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Hugh Likes Non-Fiction: Queer As Folklore

July 2, 2025

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Queer As Folklore: The Hidden Queer History of Myths and Monsters
Written by Sacha Coward

Narrated by Will Watt

Published by Tantor Media

Listened to via Audible

The Skinny: A reimagining of legends and mythological creatures with a Queer lens.

Queer As Folklore examines the icons of myth and legend, and their hidden, and sometimes not so hidden connections to Queer iconography, history, and culture. Coward describes folklore as a living document, the stories that a culture tells. He presents both ancient and modern interpretations of archetypes, from the ancient to the modern. Everything from unicorns to UFOs get touched on.  Dealing largely with historical records, a lot of the history presented in this book is obscure, and depressing. So much of Queer history, particularly in Europe and America in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries was written in grave stones and police records, and Coward is a good anthropologist who doesn’t stray too far from his sources, even when he admits the temptation.

Each chapter focuses on a different mythological, supernatural, or pop-culture figure, presenting their mythological and historical context alongside their Queer signifiers, interpretations, and reinterpretations, along with associated Queer history and figures. Coward discusses, for example, Mermaids in their various classical and modern incarnations, and particularly focuses on The Little Mermaid author Hans Christian Andersen’s letters and tangled romantic history. He traces arguments through history, from the classical to the romantic to the modern.

The audiobook narration, delivered impeccably by Will Watt, is also charming and lively, keeping the listener engaged and not becoming a waterfall of facts and dates. I would listen to Watt read the phone book, but finding him here was a surprise and a delight, and he delivers the material well.

While a high-level overview of a number of different myths, legends, and historical figures, Queer as Folklore is a great place to start looking and reexamining these stories, and an excellent jumping off point for interested burgeoning scholars of mythology, culture, or Queer history. There is sure to be something fascinating that you haven’t heard before. I highly recommend it.

Hugh Likes Fiction: Three Parts Dead

April 18, 2024

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Three Parts Dead

Written by Max Gladstone

Narrated by Claudia Alick

Audiobook Published by Blackstone Audio, Inc
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The Skinny: A high-magic fantasy novel that eschews the royal court for the courtroom.

Terra Abernathy is a craftswoman, a graduate of the Hidden Schools, and a young woman of incredible power, even if they did literally kick her out after graduating her. But she survived the long fall to the ground as well as the perilous desert crossing that followed.
After a brief visit home, she’s rescued/headhunted by the mysterious Ms. Kavarian, a partner at a prestigious craft firm. Craftspeople aren’t merely wielders of mystical powers fueled by starlight and the stolen secrets of the gods. They’re also professionals, offering their services in negotiation, arbitration, and other meta-legal matters. Ms. Kavarian is looking to recruit Ms. Abernathy, but first they have a difficult case ahead of them: settle the affairs of a dead god, and if possible, secure his resurrection.
The first novel in Max Gladstone’s Craft Sequence, Three Parts Dead is set in a world where magical contracts function like legal contracts, with wizards and liches acting much as lawyers and judges do in the real world. It’s a fascinating system, and Gladstone’s world-building is rich and detailed without becoming dry and overbearing on the story. The setting of Alt Calum and its surroundings is vibrant and bustling, with divine-powered technology, mystical architecture, and a colorful cast of mystics, priests, monsters and others.
No matter how strong the world-building, a story lives or dies based on its plot and characters, and Gladstone presents us with a city full of legalist magicians, shady priests,  outcast gargoyles, vampire-chasing club kids, and love-sick gods. These are unique, and more importantly, well-realized characters that will worm their way into your heart and break it. Contracts have two sides, after all, and not everyone negotiates in good faith. Often characters are left considering if their goals are worth the costs.
I listened to Three Parts Dead as an audiobook read by Claudia Alick and produced by Blackstone Audio. Alick does an excellent job bringing the characters to life from nervous, chain-smoking acolyte Abelard to the terrifyingly professional Ms. Kavarian.
Three Parts Dead is a rollicking start to Max Gladstone’s Craft Sequence. It is available in print from your local independent book store, digitally from the usual suspects, or in audio from Audible.com.

Hugh Likes Fiction: Legends and Lattes

May 20, 2022

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Legends and Lattes
Written by Travis Baldree
Audiobook read by Travis Baldree

The Skinny: What if the Coffee shop A. U. was the story?

Viv is a barbarian warrior ready to get out of the mercenary’s life. But before she hangs up her greatsword for good, she needs a plan. Fortunately, she has two things going for her: A lucky, if gross charm in the Skalvert Stone, a sort of a magical bezoar she takes from the skull of a monstrous giant insect. Trophy in hand, she travels to the town of Thune, following the ley lines to the place where she’ll start her new life: Opening a coffee shop.
Unfortunately, there are a few hurdles for her to overcome, including the local organized crime boss, the fact that nobody in town has even heard of coffee before, and her prime location is in fact an abandoned livery. But with the help of some new friends, and the occasional assistance of her former adventuring party, she’ll give her new life a go.
Legends and Lattes is the coziest of cozy fantasy stories. Not so much a tale of adventure and blood, but of steam and baking. There is some tension as Viv attempts to break from her old life and settle into the new one, but most of this audiobook’s six-hour run time is more concerned with the day-to-day running of the shop than fighting monsters or fantasy politics. It’s clear that these things are all going on somewhere, but this story is all about the beans.
As a professional narrator, Baldree does an outstanding job reading, and the text feels right as an audiobook. His voices for the characters feel distinctive without becoming forced, which is no mean feat as a male actor reading a book with two female leads.
While the story was engaging and satisfying, It did feel a bit on the short side to me. We get an eclectic cast of characters, both from Viv’s old life and her new one, but they are mostly supporting Viv. It would have been nice to have spent more time with Cal, Thimble, Tandry and the rest of the supporting cast. Also, this is a romance, but a very fluffy one. It doesn’t go much farther than awkward stammering and acknowledged feelings. I would have liked it to have been more, well, steamier.
Legends and Lattes  is a +5 cozy little story that is sure to warm your heart like a warm cup of coffee on a cold winter’s morning. It is available as an audiobook, print or ebook from the usual locations.

Hugh Likes Fiction: Revenant – Star Trek Deep Space Nine

March 7, 2022

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Revenant: Star Trek Deep Space Nine
Written by Alex White
Audiobook read by Robert Petkoff
Published by Simon & Schuster Audio

The Skinny: A thrilling and thought-provoking stand-alone story set in the middle of a sci-fi classic.
Revenant by Alex White is an excellent reintroduction to the world of Star Trek Deep Space Nine.  Set midway through the series, it follows one crewmember, Jadzia Dax, as she delves into a mystery concerning her own past. Dax is actually, technically speaking, two people in one. The humanoid Trill Jadzia and Dax, a long-lived symbiotic creature that is surgically implanted. The symbionts are implanted in the best and brightest of Trill society and can remember their hosts’ lives with such clarity that they are effectively a gestalt, granting their hosts lifetimes of experience. But when an old friend of both herself and Dax’s previous host comes to her with a problem, Dax becomes trapped in a conspiracy that stretches through lifetimes, and the highest echelons of their society.
 White does an excellent job of telling a fascinating science-fiction mystery that delicately balances introducing the story to new readers and giving sly nods to long-time fans. This is no mean feat for a series that has been off the air for over two decades. They pull the trick off by not merely presenting the characters who flit in and out of the story but establishing the characters from Dax’s point of view. As in their excellent Salvagers series, White balances character development and world-building to fill out their universes with style and panache. From the gaming tables of an alien casino to the tunnels beneath a sinister hospital, these don’t feel like a TV soundstage, but a living, breathing universe. As someone who fell off of Star Trek midway through the series, I felt like I got just enough of the characters to be reminded of who they were, and managed to catch a few of the winks directed to long-time fans.
 I listened to this book in audio, and narrator Robert Petkoff does a good job. The performance is not over-produced and doesn’t distract from the story. It was an exciting, fast-paced read as Jadzia and her allies delve into Dax’s past and uncover an imaginative sci-fi conspiracy.
 If you are completely uninvested in the series, this book probably won’t be what changes your mind. But as a former fan who hasn’t seen the series in decades, Revenant lit a nostalgic fire in my heart. You can find it wherever books and audiobooks are sold.

Hugh Likes Fiction: Comfort Me With Apples

November 24, 2021

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Comfort Me With Apples
Written By Catherynne M Valente
Read By Karis Campbell
Published by Tordotcom and Dreamscape Media LLC

The Skinny – This puzzle box of a novella about a woman living in an exclusive gated community is a suspenseful, surprising little treat.


Sophia’s life is a paradise. She keeps her husband’s house in the Arcadia Gardens, the ultimate gated community, and even though he is away with work much of the time, he’s the perfect husband, who has given her the perfect life. She was made for him, and everything is perfect. But she begins notices cracks in the veneer of her supposedly perfect life. She finds a hairbrush that isn’t her’s and her neighbors seem just a bit too eager when they ask her if she’s happy. And then there’s the basement, which she is forbidden to enter. When Sophia’s perfect life begin to unravel, and the temptation to destroy the illusion becomes overpowering.
Giving much more of a description to this fast-paced and engaging novella would give away the game, but Valente’s luscious prose unfolds like a puzzle box, with Sophia’s narrative interposed with her contract from the unseen but all-powerful Arcadia Gardens Home Owners’ Association. It’s a clever trick that works beautifully. The story is a perfect novella length, giving just enough clues to resolve the mystery while keeping a sharp and suspenseful pace.
Karis Campbell’s narration is spot on, making this quick but engaging audiobook well worth the full credit, even if it only clocks in at a couple of hours of listening time. Each character is unique and distinct, and her read of their narration is subtle. She doesn’t give the game away, but still highlights all the incongruous and unsettling bits of Valente’s story.
Comfort Me With Apples was an unexpected and gripping little story that is well wroth your time, and works best if you go in not knowing the twist. It’s available in print, ebook and audiobook from all the usual retailers.

Hugh Likes Fiction: It Devours!

February 12, 2018

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It Devours.jpg

It Devours!: A Welcome to Night Vale novel
Written by Joseph Fink & Jeffrey Crainor
Audiobook read by Cecil Baldwin
WELCOMETONIGHTVALE.COM

The Skinny-The creators of “Welcome to Night Vale” return with another delightfully creepy and silly novel set in their quiet desert town.

Following up their best-selling eponymous Welcome to Night Vale novel, It Devours! continues the formula of giving a spotlight to some of the supporting characters from the podcast. The story falls a bit outside the purview of the half-hour pseudo-radio show, but is still great fun for fans.
The story follows Nilanjana, a scientist investigating a series of mysterious and unofficial earthquakes, and Darryl, a member of the friendly cult The Joyous Congregation of the Smiling God, which may be involved in a series of disappearances. The pair will have to contend contend with pushy spokespeople, lonely surveillance helicopter pilots, and most importantly, their very different world-views to solve these mysteries.
While readers don’t need to have read the previous novel or be up to date on the podcast, the story is full of references to both. The most important thing to know going in is that Night Vale is weird. And that weirdness comes with neither explanation nor apology. Bits like the town’s monstrous City Council, the fad for invisible food, and the barista district all swing by fast enough to upset a new reader’s train of thought if unprepared. But the story is well-told and engaging. If you are new to Night Vale and find the vast backlog of podcast episodes intimidating, It Devours! might be a great place to give it a try.
The audio book is read by Cecil Baldwin, the host of the podcast. He does an excellent job bringing the huge cast to life. Fans of weird fiction will find a lot to like in this heartwarming end-of-the-world adventure.
It Devours is available from Amazon in print and Audible in audio book. You can also find it at your Local Independent Bookstore!

Thanks for reading this review! If you enjoyed it, please share it! You can also support me on Patreon for more goodies!

The Dark Wife on Audible!

February 12, 2017

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Fantastic news, Friends!
After a lot of work these past few months, I’m ecstatic to announce that The Dark Wife is now available on Audible and other Amazon-related audiobook services!
This version of the audiobook is read by Veronica Giguere and is music and sound-effect free! So if you are the type of listener who prefers to hear the narration without any extra embellishments, this one’s for you.
The podcast version of The Dark Wife remain up at The Way of the Buffalo podcast site, and will always be available for those who can’t afford or do not have access to the Audible version. A central part of this project has always been to make this novel available for anyone who might need it regardless of their circumstances, and that hasn’t changed.
So if you haven’t listened to The Dark Wife yet, go ahead an give it a listen. And if you have, please review and spread the word so we can share this amazing story with as many people as possible!

Hugh Likes Fiction: Heartless

January 13, 2017

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Heartless:  The Parasol Protectorate, Book Four
Written by Gail Carriger
Narrated by Emily Gray
Audible.com
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Although I am not big on Romance, I’ve had a soft spot for Gail Carriger’s “Parasol Protectorate” series for a long time. It might have to do with her delightful sense of humor, or the richly detailed world of her supernatural Victorian London. Whatever the case, I’ve been savoring the series, and I recently devoured the fourth entry, for the first time in audio.
Alexia Maccon, Soulless, Lady of Woolsey, and Mujah to Queen Victoria, is never one to let little details interfere when she sets on a course of action. So when a ghost gives her a cryptic warning of a plot against the Queen, she isn’t going to let a little thing like being eight months pregnant stand in her way. Scheming scientists, maladjusted werewolves, and zombie porcupines aren’t going to have much of a chance, either.
Carriger does it again with her fast paced comic misadventures in Victorian supernatural society.  Her grasp of character and timing is once again on display as she navigates Alexia through mystery, society expectations and steampunk hi-jinx.
Emily Gray’s performance is spot on, and deftly juggles the wide-ranging accents and character foibles of the large cast. Her narration is a perfect balance of high society wit and action-comedy timing.
While this isn’t the best place to jump on to the Parasol Protectorate series, Heartless is a worthy entry. I heartily recommend readers pick up this one, or work their way up to it. You can find it on Audible, in a variety of formats on Amazon, or of course at your local bookstore.

Hugh Likes Fiction: Ancillary Justice

November 23, 2016

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Ancillary Justice
Written by Ann Leckie
Read by Celest Ciulla
audible.com
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Ancillary Justice is a return to old school science fiction filled with modern twists.  It is the story of 1-ESK, an ‘ancillary,’ or human imprinted with a spaceship AI.  Twenty years ago, she was permanently severed from her ship.  When she finds a former officer, whom she thought dead a thousand years, lying drugged in the snow, she makes a decision that will change the course of intergalactic civilization.
This Hugo-winning novel has been on my radar for a long time, and it was a delight to finally listen to.  Leckie’s universe is an intricate, well built puzzle supported by a story that is about people, even if the people at the center don’t see themselves that way.  The speculative bits are intriguing and explored well.  Her style is engaging and propellant.
The characters center around a society that does not recognize gender.  Leckie uses exclusively the female pronoun throughout the story, even for characters which are male.  This is both a custom of 1-ESK’s culture, which does not differentiate between genders as a cultural norm and a character trait.  She legitimately has difficulty differentiating between them.  It was a unique spin on the trope of a robot trying to act human, and while I don’t know if it was realistic, I did find this aspect of the novel fascinating.
The audio book was read by Celest Ciulla, and I feel she did a great job balancing the oddness of the novel’s culture and protagonist with a listenable cadence.  The story implies a whole slew of completely imaginary accents and speaking patterns, and she rises to the occasion.
Anciliary Justice is a novel that truly deserved its awards, and I can’t wait to dive into 1-ESK’s next adventure.  You can find it at your local bookstore, or on Audible and Amazon.

Podcast: The Dark Wife: After

September 3, 2016

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The Dark Wife
a novel by Sarah Diemer
Three thousand years ago, a god told a lie.  Now only a goddess can tell the truth…
Persephone has everything a daughter of Zeus could want, except for freedom.  She lives on the green earth with her mother, Demeter, growing up beneath the ever-watchful gaze of the gods and goddesses on Mount Olympus.  But when Persephone meets the enigmatic Hades, she experiences something new: CHOICE.
Zeus calls Hades ‘Lord’ of the dead as a joke.  In truth, Hades is the GODDESS of the underworld, and no friend of Zeus.  She offers Persephone sanctuary in her land of the dead, so the young goddess may escape her Olympian DESTINY.
But Persephone finds more than freedom in the underworld.  She finds LOVE, and herself.
The Dark Wife is a YA novel, a lesbian retelling of the Persephone and Hades myth.  It is available in print and ebook format from Amazon, Smashwords, and Barnes and Noble.  You can also download a free PDF copy of the novel HERE.
Audiobook read by Veronica Giguere

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