Laine Dirnberger (@leftielaine) • Collective gay friends app

Laine Dirnberger @leftielaine

🕺🚲 📖 🥾🏕️

Happy Friday 🍻

Rat Bohemia by Sarah Schulman 🐀 📖 🔥 🏝️ 🌲

Dawn by Octavia Butler ⭐️ 3 The world destroys itself & advanced technological aliens save the vestiges of humanity, but humans will never be the same. The first book in the Xenomorph series shows humans will always be stubborn and (un)predictable in their ways. Oh, and there is tentacle porn.

The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester ⭐️ 4 The winner of the first Hugo Award was such a fun read. Fast paced and action packed. My main gripe is that Bester’s depiction of women is clearly a vision of the past, not all that surprising as it was published in 1952, though that itself is no excuse.

The Employees by Olga Ravn ⭐️ 3 I felt there was not much substance until the end, & it never really pulled me in. That being said, it is a great short intermission between books when you don’t want to think too hard.

Rendezvous With Rama by Arthur C. Clarke ⭐️ 4 The first of a series, Clarke is back at it with some good ol’ sci-fi. He keeps enough in the dark, and brings just enough to light to keep you wondering.

Big Joe by Samuel R. Delany ⭐️ 4 NSFW. Short & sweet. Sexy & perverted. Delany describes a piggy polycule and their raunchy way of life (with illustrations). Was I turned on, of course. Was I also turned off at some points, yes. This book is an experience of radical acceptance and radical love.

City of Night by John Rechy ⭐️ 4 There are many books in this vein, though this provides a perspective of the gay male scene across the USA in the 60’s and brings to light a diverse set of characters who’ll pull your heart in many directions. This book has sexual themes, but isn’t sexually explicit.

China Mountain Zhang by Maureen McHugh ⭐️ 4 CMZ primarily follows Zhang, a young gay man, as he navigates social and bureaucratic challenges in a future where China is the superpower and humans have begun to colonize Mars - illustrating the struggles & silver linings of getting through life.

Need to grow out my hair again 💈

Weekend in the woods 🏕️

Twinks vs Dolls IV

Fort Tilden with the boys 🏖️

The Ministry for the Future by Kim S. Robinson ⭐️ 4/5 One of the most captivating first chapters. I enjoyed the main plots / exposition. A few chapters were tedious, but I empathize with the perspectives Robinson forces on the reader. Provides hopeful insight into climate strategies and policy.

Neuromancer by William Gibson ⭐️ 4/5 I love sci-fi published before the advent of major technology & I wish I’d read this before Diaspora by Egan. Gibson hadn’t touched a computer and wrote this with a typewriter. The only detraction is the pace. The beginning was good, but the end was a snowball.

Beloved by Toni Morrison ⭐️ 4.5/5 Took around 50 pages to really get into it, but then I was hooked. This is a haunting ghost story about slavery, morality, community, love, and loss. The closing dialogue in the second to last chapter is among the most emotionally impactful reading I have done.

X by Davey Davis ⭐️ 5/5 XXX, queer, contemporary, subversive, noir, not for the faint of heart. Fitting read for Pride month and the times we find ourselves in!

Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke ⭐️ 5/5 I mean, it’s a classic. The pacing is great, the story is intriguing. Very digestible, and definitely recommend.

Nostalgia by Mircea Cărtărescu ⭐️ 2.5/5 This is a novel for people truly into literature. I was able to enjoy parts, but definitely didn’t get everything out of it I know I could have. It would have been nice to analyze in a class or group setting, but alas, t’was just I.

Playing with flowers 💐

Feast of the Unseen by Lyndon Sullivan Spicer ⭐️ 2.5/5 I enjoyed the buildup and tensions Spicer created in his debut novel(la) because they do feel real and compelling. However, the story itself lacked a certain oomph, leaving me slightly unfulfilled.

Vox by Nicholson Baker ⭐️ 3/5 Silly, lighthearted, erotic (straight). Vox is a book of dialogue where two strangers connect on an adult chat line in the era before internet. This could be transformative for a vanilla hetero, but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend to a seasoned homo.

The Einstein Intersection by Samuel R. Delany ⭐️ 3/5 This mythological mash project piece gave an insight to Delany’s writing where you can feel him reaching a milestone in his storytelling approach. I’d recommend if you love Delany as an author.

Diaspora by Greg Egan ⭐️ 5/5 A wonderfully executed hard sci-fi that honestly was not long enough 🥲 if you are a fan of technical sci-if, this book is a must read. I’ll certainly be checking out his other works in the future.

The Wanderer by Fritz Leiber ⭐️ 3/5 The plot itself has potential and it comes close to being a great read, but it fell short in a few ways.

The Jewels of Aptor by Samuel R. Delany ⭐️ 3/5 The full version of Delany’s first book was a classic sci-fi treat. It was a cute / quick / easy little read and reminded me of LeGuin’s Earthsea. Good option if you want to dip a toe into sci-fi or need something to read on a plane, beach, or park.

Tis the season 🌞

Might have to change coasts Portland, OR 🏔️

Blindness by José Saramago ⭐️ 5/5 What if everyone suddenly began to go blind? What does it mean to be human? Trigger warning for practically everything, but it is done in good taste. It’s haunting, suspenseful, filthy, and hopeful. I was also completely captivated by the writing style.

1. Water plants 2. Water self

Kalpa Imperial by Angélica Gorodischer ⭐️ 4/5 Composed of deep time vignettes of a world beyond scope, this book illustrates the ways in which power is attained, squandered, and shared. If you need a palate cleanser or a vacation read, I’d definitely recommend picking this up.

dhalgren by Samuel R. DeLany ⭐️ 4/5 I loved, and found myself lost in, the cast of characters and their interactions. I’ve also gained more appreciation for this book as time has passed / as I’ve read more of Delany’s work.

Can you guess what team I play for? 🛸

Hosted a ladies brunch and baked an earl grey cake with an orange swiss buttercream

Clocked out 🕞