I Want That Twink Obliterated!
Trip Galey, Robert Berg & C.L. McCartney, eds.
Paperback/ebook
ISBN: 9781068731112
Bona Books, August 2024 (Kickstarter edition), 584 pgs

Admittedly, I’m getting to this book pretty late, seen from a strict perspective. Bona Books, “a brand new small, queer press in the UK specializing in science fiction, fantasy, and horror,” ;¹ held a launch party for Twink at Worldcon in Glasgow in August of 2024, and it seems like the book was available to Kickstarter backers around that time. That said, from a different perspective, I’m not getting to this book all that late. It has seen an extremely small circulation, and the eBook only became available towards the end of February of this year.² I can’t tell when the paperback was released for broader purchase, but it’s safe to say this isn’t just one of twenty or more books rolling off a Penguin Random House or Simon & Schuster production process.³And, I’m betting not many people have had a taste of what Twink has to offer.

The Kickstarter page for the project has an FAQ, and the last question in the very short list is, “I’m a twink! What did I do to deserve this!?” The answer: “You know what you did.”

If you aren’t literally laughing out loud, this book may not be for you. Well, I’ll rephrase that, because there are some really great stories awaiting you in these pages. But the fact is, this is queer fiction (at its best) written for queer people, and if you don’t know the terms, the nuances, and most importantly, the positioning of “twinks” in queer culture, you probably won’t get everything that’s happening in some of these stories. You’ll probably still enjoy it! I’ll repeat: really great stories are waiting for you!

Twink features seventeen original stories. The tales differ greatly from each other in style, from pulpy to elegant; as well as how they define or utilize the idea of “obliteration.” I’m not going to translate everything for folks who don’t speak the language or know the culture. But I’ll start by saying that even the title of the book is awesome, a double entendre which plays with “obliteration,” as in the idea of rough, pleasurable (consensual) sex, and “obliteration,” as in the idea of (fictional) death. In line with the title, some of the stories border on pornographic, usually in a celebration of sexual bliss; others are nonsexual; and the range covers pretty much everything in between. I’ll share my thoughts on a few wonderful pieces, which should be a fair sampling to give folks an idea of what’s in store.

Brent Lambert gifts us “Jenseti, You in Danger, Girl”. The title sets the tone: you know there will be tongue planted deeply in cheek. But you wouldn’t be able to predict exactly how, trust me. In the span of a paragraph, Lambert immerses the reader into a complex secondary world, giving enough to inspire the imagination and leaving enough unsaid to elicit curiosity. We immediately get bigotry grounded in religion, which bears a similarity to our world, giving the story something immediate and important for readers to chew on. Jenseti is a healer and is engaging with such a bigot—something that, unfortunately, most queer people in the US can probably relate to. But the story is punctuated with humor, and pleasantly pulpy, making things fun. The bigot is just the beginning, and the real drama is about family; in a sense, the story juxtaposes found family with (Very Problematic) biological family. As the tale unfolds, there are some of the classic fantasy fiction hallmarks, such as a journey which allows Lambert to imagine different parts of his world. There are also a lot of great embellishments, including a really cool take on individuals who are sexual pleasers. (Locked boys will scream with delight at some of the choices Lambert makes.) Well, I could get more descriptive and precise, but it will be more fun for you to go read the story and be surprised. In any case, everything comes together perfectly at the end, leaving things open for more adventures in this world.

In “The Dearth of Temptation” by Christopher Caldwell, the author brings the reader into his world through elegant writing and intriguing worldbuilding, expertly drawing elements of a secondary world and creating the feeling of immersion with quick but fine strokes. Moreover, the voice here feels distinctive, making the read even more alluring. Intrigue continues as we meet the protagonist, called “the Beaucourt,” who we learn is important but also not in the best state, being already worn out and bloodied. The Beaucourt is also far from home and in need of rest. He thinks he’s found that respite but finds instead a conniving ruler trying to break a sacred bargain with a local deity in the hopes of saving xher son. It is a familiar setup in some ways, but expertly told, and with nuances that make this telling shine with newness. I would happily spend more time in Caldwell’s fantasy world, enjoying the surprises of his narrative decisions. I especially love the way Caldwell handles or positions twinks in this story, and the way the protagonist deals with them: very classy.

“The Three Bussy-Problem” by Ng Yi-Sheng is hilarious science fiction pulp, right from the title. Admiral Mizi Xia is reanimated by a sentient ship, and his brain is put into a twink’s body, but not just any twink: he looks the way he did when he was younger. This is, ostensibly, a move in the cause of self-preservation, as the alien presence they are about to encounter has fixated specifically on an archival memory of the admiral’s sexual escapades from his wilder days. Eventually, a sacrifice is called for in the name of peace and diplomacy, and Xia is up to the task—literally willing to give everything. The story is rich with double entendres and perhaps queer wish fulfillment, which is a lot of fun. Moreover, the author brings the narrative to an interesting place, making the read satisfying. This one is bawdy and brash but also imaginative.

Rien Gray’s “A Heart of Broken Steel” will appeal more to readers who enjoy a traditional adventure story, and especially to folks who enjoy tales inspired by Nordic cultures. It’s well written, with a steady hand, but also with flourishes of style—and a number of sparkling ideas that collectively make it more entertaining. Signe is a berserker who has been mysteriously resurrected. She may have been gifted with even more power than before, or she may be cursed, or both, but it isn’t long before she finds herself a worthy quest. There are some surprises in store, but the story isn’t just leaning on a lead-up to a surprise: it’s a solid adventure tale along the way. The final lines feel like the beginning of a grand adventure, or series of adventures, and I think there are readers who would enjoy following these characters in more tales.

Aliette de Bodard is probably a name that Lightspeed readers immediately recognize, and for good reason: she’s a fantastic writer. Here, she gives us “The Tutelary, the Assassin, and the Healer.” The story initially takes the shape of a murder mystery in space, and the twink, in this case, is the murder victim, right from the beginning. de Bodard cuts sharp characters on the first page, giving details that create contrast and tension, making them captivating as people while also expertly immersing the reader in the scene. Anh and Hoa have come aboard a sentient ship that they don’t necessarily trust all that much, undertaking a journey they don’t necessarily want to take, and they discover the dead body of the twink. They just wanted to get some tea and pass the time until they get to their homecoming—they definitely did not want to get involved in a murder mystery, but . . . here we are! Worse, it means they may have to interact with the sentient ship, which could make things even riskier. The science fictional ideas around sentient ships are quickly set out, enough for the reader to understand the situation; and they are really cool ideas which add to (and become important to) the story itself. Meanwhile, back at home, Anh’s mentor is dying, and they can’t be sure about how much time is left, leaving Anh with complicated feelings—making the story even richer. The narrative direction, arguably, is not a “true murder mystery,” but nonetheless becomes a delightful and engrossing vessel to explore aspects of human nature, particularly grief. Believe me, you are in good hands with this expert storyteller.

There aren’t a lot of queer science fiction and fantasy anthologies, and especially rare are anthologies collecting original fiction. They pop up occasionally, usually from small presses, such as Love After the End edited by Joshua Whitehead for Arsenal Pulp, and more recently, We Mostly Come Out at Night edited by Rob Costello for Running Press Kids. I Want That Twink Obliterated! feels to me, even more than most, like queer people talking to each other, not really too concerned with readership beyond queer communities. Kind of like, this is, at least mostly, a group of folks at a queer bar having drinks around a table, sharing stories. If a few people who aren’t part of the queer community happened to have stumbled into the bar, and happen to be within earshot, listening? That’s fine. But really, these authors are having fun hanging out with each other. This is signaled even by the aforementioned title, a play on words with terms that many outside the queer community won’t get and will find confusing or even off-putting; but that many within the queer community will immediately find hilarious, maybe even deliciously lascivious. For me, it’s refreshing, and I definitely want more.

¹. From their August 21, 2023 Instagram post

². Per an Instagram post announcement on February 27, 2025

³. As of this writing they only have this single book, but I hope they put out more: https://www.bona-books.com/