Queer Little Nightmares

Ly (Mythical Man) and Zomparelli (Everything Is Awful and You’re a Terrible Person) offer an anthology that casts new and well-known monsters in a modern, queer mold. The stories featured here represent a wide array of monsters from cinema and folklore. From a lesbian werewolf who has a sexual awakening to a sexually frustrated minotaur who’s more D-list celebrity than awe-inspiring guardian, the monsters in these stories feel like outsiders not just because they are indeed monsters but because of their sexuality. The collection also features horror-inspired poetry that playfully and poignantly discusses the sex lives of classic monsters, including the Invisible Man and the Creature from the Black Lagoon. Danielle Verayo uses a breathy but matter-of-fact voice to narrate these monsters’ lives, allowing their tales to shock through titillation rather than terror. Many of the monsters here aren’t cruel or vicious; they’re simply following the very human instinct of trying to find somewhere to belong.