What do you think?
Rate this book
Changelings: An Autistic Trans Anthology
Nothing about us without us!
A young adult anthology of stories about trans autistic characters by trans autistic authors. These last few years have been difficult for the transgender community. This has included frequent attacks on autistic trans people, claiming we can't possibly understand who we are or what we want. This book focuses on autistic trans masc and non-binary people telling our own stories. It aims to explore autistic trans joy and challenges and to show all the autistic trans people out there that they are not alone.
A young shepherd gets a glimpse of what could have been, but all is not as it seems.
A babysitter is tasked to take care of an unusual child, and discovers who they are in the process.
In a dystopian future, a teenager discovers a supposedly extinct animal on a beach.
Featuring stories from 13 authors including a story from New York Times bestselling author Andrew Joseph White.
A young adult anthology of stories about trans autistic characters by trans autistic authors. These last few years have been difficult for the transgender community. This has included frequent attacks on autistic trans people, claiming we can't possibly understand who we are or what we want. This book focuses on autistic trans masc and non-binary people telling our own stories. It aims to explore autistic trans joy and challenges and to show all the autistic trans people out there that they are not alone.
A young shepherd gets a glimpse of what could have been, but all is not as it seems.
A babysitter is tasked to take care of an unusual child, and discovers who they are in the process.
In a dystopian future, a teenager discovers a supposedly extinct animal on a beach.
Featuring stories from 13 authors including a story from New York Times bestselling author Andrew Joseph White.
346 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2023
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
Read
August 2, 2023I'm not rating this because anthologies are hard to rate, especially a project like this one. I've read a lot of short stories lately so I feel like I have a good grasp on what works or not in short stories.
That being said, as a trans autistic person I'm glad this anthology exists. However, it's obvious that while the editors and authors care about diversity, the authors aren't really representative of that. But more on that later.
I apologise as some comments on the stories may come off as mean and that's not my intention. Some stories just didn't grab my attention and that is a personal thing. What doesn't work for me often works for others.
On the different stories:
- The Door by Laurie Doyle: 3 stars
A mysterious door appears in the protagonist bedroom. There's a "hole" metaphor with the door and acceptance but it didn't really work on me. Overall I struggled to get hooked into this story
Vanishing Names by Mary Buffaloe
Babysitter in Arkansas. To enjoy it would require me to love the rural US more but it would work on other people.
A story about names.
Fate Turns the Light On by Rafaella Rul: 2 stars
Scifi that left me thinking Uh what ?
A Chrysalis for the Emperor by Briar Ripley Page: 4.5 stars
Bug metaphor. Not a lot of thoughts but I enjoyed what it offered
Dont Play With My Heart by Ray Rhys Philips: 2 stars
Extremely unremarkable
The Doll in the Ripped Universe by Jennifer Lee Rossman: 3 stars because I like the concept but I've seen it before better done.
It is Nino cipri's the shape of my name but less good/impactful
On Belonging by Ryan Vale
There was magic
Honestly I don't know couldn't keep my attention
Riftmaster
?
Mizmor L’David by Dorian Yosef Weber 5 stars
My absolute favourite of the anthology I will check out more of his work later.
It has Dybbuk as autism and it's Very engaging. I really enjoyed reading it.
The ghost on Oxford Street by Riley Swan: 4 stars
engaging but didn't necessarily felt amazing, maybe lacking of more of an emotional impact through the writing
It does haveT4t lesbians and is on australian lgbt history
Hyacinths & Other Purple Plants by Alex Lakej 3.75
Two nonbinary school rivals. I don't like that a lot was skipper over/told to us
Who Were You, What Are You by Andrew Joseph White 3 stars
On toxic relationships. I'm a bit disappointed I expected it to be my favourite but there is a lot of value in this story for young trans gay guys in toxic relationships with cis guys. It was just not for me
Wandering stars by Isa Boog
The worldbuilding is interesting but it's based on a ttrpg so I assume that's not the author's worldbuilding. The rest did not grab my attention
I have said it before about the Transmogrify anthology so I will say it again here: it is a shame that a trans-inclusive project doesn't have any transfem contributors (as far as I know) ESPECIALLY since almost all the stories have a main character express that "they're not a girl/don't want to be seen as a girl" which as it turns out is not relatable to all trans people, especially trans women/certain transfeminine people (in an anthology for and by trans people). Yes there is the inclusion of one transfeminine person as a love interest. And that's all. But for a project that is for trans autistic authors that is a shame. Unlike Transmogrify which was a bigger trad pub project I know this was a Kickstarter. It's possible that the editors will tell me that they had no transfem contributions. And this is a failure on their part to interact online with the vibrant transfeminine writing circles. I know they are out there we are twitter mutuals. And yes some are autistic.
We know how the editor of transmogrify reacted to people bringing up criticism up so i hope me making this point will go down better. I hope it does.
[It's hard to tell online but most of the contributors are white as well I believe? It's a shame that a project that champions diversity fails to represent the more marginalised people in its community]
That being said, as a trans autistic person I'm glad this anthology exists. However, it's obvious that while the editors and authors care about diversity, the authors aren't really representative of that. But more on that later.
I apologise as some comments on the stories may come off as mean and that's not my intention. Some stories just didn't grab my attention and that is a personal thing. What doesn't work for me often works for others.
On the different stories:
- The Door by Laurie Doyle: 3 stars
A mysterious door appears in the protagonist bedroom. There's a "hole" metaphor with the door and acceptance but it didn't really work on me. Overall I struggled to get hooked into this story
Vanishing Names by Mary Buffaloe
Babysitter in Arkansas. To enjoy it would require me to love the rural US more but it would work on other people.
A story about names.
Fate Turns the Light On by Rafaella Rul: 2 stars
Scifi that left me thinking Uh what ?
A Chrysalis for the Emperor by Briar Ripley Page: 4.5 stars
Bug metaphor. Not a lot of thoughts but I enjoyed what it offered
Dont Play With My Heart by Ray Rhys Philips: 2 stars
Extremely unremarkable
The Doll in the Ripped Universe by Jennifer Lee Rossman: 3 stars because I like the concept but I've seen it before better done.
It is Nino cipri's the shape of my name but less good/impactful
On Belonging by Ryan Vale
There was magic
Honestly I don't know couldn't keep my attention
Riftmaster
?
Mizmor L’David by Dorian Yosef Weber 5 stars
My absolute favourite of the anthology I will check out more of his work later.
It has Dybbuk as autism and it's Very engaging. I really enjoyed reading it.
The ghost on Oxford Street by Riley Swan: 4 stars
engaging but didn't necessarily felt amazing, maybe lacking of more of an emotional impact through the writing
It does haveT4t lesbians and is on australian lgbt history
Hyacinths & Other Purple Plants by Alex Lakej 3.75
Two nonbinary school rivals. I don't like that a lot was skipper over/told to us
Who Were You, What Are You by Andrew Joseph White 3 stars
On toxic relationships. I'm a bit disappointed I expected it to be my favourite but there is a lot of value in this story for young trans gay guys in toxic relationships with cis guys. It was just not for me
Wandering stars by Isa Boog
The worldbuilding is interesting but it's based on a ttrpg so I assume that's not the author's worldbuilding. The rest did not grab my attention
I have said it before about the Transmogrify anthology so I will say it again here: it is a shame that a trans-inclusive project doesn't have any transfem contributors (as far as I know) ESPECIALLY since almost all the stories have a main character express that "they're not a girl/don't want to be seen as a girl" which as it turns out is not relatable to all trans people, especially trans women/certain transfeminine people (in an anthology for and by trans people). Yes there is the inclusion of one transfeminine person as a love interest. And that's all. But for a project that is for trans autistic authors that is a shame. Unlike Transmogrify which was a bigger trad pub project I know this was a Kickstarter. It's possible that the editors will tell me that they had no transfem contributions. And this is a failure on their part to interact online with the vibrant transfeminine writing circles. I know they are out there we are twitter mutuals. And yes some are autistic.
We know how the editor of transmogrify reacted to people bringing up criticism up so i hope me making this point will go down better. I hope it does.
[It's hard to tell online but most of the contributors are white as well I believe? It's a shame that a project that champions diversity fails to represent the more marginalised people in its community]
December 11, 2023
I love the idea of this anthology and I can’t bear to rate it lower than 4 starts as an autistic trans person, but I didn’t actually like the anthology as much as I had hoped.
I was one of the kickstarter backers so I bought the book before I knew who the writers were and before it actually took form. And I don’t think there are any trans women in this? Which is ridiculous - if you want to focus on trans men and transmasc nonbinary people that’s fine, but call it a transmasc anthology rather than a trans one. If I missed a transfem author then I apologise, but my point still stands because of how big the disparity is. Then I was also a bit annoyed by how the book was released to the general public about a month before I got my copy, and I understand that delays happen, but backers should have received an electronic version as compensation. And finally, minor point, but man I hate that cover. Vector covers in general are not a style that I enjoy but there are well made vector covers and then there’s this. I’m sorry for being mean but I don’t think I’ve ever disliked a cover as much as this one 😭
The stories themselves - I’ll only mention the ones that stood out to me in a positive way. Mizmor L’David is fantastic (trans autistic reinterpretation of a dybbuk + other Jewish folklore!) and I’ll definitely be checking out more from that author. Well written, original and very moving - exactly what I hope for from any short story. I also really liked Who are you, Who were you by Andrew Joseph White - I was very excited for a new AJW story and I’m glad this one didn’t disappoint!
Others that were pretty good: A Chrystalsis for an Emperor (basically a trans autistic metamorphosis in the Kafka sense), The Ghost in Oxford Street (a touching story about queer history), and Hyacinths and Other Purple Plants (a sweet exploration of a relationship between two autistic teenagers).
The majority of the stories honestly didn’t capture my attention in any way and mostly were just meh - either because the concept was unoriginal, or they seemed a bit too simple or predictable. I know anthologies are always a mixed bag, but I think my enjoyment of this anthology was below average. If the subject matter weren’t close to my heart, I would have rated it 2.5/5.
I was one of the kickstarter backers so I bought the book before I knew who the writers were and before it actually took form. And I don’t think there are any trans women in this? Which is ridiculous - if you want to focus on trans men and transmasc nonbinary people that’s fine, but call it a transmasc anthology rather than a trans one. If I missed a transfem author then I apologise, but my point still stands because of how big the disparity is. Then I was also a bit annoyed by how the book was released to the general public about a month before I got my copy, and I understand that delays happen, but backers should have received an electronic version as compensation. And finally, minor point, but man I hate that cover. Vector covers in general are not a style that I enjoy but there are well made vector covers and then there’s this. I’m sorry for being mean but I don’t think I’ve ever disliked a cover as much as this one 😭
The stories themselves - I’ll only mention the ones that stood out to me in a positive way. Mizmor L’David is fantastic (trans autistic reinterpretation of a dybbuk + other Jewish folklore!) and I’ll definitely be checking out more from that author. Well written, original and very moving - exactly what I hope for from any short story. I also really liked Who are you, Who were you by Andrew Joseph White - I was very excited for a new AJW story and I’m glad this one didn’t disappoint!
Others that were pretty good: A Chrystalsis for an Emperor (basically a trans autistic metamorphosis in the Kafka sense), The Ghost in Oxford Street (a touching story about queer history), and Hyacinths and Other Purple Plants (a sweet exploration of a relationship between two autistic teenagers).
The majority of the stories honestly didn’t capture my attention in any way and mostly were just meh - either because the concept was unoriginal, or they seemed a bit too simple or predictable. I know anthologies are always a mixed bag, but I think my enjoyment of this anthology was below average. If the subject matter weren’t close to my heart, I would have rated it 2.5/5.
October 31, 2023
I read this anthology in a day, and that's a testament of how good and engaging the stories are, because it usually takes me ages to finish an anthology, mainly because there are always stories that just don't work for me. In this anthology, I really enjoyed almost all of the stories, and I thought all of them were good. I especially loved the sci-fi stories, which just worked for me the best, but I'm really impressed with the variety in genres.
Being both trans and autistic myself, it's not easy to find stories that represent me, so I've been excited for this anthology since I first heard about it, and it exceeded my expectations. I absolutely flew through this, and had such a good time reading this.
I do have to say I wish transfem authors had been included, because as it is, this anthology is not a good representation of the full trans spectrum. I've seen the editors address this as well, but I did want to mention it.
Many thanks to the editors for sending me a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
You can read my short reviews of the individual stories below.
Laurie Doyle - The Door 4/5
This story's opening piqued my interest right away. The writing felt solid, engaging, and I liked the little bit of suspense. The metaphor of opening a door to realize something about your identity felt a little too "in your face" though, I could have done with a little more subtlety on that front.
Mary Buffaloe - Vanishing Names 4/5
I thought this was a very interesting, well written story. It took me a while to figure out where it was going, but I was still engaged all throughout. I ended up really loving August and Lily (and Linus!!).
Rafaella Rul - Fate Turns the Light On 5/5
This was my favourite story in the anthology so far, and it's exhibit 182828 of why I should read sci-fi more often. I loved the setting of this (a boarding school on a space station!), the writing, but most importantly, the main character. Dax stole my heart immediately, and I found him so relatable.
Briar Ripley Page - A Chrysalis For the Emperor 4/5
This story was off to a rocky start for me, because of the opening scene, but once it really got started, I thought it was really good. It was a hard story to read because of the ableism, but I really liked the way this was approached.
Ray Rhys Phillips - Don't Play With My Heart 4/5
I knew I was going to enjoy this when I read the author's note, which talks about gatekeeping in nerd spaces and gatekeeping when it comes to special interests, and how having a special interest is about the intensity, not how much you know about it. I thought the story did a great job of communicating this message, and it was also just really fun to read.
Jennifer Lee Rossman - The Doll in the Ripped Universe 5/5
Wow, this was amazing. The sci-fi stories in this anthology are really my favourites so far. This was so incredibly well written and well paced, and even though I quickly understood who the mysterious person was, that never diminished the story's impact. Truly beautiful.
Ryan Vale - On Belonging 4/5
A trans autistic magic boarding school story? THANK YOU! This was a great story, and one that I would love to read a full novel about.
Miles Nelson - Those That Came First 3/5
This story is undeniably well written, but having no prior knowledge about the existing world and characters, it didn't work for me. I didn't feel invested in the story, and didn't get a good grasp on the characters and world building.
Dorian Yosef Weber - Mizmor L'David 4/5
I'm honestly impressed with how well written every single story in this anthology has been so far, and this was no exception. It follows a Jewish main character, which adds some more inclusivity to the anthology and was interesting to read.
Riley Swan - The Ghost on Oxford Street 5/5
This was a beautiful story about queer history and accepting yourself as queer enough. It wae so heartbreaking, but so beautiful.
Alex Lakej - Hyacinths & Other Purple Plants 4/5
I always love an academic rivals to lovers story, and this was no different. It had so many cute moments, and I loved the focus on Greek mythology.
Andrew Joseph White - Who Were You, What Are You 3/5
I'd fully expected this to be my favourite in the anthology, but unfortunately it didn't really work for me. There was just so much bigotry, and where I feel like that's extremely balanced out in Andrew Joseph White's novels, I didn't feel the same way here.
Isa Boog - Wandering Stars 5/5
Another sci-fi story, and another favourite. I loved the writing, and I think it's super impressive to be able to take existing world building from a roleplaying game, with your own original character that's not exclusive to the story, and make the story inviting and accessible for new readers. I absolutely loved the focus on animals in this setting.
Being both trans and autistic myself, it's not easy to find stories that represent me, so I've been excited for this anthology since I first heard about it, and it exceeded my expectations. I absolutely flew through this, and had such a good time reading this.
I do have to say I wish transfem authors had been included, because as it is, this anthology is not a good representation of the full trans spectrum. I've seen the editors address this as well, but I did want to mention it.
Many thanks to the editors for sending me a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
You can read my short reviews of the individual stories below.
Laurie Doyle - The Door 4/5
This story's opening piqued my interest right away. The writing felt solid, engaging, and I liked the little bit of suspense. The metaphor of opening a door to realize something about your identity felt a little too "in your face" though, I could have done with a little more subtlety on that front.
Mary Buffaloe - Vanishing Names 4/5
I thought this was a very interesting, well written story. It took me a while to figure out where it was going, but I was still engaged all throughout. I ended up really loving August and Lily (and Linus!!).
Rafaella Rul - Fate Turns the Light On 5/5
This was my favourite story in the anthology so far, and it's exhibit 182828 of why I should read sci-fi more often. I loved the setting of this (a boarding school on a space station!), the writing, but most importantly, the main character. Dax stole my heart immediately, and I found him so relatable.
Briar Ripley Page - A Chrysalis For the Emperor 4/5
This story was off to a rocky start for me, because of the opening scene, but once it really got started, I thought it was really good. It was a hard story to read because of the ableism, but I really liked the way this was approached.
Ray Rhys Phillips - Don't Play With My Heart 4/5
I knew I was going to enjoy this when I read the author's note, which talks about gatekeeping in nerd spaces and gatekeeping when it comes to special interests, and how having a special interest is about the intensity, not how much you know about it. I thought the story did a great job of communicating this message, and it was also just really fun to read.
Jennifer Lee Rossman - The Doll in the Ripped Universe 5/5
Wow, this was amazing. The sci-fi stories in this anthology are really my favourites so far. This was so incredibly well written and well paced, and even though I quickly understood who the mysterious person was, that never diminished the story's impact. Truly beautiful.
Ryan Vale - On Belonging 4/5
A trans autistic magic boarding school story? THANK YOU! This was a great story, and one that I would love to read a full novel about.
Miles Nelson - Those That Came First 3/5
This story is undeniably well written, but having no prior knowledge about the existing world and characters, it didn't work for me. I didn't feel invested in the story, and didn't get a good grasp on the characters and world building.
Dorian Yosef Weber - Mizmor L'David 4/5
I'm honestly impressed with how well written every single story in this anthology has been so far, and this was no exception. It follows a Jewish main character, which adds some more inclusivity to the anthology and was interesting to read.
Riley Swan - The Ghost on Oxford Street 5/5
This was a beautiful story about queer history and accepting yourself as queer enough. It wae so heartbreaking, but so beautiful.
Alex Lakej - Hyacinths & Other Purple Plants 4/5
I always love an academic rivals to lovers story, and this was no different. It had so many cute moments, and I loved the focus on Greek mythology.
Andrew Joseph White - Who Were You, What Are You 3/5
I'd fully expected this to be my favourite in the anthology, but unfortunately it didn't really work for me. There was just so much bigotry, and where I feel like that's extremely balanced out in Andrew Joseph White's novels, I didn't feel the same way here.
Isa Boog - Wandering Stars 5/5
Another sci-fi story, and another favourite. I loved the writing, and I think it's super impressive to be able to take existing world building from a roleplaying game, with your own original character that's not exclusive to the story, and make the story inviting and accessible for new readers. I absolutely loved the focus on animals in this setting.
July 15, 2023
I received an E-ARC for an honest review. Thank you so much!
4.5 Stars rounded down!
I adored this anthology. The trans joy woven into the narratives, the discussion of autism and neurodivergence, every bit of the content was wonderful. The strongest of the stories, and the one that made me cry, was Riley Swan's "The Ghost of Oxford Street." It's one of, it not the saddest, short story in the anthology, but it's tenderly written. There's so much love in it to and for the queer community. I don't want to spoil it, trying not to say too much, but it's so full of pride, love, our history, that my heart aches so much even re-reading it.
I also want to shout-out Andrew Joseph White's short story "Who Were You, What Are You." My first work of his was The Spirit Bares its Teeth, and his short stories are just as amazing as his books!
Also, there's a main character with neopronouns in the last story, which was absolutely wonderful to read! They're not seen in literature much still, and this story is a step in the right direction:)
However, and this was addressed on the official Twitter, there is a lack of trans feminine focused stories within the anthology. Linking the twitter thread here - https://twitter.com/ChangelingsA/stat...
Some stories have trans feminine individuals within them, but they are not front and center, they are not main characters, their experiences are absent from the narrative of the anthology as a result. Trans feminine individuals, especially autistic trans feminine people, deserve stories about them, about joy, about their lives, and it was disappointing that none of the stories were written about them. Trans masculine people desperately need and deserve stories too! And the stories in this anthology are near and dear to my heart. I only wish that there was more trans feminine representation in it too.
I am not trans feminine, I'm AFAB (aroace spectrum) and questioning my gender, but I've seen how limited the voices of trans feminine people are in publishing, especially in YA, and it's important to continue the conversation, and uplift their voices. I am in no way attacking the authors, (who I love quite a lot of them, such as Andrew Joseph White), or the editor. I simply want to bring up this.
Overall, I highly recommend this anthology. It's truly incredible, and the authors deserve all the praise in the world, they're phenomenal!
4.5 Stars rounded down!
I adored this anthology. The trans joy woven into the narratives, the discussion of autism and neurodivergence, every bit of the content was wonderful. The strongest of the stories, and the one that made me cry, was Riley Swan's "The Ghost of Oxford Street." It's one of, it not the saddest, short story in the anthology, but it's tenderly written. There's so much love in it to and for the queer community. I don't want to spoil it, trying not to say too much, but it's so full of pride, love, our history, that my heart aches so much even re-reading it.
I also want to shout-out Andrew Joseph White's short story "Who Were You, What Are You." My first work of his was The Spirit Bares its Teeth, and his short stories are just as amazing as his books!
Also, there's a main character with neopronouns in the last story, which was absolutely wonderful to read! They're not seen in literature much still, and this story is a step in the right direction:)
However, and this was addressed on the official Twitter, there is a lack of trans feminine focused stories within the anthology. Linking the twitter thread here - https://twitter.com/ChangelingsA/stat...
Some stories have trans feminine individuals within them, but they are not front and center, they are not main characters, their experiences are absent from the narrative of the anthology as a result. Trans feminine individuals, especially autistic trans feminine people, deserve stories about them, about joy, about their lives, and it was disappointing that none of the stories were written about them. Trans masculine people desperately need and deserve stories too! And the stories in this anthology are near and dear to my heart. I only wish that there was more trans feminine representation in it too.
I am not trans feminine, I'm AFAB (aroace spectrum) and questioning my gender, but I've seen how limited the voices of trans feminine people are in publishing, especially in YA, and it's important to continue the conversation, and uplift their voices. I am in no way attacking the authors, (who I love quite a lot of them, such as Andrew Joseph White), or the editor. I simply want to bring up this.
Overall, I highly recommend this anthology. It's truly incredible, and the authors deserve all the praise in the world, they're phenomenal!
November 12, 2023
This is the greatest anthology of all time, and the editors are awesome 👀
December 1, 2023
4.5 overall
I am really glad I was able to help support this book into what it became.
Like yes I am upset with the lack of trans fem stories (glad it was talked about in the introduction) but I still enjoyed this nevertheless
The autistic and trans stories here made me feel so incredibly seen and it was so nice to read
The Door
It was predictable, I knew what was gonna happen and the metaphor for the door and so I did not enjoy it as much as I could have done even though it was an enjoyable read overall 4/5
Vanishing Names
I enjoyed this one a lot more than I realised I would when I saw what was happening and everything I was like yes I love this 4/5
Fate Turns The Light On
This one is definitely a favourite i love sci-fi and this was brilliant 5/5
A Chrysalis For The Emperor
Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this one as much as the others though I did enjoy the bug stuff 3/5
Don't Play With My Heart
Fandom and talking about special interests knew this would be a favourite from the author's note 5/5
The Doll in the Ripped Universe
I loved this one so much, another brilliant sci-fi story that really shows why I love sci-fi 5/5
On Belonging
I Loved this one, being a werewolf trans and autistic sign me up 5/5
Those That Came Before
I wanted to love this one more than I did but I couldn't connect as I did with the other stories 3/5
Mizmor L'David
I loved this one, I loved that we got a Jewish autistic trans person 4/5
The Ghost on Oxford Street
I adored this one, probably my favourite of the lot of them, it made me cry over how much I just resonated with the story. 5/5
Hyacinths & Other Purple Plants
I loved this one!!!
Greek and plant facts sign me the hell up to their friendship circle 5/5
Who Are You, What Are You
I wanted to love this one more than I did but it did not hit like his other work for me 3/5
Wandering Stars
This is also another of my favourites, sci-fi is just something I really enjoy it seems 5/5
Definitely check this out
I am really glad I was able to help support this book into what it became.
Like yes I am upset with the lack of trans fem stories (glad it was talked about in the introduction) but I still enjoyed this nevertheless
The autistic and trans stories here made me feel so incredibly seen and it was so nice to read
The Door
It was predictable, I knew what was gonna happen and the metaphor for the door and so I did not enjoy it as much as I could have done even though it was an enjoyable read overall 4/5
Vanishing Names
I enjoyed this one a lot more than I realised I would when I saw what was happening and everything I was like yes I love this 4/5
Fate Turns The Light On
This one is definitely a favourite i love sci-fi and this was brilliant 5/5
A Chrysalis For The Emperor
Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this one as much as the others though I did enjoy the bug stuff 3/5
Don't Play With My Heart
Fandom and talking about special interests knew this would be a favourite from the author's note 5/5
The Doll in the Ripped Universe
I loved this one so much, another brilliant sci-fi story that really shows why I love sci-fi 5/5
On Belonging
I Loved this one, being a werewolf trans and autistic sign me up 5/5
Those That Came Before
I wanted to love this one more than I did but I couldn't connect as I did with the other stories 3/5
Mizmor L'David
I loved this one, I loved that we got a Jewish autistic trans person 4/5
The Ghost on Oxford Street
I adored this one, probably my favourite of the lot of them, it made me cry over how much I just resonated with the story. 5/5
Hyacinths & Other Purple Plants
I loved this one!!!
Greek and plant facts sign me the hell up to their friendship circle 5/5
Who Are You, What Are You
I wanted to love this one more than I did but it did not hit like his other work for me 3/5
Wandering Stars
This is also another of my favourites, sci-fi is just something I really enjoy it seems 5/5
Definitely check this out
April 16, 2024
Changelings presents 13 stories from autistic trans masculine and non-binary voices. The anthology's tagline of "nothing about us without us" lies at the heart of this book. Far too often in today's society we hear too much about autistic and trans people from those who are neurotypical and cis, and not enough from those with the lived experience to know exactly what it feels like. Add in the intersectional nature of being both autistic and trans, and you'll begin to understand the important role this anthology plays in helping others to feel seen and less alone.
The stories themselves take you on a journey through a range of genres and topics. Whether you like sci fi and fantasy, contemporary pieces, or something with a darker edge, you'll find a story in here that you'll love. Trying to choose a favourite is too hard!
Expect to feel things when you read these stories. Whilst there is an overarching feeling of love and acceptance within these pages, the authors have not shied away from the grittier aspects of being an autistic trans person in today's world. There's sensory overload, gender dysphoria, homophobia and transphobia, controlling parents, abusive partners, and more.
All of the stories come with a list of content warnings, so you can be prepared for what is to come (and skip any which might be too painful for you to read). Even though I have not experienced some of these things (I am autistic and queer, but I am cis), I still felt everything deeply. The authors have really created some incredible stories that deserve to be read by both autistic trans people and those who'd like to understand their experiences more.
The stories themselves take you on a journey through a range of genres and topics. Whether you like sci fi and fantasy, contemporary pieces, or something with a darker edge, you'll find a story in here that you'll love. Trying to choose a favourite is too hard!
Expect to feel things when you read these stories. Whilst there is an overarching feeling of love and acceptance within these pages, the authors have not shied away from the grittier aspects of being an autistic trans person in today's world. There's sensory overload, gender dysphoria, homophobia and transphobia, controlling parents, abusive partners, and more.
All of the stories come with a list of content warnings, so you can be prepared for what is to come (and skip any which might be too painful for you to read). Even though I have not experienced some of these things (I am autistic and queer, but I am cis), I still felt everything deeply. The authors have really created some incredible stories that deserve to be read by both autistic trans people and those who'd like to understand their experiences more.
June 10, 2025
Not really that bad. I found this book because I want to read all of Andrew Joseph White's books and he has a short story in here. I think the concept of this book, trans and autistic stories, is really awesome bc one of my favorite facts that the introduction literally talked about is the fact that autistic people are more likely to be trans than non-autistic people. It has to do with the rejection of social standards since a binary system of gender is just a made up concept that we have been socially taught to follow.
-The door: very coraline coded, like literally all of the same exact elements. Not good especially to be the opener, it was so damn cheesy and like way too middleschool tenderqueer.
-Vanishing names: I thought this was very sweet and enjoyable to read. A little creepy and something I've never read before. "You have always been whole, it's not your fault the limited minds of others cannot fathom the enormity of you. You have always been as you wish, and we will show you."
-Fate turns the light on: a cute sweet romance. I love when a shut off character unexpectedly finds their person. a spin off of the trope- hates everyone except you.
-a chrysalises for the emperor: so cool!!! one of my favs! I loved the allegory of being a bug creature as being autistic. Hiding your antennas=hiding stemming. "minor" bug qualities but looking human enough to live a "normal" life=high functioning autism where accommodations gets overlooked. being shown the box of pinned bugs=being put into overstimulated experiences. I loved the ending where you think she's gonna cut her antennas off but she cuts her hair off instead to make them more visible=acceptance and being proud!!!
-Don't play with my heart: only one bed trope hell yeah. crazy stuff that they dated after hanging out with each other for one day.
-The doll in the ripped universe: very sentimental story, seems like something a trans college filmmaker would create.
-Those that came first: so stupid why was this included it literally just had nothing to do with the anthology premise.
-Mizmor L'David: religion can def be a tricky topic when it comes to queer stories but this was beautiful. I also love to see different religions represented, not just Christianity. Religious texts are used so many times as the basis for trans/homophobia so I love that the author made a point to say that the verse had been misinterpreted by people and wasn't actually transphobic.
-The ghost on oxford street: this was hands down the worst one it annoyed the shit out of me. Like yes fucking duh your transfem girlfriend accepts you as being nonbinary, like stop oppressing yourself for no reason. i was just rolling my eyes the whole time. This was giving millennial tenderqueer, next.
-Hyacinths & other purple plants: sweetie cutie, did a great job adding an array of queer and ethnically diverse characters without feeling forced. felt like i was reading a cutie heartstopper remake.
-who were you, what are you: the story I came here to read! This short story was written before he released hell followed with us and it was comforting to see how similar his writing has stayed throughout his novels. it felt comfy to read something i know and feel at home with. He is able to combine queerness ,spookyness, character growth in such a natural way. The plot was similar to other stories in this anthology but felt fuller to me.
-The door: very coraline coded, like literally all of the same exact elements. Not good especially to be the opener, it was so damn cheesy and like way too middleschool tenderqueer.
-Vanishing names: I thought this was very sweet and enjoyable to read. A little creepy and something I've never read before. "You have always been whole, it's not your fault the limited minds of others cannot fathom the enormity of you. You have always been as you wish, and we will show you."
-Fate turns the light on: a cute sweet romance. I love when a shut off character unexpectedly finds their person. a spin off of the trope- hates everyone except you.
-a chrysalises for the emperor: so cool!!! one of my favs! I loved the allegory of being a bug creature as being autistic. Hiding your antennas=hiding stemming. "minor" bug qualities but looking human enough to live a "normal" life=high functioning autism where accommodations gets overlooked. being shown the box of pinned bugs=being put into overstimulated experiences. I loved the ending where you think she's gonna cut her antennas off but she cuts her hair off instead to make them more visible=acceptance and being proud!!!
-Don't play with my heart: only one bed trope hell yeah. crazy stuff that they dated after hanging out with each other for one day.
-The doll in the ripped universe: very sentimental story, seems like something a trans college filmmaker would create.
-Those that came first: so stupid why was this included it literally just had nothing to do with the anthology premise.
-Mizmor L'David: religion can def be a tricky topic when it comes to queer stories but this was beautiful. I also love to see different religions represented, not just Christianity. Religious texts are used so many times as the basis for trans/homophobia so I love that the author made a point to say that the verse had been misinterpreted by people and wasn't actually transphobic.
-The ghost on oxford street: this was hands down the worst one it annoyed the shit out of me. Like yes fucking duh your transfem girlfriend accepts you as being nonbinary, like stop oppressing yourself for no reason. i was just rolling my eyes the whole time. This was giving millennial tenderqueer, next.
-Hyacinths & other purple plants: sweetie cutie, did a great job adding an array of queer and ethnically diverse characters without feeling forced. felt like i was reading a cutie heartstopper remake.
-who were you, what are you: the story I came here to read! This short story was written before he released hell followed with us and it was comforting to see how similar his writing has stayed throughout his novels. it felt comfy to read something i know and feel at home with. He is able to combine queerness ,spookyness, character growth in such a natural way. The plot was similar to other stories in this anthology but felt fuller to me.
July 15, 2023
ARC review : 4/5
Ryan Vale and Ocean Riley have put together an amazing line up of authors and stories. The stroies show a wide variety of topics, mostly situated in a fantasy/sci-fi genre.
In most of the stories, the characters have to battle between their true trans/autistic selves and the expectations of society and through the help of some form of allyship or another finally get to live out their true authentic self. The stories reflect on a wide variety of discrimination and societal exclusion.
As a cis-man I don't feel too comfortable commenting on the trans representation. As an autistic person I can say that the autism rep is very good and also covers large parts of the autism spectrum (both in terms of where on the specturm the characters fall and in terms of their "diagnostic" journey). It is truly refreshing seeing the autism being represented by actual autistic people and the anologies/description for things like stimming and autistic meltdowns are one of the best i've ever read.
All in all I can only recommend this, so do presave this and give it a read, when it comes out!
Ryan Vale and Ocean Riley have put together an amazing line up of authors and stories. The stroies show a wide variety of topics, mostly situated in a fantasy/sci-fi genre.
In most of the stories, the characters have to battle between their true trans/autistic selves and the expectations of society and through the help of some form of allyship or another finally get to live out their true authentic self. The stories reflect on a wide variety of discrimination and societal exclusion.
As a cis-man I don't feel too comfortable commenting on the trans representation. As an autistic person I can say that the autism rep is very good and also covers large parts of the autism spectrum (both in terms of where on the specturm the characters fall and in terms of their "diagnostic" journey). It is truly refreshing seeing the autism being represented by actual autistic people and the anologies/description for things like stimming and autistic meltdowns are one of the best i've ever read.
All in all I can only recommend this, so do presave this and give it a read, when it comes out!
April 10, 2024
I never truly grasped the importance of representation but damn was this good for me.
July 9, 2026
I know these ratings are making me look like some bitter malcontent, but I really wanted to like this anthology! Reading it was enjoyable (it seems that I like the format), it was interesting to read from a variety of perspectives different from mine as a cis guy, and some of the stories were more fun than others, but none of them were particularly outstanding and soul-crushing (I didn’t hate any either, so I guess that’s a plus). There was this consistent feeling of mediocrity. Maybe it’s because Guts altered my brain chemistry lately, but I think I generally outgrew the place where I need stories about nice, shy queer teens having crises and being told they’re valid by other nice queer people, which a lot of this anthology falls into. Many of the stories were things I wouldn’t pick up on my own, though I have to say that the diversity of genres is a huge plus—you’ll find YA contemporary romance, fantasy, magical realism, and science fiction, whatever you like, all with autistic trans male or non-binary leads.
Speaking of leads, I have to repeat what other reviewers said: it’s a shame no stories about trans women were included, both because it’s meant to be a general “trans” anthology and thus it feels incomplete, and because it would’ve made the reading experience more diverse and less repetitive (I’m not sure if it’s just because I haven’t read any identity-based anthology before, but the MCs and their experiences started blending together after a while). And while the editors didn’t promise anything ethnicity-wise, it was still slightly disappointing that most of the stories were about White people from major Anglophone countries. I also didn’t really like that a lot of the MCs were shy, nervous, and afraid of speaking out—give me some autistic people who are outspoken or snarky! However, I was always down to read about the characters’ special interests, and it was consistently one of my favourite parts.
Anyway, onto the stories themselves:
The Door by Laurie Doyle ★★★★☆ (3.5)
A teenager finds a mysterious door in their bedroom.
Rep: autistic non-binary MC
CWs: gender dysphoria
This was a neat start for the anthology, with some good and engaging writing, but it was very on-the-nose and had a lesson with all the subtlety of a wrecking ball. It felt like a story I’d find in my fourth/fifth grade literature textbook. I liked the main character’s friendship with Alice.
Vanishing Names by Mary Buffaloe ★★★☆☆ (2.5)
In rural central Arkansas, a young babysitter is hired to take care of a child with a strange connection to nature and discovers something about himself along the way.
Rep: White autistic (straight?) trans boy MC, Black (trans?) girl SC (I’m not sure what the metaphor here was supposed to be)
CWs: controlling parents, transphobia, deadnaming, misgendering, threat of conversion camp
Not my cup of tea, left me a bit confused. But added points for Axel, even if he appeared briefly; he was cute and I have a soft spot for younger kid characters lately.
Fate Turns the Light On by Rafaella Rul ★★☆☆☆
Dax is just trying to survive his first day in a binder, but the space boarding school he lives in gets attacked by extremists. Despite his struggles with overstimulation, he rushes to defend it with a new friend.
Rep: autistic transmasculine MC
CWs: panic attacks, fascists/extremists/fantasy bigots attacking a school, implied death (of characters we don’t meet), mention of school shootings (in author’s note)
Chaotic and generally not my thing (might be my dislike of space opera speaking, though). The bit about stories was very cheesy. I enjoyed Dax and Proteus’s relationship, but that’s it.
A Chrysalis for the Emperor by Briar Ripley Page ★★★★☆
After an incident during class, Bug, a 12-year-old girl with a shunned condition that gives her insect-like traits, makes a choice regarding her further life.
Rep: autistic transgender MC, SC with learning disability
CWs: ableism, animal death (bugs), vomiting, abuse by teachers, bullying, confinement, body horror
Very good! The insect metaphor was creative and I really liked it, but the bit about vaccines robbed it of any subtlety, so one star off for that. Well-written characters and relationships, bonus points for realistically depicting the tween characters instead of infantilising them like in many other works.
Don’t Play With My Heart by Ray Rhys Phillips ★★★★☆ (3.5)
Skylar meets a cute guy in the board game café he works in and gets invited to a TTRPG session by him. Unfortunately, his dickish, gatekeeping friend is making things difficult.
Rep: White autistic gay trans man MC, achillean LI, bisexual man SC, Black man SC
CWs: transphobia, misgendering
Cute. I’m not really into board games, but this was nice and had a pleasant writing style, and reading about the various games was actually pretty interesting. The romance was insta-lovey and I didn’t find it very compelling, but it might be for you if you like fluffy meet cutes. Nothing remarkable.
The Doll in the Ripped Universe by Jennifer Lee Rossman ★★★☆☆
A young boy meets a strange man through a rip in the universe in his aunt’s garden.
Rep: autistic trans boy MC
CWs: gender dysphoria, ableism, misgendering, mention of menstruation
Touching, but a bit forgettable, didn’t stand out to me.
On Belonging by A.R. Vale ★★☆☆☆ (1.5)
Eli, a 15-year-old werewolf, finally goes to a magic boarding school, but doesn’t feel at home there. However, the company of another boy makes things easier.
Rep: White autistic gay trans boy MC, SCs of colour (“light brown skin”), White autistic girl SC
CWs: ableism, anxiety, meltdowns, misgendering, past parent death
Ugh. This one is too damn sappy for my taste, and I think I may be tired of magic school/fantasy settings like this. Even though I’m only slightly older than the main character, it feels weirdly young; if you ignore the brief mention of sex jokes, it’s basically middle-grade, and I Do Not like most middle-grade fantasy. The characters themselves are boring, the bit about is a useless detail in the grand scheme of things, and it feels like the first book of a series clumsily crammed into a short story.
Those That Came First by Miles Nelson ★★☆☆☆
A prequel to the author’s novel. Bailey is wandering across a deserted planet with his mentor, the Riftmaster, after both of them were ripped from Earth by a strange force. He starts wondering what happened to the planet’s native inhabitants.
Rep: European autistic non-binary (they/them) MC (closeted)
CWs: isolation and loss, extinction of an alien species, contemplation of social justice and climate change/climate anxiety, drinking water from live aliens
Well-written, but completely not my thing. It feels out of place in this anthology, is only tangential to its premise, and I kind of wish another story had been chosen in its place.
Mizmor L’David by Dorian Yosef Weber ★★☆☆☆ (2.5)
A young shepherd is invited to their ex-fiance’s wedding, but there is something strange about his new fiancee.
Rep: Ashkenazi Jewish cast, autistic transmasculine MC
CWs: deadnaming, violence/animal attack, animal death (boar), mentions of ableism and transphobia, past parent death
It was great to see Jewish rep and folklore in an anthology like this and I liked the setting (as well as Yaakov and the sheep!), but outside of that, it was slightly underwhelming? It would be better as a novella imo. The climax felt very melodramatic.
The Ghost on Oxford Street by Riley Swan ★★☆☆☆
Garnet goes clubbing with their girlfriend, but in a moment of doubt, they start seeing the ghosts of people who came before them.
Rep: White autistic lesbian non-binary (they/them) MC, Indigenous Australian lesbian trans woman LI, Armenian-Australian non-binary (they/them) SC, Armenian-Australian lesbian SC, Argentine-Australian gay non-binary (ze/hir) SC, Indigenous Australian feminine gay man SC, White disabled (missing leg, prosthesis user) gay man SC
CWs: gender dysphoria, meltdowns, homophobia, transphobia, AIDS crisis, suicide, murder
Might’ve hit different if I were Australian and/or interested in this period of queer history and/or still into “you’re valid as you are 🥰” type stories, though it was kind of moving. A tad too sentimental and touchy-feely on the main character’s part, they annoyed me.
Hyacinths & Other Purple Plants by Alex Lakej ★★★★☆
Two academic rivals get locked in a greenhouse together and learn that they’re not that different from each other.
Rep: Black autistic non-binary (she/they) MC, White autistic non-binary (they/them) MC, non-binary (they/them) SC
CWs: confinement, meltdowns
Cute and well-written, actually gave me hope in this anthology after the more average stories. Loved the conversations about plants and Greek myths.
Who Were You, What Are You by Andrew Joseph White ★★☆☆☆ (1.5)
After getting beat up by his ex-boyfriend, Cameron dog-sits his grandma’s dog in a remote area in Virginia, while also trying to work out his relationship with the guy he cheated on his ex with.
Rep: White autistic gay trans boy MC, autistic non-binary (they/them) SC
CWs: partner violence, transphobia, ableism, deadnaming, slurs, infidelity, gender dysphoria, smoking addiction, sick animal (nothing bad happens to her), urination (by the dog)
Oh man. I’m very much not objective about this story because White is the only author from this anthology I’m familiar with and his previous works weren’t, uh, particularly good in my opinion, so the prior knowledge soured my experience. The characters and setting are reminiscent of Compound Fracture, but undercooked and worse. White’s usual tropes are present even here, in a story that was written before HFWU: , the meek, passive main character, the irritating soliloquys about identities, oh my G-D. Cameron was annoying and I didn’t like being in his head. It wasn’t even trashy fun like CF, just kind of dull and, again, not my thing.
Wandering Stars by Isa Elias Boog ★★★★★ (4.5)
In a dystopian future, a teenager from the Randstad finds a supposedly extinct animal on a beach.
Rep: Dutch cast, autistic genderqueer (xe/xyr) MC, Arab-Dutch disabled (wheelchair user) non-binary (they/them) SC
CWs: climate disaster, human-made apocalypse
Now that’s the kind of dystopia I can read! Hopeful, optimistic, and overall nice. The characters were neat (although slightly underdeveloped because of the fast pace) and I loved seeing a fellow person interested in zoology. And it’s set in a European country other than the UK? Say no more. Great end to the anthology.
Overall, I guess it’s worth a try for actual autistic trans people. Despite my complaining, I’m still glad an anthology like this exists for those who need it, though those looking for autistic trans women will be disappointed.
Speaking of leads, I have to repeat what other reviewers said: it’s a shame no stories about trans women were included, both because it’s meant to be a general “trans” anthology and thus it feels incomplete, and because it would’ve made the reading experience more diverse and less repetitive (I’m not sure if it’s just because I haven’t read any identity-based anthology before, but the MCs and their experiences started blending together after a while). And while the editors didn’t promise anything ethnicity-wise, it was still slightly disappointing that most of the stories were about White people from major Anglophone countries. I also didn’t really like that a lot of the MCs were shy, nervous, and afraid of speaking out—give me some autistic people who are outspoken or snarky! However, I was always down to read about the characters’ special interests, and it was consistently one of my favourite parts.
Anyway, onto the stories themselves:
The Door by Laurie Doyle ★★★★☆ (3.5)
A teenager finds a mysterious door in their bedroom.
Rep: autistic non-binary MC
CWs: gender dysphoria
This was a neat start for the anthology, with some good and engaging writing, but it was very on-the-nose and had a lesson with all the subtlety of a wrecking ball. It felt like a story I’d find in my fourth/fifth grade literature textbook. I liked the main character’s friendship with Alice.
Vanishing Names by Mary Buffaloe ★★★☆☆ (2.5)
In rural central Arkansas, a young babysitter is hired to take care of a child with a strange connection to nature and discovers something about himself along the way.
Rep: White autistic (straight?) trans boy MC, Black (trans?) girl SC (I’m not sure what the metaphor here was supposed to be)
CWs: controlling parents, transphobia, deadnaming, misgendering, threat of conversion camp
Not my cup of tea, left me a bit confused. But added points for Axel, even if he appeared briefly; he was cute and I have a soft spot for younger kid characters lately.
Fate Turns the Light On by Rafaella Rul ★★☆☆☆
Dax is just trying to survive his first day in a binder, but the space boarding school he lives in gets attacked by extremists. Despite his struggles with overstimulation, he rushes to defend it with a new friend.
Rep: autistic transmasculine MC
CWs: panic attacks, fascists/extremists/fantasy bigots attacking a school, implied death (of characters we don’t meet), mention of school shootings (in author’s note)
Chaotic and generally not my thing (might be my dislike of space opera speaking, though). The bit about stories was very cheesy. I enjoyed Dax and Proteus’s relationship, but that’s it.
A Chrysalis for the Emperor by Briar Ripley Page ★★★★☆
After an incident during class, Bug, a 12-year-old girl with a shunned condition that gives her insect-like traits, makes a choice regarding her further life.
Rep: autistic transgender MC, SC with learning disability
CWs: ableism, animal death (bugs), vomiting, abuse by teachers, bullying, confinement, body horror
Very good! The insect metaphor was creative and I really liked it, but the bit about vaccines robbed it of any subtlety, so one star off for that. Well-written characters and relationships, bonus points for realistically depicting the tween characters instead of infantilising them like in many other works.
Don’t Play With My Heart by Ray Rhys Phillips ★★★★☆ (3.5)
Skylar meets a cute guy in the board game café he works in and gets invited to a TTRPG session by him. Unfortunately, his dickish, gatekeeping friend is making things difficult.
Rep: White autistic gay trans man MC, achillean LI, bisexual man SC, Black man SC
CWs: transphobia, misgendering
Cute. I’m not really into board games, but this was nice and had a pleasant writing style, and reading about the various games was actually pretty interesting. The romance was insta-lovey and I didn’t find it very compelling, but it might be for you if you like fluffy meet cutes. Nothing remarkable.
The Doll in the Ripped Universe by Jennifer Lee Rossman ★★★☆☆
A young boy meets a strange man through a rip in the universe in his aunt’s garden.
Rep: autistic trans boy MC
CWs: gender dysphoria, ableism, misgendering, mention of menstruation
Touching, but a bit forgettable, didn’t stand out to me.
On Belonging by A.R. Vale ★★☆☆☆ (1.5)
Eli, a 15-year-old werewolf, finally goes to a magic boarding school, but doesn’t feel at home there. However, the company of another boy makes things easier.
Rep: White autistic gay trans boy MC, SCs of colour (“light brown skin”), White autistic girl SC
CWs: ableism, anxiety, meltdowns, misgendering, past parent death
Ugh. This one is too damn sappy for my taste, and I think I may be tired of magic school/fantasy settings like this. Even though I’m only slightly older than the main character, it feels weirdly young; if you ignore the brief mention of sex jokes, it’s basically middle-grade, and I Do Not like most middle-grade fantasy. The characters themselves are boring, the bit about is a useless detail in the grand scheme of things, and it feels like the first book of a series clumsily crammed into a short story.
Those That Came First by Miles Nelson ★★☆☆☆
A prequel to the author’s novel. Bailey is wandering across a deserted planet with his mentor, the Riftmaster, after both of them were ripped from Earth by a strange force. He starts wondering what happened to the planet’s native inhabitants.
Rep: European autistic non-binary (they/them) MC (closeted)
CWs: isolation and loss, extinction of an alien species, contemplation of social justice and climate change/climate anxiety, drinking water from live aliens
Well-written, but completely not my thing. It feels out of place in this anthology, is only tangential to its premise, and I kind of wish another story had been chosen in its place.
Mizmor L’David by Dorian Yosef Weber ★★☆☆☆ (2.5)
A young shepherd is invited to their ex-fiance’s wedding, but there is something strange about his new fiancee.
Rep: Ashkenazi Jewish cast, autistic transmasculine MC
CWs: deadnaming, violence/animal attack, animal death (boar), mentions of ableism and transphobia, past parent death
It was great to see Jewish rep and folklore in an anthology like this and I liked the setting (as well as Yaakov and the sheep!), but outside of that, it was slightly underwhelming? It would be better as a novella imo. The climax felt very melodramatic.
The Ghost on Oxford Street by Riley Swan ★★☆☆☆
Garnet goes clubbing with their girlfriend, but in a moment of doubt, they start seeing the ghosts of people who came before them.
Rep: White autistic lesbian non-binary (they/them) MC, Indigenous Australian lesbian trans woman LI, Armenian-Australian non-binary (they/them) SC, Armenian-Australian lesbian SC, Argentine-Australian gay non-binary (ze/hir) SC, Indigenous Australian feminine gay man SC, White disabled (missing leg, prosthesis user) gay man SC
CWs: gender dysphoria, meltdowns, homophobia, transphobia, AIDS crisis, suicide, murder
Might’ve hit different if I were Australian and/or interested in this period of queer history and/or still into “you’re valid as you are 🥰” type stories, though it was kind of moving. A tad too sentimental and touchy-feely on the main character’s part, they annoyed me.
Hyacinths & Other Purple Plants by Alex Lakej ★★★★☆
Two academic rivals get locked in a greenhouse together and learn that they’re not that different from each other.
Rep: Black autistic non-binary (she/they) MC, White autistic non-binary (they/them) MC, non-binary (they/them) SC
CWs: confinement, meltdowns
Cute and well-written, actually gave me hope in this anthology after the more average stories. Loved the conversations about plants and Greek myths.
Who Were You, What Are You by Andrew Joseph White ★★☆☆☆ (1.5)
After getting beat up by his ex-boyfriend, Cameron dog-sits his grandma’s dog in a remote area in Virginia, while also trying to work out his relationship with the guy he cheated on his ex with.
Rep: White autistic gay trans boy MC, autistic non-binary (they/them) SC
CWs: partner violence, transphobia, ableism, deadnaming, slurs, infidelity, gender dysphoria, smoking addiction, sick animal (nothing bad happens to her), urination (by the dog)
Oh man. I’m very much not objective about this story because White is the only author from this anthology I’m familiar with and his previous works weren’t, uh, particularly good in my opinion, so the prior knowledge soured my experience. The characters and setting are reminiscent of Compound Fracture, but undercooked and worse. White’s usual tropes are present even here, in a story that was written before HFWU: , the meek, passive main character, the irritating soliloquys about identities, oh my G-D. Cameron was annoying and I didn’t like being in his head. It wasn’t even trashy fun like CF, just kind of dull and, again, not my thing.
Wandering Stars by Isa Elias Boog ★★★★★ (4.5)
In a dystopian future, a teenager from the Randstad finds a supposedly extinct animal on a beach.
Rep: Dutch cast, autistic genderqueer (xe/xyr) MC, Arab-Dutch disabled (wheelchair user) non-binary (they/them) SC
CWs: climate disaster, human-made apocalypse
Now that’s the kind of dystopia I can read! Hopeful, optimistic, and overall nice. The characters were neat (although slightly underdeveloped because of the fast pace) and I loved seeing a fellow person interested in zoology. And it’s set in a European country other than the UK? Say no more. Great end to the anthology.
Overall, I guess it’s worth a try for actual autistic trans people. Despite my complaining, I’m still glad an anthology like this exists for those who need it, though those looking for autistic trans women will be disappointed.
August 11, 2024
Am I biased? Perhaps. But I have read each of these stories about a dozen times now and I love them all.
List of Stories and Content Warnings
The Door by Laurie Doyle
Content Warnings: Gender Dysphoria
Vanishing Names by Mary Buffaloe
Content Warnings: Controlling Parents, Homophobia, Transphobia
Fate Turns the Light On by Rafaella Rul
Content Warnings: Panic Attack, Fascists Attacking a School, Implied Death
A Chrysalis for the Emperor by Briar Ripley Page
Content Warnings: Ableism, Insects, Animal Death, Vomiting, Teacher Bullying/Abuse, Confinement
Don’t Play with My Heart by Ray Rhys Phillips
Content Warnings: Transphobia, Misgendering
The Doll in the Ripped Universe by Jennifer Lee Rossman
Content Warnings: Gender Dysphoria, Anxiety, Ableism, Mention of Menstruation, Misgendering
On Belonging by A.R. Vale
Content Warnings: Ableism, Anxiety, Meltdowns, Misgendering, Parental Death
Those That Came First by Miles Nelson
Content Warnings: Mild Teasing, Isolation and Loss, Contemplation of Social Justice and Climate Change, Exploration of a Long-Dead Civilisation, Drinking Water From Live Animals
Mizmor L’David by Dorian Yosef Weber
Content Warnings: Deadnaming, Blood, Violence, Animal Death, Referenced Past Ableism and Transphobia, Brief Mention of a Dead Parent (Father), Unsafe Binding
The Ghost on Oxford Street by Riley Swan
Content Warnings: Depictions of Gender Dysphoria, Autistic Meltdowns, Alcohol, Homophobia, Transphobia, HIV/AIDs, Suicide, Murder, Death
Hyacinths & Other Purple Plants by Alex Lakej
Content Warnings: Confinement
Who Are You, What Were You by Andrew Joseph White
Content Warnings: Partner Violence, Transphobia, Ableism, Slurs
Wandering Stars by Isa Elias Boog
Content Warnings: Climate Disaster, Human-Made Apocalypse
List of Stories and Content Warnings
The Door by Laurie Doyle
Content Warnings: Gender Dysphoria
Vanishing Names by Mary Buffaloe
Content Warnings: Controlling Parents, Homophobia, Transphobia
Fate Turns the Light On by Rafaella Rul
Content Warnings: Panic Attack, Fascists Attacking a School, Implied Death
A Chrysalis for the Emperor by Briar Ripley Page
Content Warnings: Ableism, Insects, Animal Death, Vomiting, Teacher Bullying/Abuse, Confinement
Don’t Play with My Heart by Ray Rhys Phillips
Content Warnings: Transphobia, Misgendering
The Doll in the Ripped Universe by Jennifer Lee Rossman
Content Warnings: Gender Dysphoria, Anxiety, Ableism, Mention of Menstruation, Misgendering
On Belonging by A.R. Vale
Content Warnings: Ableism, Anxiety, Meltdowns, Misgendering, Parental Death
Those That Came First by Miles Nelson
Content Warnings: Mild Teasing, Isolation and Loss, Contemplation of Social Justice and Climate Change, Exploration of a Long-Dead Civilisation, Drinking Water From Live Animals
Mizmor L’David by Dorian Yosef Weber
Content Warnings: Deadnaming, Blood, Violence, Animal Death, Referenced Past Ableism and Transphobia, Brief Mention of a Dead Parent (Father), Unsafe Binding
The Ghost on Oxford Street by Riley Swan
Content Warnings: Depictions of Gender Dysphoria, Autistic Meltdowns, Alcohol, Homophobia, Transphobia, HIV/AIDs, Suicide, Murder, Death
Hyacinths & Other Purple Plants by Alex Lakej
Content Warnings: Confinement
Who Are You, What Were You by Andrew Joseph White
Content Warnings: Partner Violence, Transphobia, Ableism, Slurs
Wandering Stars by Isa Elias Boog
Content Warnings: Climate Disaster, Human-Made Apocalypse
November 7, 2023
wow i can’t believe i’m officially a published author, that’s actually wild (unless you count the short story published in my local newspaper when i was like 10 which i do not 😔)
anyway, i may be biased but if you’re looking for a great mixed-genre anthology about autistic trans people, then look no further! all the stories are amazing and all the authors are incredibly talented 🫶
anyway, i may be biased but if you’re looking for a great mixed-genre anthology about autistic trans people, then look no further! all the stories are amazing and all the authors are incredibly talented 🫶
January 22, 2024
I received a digital ARC of this book to review. I've broken it down into individual stories for a more accurate review.
This is a collection of thirteen stories by authors who are both trans and autistic. The stories (mostly) feature characters who are trans and autistic, showing how the overlap of these things affects them.
The Door by Laurie Doyle
This was one of my favourites.
A door has mysteriously appeared in the character’s bedroom, but it’s locked and they can’t find a key to open it.
This story starts off strong and intriguing and runs with that intrigue the whole way through. I was invested. I needed to know what was happening.
Vanishing Names by Mary Buffaloe
This one was spooky and sweet.
A babysitter is hired to look after a kid they used to watch. But there’s something different about her. She doesn’t seem to get along with anyone else. She’d rather be outside, in the water and climbing trees, talking to snakes.
Fate Turns the Light On by Rafaella Rul
This one was a fun little sci-fi piece featuring a school in space and spaceships.
There’s an attack on the school and Dax has to fight through sensory overload from the alarms going off and the feeling of his new binder while trying to defend the school he’s called home for the last five years.
A Chrysalis for the Emperor by Briar Ripley Page
This was definitely another favourite for me. I absolutely loved it.
The bug analogy was very cool and clever, using differences and features typically attributed to insects to show this character’s differences with being trans and autistic.
Don’t Play With My Heart by Ray Rhys Phillips
Board games for a special interest, so he’s thrilled to get a job in a game cafe. There’s a wide variety of games for people to come in and play while they drink hot drinks.
And then an artist starts coming in, sitting to draw at the same time every time. One day, accompanied by his friend, the artist invites our main character, Skylar, to a game night.
(Skylar is a trans guy. This is a good reminder that trans people don’t necessarily have to change their name to something that stereotypically aligns with their gender. Society doesn’t get to decide who you are based on a combination of letters and sounds. Only you do.)
The Doll in the Ripped Universe by Jennifer Lee Rossman
This story is beautiful. It’s short and sweet and filled with feelings.
The main character meets his future self through a crack in time in his Aunt’s yard.
On Belonging by Ryan Vale
A secret boarding school for magical beings that you can only get to through a portal? Heck yeah.
Eli is excited to go to the same school his dad had gone to. Until he gets through the portal and finds himself immediately overwhelmed by the crowds and the noise. He just wants to go home. But maybe the right friends will make everything worth it and allow him to find ways to manage the things he finds difficult.
Those That Came First by Miles Nelson
This story felt out of place. When slipped in with the rest of the book, this one doesn’t feel like it belongs. It feels less like a short story, and more like a snippet from a novel we don’t have context for. While there is a slight explanation in the author’s note, it still feels off.
Those That Came First follows Bailey and his mentor, the Riftmaster, as they explore an abandoned city.
Mizmor L’David by Dorian Yosef Weber
This one contains a lot of very specific Jewish references you might need to look up to fully understand the story, but it was definitely a fun read.
The main character really just wants to look after the sheep and read.
The main character’s dad has died, and they’d promised to marry Ezra, but now Ezra has found someone else (with the same name). Ezra’s new partner invites the main character to their wedding. She seems lovely, but something is off about her…
The Ghost on Oxford Street by Riley Swan
Neopronoun rep!
Excuse me this was so cute and suddenly I was bawling.
Soul-crushing, gut-wrenching, uplifting. Just beautiful.
Time travelling and learning about Australia’s history with pride and the AIDS crisis.
Hyacinths & Other Purple Plants by Alex Lakej
Two very different characters, both autistic, discovering friendship and learning about each other’s special interests.
This was very sweet, and I really enjoyed reading this one.
I also think this was a very important story because it shows that not every autistic person is the same. There are different struggles, different ways of experiencing things, and different understandings. There’s a misconception that autistic people have a type, but in reality, there are so many variations.
Who Were You, What Are You by Andrew Joseph White
I expected more from this, honestly. I haven’t read his books yet (waiting desperately for Hell Followed With Us to be released in Australia later this month), but I’ve seen the hype they get. Given how much people love his books, I went into this expecting something brilliant, life-shattering, crawling into my soul… but it… wasn’t that great.
Following a main character who recently came out as trans, got outed for cheating on his boyfriend, and is now recovering from a violent attack from his ex, on a trip to dog-sit for Mamaw… with his ex-boyfriend’s best friend, who he’d been cheating with.
Wandering Stars by Isa Boog
Neopronoun rep, physical disability rep
Set in a future heavily affected by a climate disaster, Aster is out walking xyr dog when they find a seal. Aster, who has always wanted to zoology, knows seals are thought to be extinct, and contacts a friend for help.
I really liked the concept for this one. It’s always interesting to see what people do with a climate-affected future.
Note: This book was hard for me to read for a few reasons. I find digital reading to be quite difficult, and it tends to take me twice as long to read something digital. Short stories are also something I struggle with.
On top of these personal struggles, the copy I received was riddled with errors, so I was constantly having to reread sentences or paragraphs to make sense of them, and stopping to take down notes. Because of this, I did struggle to connect with the work as well as I might have done had it been properly edited prior to being sent out.
I am writing this review despite these struggles, and doing my best to navigate my thoughts separately to these issues.
This is a collection of thirteen stories by authors who are both trans and autistic. The stories (mostly) feature characters who are trans and autistic, showing how the overlap of these things affects them.
The Door by Laurie Doyle
This was one of my favourites.
A door has mysteriously appeared in the character’s bedroom, but it’s locked and they can’t find a key to open it.
This story starts off strong and intriguing and runs with that intrigue the whole way through. I was invested. I needed to know what was happening.
Vanishing Names by Mary Buffaloe
This one was spooky and sweet.
A babysitter is hired to look after a kid they used to watch. But there’s something different about her. She doesn’t seem to get along with anyone else. She’d rather be outside, in the water and climbing trees, talking to snakes.
Fate Turns the Light On by Rafaella Rul
This one was a fun little sci-fi piece featuring a school in space and spaceships.
There’s an attack on the school and Dax has to fight through sensory overload from the alarms going off and the feeling of his new binder while trying to defend the school he’s called home for the last five years.
A Chrysalis for the Emperor by Briar Ripley Page
This was definitely another favourite for me. I absolutely loved it.
The bug analogy was very cool and clever, using differences and features typically attributed to insects to show this character’s differences with being trans and autistic.
Don’t Play With My Heart by Ray Rhys Phillips
Board games for a special interest, so he’s thrilled to get a job in a game cafe. There’s a wide variety of games for people to come in and play while they drink hot drinks.
And then an artist starts coming in, sitting to draw at the same time every time. One day, accompanied by his friend, the artist invites our main character, Skylar, to a game night.
(Skylar is a trans guy. This is a good reminder that trans people don’t necessarily have to change their name to something that stereotypically aligns with their gender. Society doesn’t get to decide who you are based on a combination of letters and sounds. Only you do.)
The Doll in the Ripped Universe by Jennifer Lee Rossman
This story is beautiful. It’s short and sweet and filled with feelings.
The main character meets his future self through a crack in time in his Aunt’s yard.
On Belonging by Ryan Vale
A secret boarding school for magical beings that you can only get to through a portal? Heck yeah.
Eli is excited to go to the same school his dad had gone to. Until he gets through the portal and finds himself immediately overwhelmed by the crowds and the noise. He just wants to go home. But maybe the right friends will make everything worth it and allow him to find ways to manage the things he finds difficult.
Those That Came First by Miles Nelson
This story felt out of place. When slipped in with the rest of the book, this one doesn’t feel like it belongs. It feels less like a short story, and more like a snippet from a novel we don’t have context for. While there is a slight explanation in the author’s note, it still feels off.
Those That Came First follows Bailey and his mentor, the Riftmaster, as they explore an abandoned city.
Mizmor L’David by Dorian Yosef Weber
This one contains a lot of very specific Jewish references you might need to look up to fully understand the story, but it was definitely a fun read.
The main character really just wants to look after the sheep and read.
The main character’s dad has died, and they’d promised to marry Ezra, but now Ezra has found someone else (with the same name). Ezra’s new partner invites the main character to their wedding. She seems lovely, but something is off about her…
The Ghost on Oxford Street by Riley Swan
Neopronoun rep!
Excuse me this was so cute and suddenly I was bawling.
Soul-crushing, gut-wrenching, uplifting. Just beautiful.
Time travelling and learning about Australia’s history with pride and the AIDS crisis.
Hyacinths & Other Purple Plants by Alex Lakej
Two very different characters, both autistic, discovering friendship and learning about each other’s special interests.
This was very sweet, and I really enjoyed reading this one.
I also think this was a very important story because it shows that not every autistic person is the same. There are different struggles, different ways of experiencing things, and different understandings. There’s a misconception that autistic people have a type, but in reality, there are so many variations.
Who Were You, What Are You by Andrew Joseph White
I expected more from this, honestly. I haven’t read his books yet (waiting desperately for Hell Followed With Us to be released in Australia later this month), but I’ve seen the hype they get. Given how much people love his books, I went into this expecting something brilliant, life-shattering, crawling into my soul… but it… wasn’t that great.
Following a main character who recently came out as trans, got outed for cheating on his boyfriend, and is now recovering from a violent attack from his ex, on a trip to dog-sit for Mamaw… with his ex-boyfriend’s best friend, who he’d been cheating with.
Wandering Stars by Isa Boog
Neopronoun rep, physical disability rep
Set in a future heavily affected by a climate disaster, Aster is out walking xyr dog when they find a seal. Aster, who has always wanted to zoology, knows seals are thought to be extinct, and contacts a friend for help.
I really liked the concept for this one. It’s always interesting to see what people do with a climate-affected future.
Note: This book was hard for me to read for a few reasons. I find digital reading to be quite difficult, and it tends to take me twice as long to read something digital. Short stories are also something I struggle with.
On top of these personal struggles, the copy I received was riddled with errors, so I was constantly having to reread sentences or paragraphs to make sense of them, and stopping to take down notes. Because of this, I did struggle to connect with the work as well as I might have done had it been properly edited prior to being sent out.
I am writing this review despite these struggles, and doing my best to navigate my thoughts separately to these issues.
August 18, 2023
I'm always looking to add more trans books to my lists. So when the editor offered me a review copy of this one, I was happy to accept!
A couple notes about the curation before I mention the stories that stood out to me. The curation was a bit all over the place in terms of genre and setting. There were cute school stories, body horror, and space operas. While this means most readers are likely to find a story in a genre they like, they're also likely to find one they don't. I would have liked curation for setting/genre similar to what other identity based anthologies have done.
[Side note: it looks like the synopsis on this page was copied directly from the Kickstarter and the change in context isn't doing it much favors. Putting "we expect support" on a book's review page is like saying "we expect you to read this." Might want to look into editing that.]
As for my favorite stories, I found I liked the cutesy contemporary romances the best. That's a bit out of character for me, I usually prefer the stranger, more speculative aspects in stories. But "Don't Play With My Heart" and "Hyacinths and Other Purple Plants" were particular stand outs. I also enjoyed the ones that had light speculative elements, like "Vanishing Names" and "The Doll in the Ripped Universe." "Vanishing Names" in particular did a great job at making the setting feel like it's own character.
I really wanted to like Fate Turns the Light On, as I'm a sucker for space battles. But the foreward's explanation of how it was an analogy gave it a giant expectation that the story didn't live up to for me. I'm a queer person working in a school, with training on school shootings and unfortunate experience with political attacks on queer kids. And the story didn't really feel like it was representative of either. It felt like another space opera dogfight. A well-written one, yes. But if the foreward hadn't explicitly stated what it was supposed to be, I wouldn't have guessed.
In general, there's a lot of great stories in here. Like I mentioned before, I don't usually go for the cutesy contemporary stories, but something about them drew me in this time. As long as you're prepared for a wide range of vibes, you'll probably find something you like.
A couple notes about the curation before I mention the stories that stood out to me. The curation was a bit all over the place in terms of genre and setting. There were cute school stories, body horror, and space operas. While this means most readers are likely to find a story in a genre they like, they're also likely to find one they don't. I would have liked curation for setting/genre similar to what other identity based anthologies have done.
[Side note: it looks like the synopsis on this page was copied directly from the Kickstarter and the change in context isn't doing it much favors. Putting "we expect support" on a book's review page is like saying "we expect you to read this." Might want to look into editing that.]
As for my favorite stories, I found I liked the cutesy contemporary romances the best. That's a bit out of character for me, I usually prefer the stranger, more speculative aspects in stories. But "Don't Play With My Heart" and "Hyacinths and Other Purple Plants" were particular stand outs. I also enjoyed the ones that had light speculative elements, like "Vanishing Names" and "The Doll in the Ripped Universe." "Vanishing Names" in particular did a great job at making the setting feel like it's own character.
I really wanted to like Fate Turns the Light On, as I'm a sucker for space battles. But the foreward's explanation of how it was an analogy gave it a giant expectation that the story didn't live up to for me. I'm a queer person working in a school, with training on school shootings and unfortunate experience with political attacks on queer kids. And the story didn't really feel like it was representative of either. It felt like another space opera dogfight. A well-written one, yes. But if the foreward hadn't explicitly stated what it was supposed to be, I wouldn't have guessed.
In general, there's a lot of great stories in here. Like I mentioned before, I don't usually go for the cutesy contemporary stories, but something about them drew me in this time. As long as you're prepared for a wide range of vibes, you'll probably find something you like.
March 13, 2025
This took me a solid few months to get through. I was so looking forward to having an anthology featuring autistic trans characters and while I did enjoy the stories, I can't help but feel like I'm a little let down. I don't know. Like there were some that I really enjoyed and one or two that were not my thing. I just feel like this didn't meet my expectations and I'm a little sad about it.
The Door by Laurie Dale: interesting idea and I like the concept of a hidden door to find yourself.
Vanishing Names by Mary Buffalo: weird, creepy, cool.
Fate Turns the Light On by Rafaella Rul: space school shooting.
💜A chrysalis for the emperor by Briar Ripley Page: bug people? I'm here for it. It's giving a bugs life if the ants were human size. Fight the power.
Don't Play With My Heart by Ray Rhys Phillips: the most contemporary of the bunch so far. Gaming cafe meet cute
💜The Doll in the Ripped Universe by Jennifer Lee Rossman: I liked this one. It's short and sweet but also about one of my fav ideas.
On Belonging by AR Vale: magical boarding school vibes, okay
Those That Came First by Nelson Miles: weird but in a bad way. Apparently it's kind of a prequel to the authors novels but it was boring af.
Mizmor L'David by Dorian Yosef Weber: Jewish shepard and a demon. Good solid story
💜The Ghost on Oxford Street by Riley Swan: a nonbinary person learns about living proud through ghost in a club bathroom. Surprisingly heartwarming and heartbreaking. Set in Australia
💜Hyacinths and Others Purple Plants by Alex Lakej: two autistic trans kids bond over plants and Greek myths during that last semester of high school while competing for valedictorian. Black she/they autistic trans, white midsize they them autistic trans
Who Were You, What Are You by Andrew Joseph White: one of the only in this anthology that I recognized the author before hand so I had high expectations. I'm not sure they were met. The story is good and it's about a trans boy getting his power back but it wasn't as good as I was expecting. Genuinely think if I hadn't had any expectations, it would've been better. Did give me what's probably my fav quote from the whole thing tho so that's something
Wandering Stars by Isa Elias Boog: cute end to the anthology
The Door by Laurie Dale: interesting idea and I like the concept of a hidden door to find yourself.
Vanishing Names by Mary Buffalo: weird, creepy, cool.
Fate Turns the Light On by Rafaella Rul: space school shooting.
💜A chrysalis for the emperor by Briar Ripley Page: bug people? I'm here for it. It's giving a bugs life if the ants were human size. Fight the power.
Don't Play With My Heart by Ray Rhys Phillips: the most contemporary of the bunch so far. Gaming cafe meet cute
💜The Doll in the Ripped Universe by Jennifer Lee Rossman: I liked this one. It's short and sweet but also about one of my fav ideas.
On Belonging by AR Vale: magical boarding school vibes, okay
Those That Came First by Nelson Miles: weird but in a bad way. Apparently it's kind of a prequel to the authors novels but it was boring af.
Mizmor L'David by Dorian Yosef Weber: Jewish shepard and a demon. Good solid story
💜The Ghost on Oxford Street by Riley Swan: a nonbinary person learns about living proud through ghost in a club bathroom. Surprisingly heartwarming and heartbreaking. Set in Australia
💜Hyacinths and Others Purple Plants by Alex Lakej: two autistic trans kids bond over plants and Greek myths during that last semester of high school while competing for valedictorian. Black she/they autistic trans, white midsize they them autistic trans
Who Were You, What Are You by Andrew Joseph White: one of the only in this anthology that I recognized the author before hand so I had high expectations. I'm not sure they were met. The story is good and it's about a trans boy getting his power back but it wasn't as good as I was expecting. Genuinely think if I hadn't had any expectations, it would've been better. Did give me what's probably my fav quote from the whole thing tho so that's something
Wandering Stars by Isa Elias Boog: cute end to the anthology
January 27, 2024
I need to say right off the bat that I have a family connection to one of the authors in this anthology, though I still had to buy my own copy so there is that. I have also never knowingly let them win at anything (as a recent Sushi Go! tournament will attest) and that applies equally to reviewing their work. I like to think that this has gone some way to making them the game player that they are today.
As with any anthology, or indeed any collection of stories by a single author, there are those which I prefer and I imagine that the stories which are my favourites here would not necessarily be the same favourites for someone else. That said there are no stories here which I dislike, just some that I prefer. Of the thirteen stories seven of them stand out, one of which I didn’t connect to at first but by the end was one of my favourites. These preferred stories all tend toward being more grounded or original in their approach, trying to find a new or different way of telling their story while the ones I didn’t connect to so much were those which reminded me of other narratives. The link between the mythical idea of a changeling and being trans and/or autistic is interesting in its possible context however is it also this form of allegory which weakens some of the tales, getting a little lost in a maze of metaphor.
Not being a changeling myself (as far as I know) one might feel that I am not the typical audience for this anthology but these are stories of experience, of people and of connections made, in whatever way works. If you’re letting the ‘autistic trans’ put you off reading this firstly, take a good look at yourself in the mirror, and secondly give it a chance, you just might find that it helps you change(lings) your outlook.
Autistic trans stories are human stories.
As with any anthology, or indeed any collection of stories by a single author, there are those which I prefer and I imagine that the stories which are my favourites here would not necessarily be the same favourites for someone else. That said there are no stories here which I dislike, just some that I prefer. Of the thirteen stories seven of them stand out, one of which I didn’t connect to at first but by the end was one of my favourites. These preferred stories all tend toward being more grounded or original in their approach, trying to find a new or different way of telling their story while the ones I didn’t connect to so much were those which reminded me of other narratives. The link between the mythical idea of a changeling and being trans and/or autistic is interesting in its possible context however is it also this form of allegory which weakens some of the tales, getting a little lost in a maze of metaphor.
Not being a changeling myself (as far as I know) one might feel that I am not the typical audience for this anthology but these are stories of experience, of people and of connections made, in whatever way works. If you’re letting the ‘autistic trans’ put you off reading this firstly, take a good look at yourself in the mirror, and secondly give it a chance, you just might find that it helps you change(lings) your outlook.
Autistic trans stories are human stories.
December 20, 2023
This book was given to me as an ARC to review back in July. I am so sorry that it has taken me this long to review it.
This anthology was a powerful look at autistic, trans* characters in so many different fantastical situations. It was really refreshing. Each story vastly different yet still fitting snugly into the anthology.
I really appreciated the content warnings at the beginning of each story. Often I found myself able to take the time to mentally prepare for that content within that might have floored me otherwise. It was nice to see that warning before diving into written content like this.
If I had to pick a few favourites from the anthology, they’d be “The Door” by Laurie Doyle, “A Chrysalis for the Emperor” by Briar Ripley Page, and “The Ghost on Oxford Street” by Riley Swan.
As a non-binary person, it was great to see a wide spectrum of trans* representation here, alongside the autistic rep.
I would definitely recommend it for that alone. While I cannot technically speak to the autism rep, I found myself relating to a lot of the experiences of overwhelm found within. How daily life can, seemingly out of the blue, become Too Much Stimulus.
The trans rep was great for the variety in experiences from trans women to men to non-binary folks, alongside many other parts of the LGBTQIA+ experience found within the stories.
I can see this being an anthology I revisit in the future and I hope others can find and take just as much from its amazing stories as I have.
This anthology was a powerful look at autistic, trans* characters in so many different fantastical situations. It was really refreshing. Each story vastly different yet still fitting snugly into the anthology.
I really appreciated the content warnings at the beginning of each story. Often I found myself able to take the time to mentally prepare for that content within that might have floored me otherwise. It was nice to see that warning before diving into written content like this.
If I had to pick a few favourites from the anthology, they’d be “The Door” by Laurie Doyle, “A Chrysalis for the Emperor” by Briar Ripley Page, and “The Ghost on Oxford Street” by Riley Swan.
As a non-binary person, it was great to see a wide spectrum of trans* representation here, alongside the autistic rep.
I would definitely recommend it for that alone. While I cannot technically speak to the autism rep, I found myself relating to a lot of the experiences of overwhelm found within. How daily life can, seemingly out of the blue, become Too Much Stimulus.
The trans rep was great for the variety in experiences from trans women to men to non-binary folks, alongside many other parts of the LGBTQIA+ experience found within the stories.
I can see this being an anthology I revisit in the future and I hope others can find and take just as much from its amazing stories as I have.
August 4, 2023
This is a wonderful collection of stories that showcases the variety of trans masc autistic experiences in settings ranging from cozy cafes in the world we know well, to the distant future where people live underground as nanobots destroy the environment. The stories span a variety of genres from contemporary romance to sci-fi and fantasy with a dash of horror. Note on the rep though - unless I really missed something, I don't think there is any trans fem representation in this collection and I wish there had been.
As with every anthology, there were some stories that resonated more with me than others based on my own personal experiences. The stories that really stood out to me were Dorian Yosef Weber's examination of rural Jewish life and what it means to be trans and autistic within a traditional community. I learned so much about Jewish culture from this story. Andrew Joseph White's story about a messy teen dealing with an abusive ex while trying to figure who they want to be was a story I particularly enjoyed as it gave us a protagonist who teetered toward being more of an anti-hero.
I think this is an important collection of stories that will resonate with teen and adult readers, allowing trans masc autistic people to be seen in fiction. All stories are prefaced with an author's note and have trigger/content warnings, which I deeply appreciated.
As with every anthology, there were some stories that resonated more with me than others based on my own personal experiences. The stories that really stood out to me were Dorian Yosef Weber's examination of rural Jewish life and what it means to be trans and autistic within a traditional community. I learned so much about Jewish culture from this story. Andrew Joseph White's story about a messy teen dealing with an abusive ex while trying to figure who they want to be was a story I particularly enjoyed as it gave us a protagonist who teetered toward being more of an anti-hero.
I think this is an important collection of stories that will resonate with teen and adult readers, allowing trans masc autistic people to be seen in fiction. All stories are prefaced with an author's note and have trigger/content warnings, which I deeply appreciated.
March 30, 2025
Fans of Resurrections (by Ada Hoffmann) and The Neurodiversiverse: Alien Encounters (ed by Anthony Francis and Liza Olmstead) will be delighted to discover this wonderfully autistic and trans anthology. Several stories are explicitly affirming, about finding that someone who understands or meeting an alternate or future self. Some share meaningful life experiences or histories. But the ones built around a special interest appealed to me the most with their open and honest appreciation, even for subjects I only tangentially care about (bugs in “A Chrysalis for the Emperor” by Briar Ripley Page, table top gaming in “Don’t Play With My Heart” by Ray Rhys Philips, plants and Greek myths in “Hyacinths and Other Purple Plants” by Alex Lakej). But my favorite is the final story, “Wandering Stars” by Elias Boog, which combines relatable characters and a fearsome future with three of my favorite subjects: ocean, space, and climate science. From reading multiple reviews, it’s clear different stories appeal to other readers, which is exactly what I’d hope for with such an anthology!
April 27, 2026
i usually struggle with anthologies but i absolutely adored this. i felt so represented and seen and i loved almost every individual stories, and disliked none of them. i got this because andrew joseph white featured and while i love his short story, i was truly taken with hyacinths and other purple plants by alex lakej and i wish they had more published work for me to read!!! i truly loved this so much i had the best time
like yeah some of the stories were not that detailed or skipped over some stuff in order to be so short but all in all it worked for me!!
like yeah some of the stories were not that detailed or skipped over some stuff in order to be so short but all in all it worked for me!!
April 1, 2024
Average rating worked out to about 3.88
I supported the kickstarter for this because I am always here for some autistic trans stories, obviously. As with any anthology there are always going to be some stories that work better for you and ones that don’t so much. My personal top five favourites were:
A Chrysalis For The Emperor
Don’t Play With My Heart
On Belonging
The Ghost On Oxford Street
Who Were You, What Are You
I supported the kickstarter for this because I am always here for some autistic trans stories, obviously. As with any anthology there are always going to be some stories that work better for you and ones that don’t so much. My personal top five favourites were:
A Chrysalis For The Emperor
Don’t Play With My Heart
On Belonging
The Ghost On Oxford Street
Who Were You, What Are You
May 29, 2025
This book was mostly good. As an anthology some stories were better than others (my personal favorite being Andrew Joseph White's). There's various depictions of being transmasc/nonbinary, as well as autism, as we are not a monolith and do vary. The only real criticisms I have are that the editors appear to have stopped editing about halfway through, as a lot of typos appear then, and that many of the trigger warnings are unmarked (such as infidelity in White's previously mentioned story).
Want to Read
November 12, 2024reading a lot of "not as good as I hoped" reviews, so I don't have the highest hopes, but, hey, I'll give it a shot.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews