This was so fascinating to get into, and I ended up reading it in two sittings. I loved the concept of moving an entire civilization from the literal bellies of beasts in order to survive in space. The use of a matriarchal society was also fascinating. Drayden providing a society that treats men as second-class citizens does a brilliant job at showing how utterly ridiculous gender-based discrimination and limitations truly are. The world-building was spectacular, from the familial structures to the dialects to the description of the beast. I’m looking forward to continuing with Nicky Drayden’s work.

I picked this up on a whim and briefly read the first few pages, which happen to be a conversation between Tarana Burke (the creator of the #MeToo movement) and Brené Brown. I appreciated the transcription of the conversation, as it sets clear intentions for the anthology. There is a wide range of professions represented, such as writers, entertainers, artists, activists, and more. There’s also mental health representation, specifically anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder, as well as disability rep. Many of the contributors are also queer and/or trans. What I will say is that I would have liked more perspectives from men-identifying people, but that truly is my only critique. This anthology specifically deals with shame, and how shame is pushed upon Black people, especially those of intersecting identities, and the ways in which we process what we think should be shameful.