Nearly Roadkill

Bornstein (Gender Outlaw) is better known for her pioneering work in gender studies than fiction, but in 1996 she and coauthor Sullivan published this erotic thriller that dives deep into the possibilities the then-new world of the internet opened up for trans and queer people. Updated with a new frame story set in the present, the tale feels as urgent and electric as ever. Scratch meets Winc in an online chat room. They know nothing about each other IRL, but their sexual chemistry is intense and immediate. Through anonymous interactions, including intimate cybersex and lengthy discussions of how they relate to gender, they come to new understandings about each other, themselves, and the world. But their freedom is threatened by a new law requiring that all internet users register with the government, documenting all of their personal details. When Scratch and Winc refuse, they become enemies of the state, which will use any means to identify them and force them to conform. Though the expositional gender theory occasionally interrupts the cyberpunk suspense, slowing the pace, time has not blunted Bornstein and Sullivan’s insights into how gender shapes individuals. The result is both entertaining and persuasive. (Sept.)