14. Spread Me by #SarahGailey.
You’d think this would be just my thing: horny science horror. But Gailey’s work is largely uneven for me and this is another miss. It made me think of queers getting handsy in justice spaces, their belief that if you won’t have sex with them, you’re not down. And maybe consent is among the ideas Gailey’s exploring, but I couldn’t get past feeling squicked out.
Their prior novels, The Echo Wife and Just Like Home use discomfort more successfully, which is part of why I keep coming back to Gailey: they write about the ugly parts of us with interest and courage.