Uranians Stories

McComb's debut collection, four stories and the titular novella, are in theory loosely united around the idea of sexual or gender difference, referencing the late Victorian idea of gay men as intermediately gendered beings known as "Uranians," popular with writers and poets like Edward Carpenter and Oscar Wilde. Whether or not the shorter stories, such as "Lacuna Heights" about a man with a memory erasing implant possibly cheating or possibly just evading his own traumas, fit this theme is debatable. The novella on the other hand, with its artist's colony generation ship crewed primarily by gay and trans people, fits the bill. McCombs prose, often focused on profound moments, asides, and meditations, is accomplished. And while at times, particularly in the novella, McCombs ideas and concepts can overwhelm or even harm his style and plotting, his focus on chronicling queer and trans futures and pasts is admirable. While not entirely successful, this collection is certainly of interest to queer sf fans, particularly for fans of Carmen Maria Machado looking for more to scratch that particular itch.

McCombs weaves science and fantasy in his playful and provocative debut collection. In the opener, "Toward a Theory of Alternative Lifestyles," the narrator reflects on a prior relationship in terms of quantum mechanics ("if it's true that... every possible version of you exists somewhere... in at least one of those realities... you got everything you ever wanted, and were loved as much as you loved"). In "Lacuna Heights," set in a near-future San Francisco where the beaches are gone and people wear Wi-Fi glasses, a lawyer begins to disassociate as he questions his marriage. "Six Hangings in the Land of Unkillable Women" counterpoints brief accounts of 1909 executions with the grim dystopian mission of a police superintendent's wife to bring back public hangings. The main event is the glorious novella "Uranians," which takes its name from a Victorian term for queer people. Somewhere in space, the opera La Traviata is performed on a spaceship, its motley mix of passengers on a mission to study other planets. On board, a trans priest lusts after a "power lesbian" doctor. Though not all of the concepts take off, McCombs's mix of heart and zany ideas is often reminiscent of George Saunders. Readers will find plenty of earthy and unearthly delights. Agent: Kirby Kim, Janklow & Nesbit Assoc. (May)