Nothing Without Us

by Cait Gordon (Editor), Talia C. Johnson (Editor), Myriad Augustine (Contributor)

We are the heroes, not the sidekicks.

“Can you recommend fiction that has main characters who are like us?” This is a question we who are disabled, Deaf, neurodiverse, Spoonie, and/or who manage mental illness ask way too often. Typically, we’re faced with stories about us crafted by people who really don’t get us. We’re turned into pathetic, tragic souls; we merely exist to inspire the abled main characters to thrive; or even worse, we’re to overcome “what’s wrong with us” and be cured.

Nothing Without Us combines both realistic and speculative fiction, starring protagonists who are written “by us and for us.” From hospital halls to jungle villages, from within the fantastical plane to deep into outer space, our heroes take us on a journey, make us think, and prompt us to cheer them on.

These are bold tales, told in our voices, which are important for everyone to experience.

Genres: Disability, Short Stories, Anthologies, Fiction, Mental Illness, Disability Studies, Mental Health

280 pages, Paperback

First published September 30, 2019

About the author

Cait Gordon is an autistic, disabled, and queer Canadian writer of speculative fiction that celebrates diversity. Originally from Verdun, Québec, Cait had worked for over two decades as a technical writer, then channelled her love for words into storytelling.

She is the author of Life in the ’Cosm, The Stealth Lovers, and Season One: Iris and the Crew Tear Through Space! Her short stories appear in Alice Unbound Beyond Wonderland, We Shall Be Monsters, Mighty: An Anthology of Disabled Superheroes, and There’s No Place. “The Hilltop Gathering” from We Shall Be Monsters stars a disabled monster and was discussed at Frankenstein-themed literary symposium at Carleton University.

In 2016, Cait founded The Spoonie Authors Network to connect with other writers in the Disability community. Her desire to find better disabled and neurodivergent representation in fiction prompted Cait to co-edit Nothing Without Us and Nothing Without Us Too with Talia C. Johnson. These multi-genre anthologies feature authors and protagonists who are disabled, d/Deaf, Blind, neurodivergent, Spoonie, and/or they manage mental illness. Nothing Without Us was part of a disability studies course at Trent University and earned a 2020 Prix Aurora Award nomination. Nothing Without Us Too won a Prix Aurora Award in 2023.

Even though her works include issues about identity and human/alien/monster rights, Cait feels humour is an essential part of world-building. “Without humour, it doesn’t feel realistic.”

She lives in Ottawa with her husband, Canadian author Bruce D. Gordon. She’s friendly, feisty, and really loves cake.

Reviews

[Jim Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting collection of short stories written by/for/about those with physical/social/mental issues, who they feel are underrepresented in contemporary literature. Some very good stories here, some average, but all will make you think.

[Bogi Takács]

I want to write about this anthology later; I had mixed feelings about it. (The negative feelings were mostly involving outsider portrayals re: race/ethnicity.)

Some of my favorites, for future reference:
* Oliver Gutierrez and the Walking Stick of Destiny by Elliott Dunstan
* Search and Seizure by Shannon Barnsley
* The Blessing Cookies by Laurie Stewart

+ also: Alone by Nathan Fréchette is a multiplicity / plurality-themed story that doesn't end with people being reunified, which is so rare that I wanted to make sure to note it. (There is another story in the anthology which does end that way.)

[Cait Gordon]

I know it might seem a little unusual that I'm writing a review, because I'm one of the co-editors of this anthology, but I just have to say I am also a major fan of these authors. I couldn't be prouder of their work. Nothing Without Us shows just what a game-changer it is when authors who identify as disabled, Deaf, neurodiverse, Spoonie, and/or mentally ill write their own fiction, with protagonists who reflect their identity. The motto of this anthology is: "We are the heroes, not the sidekicks." Talia and I felt it was time to invite disabled/Deaf authors to write main characters who would be the stars of the show, and wow, did our contributors ever come through.

These stories are written "by us and for us," but I would encourage everyone to read them.

[Nathan Frechette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do have a story in this one, but holy crap, these stories are SO GOOD. It's not very often that I read an anthology that is so consistently awesome. Nearly every story gave me chills when I was done reading it!

[Carolyn Charron · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating collection of "own voices" stories ranging from humorous to serious, all with disabled protagonists. I'd give it 5 stars but as a story contributor that seems disingenuous.

[Catherine Fitzsimmons · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a gorgeous, heart-rending, important anthology. Some of the stories were hard to read, and there were times I had to put the book down to deal with what I had just read. But I think that makes it all the more necessary to read. All the stories are pretty short, and most of them have very important messages. Everyone, especially able-bodied, neurotypical people need to read this book.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

An anthology of fiction where the authors and their protagonists are disabled, d/Deaf or hard-of-hearing, Blind or visually impaired, neurodivergent, Spoonie, and/or they manage mental illness.

Like all anthologies, this is going to be a mixed bag. Sometimes 'high concept' anthologies like this one, centered around a particular subject risk the stories feeling more repetitive than generic 'best of' collections. There's maybe some of that feel here, but it's less in terms of plot elements as it is themes, like (justified) anger at systems that don't account for people's particular needs or outright seem hostile to them. The stories also typically avoid the pitfall of being inspiration porn... typically characters disability or difference isn't their saving grace or even the major challenge they have to overcome, but rather just one more aspect of themselves that might make things a little more difficult. A few do edge towards those story angles (sometimes ironically or to subvert, sometimes just because), to be fair, but it's not a constant parade, and the goal seems more geared towards simple representation, having stories with characters that are often omitted or overlooked in published narratives... which is a worthy one, in my book. But, like any collection of stories, some work for me, others don't. And, to be honest, it's been about a month since I read this (I'm behind on writing my reviews) and only a few are particularly standing out in my memory. That's not a problem unique to this anthology, but rather a common issue of short fiction and me. But, looking back over the table of contents, I remember enjoying Charity (TM), a satire about funding for disability needs and the concept of inspiration porn itself, and "Search and Seizure" about a ghost of a girl who died because a doctor didn't believe here.

Unfortunately--for me, anyway--the book isn't all speculative fiction, some are just plain ordinary fiction with no magic or unusual technology, just people with these issues leading their lives, and while those are worthy stories to be told, I'm much more interested when there is a sci-fi or fantasy element, and thus those stories that were not in those categories largely left me cold, and, for personal enjoyment, probably takes it down a few fractions of a whole number. Of course, Goodreads doesn't let you rate by fractions of a whole number anyway, so I don't think it actually affects my final score... but if the stories that didn't particularly excite my imagination were replaced with ones that did, it might have--potentially--risen it up from the usual '3 star' rating. On the other hand, odds are, they'd have been replaced by as much a mixed bag as the rest of the anthology and leave it rather even.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a phenomenal collection of short stories. I expected good things, but it blew my expectations out of the water. These stories humanize the sick, the disabled, the mentally ill, and challenge readers to really see and try to understand others’ experiences.

I loved so many of them, but The Descent by Jamieson Wolf is my favorite, as I too work on accepting my illness as part of me.

I recommend this book to everyone — but especially to those seeking to understand or support a disabled loved one.

[Lindsay]

Nothing Without Us, is a short story anthology edited by Cait Gordon and Talia C. Johnson. The anthology is a collection of stories about and by members of the disabled community. The short stories in the collection are both realist and speculative fiction, ranging in genres. The stories in the book give agency to characters who would otherwise not be considered to be ‘traditional’ protagonists. The most enjoyable part of the anthology is that as the stories written by members of the disabled community about characters who are also in the disabled community their stories are more than the standard ‘inspiration porn’ styled content that is very prevalent in narratives surrounding disabled characters. The disability itself takes a background role to the driving narratives of the stories. This gives representation to the community that doesn’t fit into the common or ‘appropriate’ roles assigned to the disabled community within literature. Nothing Without Us was published by the group Renaissance: Diverse Canadian Voices. A publishing group that works to publish stories that do not target a particular genre, niche or demographic, particularly giving space for voices from marginalized groups. Nothing Without Us is a testament to this mission statement. The editors encouraged the writers of the short story to not target an able bodied audience and write for audiences of various positions in the intersectionality of oppression. Editor Cait Gordon has stated “ The motto of this anthology is: ‘We are the heroes, not the sidekicks’" a point that is easily backed up as seen in the large diversity of characters, and points of view. True to the value of the publishing group, Nothing Without Us is available across many different platforms and accessible forms such as eBooks (kindle), hard copy and audio book.
While all stories in the collection are all enjoyable, I found that some stood out more than others. Search and Seizure, is a short story by Shannon Barnsley which features a main protagonist who passes away after a missed diagnosis of a type of epileptic seizure disorder. In many stories that are written by able bodies writers the narrative of the story would change as the diverse character passes. Following and alluding to the idea of “better dead than disabled” prevalent in social culture and literature. Instead of focusing the narrative from a perspective of family members or health care professionals, Search and Seizure is told from the perspective of the trapped spirit/ghost of Cassie and her haunting of the doctor who dismissed her. This ghost story paints an entertaining and unflattering light on a very real issue of medical dismissal that is experienced in the disabled community. This continuation of the point of view of the narrative from the perspective of the main protagonist Cassie challenges the social discourse of “better dead than disabled”. It also connects back to Gordons emphasis of “We are the heroes, not the sidekicks”. This story was a captivating read, and amazing ghost story, as well as giving readers an up-close perspective on an issue in access to healthcare that is very prominent in our society. That being a dismissal of individuals seeking medical assistance and treatment, dismissal of experience of symptoms and pain. Search and Seizure demonstrates a not often, but often experienced issue in the access to the healthcare institution. This shows a large issue in the lived experience of the disabled community yet, it also does not implore characteristics of disability inspiration porn, as seen in many other stories written by able bodies authors.

Search and Seizure is only one story within anthropology that addresses and challenges the hegemonic discourse surrounding narratives, and wider society through a compelling story. Nothing Without Us holds many stories that give representation to individuals who identify characters that are not usually deemed as central, important or a protagonist, while seamlessly addressing large social issues stemming from an ablest society. The collection meets its goal making room for characters and stories that would otherwise not exist within the ablest hegemonic discourse present in literature and other content. Though the book is made of various stories from various authors, two key factors remain the same across the collection. Firstly at no point is a disability solely used as a tool to progress the narrative. Each disabled character is created with full and complex emotion, background. They are not a source used for comedic relief, but of the joke and are completely capable of higher thought. Nothing Without Us I believe is successful in their mission to create stories with main characters that represent the disabled community, whose sole narrative mission has nothing to do with inspiring able bodied readers or to be cured.

[Jasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nothing Without Us is an anthology of short fiction stories written by disabled authors featuring disabled characters. It is co-edited by Cait Gordon and Talia C. Johnson, who are both women with disabilities. Cait Gordon is a queer, disabled, and autistic disability activist who has written short stories about disability. She is also an editor and the founder of The Spoonie Authors Network, an organization which connects authors with disabilities. Talia C. Johnson is an autistic, transgender, and queer woman. She works to bridge the gap between faith and queer communities and is also a queer and transgender sensitivity editor. Gordon and Johnson are both very involved in the disability and queer communities and have prior experience in editing. This gives them a vested interest in the creation of Nothing Without Us, which was meant to contribute to the representation of disabled voices in fiction.
Nothing Without Us contains 22 different short stories featuring characters who are disabled, Deaf, neurodiverse, and/or live with mental illness. These characters are the protagonists of these stories instead of being limited to the role of side characters. These stories transport readers to a wide variety of settings, ranging from the thralls of outer space, to a seemingly mundane hospital, and even to an apparently endless staircase. All the stories in this anthology are works of fiction. They fall into no single genre but instead cover a wide range of categories, from realistic to speculative fiction. This means that disability is not represented in this anthology in a singular way. It takes on a variety of different forms, taking the shape of a monster who lives in the jungle in one story to a vampire who is hiding a rare blood condition from his lover in the next. Representing disability through fiction allows for the disabled experience to be articulated in a creative and outside-the-box manner. It also allows some of the stories to take on a light and fun tone, instead of framing disability as a cause for pity or shame.
Nothing Without Us is published by Renaissance Press, an independent publisher. Renaissance Press works to increase the diversity in Canadian literature. They do this through publishing books written by authors who belong to marginalized groups. Nothing Without Us fills in a gap in Canadian literature by providing stories written by people with disabilities that are not shrouded in ableism. It makes a positive contribution by including well rounded, three-dimensional characters who do not fall into traditional, negative disability tropes. They have their own goals and aspirations that they are working towards. Although they do face challenges, their stories do not serve as inspiration porn.
Nothing Without Us can be read and enjoyed by a wide audience, whether they are disabled or abled. It is available in multiple formats, including print, ebook, and audiobook formats. It is meant to amplify disabled voices and provide representation for people with disabilities who seek to be represented in literature. People with disabilities are able to see themselves in these pages and feel a sense of belonging. The stories do not feature characters magically recovering from their disabilities or reinforce negative stereotypes. Disability is not framed as something negative that needs to be overcome in order for the character to grow, a trope that is common in other works of literature. Many of the stories are meant to empower and demonstrate that these characters and their stories are important. Nothing Without Us also does not contain inspiration porn for the abled audience to consume.
Reading Nothing Without Us as an able-bodied person was very eye-opening. It is an anthology that showcases and celebrates themes that I have not found to be prevalent in popular fiction novels. These include elderly individuals who enjoy having sex, characters who must go about their days while living with chronic pain, and Deaf characters. It is a quick and entertaining read for anyone to enjoy. The stories are powerful and do not have to be read in any chronological order. The diversity of genres means that there is a story in there for everyone to enjoy. My favourite stories included “Knit One, Purl Two”, by Carolyn Charron; “Search and Seizure,” by Shannon Barnsley; and “Charity™”, by Derek Newman-Stille. Nothing Without Us also serves as a book that has taught me something. It demonstrates that the disabled experience is not a universal one, as stories will vary from person to person.
I highly recommend Nothing Without Us to all readers and look forward to Cait Gordon and Talia Johnson’s sequel, Nothing Without Us, Too.

To read more about Nothing Without Us, its co-editors, and authors, visit https://nothingwithoutusanthology.wor...

[Dario Sciola · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the most abused attributes when describing a book (or other forms of media) is that the content will be ‘different’ from anything else that we have already seen before. It’s an overused cheap ‘go to’ sales gimmick, a stretch at best and outright lie more often. But the collected stories in Nothing Without Us are deserving of the trait.

In this collection by Renaissance press, editors Cait Gordon and Talia C. Johnson have assembled stories about, and written by, people that are indeed ‘different’ in one sense or another. Disabled in one manner in another, physically or mentally, characters (and authors) get to tell their own stories without being mere tokens or marginalized personalities. As Derek Newman-Stille points out in his forward, they get to shed being mere plot devices rather than realistic characters.

Mixing in contemporary settings with a smidgen of horror and fantasy, I enjoyed all but a few of the stories and highly recommend reading it. The stories really are ‘different’ in more ways than the impediments the characters endure.

Not to be overly analytical (especially considering the brevity of some of the stories) I’ve just jotted down the gist of the tales below to give a taste of what you can expect.

The Bellwoods Golem - Myriad Augustine
A mythical Jewish golem, often a creature portrayed as monstrous, arrives as the comforting and helpful companion to an unsuspecting chronic pain sufferer. The story is accompanied by a context setting prelude that I did not think was needed but I enjoyed the discovery and puzzling assessment phase of the protagonist's initial encounter with the golem.

Knit One, Purl Two - Carolyn Charron
An arthritic old lady is miffed to learn that her basement lodger is a vampire. And what do you do when he's not just charming and a good friend, but hot in the sack as well? But she has a little secret of her own. A delightful comic tale.

Names - Jennifer Lee Rossman
Peculiar horror story that barely fits the theme of the collection other than hinting the protagonist not really being true to themselves. Blends native legends with Chinese folklore that confuses matters in so short a story.

Mafia Butterfly - Raymond Luczak
Story about deafness and ASL being both a tool and a gauge of acceptance. It also tackles how the deaf community can be a fractured one which was a revelation of its own in a way.

Dress Rehearsal - Nicole Zelniker
A young woman is hesitant to visit her dying mother in the hospital, dealing with the fact that genetic disposition has already sealed her own eventual similar fate. The coyly chosen title is apropos in more ways than one.

The Descent - Jamieson Wolf
A wizard with MS concludes his journey to meet the Oracle upon whom his hopes are pinned. His only companion on this journey is the very disease. Great inspirational ending.

Bug Hunt - Joanna Marsh
A troupe of ill equipped and neurologically impaired Mecha grunts are sent on a death mission against a traitor turned formidable foe on Mars. All is not as bleak as it seems.

Oliver Gutierrez and the Walking Stick of Destiny - Elliott Dunstan
The author was a tad overambitious in having a bipolar, queer, rheumatoid arthritic, deaf character supposedly hallucinating that their medical aids have become animated, yet supportive. The story was doubly confusing by not using the apostrophe s as the possessive form for those aids despite each having a name. Did I miss something? Possibly.

Crutch, Cage, Sword, Kerfuffle - Dorothy Ellen Palmer
An Arthurian sword demands to be stolen, trading witty barbs with its rescuer is just the beginning of this story that is as whimsical as the title suggests. A mix of dream and reality that also goes to a few dark places.

Iron Bone - J. Ivanel johnson
Dreams for equestrian sportsmanship must meet the challenges of spinal injuries in this odd tale that includes brushes with royalty and a touch of self doubt.

Sometimes You… - Tonya Liburd
A woman dealing with the scars of mental illness begins to heal and deal with the passing of her mother who was similarly afflicted.

Search and Seizure - Shannon Barnsley
A continually misdiagnosed chronic pain sufferer ends up paying the price with her life leading to her disembodied living within the confines of the hospital in which she died. But one day, years later, she regains the ability for slight physical interaction and slowly sets in motion a plan to correct the earlier negligence.

Backbone - McDonald's Skaff
What begins as a simple story about a boy growing up and dealing with his walking impediment transforms into a story about friends and enemies before switching gears again into a bit of a thriller. The beauty is that the transitions are seamless and the end result is both emotional and powerful.

The Case of the Silenco Scientist - Maverick Smith
Two private investigators probe the disappearance of a shared custody child and her scientist father in this short thriller. Too many leaps in logic along with flawed assumptions ruined this one for me.

Flight - George Zancola
Tom and Cathy are psychiatric patients who manage to flee the institution in which they were patients, but Tom's anxieties soon have him question his decision to leave. The reader shares his indecision and his conflicted mindset.

Panic in Paradise - Diane Koerner
Sensitized to smells and a plethora of chemicals after a workplace toxic accident, a woman must endure her haven home being destroyed by a volcanic eruption caused by fracking.

The Blessing Cookies - Laurie Stewart
A post apocalyptic fantasy where survival means appeasing the God that saved them by having an annual sacrificial lottery ritual. Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" bundled as a Grimm's fairy tale is the best way I can describe this gem.

Jungle Demon - Tom Johnson
An odd selection of this story of a man-swamp monster (I could not get the image of DC comics' Swamp Thing out of my mind as I read) embracing the collection's theme. A decent fantasy but better suited for a pulp collection.

The Living Among the Dead - Tasha Fierce
A dreamlike sequence of someone deciding they will not die. But reality is sometimes like that.

Alone - Nathan Frechette
A short story in which a multiple personality person(s) tries to cope with the departure of a loved one.

No Room at the Inn - Emily Gillespie
A mentally troubled patient wakes up in a hospital waiting room and amid her confusion and delirium must decide what to do next.

Charity ™- Derek Newman-Stille
In a near future where government disability payments have been replaced by sanctioned fundraising balls a leg amputee contemplates the associated objectification and debasement he must endure. After breaking rules and being faced with losing that last line of support he is propositioned with a new drug. But is the cure worse than the ailment?

[Trent Simas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nothing Without Us is not your typical book and it is written by authors whose voice is unfortunately not typically heard from in the literary world. But before I get ahead of myself I should give some overall details of the book itself. Nothing Without Us is a collection of short stories edited by Cait Gordon and Talia C. Johnson but written by a multitude of authors all of whom are disabled but all coming from diverse backgrounds. There is a clear stated mission that Nothing Without Us has which it mentions in the foreword which to summarize is to tell stories of disability that are created by those actually experiencing disability. In the foreword one of the authors laments how characters who are disabled in literature and in media in general are often nothing more then lazy, boring or harmful stereotypes. The author expresses a desire to create stories and characters that disabled folk can see themselves in and that reflect their identities. As mentioned before the authors went into this project with the goal of writing characters that break the mold of what is expected of disabled characters, the characters in the text swear, have sex and are far from perfect but it is these imperfections that give these characters the nuance that is so often lacking when it comes to representation of disabled folks who are often portrayed as either superhumanly optimistic or as monsters turned evil by their disability. While disability is certainly the focus of the text the book is not exclusivity about disability other identities such as race, age, class and religion are also explored. This in my opinion is the books greatest strength and where it being fiction really allows for the authors to explore the hyper realistic everyday experience of being disabled while also mixing in fantastical elements that really give the stories an interesting flare, from vampire lovers to magic golems these supernatural elements really kept me invested in the stories being told. Another important aspect is that these stories are not being told by people who never experienced disability but for whom disability is a fact of life because of this as mentioned previously they do not hold back and portray disabled folks as humans who like everyone else is far from perfect. This grounded portrayal does take the text in to some dark places so it should be noted that themes of ableism, racism, sexism, xenophobia discrimination against the LGBTQIA2+ suicide and suicidal thoughts and self harm, death of a loved one, institutional mistreatment and miscarriage are present within the text which can cause difficult emotions and bring back traumatic memories for certain folks. But I personally found the stories very engaging what I really like about them is that every story felt different and fresh so I never got bored but each story in my opinion was well connected to each other through similar themes of lived experience of disabled folks which really helped me see the text as a whole rather then various stories that had nothing in common. These are not necessarily “feel good” stories as the authors make it clear they are not interested in creating dis art that is inspiration porn. However I found at least some of the stories hopeful especially the Bellwood’s golem which reminded me of goosebumps books I used to read as a kid except this story had a much more happier ending then the goosebumps books. The humour that is found in the text gives much needed contrast to the heavy topics that the text covers, which is absolutely needed other wise the book would be much harder to read through. Particularly I feel the supernatural elements that are present in the stories really helps the reader understand the point of view of the author better and keeps the reader invested. Whether it be vampire lovers or magic oracles these supernatural elements help keep the reader on edge because with every new story there is a mew supernatural aspect or challenge with each one being very different from the last. More over the supernatural elements are very unique from one another each being tailored to that stories main character and in some way related to the message the author is trying to convey and one can only assume but I think the supernatural element is the authors adding in their own lived experience but in doing so helping build the world their creating. Like how Tolkien used his lived experience in world war one to help shape the world of lord of the rings.

[Josephine Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edited by Cait Gordon and Talia Johnson, the 2018 book Nothing Without Us is an excellent collection of short, stories from 23 different authors. The tales vary in their perspective, setting, and genre. This ranges from realistic to speculative fiction. Some authors incorporate elements of the supernatural and mythical into their works. Others write in a more dystopian light. As a whole, they all draw back to intersecting, marginalized experiences. There is a particular focus on disabled persons, but race, religion, gender, class, and age intermingle with the subject.
A major objective for the editors and authors of Nothing Without Us is representation, the right kind of representation. The publishers (Renaissance) state they did not want the authors to cater to an able-bodied audience with their writing. (A problem, they observed in mainstream publishing.) The editors are also wary of disability tropes, and of cultural insensitivity. Their goal when compiling the stories was to reach out to authors, and to give them more freedom in what they wrote than a traditional publishing set-up would have allowed.
I find that their intentions shine through in Nothing Without Us. The stories involve disability, but they are not necessarily feel-good or, as the editors term it, inspiration porn. By this, the writers mean that their stories do not all portray disability and disabled people as inspirational on the merit of them being disabled. These stories are not designed to inspire able-bodied people to make the same accomplishments as the characters, nor are they intended to encourage disabled people to “overcome” their disability. That is not to say the stories are completely free of writing tropes themselves. (Nor is any piece of writing free of tropes and clichés.) But all the authors are cognizant of tropes centered around disability. They use them to subvert the narrative, the reader’s expectations, to great effect.
A strong example of this is, J. Ivanal Johnson’s work, “Iron Bone,” tells the story of Fiona, a schoolteacher and riding instructor “born breach.” Her spinal damage makes it more dangerous for her to participate in racing and jumping events. Nevertheless, she enters a competition, seemingly overcoming or at least attempting to overcome her disability. As a result, the pins in her spinal column came loose. Fiona is further subjected to the worries of her family and doctors, who insist that she returns to resting, to non-risky activities. She does so for a time, working a short stint as a schoolteacher again, but finds it to be unfulfilling. In the end, their warnings do not stop Fiona from finding work as a riding instructor. Johnson walks the fine line with her portrayal. Fiona has many prestigious riding achievements even before her spinal column is at risk, which she dryly pokes fun at. But she does not overcome her ability to win them, nor is she able to safely participate in riding competitions in the long run. At the same time, Fiona is not relegated to being infantized by her disability. The wishes of her family, of the authorities still in her life, do not ultimately decide how Fiona will live her life. She is independent, capable of deciding what her own path should be, and forging it for herself. Johnson’s story demonstrates the compelling way in which the authors engage with disability, and its common portrayals in mainstream media.
Overall, Nothing Without Us is an excellent collection of short fiction stories. Each author offers their own, unique vision. The selected stories offer a wide variety of settings and genres. In addition, there is an interesting, subtle focus on intersectionality. Through the backgrounds of the authors, and the characters in their stories, intersecting forms of experience and oppression- race, gender, age, religion, class- blend together. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys short fiction stories.
My particular favourite tales were “Mafia Butterfly,” by Ramond Luczack, and “Charity™,” by Derek Newman-Stille. “Mafia Butterfly” explores themes of community and belonging, and how a shared disability does not mean compatibility. Newman-Stille’s “Charity™” portrays the commodification and exploitation of disabled bodies. While the tales are short, they are layered, complex. Even if one is not interested in analyzing the stories, the book makes for a worthwhile re-reading experience.

[Emily Cottrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nothing Without Us edited by Cait Gordon and Talia C. Johnson gives writers experiencing different forms of disability an open space to come together and create short stories. The multiple authors are allowed to write whatever they want about whatever they want. As a result, this book is refreshing as it doesn’t solely focus on the non-fiction, real lived experiences of disabled individuals, rather, these writers are allowed to be creative. We as readers are brought along with the main characters of each story. As a result, this book is highly compelling. The author's approach to such a large topic, disability, is very interesting. Rather than focus explicitly on disability, for many of the stories, it is just a small portion or detail for many of the story’s characters. The short story format allows readers to become connected to the authors and their stories while also allowing us as readers to experience different styles of writing and storytelling.
As it states on the back cover, “Nothing Without Us combines both realistic and speculative fiction, starring protagonists who are written for us and by us.””. This collection of writing is for people who experience physical, mental, and social issues. It’s not a one size fits all book, rather, it embraces everyone’s differences and styles to create this harmonious book. The authors are taking up space that is usually held by able-bodied people, there is no ableist characters or harmful portrayals of disabled individuals. Rather, each character is just as important as the last. These authors aren’t writing to educate or inspire audiences, rather, they are telling stories that they have created. Personally, I have not read anything like it. Each author sweeps you away into different worlds and possibilities. Whether it be talking hearing aids, a character with a strange relationship with the British Royal Family, or even a relationship with a vampire and an older adult, each story is unique.
Personally, my favourite stories within this book are Names by Jennifer Lee Rossman and The Descent by Jamieson Wolf. Both grabbed my attention by the hauntingly beautiful approach to two completely different stories. For any new readers or interested readers, it is important to realize that this book is compiled of short stories. Some might have experience with this style of book, but others might not so it’s important to realize that every story is different and deserves the same amount of attention. Additionally, these stories are written by people and star people who don’t fit into the hegemonic and heteronormative model of individuals. Because of this, you will witness these stories all differently. Whether it be the use of neutral pronouns such as xyr, or traditional Indigenous tales, and so forth. As a result, you as a reader might feel uncomfortable while reading certain stories, while also connecting personally with others. However, you shouldn’t overlook these stories, they all have a story to tell.
Looking just at both of the main editors for this story, Gordon and Johnson, both have different lived experiences that are useful for creating a book with its aim to be inclusive. Gordon first and for most, is a “feisty disability advocate who loves cake”. Gordon also is a queer, disabled, and neurodivergent activist and writer. Johnson is a transgender, queer woman who is a “sensitivity editor, educator, coach, facilitator, spiritual leader, and activist.”. Because of both of their different lived experiences, they both bring something unique to this story. They both have vested interest and claim to create this book.
Nothing Without Us is important for people everywhere who can relate to these stories and their authors, and also to those who don’t. This book gives power and voice to many who are overlooked within Canadian society. I recommend this book for those not experiencing physical, mental, or social issues because it is a compelling and beautifully written book. Each story is written within a different genre. For example, sci-fi, supernatural, romance, action, and so forth. Because of this, I recommend this book to the readers who are constantly reading novels in the same genre, branch out and try this great book. This book isn’t trying to be like every other novel, that’s what makes this book so refreshing and compelling.

[Heather - Just Geeking By · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted on Just Geeking by.

I reviewed this book as part of GeekDis 2022 an event discussing disability representation in pop culture from the perspective of the disabled and neurodivergent community.


Content warnings:
This anthology contains stories that feature scenes of ableism, internal ableism, racism, and homoism. There are scenes of death on and off page with several stories containing deaths of loved ones from cancer. One story, ‘Crutch. Cage, Sword, Kerfuffle’ by Dorothy Ellen Palmer, is about a miscarriage and contains a very violent and visceral scene which may be disturbing for anyone who has been touched by the loss of a child (I know it was for me personally).

I hadn’t realised just how much I needed an anthology like Nothing Without Us until I read it. As disabled author Derek Newman-Stille says in his brilliant foreword “these stories are fictional, but they tell truths that can’t be expressed in simple […] tales”. I’ve felt seen in other books by disabled authors, however, I have never felt completely at home in a book. There’s always that feeling in other books that they’re not completely for a disabled audience, that some part of the story has to be written in a way that it appeals to a non-disabled audience because otherwise the book won’t sell. I felt this especially the other day when a bookstragrammer I was following showed their annotations of one of my favourite books with a disabled character and not a single annotation included a scene about her chronic illness. I don’t think they probably even noticed that they had done it.

You can’t read Nothing Without Us and be in any doubt that these stories are about disabled and/or neurodivergent characters. The stories, the characters, the situations and the ableism is vibrantly there for all to see and there are no words to describe how liberating it was to read them. There is no holding back, no playing to a non-disabled audience and the writers’ experience bleeds through onto the pages. These fictional stories and characters give voice to experiences, and feelings that so many of the disabled and neurodivergent community will recognise.

Normally when I review an anthology I do a breakdown of each story, however, this time I feel that each of these stories should be experienced fully first hand. I am going to share some of my favourites with you briefly.

There is the wonderfully heartfelt ‘The Bellwoods Golem’ by Myriad Augustine which is the first story in the book, the clever ‘The Descent’ by Jamieson Wolf, the phenomenal science fiction story ‘Bug Hunt’ by Joanna Marsh, the poignant ghost story ‘Search and Seizure’ by Shannon Barnsley and the incredible ‘The Case of the Silenco Scientist‘ by Maverick Smith. I could keep going because to be honest, this is an anthology of the highest calibre and all the stories in Nothing Without Us are brilliant in their own right. I had to stop myself several times from adding just one more to that list because I’d add another, then another. They are all that good.

The editing is also superb, with the selection and placing of the stories being perfect. I tend to find that the story order in most anthologies falls flat but Cait Gordon and Talia C. Johnson have curated Nothing Without Us very well. Just as ‘The Bellwoods Golem’ is the perfect start to the anthology, the final story ‘Charity™’ by Derek Newman-Stille is a poignant end that leaves the reader with a lot of things to think about after they have finished the book.

In Nothing Without Us you’ll find stories of various genres, characters from multiple backgrounds, ages, and identities. This is an inclusive and intersectional anthology that celebrates, gives voice to and represents disabled and neurodivergent people, and it’s a must-read.

Here is a full list of the stories and the disability and/or neurodivergent representation in each one:

The Bellwoods Golem by Myriad Augustine – Chronic illness
Knit One, Purl Two by Carolyn Charron – Arthritis
Names by Jennifer Lee Rossman – Neurodivergent
Mafia Butterfly by Raymond Luczak – Deaf and Deaf Community
Dress Rehearsal by Nicole Zelniker – Cancer
The Descent by Jamieson Wolf – Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Bug Hunt by Joanna Marsh – ADHD, Autism, Schizophrenia, Sensory processing disorder (SPD)
Oliver Gutierrez and the Walking Stick of Destiny by Elliot Dunstan – Mobility aids, hearing aids, Deaf, Rheumatoid Arthritis
Crutch. Cage, Sword, Kerfuffle by Dorothy Ellen Palmer – Miscarriage
Iron Bone by J. Ivanel Johnson – Spondylolisthesis
Sometimes you… by Tonya Liburd – Schizophrenic
Search and Seizure by Shannon Barnsley – Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia (PoTS)
Backbone by Madona Skaff – Wheelchair user (disability not named)
The Case of the Silenco Scientist by Maverick Smith – Deaf
Flight by George Zancola – Mental Health
Panic in Paradise by Diane Koerner – Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS), migraines, PTSD
The Blessing Cookies by Laurie Stewart – Depression, Chronic Pain
Jungle Demon by Tom Johnson – Mental Health
The Living Among the Dead by Tasha Fierce – Paralysed
Alone by Nathan Fréchette – Dissociative identity disorder, Cancer
No Room at the Inn by Emily Gillespie – Mental Health
Charity™ by Derek Newman-Stille – Amputees, prosthetics, mobility aids

BLOG | REVIEWS | REVIEW SCHEDULE | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST |

[Jessi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would rate as a 4.5 but I rounded up to 5. There were a couple of stories that didn't stand out quite as much or just confused me but overall I really enjoyed this collection. I was amused, delighted, saddened, and I related to so many of the characters' feelings. This anthology made me want to check out most of the authors' other works. It opened with an exceptional story and closed with one too. I loved the unexpected types of stories and the clever characters. Definitely would recommend this as an anthology with disabled main characters, which I hope there will be many more of in the future.

[Jen Desmarais · Rating 5 out of 5]

There were so many stories in this that I absolutely adored that I don't think I can pick a favourite! It was amazing and powerful to read all these own-voice stories and recognize myself in some of them.

[Ira Nayman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A terrific anthology that encompasses a wide variety of genres, moods and writing styles, Nothing Without Us is unified by a passion for telling stories that don't generally get told. Every story was a new and wondrous adventure. A lot of fun and containing a lot of food for thought.

[Avi Silver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to come!

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nominated for an Aurora award in 2020. This one gets my vote.

[J. Johnson]

So many amazing stories!

[Confexxi_history · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read it in one go! It was just too good to put it down. All stories have a distinctive style and tone, and even the saddest ones left me filled with hope at the end. A must-read