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The New Lesbian Pulp
A collection of reinvented queer pulp fiction by writers like Sarah Schulman and Lorraine Hansberry that’s so edgy it draws blood.
Lesbian pulp fiction thrived in the oppressive 1950s, telling subversive stories of lonely sapphic women who find connection, passion, and revenge. In The New Lesbian Pulp, editors Sarah Fonseca and Octavia Saenz revive the genre for today, layering nuance into classic tropes while dialing up the melodrama, romantic peril, and collateral damage.
In these pages—which pair revived classics from Lorraine Hansberry and Alice Dunbar Nelson with new stories from Sarah Schulman, Grace Byron, Shamim Sharif, and more—vigilante lesbians gather roadkill for revenge, a woman and her former high school bully hook up and commit murder, Brooklyn witches cruise kink parties for human sacrifice, and a sinister kidnapping goes horribly wrong (or horribly right).
Here, gathered just for you, are some of today’s best lesbian pulp stories. Don’t be afraid. Pick them up.
Lesbian pulp fiction thrived in the oppressive 1950s, telling subversive stories of lonely sapphic women who find connection, passion, and revenge. In The New Lesbian Pulp, editors Sarah Fonseca and Octavia Saenz revive the genre for today, layering nuance into classic tropes while dialing up the melodrama, romantic peril, and collateral damage.
In these pages—which pair revived classics from Lorraine Hansberry and Alice Dunbar Nelson with new stories from Sarah Schulman, Grace Byron, Shamim Sharif, and more—vigilante lesbians gather roadkill for revenge, a woman and her former high school bully hook up and commit murder, Brooklyn witches cruise kink parties for human sacrifice, and a sinister kidnapping goes horribly wrong (or horribly right).
Here, gathered just for you, are some of today’s best lesbian pulp stories. Don’t be afraid. Pick them up.
246 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 12, 2025
36 people are currently reading
678 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
January 15, 2026
While this book didn’t live up to its full promise, I appreciate what it achieved. Several of my book club members noted that this collection could’ve been better served by a more extensive intro section, or even by including brief blurbs and intros before each piece (as is done in other anthologies.) I would love to see the authors take this suggestion to heart for a second edition, as what they did provide us in the intro section was actually great! One silly point I liked was the editors’ idea that people could performatively read this book in public as a sort of “femme flagging.” This subject is hilarious to me, because I was subjected to someone’s performative “reading” of polysecure in my former queer soccer league LMAOOOO. Like the people are yearning for better books to virtue signal with!!
What is pulp…we tell each other!
So I walked into my read of this with a very simple question: WHAT IS PULP? Going in, I would’ve told you pulp is fiction about absurd situations with fever dream connections. As the editors suggest:
After discussing it with friends and fellow book clubbers, I think I am stuck on the theory that pulp must be communally defined. As my friend Michaela says, pulp must be based on a strong, unifying audience reaction—even if that audience is a sliver of society. As my book club facilitator Charlie noted, if pulp is a certain group’s collective redefinition of “bad taste”, then it makes sense that it would change across generations—as norms around propriety and taste are never static. This argues for an expansive definition of pulp, one grounded in who the authors were in their time, and their understanding of queerness given the moment(s) they lived in. This allows for The New Lesbian Pulp to shape-shift in focus, from “coming of rage” twentieth century stories that seem rather tame by our current standards, to some of the most unhinged schemes I’ve ever laid my eyes on. This all is pulp, and this all is important!
Thoughts on stories
Okay now I will just run through what I thought about the stories! I will note that I kinda sped through this to make the book club deadline, but I liked the recommendation of a fellow book clubber, that this might be best enjoyed reading a story a day (that way you don’t just stop reading at a place you hate and get disenchanted with the whole collection.)
“Jouissance” was certainly one of my favorites, as I knew it would be from the “reuniting with your teenage bully” description. My friend once described me as having a reh*z*ng f*t*sh, and I think that is enough embarrassing context to explain why I would be a fan of this sort of fiction. “Revenge of the Roadkill Bodysnatchers” combines astounding creativity (like literally how did you think of this) with some great loser lesbian representation. I was surprised by “Palm Desert”, but in a good way—like I didn’t realize that this evil plot had become a collective one. Some of the older stories, like “A Parlor Game” and Alice Dunbar-Nelson’s “Natalie”, reflect what pulp might have meant in a different time. Not exactly my cup of tea, but I appreciate that they probably meant a lot to another generation of readers!!!
Overall, I enjoyed the range of romantic/sexual connection in this book. There’s nothing as simple as “OMG being with another woman is better than anything else I could’ve done” to be found in this collection, and we are the better for it! I was surprised about Sarah Schulman’s story in this book—it’s one of the least provocative things I’ve read of hers, and I certainly thought an excerpt from her book After Delores would be more of a fit. To be fair, Schulman did have a supportive role in the most controversial story of this collection, “Cottonmouth.” I was disappointed by “Ph”, which to my knowledge is the only modern story in this collection from a Black author. I understand the in-group reminiscing that is happening in this story, and believe that for-the-audience approach has a bit of pulp in it. Unfortunately, the writing is just not up to snuff with the other stories, and I wish the editor worked with the author more on showing, not telling.
“Pale Horse” is the most femme story ever—like who would say somebody has eyelashes like a calf??? This is a brief window into the sort of gender performance analysis that I really enjoyed in Detransition, Baby, and haven’t seen a lot of since. “Catacomb Voice” is the story that felt the most like modern day, and I loved how often the narrator said “like”, as someone who (clearly) has a bad habit of that too. I was a bit confused by what happened in “In Asbestos”, and my book club had a lot of quandaries about this final section of stories, too. As one person said, we couldn’t tell if these stories were confusing because the authors failed as writers and didn’t get their points across, or if “they were successful at a thing I hate.” I couldn’t agree more with this line of thought, because as everyone knows, I barely have the range for magical realism.
Final Thoughts
Would recommend for a wacky queer book club, such as the one I’m fortunate to attend!!! If you’re interested in other pulpy selections, I have a few things I’ve read that EYE think fall into this category. I would actively recommend The People Next Door by Anna Woiwood, which actually might be a pulp novel within a pulp novel! The other ones I can’t fully recommend because WHO WOULD RECOMMEND THESE SORTS OF BOOKS, but they are certainly a good time. These are: After Delores by Sarah Schulman, and (I know, I know) Little Rot by Akwaeke Emezi. Finally, a footnote in the editors’ section included some cool quotes from Amy Villarejo’s work on the limits of queer nostalgia. I hope to read more from this person soon!
What is pulp…we tell each other!
So I walked into my read of this with a very simple question: WHAT IS PULP? Going in, I would’ve told you pulp is fiction about absurd situations with fever dream connections. As the editors suggest:
Hyperbolic and hypersexual, lesbian pulp novels could famously be identified by their suggestive titles and salacious, punishing taglines. Typically, at least two women appeared, generously endowed and in various states of undress, posed between sheets and slips of lust and terror. Accuracy was neither attempted nor attained. (12)
After discussing it with friends and fellow book clubbers, I think I am stuck on the theory that pulp must be communally defined. As my friend Michaela says, pulp must be based on a strong, unifying audience reaction—even if that audience is a sliver of society. As my book club facilitator Charlie noted, if pulp is a certain group’s collective redefinition of “bad taste”, then it makes sense that it would change across generations—as norms around propriety and taste are never static. This argues for an expansive definition of pulp, one grounded in who the authors were in their time, and their understanding of queerness given the moment(s) they lived in. This allows for The New Lesbian Pulp to shape-shift in focus, from “coming of rage” twentieth century stories that seem rather tame by our current standards, to some of the most unhinged schemes I’ve ever laid my eyes on. This all is pulp, and this all is important!
Thoughts on stories
Okay now I will just run through what I thought about the stories! I will note that I kinda sped through this to make the book club deadline, but I liked the recommendation of a fellow book clubber, that this might be best enjoyed reading a story a day (that way you don’t just stop reading at a place you hate and get disenchanted with the whole collection.)
“Jouissance” was certainly one of my favorites, as I knew it would be from the “reuniting with your teenage bully” description. My friend once described me as having a reh*z*ng f*t*sh, and I think that is enough embarrassing context to explain why I would be a fan of this sort of fiction. “Revenge of the Roadkill Bodysnatchers” combines astounding creativity (like literally how did you think of this) with some great loser lesbian representation. I was surprised by “Palm Desert”, but in a good way—like I didn’t realize that this evil plot had become a collective one. Some of the older stories, like “A Parlor Game” and Alice Dunbar-Nelson’s “Natalie”, reflect what pulp might have meant in a different time. Not exactly my cup of tea, but I appreciate that they probably meant a lot to another generation of readers!!!
Overall, I enjoyed the range of romantic/sexual connection in this book. There’s nothing as simple as “OMG being with another woman is better than anything else I could’ve done” to be found in this collection, and we are the better for it! I was surprised about Sarah Schulman’s story in this book—it’s one of the least provocative things I’ve read of hers, and I certainly thought an excerpt from her book After Delores would be more of a fit. To be fair, Schulman did have a supportive role in the most controversial story of this collection, “Cottonmouth.” I was disappointed by “Ph”, which to my knowledge is the only modern story in this collection from a Black author. I understand the in-group reminiscing that is happening in this story, and believe that for-the-audience approach has a bit of pulp in it. Unfortunately, the writing is just not up to snuff with the other stories, and I wish the editor worked with the author more on showing, not telling.
“Pale Horse” is the most femme story ever—like who would say somebody has eyelashes like a calf??? This is a brief window into the sort of gender performance analysis that I really enjoyed in Detransition, Baby, and haven’t seen a lot of since. “Catacomb Voice” is the story that felt the most like modern day, and I loved how often the narrator said “like”, as someone who (clearly) has a bad habit of that too. I was a bit confused by what happened in “In Asbestos”, and my book club had a lot of quandaries about this final section of stories, too. As one person said, we couldn’t tell if these stories were confusing because the authors failed as writers and didn’t get their points across, or if “they were successful at a thing I hate.” I couldn’t agree more with this line of thought, because as everyone knows, I barely have the range for magical realism.
Final Thoughts
Would recommend for a wacky queer book club, such as the one I’m fortunate to attend!!! If you’re interested in other pulpy selections, I have a few things I’ve read that EYE think fall into this category. I would actively recommend The People Next Door by Anna Woiwood, which actually might be a pulp novel within a pulp novel! The other ones I can’t fully recommend because WHO WOULD RECOMMEND THESE SORTS OF BOOKS, but they are certainly a good time. These are: After Delores by Sarah Schulman, and (I know, I know) Little Rot by Akwaeke Emezi. Finally, a footnote in the editors’ section included some cool quotes from Amy Villarejo’s work on the limits of queer nostalgia. I hope to read more from this person soon!
June 3, 2025
ARC provided by Under the Umbrella bookstore.
This book attempts to push the boundaries of fiction with unapologetic queerness, sexual content, and revenge. Unfortunately, the quality of the stories varies. I adored the first three, they were a perfect blend of thrilling, sexy, and creepy. After that my interest dwindled, finally disappearing completely at the "CottonMouth" story, which contained graphic, underage incest, written approvingly. I'm very disappointed that this story made it into the book. The immoral themes tarnish the book as a whole, and poorly represent our LGBTQ+ community by aligning us with abominable ideas. Because of this, overall I do not feel comfortable recommending this book.
This book attempts to push the boundaries of fiction with unapologetic queerness, sexual content, and revenge. Unfortunately, the quality of the stories varies. I adored the first three, they were a perfect blend of thrilling, sexy, and creepy. After that my interest dwindled, finally disappearing completely at the "CottonMouth" story, which contained graphic, underage incest, written approvingly. I'm very disappointed that this story made it into the book. The immoral themes tarnish the book as a whole, and poorly represent our LGBTQ+ community by aligning us with abominable ideas. Because of this, overall I do not feel comfortable recommending this book.
August 14, 2025
This collection was super wild and fun!
Smoke And The Sea Breese ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Jouissance ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Revenge of the Roadkill Bodysnatchers ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Palm Desert ⭐️
A Parlor Game ⭐️
Natalie ⭐️⭐️
Girl in the Slayer Jacket ⭐️
New York City, 1967 ⭐️⭐️
Cottonmouth ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Chanson Du Konallis ⭐️⭐️
Rebound ⭐️⭐️
Notes in a Minor Key ⭐️⭐️
Rookie Mistake ⭐️⭐️⭐️
pH ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Diana Thornton (too short to rate)
Pale Horse ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Catacomb Voice ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Perfect Pair (excerpt from Her Lover) ⭐️⭐️⭐️
In Asbestos ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Honestly ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Smoke And The Sea Breese ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Jouissance ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Revenge of the Roadkill Bodysnatchers ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Palm Desert ⭐️
A Parlor Game ⭐️
Natalie ⭐️⭐️
Girl in the Slayer Jacket ⭐️
New York City, 1967 ⭐️⭐️
Cottonmouth ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Chanson Du Konallis ⭐️⭐️
Rebound ⭐️⭐️
Notes in a Minor Key ⭐️⭐️
Rookie Mistake ⭐️⭐️⭐️
pH ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Diana Thornton (too short to rate)
Pale Horse ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Catacomb Voice ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Perfect Pair (excerpt from Her Lover) ⭐️⭐️⭐️
In Asbestos ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Honestly ⭐️⭐️⭐️
July 12, 2025
thanks to Edelweiss and The Feminist Press at CUNY for the advanced digital copy!
this fantastic collection is out August 12th, 2025.
--
the new lesbian pulp is an absolute ride. no single rating feels right here. this is an anthology, after all. but it's consistently entertaining, often surprising, and a genuinely fun, easy-to-read collection. some stories thrilled me, others lost me completely, and one involved incest and very weird stuff with a snake, but that's kind of the joy of it. this isn't sanitized queer literature. it's messy, sexy, occasionally horrifying, and deeply unserious in the best way.
i appreciated the range of voices here - trans lesbians, lesbians of color, butches, femmes, and people who fall somewhere in between. there are classics from lorraine hansberry and alice dunbar-nelson interspersed with new work by writers like anna dorn, m.j. corey, sarah schulman, and grace byron. it's not quite what i expected from "pulp," but i loved the chaos of it.
standouts for me include palm desert by anna dorn, which i would give a million stars. it's dark, sexy, weird, and hilarious - everything i wanted. kidnap me and feed me gruyère and dark chocolate, please. i also adored catacomb voice by octavia c. saenz, which starts as a covid-era queer sex party in an evicted home and turns into a gothy resurrection ritual. give me the movie. now.
jouissance by nadine santoro was another fave. i didn't know i needed the bully-to-lovers trope in a lesbian context, but it worked. funny, chaotic, full of heart. rookie mistake by grace byron (aka a trans girl fleabag of sorts) was also a standout, especially with the l word mention and the visceral fear of becoming the jenny of your friend group. painful. real. pH by trae higgs and rebound by m.j. corey both hit that early 2000s internet girl nostalgia sweet spot, and i felt very seen.
the other stand-out was cottonmouth. cottonmouth... well. be warned that there was surprise incest that was both underage and graphic and weird stuff with a snake. smoke and seabreeze by lillian james nailed a kind of buddy cop noir energy that felt super cinematic and atmospheric, and notes in a minor key by shamim sharif was tender, mysterious, and emotionally layered in a way i didn't expect.
the collection blends pulp aesthetics - melodrama, moral ambiguity, high-stakes sex and violence - with a much more contemporary sensibility. it doesn't play clean or safe. it lets queer people be wild, messy, unlikable, chaotic. it also blends sincerity with absurdity in a way that's really fun to read. even when a story wasn’t my thing, i admired the boldness of including it.
whether you're in it for the sex, the nostalgia, the horror, the literary nods, or the general lesbian chaos, there's something in here that’ll grab you. and maybe bite a little.
this fantastic collection is out August 12th, 2025.
--
the new lesbian pulp is an absolute ride. no single rating feels right here. this is an anthology, after all. but it's consistently entertaining, often surprising, and a genuinely fun, easy-to-read collection. some stories thrilled me, others lost me completely, and one involved incest and very weird stuff with a snake, but that's kind of the joy of it. this isn't sanitized queer literature. it's messy, sexy, occasionally horrifying, and deeply unserious in the best way.
i appreciated the range of voices here - trans lesbians, lesbians of color, butches, femmes, and people who fall somewhere in between. there are classics from lorraine hansberry and alice dunbar-nelson interspersed with new work by writers like anna dorn, m.j. corey, sarah schulman, and grace byron. it's not quite what i expected from "pulp," but i loved the chaos of it.
standouts for me include palm desert by anna dorn, which i would give a million stars. it's dark, sexy, weird, and hilarious - everything i wanted. kidnap me and feed me gruyère and dark chocolate, please. i also adored catacomb voice by octavia c. saenz, which starts as a covid-era queer sex party in an evicted home and turns into a gothy resurrection ritual. give me the movie. now.
jouissance by nadine santoro was another fave. i didn't know i needed the bully-to-lovers trope in a lesbian context, but it worked. funny, chaotic, full of heart. rookie mistake by grace byron (aka a trans girl fleabag of sorts) was also a standout, especially with the l word mention and the visceral fear of becoming the jenny of your friend group. painful. real. pH by trae higgs and rebound by m.j. corey both hit that early 2000s internet girl nostalgia sweet spot, and i felt very seen.
the other stand-out was cottonmouth. cottonmouth... well. be warned that there was surprise incest that was both underage and graphic and weird stuff with a snake. smoke and seabreeze by lillian james nailed a kind of buddy cop noir energy that felt super cinematic and atmospheric, and notes in a minor key by shamim sharif was tender, mysterious, and emotionally layered in a way i didn't expect.
the collection blends pulp aesthetics - melodrama, moral ambiguity, high-stakes sex and violence - with a much more contemporary sensibility. it doesn't play clean or safe. it lets queer people be wild, messy, unlikable, chaotic. it also blends sincerity with absurdity in a way that's really fun to read. even when a story wasn’t my thing, i admired the boldness of including it.
whether you're in it for the sex, the nostalgia, the horror, the literary nods, or the general lesbian chaos, there's something in here that’ll grab you. and maybe bite a little.
January 29, 2026
the short stories i liked I LOVED and the ones i didn’t like, were eh. short story collections are always a hit or miss
Read
September 19, 2025I swear I'm not a puritan, but I draw the line at graphic underage incest.
I'm aware that the presence of taboo topics in literature doesn't inherently indicate that the author condones said topics. The story that made me give up on this anthology-- Cottonmouth-- does seem to condone it, or at least relish in it.
Spoilers below, I guess.
The multipage-long sex scene between two cousins, one being just 15 years old, is preluded by quotes such as: "But you're my cousin, my blood. It ain't right," "... but you're too young for this," and "Who's gonna tell? Ain't nobody's business but ours" (p. 122).
The above quotes, paired with the overt raunchiness of the subsequent sex scene, indicate that the story is intended to sexually gratify those with pedophilic and/or incestuous fantasies.
The Foreword boasts that, "The New Lesbian Pulp is not afraid to publish what others have refused. (See: 'Cottonmouth')" (p. xii). Publishing this story was the curators' prerogative. But I find it irresponsible for this story to have been published without at least a content warning.
Needless to say, I wouldn't have picked up this book if I knew it contained graphic depictions of underage incest and I think it's safe to assume a lot of people would feel the same.
I'm aware that the presence of taboo topics in literature doesn't inherently indicate that the author condones said topics. The story that made me give up on this anthology-- Cottonmouth-- does seem to condone it, or at least relish in it.
Spoilers below, I guess.
The multipage-long sex scene between two cousins, one being just 15 years old, is preluded by quotes such as: "But you're my cousin, my blood. It ain't right," "... but you're too young for this," and "Who's gonna tell? Ain't nobody's business but ours" (p. 122).
The above quotes, paired with the overt raunchiness of the subsequent sex scene, indicate that the story is intended to sexually gratify those with pedophilic and/or incestuous fantasies.
The Foreword boasts that, "The New Lesbian Pulp is not afraid to publish what others have refused. (See: 'Cottonmouth')" (p. xii). Publishing this story was the curators' prerogative. But I find it irresponsible for this story to have been published without at least a content warning.
Needless to say, I wouldn't have picked up this book if I knew it contained graphic depictions of underage incest and I think it's safe to assume a lot of people would feel the same.
September 4, 2025
One of the things I love about short story collections is that variety. It can make the experience uneven, but its also a great way to find new authors. For this collection specifically, I especially loved the rediscovered stories from years and years and years ago. Lesbian pulp stories have fascinated me ever since I discovered them on hoopla through my library in mid-2010s. I had no idea lesbians appeared in this sort of penny fiction, dirty secret kind of way. I'd always imagined them as only appearing in deeply coded literary fiction. Still a dirty secret, but a little more mainstream. And never did I expect that the lesbians lived or lived happily. Many of them still don't, at least in this collection. But they do get around and get busy, which is honestly all we really want: to have consensual relationships, short and/or long term, with people we choose.
Many thanks to The Feminist Press for a print review copy of this one. It will live on my shelf.
Many thanks to The Feminist Press for a print review copy of this one. It will live on my shelf.
April 3, 2025
This was a collection of stories that were really well done. All the writers did an amazing job on keeping my interest with each story. Bravo!
September 14, 2025
This collection was FUN! I'm ashamed to admit that I haven't read much lesbian lit, and although I'm familiar with the lesbian pulp fiction phenomenon of the 1950s and earlier, I never read it.
These short stories are sooo fun, filled with jealousy and violence and rage and PINING galore. The loneliness that pervades almost every story is really striking, reminding me that it doesn't matter if it's 2025: being queer and out in the modern age still can be an isolating experience and lead to a lot of social stigma.
I also loved the trans and POC representation--I could have used a little more, but I loved seeing that this wasn't all stories about skinny white femmes.
Each of these stories has a slightly different flavor of feminist fury buried just beneath the surface, and watching it unfold (or remain simmering, unsatisfied) is so glorious, and man oh man not to repeat myself but the PINING. God! So fantastic, a must-read. And I'll definitely be looking up the contributing authors for more reading.
These short stories are sooo fun, filled with jealousy and violence and rage and PINING galore. The loneliness that pervades almost every story is really striking, reminding me that it doesn't matter if it's 2025: being queer and out in the modern age still can be an isolating experience and lead to a lot of social stigma.
I also loved the trans and POC representation--I could have used a little more, but I loved seeing that this wasn't all stories about skinny white femmes.
Each of these stories has a slightly different flavor of feminist fury buried just beneath the surface, and watching it unfold (or remain simmering, unsatisfied) is so glorious, and man oh man not to repeat myself but the PINING. God! So fantastic, a must-read. And I'll definitely be looking up the contributing authors for more reading.
February 14, 2026
The nature of an anthology is that you’re always gonna prefer some to others, and wish the collection as a whole turned more in that direction. With that in mind I will state I wish it continued down the violent and dangerous turns of the first section, and included more of the witchy and vampire-y of the final section, but that’s just my taste.
At the end of the day what we have here is a well- curated and presented collection of short stories, with enough variation and breadth to interest most readers.
At the end of the day what we have here is a well- curated and presented collection of short stories, with enough variation and breadth to interest most readers.
December 14, 2025
this book was a fun one to read. i enjoyed reading excerpts from numerous lesbian and sapphic writers reaching across the decades. i wish that the excerpts and short stories were longer though honestly. it just gave me enough of a taste, but i wanted more. some of the contemporary writing fell into the (in my opinion) overused trope of the violent and vengeful woman in a way that didn’t feel genuine and felt rather tired instead, but some were good.
Read
February 24, 2026Didn’t love it but there were some chapters that were good.
It felt trying at times —- there were stories I didn’t get because the writing was too complex. Also, I wanted more sex!
It felt trying at times —- there were stories I didn’t get because the writing was too complex. Also, I wanted more sex!
January 18, 2026
My individual story ratings averaged out to 3.5 Stars, but I'll round up to 4 Stars because I enjoy the concept of the collection as a whole. I think it's cool to see queer authors of the present and the past tackling some of the same ideas in the same collection. It's cool to see how far we've come and how much more explicit queer literature is allowed to be and how much more range our stories are allowed to have now.
Foreword/Introduction/Acknowledgements: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Really good insight into a brief history of lesbian pulp and the editors’ intentions with the collection. Very interesting as someone who hasn’t personally read a lot of pulp and is mostly unfamiliar with the genre's history.
Smoke and the Sea Breeze: ⭐⭐⭐
- Two women involved with the same philandering man start an affair with each other and eventually kill their mutual lover.
- Fine. Lots of scene changes, and it’s somewhat hard to follow from scene to scene. General picture is easy to visualize, though.
Jouissance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- A woman hooks up with her high school bully, then they kill a man.
- Could have ended more concretely, but really fun characters, was totally down for the ride, loved the butch4butch rep, loved the character dynamics. Not perfect but more than fun enough for 5 stars.
Revenge of the Roadkill Bodysnatchers: ⭐⭐⭐.5
- A woman who does roadkill clean up for the city discovers a group of women stealing roadkill to put in the houses of rapists as revenge.
- Good premise. Starts out strong, but feels rushed toward the end. Lots of logistics ignored. Sex out of nowhere. Still liked it, though.
Palm Desert: ⭐⭐.5
- A crazy woman kidnaps her ex.
- First page is awesome. Gets right into the action. Cool premise. Doesn’t live up to its potential. Main character too ditzy to be this evil mastermind. Writing nothing impressive. Didn’t commit to comedy or seriousness so did neither well. Overuses a “Blue’s beard” joke. Too fast paced at the end. Multiple corny twists. Unfortunate.
A Parlor Game: ⭐⭐⭐.75
- A group of friends play a parlor game.
- Pretty good, but this is hurt by being an excerpt of a novel (I think). No perfect conclusion. No larger context of who these people are, despite them playing a personality game. You gleam enough, though. Fun and short.
Natalie: ⭐⭐⭐
- A black girl in New Orleans befriends a white girl. White girl’s parents disapprove until the black girl saves them from a storm.
- Only subtextually gay. Prose is focused more on description of storms, beaches, etc. than on dialogue or character. Not bad but not my thing. Feels like a short story in a middle school English textbook.
The Girl in the Slayer Jacket: ⭐⭐
- An annoying stoner teenager is hopelessly in love with her mean annoying stoner best friend who is insecure in her sexuality and stringing the main character along.
- Slice of annoying life. No plot until the last page where
New York City, 1967: ⭐⭐⭐
- A lonely outcast girl visits the death bed of her favorite writer.
- Only subtextually gay. I liked the story of her and her fellow outcast guy friend who hopelessly want to make more friends, but his character doesn’t really go anywhere. His desperation provides contrast to her resignation, I guess, but still. The hospital scene is touching. Fine but didn’t blow me away.
Cottonmouth: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Two cousins fuck in the woods then have a threesome with a snake.
- Certainly unique. Somehow one of the more thematically meaningful stories in this anthology.
Chanson du Kanallis: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- A woman goes to see a singer with her husband. Gay panic ensues.
- Only implied gay. Well-written, but not super meaty. By modern standards 3 stars but by the standards of the time I’ll give it 4.
Rebound: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
- A lesbian with no game has a mediocre night out at the bar.
- Enjoyably written. Realistic characters and slice of life. No real conclusion, but a satisfying glimpse into this person’s life nonetheless.
Notes in a Minor Key: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- A widowed, has-been musician meets a young fan who reminds her of her dead wife.
- Good, just didn’t knock my socks off enough to earn five stars. Short. Not super gay. Pretty pulpy. Fits the collection well.
Rookie Mistake: ⭐⭐
- A druggie loser cheats on her boyfriend with a fellow toxic trans woman.
- Nothing happens. No plot or resolution. Just slice of life of an unhappy woman who makes bad decisions and never grows. Too reminiscent of the start of Herculine. Grace Byron has a type. At least her novel had space for a plot.
pH: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- A woman hooks up with her best friend’s cousin. Autobiographical?
- Hot. Most explicit sex in the book. Very modern, casual, fun prose style. Not super pulpy, but who cares.
Diana Thornton: ⭐⭐
- Literally just a profile of some hot bossy femme named Diana.
- Literally no plot. A one page description of a woman. Enjoyable, punchy, distinct writing style. Great character work. Literally nothing done with it. Does not function as a short story. Sad. I would have really enjoyed this if it had even a wisp of plot.
Pale Horse: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- The current lover and the ex lover of a dead woman hook up at their mutual paramour’s funeral.
- Beautifully written. Love a “golden wisp of boyishness” butch. Very interesting worldbuilding to this group of acquaintances. Would read a full novel about them. Fits a modern pulp aesthetic well.
Catacomb Voice: ⭐⭐
- An annoying judgy stoner goes to a messy sex party, flirts with a ghost, then becomes a human sacrifice.
- Main character is annoying so some of the jokes don’t land. Writing is fine in parts but not as strong in others. Human sacrifice portion goes from 0 to 100 too quickly for the sake of plot/shock/word count. Some of the descriptive observations and the tone of the narrator indescribably rubbed me the wrong way. Just one of the attempts at comedy that falls flat, perhaps? Doesn’t feel pulpy (by my admittedly uneducated perceptions of pulp). Feels more like very very contemporary queer horror, and not even the best rendition of these specific ideas/settings/characters, which I feel like I’ve read before.
The Perfect Pair: ⭐⭐.5
- A lesbian and her straight friend argue over her decision to openly embrace lesbianism.
- Hurt by being a scene from a novel with no real resolution. I don’t know what year this story is set in, but there’s no way people talked this formally and in monologues. Dialogue is SO bland.
In Asbestos: ⭐⭐.75
- A pair of farmhands in a situationship discover their host is a crazy lady.
- Feels pulpy, but also kind of confusing. Never fully grasped the characters. Definitely potential in the story, though. I liked the dyke drama.
Honestly: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- A lesbian couple witnesses the most recent presidential election.
- Short but well-written. Hits in an unfortunately relatable way. Really liked the way it handled messy/numb characters. Sign of the times.
Foreword/Introduction/Acknowledgements: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Really good insight into a brief history of lesbian pulp and the editors’ intentions with the collection. Very interesting as someone who hasn’t personally read a lot of pulp and is mostly unfamiliar with the genre's history.
Smoke and the Sea Breeze: ⭐⭐⭐
- Two women involved with the same philandering man start an affair with each other and eventually kill their mutual lover.
- Fine. Lots of scene changes, and it’s somewhat hard to follow from scene to scene. General picture is easy to visualize, though.
Jouissance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- A woman hooks up with her high school bully, then they kill a man.
- Could have ended more concretely, but really fun characters, was totally down for the ride, loved the butch4butch rep, loved the character dynamics. Not perfect but more than fun enough for 5 stars.
Revenge of the Roadkill Bodysnatchers: ⭐⭐⭐.5
- A woman who does roadkill clean up for the city discovers a group of women stealing roadkill to put in the houses of rapists as revenge.
- Good premise. Starts out strong, but feels rushed toward the end. Lots of logistics ignored. Sex out of nowhere. Still liked it, though.
Palm Desert: ⭐⭐.5
- A crazy woman kidnaps her ex.
- First page is awesome. Gets right into the action. Cool premise. Doesn’t live up to its potential. Main character too ditzy to be this evil mastermind. Writing nothing impressive. Didn’t commit to comedy or seriousness so did neither well. Overuses a “Blue’s beard” joke. Too fast paced at the end. Multiple corny twists. Unfortunate.
A Parlor Game: ⭐⭐⭐.75
- A group of friends play a parlor game.
- Pretty good, but this is hurt by being an excerpt of a novel (I think). No perfect conclusion. No larger context of who these people are, despite them playing a personality game. You gleam enough, though. Fun and short.
Natalie: ⭐⭐⭐
- A black girl in New Orleans befriends a white girl. White girl’s parents disapprove until the black girl saves them from a storm.
- Only subtextually gay. Prose is focused more on description of storms, beaches, etc. than on dialogue or character. Not bad but not my thing. Feels like a short story in a middle school English textbook.
The Girl in the Slayer Jacket: ⭐⭐
- An annoying stoner teenager is hopelessly in love with her mean annoying stoner best friend who is insecure in her sexuality and stringing the main character along.
- Slice of annoying life. No plot until the last page where
New York City, 1967: ⭐⭐⭐
- A lonely outcast girl visits the death bed of her favorite writer.
- Only subtextually gay. I liked the story of her and her fellow outcast guy friend who hopelessly want to make more friends, but his character doesn’t really go anywhere. His desperation provides contrast to her resignation, I guess, but still. The hospital scene is touching. Fine but didn’t blow me away.
Cottonmouth: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Two cousins fuck in the woods then have a threesome with a snake.
- Certainly unique. Somehow one of the more thematically meaningful stories in this anthology.
Chanson du Kanallis: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- A woman goes to see a singer with her husband. Gay panic ensues.
- Only implied gay. Well-written, but not super meaty. By modern standards 3 stars but by the standards of the time I’ll give it 4.
Rebound: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
- A lesbian with no game has a mediocre night out at the bar.
- Enjoyably written. Realistic characters and slice of life. No real conclusion, but a satisfying glimpse into this person’s life nonetheless.
Notes in a Minor Key: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- A widowed, has-been musician meets a young fan who reminds her of her dead wife.
- Good, just didn’t knock my socks off enough to earn five stars. Short. Not super gay. Pretty pulpy. Fits the collection well.
Rookie Mistake: ⭐⭐
- A druggie loser cheats on her boyfriend with a fellow toxic trans woman.
- Nothing happens. No plot or resolution. Just slice of life of an unhappy woman who makes bad decisions and never grows. Too reminiscent of the start of Herculine. Grace Byron has a type. At least her novel had space for a plot.
pH: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- A woman hooks up with her best friend’s cousin. Autobiographical?
- Hot. Most explicit sex in the book. Very modern, casual, fun prose style. Not super pulpy, but who cares.
Diana Thornton: ⭐⭐
- Literally just a profile of some hot bossy femme named Diana.
- Literally no plot. A one page description of a woman. Enjoyable, punchy, distinct writing style. Great character work. Literally nothing done with it. Does not function as a short story. Sad. I would have really enjoyed this if it had even a wisp of plot.
Pale Horse: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- The current lover and the ex lover of a dead woman hook up at their mutual paramour’s funeral.
- Beautifully written. Love a “golden wisp of boyishness” butch. Very interesting worldbuilding to this group of acquaintances. Would read a full novel about them. Fits a modern pulp aesthetic well.
Catacomb Voice: ⭐⭐
- An annoying judgy stoner goes to a messy sex party, flirts with a ghost, then becomes a human sacrifice.
- Main character is annoying so some of the jokes don’t land. Writing is fine in parts but not as strong in others. Human sacrifice portion goes from 0 to 100 too quickly for the sake of plot/shock/word count. Some of the descriptive observations and the tone of the narrator indescribably rubbed me the wrong way. Just one of the attempts at comedy that falls flat, perhaps? Doesn’t feel pulpy (by my admittedly uneducated perceptions of pulp). Feels more like very very contemporary queer horror, and not even the best rendition of these specific ideas/settings/characters, which I feel like I’ve read before.
The Perfect Pair: ⭐⭐.5
- A lesbian and her straight friend argue over her decision to openly embrace lesbianism.
- Hurt by being a scene from a novel with no real resolution. I don’t know what year this story is set in, but there’s no way people talked this formally and in monologues. Dialogue is SO bland.
In Asbestos: ⭐⭐.75
- A pair of farmhands in a situationship discover their host is a crazy lady.
- Feels pulpy, but also kind of confusing. Never fully grasped the characters. Definitely potential in the story, though. I liked the dyke drama.
Honestly: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- A lesbian couple witnesses the most recent presidential election.
- Short but well-written. Hits in an unfortunately relatable way. Really liked the way it handled messy/numb characters. Sign of the times.
January 10, 2026
Interesting read! I'm not used to short stories, nevertheless consuming them in one anthology such as this. So, it was a great experience to dip my toes into this. I found myself finding equal enjoyment and frustration with it: because some of them I desperately wanted more time with characters, more time for backstory, a resolution, etc. And others I was somewhat ambivalent towards or reading from a place of intrigue, but not necessarily in a good way. Either way, I think there's something really powerful about an authors ability to pull you into a story and create a world within the constraint of a couple of pages. And that's not specific to this book, but more to short stories as a whole.
These stories specifically? I understand better, now that I've read it, how it was split up. Which definitely explains the abundance of killing featured in the first third! I liked how the book was pretty gritty. It didn't bother to shy away or censor itself in the face of any of it's topics. There are definitely some stories that stuck with me more than others, some I liked more than others, and some that I didn't care for. I also was unpleasantly surprised by the amount of men in here?
Favorites: Jouissance and pH. There were a couple that I very much enjoyed aspects of or related very much to, but either the overall story I didn't necessarily enjoy, or it just didn't end up being a favorite. With the caveat that I’m not sure that pH truly encapsulates my idea of what “pulp fiction” traditionally would be? And I think that goes into a broader question of what is pulp fiction? And when I was reading that was sort of a recurring question I had in the back of my mind: some of the short stories I clearly was able to identity as a traditional “pulp,” while others I didn’t as clearly associate with the genre. Which was definitely the editors argument, but I think was a bit more difficult for me to weave a common thread through.
Overall, I think this book's Forward and Introduction is almost more powerful than some of the stories within. But the book itself is a solid contribution to the genre. However! I'll probably change my opinions about some of this after book club.
I also understand people's distaste, to put it lightly, for Cottonmouth. I also can understand the authors and editors anti-censorship stance that fought for its inclusion. I thought its inclusion was brilliant and fit within the anthology nicely.
These stories specifically? I understand better, now that I've read it, how it was split up. Which definitely explains the abundance of killing featured in the first third! I liked how the book was pretty gritty. It didn't bother to shy away or censor itself in the face of any of it's topics. There are definitely some stories that stuck with me more than others, some I liked more than others, and some that I didn't care for. I also was unpleasantly surprised by the amount of men in here?
Favorites: Jouissance and pH. There were a couple that I very much enjoyed aspects of or related very much to, but either the overall story I didn't necessarily enjoy, or it just didn't end up being a favorite. With the caveat that I’m not sure that pH truly encapsulates my idea of what “pulp fiction” traditionally would be? And I think that goes into a broader question of what is pulp fiction? And when I was reading that was sort of a recurring question I had in the back of my mind: some of the short stories I clearly was able to identity as a traditional “pulp,” while others I didn’t as clearly associate with the genre. Which was definitely the editors argument, but I think was a bit more difficult for me to weave a common thread through.
Overall, I think this book's Forward and Introduction is almost more powerful than some of the stories within. But the book itself is a solid contribution to the genre. However! I'll probably change my opinions about some of this after book club.
I also understand people's distaste, to put it lightly, for Cottonmouth. I also can understand the authors and editors anti-censorship stance that fought for its inclusion. I thought its inclusion was brilliant and fit within the anthology nicely.
November 27, 2025
This was an interesting collection and the introduction was particularly useful as a history of books and writers in this space. I'm waffling between 2 and 3 stars, though, and landed on 2 stars for now. The volume struggles with common problems for collections of short stories, especially the variable quality of the writing. Some is good quite! Other writing is almost painful to read (though fortunately, the stories I'm thinking of were also quite short). The themes also overlap somewhat, and they veer towards dark subjects. The volume moves from violent murder to unrealized romance and then really two sets of intense, often depressing, stories, with brief respites in between. It is a pulp collection, though, so I wasn't expecting cheery cottagecore fiction. It is just a lot to process.
Content warnings: Animal death and abuse; sexual assault; homophobia; transphobia; underage incest; cheating; drugs.
Content warnings: Animal death and abuse; sexual assault; homophobia; transphobia; underage incest; cheating; drugs.
January 26, 2026
Torn on this one. For the most part it's what you expect from a short story collection: unifying theme, varying stories that either work for you or don't. In this particular collection, they intentionally curated transgressive stories to interrogate the concept of pulp, and boy howdy I don't think I can think of anything more transgressive than an erotic story about incestuous cousins who suck and fuck and also do a little beastiality. Is it following in the footsteps of something like Pink Flamingos, or is it using that as a shield? I dunno. But I sure wondered why it was included and bragged about in one of the intros. Cottonmouth definitley made me uncomfortable. Which I suspect the author and editors would say is the goal so mission accomplished, but it does feel startlingly out of place even within other stories designed to make the reader uncomfortable.
And is it also unfair to let this one story overshadow an entire collection? That's another point I flip flop on. But I do know that I would probably hesitate to recommend this without a head's up even to my most seasoned of freaks, so maybe it's valid.
And is it also unfair to let this one story overshadow an entire collection? That's another point I flip flop on. But I do know that I would probably hesitate to recommend this without a head's up even to my most seasoned of freaks, so maybe it's valid.
September 2, 2025
thanks to rachel at the feminist press for sending me a review copy!
this is a gritty and satisfying read that slowly pulls you in through each new story. i’m usually a hater of short story collections, but this one sure is memorable and ultimately fun. there’s a wide variety of stories here, and they manage to be chaotic and a little gross and devastating and fun and a million more things all at once, while also creating a fairly cohesive whole.
i would have loved to see a few more works from the original days of lesbian pulp, i think, but that may be a matter of personal taste! lastly, it might be obvious, but i definitely wouldn’t recommend this title to sensitive readers. there’s a lot of dark shit that just keeps coming (and i, personally, was mostly here for it)
my favorite pieces: “natalie” by alice dunbar-nelson, “cottonmouth” by ella bouteau, “chanson du konallis” by emily jones, “rebound” by mj corey, and “pH” by trae higgs (which is definitely the sexiest imo 👀)
this is a gritty and satisfying read that slowly pulls you in through each new story. i’m usually a hater of short story collections, but this one sure is memorable and ultimately fun. there’s a wide variety of stories here, and they manage to be chaotic and a little gross and devastating and fun and a million more things all at once, while also creating a fairly cohesive whole.
i would have loved to see a few more works from the original days of lesbian pulp, i think, but that may be a matter of personal taste! lastly, it might be obvious, but i definitely wouldn’t recommend this title to sensitive readers. there’s a lot of dark shit that just keeps coming (and i, personally, was mostly here for it)
my favorite pieces: “natalie” by alice dunbar-nelson, “cottonmouth” by ella bouteau, “chanson du konallis” by emily jones, “rebound” by mj corey, and “pH” by trae higgs (which is definitely the sexiest imo 👀)
March 17, 2025
This collection is, in a word: exhilarating. In more words: wild, tender, shocking, creepy, romantic, sexy, strange, and surprising. I loved the balance of literary and pulpy sensibilities. The contributors are well-balanced across the collection, and I was thrilled to read stories by some of my favorite authors while also discovering emerging writers who knocked me out of the water. I immediately scrambled to find out more work by some of the writers, and feel it's very strong throughout. It's well-edited, curated thoughtfully, and full of characters I won't soon forget. Did I mention it's gay? No? It's a lesbian bonanza, OK. Don't miss this one!
July 18, 2025
Had me blushing and covering pages with my hands in public. Absolutely pulp-tastic. Gross and hot and irreverent.
Loved the variety of voices here, past and present. Some stories felt more developed than others. Hoping this is an issue of early editing and that the final copy feels more refined. But definitely will be stocking this title.
Thanks to Feminist Press for the early access. <3
Loved the variety of voices here, past and present. Some stories felt more developed than others. Hoping this is an issue of early editing and that the final copy feels more refined. But definitely will be stocking this title.
Thanks to Feminist Press for the early access. <3
August 17, 2025
loved the longing, sex, blood, and guts of it all. will be on the lookout for the works of a lot of the writers featured.
fav and most memorable stories were:
- catacomb voices
- new york city, 1967,
- revenge of the bodysnatchers
- chanson du konallis
- cottonmouth
check out content warnings!
fav and most memorable stories were:
- catacomb voices
- new york city, 1967,
- revenge of the bodysnatchers
- chanson du konallis
- cottonmouth
check out content warnings!
September 1, 2025
solid collection. some were so good i was dying for more but there were a few i just couldn’t wait to be done with. also, there were too many male side characters like some were justifiable for the story but some were unnecessary, i am tired of reading about men in lesbian stories is it that hard to have 2 lesbian characters in a relationship (whether its romantic or just sexual)
November 2, 2025
DNF'd 75%ish through -- really enjoyed some of the stories, some were more meh, and I think I've mainly learned that I don't have the attention span to pick up a book and get a different story each time LOL I need consistency in my life. So nothing wrong with the anthology on that front, and I think it definitely lives up to the title as providing a variety of lesbian pulp <3
August 20, 2025
Co-edited this kitten for 5+ years atop a solid 2,000 hours of research, so I'm b i a s e d.
August 22, 2025
Revenge is a dish served … pretty hot, actually.
August 26, 2025
SO good!!
September 11, 2025
"Jouissance" and "pH" are my favorite short stories from this collection. I despise "Cottonmouth" for the underage incest storyline. (3.
75 rounded to 4 stars)
75 rounded to 4 stars)
October 7, 2025
Like any short story collection from multiple authors, some are great, some are horrendous.
February 7, 2026
appreciate the sentiment but i think short stories simply don’t have enough real estate for good pulp unless you’re lorraine hansberry
December 28, 2025
Some chapters were really good… others not so much. Pretty wide range. All in all, I probably would not read it again/recommend it.
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