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Being Ace: An Anthology of Queer, Trans, Femme, and Disabled Stories of Asexual Love and Connection
Discover the infinite realms of asexual love across sci-fi, fantasy, and contemporary stories
From a wheelchair user racing to save her kidnapped girlfriend and a little mermaid who loves her sisters more than suitors, to a slayer whose virgin blood keeps attracting monsters, the stories of this anthology are anything but conventional. Whether adventuring through space, outsmarting a vengeful water spirit, or surviving haunted cemeteries, no two aces are the same in these 14 unique works that highlight asexual romance, aromantic love, and identities across the asexual spectrum.
From a wheelchair user racing to save her kidnapped girlfriend and a little mermaid who loves her sisters more than suitors, to a slayer whose virgin blood keeps attracting monsters, the stories of this anthology are anything but conventional. Whether adventuring through space, outsmarting a vengeful water spirit, or surviving haunted cemeteries, no two aces are the same in these 14 unique works that highlight asexual romance, aromantic love, and identities across the asexual spectrum.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published October 10, 2023
125 people are currently reading
9,547 people want to read
About the author
Madeline Dyer
27books237followersMadeline Dyer is a novelist, poet, and anthologist. She is the author of the SIBA-award-winning Untamed series and the Dangerous Ones trilogy, as well as the Aces in Love series (written as Elin Annalise) and the Roseheart Ballet Academy series (written as Elin Dyer).
She is the editor of the Being Ace anthology and co-editor of the Unbound anthology, which was a Suspense Magazine “Best Of� 2021 pick and was named a Foreword INDIES 2021 finalist. She teaches writing and is in the final year of her MFA in Creative Writing at Kingston University London.
In 2020, she founded YA Thriller Con, a yearly online celebration of everything thriller, crime, and mystery. She has a herd of Shetland ponies, loves anything ghostly, and can frequently be found exploring wild places. At least one notebook is known to follow her everywhere she goes.
She is the editor of the Being Ace anthology and co-editor of the Unbound anthology, which was a Suspense Magazine “Best Of� 2021 pick and was named a Foreword INDIES 2021 finalist. She teaches writing and is in the final year of her MFA in Creative Writing at Kingston University London.
In 2020, she founded YA Thriller Con, a yearly online celebration of everything thriller, crime, and mystery. She has a herd of Shetland ponies, loves anything ghostly, and can frequently be found exploring wild places. At least one notebook is known to follow her everywhere she goes.
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December 28, 2022Hi! I'm the editor for this book (and I've got a verse short story in it too!). Being Ace is a collection of YA stories--spanning many genres--that explore and celebrate asexuality in all its forms.
This anthology really is a book of my heart. For a long time, I've been wanting to put together an anthology of ace-spec stories, written by ace-spec authors, and I was delighted to do just this when the opportunity arose.
It's been so wonderful to see so much support for this project!
I'll update this closer to publication with more info, including a list of content warnings.
This anthology really is a book of my heart. For a long time, I've been wanting to put together an anthology of ace-spec stories, written by ace-spec authors, and I was delighted to do just this when the opportunity arose.
It's been so wonderful to see so much support for this project!
I'll update this closer to publication with more info, including a list of content warnings.
Want to read
June 6, 2022FUCK YEAH ACE REP IN SCI-FI/FANTASY LET’S GO
November 25, 2023
Somewhere around a 4.5 but rounded up because this representation is so important and meaningful!
Asexuality is a spectrum of identities (as is its common companion, aromanticism). Thus, the ace experience is a complex, multifaceted one, and no single story can fully capture it. That’s what makes an anthology like this so valuable: it allows for a broader intersection of perspectives. This also makes the book greater than the sum of its parts: while most of the stories in this book would get just 3 or 4 stars from me as standalones, when taken together, they create a striking exploration of the broad spectrum that is the ace experience. It encompasses a variety of genres and styles, from contemporary stories in verse to interplanetary sci-fi to high fantasy, and spans a broad cross-section of asexuality and various romantic orientations. And every story in it is from an ace author, making each narrative wholly authentic.
Most importantly, though, this is still a collection about love. Not just romantic love, but familial love, platonic love, and self-love. There is a popular misconception that being ace means being cold, heartless, or missing some fundamental aspect of humanity. The stories in this collection reject that notion, sometimes head-on, sometimes obliquely, but always unflinchingly. It is beyond validating for those of us who identify as ace–and will also, I think, be incredibly enlightening for those who are not. It’s a valuable book, and I highly recommend it.
As a final note, a few of my favorite stories in this collection were “The Mermaid’s Sister,� “Give Up the Ghost,� “Smells Like Teen Virgin,� and “Well Suited.� See more story and rep notes on my blog !
Asexuality is a spectrum of identities (as is its common companion, aromanticism). Thus, the ace experience is a complex, multifaceted one, and no single story can fully capture it. That’s what makes an anthology like this so valuable: it allows for a broader intersection of perspectives. This also makes the book greater than the sum of its parts: while most of the stories in this book would get just 3 or 4 stars from me as standalones, when taken together, they create a striking exploration of the broad spectrum that is the ace experience. It encompasses a variety of genres and styles, from contemporary stories in verse to interplanetary sci-fi to high fantasy, and spans a broad cross-section of asexuality and various romantic orientations. And every story in it is from an ace author, making each narrative wholly authentic.
Most importantly, though, this is still a collection about love. Not just romantic love, but familial love, platonic love, and self-love. There is a popular misconception that being ace means being cold, heartless, or missing some fundamental aspect of humanity. The stories in this collection reject that notion, sometimes head-on, sometimes obliquely, but always unflinchingly. It is beyond validating for those of us who identify as ace–and will also, I think, be incredibly enlightening for those who are not. It’s a valuable book, and I highly recommend it.
As a final note, a few of my favorite stories in this collection were “The Mermaid’s Sister,� “Give Up the Ghost,� “Smells Like Teen Virgin,� and “Well Suited.� See more story and rep notes on my blog !
October 24, 2023
Asexuality is everywhere, yet because it is classically the absence of something, its presence can be difficult to see. Being Ace: An Anthology of Queer, Trans, Femme, and Disabled Stories of Asexual Love and Connection is an attempt to foreground asexuality within a variety of environments. Madeline Dyer has assembled an ace team (oh, you know the puns are just starting) of authors to contribute stories and even a poem that get you thinking. Cody Daigle-Orians, who wrote
I Am Ace
, offers a heartfelt introduction to the collection. I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and Page Street.
Some of these authors are familiar to me, either from other books of theirs I have read or simply from following them on social media. Although I’ve pretty much always known I am asexual, it wasn’t until around university that I started to learn more about that label, and it wasn’t until later than that�2012 or thereabouts—that I started to find online community and realize that my sexuality falls under the umbrella of queerness. Following acespec authors and finding acespec stories was very important to me. The same goes for arospec authors and stories (as I am in fact aroace). Indeed, Being Ace serves as a comfortable companion text to Common Bonds: An Aromantic Speculative Fiction Anthology (and the two anthologies share contributors).
The stories take place everywhere and everywhen, from fairytale-inspired fantasy worlds to science-fictional settings on asteroids to vaguely contemporary tales in the here and now. Aces are witches; aces are asteroid miners taking on moon goddesses; aces are patients in eating disorder clinics; aces are monster hunters. The potpourri of settings seems to emphasize the anthology’s message: aces are everywhere, deal with it.
Stand-out stories in this collection for me include “Across the Stars,� by Akemi Dawn Bowman; “Give Up the Ghost,� by Linsey Miller; “Smells Like Teen Virgin,� by S.E. Anderson; and “The Mermaid’s Sister,� by Moniza Hossain. However, I would like to emphasize that this is a remarkably consistent collection, in my opinion, as far as enjoyment of its stories goes. The hit ratio is high with this one.
“Across the Stars� is really just an adorable story about finding friendship while trying to preserve one’s connection to family. I like that it is less about the protagonist needing to navigate coming out or finding acceptance and more simply about them existing as asexual in this universe. (I would also read more set in this universe.)
“Give Up the Ghost� is poignant in a really kind of sad, devastating way, as ghost stories and murder mysteries often are.
“Smells Like Teen Virgin� is a fun send-up of purity culture as well as monster-hunting schlock. The family and sibling dynamics are very compelling.
“The Mermaid’s Sister� is a quaint reimagining of The Little Mermaid told from the perspective of Ariel’s ace sister; I like that the prince was not a dick in this one.
I do think allosexual people should read this anthology and will find a lot in it that helps them better understand ace experiences. That being said, I can only review this book from my perspective as a fellow ace gal � and I didn’t expect this book to make me feel so sad at times. So emotional. I am largely having a very happy life as a single ace person, especially now in my thirties—but compulsory sexuality is a trip, and sometimes our society is not kind to single people or people who live alone. Being Ace certainly offers hope and compassion, but there are moments when it really does hold up a mirror to that toughness. Which is, I suppose, a testament to how powerful its stories are.
I’m not surprised I enjoyed this anthology, and I highly recommend it. But more than that, I hope that it encourages readers to check out other work by authors in this collection. The more ace voices we hear and read, the better we are able to question what we think of as normal or the default when it comes to our experiences of sex, love, desire, companionship, and belonging in our society.
Originally posted on , where you can easily browse all my reviews and subscribe to my newsletter.
Some of these authors are familiar to me, either from other books of theirs I have read or simply from following them on social media. Although I’ve pretty much always known I am asexual, it wasn’t until around university that I started to learn more about that label, and it wasn’t until later than that�2012 or thereabouts—that I started to find online community and realize that my sexuality falls under the umbrella of queerness. Following acespec authors and finding acespec stories was very important to me. The same goes for arospec authors and stories (as I am in fact aroace). Indeed, Being Ace serves as a comfortable companion text to Common Bonds: An Aromantic Speculative Fiction Anthology (and the two anthologies share contributors).
The stories take place everywhere and everywhen, from fairytale-inspired fantasy worlds to science-fictional settings on asteroids to vaguely contemporary tales in the here and now. Aces are witches; aces are asteroid miners taking on moon goddesses; aces are patients in eating disorder clinics; aces are monster hunters. The potpourri of settings seems to emphasize the anthology’s message: aces are everywhere, deal with it.
Stand-out stories in this collection for me include “Across the Stars,� by Akemi Dawn Bowman; “Give Up the Ghost,� by Linsey Miller; “Smells Like Teen Virgin,� by S.E. Anderson; and “The Mermaid’s Sister,� by Moniza Hossain. However, I would like to emphasize that this is a remarkably consistent collection, in my opinion, as far as enjoyment of its stories goes. The hit ratio is high with this one.
“Across the Stars� is really just an adorable story about finding friendship while trying to preserve one’s connection to family. I like that it is less about the protagonist needing to navigate coming out or finding acceptance and more simply about them existing as asexual in this universe. (I would also read more set in this universe.)
“Give Up the Ghost� is poignant in a really kind of sad, devastating way, as ghost stories and murder mysteries often are.
“Smells Like Teen Virgin� is a fun send-up of purity culture as well as monster-hunting schlock. The family and sibling dynamics are very compelling.
“The Mermaid’s Sister� is a quaint reimagining of The Little Mermaid told from the perspective of Ariel’s ace sister; I like that the prince was not a dick in this one.
I do think allosexual people should read this anthology and will find a lot in it that helps them better understand ace experiences. That being said, I can only review this book from my perspective as a fellow ace gal � and I didn’t expect this book to make me feel so sad at times. So emotional. I am largely having a very happy life as a single ace person, especially now in my thirties—but compulsory sexuality is a trip, and sometimes our society is not kind to single people or people who live alone. Being Ace certainly offers hope and compassion, but there are moments when it really does hold up a mirror to that toughness. Which is, I suppose, a testament to how powerful its stories are.
I’m not surprised I enjoyed this anthology, and I highly recommend it. But more than that, I hope that it encourages readers to check out other work by authors in this collection. The more ace voices we hear and read, the better we are able to question what we think of as normal or the default when it comes to our experiences of sex, love, desire, companionship, and belonging in our society.
Originally posted on , where you can easily browse all my reviews and subscribe to my newsletter.
July 5, 2024
thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC!
i wanted to love this SO BAD but there were so many stories that just didn't work for me. my main issue with this collection is that the stories were starting to feel so repetitive near the end. it felt like most stories were about how the asexual characters were seen as "broken" and how they overcame that. obviously this is accurate to the perception many asexual people face in real life; however, i would have loved to see more stories about ace joy and asexuality being normalized in the characters' lives rather than constantly being faced with the prejudices these characters faced. i was expecting to feel empowered by these stories but instead, it just reminded me that many people still don't accept us and see us as "broken" or that a piece of us is missing. my favourite story was by far akemi dawn bowman's because it focused more on the character's own insecurities rather than her environment putting her down. stories of ace people's struggles are important but for a young adult collection, i would have loved more acceptance rather than having to read over and over again how ace people have to prove their worth.
i wanted to love this SO BAD but there were so many stories that just didn't work for me. my main issue with this collection is that the stories were starting to feel so repetitive near the end. it felt like most stories were about how the asexual characters were seen as "broken" and how they overcame that. obviously this is accurate to the perception many asexual people face in real life; however, i would have loved to see more stories about ace joy and asexuality being normalized in the characters' lives rather than constantly being faced with the prejudices these characters faced. i was expecting to feel empowered by these stories but instead, it just reminded me that many people still don't accept us and see us as "broken" or that a piece of us is missing. my favourite story was by far akemi dawn bowman's because it focused more on the character's own insecurities rather than her environment putting her down. stories of ace people's struggles are important but for a young adult collection, i would have loved more acceptance rather than having to read over and over again how ace people have to prove their worth.
July 10, 2023
Thank you to Pagestreet YA for the arc of this anthology!
Summaries of each story are taken from the Pagestreet YA arc sheet for this book.
General trigger warnings provided at the beginning of the book: sexual assault, sexual violence, and coercion; abuse (sexual, verbal, emotional, mental, physical); acephobia; transphobia; misgendering; ableism; abduction; death of a parent, a love interest, a sibling, and best friend; bullying; and mental illness including depression, suicidal ideation, and eating disorders with discussion of calorie counts.
OVERALL RATING: 4 STARS
How to Love a Sidewinder by Kat “Void� Yuen
Across the Stars by Akemi Dawn Bowman
Well Suited by Rosiee Thor
Nylon Bed Socks by Madeline Dyer
Give Up the Ghost by Linsey Miller
No Such Thing As Just by K. Hart
Smells Like Teen Virgins by S.E. Anderson
Sealights by Emily Victoria
Moonspirited by Anju Imura
The Third Star by RoAnna Silver
The Mermaid’s Sister by Moniza Hossain
The Hazards of Pressing Play by Lara Ameen
No Cure for Doubt by Jas Brown
The Witch of Festa Falls by S.J. Taylor
Summaries of each story are taken from the Pagestreet YA arc sheet for this book.
General trigger warnings provided at the beginning of the book: sexual assault, sexual violence, and coercion; abuse (sexual, verbal, emotional, mental, physical); acephobia; transphobia; misgendering; ableism; abduction; death of a parent, a love interest, a sibling, and best friend; bullying; and mental illness including depression, suicidal ideation, and eating disorders with discussion of calorie counts.
OVERALL RATING: 4 STARS
How to Love a Sidewinder by Kat “Void� Yuen
Xiaoying has spent her life on friendships and keeping an arm’s length from love. When cursed to seek out “true love’s kiss,� Xiaoying resigns to asking her mother for help. But when she returns home she faces pressing questions for which she has no good answers.
Xiaoying is aromantic asexual and the story focuses on her relationship and communication with her mother and eventual coming out. The story had a beautiful message but it was a little too short for me, and I wish there had just been a bit more backstory to help flesh it out a little more - 3 STARS
Across the Stars by Akemi Dawn Bowman
Freya grew up on a space station with only her robots for company. The last message her parents left her before their deaths exists on her beloved communications bot, Tiki. But when Tiki’s memory core is accidentally wiped, Freya must find the courage to do the one thing she’s never been able to do: Leave home. With the help of a friendly customer service representative, Freya travels across the galaxy and learns what it means to let go of grief.
Freya is biromantic asexual. The story deals with parental death and grief, creating connection and moving forward through fear. I really enjoyed the relationship between Freya and Zoey and the connection they made. Lovely ending as well - 4 STARS
Well Suited by Rosiee Thor
When newly minted noble lady Brindle must attend a debutante ball, she lies about being engaged to a fictitious knight to avoid choosing an escort. Her best friend, Fig, a nonbinary mage, enchants a suit of armor to play the part, but there’s more to the enigmatic Sir Guy than they bargained for, and they soon realize that sometimes armor is more of a cage than a shield.
Brindle is aromantic asexual, Fig is nonbinary romantic asexual, and uses they/them pronouns. A story about two best friends both being pushed in directions they don’t want, a story about deep friendship and platonic love, coming together to create a life they want for themselves - 3.5 STARS
Nylon Bed Socks by Madeline Dyer
Amelia is desperate to escape - both the psychiatric hospital she’s found herself in and life itself. It’s too confusing, listening to the other girls who now live inside her body. Too scary being forced to eat. Too painful remembering how she was sexually assaulted for being ace. But then she meets Dale, a boy who’s accepted his own asexuality, and she wonders if she can reach that place too. But as Amelia tries to recover, the voices in her head are determined to hold her back.
Amelia is asexual, and Dale (a side character) is also asexual. A lot of trigger warnings for this one: eating disorders, sexual assault, mental illness, general ups and downs of recovery. This is written in verse and does have a hopeful ending - 5 STARS.
Give Up the Ghost by Linsey Miller
The dead stay dead in Pinesplit but don’t stay quiet, and that’s how Cassandra prefers it. Her job ferrying the living through the woods to speak with their lost loved ones pays well, keeps people from questioning her aceness, and allows her to investigate her murdered best friend’s death. However, when her newest client breaks the rules and risks Cassandra never being able to speak with the dead again, she’ll have to face far more dangerous ghosts than the real ones chasing her.
Cassandra is asexual and is focused on solving her best friend’s murder. Strong friendship, heartbreaking and bittersweet ending - 4 STARS
No Such Thing As Just by K. Hart
Halcion is keeping their asexuality a secret from their controlling boyfriend. When a threatening letter arrives at their door, it might be time to remember that there are many types of love in the world.
Halcion is asexual and nonbinary, uses they/them pronouns, and actively uses/abuses substances during the story. Their best friend is a drag queen who is focused on helping them accept themself and escape their current relationship. The story discusses the importance of love outside of romantic relationships and having strong loving friendships - 4 STARS
Smells Like Teen Virgins by S.E. Anderson
Artemis has always dreamed of being a Slayer like her family before her, tasked with dispatching monsters and protecting humanity. But with her initiation looming and her “pure� blood still attracting monsters, losing one’s virginity isn’t that easy for a sex-repulsed asexual. With jocks getting handsy, hellhounds abounding, and vampires refusing interviews, the clock is ticking for Artemis to prove, once and for all, that the very concept of virginity is outdated, and purity is a lie.
Artemis is a sex-repulsed asexual and her sister also identifies as asexual, possibly demisexual. There is an attempted sexual assault at the beginning between Artemis and a side male character. I thought the message of this one was good, regarding the belief of virginity and purity, but I’m still unsure how I feel about the plot and the storyline to convey the message - 3 STARS
Sealights by Emily Victoria
Her whole life, Annelise and her father have protected their lighthouse and the sea magic of the harbor around them. But when her father dies in a storm and Annelise begins struggling to skim the magic she needs, she’s afraid she’ll lose her home forever. It’s only when Annelise meets Meera, an innovative girl who knows land magic, that Annelise realizes there might still be a way to save her lighthouse and the magic of the sea.
Annelise isn’t labeled in this story but reads as potentially aromantic asexual. I enjoyed the friendship development between Annelise and Meera, a good story about creating connection after loss and moving forward through grief - 3.5 STARS
Moonspirited by Anju Imura
All her life, Sena has known two things: The safety of Maiko’s hand in hers, and the wanton selfishness of the gods, the spirits who brought humanity to the stars. When Maiko is taken by the Moon Empress, Sena must finally face the gods - and her own resentment towards them - if she ever wants to see her sister again.
Sena is unlabeled in the story but reads as asexual, potentially aromantic asexual. A story focused on the bond of sisterhood and familial relationships. I was sometimes confused with the past and present timeline jumps. Hopeful ending - 3 STARS
The Third Star by RoAnna Silver
When an ancient cosmic monster destroys their home, Orion and zir queerplatonic partners Leo and Brenna desperately strike out in a half-wrecked escape pod. Together, they face a cataclysmic space disaster that spells the end of their world - and maybe even their love for each other. Orion wants revenge, but is that what the trio needs? And what happens when a “monster� begins to speak?
Orion is agender, aromantic, asexual, and autistic, and uses ze/zir pronouns. The sexualities of Leo and Brenna are not specified but it is stated that they are both romantic and sexual between the two of them. There were very important relationship dynamic discussions and I enjoyed watching the trio navigate the conflicts they were dealing with together - 4 STARS
The Mermaid’s Sister by Moniza Hossain
When Phoebe’s sister enters a disastrous pact with a sea witch, all for the love of a human prince, Phoebe is confronted with the true meaning of love - love as she understands it - that to save a beloved sister there is nothing she will not brave.
Phoebe is aromantic asexual and is being arranged to marry a prince. The two of them go on a rescue mission to save Phoebe’s sister and develop a wonderful platonic friendship. Another story focusing on sisterly bonds and familial relationships. Also deals with coming out to family members - 3.5 STARS
The Hazards of Pressing Play by Lara Ameen
Violet, a wheelchair user with cerebral palsy, just wants to have a fun Friday night date with her girlfriend Nova. Instead, Nova goes missing and Violet begins receiving threatening and cryptic video messages luring her to Nova’s rescue. If that’s not strange enough, the person in the video looks - and sounds - just like Violet. To save her girlfriend, she’ll have to muster the courage to follow the clues despite whatever danger might be waiting at her destination.
Violet is biromantic asexual, Nova is asexual (romantic orientation not specified), and Felix is asexual (romantic orientation not specified) and Egyptian-American. A mystery/thriller short with Violet and Felix staging a rescue mission to save Nova. Creepy guy behavior - 4 STARS.
No Cure for Doubt by Jas Brown
Defective Dallas is determined to make one last kill before quitting their life as an assassin after a failed mission resulted in the death of the only person they ever loved. However, when their current mission brings new revelations to light, they will have to decide what’s more important: the past, or the future?
Dallas uses they/them pronouns and reads as non-binary, but I don’t believe their gender is labeled in the story. They are asexual and possibly aromantic, but it is not specified. I enjoyed this story and the relationship between Dallas and Myriad that we saw play out in the past and the present - 4 STARS
The Witch of Festa Falls by S.J. Taylor
A historical fantasy steeped in Norwegian folklore. Birga’s beloved cousin came to the woods for peace and healing. Instead, she was drowned by a frightening monster. When the monster appears in the woods again outside the village, luring away more girls with treacherously beautiful violin song, Birga sets out alone to face him…and avenge her cousin’s death.
Birga is asexual and her best friend is gay. The story focuses on their friendship within the story of the monster in the woods. It has a hopeful ending with a focus on moving forward in your life to focus on your true desires - 3.5 STARS
January 24, 2024
Several times, this book made me think I didn't like short stories. Or anthologies. Which is a real bummer because I love the idea of an anthology full of YA ace stories but this one was really hard to get through.
While there are general content warnings at the very beginning, the book could've really benefitted from having them at the start of each story.
I would've also appreciated knowing the genre of each short story as it felt disorienting going from SciFi to poetry to fantasy to contemporary seemingly at random with no indication of what each story would be.
I only really liked one story besides the introduction (which was excellent and probably set the bar too high):
� Smells Like Teen Virgin by S.E. Anderson. A teen Slayer's virgin blood attracts monsters which endangers her and everyone around her. This has been historically cured by the Slayer having sex but the mc is ace so she has to figure out something else asap before she or someone else gets hurt.
There were a couple of others that I liked okay:
� Well Suited by Rosiee Thor, a sapphic historical fantasy story with an enchanted suit of armour that would've made a great novel(la)
� The Mermaid's Sister by Moniza Hossain, a fun fantasy story wherein a mermaid has to rescue her sister with the help of the merman she desperately doesn't want to be engaged to
Sadly, most of the 14 short stories I either didn't care for/about or actually disliked.
While there are general content warnings at the very beginning, the book could've really benefitted from having them at the start of each story.
I would've also appreciated knowing the genre of each short story as it felt disorienting going from SciFi to poetry to fantasy to contemporary seemingly at random with no indication of what each story would be.
I only really liked one story besides the introduction (which was excellent and probably set the bar too high):
� Smells Like Teen Virgin by S.E. Anderson. A teen Slayer's virgin blood attracts monsters which endangers her and everyone around her. This has been historically cured by the Slayer having sex but the mc is ace so she has to figure out something else asap before she or someone else gets hurt.
There were a couple of others that I liked okay:
� Well Suited by Rosiee Thor, a sapphic historical fantasy story with an enchanted suit of armour that would've made a great novel(la)
� The Mermaid's Sister by Moniza Hossain, a fun fantasy story wherein a mermaid has to rescue her sister with the help of the merman she desperately doesn't want to be engaged to
Sadly, most of the 14 short stories I either didn't care for/about or actually disliked.
December 18, 2023
I wanted to like this collection for its representation (obviously), but had to power through too many of its stories to really be able to say I enjoyed it. In fact, I would say I only really enjoyed one story in this entire anthology, being the very last. Too many times I was bored by a generic plot, extremely in-your-face "representation"-dumping, and bland prose.
Shelved as 'pending'
May 25, 2023A YA anthology "including short stories and poetry in multiple genres from contemporary to fantasy to science fiction that celebrate and explore the sub-identities of the asexual spectrum"
June 6, 2023
Being Ace is a refreshing and heartwarming exploration of ace identity. With stories set in multiple genres and written about diverse characters all across the asexual spectrum, I couldn't stop turning to the next page.
January 23, 2024
Enjoyed some stories, others didn't work for me. Akemi Dawn Bowman's story was by far my favourite, it's literal perfection.
September 2, 2023
Only a few years ago it was difficult to find asexual representation in fiction, and now it feels like such a blessing to have an entire own voices anthology dedicated to it. While the title and cover of this anthology are beautifully and proudly ace, I wish the design more accurately reflected the contents--it looks (and even the subtitle sounds) more like a nonfiction collection than a speculative fiction collection. In this young adult anthology you'll find a diverse group of aces living their lives as vampire hunters, space travelers, superhumans, mermaids, and more.
There were a couple of duds in the collection for me, which dragged down my average rating a bit to 2.89 stars. However, there were also a few short stories that I really loved: Give Up the Ghost by Linsey Miller and Smells Like Teen Virgin by S.E. Anderson being my personal favorites. Individual story reviews and content warnings below.
--
🖤 Introduction by Cody Daigle-Orians -no rating-
🤍 Rep: gay asexual man
💜 TW: coming out themes
Solid introduction, nothing much to report. Daigle-Orians touches briefly on the low numbers of cis men who self-report as asexual and what some of the reasons for that could be, disclaiming that he is the only author in this anthology who is a cis man.
🖤 How to Love a Sidewinder by Kat Yuen ★★★★�
🤍 Rep: Chinese aromantic asexual woman MC, Vietnamese lesbian SC, gay man SC
💜 TW: body horror, aphobia, coming out themes
Modern with magical elements. After a misunderstanding results in heartbreak, Xiaoying's best friend curses her for "lying" with snake's tongue. It can only be broken with "true love's kiss," so Xiaoying knows it's time to go home and talk to her mother.
Loved reading this sweet mother-daughter relationship, and the subversion of the "true love's kiss" trope.
🖤 Across the Stars by Akemi Dawn Bowman ★★☆☆� (2.5)
🤍 Rep: Japanese biromantic asexual woman MC
💜 TW: past parent death, grief
Freya is afraid of space travel ever since her parents' deaths, but when she has to make a trip she's comforted by the accompaniment of a friendly tech support agent.
This was sweet, though felt a little unpolished. The explanation of the MC's orientation felt unnecessarily shoe-horned in.
🖤 Well Suited by Rosiee Thor ★★★☆�
🤍 Rep: asexual woman MC, asexual nonbinary (they/them) LI
💜 TW: amatonormativity
With her father's ascension to seek a better life for his daughter, Brindle is facing down an arranged marriage when she'd rather spend her life quietly and happily with her best friend. Said friend steps in to help, but ends up making a mess before setting things right again.
A cheesy and fun twist on the fairy tale arranged marriage trope.
🖤 Nylon Bed Socks by Madeline Dyer ★★☆☆�
🤍 Rep: neurodivergent asexual woman MC, asexual man SC
💜 TW: fatphobia, eating disorder, aphobia, dissociative identity disorder, hospitalization, mention of past sibling death, corrective rape
A short story in verse following a girl's time spent in a psychiatric hospital.
Not my style, very chaotic.
🖤 Give Up the Ghost by Linsey Miller ★★★★� (4.5)
🤍 Rep: asexual woman MC
💜 TW: death and grief, aphobia, dehumanization, body horror, murder, mention of cancer, mention of hit-and-run
The townspeople of Pinesplit believe that Cassandra can ferry the living to speak with the dead because she's partially dead herself, due to being ace. But she's fooling all of them, because she only ferries people in an attempt to root out her best friend's killer; the best friend she never admitted that she loved.
This was fantastic. Spooky.
🖤 No Such Thing as Just by K. Hart ★☆☆☆�
🤍 Rep: nonbinary (they/them) asexual MC, drag queen SC
💜 TW: substance abuse, aphobia, transphobia, suicidal ideation, controlling relationship
Halcion tries desperately to "fix themself" for their boyfriend, while their friend encourages them to break up with him.
Messy and melodramatic-- not to my taste.
🖤 Smells Like Teen Virgin by S. E. Anderson ★★★★�
🤍 Rep: sex-repulsed asexual woman MC and SC
💜 TW: aphobia, attempted sexual assault, monster horror
Artemis is a Slayer, born to protect humanity from supernatural monsters, but until she loses her virginity her blood is like a siren call to vampires, werewolves, hellhounds, etc. When her latest attempt to have sex ends in disaster, she finally confronts what exactly it is that draws the monsters to her... and changes Slayer culture forever.
Super fun concept, well-written. Ideas only hold the power that we give them.
🖤 Sealights by Emily Victoria ★★★☆�
🤍 Rep: presumably ace-spectrum woman MC, fat woman LI
💜 TW: past death of a parent, lightning storm
Since her father's death, Annelise is left isolated and struggling to keep the lighthouse running on depleting sea magic. A new friend sparks the idea that might help save it.
Cute. This is the first story of the anthology that doesn't specifically mention asexuality, but centers a platonic friendship.
🖤 Moonspirited by Anju Imura ★★☆☆�
🤍 Rep: Japanese-coded society, aroace MC, nonbinary (they/them) aroace SC
💜 TW: abduction, missing sibling, aphobia, natural disaster, classism
On a far-flung asteroid, Sena seeks justice for her missing younger sister, who she believes was chosen by the moon goddess.
I just found this very difficult to follow.
🖤 The Third Star by RoAnna Sylver ★★★☆� (3.5)
🤍 Rep: autistic asexual agender (zie/zir) MC, queerplatonic poly FMNB relationship, implied trans woman LI, implied trans man LI
💜 TW: space horror, stranded, PTSD, internalized aphobia
Orion has always been able to hear the space wolves, but after others' disbelief leads to disaster, zie and zir boyfriend and girlfriend become stranded in a dark dimension with quickly depleting oxygen, surrounded by ominous howls.
Interesting concepts, some clunky writing.
🖤 The Mermaid's Sister by Moniza Hossain ★★☆☆� (2.5)
🤍 Rep: asexual woman MC, man of color ("dark skin") LI
💜 TW: arranged marriage, missing sister, captivity, gun violence
On the day mermaid princess Phoebe will meet her betrothed, her younger sister Ariella goes missing. The sea witch tells the court that she gave Ariella a potion that will turn her human... or kill her. Phoebe, a skilled tracker, rushes off to bring her home.
A fun little twist on The Little Mermaid, but overall didn't really do much for me.
🖤 The Hazards of Pressing Play by Lara Ameen ★☆☆☆�
🤍 Rep: white disabled (cerebral palsy, wheelchair user, hyperacusis) biromantic asexual cis woman MC, white sapphic asexual cis woman LI, Egyptian American asexual cis man SC
💜 TW: bullying, ableism, mention of Islamophobia, abduction and captivity, threat of violence
Violet's girlfriend Nova is abducted and the kidnappers send Violet creepy messages with clues to find her, Violet will stop at nothing to track her down and rescue her.
Me while reading this:
This didn't make a lick of sense, and was ridiculously cheesy as well.
🖤 No Cure for Doubt by Jas Brown ★★★☆� (2.5)
🤍 Rep: anxious POC presumably ace-spectrum nonbinary (they/them) MC, Black woman LI
💜 TW: ableism, grief, captivity, human testing
In future Gulf Coast America, solar flares have changed some of humanity and given them special abilities, like Dallas's empathic powers. Once an assassin for a shady scientific organization, Dallas now hunts the doctor who killed her beloved Myriad.
Well written, but didn't feel super original. Cartoony villain.
🖤 The Witch of Festa Falls by S. J. Taylor ★★★★�
🤍 Rep: aroace woman MC, gay man SC
💜 TW: grief, drowning, aphobia and homophobia, head wound
In 1730 Norway, Birga's difference sees her labeled as a witch and blamed for the girls of her village who are going missing and dying. But Birga also blames herself for her cousin Runa's death, and is determined to hunt down the supernatural creature who killed her.
Great tension, and I loved the folktale elements.
--
Thank you so much to the publisher for providing this eARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review!
✨I read this title for the
✨Autumn Equinox: Shapeshifting, O
There were a couple of duds in the collection for me, which dragged down my average rating a bit to 2.89 stars. However, there were also a few short stories that I really loved: Give Up the Ghost by Linsey Miller and Smells Like Teen Virgin by S.E. Anderson being my personal favorites. Individual story reviews and content warnings below.
--
🖤 Introduction by Cody Daigle-Orians -no rating-
🤍 Rep: gay asexual man
💜 TW: coming out themes
Solid introduction, nothing much to report. Daigle-Orians touches briefly on the low numbers of cis men who self-report as asexual and what some of the reasons for that could be, disclaiming that he is the only author in this anthology who is a cis man.
🖤 How to Love a Sidewinder by Kat Yuen ★★★★�
🤍 Rep: Chinese aromantic asexual woman MC, Vietnamese lesbian SC, gay man SC
💜 TW: body horror, aphobia, coming out themes
Modern with magical elements. After a misunderstanding results in heartbreak, Xiaoying's best friend curses her for "lying" with snake's tongue. It can only be broken with "true love's kiss," so Xiaoying knows it's time to go home and talk to her mother.
Loved reading this sweet mother-daughter relationship, and the subversion of the "true love's kiss" trope.
🖤 Across the Stars by Akemi Dawn Bowman ★★☆☆� (2.5)
🤍 Rep: Japanese biromantic asexual woman MC
💜 TW: past parent death, grief
Freya is afraid of space travel ever since her parents' deaths, but when she has to make a trip she's comforted by the accompaniment of a friendly tech support agent.
This was sweet, though felt a little unpolished. The explanation of the MC's orientation felt unnecessarily shoe-horned in.
🖤 Well Suited by Rosiee Thor ★★★☆�
🤍 Rep: asexual woman MC, asexual nonbinary (they/them) LI
💜 TW: amatonormativity
With her father's ascension to seek a better life for his daughter, Brindle is facing down an arranged marriage when she'd rather spend her life quietly and happily with her best friend. Said friend steps in to help, but ends up making a mess before setting things right again.
A cheesy and fun twist on the fairy tale arranged marriage trope.
🖤 Nylon Bed Socks by Madeline Dyer ★★☆☆�
🤍 Rep: neurodivergent asexual woman MC, asexual man SC
💜 TW: fatphobia, eating disorder, aphobia, dissociative identity disorder, hospitalization, mention of past sibling death, corrective rape
A short story in verse following a girl's time spent in a psychiatric hospital.
Not my style, very chaotic.
🖤 Give Up the Ghost by Linsey Miller ★★★★� (4.5)
🤍 Rep: asexual woman MC
💜 TW: death and grief, aphobia, dehumanization, body horror, murder, mention of cancer, mention of hit-and-run
The townspeople of Pinesplit believe that Cassandra can ferry the living to speak with the dead because she's partially dead herself, due to being ace. But she's fooling all of them, because she only ferries people in an attempt to root out her best friend's killer; the best friend she never admitted that she loved.
This was fantastic. Spooky.
🖤 No Such Thing as Just by K. Hart ★☆☆☆�
🤍 Rep: nonbinary (they/them) asexual MC, drag queen SC
💜 TW: substance abuse, aphobia, transphobia, suicidal ideation, controlling relationship
Halcion tries desperately to "fix themself" for their boyfriend, while their friend encourages them to break up with him.
Messy and melodramatic-- not to my taste.
🖤 Smells Like Teen Virgin by S. E. Anderson ★★★★�
🤍 Rep: sex-repulsed asexual woman MC and SC
💜 TW: aphobia, attempted sexual assault, monster horror
Artemis is a Slayer, born to protect humanity from supernatural monsters, but until she loses her virginity her blood is like a siren call to vampires, werewolves, hellhounds, etc. When her latest attempt to have sex ends in disaster, she finally confronts what exactly it is that draws the monsters to her... and changes Slayer culture forever.
Super fun concept, well-written. Ideas only hold the power that we give them.
There's nothing more dangerous than a person who takes control of their own pleasure and life. Who's embraced who they are and bows down to nothing or no one. And I'll cut down anyone or anything who has ever made a person feel otherwise.
🖤 Sealights by Emily Victoria ★★★☆�
🤍 Rep: presumably ace-spectrum woman MC, fat woman LI
💜 TW: past death of a parent, lightning storm
Since her father's death, Annelise is left isolated and struggling to keep the lighthouse running on depleting sea magic. A new friend sparks the idea that might help save it.
Cute. This is the first story of the anthology that doesn't specifically mention asexuality, but centers a platonic friendship.
🖤 Moonspirited by Anju Imura ★★☆☆�
🤍 Rep: Japanese-coded society, aroace MC, nonbinary (they/them) aroace SC
💜 TW: abduction, missing sibling, aphobia, natural disaster, classism
On a far-flung asteroid, Sena seeks justice for her missing younger sister, who she believes was chosen by the moon goddess.
I just found this very difficult to follow.
🖤 The Third Star by RoAnna Sylver ★★★☆� (3.5)
🤍 Rep: autistic asexual agender (zie/zir) MC, queerplatonic poly FMNB relationship, implied trans woman LI, implied trans man LI
💜 TW: space horror, stranded, PTSD, internalized aphobia
Orion has always been able to hear the space wolves, but after others' disbelief leads to disaster, zie and zir boyfriend and girlfriend become stranded in a dark dimension with quickly depleting oxygen, surrounded by ominous howls.
Interesting concepts, some clunky writing.
🖤 The Mermaid's Sister by Moniza Hossain ★★☆☆� (2.5)
🤍 Rep: asexual woman MC, man of color ("dark skin") LI
💜 TW: arranged marriage, missing sister, captivity, gun violence
On the day mermaid princess Phoebe will meet her betrothed, her younger sister Ariella goes missing. The sea witch tells the court that she gave Ariella a potion that will turn her human... or kill her. Phoebe, a skilled tracker, rushes off to bring her home.
A fun little twist on The Little Mermaid, but overall didn't really do much for me.
🖤 The Hazards of Pressing Play by Lara Ameen ★☆☆☆�
🤍 Rep: white disabled (cerebral palsy, wheelchair user, hyperacusis) biromantic asexual cis woman MC, white sapphic asexual cis woman LI, Egyptian American asexual cis man SC
💜 TW: bullying, ableism, mention of Islamophobia, abduction and captivity, threat of violence
Violet's girlfriend Nova is abducted and the kidnappers send Violet creepy messages with clues to find her, Violet will stop at nothing to track her down and rescue her.
Me while reading this:
This didn't make a lick of sense, and was ridiculously cheesy as well.
🖤 No Cure for Doubt by Jas Brown ★★★☆� (2.5)
🤍 Rep: anxious POC presumably ace-spectrum nonbinary (they/them) MC, Black woman LI
💜 TW: ableism, grief, captivity, human testing
In future Gulf Coast America, solar flares have changed some of humanity and given them special abilities, like Dallas's empathic powers. Once an assassin for a shady scientific organization, Dallas now hunts the doctor who killed her beloved Myriad.
Well written, but didn't feel super original. Cartoony villain.
🖤 The Witch of Festa Falls by S. J. Taylor ★★★★�
🤍 Rep: aroace woman MC, gay man SC
💜 TW: grief, drowning, aphobia and homophobia, head wound
In 1730 Norway, Birga's difference sees her labeled as a witch and blamed for the girls of her village who are going missing and dying. But Birga also blames herself for her cousin Runa's death, and is determined to hunt down the supernatural creature who killed her.
Great tension, and I loved the folktale elements.
--
Thank you so much to the publisher for providing this eARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review!
✨I read this title for the
✨Autumn Equinox: Shapeshifting, O
February 7, 2024
3.5�
As someone who identifies as asexual, I absolutely love the undertaking of this project. Representation is so incredibly important, and seeing myself represented in my favorite genres was cathartic.
Individual story ratings:
How to Love a Sidewinder - 3.5�
Across the Stars - 4.75�
Well Suited - 4.5�
Nylon Bed Socks - 2.5�
Give Up the Ghost - 4.5�
No Such Thing as Just - 2�
Smells Like Teen Virgin - 3�
Sealights - 3�
Moonspirited - 3�
The Third Star - 4.25�
The Mermaid's Sister - 4�
The Hazards of Pressing Play - 2.75�
No Cure for Doubt - 3�
The Witch of Festa Falls - 4�
As someone who identifies as asexual, I absolutely love the undertaking of this project. Representation is so incredibly important, and seeing myself represented in my favorite genres was cathartic.
Individual story ratings:
How to Love a Sidewinder - 3.5�
Across the Stars - 4.75�
Well Suited - 4.5�
Nylon Bed Socks - 2.5�
Give Up the Ghost - 4.5�
No Such Thing as Just - 2�
Smells Like Teen Virgin - 3�
Sealights - 3�
Moonspirited - 3�
The Third Star - 4.25�
The Mermaid's Sister - 4�
The Hazards of Pressing Play - 2.75�
No Cure for Doubt - 3�
The Witch of Festa Falls - 4�
November 7, 2023
This is a pretty high-quality collection of short stories! Usually, I feel like I'm sifting through collections and short stories for just a little bit of gold, but I genuinely enjoyed most of these short stories and felt they worked very well as self-contained works. These authors are excellent at telling fully realized stories in a short time, with not a single installment feeling incomplete or underdeveloped. I had some I liked more than others, but none that I disliked or was annoyed by.
I talk about my three favorite stories and the portrayal of ace identities at the bottom, but first, a quick summary of all the stories contained within, in case you're curious. My top three are starred.
1) How to Love a Sidewinder by Kat Yuen.*** An aroace woman must come out to her mother to get help breaking a curse placed on her by the best friend after she rejected her advances.
2) Across the Stars by Akemi Dawn Bowman.*** A shut-in teenager working in a robot repair shop goes on a journey to recover the lost data of the last message her parents ever sent her.
3) Well Suited by Rosiee Thor. A newly risen noble girl is to debut to high society with the expectations that she'll select a husband by the end of the season, although she has no interest in marriage. When she panics and makes up a fake fiancé, her mage friend makes him come to life.
4) Nylon Bed Socks by Madeline Dyer. Unable to imagine a better future, traumatized girl with an eating disorder contemplates dying in the mental ward she's been living in.
5) Give Up the Ghost by Linsey Miller.*** A girl leads mourners through a haunted forest and graveyard in order to solve the mystery of her best friend's murder, no matter how much of a toll it takes on her.
6) No Such Thing as Just by K. Hart. A teen trapped in an abusive relationship where they are belittled for their asexuality, gender expression, and mental illness befriends a drag queen and fears what she'd say about them if she knew the truth.
7) Smells Like Teen Virgin by S.E. Anderson. A sex-repulsed asexual monster hunter is repeatedly targeted by hordes of supernatural creatures for her virgin blood, all while her mother and monster hunter society pushes her to "get it out of the way."
8) Sealights by Emily Victoria. When sea magic starts running dry after her father's death, a girl is at risk of being run out of the lighthouse that she calls home.
9) Moonspirited by Anju Imura. An orphaned girl from a mining colony must face the gods after her sister is stolen away during a festival.
10) The Third Star by RoAnna Sylver. Three teenagers are left adrift in a failing escape shuttle when a previously unknown space entity attacks their home.
11) The Mermaid's Sister by Moniza Hossain. A mermaid embarks on a journey with her unwanted (but otherwise quite nice) fiancé to save her little sister from the human prince who claims to love her.
12) The Hazards of Pressing Play by Lara Ameen. With the help of her best, a wheelchair-bound girl must save her kidnapped girlfriend before time runs out.
13) No Cure for Doubt by Jas Brown. A child soldier with the ability to manipulate emotions seeks revenge on the man who killed their best friend, even knowing that friend would not want them to kill again.
14) The Witch of Festa Falls by S.J. Taylor. After her cousin is lured away into the woods by a magical violin, a girl is determined to get revenge on whoever or whatever killed her.
My favorite of these stories were How to Love a Sidewinder , Across the Stars , and Give Up the Ghost .
The first is the shortest story in the collection, but it presents a wonderful allegorical and literal story for the coming out process. Xiaoying isn't just nervous, there are literal snakes in her belly! Literally! Because her friend cursed her for not loving her back in the same way! It's just a very understated, very well-done story, and it made me smile.
Across the Stars is one of the stories in this collection where the character's asexuality is incidental rather than central. Instead, it's an incredible story about how you're allowed to want things for yourself, but it requires you to constantly move forward, let go of the past, and take chances. Freya has been terrified of space travel since she lost her parents as a child, but her isolation and stagnancy isn't helping her move on. It's a beautiful story of grief and taking chances, set in space with cute robot friends.
The third on my list, Give Up the Ghost, has similar themes. Cassandra is repeatedly harming herself by spending so much time in ghost-infested woods and with her dead best friend. And while part of that is because she's solving his murder, the other part is that she's not ready to let go of him and the fact that she never confessed her love for fear of rejection. At the end of the day, it's about letting go of what could have been instead of letting it destroy you, with a wonderful pinch of revenge sprinkled in.
As for the asexual presence in these, there's a good spread of different experiences, with a number of explicitly aromantic, alloromantic, disabled, and trans leads. There are no male main characters, but that was never promised in the subheader like many of these were. There are a few ace male side characters, though, which is good to see.
As previously implied, different stories focus on the asexual aspect to different degrees. For some, it is the main driver of the story, with the main character needing to come out to end a curse, looking to avoid an unwanted marriage, struggling in an abusive relationship with an acephobic partner, or being chased by monsters because they haven't had sex with someone. (I.... still can't get over that last one. Inspired, truly.) For others, asexuality is simply mentioned as being viewed by outsiders as a symptoms of a larger problem, with speculations that a character is asexual because of eating disorders, trading sexual desire for the ability to walk amongst ghosts unscathed, or having sexual desire forcibly removed by exposure to a supernatural presence. For others still, their asexual identity is just there, perhaps mentioned in passing when a robot tries to set up a dating profile or while discussing the relationships they have or haven't had in the past. It's a good mix of stories where being ace is a plot point, where being ace means a character is given a hard time, and where being ace is just being ace.
Honestly, I had a really good time with this anthology, and I'm glad I decided to read it. I'll have to look into some of these authors that I don't know (because I only know a few, it seems) to see if they have anything else to my tastes.
I talk about my three favorite stories and the portrayal of ace identities at the bottom, but first, a quick summary of all the stories contained within, in case you're curious. My top three are starred.
1) How to Love a Sidewinder by Kat Yuen.*** An aroace woman must come out to her mother to get help breaking a curse placed on her by the best friend after she rejected her advances.
2) Across the Stars by Akemi Dawn Bowman.*** A shut-in teenager working in a robot repair shop goes on a journey to recover the lost data of the last message her parents ever sent her.
3) Well Suited by Rosiee Thor. A newly risen noble girl is to debut to high society with the expectations that she'll select a husband by the end of the season, although she has no interest in marriage. When she panics and makes up a fake fiancé, her mage friend makes him come to life.
4) Nylon Bed Socks by Madeline Dyer. Unable to imagine a better future, traumatized girl with an eating disorder contemplates dying in the mental ward she's been living in.
5) Give Up the Ghost by Linsey Miller.*** A girl leads mourners through a haunted forest and graveyard in order to solve the mystery of her best friend's murder, no matter how much of a toll it takes on her.
6) No Such Thing as Just by K. Hart. A teen trapped in an abusive relationship where they are belittled for their asexuality, gender expression, and mental illness befriends a drag queen and fears what she'd say about them if she knew the truth.
7) Smells Like Teen Virgin by S.E. Anderson. A sex-repulsed asexual monster hunter is repeatedly targeted by hordes of supernatural creatures for her virgin blood, all while her mother and monster hunter society pushes her to "get it out of the way."
8) Sealights by Emily Victoria. When sea magic starts running dry after her father's death, a girl is at risk of being run out of the lighthouse that she calls home.
9) Moonspirited by Anju Imura. An orphaned girl from a mining colony must face the gods after her sister is stolen away during a festival.
10) The Third Star by RoAnna Sylver. Three teenagers are left adrift in a failing escape shuttle when a previously unknown space entity attacks their home.
11) The Mermaid's Sister by Moniza Hossain. A mermaid embarks on a journey with her unwanted (but otherwise quite nice) fiancé to save her little sister from the human prince who claims to love her.
12) The Hazards of Pressing Play by Lara Ameen. With the help of her best, a wheelchair-bound girl must save her kidnapped girlfriend before time runs out.
13) No Cure for Doubt by Jas Brown. A child soldier with the ability to manipulate emotions seeks revenge on the man who killed their best friend, even knowing that friend would not want them to kill again.
14) The Witch of Festa Falls by S.J. Taylor. After her cousin is lured away into the woods by a magical violin, a girl is determined to get revenge on whoever or whatever killed her.
My favorite of these stories were How to Love a Sidewinder , Across the Stars , and Give Up the Ghost .
The first is the shortest story in the collection, but it presents a wonderful allegorical and literal story for the coming out process. Xiaoying isn't just nervous, there are literal snakes in her belly! Literally! Because her friend cursed her for not loving her back in the same way! It's just a very understated, very well-done story, and it made me smile.
Across the Stars is one of the stories in this collection where the character's asexuality is incidental rather than central. Instead, it's an incredible story about how you're allowed to want things for yourself, but it requires you to constantly move forward, let go of the past, and take chances. Freya has been terrified of space travel since she lost her parents as a child, but her isolation and stagnancy isn't helping her move on. It's a beautiful story of grief and taking chances, set in space with cute robot friends.
The third on my list, Give Up the Ghost, has similar themes. Cassandra is repeatedly harming herself by spending so much time in ghost-infested woods and with her dead best friend. And while part of that is because she's solving his murder, the other part is that she's not ready to let go of him and the fact that she never confessed her love for fear of rejection. At the end of the day, it's about letting go of what could have been instead of letting it destroy you, with a wonderful pinch of revenge sprinkled in.
As for the asexual presence in these, there's a good spread of different experiences, with a number of explicitly aromantic, alloromantic, disabled, and trans leads. There are no male main characters, but that was never promised in the subheader like many of these were. There are a few ace male side characters, though, which is good to see.
As previously implied, different stories focus on the asexual aspect to different degrees. For some, it is the main driver of the story, with the main character needing to come out to end a curse, looking to avoid an unwanted marriage, struggling in an abusive relationship with an acephobic partner, or being chased by monsters because they haven't had sex with someone. (I.... still can't get over that last one. Inspired, truly.) For others, asexuality is simply mentioned as being viewed by outsiders as a symptoms of a larger problem, with speculations that a character is asexual because of eating disorders, trading sexual desire for the ability to walk amongst ghosts unscathed, or having sexual desire forcibly removed by exposure to a supernatural presence. For others still, their asexual identity is just there, perhaps mentioned in passing when a robot tries to set up a dating profile or while discussing the relationships they have or haven't had in the past. It's a good mix of stories where being ace is a plot point, where being ace means a character is given a hard time, and where being ace is just being ace.
Honestly, I had a really good time with this anthology, and I'm glad I decided to read it. I'll have to look into some of these authors that I don't know (because I only know a few, it seems) to see if they have anything else to my tastes.
October 18, 2023
this book is everything to me🥲 granted, not every story was to my liking, but as an asexual person, i deeply appreciate the rarity of finding such meaningful representation within the realms of general fiction, particularly in the fantasy and sci-fi genres, authored by fellow aces. i am so grateful this exists!! and i thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself in the diverse characters, exploring unique worlds, and delving into various narratives, all while celebrating the many facets of love; knowing and reinforcing that love takes many forms, and each of them deserves to be acknowledged and celebrated🖤🤍💜
Introduction ★★★★�
“Seeing ourselves depicted in stories—be they films, television shows, or books like these—is one of the most powerful ways we come to understand ourselves. Depiction shows us we have a place in the world. It proves someone like us, someone with our experiences and thoughts and feelings, can live, dream, act, and occupy space. And it proves we can do those things as ourselves, without hiding, without denying our truths. Depiction says we can be anything—a villain, a hero, a wisecracking sidekick, a caring best friend, a curious adventurer, an ordinary someone, a being of impossible magic. We are bound only by what we can imagine ourselves to be.
Depiction is a powerful magic, but this book enacts an even deeper kind: representation.
It’s one thing to see ace characters depicted in stories. It’s another to have ace writers writing those stories. Representation is depiction in the hands of those needing to be depicted. It takes the magic of depiction further. Representation says, “You deserve more than just the ability to see yourself in a story. You deserve to tell that story.�
How to Love a Sidewinder ★★★★�
“Would it be okay if I never bring someone home to you?�
Across the Stars ★★★★�
“I’ve got nothing against falling in love—I’m just not sure my idea of love is the same as most of the people here.
I’ve never looked at another person and felt some kind of magical, cosmic attraction. I’ve never looked at someone and thought, “I’d love to kiss them.� I look at people and think, “I’d like to be their friend.� Maybe love follows that, and maybe kissing follows the love, but for me, there’s an order. A science.
That’s not cosmic. It’s just me.�
Well Suited ★★★★�
“I am yours, just as you are mine.�
Mine.
The word rattles against Brindle like chains. It is an unimaginable thing, to be tied to anyone in this way. She is her own. She belongs to no one but herself. Others look on with expectation, with assumption, as if they know what is in her heart.
But they cannot know, for her heart has held only one person so close. Not a lover, but a friend.�
“Are they single?�
And the question is so absurd, it makes Brindle burst into laughter. It is all people seem to care about—single or taken, both words somehow a violence. But there is a space outside those words where Brindle and Fig reside, and it is part of what makes them so well suited for each other. They are not single, floating through life independently and alone. They are not taken, like a victim of some theft. Perhaps what they are is given, honestly and hopefully, to one another in equal partnership.�
“I chose it because of you, they don’t say. Because fig is your favorite fruit, and I want to be your favorite person.�
Nylon Bed Socks ★★★★�
“I wanted to be loved
in the way that was right for me�
Give up the Ghost ★★★★�
“How could I be worth anything, how could I ever hope to be worth anything, when I was missing what some considered one of the only unifying human experiences. All of it together painted a clear picture of who I was meant to be, but I was all wrong.
No, the picture was wrong. The painters were wrong.�
“The flowers had twisted like they were searching for the sun and instead settled on me.�
No Such Thing as Just ★★★★�
“You don’t need fixing. You’re beautiful, and kind, and generous, and I want to remain your friend for a very long time to come.�
“Just friends?� Halcion asked, not sure whether they were relieved or disappointed.
“There’s no such thing as just,� she replied.�
Smells Like Teen Virgin ★★★★�
“That they haven’t lost anything. That they are still as whole as before. That the concept of virginity is a holdover from a time when people had no choice, no say in the matter, when it was viewed as a way to control those who were once seen as property.�
I say nothing. I think I might be crying again.
“Purity is just a state of mind, my dear. If someone is made to feel dirty after having slept with another, then that’s a failure on society’s part. Not theirs.�
“There’s nothing more dangerous than a person who takes control of their own pleasure and life. Who’s embraced who they are and bows down to nothing or no one. And I’ll cut down anyone or anything who has ever made a person feel otherwise.�
“I stand there, shaking, slightly hoping his touch will do what the books say it will—fill me with fire or electricity or whatever—but none of that comes. It’s just fingers against skin. I don’t warm under his smile. My tummy doesn’t flutter from the gentleness of his touch. It just is, and I just am.�
Sealights ★★★✩�
Moonspirited ★★★★�
“For as long as I can remember, there has been something in me that’s been livid and sick and at odds with the world around me.
“You’ll know when it happens.�
It’s that amusement, that arrogance of assuming everyone can fathom allure—and find it everywhere, in words, gestures, tidings between people—that always leaves me with nothing but a sour taste in my mouth, even after a tale meant to entice all would come to an end.
It’s the sick feeling I’d get as my own body changed, tearing me away from the safety of being a child and thrusting me into realities where eyes would start following me, gazes that told me they wanted something that in turn set something inside me into sheer refusal.
It’s an obsession, an interest that I’ve never understood, even when I was still skinny and gangly and was told to have some fun with the other kids, miners and lower town youth come hanging around the mining fields. I thought we’d brave the old tunnels or go out in the fields proper to catch swamp eels and frogs like I was used to with Maiko.
Their idea of fun was not that. I left barely having told my name to anybody, and feeling as though something was strange or wrong with everyone for being so fixated on bodies and touch.
As it turns out, much of the world shares what I still call obsession—and I was the odd one out.
That’s when I realized what Maiko meant to me. How I could be me, without ever having to answer to those questions of gaze, or interest, or company, which I never wanted or asked for in the first place.�
“When the Painter takes the priesthood robes, they do so out of spite—if celibacy is the only way this world can think us real, then so be it. Let us cut ourselves from all the things people call living, cut those earthly ties, and become what they’ve always wanted us to be: unnatural, strange. Not part of what it means to be human.
I’ve always loved that part.�
The Third Star ★★★✩�
“I can’t speak, so they don’t either. The boy and girl who know me best don’t prod me, or suggest a word I don’t mean, which would only make my frustration worse. They both just patiently wait and hold me steady, letting me find my own words, in my own time. It’s that silence more than any words that tells me I’ve trusted the right people with my heart. Their silence tells me I’m home.�
The Mermaid's Sister ★★★★�
The Hazards of Pressing Play ★✩✩✩�
No Cure for Doubt ★★✩✩�
The Witch of Festa Falls ★★★★�
“And I like plenty of people, but never in ways that spark physical passion or desire, which suits me fine.
There’s nothing lesser about friendship, nor is there anything wrong with who I am. I know this to the roots of my soul. It’s the only thing that keeps my head up when others in this village behave as though I do not belong, simply because I sing in a language they’ve forgotten and love in a way they refuse to understand.�
Introduction ★★★★�
“Seeing ourselves depicted in stories—be they films, television shows, or books like these—is one of the most powerful ways we come to understand ourselves. Depiction shows us we have a place in the world. It proves someone like us, someone with our experiences and thoughts and feelings, can live, dream, act, and occupy space. And it proves we can do those things as ourselves, without hiding, without denying our truths. Depiction says we can be anything—a villain, a hero, a wisecracking sidekick, a caring best friend, a curious adventurer, an ordinary someone, a being of impossible magic. We are bound only by what we can imagine ourselves to be.
Depiction is a powerful magic, but this book enacts an even deeper kind: representation.
It’s one thing to see ace characters depicted in stories. It’s another to have ace writers writing those stories. Representation is depiction in the hands of those needing to be depicted. It takes the magic of depiction further. Representation says, “You deserve more than just the ability to see yourself in a story. You deserve to tell that story.�
How to Love a Sidewinder ★★★★�
“Would it be okay if I never bring someone home to you?�
Across the Stars ★★★★�
“I’ve got nothing against falling in love—I’m just not sure my idea of love is the same as most of the people here.
I’ve never looked at another person and felt some kind of magical, cosmic attraction. I’ve never looked at someone and thought, “I’d love to kiss them.� I look at people and think, “I’d like to be their friend.� Maybe love follows that, and maybe kissing follows the love, but for me, there’s an order. A science.
That’s not cosmic. It’s just me.�
Well Suited ★★★★�
“I am yours, just as you are mine.�
Mine.
The word rattles against Brindle like chains. It is an unimaginable thing, to be tied to anyone in this way. She is her own. She belongs to no one but herself. Others look on with expectation, with assumption, as if they know what is in her heart.
But they cannot know, for her heart has held only one person so close. Not a lover, but a friend.�
“Are they single?�
And the question is so absurd, it makes Brindle burst into laughter. It is all people seem to care about—single or taken, both words somehow a violence. But there is a space outside those words where Brindle and Fig reside, and it is part of what makes them so well suited for each other. They are not single, floating through life independently and alone. They are not taken, like a victim of some theft. Perhaps what they are is given, honestly and hopefully, to one another in equal partnership.�
“I chose it because of you, they don’t say. Because fig is your favorite fruit, and I want to be your favorite person.�
Nylon Bed Socks ★★★★�
“I wanted to be loved
in the way that was right for me�
Give up the Ghost ★★★★�
“How could I be worth anything, how could I ever hope to be worth anything, when I was missing what some considered one of the only unifying human experiences. All of it together painted a clear picture of who I was meant to be, but I was all wrong.
No, the picture was wrong. The painters were wrong.�
“The flowers had twisted like they were searching for the sun and instead settled on me.�
No Such Thing as Just ★★★★�
“You don’t need fixing. You’re beautiful, and kind, and generous, and I want to remain your friend for a very long time to come.�
“Just friends?� Halcion asked, not sure whether they were relieved or disappointed.
“There’s no such thing as just,� she replied.�
Smells Like Teen Virgin ★★★★�
“That they haven’t lost anything. That they are still as whole as before. That the concept of virginity is a holdover from a time when people had no choice, no say in the matter, when it was viewed as a way to control those who were once seen as property.�
I say nothing. I think I might be crying again.
“Purity is just a state of mind, my dear. If someone is made to feel dirty after having slept with another, then that’s a failure on society’s part. Not theirs.�
“There’s nothing more dangerous than a person who takes control of their own pleasure and life. Who’s embraced who they are and bows down to nothing or no one. And I’ll cut down anyone or anything who has ever made a person feel otherwise.�
“I stand there, shaking, slightly hoping his touch will do what the books say it will—fill me with fire or electricity or whatever—but none of that comes. It’s just fingers against skin. I don’t warm under his smile. My tummy doesn’t flutter from the gentleness of his touch. It just is, and I just am.�
Sealights ★★★✩�
Moonspirited ★★★★�
“For as long as I can remember, there has been something in me that’s been livid and sick and at odds with the world around me.
“You’ll know when it happens.�
It’s that amusement, that arrogance of assuming everyone can fathom allure—and find it everywhere, in words, gestures, tidings between people—that always leaves me with nothing but a sour taste in my mouth, even after a tale meant to entice all would come to an end.
It’s the sick feeling I’d get as my own body changed, tearing me away from the safety of being a child and thrusting me into realities where eyes would start following me, gazes that told me they wanted something that in turn set something inside me into sheer refusal.
It’s an obsession, an interest that I’ve never understood, even when I was still skinny and gangly and was told to have some fun with the other kids, miners and lower town youth come hanging around the mining fields. I thought we’d brave the old tunnels or go out in the fields proper to catch swamp eels and frogs like I was used to with Maiko.
Their idea of fun was not that. I left barely having told my name to anybody, and feeling as though something was strange or wrong with everyone for being so fixated on bodies and touch.
As it turns out, much of the world shares what I still call obsession—and I was the odd one out.
That’s when I realized what Maiko meant to me. How I could be me, without ever having to answer to those questions of gaze, or interest, or company, which I never wanted or asked for in the first place.�
“When the Painter takes the priesthood robes, they do so out of spite—if celibacy is the only way this world can think us real, then so be it. Let us cut ourselves from all the things people call living, cut those earthly ties, and become what they’ve always wanted us to be: unnatural, strange. Not part of what it means to be human.
I’ve always loved that part.�
The Third Star ★★★✩�
“I can’t speak, so they don’t either. The boy and girl who know me best don’t prod me, or suggest a word I don’t mean, which would only make my frustration worse. They both just patiently wait and hold me steady, letting me find my own words, in my own time. It’s that silence more than any words that tells me I’ve trusted the right people with my heart. Their silence tells me I’m home.�
The Mermaid's Sister ★★★★�
The Hazards of Pressing Play ★✩✩✩�
No Cure for Doubt ★★✩✩�
The Witch of Festa Falls ★★★★�
“And I like plenty of people, but never in ways that spark physical passion or desire, which suits me fine.
There’s nothing lesser about friendship, nor is there anything wrong with who I am. I know this to the roots of my soul. It’s the only thing that keeps my head up when others in this village behave as though I do not belong, simply because I sing in a language they’ve forgotten and love in a way they refuse to understand.�
October 12, 2023
3.7
*Review to come*
Pre-review comments below
multi-genre collection about asexuality????? PAGE STREET DON'T DO THIS TO ME I'm crying 😭😭💖
*Review to come*
Pre-review comments below
multi-genre collection about asexuality????? PAGE STREET DON'T DO THIS TO ME I'm crying 😭😭💖
April 3, 2025
Ich mag die generelle Idee dieses Buches und den Mix an Genres. Bei so vielen verschiedenen Autor*innen ist es ja erwartbar, dass einige Geschichten mehr mit mir resonieren als andere. Vor allem Across the Stars, Well Suited, Sealights, The Third Star und The Witch of Festa Falls mochte ich sehr.
Viele der anderen Beiträge haben mich eher weniger abgeholt. Da teile ich die Beobachtung von anderen: In vielen Geschichten geht es darum, dass ace Charaktere den Eindruck haben, sich „reparieren� zu müssen, oder irgendwie falsch zu sein. Das ist natürlich Teil der Realität und wichtig zu beschreiben und zu benennen. Manche Stories haben das dann für mich allerdings nicht genug aufgefangen am Ende, sodass mich die Lektüre an vielen Stellen runtergezogen hat - ohne wieder so richtig Aufbauarbeit zu leisten. Das ist Schade, weil ich mich gerade auf die Aufbauarbeit gefreut hatte!
Alles in allem waren nicht alle Geschichten was für mich, aber ich bin froh um die, die ich in dem Buch entdeckt habe!
Viele der anderen Beiträge haben mich eher weniger abgeholt. Da teile ich die Beobachtung von anderen: In vielen Geschichten geht es darum, dass ace Charaktere den Eindruck haben, sich „reparieren� zu müssen, oder irgendwie falsch zu sein. Das ist natürlich Teil der Realität und wichtig zu beschreiben und zu benennen. Manche Stories haben das dann für mich allerdings nicht genug aufgefangen am Ende, sodass mich die Lektüre an vielen Stellen runtergezogen hat - ohne wieder so richtig Aufbauarbeit zu leisten. Das ist Schade, weil ich mich gerade auf die Aufbauarbeit gefreut hatte!
Alles in allem waren nicht alle Geschichten was für mich, aber ich bin froh um die, die ich in dem Buch entdeckt habe!
May 7, 2024
4.5 �
Unique, engaging, enjoyable
This anthology was really cool! I love the concept and the diversity of stories. Each one felt very unique, which created a fun reading experience. Although there were some stories I loved and others I didn't, in general, the book was great. My favorites were Across the Stars, Sealights, and The Third Star. I would definitely recommend it, especially if you are looking for ace representation or want to learn about the ace spectrum.
How to Love a Sidewinder by Kat Yuen- ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Across the Stars by Akemi Dawn Bowman- ⭐⭐⭐⭐�
Well Suited by Rosiee Thor- ⭐⭐�
Nylon Bed Socks by Madeline Dyer- didn't read
Give up the Ghost by Linsey Miller- ⭐⭐�
No Such Thing as Just by K. Hart- ⭐⭐
Smells Like Teen Virgin by S. E. Anderson- ⭐⭐�
Sealights by Emily Victoria- ⭐⭐⭐⭐�
Moonspirited by Anju Imura- ⭐⭐⭐⭐�
The Third Star by RoAnna Sylver- ⭐⭐⭐⭐�
The Mermaid's Sister by Moniza Hossain- �
The Hazards of Pressing Play by Lara Ameen- �
No Cure for Doubt by Jas Brown- ⭐⭐⭐⭐�
The Witch of Festa Falls by S. J. Taylor- ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Unique, engaging, enjoyable
This anthology was really cool! I love the concept and the diversity of stories. Each one felt very unique, which created a fun reading experience. Although there were some stories I loved and others I didn't, in general, the book was great. My favorites were Across the Stars, Sealights, and The Third Star. I would definitely recommend it, especially if you are looking for ace representation or want to learn about the ace spectrum.
How to Love a Sidewinder by Kat Yuen- ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Across the Stars by Akemi Dawn Bowman- ⭐⭐⭐⭐�
Well Suited by Rosiee Thor- ⭐⭐�
Nylon Bed Socks by Madeline Dyer- didn't read
Give up the Ghost by Linsey Miller- ⭐⭐�
No Such Thing as Just by K. Hart- ⭐⭐
Smells Like Teen Virgin by S. E. Anderson- ⭐⭐�
Sealights by Emily Victoria- ⭐⭐⭐⭐�
Moonspirited by Anju Imura- ⭐⭐⭐⭐�
The Third Star by RoAnna Sylver- ⭐⭐⭐⭐�
The Mermaid's Sister by Moniza Hossain- �
The Hazards of Pressing Play by Lara Ameen- �
No Cure for Doubt by Jas Brown- ⭐⭐⭐⭐�
The Witch of Festa Falls by S. J. Taylor- ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Read
July 16, 2023Being Ace: An Anthology of Queer, Trans, Femme, and Disabled Stories of Asexual Love and Connection features short stories in a variety of genres depicting asexual main characters. These stories offer positive representation of a sexuality often misunderstood in contemporary culture, and historically viewed as a medical obstacle. Overall, it’s a quick read, and a lovely collection of ace authors showcasing their work.
Thank you to NetGalley and Page Street Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this title.
Thank you to NetGalley and Page Street Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this title.
Read
March 16, 2024I really enjoyed this YA ace fiction anthology! Looking forward to discussing it with @queerthology in two weeks 😍. (Literally one of my fave book clubs, btw, because the Substack newsletter check-ins are *chef's kiss*.)
My absolute favorite stories were:
🟣 "The Third Star" - Roannaa Sylver
🟣 "Give Up the Ghost" - Linsey Miller
🟣 "Across the Stars" - Akemi Dawn Bowman
🟣 "Well Suited" - Rosiee Thor
Have you read this one? If so, do we have any favorites in common? 👀
My absolute favorite stories were:
🟣 "The Third Star" - Roannaa Sylver
🟣 "Give Up the Ghost" - Linsey Miller
🟣 "Across the Stars" - Akemi Dawn Bowman
🟣 "Well Suited" - Rosiee Thor
Have you read this one? If so, do we have any favorites in common? 👀
June 19, 2024
This book has been a bit of a letdown for me.
When I heard about this book I was really excited about it. Short stories about ace experiences intermixed with different genres, sounds really good to me.
Because there were different genres throughout the book, it took me a while each story to figure out what the genre was. For me that took away from the enjoyment of each story.
Also, every story is about an ace person struggling through life, having a hard time finding acceptance etc.
I get that when sexuality is involved there is usually some struggle with either your own identity or connection with others.
However, it would have been nice to read about something happier. Something with hope for people that are struggling. A better outlook for the future. A love story even.
All that being said, I had some favorite stories. In order of reading:
-nylon bed socks
-no such thing as just
-smells like teen virgin
When I heard about this book I was really excited about it. Short stories about ace experiences intermixed with different genres, sounds really good to me.
Because there were different genres throughout the book, it took me a while each story to figure out what the genre was. For me that took away from the enjoyment of each story.
Also, every story is about an ace person struggling through life, having a hard time finding acceptance etc.
I get that when sexuality is involved there is usually some struggle with either your own identity or connection with others.
However, it would have been nice to read about something happier. Something with hope for people that are struggling. A better outlook for the future. A love story even.
All that being said, I had some favorite stories. In order of reading:
-nylon bed socks
-no such thing as just
-smells like teen virgin
September 26, 2023
Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review!
Perhaps I am biased because I am ace myself, but I have always felt like people who identify as asexual are typically forgotten about when discussing the LGBTQIA+ community. Heck, I think there are still people out there that believe the A in LGBTQIA+ should stand for ally which, sorry, no. Let asexual and aromantic people have a letter! But I digress, because asexual and aromantic people are typically always left out-because society inherently believes that everyone should want to be in a sexual, romantic relationship-people that identify as ace or aro aren't featured prominently in any form of media, let along fantasy or sci fi.
Well, my fellow aces and aros, we finally have some fantasy and sci fi stories that represent US! Granted, it is written by a group of people that are probably just as sick and tired of being left behind as we are, but at least it is something. Being Ace compiles numerous different stories ranging in genre, mostly containing fantasy or sci fi stories with a couple of contemporaries thrown in there. And goodness, does it feel like a breath of fresh air. It just feels so refreshing to read about people that not only are like me, but also aren't brought down by romantic plots. As a fantasy lover especially, I have read so many stories that were genuinely fun and enjoyable, but were bogged down by a forced romance plot; because there always has to be a romance in a fantasy book, right? Or worse, a love triangle *shudders.* Well, Being Ace proves that romance in those types of stories isn't always necessary, and it was so much fun to read.
I'll admit, while I did enjoy the vast majority of stories featured in this anthology, I did find myself really enjoying some, but then not enjoying some others as much. But overall, it was a very positive experience. Some of the ones I loved the most were "How to Love a Sidewinder," "Across the Stars," "Sealights," and "The Mermaid's Sister." But my FAVORITE was "Smells Like Teen Virgin," which was basically an asexual take on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It was so much fun!
While it is a somewhat upsetting thought that it took a group of aroace writers to take matters into their own hands and write aroace stories, I don't regret the outcome. I hope that this book will prove to those outside the spectrum that these stories not only deserve to be told, but can be told in a refreshing, beautiful, and profound way. Bottom line to all writers and readers out there: the A in LGBTQIA+ stands for asexual/arcomantic, and don't you forget it!
Perhaps I am biased because I am ace myself, but I have always felt like people who identify as asexual are typically forgotten about when discussing the LGBTQIA+ community. Heck, I think there are still people out there that believe the A in LGBTQIA+ should stand for ally which, sorry, no. Let asexual and aromantic people have a letter! But I digress, because asexual and aromantic people are typically always left out-because society inherently believes that everyone should want to be in a sexual, romantic relationship-people that identify as ace or aro aren't featured prominently in any form of media, let along fantasy or sci fi.
Well, my fellow aces and aros, we finally have some fantasy and sci fi stories that represent US! Granted, it is written by a group of people that are probably just as sick and tired of being left behind as we are, but at least it is something. Being Ace compiles numerous different stories ranging in genre, mostly containing fantasy or sci fi stories with a couple of contemporaries thrown in there. And goodness, does it feel like a breath of fresh air. It just feels so refreshing to read about people that not only are like me, but also aren't brought down by romantic plots. As a fantasy lover especially, I have read so many stories that were genuinely fun and enjoyable, but were bogged down by a forced romance plot; because there always has to be a romance in a fantasy book, right? Or worse, a love triangle *shudders.* Well, Being Ace proves that romance in those types of stories isn't always necessary, and it was so much fun to read.
I'll admit, while I did enjoy the vast majority of stories featured in this anthology, I did find myself really enjoying some, but then not enjoying some others as much. But overall, it was a very positive experience. Some of the ones I loved the most were "How to Love a Sidewinder," "Across the Stars," "Sealights," and "The Mermaid's Sister." But my FAVORITE was "Smells Like Teen Virgin," which was basically an asexual take on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It was so much fun!
While it is a somewhat upsetting thought that it took a group of aroace writers to take matters into their own hands and write aroace stories, I don't regret the outcome. I hope that this book will prove to those outside the spectrum that these stories not only deserve to be told, but can be told in a refreshing, beautiful, and profound way. Bottom line to all writers and readers out there: the A in LGBTQIA+ stands for asexual/arcomantic, and don't you forget it!
December 3, 2023
Being Ace is a collection of YA sci-fi and fantasy short stories centering a-spec characters. For me it was a pretty even mix of “meh� stories/writing I felt I was pushing through vs. stories I really loved, so giving this anthology somewhere around 3.5 stars (and rounding up for thoughtful representation 💜).
My favorites: Across the Stars, Well Suited, Nylon Bed Socks (my fave of the faves!), & Give up the Ghost
Happy this exists & overall impressed by the diversity of Ace / Aro experiences represented here! 💜
My favorites: Across the Stars, Well Suited, Nylon Bed Socks (my fave of the faves!), & Give up the Ghost
Happy this exists & overall impressed by the diversity of Ace / Aro experiences represented here! 💜
December 31, 2023
It makes me happy to see more books with asexual representation, so to have a collection of stories featuring all sorts of ace rep warms my heart. I love how this anthology shows how asexuality is spectrum and everyone’s experience with being ace is different. Overall, this was a pretty solid anthology but there were a few stories that really stood out to me.
My favorite stories
� How to Love a Sidewinder
� Across the Stars
� Well Suited
� Give up the Ghost
� Smells like Teen Virgin
� The Witch of Festa Falls
My favorite stories
� How to Love a Sidewinder
� Across the Stars
� Well Suited
� Give up the Ghost
� Smells like Teen Virgin
� The Witch of Festa Falls
July 10, 2024
I had such high hopes for this one, but I could not relate to a single story in this book. The title suggests stories about asexuality, and maybe it's my mistake to expect romantic stories that for once skip the cringy sex scenes. But no � the majority of these stories were not ace but aro, and then there were some completely random stories in there as well (what was up with that ridiculous story about the wheelchair user? It seemed to have been written by a 14-year old).
I'm sad to say that this one will definitely not get a permanent spot on my bookshelf, if at all. Highly disappointed.
I'm sad to say that this one will definitely not get a permanent spot on my bookshelf, if at all. Highly disappointed.
December 13, 2024
Being Ace
Overall Rating: � � � .5 (3.5/5) or 7.28/10 overall
Characters - 7
Atmosphere - 8
Writing - 7
Plot - 7
Intrigue - 8
Logic - 7
Enjoyment - 7
Overall Rating: � � � .5 (3.5/5) or 7.28/10 overall
Characters - 7
Atmosphere - 8
Writing - 7
Plot - 7
Intrigue - 8
Logic - 7
Enjoyment - 7
March 15, 2024
A lot of gems in here, I’m really happy that all contained happy/hopeful endings, just what I needed
Shelved as 'abandoned'
July 8, 2024A soft DNF. I don't know why I was expecting this to be nonfiction stories. I was wrong. I'm just not in a short story space at the moment.
October 4, 2023
the perfect anthology celebrating asexuality and depicting it in every genre of literacy
November 25, 2023
I was provided an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I can't lie, it was hard for me to get through this one. But I'm blaming the new job and being sick, not the quality of this book.
It felt great reading ace stories. I loved falling for these characters one after the other. I really loved the vibes for this whole anthology. Of course, like with all anthologies, I liked some stories more than others, but, overall, I had a good old ace time.
Some stories were harder for me to get through than others, some flew by, some I truly loved. Others less so but overall, I really loved this project and its execution and I want more ace books always.
I can't lie, it was hard for me to get through this one. But I'm blaming the new job and being sick, not the quality of this book.
It felt great reading ace stories. I loved falling for these characters one after the other. I really loved the vibes for this whole anthology. Of course, like with all anthologies, I liked some stories more than others, but, overall, I had a good old ace time.
Some stories were harder for me to get through than others, some flew by, some I truly loved. Others less so but overall, I really loved this project and its execution and I want more ace books always.
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