The Transitive Properties of Cheese

by Ann Leblanc

Millions Wayland was cutting the curds when she learned someone had thrown her cheese cave into the sun. To find out who is responsible, Millions makes a copy of her digitally uploaded consciousness and transmits it to a nearby orbital city. Soon enough, she becomes entangled in a messy conflict between several copies of herself that she made decades ago, one that soon ferments into a situation ready to go off.

Genres: Science Fiction, Novella, Queer, LGBT, Science Fiction Fantasy

125 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 10, 2024

Reviews

[Nathaniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never knew that all I needed in life was a sci-fi about a girl trying to save her cheese cave from getting shot into the sun

Edit: people keep liking this review, and it's reminding me that I didn't do this book justice with a good review. The problem is that I really really REALLY want to reread this book as a paperback, but I have no idea how to get my hands on a paperback. It's very hard to find in Canada. So I will be back with a better review when I've had the opportunity to reread it and come up with a good review.

[Matty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quirky, fun, fast-paced, cyberpunk story combining duplicated consciousness, self-love, and a high-stakes space heist to save a rogue cheese cave. Bizarre, fun novella that I recommend if you’re in the mood for some funky sci-fi.

[Bogi Takács]

Wonderful novella that has the best parts of space opera and inventive postcyberpunk. It was my daily #BogiReads rec on Bluesky, here is the thread:

https://bsky.app/profile/bogiperson.b...
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Source of the book: Lawrence Public Library purchase request (thank you for filling it!)

[Peter Tillman]

Weird SF novella. $7 Kindle. Sounds odd enough that I may want to try it. Especially if it goes on sale. Published September 10, 2024. Check back later?

[Mary Biz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never thought I’d be so invested in a cheese-making robot. This world explodes with creativity and possibility, and I loved not knowing what was going to happen next.

[Jessica O · Rating 5 out of 5]

strange and lovely and hopeful and strange

[Rai Ameli · Rating 5 out of 5]

a very fun read!! had a FEW moments where i was struggling to keep up and had to start over but genuinely fell in love with wayland and her eccentricities… and #CONTROVERSIALALERT hattie grew on me too… would highly recommend!!

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5
“The Transitive Properties of Cheese” by Ann Leblanc is a fun and thoughtful novella following a cheesemaker seeking to save her cheese cave.
Millions Wayland has thrown herself into cheesemaking while running away from a disastrous mistake in her past. Her cheese has grown to be quite popular and she is happy to be able to spend all of her time creating new types. But when she learns that the asteroid that houses her cheese cave will soon be destroyed, she will have to head back to the station she fled from to try and save her cheese business.
From the premise, this would seem like a really weird and silly novella and though this is true in some parts, it is also a really fascinating look at identity, how one copes with difficult situations, and the commodification of a person’s being. Leblanc deals with these topics and more in a really engaging, sci-fi setting that felt incredibly unique. The unique characters paired with the fascinating world and plot made this a wonderful novella. It’s quite short and yet it feels fully fleshed out and realized. I would love to spend more time with these characters and I hope that Leblanc will write more about them in the future. She does an excellent job of exploring different topics in an immersive and inventive world and I would love to read what she writes next.

[TT Madden · Rating 5 out of 5]

It ain't easy stealin' cheesies but it's very easy to give this 5 stars. An extremely unique, engaging premise (interstellar cheese heist) that I felt invested in despite knowing literally nothing about cheese except it tastes good. Leblanc does a great job explaining the world, and this specific corner of it without getting bogged down, and making you feel invested in it because the characters are all clearly passionate for it. Unique scifi bodyswapping/sharing and a world that feels real and well thought out despite its short length.

[Bjorn · Rating 3 out of 5]

r/Fantasy Bingo Read #2 - Self Published or Indie Publisher

Agghhh I wish I could give this a higher rating. The delicious descriptions about cheese are -enticing-. Not to mention how this sci-fi novella tackles concepts that I've never before seen in the genre. Dealing with literal millions of weird, unique copies of your original brain and with their own bodies is one heck of a premise.

This book feels deeply personal to the author. Dysphoria is a frightening, sickness-inducing thing, and LeBlanc is more than capable of conveying that -- as well as the self-loathing and eagerness just to please the system that actively tries to oppress you for who you are.

That said, there is a pacing issue in this book. I didn't feel like the ending was deserved. Like a good cheese, the story needed more room to breathe and cultivate. The writing style of LeBlanc is also a bit too on the nose, to the point that I sometimes felt myself rolling my eyes at a clunky description.

For my first introduction to Neon Hemlock Press, though, it was a nice ride.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

A compelling little look into a future where consciousness can be copied and uploaded into tech, and the ways that might manifest personally and politically. Although the world building can be a lot, the focus on Wayland's goal to save her cheese helps keep it grounded in a way that kept me invested, even when I was sometimes a little confused how some tech worked. There were a lot of interesting concepts developed and explored, especially in terms of identity, community, and what space cheese might be made of XD. Also a lot of transgender themes, and although I'm cis and not an expert on the subject, those themes complemented the main concept (consciousness unbound from an initial body, building oneself a new vessel, transhumanism) extremely well. If you're looking for some creative but bite-sized sci-fi with a motley of genuinely unique-feeling ideas, then pick this novella up.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an early copy of this book to blurb.

For someone who has made a fair bit of cheese, the religious and spiritual symbolism of innumerable microorganisms working in concert to transform one substance into another, especially as it pertains to the infinite potential of gender exploration, had never actually occurred to me. I was delighted by the worldbuilding at every turn (the Millions are just *cool*, in the way that you want your scifi to be *cool,* and sexy, and weird) and deeply entertained by the heist, but the through-line which will stay with me is the exploration of every different iteration of gender and experience a single person could take over generations.

[Venneh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this in the leadup to election hell, and this was honestly a hell of a twist on a heist novella. You have trans individuals in a future that lets multiple bodies be an option for consciousness and also allows you to run into a copy of yourself or ten with several different years of experiences, an artisan being exploited by bullshit capitalism, and counterfeit cheeses. Pick this up this fall and enjoy it.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deeply weird and fun. Explores some interesting questions about self, change, and bodily determinism. Might be TOO weird for some people (the euphoric consensual cannabalism scene was a bit much for me, personally. YMMV.)

[Aschymik · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this a true delight to read - fantastically fun and thought-provoking, to the point that I immediately dove back in for a second read-through.

[Diego Aranda Teixeira · Rating 5 out of 5]

fascinating exploration of trans identity

This was an incredible exploration of trans identity, and into NB and agender/beyond human identity, in a charming sci fi setting

[Anna]

I like the enabling concept but the sample download didn’t grab me.

[Eric Farnsworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun romp through the solar system!

[WBTM BOOKSHELF]

Author Interview: https://buttondown.com/theinfodump/ar...

[Saloni · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun, thought-provoking sci fi. Short and well-worth the time to read.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fun! My favorite space sci fi worlds are ones that feel wild, fun, and imaginative instead of cold/dreary/dead. This was hijinks and evil capitalism and cheese. Highly recommend.

[Julian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good, inventive and unique and heartfelt. There is so much happening in these short pages, but I appreciate the ways it handled plot, backstory, and relationships alongside more challenging topics like transhumanism. I would have liked a little bit less focus on the main relationship, but I was still interested in it, and I have started to read more of the author's short stories.