""You know, in another life, maybe I would've been a librarian," she said into the cup. "Do people tell you that a lot too?"
"Yes, but any reasonable person would want to be a librarian."" -Dead Collections by Isaac Fellman, p. 8
Author: Isaac Fellman
Title: Dead Collections
Category/Type: Adult Fiction
Genre: Romance
"Subgenre": Transgender/LGBTQIAP+ Romance
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Number of Pages: 245 pages of story text; 1 page of acknowledgements
Geographical Setting: Primarily the San Francisco Bay Area, mainly San Francisco with a few scenes in the North Bay; at the end travels along the entire West Coast of the US, including Alaska, are briefly mentioned.
Time Period: Present day
Series (if applicable): This book is not a part of a series
Plot Summary: Sol Katz is an archivist at the California Historical Society and he wasn't expecting love at first sight when he agreed to accept the papers from Elsie deceased wife who was a sci-fi TV writer. It'd be great to go out with Elsie but there are some obstacles in the way. For instance, Sol has vampirism, a condition that requires regular blood transfusions and means he can't go out in the sunlight. And to avoid the sunlight, Sol might be living in his basement office. Also, Elsie may bringing packing a few complications of her own. Then there's that weird issue with accelerated deterioration in the archives, does Sol's vampirism have anything to do with it, or is it ghosts? Together Sol and Elsie must navigate a complicated new love, their old lives in Internet fandom, and rescue archives in danger. Can they do it or will all of life's trials be too much to handle?
Content warnings: Death of a loved one, ableism, transphobia (from within the queer community), body dysmorphia, physical violence (1 scene), sex on the page, the dreaded anxiety of driving over Bay Area bridges.
Subject Headings: Fiction, Romance Fiction, Transgender Fiction, Vampire Fiction
Appeal/Characteristics of LGBTQIAP+ Fiction (SLIGHT SPOILER IN THE SECOND BULLET POINT):
Author identity- While not required of all queer fiction, it’s important to note that Isaac Fellman is a transmale author.
Queer protagontists- Sol, the main character, is a transgender, pansexual man; Elsie (Else), the love interest is a lesbian at the start of the book and transitions to genderflux and pansexual as she/they/he learn more about themselves and queer vocabulary.
Queer side characters- At least 1 well developed side character is a butch lesbian and the deceased character that initiates the story was also a butch lesbian.
Appropriate sexual descriptions- Because this book was written by a trans person, accurate terminology, or lack of, for anatomy is used in the sex scenes.
Appeal/Characteristics of Romance
Emotionally satisfying, happy ending- Not only does the story end alluding to the fact that the protagonists have remained together as a couple but the work and medical concerns of Sol have also been positively resolved as has the mystery that drives the plot of the book forward.
A misunderstanding between the protagonists followed by a satisfactory resolution of the romantic relationship- there is not a major separation in this love story for Sol and Elsie but there are several challenges that must be overcome such as grief, vampirism, loss of a job, gender identity confusion and a car accident. The two continue to be drawn to each other throughout it all and end up together at the end.
Love on all levels- While the primary side character does not initially come off as supportive, they do show up when needed. A minor character who is a nurse at a clinic shows unfailing support for Sol. There is a vampire archivists Facebook group that is supportive of Sol and one member even becomes an instant best friend and sets him on the path that ends the novel.
Well-developed and interesting secondary characters- Sol's co-worker, Florence, is well-developed enough to be a turning point in the story. The nurse at Sol's blood transfusion clinic is also given a complete backstory despite only appearing in a couple of scenes. By way of the archive itself, Elsie's dead wife also has a complete story and even history going back several decades.
ROMANCE GENRE NOTE: This story does challenge some common stereotypes of the Romance genre. While it has a happy ending, there is an overall sense of melancholy; the story is not upbeat, it's more matter-of-fact. The love story is also as much about Sol Katz's love for his archivist work as it is about the chemistry between the two main characters. Despite the introduction of fantasy elements it is realistic.
NOTE: The appeal factors this is based on from The Reader's Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction by Neal Wyatt and Joyce Saricks are in need of an update. The appeal factors and characteristics are not diverse and focus on heterosexual, monogamous relationships. LGBTQIAP+ Romance has a small but established presence in this genre challenging some more traditional characteristics like the typical hero/heroine concept. I chose to focus on the appeal factors that were most easily recognizable from traditional to queer Romance stories.
3 terms that best describe this book:
Lyrically melancholy
Darkly humorous
Awkwardly sensual
Relevant Non-Fiction Works and Authors
Vampires: The Truth Behind the Creepiest Bloodsuckers by Alecia Kleipis- through history, mythology, and present day pop culture representations, this book looks at the truth behind vampires and their creation. Dead Collections gives readers a new kind of vampire, one where vampirism is a medical condition, which seems much more realistic than some of the more common fictional stereotypes. Learning more about the true aspects behind vampire stories could be right up the alley of a Dead Collections fan.
Inside the Lost Museum: Curating, Past and Present by Steven D. Lubar- For readers of Dead Collections who enjoyed the romanticized perspective of being an archivist, this book could be fascinating! The history of museums is arguably as old as libraries but much of the work and their collections, are hidden from public view. This book explores what happens, what choices are made, and what lives behind the scenes in these revered institutions.
3 Relevant* Fiction Works and Authors
*This book is quite unique and nothing found via Novelist was a particularly close match; it would appear there is not really another book like this one. The options below feature LGBTQIAP+ romance and fantasy elements. Also, Novelist categorizes Dead Collections differently from Worldcat and Bookshop.org which may be why it was challenging to find read-alikes via a simple Novelist search. I would suggest that it's important to check multiple sources when recommending for readers seeking new LGBTQIAP+ fiction as it could be pushing more traditional genre boundaries.
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern- A young gay college student attends an elite literary party in New York City and is swept off his feet by a mysterious stranger who tells fairy tales that transport you to another world. Little does he know that he's about to become a pawn in a battle over an underground library and the man he's in love with might literally steal his heart away. While this queer fantasy romance is more upbeat than Dead Collections, readers will likely enjoy the strange and eerie elements that connect the two stories.
The Heartbreak Bakery (YA) by A. R. Capetta- Syd (no pronouns), a teenage baking prodigy, was just dumped. When Syd channels anger into a batch of brownies, everyone who eats them breaks up! Now Syd is on a mission to create a plethora of baked goods that can undo the harm. Harley (he or they; check the pin), the super cute bike delivery person, is the only one that believes in Syd. Together they work to undo the harm and discover there might be more than tasty treats bringing them together. This books is much more of a traditional, upbeat Romance but features an almost entire queer cast and works through some of the identity issues present in Dead Collections. Magical realism also helps move this story along.
A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske- Set in Edwardian England, Robin Blyth takes a random government position because he needs the money only to learn that he reports about magic to the Prime Minister...wait, magic is real? Edwin has the unfortunate position of being Robin's magically talented colleague burdened by removing a curse placed on Robin after his first day at work. Bookish Edwin doesn't like anyone and jovial, athletic Robin couldn't be less like Edwin buuut maybe they have a few more things in common than their jobs. This steamy, magical, opposites attract crime story will likely draw in Dead Collections readers who enjoy dark fantasy and gay romance.
Reading the Whole Collection
Squad (YA) by Lisa Sterle and Maggie Tokuda-Hall- In this graphic novel Becca moves to a new town and is invited to join the popular girls, and no big deal that they're werewolfs who hunt bad dudes on the full moon, right? As Becca learns more secrets she realizes the decisions the pack makes might not all be well-intentioned and she might be feeling more than friendship for one of her fellow members. Described by Booklist has Heathers-esque, this strange, dark, and paranormal lesbian love story is bound (pun intended) to charm Dead Collections readers.
*For my personal thoughts on Dead Collections, check out Le NEZ Dans un Livre.
Citations
Characteristics of Romance novels taken from
Wyatt, N. and Saricks, J. (2019). The readers' advisory guide to genre fiction. Third edition. ALA Editions.