Herculine

A brilliant addition to the growing genre of trans horror, Byron’s debut is narrated by an unnamed trans woman struggling to make it as a writer in New York City. Her emotional demons stem from a stint in conversion therapy and a soul-sucking retail job, but she’s also matter-of-factly pursued by literal demons from the very first page. Meanwhile, her ex-girlfriend turned best friend, Ash, has started an all-trans-woman commune called Herculine in Indiana and is constantly trying to entice the narrator to join her there. But when the narrator tries to escape the monsters by leaving the city for Herculine, her demons give chase in increasingly frightening and unexpected ways. The result is a piercing portrait of trans community and solidarity. The author brings enough humor to the proceedings to prevent the horror from becoming too all-consuming while keeping the pages flying with a thrilling plot and a moving examination of loneliness, desire, and hope in the wake of trauma. Byron proves an exciting new voice in horror fiction. Agent: Julia Masnik, Watkins Loomis Agency. (Oct.)