Unburied Fables - Dark Matters & The Suns of Terre

[Rose]

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Dark Matters

The second to last story in this retelling is a retelling of Goldilocks and the Three Bears
-What background do you have with the original fairy tale?

-What elements of the original does the author change?

-What elements are kept the same?

-How does this story combine science with fairy tale? What does that add to the overall narrative?

-The main character goes on a journey to find something that feels “just right.” How could that be an allegory for coming out?

-How does the author use some tongue-in-cheek humor and description to tie the fairy tale into gay culture?

-How do the characters have a happily ever after?

-What would you say is the moral of the story? Why?



The Suns of Terre

The last short story in this anthology is a retelling of Prince Darling.
-What background do you have with the original fairy tale?

-What elements of the original does the author change?

-What elements are kept the same?

-How is this story different from some of the others in this anthology? What makes it work as the final story?

-The story deals a lot with what it means to be a good person. What do you think it means to be a good person? Do you think that something like the ring on the characters’ heads would actually work? What other ideas do you have?

-What do you think of each of the characters’ actions? What were some good choices? Bad? How does that make the characters more human?

-How do the characters learn to accept themselves and each other?

-How is the theme of change and changing oneself essential to the LGBT+ community?

-How do the characters end up with a happily ever after?

-What would you say is the moral of the story? Why?



Now that we’ve finished the book, let’s talk about the last two stories and the collection as a whole!

-What were some common themes and motifs that showed up in all or most of the stories? Why do you think those were so common? How are they important for fairy tales and also for the LGBT+ community?

-Why are fairy tales a good medium to tell queer stories?

-How do the last couple of stories differ from the rest in the collection? How do they still meet all the fairy tale criteria?

-What were some of your favorite stories? Why?

-What are some fairy tales you think could have a queer retelling? What makes some of those other stories perfect for this setup?

-Why is it so important for queer people, and especially young queer people, to have stories with happily ever afters?

-How are these stories a direct response to the “bury your gays” trope we see so often in media?

-This anthology was released in 2016; how have things changed since then? How have they stayed the same?

-Share some pictures or quotes you really enjoyed!

If you’ve enjoyed this book, make sure to rate it on Goodreads and Amazon! The authors would definitely appreciate it :)