What do you think?
Perverts
A full-frontal confrontation of the ways we perform desire and shame—from the downright bizarre to the frighteningly relatable—by the award-winning author of A Sharp Endless Need
An employee at a hunting ground where people pay to act out hate crimes prepares to meet their girlfriend’s parents for the first time. A self-destructive client engages in an affair with their therapist, careening their relationship toward its inevitable breaking point. At a theme park where men pay to ogle women dressed as sirens, a mild-mannered boat attendant gets engaged to the star performer. And in the title story, a pregnant internet sex worker blackmails her clients into attending a disastrous party.
Nothing is off limits for Mac Crane as they rework classic stories of rejection, isolation, and connection to suggest that the so-called pervert, by existing in the margins of society, may be the one who sees the world most clearly. Crane brings their keen eye for the unsavory to seventeen transgressive stories that are as tantalizing and addictive as the characters’ experiences. A provocative and uproarious collection about pleasure, performance, and pain, Perverts is an exaltation of the awesome depravity of queer modernity.
An employee at a hunting ground where people pay to act out hate crimes prepares to meet their girlfriend’s parents for the first time. A self-destructive client engages in an affair with their therapist, careening their relationship toward its inevitable breaking point. At a theme park where men pay to ogle women dressed as sirens, a mild-mannered boat attendant gets engaged to the star performer. And in the title story, a pregnant internet sex worker blackmails her clients into attending a disastrous party.
Nothing is off limits for Mac Crane as they rework classic stories of rejection, isolation, and connection to suggest that the so-called pervert, by existing in the margins of society, may be the one who sees the world most clearly. Crane brings their keen eye for the unsavory to seventeen transgressive stories that are as tantalizing and addictive as the characters’ experiences. A provocative and uproarious collection about pleasure, performance, and pain, Perverts is an exaltation of the awesome depravity of queer modernity.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published July 7, 2026
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February 17, 2026Source of book: NG
Relevant disclaimers: None
Please note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted, in whole or in part, without explicit consent from the author.
And remember: I am not here to judge your drag, I mean your book. Books are art and art is subjective. These are just my personal thoughts. They are not meant to be taken as broader commentary on the general quality of the work. Believe me, I have not enjoyed many an excellent book, and my individual lack of enjoyment has not made any of those books less excellent or (more relevantly) less successful.
***
So I think short stories can either be an excellent introduction to an author’s work or a not so great one. I think in this case the answer was … both? In the sense that reading these short stories really made me want to explore the author’s voice in long form (so that’s a win) but also I felt as frustrated by these stories as I was intrigued by them. So basically, I really liked everything about these stories--the author’s voice, the ideas they were exploring, their approach to identity, their very specific blend of, I don’t know how to describe it, whimsical darkness--without quite managing to completely like the stories themselves.
And, again, this could just be me not being super into short stories in general. I always appreciate the artistry of them - I think it’s honestly harder, from a craft perspective, to write a good short story than it is to write a moderately adequate novel (please note the way I happen to write moderately adequate novels, rather than short stories of any kind). But I rarely connect with them the way I’m hoping to.
Don’t get me wrong, though, there are a handful of really brilliant stories here, which I think, making the whole collection worth a read. All of them revolve around themes of queer performance and queer labour (often in deliberately absurdist settings) and how those things impinge upon (and perhaps shape) queer identity, queer love, and queer desire. And, wow, I’ve just said the word ‘queer’ so many times, it’s lost all meaning. But, err, this is a very queer book about very queer things. While the stories explore (queer) trauma, they also touch on (queer) hope. Unfortunately I think one of the limitations of the medium is that it’s easier, as a reader (or maybe just for this reader), to connect the dots on queer trauma, even when lightly sketched, but I tend to feel cases of queer hope need to be more specific and dug into a little more deeply. Or that could be my trauma talking.
Of these stories, and again this speaks so much to my personal taste it’s probably crossing the border into unfair, my favourites tended to be the longer ones: Smear the Queer (whose protagonist works for a company that allows queerphobes to pay for the opportunity enact violence on queer people in a semi-controlled environment), Siren Island (the protagonist works for a theme park where cis men pay to ogle women dressed as sirens), Harmony (the protagonist is ill-advisedly pursuing a sexual relationship with their therapist), The Failed Messiah (the protagonists encounters…well, the clue is in the name), The Cycle of Pitiless Impulses (the protagonist is kidnapped by someone who forces traumatised queer to perform their trauma as puppet shows in the name of therapy), I Have No Records Of Your Ass (the protagonist is pretending to be ChatGPT in an effort to connect with someone), and--my personal fave--Alex Adams, the Dyke Who Wouldn’t Grow Up, a self-consciously weird Peter Pan riff about the complexities of growing older as a queer person, of having to choose between the safety of adulthood and domesticity, and the heady freedom of youth and community. The Failed Messiah, Siren Island, and The Cycle of Pitiless Impulses where some of the more hope-tilted stories, and I think I was drawn to them because of that, although, as mentioned earlier, I did find myself wanting slightly more emotional grounding so that I could fully engage in (and believe in) those transitional moments when the protagonist shifts from acceptance to defiance, from helplessness to action, from fear and despair, to optimism and freedom, and even sometimes a kind of love. Oddly enough I didn’t need that with others, which are memorable for different reasons, haunting in their sense of disconnection and self-destruction, and the sad inevitability of both.
The writing, as I think the above quote demonstrates, is a wonderful mix of sharp, disconcerting, matter-of-fact, and darkly funny. For example, one narrator writes of their abusive mother:
Or there’s this wry throwaway that got an equally wry snortchuckle out of me:
In any case, this is a stylish, intriguing collection of stories. Not all of them, for me, were winners but that’s how story collections tend to go in general. What each of these pieces share--even the less successful ones--is a uniquely queer perspective, effortlessly juggling self-loathing and trauma with a deliberately destabilising absurdist levity. I can’t wait to discover what this author can accomplish in their long-form work.
Relevant disclaimers: None
Please note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted, in whole or in part, without explicit consent from the author.
And remember: I am not here to judge your drag, I mean your book. Books are art and art is subjective. These are just my personal thoughts. They are not meant to be taken as broader commentary on the general quality of the work. Believe me, I have not enjoyed many an excellent book, and my individual lack of enjoyment has not made any of those books less excellent or (more relevantly) less successful.
***
So I think short stories can either be an excellent introduction to an author’s work or a not so great one. I think in this case the answer was … both? In the sense that reading these short stories really made me want to explore the author’s voice in long form (so that’s a win) but also I felt as frustrated by these stories as I was intrigued by them. So basically, I really liked everything about these stories--the author’s voice, the ideas they were exploring, their approach to identity, their very specific blend of, I don’t know how to describe it, whimsical darkness--without quite managing to completely like the stories themselves.
And, again, this could just be me not being super into short stories in general. I always appreciate the artistry of them - I think it’s honestly harder, from a craft perspective, to write a good short story than it is to write a moderately adequate novel (please note the way I happen to write moderately adequate novels, rather than short stories of any kind). But I rarely connect with them the way I’m hoping to.
Don’t get me wrong, though, there are a handful of really brilliant stories here, which I think, making the whole collection worth a read. All of them revolve around themes of queer performance and queer labour (often in deliberately absurdist settings) and how those things impinge upon (and perhaps shape) queer identity, queer love, and queer desire. And, wow, I’ve just said the word ‘queer’ so many times, it’s lost all meaning. But, err, this is a very queer book about very queer things. While the stories explore (queer) trauma, they also touch on (queer) hope. Unfortunately I think one of the limitations of the medium is that it’s easier, as a reader (or maybe just for this reader), to connect the dots on queer trauma, even when lightly sketched, but I tend to feel cases of queer hope need to be more specific and dug into a little more deeply. Or that could be my trauma talking.
Of these stories, and again this speaks so much to my personal taste it’s probably crossing the border into unfair, my favourites tended to be the longer ones: Smear the Queer (whose protagonist works for a company that allows queerphobes to pay for the opportunity enact violence on queer people in a semi-controlled environment), Siren Island (the protagonist works for a theme park where cis men pay to ogle women dressed as sirens), Harmony (the protagonist is ill-advisedly pursuing a sexual relationship with their therapist), The Failed Messiah (the protagonists encounters…well, the clue is in the name), The Cycle of Pitiless Impulses (the protagonist is kidnapped by someone who forces traumatised queer to perform their trauma as puppet shows in the name of therapy), I Have No Records Of Your Ass (the protagonist is pretending to be ChatGPT in an effort to connect with someone), and--my personal fave--Alex Adams, the Dyke Who Wouldn’t Grow Up, a self-consciously weird Peter Pan riff about the complexities of growing older as a queer person, of having to choose between the safety of adulthood and domesticity, and the heady freedom of youth and community. The Failed Messiah, Siren Island, and The Cycle of Pitiless Impulses where some of the more hope-tilted stories, and I think I was drawn to them because of that, although, as mentioned earlier, I did find myself wanting slightly more emotional grounding so that I could fully engage in (and believe in) those transitional moments when the protagonist shifts from acceptance to defiance, from helplessness to action, from fear and despair, to optimism and freedom, and even sometimes a kind of love. Oddly enough I didn’t need that with others, which are memorable for different reasons, haunting in their sense of disconnection and self-destruction, and the sad inevitability of both.
Sometimes I think the distance between loneliness and connection is nothing more than self-delusion.
The writing, as I think the above quote demonstrates, is a wonderful mix of sharp, disconcerting, matter-of-fact, and darkly funny. For example, one narrator writes of their abusive mother:
Before the vow [of silence], she taught my sister Blair and me how to despise ourselves. She did grant us that kindness.
Or there’s this wry throwaway that got an equally wry snortchuckle out of me:
You’d have thought I was a leper except for the fact that Jesus didn’t bother healing me
In any case, this is a stylish, intriguing collection of stories. Not all of them, for me, were winners but that’s how story collections tend to go in general. What each of these pieces share--even the less successful ones--is a uniquely queer perspective, effortlessly juggling self-loathing and trauma with a deliberately destabilising absurdist levity. I can’t wait to discover what this author can accomplish in their long-form work.
August 26, 2026
firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc
there are a lot of mixed reviews for this short story collection, and so i was nervous going in, even after realizing the author was marisa crane, who wrote a sharp endless need — that was one of the best books i had read in 2025; it was such a beautiful queer love story and focused on a young woman in basketball. i’m not interested in basketball in the slightest but i was blown away by crane’s writing!
while the writing was interesting within the short stories, i agree with another review i read that they were just a little too short, which is frustrating once you are finally feeling ready to dive into the story: i wonder if this was the author’s purpose?
anyways, i do think this is more enjoyable as an audiobook, as there are different narrators for each story!
there are a lot of mixed reviews for this short story collection, and so i was nervous going in, even after realizing the author was marisa crane, who wrote a sharp endless need — that was one of the best books i had read in 2025; it was such a beautiful queer love story and focused on a young woman in basketball. i’m not interested in basketball in the slightest but i was blown away by crane’s writing!
while the writing was interesting within the short stories, i agree with another review i read that they were just a little too short, which is frustrating once you are finally feeling ready to dive into the story: i wonder if this was the author’s purpose?
anyways, i do think this is more enjoyable as an audiobook, as there are different narrators for each story!
Did Not Finish
July 21, 2026DNF @ page 91
Collections of brief vignettes are really hard to pull off, especially when things end right when they start to get interesting.
Collections of brief vignettes are really hard to pull off, especially when things end right when they start to get interesting.
December 27, 2025
This is my first book by this author, and while I appreciated a few of the unusual vignettes featured in this collection, overall it really wasn’t for me. I was hoping for something strange and thought provoking, but most of the stories were merely unfortunate situations with meandering internal soliloquies and little in the way of resolution. Three stories stood out to me. “Smear the Queer” had an interesting premise and twist ending. “The Perverts,” the collection’s titular story, likewise had unique premise and some elements of dark humor. Probably my favorite was “Alex Adams…” for its modern sapphic take on Peter Pan.
The prose is very good, and really, for some special reader, this is the right book, perhaps someone who enjoys a daydreaming style of writing and who doesn’t feel unsatisfied by too many loose ends or overburdened by an overabundance of abstractions.
Thank you to NetGalley, Mac Crane, and Random House/The Dial Press for sending me an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
The prose is very good, and really, for some special reader, this is the right book, perhaps someone who enjoys a daydreaming style of writing and who doesn’t feel unsatisfied by too many loose ends or overburdened by an overabundance of abstractions.
Thank you to NetGalley, Mac Crane, and Random House/The Dial Press for sending me an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
Read
September 1, 2026More a meditation on desire and personhood than the messy/carnal collection its being advertised as. Even the title story takes a turn for the haunting, there's a lot here about what makes up a life and the intense queer shame we have to work through to be happy. Personhood was my favorite by far, followed by Your Damning Yelp Review, but if you like queer lit and short stories, I def recommend.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
** 3 out of 5 **
The cover caught my eye. Mac Crane being trans drew me further in. Seventeen stories about queer desire, labor, and performance set in surreal workplaces: a theme park where men pay to ogle women dressed as sirens, a hunting ground for staged hate crimes, a sex worker blackmailing her clients. Inventive setups, often darkly funny.
Short stories are unforgiving though. Cheever and Carver make every sentence do double duty. Compression forces clarity. Crane’s pieces keep flickering toward something interesting and then drifting off. Identity as performance, desire as transaction, the body as labor site. The concepts appear but never quite crystallize. Too loose for narrative, not lyrical enough for prose poetry.
A few vignettes work better than others. One stages a human impersonating a chatbot and gets at something real about consent and mediated intimacy. Another takes the Caulfield fantasy of catching falling children and makes it bleak, about innocence as overworked infrastructure. But even these feel like sketches. Premises that wander through internal monologue without landing.
Crane sees clearly how we commodify intimacy and perform selfhood. The observations are sharp. But observation isn’t enough to make a story collection cohere. What’s missing is the knife, the willingness to cut toward one effect instead of letting things sprawl. If you like atmospheric, daydream-style prose, this might work for you. I wanted more shape.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House, The Dial Press for the ARC.
The cover caught my eye. Mac Crane being trans drew me further in. Seventeen stories about queer desire, labor, and performance set in surreal workplaces: a theme park where men pay to ogle women dressed as sirens, a hunting ground for staged hate crimes, a sex worker blackmailing her clients. Inventive setups, often darkly funny.
Short stories are unforgiving though. Cheever and Carver make every sentence do double duty. Compression forces clarity. Crane’s pieces keep flickering toward something interesting and then drifting off. Identity as performance, desire as transaction, the body as labor site. The concepts appear but never quite crystallize. Too loose for narrative, not lyrical enough for prose poetry.
A few vignettes work better than others. One stages a human impersonating a chatbot and gets at something real about consent and mediated intimacy. Another takes the Caulfield fantasy of catching falling children and makes it bleak, about innocence as overworked infrastructure. But even these feel like sketches. Premises that wander through internal monologue without landing.
Crane sees clearly how we commodify intimacy and perform selfhood. The observations are sharp. But observation isn’t enough to make a story collection cohere. What’s missing is the knife, the willingness to cut toward one effect instead of letting things sprawl. If you like atmospheric, daydream-style prose, this might work for you. I wanted more shape.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House, The Dial Press for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to The Dial Press and NetGalley for the uncorrected proofs in exchange for an honest review. I cannot recommend this book, but I will try to be fair in expressing my thoughts.
When a book starts out with a short story where workers at an “experience” park give homophobes the opportunity to hunt them so that that “real people” don’t get hurt, and one ends up being the main character’s partner’s father who is allegedly a number one PFLAG parent… it’s going to be a difficult book. Yes, I know this story is supposed to reference that actions are louder than words, that even those who appear most supportive can hide terrible beliefs about parts of the community, etc etc. I may have disliked the book but I didn’t miss the intentions behind it or its stories.
No, it’s not the metaphors or allegories or societal critiques within these stories that bother me — it’s the execution. Crane does not do a good job of bringing their messages to the audience. Instead, I found that story after story this book gave fuel to the arguments against the queer community and the “deviations” we are so often accused of.
This wasn’t subversive, this was problematic. Yes, I used that overused word, but it’s the only kind way to share the feelings I have for this collection.
Were there some stories that were alright? Yes, I have to admit that, for example, Alex Adams being a spin on Peter Pan was not half bad and it captures a good sense of cognitive dissonance in the queer community. But there were just far too many others with misguided messages, harmful messages (for example, the sheer number of anorexia-adjacent content is alarming), or felt otherwise antithetical to the point of the collection as explained in the blurb.
I would have DNFd after the third story if I had bought or borrowed this book. However, as it was an ARC, I felt the duty to complete the whole thing before reviewing. And so I did.
Original comment from June 3
Full review to come shortly. Early review thoughts: what the hell did I just read.
When a book starts out with a short story where workers at an “experience” park give homophobes the opportunity to hunt them so that that “real people” don’t get hurt, and one ends up being the main character’s partner’s father who is allegedly a number one PFLAG parent… it’s going to be a difficult book. Yes, I know this story is supposed to reference that actions are louder than words, that even those who appear most supportive can hide terrible beliefs about parts of the community, etc etc. I may have disliked the book but I didn’t miss the intentions behind it or its stories.
No, it’s not the metaphors or allegories or societal critiques within these stories that bother me — it’s the execution. Crane does not do a good job of bringing their messages to the audience. Instead, I found that story after story this book gave fuel to the arguments against the queer community and the “deviations” we are so often accused of.
This wasn’t subversive, this was problematic. Yes, I used that overused word, but it’s the only kind way to share the feelings I have for this collection.
Were there some stories that were alright? Yes, I have to admit that, for example, Alex Adams being a spin on Peter Pan was not half bad and it captures a good sense of cognitive dissonance in the queer community. But there were just far too many others with misguided messages, harmful messages (for example, the sheer number of anorexia-adjacent content is alarming), or felt otherwise antithetical to the point of the collection as explained in the blurb.
I would have DNFd after the third story if I had bought or borrowed this book. However, as it was an ARC, I felt the duty to complete the whole thing before reviewing. And so I did.
Original comment from June 3
Full review to come shortly. Early review thoughts: what the hell did I just read.
August 28, 2026
“the perverts who weren’t perverts” really sums it up 😒
February 3, 2026
| 2/5 Stars | ★★☆☆☆
Trigger Warnings for Perverts:
Perverts is a set of short stories written by Mac Crane. Each of these stories are independent of one another, though they each have a core of queer desire and shame. This collection of stories ranges so heavily from a general relationship, to a theme park where men pay to eye folks dressed as sirens, to self-destructive folks who just can't stop what they're doing.
Perverts is a really hard set of short-stories to conceptualize. These stories have such a broad core that it feels like they are completely disparate of one another. This results in some stories being really impactful, like Smear the Queer, Harmony, and The Failed Messiah and some that completely miss the mark, like Personhood, Julie & the Butch, and The Cycle of Pitiless Impulses.
As a queer person myself, I was really looking forward to reading this. That being said, Crane just doesn't have enough of a through line between these stories. I did genuinely enjoy a handful of the stories, however, but the ones that were misses really missed. Thank you to Mac Crane, Random House, The Dial Press, and NetGalley for an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review.
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Trigger Warnings for Perverts:
Perverts is a set of short stories written by Mac Crane. Each of these stories are independent of one another, though they each have a core of queer desire and shame. This collection of stories ranges so heavily from a general relationship, to a theme park where men pay to eye folks dressed as sirens, to self-destructive folks who just can't stop what they're doing.
Perverts is a really hard set of short-stories to conceptualize. These stories have such a broad core that it feels like they are completely disparate of one another. This results in some stories being really impactful, like Smear the Queer, Harmony, and The Failed Messiah and some that completely miss the mark, like Personhood, Julie & the Butch, and The Cycle of Pitiless Impulses.
As a queer person myself, I was really looking forward to reading this. That being said, Crane just doesn't have enough of a through line between these stories. I did genuinely enjoy a handful of the stories, however, but the ones that were misses really missed. Thank you to Mac Crane, Random House, The Dial Press, and NetGalley for an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review.
Follow all of my reviews and content with LinkTree
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May 23, 2026Favourite titles: Smear the Queer, Your Damning Yelp Review, Catcher, Topping is not for the grief-stricken
Honourable mentions: the cycle of pitiless impulses, personhood, I have no records of your ass
I think this collection started off really strong with 'Smear the Queer' but it went downhill until the last 3rd of the book. I was so ready to fall hard for this book after the first story but it mostly left me disappointed and wanting more. I think it could have been much stronger and felt tighter if some of the weaker stories had been left out. Though the collection would be shorter, I think it would have greatly improved it.
I think this author is really promising and I found myself wanting more. Some of my favourites were so short, but the idea was so interesting and I wish the world or concept was fleshed out more. I'd be really excited to read a full length novel or even a novella from this author with how good their writing is and how promising their concepts are. I'll have to pick up their debut novel 'I keep my exoskeletons to myself.'
Overall, I thought these stories were pretty decent, and I loved getting a collection that was just queer-focused, but I think someone else will definitely appreciate this collection more than I can.
Honourable mentions: the cycle of pitiless impulses, personhood, I have no records of your ass
I think this collection started off really strong with 'Smear the Queer' but it went downhill until the last 3rd of the book. I was so ready to fall hard for this book after the first story but it mostly left me disappointed and wanting more. I think it could have been much stronger and felt tighter if some of the weaker stories had been left out. Though the collection would be shorter, I think it would have greatly improved it.
I think this author is really promising and I found myself wanting more. Some of my favourites were so short, but the idea was so interesting and I wish the world or concept was fleshed out more. I'd be really excited to read a full length novel or even a novella from this author with how good their writing is and how promising their concepts are. I'll have to pick up their debut novel 'I keep my exoskeletons to myself.'
Overall, I thought these stories were pretty decent, and I loved getting a collection that was just queer-focused, but I think someone else will definitely appreciate this collection more than I can.
February 16, 2026
what the hell, sure
even though i love the cover and the title, i should have known this was not going to be for me bc short story collections rarely are. this was interesting! i liked some of the first few stories, especially the first one. but after a while, they all started to feel too similar to each other. it's interesting how, despite what the title makes you think, this is less about actual perversion or erotica, but more about queer bodies. i think that's what connects all of the stories together, which is interesting! but idk i got tired after a while i skimmed some of the last few stories. i liked the writing, though! would read a full novel from this author.
even though i love the cover and the title, i should have known this was not going to be for me bc short story collections rarely are. this was interesting! i liked some of the first few stories, especially the first one. but after a while, they all started to feel too similar to each other. it's interesting how, despite what the title makes you think, this is less about actual perversion or erotica, but more about queer bodies. i think that's what connects all of the stories together, which is interesting! but idk i got tired after a while i skimmed some of the last few stories. i liked the writing, though! would read a full novel from this author.
January 23, 2026
i’m not sure that this book of short stories worked for me. it started strong then quickly fizzled—i found myself pretty bored throughout and it became a bit of a slog for me to get through. i think the author tackles a lot of hard subjects without shying away from absurd and messy storylines and characters but overall this wasn’t my fav.
also! lotta trigger warnings throughout the various stories so be mindful.
thanks to the author and publisher for the eARC.
also! lotta trigger warnings throughout the various stories so be mindful.
thanks to the author and publisher for the eARC.
July 9, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and The Dial Press for an arc. All opinions are my own.
★ Rating: 4/5
Genre: Short Story Collection/Fiction
Are There Gay People in this?*: ✅
Bizarre, and, at times, utterly incomprehensible
This short story collection does not pull its punches, and that's exactly why it works as well as it does. Crane manages to make every story feel really grounded and genuine when when the situations are objectively absurd.
As is pretty standard for short story collections, there were some that I absolutely loved (Smear the Queer and Catcher were my top 2), and there were others that I couldn't really connect with. I don't think there were any stories that were of notably worse quality though, just ones that appealed less to me personally.
If you are a fan of "weird girl litfic" books, or especially if you love the idea of weird girl litfic but feel like they often are a little lacking in the execution, I would highly recommend checking this out. Every story feels like it's been refined down to the exact right length, and the writing always felt intentional, even when it's rambling.
* I count a book as including gay people if any of the main or secondary characters are implicitly or explicitly queer or trans. This does not necessarily mean the protagonist is queer or that there is a queer romance
★ Rating: 4/5
Genre: Short Story Collection/Fiction
Are There Gay People in this?*: ✅
Bizarre, and, at times, utterly incomprehensible
This short story collection does not pull its punches, and that's exactly why it works as well as it does. Crane manages to make every story feel really grounded and genuine when when the situations are objectively absurd.
As is pretty standard for short story collections, there were some that I absolutely loved (Smear the Queer and Catcher were my top 2), and there were others that I couldn't really connect with. I don't think there were any stories that were of notably worse quality though, just ones that appealed less to me personally.
If you are a fan of "weird girl litfic" books, or especially if you love the idea of weird girl litfic but feel like they often are a little lacking in the execution, I would highly recommend checking this out. Every story feels like it's been refined down to the exact right length, and the writing always felt intentional, even when it's rambling.
* I count a book as including gay people if any of the main or secondary characters are implicitly or explicitly queer or trans. This does not necessarily mean the protagonist is queer or that there is a queer romance
September 5, 2026
Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Smear the Queer felt like getting hit in the face with a baseball and was an attention-grabbing introduction to Crane’s short stories. Each story was original and absurd, exploring themes of desire, shame, and trauma, kicking me out of my reading slump. There were many phrases and sentences where I’d have to take a breath, reread, and highlight them to review later. An example would be every page of “The Failed Messiah”. My favorite stories were “The Futurewives™”, where women are born as objects for consumption and start rebelling, much to consumers’ dismay, and “Siren Island”, a pirate-simulation park where the captain has an arranged queer marriage to her siren castmate in need of a green card, and the sweet tale of “Julie & the Butch”. Even if a chapter didn’t resonate with me, Crane’s prose had me excited to turn the page, and I look forward to reading their other work.
This was bizarre, queer, and definitely perverted! Would recommend to fellow perverts.
Smear the Queer felt like getting hit in the face with a baseball and was an attention-grabbing introduction to Crane’s short stories. Each story was original and absurd, exploring themes of desire, shame, and trauma, kicking me out of my reading slump. There were many phrases and sentences where I’d have to take a breath, reread, and highlight them to review later. An example would be every page of “The Failed Messiah”. My favorite stories were “The Futurewives™”, where women are born as objects for consumption and start rebelling, much to consumers’ dismay, and “Siren Island”, a pirate-simulation park where the captain has an arranged queer marriage to her siren castmate in need of a green card, and the sweet tale of “Julie & the Butch”. Even if a chapter didn’t resonate with me, Crane’s prose had me excited to turn the page, and I look forward to reading their other work.
This was bizarre, queer, and definitely perverted! Would recommend to fellow perverts.
August 15, 2026
I may not be exactly the perfect audience for this LGBTQIA+ book. There are probably some things my cis-hetero brain just didn't get or couldn't relate to. I did enjoy many of the stories though (the opening story immediately grabbed my attention!), and thought the writing was quite eloquent even if some of the topics weren't aligned with my tastes. I thought the use of phone predictive text for one of the stories was quite clever, and I appreciate the author disclosing and commenting on it as a creative exercise.
I also took a listen on audiobook. The various narrators were pleasing to listen to; however, if your mind tends to wander a bit when listening as mine does, I recommend a traditional reading experience. With the rapid pace of short stories, there is no room for one's mind to wander and then come back.
Thank you to Random House | The Dial Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
I also took a listen on audiobook. The various narrators were pleasing to listen to; however, if your mind tends to wander a bit when listening as mine does, I recommend a traditional reading experience. With the rapid pace of short stories, there is no room for one's mind to wander and then come back.
Thank you to Random House | The Dial Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
May 18, 2026
I had no idea this was a short story collection (Mac Crane is just my favorite author so I live a simple life. I get their book, I read it.) and I was soooo drawn in by the first story and then devastated to learn that was all of it, haha. I really liked this collection of queer stories, many of them with science fiction elements and many tinged with the desire to simultaneously be seen but not be seen. There were many interesting premises and many gut-punch endings. So glad I got to read this!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eArc!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eArc!
May 3, 2026
I have mixed feelings about this collection because some of the stories I really enjoyed - while some just didn’t land with me. Overall, the content kept me interested. It was the writing style that often made me feel less engaged. The stories here are good (my faves were “Perverts” and “The Cycle of Pitiless Impulses), and I appreciate Crane’s content artistry. This is a unique collection, and I know there’s a great big audience for it. I think it maybe didn’t hit as much for me, and that’s okay.
*Thanks to NetGalley, Random House, and Mac Crane for this eARC. This review contains my honest, authentic thoughts and opinions.*
*Thanks to NetGalley, Random House, and Mac Crane for this eARC. This review contains my honest, authentic thoughts and opinions.*
February 25, 2026
[2.75⭐️] The writing, prose, and imagination in these short stories is impressive and captivating, but many of these short stories felt flat for me unfortunately.
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House, The Dial Press for the ARC.
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House, The Dial Press for the ARC.
September 27, 2026
thank you to NetGalley and The Dial Press for the advanced digital copy.
if you're not reading mac crane, what are you even doing? buy this now.
--
i need to be upfront about my bias here: i love mac crane and i would read their grocery list. so take this for what it is - a full and complete surrender to an auto buy author doing exactly what i want them to do.
perverts reads like a direct descendant of i keep my exoskeletons to myself. a little dystopian, a little twisted, sexy in that specifically queer way, and often sad underneath all of it. these are stories about people making the best of a broken world, finding pleasure and connection in the wreckage instead of waiting for the wreckage to clear.
it opens with smear the queer, a story about a business that lets wealthy people pay to hunt or hurt queer and trans people for sport and it is an absolute banger. harrowing, cinematic, the kind of premise that lodges itself in your head and doesn't leave. i genuinely think this could be a full length film. it sets the tone for everything that follows: nothing here is soft in the conventional sense, but everything here is alive.
from there the collection just keeps delivering. futurewives, about the expectations loaded onto young women from birth and the specific relief of throwing them off, stuck with me. the failed messiah made me laugh out loud, there's a line about someone moving faster than two lesbians at a julien baker concert that i will be thinking about for a long time. this isn't what i signed up for is told through predictive text and it should not work as well as it does, but crane makes the format sing. personhood was another standout. and alex adams, the dyke who wouldn't grow up gave me the kind of ache that only the best stories about delayed adolescence can. honestly i could go story by story and call each one a favorite. i just want to live inside mac's brain for a while.
the prose is what does it for me, though. it's their classic lyrical voice, and i don't fully know how to describe what it does except to say it melts like sugar on my tongue. it's brain candy in the best possible sense, sentences you want to slow down for even as the content is dragging you somewhere uncomfortable.
nothing about this collection plays it safe, and nothing about it should. if you want messy, transgressive, deeply queer fiction that refuses to look away from either the horror or the tenderness, this is exactly that. five stars, obviously. give me the grocery list next.
if you're not reading mac crane, what are you even doing? buy this now.
--
i need to be upfront about my bias here: i love mac crane and i would read their grocery list. so take this for what it is - a full and complete surrender to an auto buy author doing exactly what i want them to do.
perverts reads like a direct descendant of i keep my exoskeletons to myself. a little dystopian, a little twisted, sexy in that specifically queer way, and often sad underneath all of it. these are stories about people making the best of a broken world, finding pleasure and connection in the wreckage instead of waiting for the wreckage to clear.
it opens with smear the queer, a story about a business that lets wealthy people pay to hunt or hurt queer and trans people for sport and it is an absolute banger. harrowing, cinematic, the kind of premise that lodges itself in your head and doesn't leave. i genuinely think this could be a full length film. it sets the tone for everything that follows: nothing here is soft in the conventional sense, but everything here is alive.
from there the collection just keeps delivering. futurewives, about the expectations loaded onto young women from birth and the specific relief of throwing them off, stuck with me. the failed messiah made me laugh out loud, there's a line about someone moving faster than two lesbians at a julien baker concert that i will be thinking about for a long time. this isn't what i signed up for is told through predictive text and it should not work as well as it does, but crane makes the format sing. personhood was another standout. and alex adams, the dyke who wouldn't grow up gave me the kind of ache that only the best stories about delayed adolescence can. honestly i could go story by story and call each one a favorite. i just want to live inside mac's brain for a while.
the prose is what does it for me, though. it's their classic lyrical voice, and i don't fully know how to describe what it does except to say it melts like sugar on my tongue. it's brain candy in the best possible sense, sentences you want to slow down for even as the content is dragging you somewhere uncomfortable.
nothing about this collection plays it safe, and nothing about it should. if you want messy, transgressive, deeply queer fiction that refuses to look away from either the horror or the tenderness, this is exactly that. five stars, obviously. give me the grocery list next.
July 24, 2026
Perverts by Mac Crane is a queer short story collection that delves into the lives of those deemed perverted, either by society or themselves. This collection is largely experimental and satirical, featuring a wide variety of stories—some that were more successful to me than others. While a solid portion of these stories were conceptually concrete and executed interestingly, others leaned into the abstract, hindering their overall message.
As a lover of short stories, I can find merit in a story steeped in ambiguity, but there has to be enough information to work with. A few of these stories left me with more questions than answers, unsatisfying and vastly confusing. That being said, a good handful relied more on “vibes”—at least to my understanding—and there is an artistry to that in and of itself. Still, the stories that stood out to me were the ones with a clearer message and plot.
Beyond Rejection by Tony Tulathimutte, I have little experience with satire in the form of short stories. With that being said, I thought the commentary on queer spaces and conservative outlooks was insightful; as a lesbian myself, I am always looking for LGBTQIA+ stories unafraid of being weird.
By far, my favorite story was the second one titled “Harmony.” A woman gets entangled in a BDSM-adjacent relationship with her therapist, who refuses to kiss her. The woman’s mother raised her daughter to deny and shrink herself as much as possible. “Harmony” was jarring and oddly poetic, the dynamic between the woman and her therapist intriguing to no end.
I will say that there was one story, “Julie and the Butch,” that wasn’t as cut and dry, but I found myself sincerely enjoying it. Told in a series of vignettes that border on the surreal, this snappy story showcases the development of an offbeat workplace crush. (Also, the characters from this story are tied into the following one in a fun, creative way!)
In terms of the actual prose, Mac Crane’s usage of figurative language was original and their sentences were never bland. This was my introduction to their work, but Crane’s been on my radar for a while, so I certainly plan to look into more of their books.
Thank you to Mac Crane, The Dial Press, and NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.
As a lover of short stories, I can find merit in a story steeped in ambiguity, but there has to be enough information to work with. A few of these stories left me with more questions than answers, unsatisfying and vastly confusing. That being said, a good handful relied more on “vibes”—at least to my understanding—and there is an artistry to that in and of itself. Still, the stories that stood out to me were the ones with a clearer message and plot.
Beyond Rejection by Tony Tulathimutte, I have little experience with satire in the form of short stories. With that being said, I thought the commentary on queer spaces and conservative outlooks was insightful; as a lesbian myself, I am always looking for LGBTQIA+ stories unafraid of being weird.
By far, my favorite story was the second one titled “Harmony.” A woman gets entangled in a BDSM-adjacent relationship with her therapist, who refuses to kiss her. The woman’s mother raised her daughter to deny and shrink herself as much as possible. “Harmony” was jarring and oddly poetic, the dynamic between the woman and her therapist intriguing to no end.
I will say that there was one story, “Julie and the Butch,” that wasn’t as cut and dry, but I found myself sincerely enjoying it. Told in a series of vignettes that border on the surreal, this snappy story showcases the development of an offbeat workplace crush. (Also, the characters from this story are tied into the following one in a fun, creative way!)
In terms of the actual prose, Mac Crane’s usage of figurative language was original and their sentences were never bland. This was my introduction to their work, but Crane’s been on my radar for a while, so I certainly plan to look into more of their books.
Thank you to Mac Crane, The Dial Press, and NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.
July 21, 2026
I got this as an ARC from NetGalley , the review is solely my thoughts and my thoughts alone. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity
I’m going to be honest , I’m not a huge short stories person because I feel like a lot of the time I want more from the stories and I get kind of disappointed when I have to move on to another different story but typically short story collections have some kind of a theme or like a central message that they go for in my experience, this personally didn’t have that in my opinion.
It felt like just a bunch of random stories that were just put together because they had “queerness” in them. There was one that didn’t even have anything to do with queerness in there that just felt like the ramblings of someone that couldn’t come up with something to write about.
This book took me too long to read because I just kept being so confused and how and why the author put these together and what their aim was.
Also I’m not the biggest fan of this kind of stereotype that queer people have horrible childhoods or not so great relationships with their family , that’s why honestly my favorite stories in here were the ones that showed that the characters still had like their mother in their lives being supportive.
I don’t know , I got the arc of this with high hopes that we would get like a look at complex queer characters and relationships but it didn’t really deliver in the way I had hoped it would
I’m going to be honest , I’m not a huge short stories person because I feel like a lot of the time I want more from the stories and I get kind of disappointed when I have to move on to another different story but typically short story collections have some kind of a theme or like a central message that they go for in my experience, this personally didn’t have that in my opinion.
It felt like just a bunch of random stories that were just put together because they had “queerness” in them. There was one that didn’t even have anything to do with queerness in there that just felt like the ramblings of someone that couldn’t come up with something to write about.
This book took me too long to read because I just kept being so confused and how and why the author put these together and what their aim was.
Also I’m not the biggest fan of this kind of stereotype that queer people have horrible childhoods or not so great relationships with their family , that’s why honestly my favorite stories in here were the ones that showed that the characters still had like their mother in their lives being supportive.
I don’t know , I got the arc of this with high hopes that we would get like a look at complex queer characters and relationships but it didn’t really deliver in the way I had hoped it would
October 1, 2026
Thank you Mac Crane, Dial Press, and NetGalley for the ARC!
Dare I say, this could've been more perverted?
As far as short story collections go, this one was okay. I could see the interconnected themes of desire vs shame in all the stories, so it wasn't disjointed as a collection like other short story books I've read. Yet I thought many of the stories ended or petered out right as it was getting interesting. I know that's kind of what I'm supposed to expect from these collections, but I felt like I was getting blue balled every story. However, given the context of these stories, I wonder if that's kind of the point? Many of Mac Crane's ideas are extremely intriguing and seem to concern unconventional employment. We follow the likes of a fake pirate captain in a sexy siren theme park, a professional threesome actor (no threesome actually needed!), and a butch who gets chased and beat by homophobes in a "smear the queer" style sellable experience. The prose is actually very good, bordering on daydream-y (or wet dream-y? Okay I'll stop). While this works for readability, what Mac may be trying to convey in these stories often doesn't come into a full crystalized idea because of the length. Short stories are hard, and this collection does pack a punch, but maybe a half-hearted one.
Dare I say, this could've been more perverted?
As far as short story collections go, this one was okay. I could see the interconnected themes of desire vs shame in all the stories, so it wasn't disjointed as a collection like other short story books I've read. Yet I thought many of the stories ended or petered out right as it was getting interesting. I know that's kind of what I'm supposed to expect from these collections, but I felt like I was getting blue balled every story. However, given the context of these stories, I wonder if that's kind of the point? Many of Mac Crane's ideas are extremely intriguing and seem to concern unconventional employment. We follow the likes of a fake pirate captain in a sexy siren theme park, a professional threesome actor (no threesome actually needed!), and a butch who gets chased and beat by homophobes in a "smear the queer" style sellable experience. The prose is actually very good, bordering on daydream-y (or wet dream-y? Okay I'll stop). While this works for readability, what Mac may be trying to convey in these stories often doesn't come into a full crystalized idea because of the length. Short stories are hard, and this collection does pack a punch, but maybe a half-hearted one.
September 27, 2026
“What was it about me that insisted on chasing down new and exciting versions of my childhood trauma?” (Preach)
I'll be honest, I thought this was going to be something entirely different because PERVERTS was sold to me as a titillating and subversive queer collection of short stories. They're certainly queer, but they're much more absurd and speculative than what the cover suggests. The cover is giving s-e-x, but I was more annoyed than aroused reading this. I enjoyed SMEAR THE QUEER, but honestly had a hard time reading the rest of them because they felt like intellectual riddles. I appreciate the queer representation and the messaging, but I just felt like the writing style emotionally alienated me. That said, I would've enjoyed an entire book revolving around SMEAR THE QUEER because the ending is great and the concept and execution is stronger than the other short stories.
I think this is a classic case of, "It's not you, it's me". Thanks to Random House, The Dial Press, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I'll be honest, I thought this was going to be something entirely different because PERVERTS was sold to me as a titillating and subversive queer collection of short stories. They're certainly queer, but they're much more absurd and speculative than what the cover suggests. The cover is giving s-e-x, but I was more annoyed than aroused reading this. I enjoyed SMEAR THE QUEER, but honestly had a hard time reading the rest of them because they felt like intellectual riddles. I appreciate the queer representation and the messaging, but I just felt like the writing style emotionally alienated me. That said, I would've enjoyed an entire book revolving around SMEAR THE QUEER because the ending is great and the concept and execution is stronger than the other short stories.
I think this is a classic case of, "It's not you, it's me". Thanks to Random House, The Dial Press, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 28, 2026
I do enjoy short stories. I do enjoy queer stories. And I truly love weird stories.
That being said, Crane’s writing style was not for me. Smear the Queer, the first story, was the best and only story I’d give 4 stars to. As for the rest, they came off a bit cartoonish instead of strange and weird (which is what I believe Crane was aiming for.)
The titles of each short story amused me. I would give Crane another chance, especially on a full length novel. Perverts, while having some hits, mostly missed for me.
Thank you to Net Galley and The Dial Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
That being said, Crane’s writing style was not for me. Smear the Queer, the first story, was the best and only story I’d give 4 stars to. As for the rest, they came off a bit cartoonish instead of strange and weird (which is what I believe Crane was aiming for.)
The titles of each short story amused me. I would give Crane another chance, especially on a full length novel. Perverts, while having some hits, mostly missed for me.
Thank you to Net Galley and The Dial Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Read
July 31, 2026Already gone back to re-read a few, lot to gnaw on. Some stories feel unfinished and maybe underdeveloped? I mostly enjoyed the ideas and characters too much to care, personally, lol
Not every piece did it for me (Futurewives TM, Isn’t What I Signed Up For, hold on slow down what) but the ones that did body checked me into the dirt (Smear, Perverts, Cycle).
Idk how to rate this and don't feel like it rn lol
Can't stop thinking about it—a similar floaty feeling I had after Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl.
Not every piece did it for me (Futurewives TM, Isn’t What I Signed Up For, hold on slow down what) but the ones that did body checked me into the dirt (Smear, Perverts, Cycle).
Idk how to rate this and don't feel like it rn lol
Can't stop thinking about it—a similar floaty feeling I had after Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl.
Read
September 22, 2026i did this a disservice by reading it very shortly after another queer short story collection. it made them all kind of start to blend together in a way that ultimately put me in a reading slump for a few days. but i continue to love mac crane's prose and there were some really strange and interesting premises that pulled me in.
July 16, 2026
This book was a wild, sometimes uncomfortable ride, that I thoroughly enjoyed. Mac Crane is masterful at callbacks, and their books always have a way of filling me with nostalgia at some point. The standout stories for me were:
-Futurewives
-Personhood
-Julie and the Butch
-Alex Adams, the Dyke who Wouldn’t Grow Up
-Futurewives
-Personhood
-Julie and the Butch
-Alex Adams, the Dyke who Wouldn’t Grow Up
Read
July 13, 2026Awesome
September 20, 2026
I do in fact think I wanted more perversion? Fav stories: Smear the Queer, The Failed Messiah, Siren Island, Personhood, Catcher.
There is an element of “fucked up queer amusement park” that I almost wish the author just wrote a novel about, because the stories always ended right when I wanted to continue. I shall keep my eye on Mac Crane 👀
There is an element of “fucked up queer amusement park” that I almost wish the author just wrote a novel about, because the stories always ended right when I wanted to continue. I shall keep my eye on Mac Crane 👀
June 12, 2026
Perverts by Mac and Marissa Crane, just like perverts in real life I couldn’t wait to get away from this book. From a bad Peter pan story to a girl that had no feelings for her counselor but couldn’t get enough of her and walked the therapist around the room like a dog letting her eat Lucky charms out of her hand. This is the same girl that peed outside every morning because she was too lazy to get up and go to the bathroom until after her roommates woke up or too busy looking at virgin porn. I am a big proponent of reading books from lifestyles that are different from our own because I think that’s where understanding comes in but with someone making money by running from gay basherss to other more ridiculous stories I felt she did the community a disservice rather than opening up worlds to bring understanding not that that is her responsibility but why write these stories that at best Mock members from the LGBT community and that worst make no sense whatsoever. There’s also lots of fat shaming in the book and if not that all the negative connotations about weight, itbrings nothing to a good light nor in my opinion doesn’t have any beneficial qualities whatsoever. These stories were strange harmful they weren’t even funny they were just ridiculous but I digress to each their own maybe you like gay bashing and or you’re dreaming of a therapist with no boundaries whatsoever. Then don’t take my opinion for truth and give it a try. #NetGalley, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview,
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