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The Seep
A 2021 Lambda Literary Award Finalist "A unique alien invasion story that focuses on the human and the myriad ways we see and don't see our own world. Mesmerizing."
--Jeff VanderMeer A blend of searing social commentary and speculative fiction, Chana Porter's fresh, pointed debut explores a strange new world in the wake of a benign alien invasion. Trina FastHorse Goldberg-Oneka is a fifty-year-old trans woman whose life is irreversibly altered in the wake of a gentle--but nonetheless world-changing--invasion by an alien entity called The Seep. Through The Seep, everything is connected. Capitalism falls, hierarchies and barriers are broken down; if something can be imagined, it is possible. Trina and her wife, Deeba, live blissfully under The Seep's utopian influence--until Deeba begins to imagine what it might be like to be reborn as a baby, which will give her the chance at an even better life. Using Seeptech to make this dream a reality, Deeba moves on to a new existence, leaving Trina devastated. Heartbroken and deep into an alcoholic binge, Trina follows a lost boy she encounters, embarking on an unexpected quest. In her attempt to save him from The Seep, she will confront not only one of its most avid devotees, but the terrifying void that Deeba has left behind. A strange new elegy of love and loss, The Seep explores grief, alienation, and the ache of moving on.
--Jeff VanderMeer A blend of searing social commentary and speculative fiction, Chana Porter's fresh, pointed debut explores a strange new world in the wake of a benign alien invasion. Trina FastHorse Goldberg-Oneka is a fifty-year-old trans woman whose life is irreversibly altered in the wake of a gentle--but nonetheless world-changing--invasion by an alien entity called The Seep. Through The Seep, everything is connected. Capitalism falls, hierarchies and barriers are broken down; if something can be imagined, it is possible. Trina and her wife, Deeba, live blissfully under The Seep's utopian influence--until Deeba begins to imagine what it might be like to be reborn as a baby, which will give her the chance at an even better life. Using Seeptech to make this dream a reality, Deeba moves on to a new existence, leaving Trina devastated. Heartbroken and deep into an alcoholic binge, Trina follows a lost boy she encounters, embarking on an unexpected quest. In her attempt to save him from The Seep, she will confront not only one of its most avid devotees, but the terrifying void that Deeba has left behind. A strange new elegy of love and loss, The Seep explores grief, alienation, and the ache of moving on.
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Community Reviews
Goodness, this one was way stranger than anticipated. Not what I expected at all, but not necessarily in a bad way. Seemed a little bit like an episode of Batman where the Scarecrow sprayed everyone with his dream mist and they all started freaking out haha
The underlying theme of dealing with grief and moving on though is what really held my attention. The story of how Trina Fasthorse Goldberg-Oneka (what a name!) deals with the grief of losing her partner was touching and raw and I think that is what really redeems this story.
The underlying theme of dealing with grief and moving on though is what really held my attention. The story of how Trina Fasthorse Goldberg-Oneka (what a name!) deals with the grief of losing her partner was touching and raw and I think that is what really redeems this story.
The Catcher In The Rye except Holden Caulfield is a trans butch lesbian living in a post-alien invasion utopia!
Definitely dug the concept as someone who loved of Annihilation (**the movie — sorry book fans!) and p much any other sci-fi medium that paint aliens as actually alien to humanity, versus all those violent alien takeover horror thrillers that are more just projections of how us humans respond to anything “other” (ie kill it). And in this story, Porter uses aliens as a way to hold a mirror up to how humans might react in a truly utopian world with no pain, suffering, capitalism, barriers, or death. The fact this was a quick read too was definitely nice. At point the book felt a bit silly, simply because the world it takes place in is just so different than our own. And its not like I *don’t* think humans would choose to make themselves look like a dragon or turn themselves into babies if they had a chance it just that…it’s sort of corny that it *is* something we’d do in the first place
Definitely dug the concept as someone who loved of Annihilation (**the movie — sorry book fans!) and p much any other sci-fi medium that paint aliens as actually alien to humanity, versus all those violent alien takeover horror thrillers that are more just projections of how us humans respond to anything “other” (ie kill it). And in this story, Porter uses aliens as a way to hold a mirror up to how humans might react in a truly utopian world with no pain, suffering, capitalism, barriers, or death. The fact this was a quick read too was definitely nice. At point the book felt a bit silly, simply because the world it takes place in is just so different than our own. And its not like I *don’t* think humans would choose to make themselves look like a dragon or turn themselves into babies if they had a chance it just that…it’s sort of corny that it *is* something we’d do in the first place
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