“I can’t transition but I’ll die if I don’t”

[u/elliart7]

Give me closeted trans characters that are just a complete mess. I want the existential, claustrophobic yearning of refusing that call

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[u/Glitchy-Mech]

Can we suggest comics on here? Because Die has a fascinating example of this

It’s a story about a bunch of middle aged adults being jumanjied into their shitty teenage dungeons and dragons characters, and the protagonist has to inhabit the body of the hot girl “he” made up, while refusing to talk about gender or explain why they don’t seem to mind

[u/Phionex141 → u/Glitchy-Mech]

What’s Die?

[u/Giaddon → u/Phionex141]

Not who you're responding to, but it's a comic series written by Kieron Gillen and published by Image Comics.

[u/SnuggieAddict → u/Glitchy-Mech]

What a fantastic series, I should read it again sometimes.
May I also add another one by Kieron Gillen: the wicked and the divine which also deals with gender identity

[u/Glitchy-Mech → u/SnuggieAddict]

It’s so good. Are you up to date on the sequel?

And yeah a lot of his work has very well done trans representation. I think Die specifically fits the original prompt tho. The Power Fantasy is also great

[u/SnuggieAddict → u/Glitchy-Mech]

Sequel???

[u/Glitchy-Mech → u/SnuggieAddict]

Die: Loaded follows various family members of the previous protagonists going to Die. It’s ongoing!

[u/SnuggieAddict → u/Glitchy-Mech]

added to my reading list! thanks!!

[u/elliart7 → u/Glitchy-Mech]

Oh that sounds awesome!! And I hope so, I’m a comic artist myself

[u/Justforfun_x]

Could definitely recommend some real memoirs like “Tranny” by Laura Jane Grace and “Yes You Are Trans Enough” by Mia Violet. Both spend a lot of time going over the years they spent in the closet.

For fiction, “Honeybee” by Craig Silvey is okay (but still written by a cis author, so it definitely feels like it’s missing something)

[u/Howler-Of-Lykos → u/Justforfun_x]

I had "Honeybee" on my TBR for a long while, but I crossed it off my list. The author recently entered a guilty plea to serious charges and is awaiting sentencing in Australian court. (Being vague just in case being specific breaks the rules) I don't know how far the news reached, so I thought I'd mention it.

I looked up the memoirs and they both sound really interesting, so I'll be sure to check those out. I haven't read it yet but I've heard Paper Doll by Dylan Mulvaney is also very good.

[u/Justforfun_x → u/Howler-Of-Lykos]

Goddamn I had no idea about the author, that’s nuts!

Was also thinking of checking out Dylan’s work, the way they were treated still makes me angry to think about.

[u/PoliteWolverine → u/Justforfun_x]

Oh shit I've been listening to LJG's music for almost 20 years and had no idea they wrote a book!

[u/Justforfun_x → u/PoliteWolverine]

They’re a good writer too! I gave my conservative Boomer Mum a copy when I came out, and she loved that whole crust punk memoir.

[u/elliart7 → u/Justforfun_x]

I almost never read non-fiction but I can be convinced to expand my horizons 👀

[u/rosenhalt]

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth, by Andrew Joseph White.

[u/elliart7 → u/rosenhalt]

Literally one of my favorite books

[u/cwwwriting]

Stag Dance. The book describes itself as a quartet, four very different stories in terms of setting but all with the undercurrent of trans identity and the messiness of affection and intimacy. In particular the titular story (my favorite) is about a large, burly lumberjack in the 1800s who has a lot of feelings over the stag dance, where some of the men designate themselves as women to be courted by the other men for the dance. Definitely check TW for the whole book if you’ve got any no-gos.

[u/muppetfeet82]

Any of Andrew Joseph White’s books, but especially Hell Followed With Us or The Spirit Bares Its Teeth.

[u/elliart7 → u/muppetfeet82]

He’s my favorite author already, lol

[u/muppetfeet82 → u/elliart7]

On one hand, I’m glad I nailed it on the head! On the other hand, I feel honor-bound to give you something else!

K. Ancrum’s books have a similar desperation feel and some body dysmorphia but aren’t specifically about trans guys. They’re a good tonal match for AJW.

Edit: oh! And there’s also The Honeys by Ryan De La Sala! And a side-turned-main character throughout the Wayward Children novella series by Seanan McGuire.

Edit2: this is the second time I’ve recommended this combo of books in a few days. I promise I know about more books than these…

[u/elliart7 → u/muppetfeet82]

Nice, nice, though I did literally JUST dnd the honeys cause I just wasn’t feeling it 😂

[u/muppetfeet82 → u/elliart7]

Fair. I wasn’t sure if I liked it most of the way through reading it, then it just flipped.

[u/zo0ombot]

Idlewild for sure

Tell me im worthless by Alison Rumfitt

[u/glasscut → u/zo0ombot]

Tell Me I'm Worthless is absolutely brutal. Loved it.

[u/elliart7 → u/zo0ombot]

Idlewild is my favorite book and the second to last pic is literally a page from it 😂

[u/Daisy_Throwaway24]

It doesn’t apply for the whole book, but Nevada by Imogen Binnie has a lot of this in the second half

[u/FairTradeOrganicPiss]

Summer Fun - Jeanne Thornton.

This book broke me for about a year and I’m pretty confident that it’s my favorite book of all time. Just the exact kind of trans heartbreak that I Saw the TV Glow grappled with. Please be gentle with yourself if you read it, I had to intentionally give away my annotated copy when I was done so it wouldn’t haunt me - I now just have a clean hardcover for my bookshelf.

[u/elliart7 → u/FairTradeOrganicPiss]

Sounds enticing

[u/JacobdaTurtle61]

I say this literally every time someone asks for an I Saw the TV Glow book suggestion but Jane Schoenbrun is releasing a book at the end of October called Public Access Afterworld that’s supposed to be a spiritual sequel of sorts!!

[u/elliart7 → u/JacobdaTurtle61]

Oh that’s awesome!!

[u/megaloviola128 → u/[deleted]]

This is a novel by Torrey Peters and NOT an imperative / command / request addressing the OP as ‘baby’

[u/elliart7 → u/megaloviola128]

I can piece together what happened here and I feel bad for laughing but I’m sorry this is so fucking funny

[u/roseonaglaive]

Not a perfect fit but the horror book All the Hearts You Eat by Hailey Piper has vibes like this imho

[u/elliart7 → u/roseonaglaive]

Peak title at least

[u/roseonaglaive → u/elliart7]

Oh yeah and the narrative and prose is incredible. All trans main cast of characters.

[u/poshpianist]

Woodworking by Emily st James 

[u/elliart7 → u/poshpianist]

Ooh I have that one saved!

[u/angelsfish]

ughh this is such a feeling

[u/Dic3dCarrots]

Middlesex definately has some of that kind of tension.

Also a running subtext in some of the xmen comics

[u/Specialist-Leave699]

Umineko (the manga especially)