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Future Histories
Future Transgender Sci-Fi Erotica is a compilation of tales from three nearby futures. In “ToyGirls of the Personal Genome,” we visit a society in which transsexuals are admired, if objectified, while intersex individuals are cast off as third-class citizens. The world of “The Travesties” is one in which gender has become fluid for some, but the ability to shift from male to female and back again is denounced and feared by the medical establishment. Finally, “They Called Me Hijra” takes the reader to India of the future, where the “hijra,” India’s once-revered third gender, have been all but whitewashed out of existence. The remaining hijra hide in seclusion, known only to those who visit them in the night.
- GenresTransgender
52 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2011
About the author
Giselle Renarde
816 books115 followersEroticist, environmentalist, and pastry enthusiast Giselle Renarde is a proud Canadian, supporter of the arts, and activist for women’s and LGBT rights. For Giselle, a perfect day involves watching a snowstorm rage outside with a cup of tea in one hand and a chocolate truffle in the other. Ms Renarde lives across from a park with two bilingual cats who sleep on her head.
The best way to keep up with Giselle's career in erotic fiction, as well as her desirous commentary and hyper-analysis of every facet of social existence, is to visit her Donuts and Desires blog at http://donutsdesires.blogspot.com.
Select blog posts exploring topics of gender and transgender are also available as podcasts at http://gisellerenarde.podbean.com/
For more information on Giselle and her work, visit her website at http://www.wix.com/gisellerenarde/ero...
The best way to keep up with Giselle's career in erotic fiction, as well as her desirous commentary and hyper-analysis of every facet of social existence, is to visit her Donuts and Desires blog at http://donutsdesires.blogspot.com.
Select blog posts exploring topics of gender and transgender are also available as podcasts at http://gisellerenarde.podbean.com/
For more information on Giselle and her work, visit her website at http://www.wix.com/gisellerenarde/ero...
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
March 11, 2011
Giselle Renarde is a wonderful author with an instinctive flair for writing realistic characters to whom readers can easily relate. No matter how fantastic or commonplace the setting, her characters draw us in, make us feel welcome, and gently encourage us to enjoy ourselves. The settings and storylines of Future Histories are definitely among the most fantastic Giselle has written, and the exploration of gender and sexuality is both deeper and broader than ever before. Once again, it’s the characters who encourage us to embrace the new and the unusual, as opposed to being distanced or alienated by it.
ToyGirls of the Personal Genome is a beautiful story of a lonely lesbian who decides to take a chance on contacting a ToyGirl from the personal ads. In this future, ToyGirls are genetically engineered boys who have been extensively feminized for the sole purpose of serving as Geisha-like transsexual companions. To say too much about what Roisin encounters, and what she learns about herself, would be to ruin the magic of the story. Instead, I will just say this is classic Giselle – sweet, romantic, tender, and completely rewarding.
The Travesties is a darker story, but one that also delves more deeply into the fantastic. In this future, environmental pollution has given rise to a new breed of humanity, one for which gender is entirely fluid. Sadly, humanity itself has not evolved much beyond the present, and these new ‘mutations’ (demeaningly referred to as Travestites) are ostracised for being different. The story here is both sad and uplifting, bringing together a young man with the open heart and open mind, and a suicidal Travesty in desperate need of his love.
They Called Me Hijra, the final story in the collection, is probably the most realistic of all three . . . not that it’s a future I hope we ever see. In a future where the success of the call centre industry has led to the Indian culture being forcibly Westernized, the once spiritually revered Hijra cast have been all-but destroyed and forced into hiding. The story here is tender and personal, with two experienced Hijra coming together to heal, nurture, and welcome the newest member of their community. Although heartbreaking in places, it’s also the story with the happiest ending.
Overall, the themes here are of fluidity and choice. Gender and sexuality are neither solely attributes of birth, nor the product of societal conditioning. Instead, they are deeply personal aspects of individual identity, as wondrous and as diverse as the people expressing them. These are stories that entertain and arouse, but they are also stories that make you think. I loved each and every one of them, and sincerely hope you’ll take a chance on sharing that joy.
ToyGirls of the Personal Genome is a beautiful story of a lonely lesbian who decides to take a chance on contacting a ToyGirl from the personal ads. In this future, ToyGirls are genetically engineered boys who have been extensively feminized for the sole purpose of serving as Geisha-like transsexual companions. To say too much about what Roisin encounters, and what she learns about herself, would be to ruin the magic of the story. Instead, I will just say this is classic Giselle – sweet, romantic, tender, and completely rewarding.
The Travesties is a darker story, but one that also delves more deeply into the fantastic. In this future, environmental pollution has given rise to a new breed of humanity, one for which gender is entirely fluid. Sadly, humanity itself has not evolved much beyond the present, and these new ‘mutations’ (demeaningly referred to as Travestites) are ostracised for being different. The story here is both sad and uplifting, bringing together a young man with the open heart and open mind, and a suicidal Travesty in desperate need of his love.
They Called Me Hijra, the final story in the collection, is probably the most realistic of all three . . . not that it’s a future I hope we ever see. In a future where the success of the call centre industry has led to the Indian culture being forcibly Westernized, the once spiritually revered Hijra cast have been all-but destroyed and forced into hiding. The story here is tender and personal, with two experienced Hijra coming together to heal, nurture, and welcome the newest member of their community. Although heartbreaking in places, it’s also the story with the happiest ending.
Overall, the themes here are of fluidity and choice. Gender and sexuality are neither solely attributes of birth, nor the product of societal conditioning. Instead, they are deeply personal aspects of individual identity, as wondrous and as diverse as the people expressing them. These are stories that entertain and arouse, but they are also stories that make you think. I loved each and every one of them, and sincerely hope you’ll take a chance on sharing that joy.
Displaying 1 of 1 review