try not to let things go so long before the next column, but in the meantime, I hope you enjoy these stories. Happy reading!\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><h3 class=\"jp-relatedposts-headline\"><em>YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE<\/em><\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Non-Binary Authors To Read\u00a0is a regular column from A.C. Wise highlighting non-binary authors of speculative fiction and recommending a starting place for their work. Welcome back to Non-Binary Authors to Read! To my great shame, I let both this column, and its sibling column, Women to Read, lapse in the first half of the year. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":334644,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[119905,130275,159845,159848,100879,159846,159847],"tags":[4297,5762,5268,159849,159850,159853,3480,159851,61484,159852],"dealstore":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-334643","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lists","category-non-binary","category-non-binary-authors-to-read","category-short-fiction","category-short-stories","category-smuggler-army","category-smuggler-specialties","tag-authors","tag-july","tag-lists","tag-non-binary","tag-non-binary-authors-to-read","tag-nonbinary","tag-read","tag-short-fiction","tag-short-stories","tag-smuggler-army"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Non-Binary Authors To Read: July 2021 - Som2ny Network<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=334643\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Non-Binary Authors To Read: July 2021 - Som2ny Network\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Non-Binary Authors To Read\u00a0is a regular column from A.C. 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