Realistic Fiction

by Anton Solomonik, Cat Fitzpatrick (editor)

"Outrageously funny."
—Paul Harding

"There is nobody doing it like Anton."
—Tuck Woodstock

Finally, a book for men!


Have you ever engaged in totally normal male behavior

Stealing porn magazines?
Hooking up with guys on Grindr?
Attempting to work in an open-pit mine despite having no relevant job experience?
Crossdressing as a woman?
Attending Gnostic Mass?
Running for government office?

Then this is a book for you!

It is definitely not a deeply felt collection of transsexual short stories, engaged in dissident metaphysical investigation of the normative tenets of gender in our society! Bro, how could you say that? It is very dramatic and exciting, yes, but it is not metaphysical at all. In fact, it is Realistic Fiction.

As if Charlie Chaplin re-wrote the works of Kafka, and he was a Russian trans man, Anton Solomonik brings a funny, heartbreaking, and startlingly unique new voice to contemporary short fiction.

Genres: Queer, LGBT, Short Stories, Fiction, Transgender, Adult

244 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 2025

Reviews

[E.Y. Zhao · Rating 5 out of 5]

i’m biased, the story about a dorky hs girl undergoing ineffable epiphanies after reading bakhtin and willa cather was toooooo personal

[Maddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Little Puss Press for my copy! This was really fun, weird, and gay. Will expand upon this review later!!

2/20/25 Updated review to add:

I am a big fan of trans-normative books (and queer-normative stories, in general). I enjoy that many of the central characters in this collection are trans, but not all of the stories are about them being trans. For some of the characters, it's not even mentioned that they're trans until half-way through the story, just like the color of their hair or a food allergy they might have.

Overall, this is a solid collection of strange (though not the super dark type of strange), queer stories. Out 4/1/25!!

[Sarah Cavar · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5. A miss for me –– as others have said, the humor just didn't work for me, and the stories mostly didn't engage.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think I really clicked with the humor in this book. The stories felt often self deprecating and uncomfortable, but I think it's been growing on me since finishing. I liked that we got recurring characters and the centrality of community/lack thereof.

[Luke · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5. I have been coincidentally watching a lot of non canonically autistic media lately (mostly punch drunk love and nathan fielder) and I think that prepared me to enjoy this collection, which is specifically about autistic trans men even if it doesn’t always tell you that (whether there is another way to be a trans man is an exercise I will leave to the reader). Standouts were Moving to Boron and How to Run for Office.

[Dorian Tomaras · Rating 5 out of 5]

As he hints at himself in the story August, 1962, Solomonik’s works remind me very much of a modern trans take on Beckett’s work (something I envy very much, since I’ve been playing fruitlessly with similar themes and sources of inspiration in my work recently). The protagonists in particular remind me of many of my favorite Beckett novels; for instance, their struggle to self-project outwards, where attempts by the protagonists to express their psyches to secondary characters are constantly thwarted by social ineptness and despair. Like many of Beckett’s protagonists who seek interpersonal connection (Murphy, Malone, Watt, for instance), Solomonik’s characters seem to abide by a strict and internalized ethical code. The gaps between norms, or even acceptable in-group behavior, within the social circles his protagonists move within and these codes provide much of the internal richness of these characters.

Another place where Solomonik seems to have taken inspiration from Beckett is the structure of the plot—I use the term “plot” very loosely. Coherent structures and settings, which seem at first glance to be shaping towards a Bildungsroman structure, are subverted into a stagnant arc. By the end of his stories, character growth along traditional moral lines seems impossible. The stories unspool as they progress, abandoning the structural constraints of the traditional story form, without causing the reader to lose interest.

Beckett’s authorial voice is almost performatively masculine, yet capable, at times, of taking on an androgynous or feminine character; the perfect choice of inspiration for a work of fiction that seeks simultaneously to adhere to/perform masculine norms and subvert the gendered expectations placed upon trans men from both inside and outside the community. Yet it remains only an inspiration—Solomonik’s deep understanding of trans discourse and 21st century sources of despair provide the content needed to create a highly original work, and throughout the work, his authorial voice allows the readers to enter the minds of his protagonists…while, simultaneously, remaining at an uncomfortable distance.

As when I read Beckett’s better works, I found myself wanting to reread these stories, to unpack the seemingly infinite number of new interpretations at my fingertips. Both structurally and thematically, a brilliant work.

[JOSH · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this :(

[Kate Cross · Rating 4 out of 5]

pretty funny!

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to like this more than I did.

There were moments that were delicious, but mostly it was awkward and uncomfortable.

I can’t decide, if that was the goal, then this was absolutely a success and should be 5/5.

So 3/5 for me, but maybe, if it clicks for you, 5/5 for you.

[Janis Maudlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really thought I would dislike this book for its unserious tone. "why can't trans man ever write emotional, sincere stuff? what's with this lemony snicket tone why you gotta be joking about everything?" but he insincerely jokes about everything so well I couldn't stop laughing, and there is also a sincere component in a way. by the time I was halfway through the book i was interrupting my partner reading their own book next to me to share the funny snippets and soon reading entire stories aloud to them because the book was too hilarious not to share immediately.

[Killian Holmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some of the stories felt stilted and short and confusing, but that did not detract from the fact that all of the characters felt tangible and real in a way that reflects my experience in the NYC Trans community.

It reminds me somewhat of the book girlfriends by Emily Zhou - also published by littlepuss press. Most of the vignettes are not meant to have a defined plot with a beginning -> middle -> end which can be disorienting. Instead, they are slices of character experiences where the actual events are secondary to the thoughts and reactions of the people in them.

I look forward to reading more by this author!

[Raquel · Rating 4 out of 5]

there's this perfect balance of oblivious, self-aware, and self-conscious that i am obsessed with in these stories whose protagonists are the types of characters that generally don't get to be the first-person perspective narrators or protagonist at all.





anton if youre reading goodreads reviews to torture yourself plz go write more instead pal xx

[June · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely stunning book. Otherworldly in the best possible way, these characters and this prose are so stiff and awkward, but they cut so deeply. It's also funny! By far my favorite book so far this year.

[Lis · Rating 5 out of 5]

these stories are crazy good. anton solomonik knows what is important about sex(es) and what is important about writing

[ira · Rating 4 out of 5]

true transgender freak sensibility that I loved even when I didn’t like it. Complicity really excellent

[Edmy Roman · Rating 3 out of 5]

• The book was published on April 1, 2025 by LittlePuss Press. Barnes & Noble+2LittlePuss Press+2
• It has received multiple positive and critical reviews. For example, one review describes the collection as “mordant, caustic, unyielding and outrageously funny,” praising its boldness and unique voice. LittlePuss Press+2Full Stop+2
• It appears on curated reading lists of contemporary queer/trans literature and has been highlighted by literary blogs and outlets as a notable 2025 release. The Turnaround Blog+2Cleveland Review of Books+2

Because Realistic Fiction was only published in 2025, it may simply not yet have been eligible for many of the typical award cycles or perhaps is still being considered for future nominations. The critical reception is positive and the book seems to be gaining visibility within the trans / queer literary community. So while it is critically acclaimed, calling it “award-winning” or “award-nominated” would be inaccurate at this time.

As a primary grade teacher, I approached Realistic Fiction by Anton Solomonik after speaking with a high school colleague who recommended it as an important contemporary read—especially for educators who want to better understand what older students are thinking about and navigating. Although the topics in this book are far beyond what I teach or discuss with my young learners, I believe it is important for elementary teachers to stay informed about the kinds of complex social and identity questions students eventually encounter as they grow. Realistic Fiction tackles themes such as gender identity, alienation, belonging, and the pressures young people face as they try to figure out who they are. The content is mature, raw, and emotionally intense, and it is intended for older adolescents and adults rather than children. However, reading it as a primary teacher broadened my perspective; it reminded me that the students sitting in my kindergarten or first-grade classroom today will become teens who may one day grapple with these very issues. Understanding the types of stories and experiences that resonate with older students helps me reaffirm the importance of building inclusive, compassionate classroom communities early on. While I would never use this book with young children, I can appreciate its value for high school readers and for educators seeking deeper insight into the emotional worlds of LGBTQ+ youth and the powerful role literature plays in helping them feel seen.

[Abby · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this more than I did. Solomonik has some good things going and I do hope to see more from him, but this just wasn't there for me.

Good:
Solomonik has a knack for putting trans characters in interesting situations that get them to explore some boundary or another.

Sharp, interesting observations about queer communities and relationships.

What would bring this to four or five stars for me:
More work on the prose on a sentence/line level. There were some problems that seem small on their own but on a large scale over the course of the book they really distracted me.

The humor didn't really land for me. I saw it was there and understood what he was trying to do but it just didn't hit for me. I'm wondering if dealing with some of the other problems in the book would help.

Every character, whether they were 19 or 35 felt like they were between 18-22 or so. The dialogue of every character just came of super young for some reason. I would hope to see more complex dialogue and more developed characters in future work.

Knix the fatfobia. It was subtle through most of the book with descriptions always including information about body size and using the word "normal" a lot (though we never find out what normal means to this author). I nearly DNF'ed when the word "fat" is used as a pejorative in one of the later stories in the book. If it had happened in the first couple stories I would've stopped reading immediately.

Having an unlikeable or chaotic character isn't an excuse for bigotry, and when this shows up several times throughout different stories it becomes clear this isn't the problematic view of some character but the view of the author themselves. I'm pretty disappointed in Little Puss for printing this.

Like I said, I do hope Solomonik publishes more but fat-phobia or any other bigotry will be an instant DNF for me in his future work, so I hope he's able to deal with that.

[Drew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anton Solomonik's trans short stories really do make the head spin. In one deadpan narrative after the next, the author confronts or satirically examines gender-based bias as well as an inherent alienation presented as core to the human condition. In "Signs," a struggling teen student pines for her same sex teacher while aching to bond over the male-male love story at the center of Willa Cather's "Death Comes for the Archbishop"; in "Cassandra," a trans male wannabe congressional candidate crossdresses as a woman in response to his campaign organizer's straight girlfriend's seemingly random decision to dress like a trans man right before they're set to appear at a political book club meeting. If that sounds like a lot of elements to incorporate, you're not wrong. And one of the impressive feats of "Realistic Fiction" is how Solomonik can build such complicated stories with such flat-affect prose. In tale after tale, characters are protecting themselves and constantly exposing themselves to the world with ill-considered abandon. How could it be otherwise in this era in which we're constantly pranked by technology's panopticon?

[gwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic—the style felt like a more satirical and slightly more transgender Kafka. Everything is very matter-of-fact. Though the content was less surreal (it's Realistic Fiction, after all!)

The main thing that kept me from really loving this is a certain monotony in tone—much of the book is very dry and comic. But the moments where something broke through that dryness were all the more effective ("Cassandra" was a highlight for me). And there is a lot of sweetness in this book—especially in the story "Signs."

Apparently Cat Fitzpatrick was involved as an editor, and if you liked The Call Out you will almost certainly like this, too.

[Liam Whitworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW, I loved this insane little book from Anton Solomonik, a Brooklyn-based Russian trans man (and co-host of the World Transsexual Forum, an open mic series for transsexual writers). Extremely not uplifting takes on millennial existential dread and alienation under (cis and trans) masculinity. Solomonik writes against what he most disdains: earnest, plotless "slice-of-life" realist literary fiction. Instead, he meanders through eleven deadpan slapstick short stories about his embarrassing hobbies: Magic: The Gathering, anime, porn, awkward Grindr hookups, attempting to get a big boy manual labor job in a boron mine, weightlifting, and trying to understand European philosophers.

[lochNessmonster · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up. I loved the clunky and weird characters, the choppy and overly grammatical dialogue, and the general exploration of themes of gender fuckery. It’s a lot to unpack! I’ll forever be thinking about the trans woman character making fun of trans men by putting on a binder and a goofy hat, as I continue to wear my binder and my goofy hat.

(Read physical printed book.)

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm going to have to file this under not bad but not for me. I just couldn’t get into it or its humor. The way characters spoke and behaved was always so odd. It almost felt like reading a book plucked from an alternate universe.

[Tenacity Plys · Rating 5 out of 5]

normal

[Laurie McKane]

DNF @ 40%

Intentionally eschewed convention but ultimately the experimental approach didn't work for me.

[Sarah Cummins]

Reminds me of Rudy Wurlitzer a lot which is good

[Rhys · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Sometimes I loved this, sometimes I hated this - either way, I do give this props for evoking strong emotional responses from me. I can appreciate what a lot of the stories are doing and I definitely think Solomonik is a talented writer, but I just really wanted to enjoy this more than I did. I don't even think I was supposed to necessarily enjoy this. Sometimes the lines between ironic and sincere were too thoroughly blended for my taste.

[Talya Phelps · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much food for thought amongst intertwined, cringingly hilarious narratives coalesced around the experience of being a trans man. "Moving to Boron" was a highlight.