This co-authored series of short stories brings to life many aspects of Janelle Monae’s discography. Their vision of Dirty Computers who do not conform to the totalitarian regime they are controlled by is so clever. I’ve never read a set of short stories that are cumulative before. As you progress through, more and more becomes apparent about the world and who does and does not fit. Themes of queer liberation, Black power, and social justice thread all the way through it. There is also emphasis on the radical and transformative power of small communities and of making art to resist conformity. These are all big words for saying that the layers of the dysptopia get richer and your love for the different characters and modes of resisting get more powerful the more of the book that you read.