Things To Read: Changes

I'm not even going to lie. I'm a huge Neil Gaiman fangirl. I am also embarrassingly nerdy when it comes to language. I have a huge hard on for books and paper and font type. I can, and will, talk to you forever about page layouts if you'd like.

So what happens when you get a short story by Neil Gaiman, about the way words change in society, printed in sexy font on real paper? Essentially an inanimate wet dream for Maeve.

The Important Bit

"Changes", by Neil Gaiman, is a very short story about a man who, by inventing a cure for cancer, inadvertently discovers a way to change ones sex over night. While this premise may sound too fantastical for your usual fare, read it anyways. What I took away from it was the way language morphs in society, to the point where what we consider a common, acceptable word ("change") acquires new and forbidden connotations.

When you're done agreeing with me, read this short review for an entirely different take on the story: the way the author handles the concepts of gender, sex, and sexuality from the perspective of a trans reader.

Then come talk to me about it if you like. I think this is a worthwhile (and non time-consuming) addition to any day.