Your Body Is Not Your Body Reviewed by Tania Chen
For a long time, horror has often depicted the 'other' as something to fear, framing LGBTQ+, BIPOC and other marginalized people as monstrous. Your Body is Not Your Body (Tenebrous Press) is a collection of horror stories from trans and gender nonconforming writers that mercilessly grab the reader and refuse to relinquish their attention until long after their stories have ended. These are the stories you’ve been craving, if you’ve been waiting for reimagings of horror tropes that take back the reins and empower the other rather than simply cast them out as monstrous.
"Chironoplasty" by Joe Koch uses gripping prose and vivid imagery to revisit the viewpoint of Chiron, the centaur of Greek mythology, in a futuristic city that unfolds beneath his hooves as he journeys to No-Club. Chiron begins by telling us that "The city destroys mythology," setting the stage for the unfolding tragedy. Koch weaves a horrific sequence of events that entwines the reader’s experience with that of Chiron so vividly that his suffering becomes ours. A challenging and poignant read, with an ending line that resonates deeply.
"Tiny Magic" by G.E. Woods is a horror story juxtaposing childhood and magic against the brutal reality of adulthood and abuse. The righteous protagonist navigates a world that pays no attention to the plight of children and struggles with an overburdened social services system. A fairytale of the best kind, one to immerse yourself in and reread to pick out all the intricate details.
Rhiannon Rasmussen's "The Lives of Scavengers" paints a rich world full of mythology in very few words. A grave-child befriends a widow, both love and loss follow soon after; the ever-changing world around the main character is a lesson they must learn: the only constant is change itself. The grave-child’s journey is a lonely one, and we share their despair, warmth, hope, and, eventually, a welcome catharsis. I cannot emphasize the beauty of this story enough—it captured me from the first line: "I was born from your grace into this sunless world."
As horror shifts away from decades-long tired tropes, Your Body is Not Your Body is a must read for those are seeking new, terrifying stories that will haunt them in the dark. Last, but certainly not least, a shout-out to the amazing cover art by Mx. Morgan G Robles that viscerally reflects the struggle found in many of the stories.
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Tania Chen is a Chinese-Mexican queer writer. Their work has been published in Unfettered Hexes by Neon Hemlock, Apparition Lit and Baffling Magazine. They are also a first reader for Strange Horizons and Nightmare Magazine and a graduate of the Clarion West Novella Bootcamp workshop of January/Feb 2021. Their work is upcoming in Pleiades Magazine and Strange Horizons.