Author: Mac Crane
Genre: Queer lit, short story collection, horror (at least, I believe so), erotic fiction, humor (in a dry laugh way)
Publisher: Random House-The Dial Press
Format: Ebook (NetGalley Copy)
Release Date: July 7th 2026
TW: hate crimes, homophobia, slurs, parental abuse, eating disorders, body dysmorphia, suicide, drug use, toxic therapist client relationship
Perverts made me viscerally uncomfortable, aware of my place in society and my body in a way that no other short story collection has. I gasped out loud at a few passages, and felt my own teeth clench.
Which is fitting because Perverts is a collection of bodies. Bodies that get bashed for money, bodies that revel in sexuality even if it's distasteful. Especially if it's distasteful. Power is bound up with pleasure is bound up with pain.
Along with all of these threads there is a frank sexuality that is kind of refreshing. Kink is matter of fact, and sex is a key point here, intimately bound up with the queer experience. It's quite refreshing to read after the non sexy puritanical world we live in. (As an ace person who is okay with sex, it's so stigmatized.)
I wouldn't recommend this collection to everyone (mind the probably incomplete TWs), but some stories will be sticking in my mind for a while. If you like queer visceral hilarious horror, pick this collection up.
Favorite Stories: Smear the Queer (horrific) and FuturewivesTM (cathartic)
Least Favourite Story: An Experiment With Predictive Text (unreadable)
Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC!
Final rating: 4 stars
Drink Paring: Black tea and a shot of vodka, to feel the burn
