Passing Strange by Ellen Klages
Passing Strange is a novella that was just nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novella. It's essentially a historical queer romance novel between two women in 1940s (Mid World War 2) San Francisco, with some fantasy elements (magic) involved. And it is fantastically well written, with a believable romance between two characters with great chemistry and a wonderfully sweet and clever ending. This will definitely be on my Hugo ballot.
Quick Plot Summary: In the present day, a dying elderly Asian woman named Helen removes a the last artwork of a famous cover artist named Haskel for old pulp comics from a hidden passage and sells the artwork to a skeevy art dealer. Back in mid-World War 2, a group of lesbian friends from different backgrounds come together - Franny who seems to have magical powers, Babs - a mathematician and Franny's partner, Helen - an Asian lawyer and dancer at an "Oriental" club, Haskel - the cover artist and new girl Emily - the newcomer who sings at SF's only lesbian club. When Haskel invites Emily to stay at her place when Emily's roommate gets in legal problems, the two fall in love and begin a romance that will take them all across San Francisco. But unfortunately, 1940s San Francisco is not a friendly place to the Queer community, and it may take some magic for them to have a happy ending....
Passing Strange is clearly well historically researched (the Lesbian club was a real place in San Francisco at the time) and really well done at showing the discrimination people of certain races (Asians), sexes, and sexual orientations suffered in the 1940s. But this isn't a tale of people in misery as a result of it, but of a group of people - particularly the main couple - triumphing over that discrimination. And while the magic - yes actual magic - involved may seem secondary at first and superfluous, it comes together to make a magical ending.
Well Recommended.
No comments:
Post a Comment