Glitter & Mayhem

Partying demons, seductive aliens, and derby girls populate this strange and fanciful anthology, the crowdfunded brainchild of the editors of Electric Velocipede and Apex magazines. Twenty-one stories explore a loosely defined theme of “drugs, sex, glitter, and debauchery,” all with science fiction or fantasy twists. One of the top-billed offerings is Seanan McGuire’s “Bad Dream Girl,” an entertaining entry in her InCryptids urban fantasy series, involving a number of mysterious accidents in a roller derby league. Other standouts include Christopher Barzak’s fairy tale reimagining, “Sister Twelve: Confessions of a Party Monster”; Tansy Rayner Roberts’s glittery “The Minotaur Girls”; Jennifer Pelland’s 1980s lesbian alien romance “Star Dancer”; and Diana Rowland’s gritty and sexy “Blood and Sequins.” Though stories range from humorous to horrific and from innocent to explicit, they stick to the theme with thoroughly enjoyable results. The diverse cast includes gay, lesbian, transgender, and drag queen characters, all portrayed in sensitive and positive lights. This collection definitely brings the party, with nary a poor choice to spoil the evening. (Sept.)