Uranians: Stories

Theodore McCombs' debut collection Uranians explores the role of queerness in different possible worlds, featuring stories that span several centuries and explore the boundaries between coexisting realities. The collection includes "Towards a Theory of Alternative Lifestyles," "Ora et Labora," "Boston," and the titular novella "Uranians."

Format: Hardback
Length: 216 pages
Publication date: 11 July 2023
Publisher: Astra Publishing House

Theodore McCombs, a poet of queer pasts, presents, and futures, has unveiled a remarkable debut with Uranians. This genre-defying collection delves into the profound significance of queerness in various possible worlds. During the late Victorian era, a select group of forward-thinking intellectuals proposed the idea of societal acceptance of the Uranian, a man who expressed affection for other men. They speculated if these intermediate sexes could potentially represent distinct beings, offering a glimpse into the future. The six captivating stories in Theodore McComb's debut span multiple conceivable realms, playfully blurring the boundaries between coexisting realities and posing thought-provoking questions about queer difference from unexpected angles. In "Towards a Theory of Alternative Lifestyles," a heartbroken young man finds himself standing in line at an exclusive underground gay nightclub, enticed by promises of parallel lives across the multiverse. In "Ora et Labora," an adolescent novice at a Gothic monastery is compelled to engage in arduous mathematical labor, serving the greater good of society. In "Boston," at the dawn of a different 20th century, a domineering matron-cum-hangman asserts that achieving success necessitates taking matters into one's own hands. Lastly, in the titular novella "Uranians," an expedition of queer artists, scientists, and one transgender priest embarks on a lifelong interplanetary voyage, navigating the complexities of renegotiating their connections to a distant and hostile Earth while ensuring the survival of their ship's biome in the unforgiving void of space.

Theodore McCombs, a poet of queer pasts, presents, and futures, has unveiled a remarkable debut with Uranians. This genre-defying collection delves into the profound significance of queerness in various possible worlds. During the late Victorian era, a select group of forward-thinking intellectuals proposed the idea of societal acceptance of the Uranian, a man who expressed affection for other men. They speculated if these intermediate sexes could potentially represent distinct beings, offering a glimpse into the future. The six captivating stories in Theodore McComb's debut span multiple conceivable realms, playfully blurring the boundaries between coexisting realities and posing thought-provoking questions about queer difference from unexpected angles. In "Towards a Theory of Alternative Lifestyles," a heartbroken young man finds himself standing in line at an exclusive underground gay nightclub, enticed by promises of parallel lives across the multiverse. In "Ora et Labora," an adolescent novice at a Gothic monastery is compelled to engage in arduous mathematical labor, serving the greater good of society. In "Boston," at the dawn of a different 20th century, a domineering matron-cum-hangman asserts that achieving success necessitates taking matters into one's own hands. Lastly, in the titular novella "Uranians," an expedition of queer artists, scientists, and one transgender priest embarks on a lifelong interplanetary voyage, navigating the complexities of renegotiating their connections to a distant and hostile Earth while ensuring the survival of their ship's biome in the unforgiving void of space.

Dimension: 210 x 140 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781662601941