Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book!

“Queer as Folklore” 4/5 ⭐️

While I do enjoy nonfiction, it is not what I read most frequently. However, I was really drawn to the subject matter of this book! As a queer woman, I love learning about queer history and stories. Overall, Sacha Coward does a good job presenting and exploring the information within the book.

It was a lovely reminder that LGBTQ+ have always existed and expressed ourselves.

I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys mythical creatures and fairytales! 🏰🧚✨

4 Stars

Thank you NetGalley and Sacha Coward for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This was a great summary of how entwined folklore (and modern fantasy) is with queer identities. As a bi lover of all things folklore, I knew there were queer themes woven into many cultural stories that were left out in their re-tellings, but it was so interesting to read Coward’s thoughts and interpretations on it. The theme of being “other” was mentioned a lot as a big reason people in the LGBTQ+ community have such a love for these tales.

However, if you don’t think of modern stories as a type of folktale, you may not enjoy this book. Coward made it clear in the beginning that he was being very liberal with the word “folklore,” and throughout the book, he uses a lot of modern-day and newer stories as examples. I was slightly disappointed that he didn’t have more in-depth details about certain categories, but I think that was just my partiality to those subjects. Queer as Folklore was informative and entertaining, and I now have a lot of new rabbit holes to go down after reading it.

This was honestly such a fun queer trip through history. Unicorns aren't just rainbows but have roots in actual queer folklore. Folklore in general will always have a spot in my heart, and being queer this was the perfect book on folklore.

Sasha Coward’s Queer as Folklore is a fun and enlightening exploration of folklore through a queer lens. The author takes the familiar tales and myths many of us think we know so well and re-examines them, revealing hidden layers and perspectives that are at times fun, at times dark, but always informative and thought-provoking.

From ancient myth and legend to modern sci-fi and superheroes and everything in between, Coward delves into not only the stories but into their creators as well, shedding new light on their queer aspects. This book is equal parts queer history and folklore, offering interesting and engaging insights on both. Queer as Folklore is a celebration of the creativity, passion, and resilience of queer people throughout recorded human history.

Coward spuns an eloquent and sparklingly interesting tapestry in which each thread is the life an meaning of a creature of folklore.
The reader is lead, via fascinating stories and facts, through the histories of each creature, from the mermaid to the unicorn, blending both the mythological and more scholar aspect of such beings with pop culture and modern-day opinions to ultimately depicting the queer red thread that unites both timelines.
One asset of Coward's modus operandi is the ability to flow between historical knowledge, personal opinions and recent media adaptations of the creatures with an easy to read prose, which pushes the reader to turn the page without feeling overwhelemed by quantity of informations.
I also appreciated the inclusion of less mainstream creatures, which denoted a truly passionate approach of the author to the topic.
I would have preferred a heavier amount of research and scholarly works included, as many times the facts given where rather based on the author's opinions or speculations.
Apart from this minimal negative aspect, I have found the manuscript to be extremelly interesting, bringer of quite a few new insights and overall a valuable piece of queer litterature that I would like to have in my personal library.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

In the enchanting pages of “Queer as Folklore,” Sacha Coward takes readers on an exhilarating journey across centuries and continents. This captivating exploration reveals the unsung heroes and villains of storytelling, magic, and fantasy, all with a queer twist. 🌈

Coward delves into the queer history of various mythic and folkloric characters, both old and new. From cross-dressing pirates to radical fairies, no headstone remains unturned.

Featuring images sourced from archives, galleries, and museums worldwide, each chapter immerses readers in the rich tapestry of queer narratives.

Queer communities have often sought refuge in shadows, found kinship in the in-between, and created safe spaces in underworlds. These forgotten tales celebrate remarkable resilience that deserves recognition.

The journey spans from ancient Greece to the glittering main stage of RuPaul’s Drag Race, connecting the threads of queer history in unexpected ways.

Professor Paul Baker aptly describes it as “a magically queer celebration of darkness and light.” Indeed, these are the bedtime stories we’ve been waiting to read! 🌙✨

So, if you’re ready to explore the hidden queer history behind myths and monsters, grab your papier-mâché unicorn head, don those mermaid tails, and embark on this wild ride. Sacha Coward invites us to understand who queer people are today by unearthing the twisted tales of the past. 📖🌟

I loved this book and always love when we can look back and see queer people or ideas before there were even names for these things.
Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read this amazing book

I loved this book. This was an incredibly dense, but surprisingly easy read. I was drawn by the amount of research that Sacha Coward did in order to write this book. Even learning that my culture (Filipinos) have their own version of mermaids-- makes sense, since we are a sea-faring people. I loved learning about the detailed history of many of my favourite folk and fairytale lore. I also liked that Coward asked friends and colleagues who were QTBIPOC to speak out about how different aspects of folklore play out in their own culture. The fact that the book starts with the Little Mermaid (one of my favourite, yet still problematic) to address queerness through its lens, is just the cherry on top.
I do think that some of the references are a bit dated, but given that this is exploring the history of queerness through folklore, I think that's acceptable. In fact, I loved that this was a history lesson, and I would easily use this book as research and inspiration for more speculative fiction and anything based off these tropes.
Thank you to NetGalley and Unbound, the publisher, for providing this DRC in exchange for my honest review.

very educational and well written. it’s very interesting to read new perspectives and dive deeper into things from a queer perspective.

A very fun yet insightful collection of myths and folklore from around the world. You will definitely learn about a tale you’ve never heard of before, accompanied with beautiful images. Highly recommend

This book was a commentary on modern queer culture, an insightful read into queer mythology, and, while I was reading it, I kept thinking this would be a really great reference for authors or artists to incorporate queer symbolism in their work.

While this book is academic in nature, it does not have an overly academic tone and is definitely intended for a wide, public audience (this makes it very readable!). The book is divided into 5 main parts and while plethora of myths are discussed, it allows for the perfect amount of discussion before moving on to the next piece. It isn't bogged down with unnecessary details and doesn't provide an overly academic background for each myth, but is a really great jumping off point for future research.

Thank you NetGalley and Unbound for the ARC, definitely recommend this one!

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for a review.

I start off by saying the the author is very passionate about his subject and has clearly put a lot of time into researching for the book. I really appreciated the introduction because without it I would not have understood the content as it isn't what I would consider 'folklore', it's more a history of art.

The chapters delve into the legends, classic and modern art of the creatures often associated with queer culture. Fairies, mermaids, unicorns etc. Later on is a nod to aliens and robots.

As with many non fictions about queer history, because sources don't say something is LGBTQ (or the wording of the time) there is little to go on. The author has been quite clear about their own interpretation of things.

Overall, if you like non fiction and history/classics/art this will be your thing. Personally, I struggled as I was reading it start to finish in order to review the ARC. I think would have found it more enjoyable if it was a book I could pick up and put down over time.

Queer as Folklore: The Hidden Queer History of Myths and Monsters is the first book from Sacha Coward, who is known for his historical research, and work in museums and heritage. His long career as a historian is evident in this well-researched, detailed book which explores folklore, myths and legends through an LGBTQ+ lens.

He explores, in great depths, the queer links and origins of many different folklore elements from shape-shifting, genderfluid spirits and demons to faeries, unicorns, mermaids and sirens, werewolves, witches and magic, and vampires. He weaves a plethora of stories together to explore how folklore has developed and changed over time, and how queer lives can be found at their centre

Coward even explores topics including aliens, pirates, robots, sci-fi and superheroes, which might not on the surface seem quite like the other myths and legends, but by drawing the reader back across history, Coward might soon convince them that these stories too belong in folklore.

I, personally, preferred the earlier chapters exploring ideas that would traditionally be immediately identified as folklore, as that is what I was predominately hoping to read about, however, it was very interesting to be made to re-examine topics such as superheroes and sci-fi through the mythic history of our past.

The book focuses predominately on Western folklore, to avoid misrepresenting cultures outside the author’s own lived experience, however, he does a brilliant job of tying myths, legends, and folklore from across histories and cultures together when exploring entities such as the mermaid/siren. Coward also gives space to people from other cultures and experiences to talk about their mythology, including the voices of Native American, two-spirit people and other trans people.

Queer As Folklore concludes with a summary from the author, Sacha Coward, discussing why he believes that queer people are drawn to myths and legends. The conclusion to this book is a beautiful ending to the deep, thoughtful research that comes before it, that showcases the LGBTQ+ community’s enthusiasm for storytelling and creation, and acts as a reminder that our histories and queerness are woven through every aspect of folklore, much as our everyday lives are woven through our very real history.

It's a very fun and interesting book about the queer history behind folklore. I knew a bit about the history behind the little mermaid, but never knew about the various interpretations that were made from it and the amount of queer ones! Certainly an interesting read when you want to learn more about queer folklore.

I LOVE queer history readings of history & folklore and therefore found this collection of essays a refreshing foray into myths and legends. I especially liked how Coward wove in contemporary queer theory & culture, discussing drag queens and Buffy as readily as ancient oral storytelling traditions. As usual, I feel that slightly lens could have been turned on gender & transness and its role in many of these tales but nonetheless a great collection of stories and ideas.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advance copy of this book.

I did not really enjoy this book but that might have been because I misunderstood what it was about. I thought it would be more of a queer retelling of fairy/folk tales, much like the feminist retellings from a number of years ago.

Instead it is research into folklore used as a sort of secret way to discuss queerness and let queer voices be heard. The first bit is about mermaids and unicorns. I am not particularly interested in either of these things so I did a bit of skimming. Mind you, the origins of Ursula in the Disney version of the Hans Anderson story are quite interesting. It was also interesting to read that so many Victorian writers were gay - Andrew Lang, for example. I had not been aware of this.

The book goes from older folklore, and is worldwide folklore, to the present day stuff about aliens, RuPaul and cinema etc., and I was less interested in that and did skim most of it. There is quite a lot suggesting that lesbianism is a sort of desire to be masculine. Hmm, I am not sure what lesbians would say in reply to that. Also, I felt that some of the connexions and interpretations were a bit far fetched.

For me, it was a slog to read even when skimming but I am sure other readers will like it so I will round up my 2.5 to a 3.

Interesting look at the often overlooked queer aspects of folklore. From fairytales to different creatures like vampires and fairies, this book covers a lot of different topics. I especially enjoyed when we took a look of more contemporary "myths" like aliens or discussed the origins of superheroes. Some topics get lot more time than others that might feel little brushed over.

Overall entertaining yet at times shallow look at queer folktales, and how they have shaped and still shape how queer people are portrayed and perceived.

Queer As Folklore explores how different characters in mostly Western folklore have queer roots, from vampires to unicorns to mermaids. It's incredibly thoroughly researched and uncovers many queer connections I had no idea existed.

This should delight, but for me, it falls flat.

The book reads more like a research paper than a book. Each subject is only given a few pages which means the book is expansive in its scope but shallow. Immediately after reading a section, I would not be able to repeat back to you what I had learned.

I think what's missing for my learning style is some sort of compelling story. Perhaps a story about each character that would stick with you? Or some overarching themes for the book that we are moving towards?

If you're more of a fact than story person, this would be the perfect book for you.

This is not a book you read once and then move on. This is a book you read once, buy, and then keep looking back at it to find that reference or explanation of a creature or myth.

Every chapter in this book focuses on a different type of creature, such as unicorns or vampires or mermaids or demons. I loved how the author talks about how different cultures had their own creatures that are kinda similar. I enjoyed learning about how different eras used coded language to flirt or hint at their sexuality. And I enjoyed how there were even super recent references (I already forgot, but there was a reference to something from earlier this year).

This is definitely a great book for anyone who is interested in myths, folktales, or queer history.

Thank you to Netgalley and Unbound for this excellent ARC.

This book was such a gas to read! I love reading about the queer history behind folklore and mythology as well as the fiigures from stories that may have been overlooked. It was absolutely fascinating just how much queer history and characteristics were taken out of folklore and mythology and how much of history is different from the way it can be regularly taught. A fascinating read.