It's Only Forever: Labyrinth

by Jes Battis

In the 40 years since Labyrinth’s release, Jim Henson’s cult classic starring a menagerie of goblin puppets, the conversation about it has only grown louder. Fans are still holding viewing parties and masquerade balls, and creating memes inspired by David Bowie’s sardonic and sexy goblin king, numerous Etsy crafts, and even a Japanese video game. But what makes the film so enduring, beyond its technical mastery and clever script, is how it presents childhood as something dangerous, heroic, and even queer.


It's Only Forever explores Labyrinth as an ’80s time capsule that both reflects and challenges its era, offering its young audience an alternative to conservatism and soulless economics, at a time when U.S. president Ronald Reagan ignored the HIV/AIDS crisis, pushing queerness further into the shadows. As Sarah, played by a teenaged Jennifer Connelly, faces down the king and his destructive whims, she exclaims, “You have no power over me,” and in that moment she is everyone who has ever felt marginalized, who has instead turned to the goblins over social and political toxicity every single time.


From the costuming to the twisting plot, this classic example of 1980s fantasy shows us that the magic and comfort of childhood never need to be discarded as we are forced to enter a world that may very well seek to destroy us. Instead, Labyrinth reveals a universal and beautiful that our strength comes from what we have always known ourselves to be — beastly, loving, and wildly joyful.

Genres: Nonfiction

160 pages, Paperback

Expected publication April 7, 2026

About the author

Jes Battis (they/them) is the author of THE WINTER KNIGHT (April 2023), the OCCULT SPECIAL INVESTIGATOR series, and the PARALLEL PARKS series. Jes writes in the areas of urban fantasy, horror, and mystery/thriller. They also teach literature and creative writing in the Canadian prairies.

Reviews

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

It's Only Forever: Labyrinth is a non-fiction mix of a tribute book to the 1980s movie Labyrinth and part memoir and authors reflections. I did expect this book to be different to what it actually was which left me feeling a little disappointed but it was a well written read overall.

[Viktor · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s Only Forever: Labyrinth is a dazzling ode to Jim Henson’s Labyrinth, now a cult classic and favorite of many outcasts and queeer people across generations. This reads like a dissertation to me, and I thought the connections were interesting. For queer folks and Jim Henson fans alike, this one’s for you!

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

In It’s Only Forever: Labyrinth, Jes Battis takes a very Queer and very personal look at the 1986 Jim Henson directed cult classic.

Battis does an excellent job of interpreting the movie through a Queer lens, and gives much food for thought. Still, it is a testament to the multifaceted genius of Labyrinth that their extensive analysis still does not come close to unpacking everything that is hidden in the Labyrinth.

My one complaint is that Battis is sometimes too personal, and I sometimes felt like I was getting more insight into the author than I was the movie.

Received via NetGalley.

[Amanda W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very early into this book, author Jes Battis paraphrases an iconic line of the movie instead of quoting the correct line and I just could not get past it. It sort of set the tone for the rest of the book, where I feel like I know where the author is going, and then he just randomly zigs and makes me say, huh?

In addition, I feel like this collection of essays could benefit from another editing pass. Certain subjects are referred to multiple times, with very little new information given each subsequent time. This makes the collection feel disjointed and hastily thrown together, which I am sure it was not. Battis also tries to inject his personal experiences into his book, focusing on how the movie has shaped his life, which is an interesting idea, but ultimately pushes the audience away rather than drawing them in.

Despite those issues, there is much in this book that is enjoyable. The idea that maybe we should all let our inner goblin out once in a while to do goblin things is great, and advice we all should follow, really. The few times Battis steps away from his own experiences to discuss the movie through other lenses are also fascinating, as are the ideas he offers about Henson himself. Fans of other 1980s fantasy movies will enjoy reading about several other favorites as well. While It’s Only Forever is a slightly flawed book, it offers a modern take on a well-loved childhood movie, with a hefty dose of nostalgia.

Huge thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book!

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a lovingly-written tribute to the Jim Henson movie "Labyrinth" which came out in 1986 and became a cult classic. This book was more of a cultural commentary/memoir than a book about solely the film. "It's Only Forever" particularly focused on the appeal of the film to the queer and neurodivergent communities, and the lasting impact of the deeper themes of the film. (For example, Sarah in the film is portrayed as somewhat unusual for the time. Instead of a typical teenager wanting to go out on dates and hang out with friends, she is a 14 year old who loves stories, puzzles, and what people deem to be "childish" interests. She is caught between staying in the world of childhood and moving ahead to adolescence, and eventually adulthood.) This book argues for the benefit of embracing the childlike self and seeing the wonder in the world.

Again, this isn't the kind of book that details a "making of the film" with quotes from the actors, and David Bowie is written about mostly through the lens of his character, Jareth (The Goblin King), rather than any inkling of the rock star/real life man. Maybe the content of this book wasn't what I expected going into reading it, but it was exactly what I needed to read. It was beautifully written and the prose was excellent.

5 stars.

I received this complimentary ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

[Alex Sarll]

One of the less mournful Bowie commemorations this week is a rerelease marking 40 years since Labyrinth came out, timing I hadn't even realised when, a decade back, I went to mourn the great man's passing at a cinema double bill of The Hunger and The Man Who Fell To Earth, and emerged, harrowed, wondering if it mightn't have been more consoling to swap one of those two stories of failure and erosion for Jareth's undying codpiece. Jes Battis' brief book about the film is clearly grounded in a decent amount of research (I had no idea the film's script had been through quite so many drafts!), but is in large part an exemplar for Wilde's observation that all criticism is autobiography, a celebration of the film as viewed from ostensible adulthood while still being much more comfortable identifying as a queer goblin than a grown-up. And if I didn't always fully identify (Battis is the sort of neurodivergent who finds all that goblin grubbiness comforting, and I am very much not), I couldn't deny that the choice of prism makes sense: "Is crystal ball a gender? What about floating staircases?"

(Netgalley ARC)

[Elisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short volume combines memoir, film analysis and a dive into recent history (I’m a child of the 80’s, 1986 was just yesterday if you ask me!) The author’s life changed as a result of the movie Labyrinth and here he explores why and how. Battis, also a fan of other childhood favorites of mine, The Neverending Story and Legend, reminisces about the late 80’s and how, despite being a commercial and critical failure, Labyrinth went on to to become a cult classic. I loved how well Barris describes the time period, how some movies were so innovative and influential. I’m a little older than the author and also a female. Our circumstances were very different and yet the viewing experiences were eerily similar. Battis also reflects about being a queer, autistic child, and those parts were illuminating. But it is his love of this film that took me back to my first time seeing it, at the theatre. Fans of the movie will truly enjoy this.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, ECW.

[Sharondblk · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are many ways to present a movie book. Some are overly technical or academic for my tastes, others are rehashed gossip from secondary sources. This one hits the right notes (for me) by containing facts, but overtly interpreted through the authors personal lens. in this case the lens in gender and sexuality, although the book is in no way limited to that. It roams around the 80s, comparing labyrinth to other films of the time (and has inspired me to look at some of those, including Legend, which i had managed never to see). I learnt stuff, i felt stuff and i enjoyed. if Jess Battis wrote a memoir, I'd read it immediately.


I requested this book from NetGalley because I'm a fan of the movie, and wanted to know more. By lucky coincidence, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the release of the movie i got to see if in the theatre. Thanks to NetGalley, ECW Press and Jes Battis for the E-arc in exchange for an honest review.

[B.S. Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brilliantly insightful, thoughtful essay about the personal and cultural impacts of my favourite movie. From the historical significance of labyrinthine iconography and goblins, to a layered commentary on the power of young women, the beauty of queerness and it's erasure from history - it covers a lot of ground in such a short little book.

It's also deeply personal, letting us into Battis' own connection with the movie, showing us the personal impact it had on them and providing more evidence that stories can truly shape people. It's a short but intense read, exploring so many things about the movie, the story, and the magnitude about how it became such an important piece of media history.

It reads more like a journal for the most part that an analysis, which might not work for everyone but this was an undeniably charming read that any Labyrinth lovers will appreciate.

[Jesse · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Based on the description provided by the publisher/NetGalley, I thought this book would be more of a straightforward film and cultural history history of Labyrinth; it was actually a blend of personal memoir and essay collection. While I found much of the book to be informative and interesting, I think there could have been a bit less personal memoir - it was a little slow for me especially in the beginning. It's not my favorite style of nonfiction/essay collection, but I do think the subject material is interesting and well written.

[Vivi.Vale · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was fun. It's Only Forever: Labyrinth, by Jes Battis was an excellent exploration of Jim Henson’s Labyrinth in connection to the politics and world at that time. It also included portions of the authors life, connecting it to the film. I ultimately wish this book was longer, but it serves as a great starting point for anyone who wants to delve into the movie. I would recommend this book to anyone who loved 80’s fantasy cinema, and to those who might want to review childhood favourites through an academic lens. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

[Venneh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fantastic short essay collection about the 1980s movie Labyrinth, a fever dream of a Henson movie that blends puppetry with live actors, and features David Bowie and a young Jennifer Connolly in a coming of age movie about the importance of stories. This is one of my all time favorite movies, so it was fantastic to read essays from someone who is also similarly passionate, and specifically hearing about it in the context of neurodiversity also adds even more to my own experience. Highly recommended read.