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A review by sashahc
Shadow Man by Melissa Scott
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
QUEERS IN SPAAAAAAAAACE. This is probably the oldest book on my list, but it’s so overlooked and I really want more people to read it. “Shadow Man” by Melissa Scott is about gender, politics and colonization, but through the lens of very personal relationships.
Basically, in the future, a drug that allows FTL travel causes 25% of people to be born intersex. On the world where this takes place, people must choose one of two genders. Sex is irrelevant. In the colonizing culture starting to take over, however, Sex and Gender are the same and are defined in five different buckets. So what happens in both societies when someone doesn’t conform? The primary MC is a defense lawyer (mainly for sex workers) who refuses.
One of Melissa Scott’s strengths is showing things play out in both a micro and macro scale - friendship groups, ex-lovers, siblings, but also the fall of governments. Her worlds feel incredibly lived in and familiar. This book was published in 1995 and totally broke my brain when I first read it. I think it was way ahead of its time and is worth a revisit now.
Basically, in the future, a drug that allows FTL travel causes 25% of people to be born intersex. On the world where this takes place, people must choose one of two genders. Sex is irrelevant. In the colonizing culture starting to take over, however, Sex and Gender are the same and are defined in five different buckets. So what happens in both societies when someone doesn’t conform? The primary MC is a defense lawyer (mainly for sex workers) who refuses.
One of Melissa Scott’s strengths is showing things play out in both a micro and macro scale - friendship groups, ex-lovers, siblings, but also the fall of governments. Her worlds feel incredibly lived in and familiar. This book was published in 1995 and totally broke my brain when I first read it. I think it was way ahead of its time and is worth a revisit now.