Xenocultivars: Stories of Queer Growth

by Isabela Oliveira (Editor), Jed Sabin (Editor), Oluwatomiwa Ajeigbe (Contributor)

This collection of speculative short fiction is about all kinds of queer growth, from emerging and developing to flourishing and cultivating. Whether they're tender sprouts just beginning to discover themselves or deeply rooted leaders fiercely defending those they love, the people in these stories have this in common: you can't tell them what to do. They grow as they please.

Full table of contents:

The Aloe's Bargain by Julian Stuart
This Story is Called "The Transformation of Things" by P.H. Lee
Uncharting Territory by Jessica Yang
The Thing About the Jack-o'-Lanterns by Maggie Damken
Midnight Candy by Wren Douglas
The Mandrake Loves the Olive by Sonia Sulaiman
Seedlings by Audrey R. Hollis
Dandelion Wishes by Leora Spitzer
The Princess and the P. Sativum by Jennifer Lee Rossman
Sapspear Syrup by Bradley Scott
A Lumberjack's Guide to Dryad Spotting by Charles Payseur
Folded Into Tendril and Leaf by Bogi Takács
Feeding Coals by Mile H.
Reclaiming Our Roots by Hanna A. Nirav
How to Make a Spell Jar by EA Crawley
The Tree Whisperer by Oluwatomiwa Ajeigbe
what the water gave by Cynthia Zhang
To Build a Garden by C.B. Blanchard

Genres: Fantasy, Queer, Short Stories, Anthologies, LGBT, Fiction, Science Fiction

210 pages, Paperback

First published March 3, 2022

Reviews

[Clara Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

“It’s perfect for you. Useful, sugary, and slightly dangerous.” That’s a quote from the quirky and delightful story “How to Make a Spell Jar” by EA Crawley, but it also works as a review for this entire collection. If that sounds like what you want to read, try the book!
For those who want more details… If you’re mostly in the mood for some loving affirmation and comfort reading, start at the beginning. Or you can save the first five stories for when you want something soothing and skip to “The Mandrake Loves the Olive” by Sonia Suleman where the stakes are real but uncertain with hints of Palestinian folklore. From there the plants and perspectives range wider and wider, although you're pretty much guaranteed happy endings. Bogi Takács’ “Folded Into Tendril and Leaf” drew me on several levels, as a longer work wrapping magic around language, body types, immigration, and political context. “Reclaiming Our Roots” by Hanna A Nirav builds a world in quicker strokes, delivers a stand out line, but then pushes the characters farther (and I love that in a story).

[Bogi Takács]

This was a contributor copy, so it'd feel weird to review it, but I do want to note my favorite stories for later reference:

Uncharting Territory by Jessica Yang
The Mandrake Loves the Olive by Sonia Sulaiman
A Lumberjack's Guide to Dryad Spotting by Charles Payseur (this was a reprint and I recommended it previously elsewhere)
How to Make a Spell Jar by EA Crawley

I feel fond of my story too :) I was glad I got the space to show an intersex person both being loved and loving someone. And then there's something about swallowing a caltrop.
_________
Source of the book: Print contributor copy from the publisher

[Isaiah · Rating 5 out of 5]

To read a full review check it out here.

This is the best book I have read so far this year. Magnificent. I was ugly crying by the end of the first story from just how touched I was. I can't say enough. READ IT.

[Billy ⋆｡･☽･⋆* (semi-hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars 🌟 Beautifully crafted queer anthologies! This was a lovely read! Although some of the stories dragged a bit too much for my taste, some of them were simply excellent!
Basically, queer speculative fiction at it's best! There are TW for every story, these go from transphobia and homophobia to bullying, depression and fatphobia to ableism ...
This amazing anthology was created by and written by queerfolk! Easily found: @speculativelyqueer (on Instagram) and @specqueer (on Twitter).

"The Aloe’s Bargain" by Julian Stuart - 5/5

"This Story is Called “The Transformation of Things”" by P.H. Lee - 5/5

"Uncharting Territory" by Jessica Yang - 10/5 (I'd to read a whole book based on this one!)

"The Thing About the Jack-o’-Lanterns" by Maggie Damken - 5/5

"Midnight Candy" by Wren Douglas - 10/5!(seriously a great story that should definitely be a book)

"The Mandrake Loves the Olive" by Sonia Sulaiman - 2/5 (not a bad story, it just didn't clicked with me)

"Seedlings" by Audrey R. Hollis - 4/5

"Dandelion Wishes" by Leora Spitzer - 4/5 (so cute)

"The Princess and the P. Sativum" by Jennifer Lee Rossman - 10/5! (definitely one of my favorites 😍)

"Sapspear Syrup" by Bradley Scott - 3.5/5 (got stuck on this one , so had to skim a little, then realized it was actually good)

"A Lumberjack’s Guide to Dryad Spotting" by Charles Payseur -2-3/5

"Folded Into Tendril and Leaf" by Bogi Takács - 3/5

"Feeding Coals" by Mile H. - 5/5 (I don't know why, but I really liked this one)

"Reclaiming Our Roots" by Hanna A. Nirav - 10/5! (NEED A WHOLE BOOK SERIES BASED ON THIS AWESOME STORY!)

"How to Make a Spell Jar" by EA Crawley - 2-3/5 (it dragged too long, too many details or wtv; lost interest and had to skim through in order to finish it. And Idid really tried to keep reading it but it bored too much)

"The Tree Whisperer" by Oluwatomiwa Ajeigbe - 5/5! (Beautiful beautiful beautiful story! One of my favs)

"what the water gave" by Cynthia Zhang - 5/5 (the whole scenarios this author brought were beautiful - from the lighthouse to the sea washing away the sand)

"To Build a Garden" by C.B. Blanchard - 2-3/5 (lost interest, but I don't have a doubt it was a good story - just not for me)

[seasalted.citrus (Topaz, Oliver) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like any other anthology, there were some stories I loved and others I thought were mediocre. But regardless, I liked the range of genres and concepts done within the vague prompt of “queer growth, but relate it to plants in some way to make it kind of literal”. Even with the stories I didn’t enjoy as much, there was a lot of heart put into them. (Also, there was a lot of queer joy! Which made this a perfect Pride Month read.)

Some favorites of mine were “The Aloe’s Bargain”(this one made me tear up!), “The Thing About Jack O’Lanterns”, “The Mandrake Loves The Olive”, “Seedlings”(heart wrenching magical realism my beloved), “A Lumberjack’s Guide To Dryad Spotting”, “Feeding Coals”, and “How To Make A Spell Jar”.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect queer joy reading for during Pride month. I picked up this anthology as my friend has a story published in it, and I was not disappointed -- I love this collection! Inevitably with an anthology I loved some stories more than others, but they were all very definitely worth reading -- I did give each story an individual rating and none were lower than 3.5, which is rare for me with an anthology -- and the collection has just the right amount of cohesiveness to feel deliberate but not repetitive. I'm delighted to have found some authors I've not read before whose work I'll be seeking out. Highly recommend.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A charming anthology with a largely soothing tone featuring standout stories by Charles Payseur, Bogi Takács, Audrey Hollis, and E. A. Crawley.

[Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

The magic of plants is undeniable.

“The Thing About the Jack-o’-Lanterns” showed what happened when the main character carved a jack-o-lantern every year and spoke to the dead through it. This was a unique tradition that I was eager to learn more about, especially once the protagonist revealed that she was attracted to women and had no idea how to share that news with her mother. What an endearing and wholesome this protagonist was! I couldn’t wait to find out how she’d resolve her conflict. While the final scene did provide satisfactory answers, it also left me hoping that the author will write a sequel to it soon. This wasn’t a world I wanted to leave quite as quickly as I did.

Lumberjacks and the natural world don’t go well together at all in my opinion, so “A Lumberjack’s Guide to Dryad Spotting” made me extraordinarily curious to see how the author was planning to mix those ideas into one coherent storyline. There was something incredibly likeable about the main character from the opening scene even though I shuddered at the thought of him chopping down a Dryad to make himself rich. If only this tale had been developed more thoroughly by Mr. Payseur. The first few scenes were well done, but then it petered out just when I was expecting it to pick up the pace. This was one of the few disappointments in this collection, and even then, I’m still glad I read it. The imagery in it was so crisp and original even if the plot itself didn’t quite work for me.

Midwestern culture can be a delightful jumble of contractions, many of which were captured perfectly in “How to Make a Spell Jar.” Ash lived in a small town where everyone knew everyone else’s business which meant keeping a secret was nearly impossible. I smiled at how well the author captured both the benefits and drawbacks of living somewhere like that, and I laughed out loud when they informed the audience that Midwesterners all “live to be ninety-six out of sheer unwillingness to acknowledge the tattered specter of death.” Not only did lines like that one capture this culture perfectly, they gave the audience ample opportunities to get to know Ash as a character as she attempted to navigate them. Mx. Crawley did a wonderful job of explaining all of this, and I look forward to reading more from them.

Xenocultivars: Stories of Queer Growth made me yearn for spring.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! That sums it up for me. An anthology of queer stories that feels real and not preachy. If I could give this book 6 stars I would! Very glad to have backed its Kickstarter, and will be watching for more from this publisher

[Shu Wei Chin · Rating 5 out of 5]

So happy to have found this cozy collection of speculative fiction featuring queer and culturally diverse characters, written by queer and culturally diverse indie authors.

These stories explore growth into one's identity through the relationship between humans and Mother Nature. They're so beautifully written and unique, I can't wait to check out these authors and watch them grow in turn 🌱

[Cleo · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars for this beautifully written and edited anthology.

[W. Stephen Breedlove · Rating 5 out of 5]

SPECULATIVE STORIES OF QUEER GROWTH

I devour any anthology or collection (publishers seem to use these terms interchangeably) of LGTBQ+ literature that I can get my hands on. I like the variety of short stories, poetry, and essays that may be contained in a collection (my preferred term).

I’ve recently read several collections of queer speculative fiction and have not been disappointed. Each collection, each writer, each story in these collections has taken me to worlds far beyond my limited imagination and enriched my life. It’s wonderful that so many talented queer writers, many of them just beginning their careers, are creating this fantastic work. They keep me turning the pages.

I assume that the title of this collection, Xenocultivars, roughly translates to “queer growth,” the phrase used in the subtitle of the book. The stories in Xenocultivars teem with plant life, trees, and lush greenery. The book is “Dedicated to the sturdiest petals and to the most delicate of trunks.” The queer folks in these stories have to prove their mettle. Some of them turn out to be sturdy petals and others prove to be delicate trunks.

Xenocultivars includes stories by eighteen writers. I had previously read stories by Charles Payseur and Bogi Takács, but all the other writers were new to me.

Takács’s story, “Folded into Tendril and Leaf,” like most of the stories in Xenocultivars, is hard to describe because it is so strange and queer (these words mean almost the same thing, don’t they?) and the setting is weird. You just have to sit down and read about Ilias and Sulyom and immerse yourself in their story. As with every story in the collection, you’ll experience beautiful writing and unbelievable adventures.

In Hanna A Hirav’s “Reclaiming Our Roots” (do you get the plant reference?), Reina and Nandini live in the far future: “The Earth got angry with us, with our ancestors. Our way of life was doing too much harm, so it had to get rid of us.” At one point in this fascinating story, Reina says to Nandini, “You know, your four years of research here could basically be summarized as The Earth has a gaydar.”

“The Thing about the Jack-o’-Lanterns” by Maggie Damken is a three-page monologue by a lonely young woman. She reminisces about her deceased Grandma, who used to say, “You cannot give something a mouth and expect it to be silent.” The narrator carves pumpkins whose mouths are conduits to spirits and their messages. Through the mouth of a recently carved jack-o’-lantern with a lit candle glowing inside, she tells her grandmother secrets she has never told anyone. Her Grandma’s response is life-changing to the narrator.

In Bradley Scott’s “Sapspear Syrup,” Cal, the narrator, Jez, his partner, and Trix, his younger sister, travel from planet to planet because of Cal’s work. They have to make major adjustments in their lives and relationships when Cal finds a new job on a new planet where it looks like they’ll settle down for a while. The syrup from a plant called sapspear helps them get through this trying time.

Grab a copy of Xenocultivars and experience fabulous queer worlds far beyond your wildest imagination. You’ll literally and metaphorically experience queer growth like you’ve never known.

Now, on to other collections in my TBR pile.

[KappaBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an eARC from the publishers. All opinions are my own.

This anthology is made up of 18 speculative stories, primarily fantasy but with a couple sci-fi stories or stories that are a blend of both. That being said, all the stories are unique to each other. Some have a clear cut story, several are written in second person and are more introspective. Some of the stories tie directly to climate change, others touch on other themes while weaving in flora. I really believe there's a story in here for everyone!

Read my full review HERE!

[B. Zelkovich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every single story was amazing. Standouts for me were, "The Aloe's Bargain", "The Thing About the Jack-o'-lanterns", "Feeding Coals", "How to Make a Spell Jar", "what the water gave", and "To Build a Garden".

[Daniela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Favorite story: Folded Into Tendril and Leaf
Other favorites: A Lumberjack's Guide to Dryad Spotting, The Thing About the Jack-o'-Lanterns, The Aloe's Bargain

A few stories didn't work for me, but overall, I enjoyed this anthology.

[Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every story a gem.

[Jonas Maes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished reading:
Xenocultivars; stories of queer growth
__________

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
🌱🌿🪴🌵🌷🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🌈👨‍❤️‍👨👩‍❤️‍👩
Pages: 203
Genre: Collection of short stories, Sci-fi, Fantasy, LGBTQIA+
LGBTQIA+ rep: Trans, non-binary, gender fluid, bisexual, Achillean, Sapphic, Polyamorous, queer, questioning, ...
__________

Dedication: Dedicated to the sturdiest petals and the most delicate of trunks.
__________

The moment I heard this book existed, I needed to have it. And slowly but surely, I read through this one and what a journey it has been...

First of all, I am not a person that is remotely interested in flowers, or growing plants or anything like that and every story in this book was somehow related to 1) plants and 2) a queer story. I have to admit that that was the reason it took me so long to start reading it, because I was afraid I wouldn't like or understand it.

However, I loved this book! I have to say though, I didn't like every story as much, and some were very challenging to read though because of the language, but even so, most stories were incredible and very interesting/fun to read through. All stories are also set in either a fantasy setting, sci-fi setting, or slightly altered world as we know it. Which made it even more interesting and fun for me!

This book is made by queer people, written about queer people, for queer people and others. As a trans man, I really understood some of the stories where the character was struggling with their identity. Others will understand other stuff and feel it deeply.

I recommend this book to anyone that enjoys short stories, plants/greenery/flowers, queer representation in their books and sci-fi/fantasy stories.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Xenocultivars: three stars. Speculative-fiction anthology about queerness and plants, which would work for adults and teens. Good theme, gorgeous cover, but the stories were a bit of a mixed bag--a few really excellent ones ("How to Make a Spell Jar" was my favorite), but also a lot that felt pretty rough-draft-ish in pacing or word choice. Worth checking out, but I did end up DNF-ing some of the stories.

--Stories included, for reference:
The Aloe's Bargain
This Story is Called "The Transformation of Things"
Uncharting Territory
The Thing About the Jack-o'-Lanterns
Midnight Candy
The Mandrake Loves the Olive
Seedlings
Dandelion Wishes
The Princess and the P. Sativum
Sapspear Syrup
A Lumberjack's Guide to Dryad Spotting
Folded Into Tendril and Leaf
Feeding Coals
Reclaiming Our Roots
How to Make a Spell Jar
The Tree Whisperer
what the water gave
To Build a Garden

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

The powerful, elite, capitalist forces of the world tell us that theirs is the only world that matters. That nothing exists outside of their power grabs and oppression. That we should accept our lot and be thankful to be "included" in their narrow-minded classist hierarchy. Well friends, that is absolute bullshit. And if you want to be reminded of alternatives, to know that there is a whole world outside of the one we're taught, to see that you are beautiful and worthy just because you exist, to learn that you are needed to build a better world, to understand the wonder of being connected to humans and to nature - well then, read these stories. This anthology has skyrocketed to the top of my all-time favorites list.

[Theo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Xenocultivars is a highly-curated and incredible plant-filled queer collection of short stories. Every story here shined in some way. The collection features a wide variety of types of queer people, and most stories lean into some kind of sci-fi or fantasy element to bring the plant theme together. Queer growth is certainly a strong underlying message of each story as well.

They're all great. Though the one that hit me the most personally was "How to Make a Spell Jar" by EA Crawley as I've never felt a part of my childhood so specifically represented along with my identity.

Disclaimer: I backed this book on Kickstarter.

[MichiruEll · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely collection of speculative queer stories that involve plants in some way. The authors come from very varied backgrounds and write in many styles. Lot of magic, lots of healing, lots of love.

Of course, there were stories that spoke to me more than others. My favourites were "the Aloe's Bargain", "Dandelion wishes", "Sapspear Syrup", "Feeding Coals" and "what the water gave".

[Ellie Coggins Angus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome collection of spec fiction/fantasy/sci-fi short stories centered around queer growth, identity, discovery, and joy. This was an excellent read to start Pride month. I loved many of the stories and definitely plan to revisit them in the future!

[K.C. Norton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid collection… I’ve been trying to track this down for a while, and it was worth the wait! There are a wide array of stories in here, and the depictions of both plants and people are variegated and beautiful. This is mostly cozy and primarily hopeful in tone.

[Ellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A charming and touching collection of short stories. I'm not usually a fan of short stories but I loved nearly everything in this collection.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely and hopeful collection of stories.

[WBTM BOOKSHELF]

Available via small press (and select libraries): https://speculativelyqueer.com/

[Eliott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Xenocultivars
Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5) or 5.71/10 overall

Characters - 5

Atmosphere - 6

Writing - 6

Plot - 6

Intrigue - 6

Logic - 5

Enjoyment - 6

[Nicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only read a few of the stories but wanted to move this to read. The first story, Aloe is a 7/5 for me. Ofc anthologies vary throughout, but thematically it’s quite lovely.

[K.S.C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic and well-curated short-story collection. It sat on my to read shelf far too long.

[Laur · Rating 4 out of 5]

one of the better anthologies I've read! I felt most of these stories properly stood on their own. Would recommend