Out There: Into the Queer New Yonder ed. by Saundra Mitchell

Abstract

Reviewed by: Out There: Into the Queer New Yonder ed. by Saundra Mitchell April Spisak Mitchell, Saundra, ed. Out There: Into the Queer New Yonder. Inkyard, 2022 [464p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781335425898 $19.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780369718945 $9.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R* Gr. 9-12 In this third and final anthology in a planned trio, seventeen short stories explore LGBTQIA+ identity through the lens of futuristic love, most of it set in a dying version of Earth. Good thing love conquers all, as things look pretty crummy otherwise, with the poor Earth invaded, polluted to the extremes of toxicity, or, in a most creative twist, suddenly bereft of all non-queer people (they disappeared in an instant). "Renaissance" by Emma K. Ohland is a splendid example as two girls who come from drastically different lives (one will someday leave the dying planet in a fantastic, exclusive spaceship and the other will … not) nevertheless find each other and build as tender and memorable a relationship as possible, keenly aware of the ticking clock. Nita Tyndall offers a true gem with "Translating for the Machine," in which Eden's nonbinary identity is an unexpectedly perfect tool for them to tap into and communicate with a mysterious machine that gives (and perhaps shapes) world-changing information. The stories are diverse and feature representation of an impressive range of identities in ways that are fully integrated into the narration and thoughtfully presented. Short story collections, especially a science fiction outing as well-curated and wide-ranging as this one, are a rare treat in teen literature, and Mitchell has ended this series with a bang. Copyright © 2022 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois