I saw the title and I had to request this arc and I definitely enjoyed it. The book covers quite a lot of ground - like ancient times to sci-fi. There are some parts that may read a bit more academic but overall the book is fun and accessible. I loved the included images and research. A few times I felt that the interpretations were just that - a potential interpretation of this story - and they just didn't feel as solidly grounded as others. Nevertheless, I am always here for a good queer retelling of something so there was plenty to enjoy in the book. Thank you NetGalley and Unbound for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

An interesting explanation of folklore and how many of the creatures found in these tales have queer origins, as do things like witches, vampires, etc. Well written and researched and at times eye-opening!

As long as humans have existed, stories have existed, being passed down from generation to generation. Likewise, as long as people have been around, queer people have been around. So many cultures throughout history have supported, and even celebrated those who were queer, intersex, or transgender. How did we get away from that?
 Just as history is written by the victors, myths and stories are re-written by the colonizers. Indigenous tales get blended together, African stories whitewashed, and pagan folklore made Christian.
Going back to the earliest of times, Sacha Coward shows us that not every little mermaid was beautiful, and not every wicked witch was evil. And, of course, not every hero or heroine was a cisgender, heterosexual, white Protestant.
Validating in a way that I hadn't expected, this nonfiction shows that the world was never as black and white, as closed-minded as some may lead us to believe. Since the beginning, humans have lived in a rainbow of colors, and that will never change.

I picked this up planning to skim through most of it, and skip between the folk tales and stories that I loved best. That was not possible. This book was written in such and engaging way that I found myself flowing from topic to topic until I devoured the whole thing

Having grown up with sanitised stories, and neatly moral heteronormative and morality imparting stories, I really appreciated being able to re-view some of these stories and themes through a different lens. I mean, I missed the subtext of Interview with a Vampire entirely! I appreciated that the author in trying to make the distinction between real people and the stories that have been told about them. There was also a great deal of caution and respect in applying retrospective identities and labels to people from the past.

I tend to stick mostly to fiction, but this was a compelling read and told me a story ABOUT the stories that we tell ourselves.

wow where to begin, where to begin!

This was absolutely fantastic. Sacha compiled an incredible amount of historical information and folklore into a spectacularly organized intersectional ode to queerness. As a sapphic woman, I have done many a middle-of-the-night-research-spiral about many of the topics discussed throughout this work, so getting to see so many of my little obsessions such as David Bowie, Egyptology, Oscar Wilde, and the queer roots of Ballet, coexist, unified by the common thread of LGBTQIA+ entities was validating. My girlfriend has had her own fascinations with many of the subjects including The Little Mermaid and Sappho. Everyone will be able to find something if not many things to love about this! Easily a new favorite book to recommend to anyone who would enjoy a touch of magic.

Coward dove into each subject with a keen eye and attention to detail, while also including just enough information on each topic to ensure that the readers have a clear picture of the given topic without overwhelming us with too many minor points. Furthermore, Queer as Folklore tackled the tricky task of connecting a wide variety of otherwise disconnected subjects, while also discussing the ignorance that would come with trying to place historical figures and ancient folklore into the modern boxes we use to define ourselves in terms of sexuality and gender. All of this is to say that Coward spectacularly allowed the mythological, folkloric, and historical entities to continue to exist as accurately as we know them to have, while also allowing them to transcend their original eras and contexts. Folklore is ancient but it is also always modern.

From fairies, werewolves, sirens, mermaids, pirates, unicorns, vampires, witches, wizards, and demons to superheroes, video games, AI, aliens, glam rock icons, and true crime. Queer as Folklore manages to touch on an impressive array of folklore figures with approachable and educational descriptions and fascinating images. what more could you ask for?!

5* - beautifully insightful, and an utter delight to read. Have recommended to several friends into folklore already

I have a passion for folklore and myths and this book did not leave me disappointed. Sasha Coward covers mythical beasts, the occult and supernatural, and contemporary folklore, in this fascinating book. Many examples were taken from Greek, Roman and Norse myths and legends, and then discussed how these classical tales are echoed through history and contemporary literature.

The queer history around these tales is riveting, I now want to read more about these topics. Coward talks at length about how much of the ancient queer history has been lost, or accounts are one sided, especially where the law was involved. History has also been shaped to suit the narrative of the time too.

I particularly found the section on contemporary folklore interesting. Coward looks at aliens, robots and superheroes and how they have appeared in past narratives but in different forms. He also speaks of how popular culture has evolved throughout the twentieth and twenty first centuries to include more queerness in films, comics and video games. Also explaining how the queer community has shaped these spaces, an example being how much Alan Turing has influenced computers and robotics through AI.

I was amazed by this book, how much research and references went into writing it. I found myself making too many notes when I was reading. I will definitely purchase a copy, along with a lot of other books in its expansive reference section!

Thanks to NetGalley and Unbound for the Advance Review Copy. All opinions are my own.

There are an ever-growing selection of books about queerness and mythology, and this is the best one I’ve read so far!

What sets this apart from similar books is that instead of just describing the often-well-known connections, the author delves into the history, the context, and the actual meaning behind each example. He explores what certain mythological figures, such as unicorns, vampires, and more, have represented over the centuries and how they have come to be associated with queerness in the modern day.

The book assumes a very broad understanding of both “queer” and “folklore”, which works really well in this context. After all, aren’t aliens just the unicorns of the 20th and 21st Century? Occasionally the topics slightly lose focus, but it’s still a compelling read overall.

This is a must-read for anyone interested in the topic, being both fascinating but also an extremely enjoyable read.

I received a free copy for an honest review.

"Queer as Folklore" by Sacha Coward is a fascinating and insightful exploration of queer identities within folklore. Coward masterfully weaves historical tales and contemporary perspectives, offering readers a unique lens to understand and celebrate LGBTQ+ narratives in myth and legend. A thought-provoking and well-researched book that both educates and inspires.

Sacha Coward's Queer as Folklore is a wonderful read. Although it is non-fiction, for readers that don't normally pick up the genre, it is clearly written and engaging while also being funny and moving at points.

The references and images throughout the book are fascinating and add so much to the text, ensuring it didn't feel like a heavy academic book. As someone who doesn't read a lot of non-fiction/history, I can find them a bit of an intimidating read but this book is so well split up into bitesize chunks that I was very easily able to pick it up and put it down... although I did have a hard time putting it down!

As a young, queer woman, there is so much about LGBTQAI+ history that I didn't know and it's amazing to learn the impact that queer people have had throughout history internationally. I am a big lover of the spooky and supernatural is it was fantastic to read a book that combined my want for more knowledge about the queer community and monsters & ghouls.

Coward does a truly amazing job linking together the past and the present representations of the gay community, referencing writings from ancient history to modern film. Coward shows that queer people are not a new phenomenon, effortlessly laying out their presence and impact throughout time over and over again. This book is a must-read for any sci-fi, horror and fantasy reader out there - Given the very vocal push against 'woke' agendas in more recent years amongst long-standing franchises, this book will show you that we've been here all along and we're going to be here for a long time after.

I love the way this author has delved into the queer folklore tales and how they've written about them.

I read this book in 3 sittings because I couldn't get enough of it - I will certainly be recommending it to my friends.

I look forward to hopefully seeing more of this author published in future!

This is a really fascinating read, showing different queer histories of folkloric and mythological entities. I enjoyed Sacha Coward’s writing style, he made it very easy to follow along and understand all the different figures and references for someone who wasn’t any type of history or folklore scholar.

Each chapter covers a different “creature,” from mermaids, unicorns, witches, fairies, to things that people might think of as being more modern or not typical beings from folklore like aliens, robots, and superheroes. I liked getting to see the evolution of these different characters and how they have had queer roots going back centuries. These different chapters really go to show how many queer people were involved in the creation of these folkloric creatures and why the stories continue to appeal to so many queer people. I also appreciated how Coward didn’t shy away from referencing messy situations and how these figures weren’t always positive representations.

Definitely check this book out if it sounds interesting to you. It’s not a dry history textbook, Coward’s writing makes the subject really come to life. And it’s compelling to see how these old stories have evolved and how they tie in to the current queer community.

Thank you so much to Unbound for the ARC of Queer as Folklore in exchange for an honest review!

One of my favorite sentiments is the idea that queer stories have always existed, though often forgotten and untold. Gathered and explored in Sacha Coward’s Queer as Folklore, these stories come to new life in brilliant and detailed color. The way that queer figures throughout history and folklore were previously normalized and currently “sanitized” and re-manufactured to present to modern audiences without their authenticity is abysmal. Luckily we have writers, historians and caretakers of these sacred pieces of our human web like Coward, who gather and detail and present these foundational aspects of queer history.

The art of storytelling and words, whether spoken or written, is alive and well. It’s both affecting and fascinating to read Coward’s work, equally compelling and educational. I so appreciate the opportunity to read and engage with this piece of history.

A lot of passion went into this project, and it contains some fascinating forays into various creatures and characters. Due to my lifelong delight in folklore, mythology, history, and gender studies, I was eager to read it.

I found parts of Queer as Folklore engaging, particularly the exploration of werewolves and other transformations, vampires, Gothic authors, and possible LGBT+ clues in cemeteries and ancient burials. 

Based on the description, I expected a stronger focus on folktales--especially little-known ones: “...these forgotten narratives tell stories of resilience that deserve to be heard,” and “...we must confront the twisted tales of the past…”

There were a few tantalizing, brief mentions of folktales unfamiliar to me.

Many readers will be delighted by Queer as Folklore. It’s a sprawling work with treasures in it, including wonderful illustrations.

Thank you, Unbound for the e-ARC via NetGalley for consideration. These are my unbiased opinions.

Queer as Folklore takes a canter through myth, folklore and other stories to draw together queer influences and representation across millennia, ultimately seeking to draw out some core themes relevant to modern queer people. I can’t say I fully agreed with all Coward’s conclusions, but the journey is well structured and has sound internal logic, even if there are a few leaps.
For me, Coward is most successful when considering classic mythology and European folklore, and these sections really felt they came alive. I was disappointed at some section’s brevity, and felt there could have been more depth in areas - perhaps at the expense of other areas that had more time than worked for me. I was less convinced by Coward’s inclusion of science fiction, computer games and comic book superheroes, which would have fallen outwith my definition of folklore, but their inclusion is given some justification.

Personally I’m less interested in what I’ll loosely describe as gender politics, which was a bit of a recurring theme; again there was good reason and justification, it just interests me less.

All in all, an interesting read, more 3.5 than 4.

Oh dear. I've been looking forward to reading this for a while and was left feeling disappointed.I realise where folklore is concerned very little can be paraded as hard evidence for this or that, but I felt the author's links between mermaids (rather than merfolk for instance), unicorns, fairies etc and those from the LGBTQ+ community were tenuous at times. So tenuous in fact it put me off the book in general. Sorry.

I really enjoyed this look at diverse folklore and queer identities in many different cultures. I’ve always been fascinated with mythology and folklore and how they teach us about different cultures and people. I like they way this book approached these stories.

A tremendously readable and informative survey of queer identity and pop culture iconography that I found endlessly entertaining. It’s a bit informal at times - I certainly don’t mind a more academic voice or rigorous textual approach, but I certainly can’t fault it its mass appeal. I hope a lot of people read it. It’s delightful.

Thanks to NetGalley and Unbound for an Advanced Reader Copy - pub date 8/22/2024. So you're going to hand me a book that combines mythology and folklore and LGBTQIA+ social history and think I won't expect the moon? Silly NetGalley. Luckily, this book delivers. Segmented into chapters so the reader can better focus, it covers magical creatures (yes, of course, unicorns), cursed beings and shapeshifters (yes, we're looking at you, Lestat), the occult and supernatural, the expanded universe (we all feel like aliens sometimes, right?), and then a nice wrap-up. Overall, it is a very in-depth and creative way to look at both the parallels between folklore and queer-ness and the historical reasoning behind why the LGBTQIA+ community has embraced certain images and stories. I mean, we've all heard "fairy" but I never really paused to consider the in-between nature of mermaids or the potentiality of shapeshifters as self-identification help. While at times the book was a big heart-breaking due to the simple fact that othering is such a strong reason behind the links, the book also reveled in humor and the moments of strength.

Coward also took great care in setting down the rules of his work as well as the fact that, quite frankly, certain things in queer history can only be guessed at since there was decided bias in the historical records. He was very respectful and careful to refer to individuals as who they were and point out that they MIGHT be considered through such a lens or carry such a title today but, as we don't have their input on it, this is speculation. Very solid and wise scholarly ethics, there. Coward also made sure to look at the entirety of history - from Gilgamesh to Victorians to comic books as well as covering a wide variety of locations. Sometimes we don't make the written history books but damn if we don't pop up elsewhere. :)

By the by, I'm so confused because NetGalley has the pub date as 8/22 but GoodReads has it 11/5 so spin the wheel if you want to read it!

3.5 stars
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This was such a fun, well researched exploration of queer culture and how it relates to common folklore and present pop culture.

The connections in this book were genuinely fascinating and I appreciated the authors delicacy with topics like gender assumptions. I found the connections between queerness and unicorns/mermaids to be particularly fascination, but not all the connections were convincing. Some of the connections in sci-fi were really grasping at straws, using perceived queerness as inherent support. There was also a definitely lack of diversity within the focus and I wish the author had spent more time researching and incorporating other cultures more, rather than relying so heavily on Western folklore and pop culture. Several parts of the book use the authors personal experiences where I wanted more factual research. Not every queer experience is the same and I wanted to see that explored more. While accessible by all, I wish the book had been written less academically. It felt like a dry research paper more than it did a book. I wasn’t quite expecting that.

This was definitely a fun read that I would still recommend, but I would be selective of the audience I recommended it to.