Love Beyond Body, Space, & Time: An Indigenous LGBT Sci-Fi Anthology

Love Beyond Body, Space & Time is an anthology that is both an educational resource and a collection of short stories. The collection opens with a letter from the editor, followed by two chapters that explore what it means to be queer and/or two-spirit within an Indigenous context. And while these chapters are bit on the academic side, curious and motivated teen readers will find much grasp onto here and will hopefully come away with a much better understanding of identities that are often misunderstood, misrepresented, or just ignored. For readers less interested in the academic components, a suggestion to move on to Richard Van Camp’s story, “Alien”, may be the best move.

The short stories consist of explorations of Indigenous peoples in contexts not necessarily confined to the real world (there’s space travel, aliens, and shape-shifters) or our current time and cultural constraints. What makes this collection stand out is that all of the contributors are Indigenous, and the majority of them are queer or two-spirit themselves. With such a large portion of Indigenous stories throughout history being told by non-Indigenous authors, and with many queer stories being told by non-queer authors, this collection breaks free from those constraints and gives Indigenous authors their own voices back.

Some authors in the collection may be more recognized than others, but each brings their own unique take on Indigenous identity and experience into their narratives. Contributors include Nathan Adler (member of Lac Des Mille Lacs First Nation), Gwen Benaway (Anisshinaabe and Métis), Darcie Little Badger (Lipan Apache), Daniel Heath Justice (Cherokee Nation), Cleo Keahna (Ojibwe and Meskwaki), Mari Kurisato (tribally enrolled Cote First Nations Ojibwe), David Alexander Robertson (Irish, Scottish, English, and Cree), Richard Van Camp (Tlicho Dene), and Cherie Dimaline (Métis).

As with any anthology, some short stories will appeal to readers more than others. This collection of short stories, though not published specifically for a young adult audience, has crossover appeal and will entice those interested in learning more about Indigenous histories, two-spirit identities, and also those who just enjoy solidly crafted stories that will surprise, delight, and spark the imagination. As Debbie Reese (tribally enrolled at Nambé Owingeh) a Native children’s a YA literature scholar wrote in her own review: “These writers show you how it is done.”

NOTE: There are instances of trans- and homophobia, and some mentions of sexual violence.