Paperback, 113 pages
English language
Published May 7, 1991 by Calamus Books.
The Faggots and Their Friends Between Revolutions is a beloved queer utopian text written by Larry Mitchell with lush illustrations by Ned Asta, published by Calamus Press in 1977. Part-fable, part-manifesto, the book takes place in Ramrod, an empire in decline, and introduces us to the communities of the faggots, the women, the queens, the queer men, and the women who love women who are surviving the ways and world of men. Cherished by many over the four decades since its publication, The Faggots and Their Friends Between Revolutions offers a trenchant critique of capitalism, assimilation, and patriarchy that is deeply relevant today.
I found this book in the fiction section of the bookstore, but it’s… well, it has narrative vignettes, but I’d say it’s a work of visionary queer philosophy, with elements of satire, fable, polemic, and comfort. Maybe this book found me when I needed it, but I think it’s one of the most important books I’ve ever read. I’ll certainly be re-reading it.
it is a very fun and interesting reading. it is a playful joy to read it and you can easily do it in one session. it also really inspired me narratively because both storytelling and the language are uniquely queer. i would love to find more quirky speculative fiction like this.
it is a very fun and interesting reading. it is a playful joy to read it and you can easily do it in one session. it also really inspired me narratively because both storytelling and the language are uniquely queer. i would love to find more quirky speculative fiction like this.
Of course there are some things in there that I dislike or am critical of, but the overall experience was overwhelmingly wonderful for me. It's a heartbreakingly beautiful reflection on queer existences and the patriarchy, in a mildly fantastical style, but like, it's always clear what all the things are actually about and that makes it hurt but in a way that I liked a lot. (Except I'm still not sure if the fairies are fairies or fairies. I guess some things remain a mystery to me. But I guess they're fairies, and maybe also fairies.)
Of course there are some things in there that I dislike or am critical of, but the overall experience was overwhelmingly wonderful for me. It's a heartbreakingly beautiful reflection on queer existences and the patriarchy, in a mildly fantastical style, but like, it's always clear what all the things are actually about and that makes it hurt but in a way that I liked a lot. (Except I'm still not sure if the fairies are fairies or fairies. I guess some things remain a mystery to me. But I guess they're fairies, and maybe also fairies.)
