I saw two science fiction books listed on NetGalley, and what interested me was that they were asexual and aromantic LGBTQIA stories. I read a lot of mainstream genres and titles, but I’d never refuse to try a book based on the fact that the author was a member of a particular group, religion, or class. I’ve tried a few LGBTQIA books in the past, and there seems to be a lot of erotic LGBTQIA stories, that, like their hetero-normative counterparts are real turn-offs for me. I was intrigued to read a sci-fi LGBTQIA story, and Dust on the Wing is a refreshing look at sci-fi and LGBTQIA.
There was a sexual encounter at the beginning of the book between the male protagonist, and another male character, but it is confined to a single chapter, and those that may be squeamish of such a scene can quickly skim the scene to the end, and continue the rest of the story. I must confess to my confusion about this scene in a book that is supposed to be aromantic, and asexual, but I’ll also admit that I’m not familiar with some portions of the LGBTQIA community. I would think that the scene would be contrary to what was expected, but I plead ignorance.
I’m not familiar with the author, Parker Foye, but with the exception of the encounter I mentioned earlier, this was an easy-to-read sci-fi story. I found the almost corporate division of the galaxy by playing card suits to be intriguing, all though I did have some difficulty following the ranks since it used terms I was unfamiliar with.
I did find the protagonist to be a good mash up of 2008-era Mal from Firefly/Serenity and the neuroses of Monk from the popular USA television series, and just a touch of Heath Ledger’s Joker. The bipolar behavior was fascinating, and without spoiling anything, there is a pivot point in the story that made me like the protagonist all the more.
The story is a short read, and although the story contains no new ideas or themes, I enjoyed the way the author told it. I would definitely consider reading another sci-fi story from Parker Foye, regardless of any sub-genres. Dust on the Wing is a 3.5-star read, but with the sexual encounter in the beginning, I’m afraid I’d rate it as three stars on sites that don’t allow fractional star ratings.
Less Than Three Press
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http://www.lessthanthreepress.com/author-parker-foye/
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