Sex Work anc Cyberpunk

 

I've already talked a little about the short-lived cyberpunk podcast that I was involved with called Mona Lisa Overpod, https://www.iheart.com/podcast/53-mona-lisa-overpod-182995443/

I was the person who ended our run for reasons of my own, but I do regret the fact that we were never able to tackle some of the more interesting proposed episode subjects, like the one of the title of this post. 

Possibly the first time I ran across sex work and sex workers in cyberpunk as more than just background noise was in the independently published American comic book American Flagg, where the hero was an ex-porn star turned cop. The main character, Rueben Flagg, lost his job because he was AI copied and replaced in the films, a problem that might soon be facing any number of Hollywood actors for real, in this, The Worst Timeline.

The cyberpunk of that early era mostly treated sex workers like they did queer folks--as evidence that the world had gone to crap. The background underworld that our hero moved through was DANGEROUS and thus filled with hos and homos, if you will. It was rough as a young queer (with friends who did sex work) in the late 1980s to finally be seeing representation, only to have it be a sign of the impending dystopian apocalypse. 

It's interesting to me that queer (especially trans) protags are still often found in cyberpunk. More often now-a-days, as the story I talked about not long ago "Charlotte Incorporated," when we see LGBTQIA+ characters, they stand in for "the everyman." (<--ironic use here.) So, even though queerness seems to still be intrinsict to dytopian futures, that queerness is at least now centered often in positive ways.

I'm not sure sex workers have yet had their day.

And I say this as someone who has written a cyberpunk story abotu a sex worker (which you can find in the anthology, The Reinvented Detective, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CW569BR1?lv)  

However, tht might be changing...

***

“The Girlfriend Experience” by C. Z. Tacks (Lightspeed, September 2025) https://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/the-girlfriend-experience/

 ***

This story should probably, however, come with some content warnings. The absolutely incredibly crafted opening paragraph does give you a clear picture of what to expect, however:

The company man’s smile showed off his perfect teeth. Evie hated that smile; it meant he was going to kill her again.

What follows is a cyberpunk murder mystery, with the lovely twist that the victim isn't, given this opening, who you might expect... though because of this opening, I did spend much of the story absolutely worried for Evie (a great way to infuse tension and conflict, for those of you out there who are studying the craft of writing.) 

I won't go into the murder mystery too much because I don't want to spoil the exprience for anyone who decides to pick this story up. It is also a new enough story that even regular fans of Lightspeed Magazine might not have had a chance to read it yet. 

Instead, what I found most fascinating is the techological advances proposed for the "oldest profession." A lot of other authors and creators have forseen dolls or skins or holographic projections that sex workers might don in order to become the person you most crave. This is not the first time, I've come across tech that inables a specific kink, but this is possibly the first time that I've seen the enhancement be a non-virtual. This is physical, very hardcore tech.

And you get introduced to it right away. Very viscerally.

I might, in some future post, talk about graphic violence/descriptions in cyberpunk because, in someway, I do think they are part of the aesthetic. I blame, as one must, Blade Runner for this trend/trope. I actually walked out of Blade Runner in the theater because I couldn't take the graphic violence. I later saw the whole movie? But, I missed my chance to be super-cool and be able to say that I first saw it in the theater... because Pris's (speaking of "basic pleasure models") death did me in. To be fair to me, I was underage for an R rated film, not that people much cared back in those days, and I had been stood up on a date. So, I wasn't in the best of moods!

I do have to wonder, however, how much the two are linked, particularly in cyberpunk. 

I mean, sex and violence are obviously a Thing.

Sex is a messy physical process and so is physical violence. Both are considered base instincts--not something that fancy, well-heeled people admit to doing. So, again, in order for a dystopia to feel gritty, dark, and rough sex and violence need to be present, on stage, and as graphic as possible, perhaps?

I don't know. I'm not sure I'm writing these blogs because I have any real answers. I'm mostly writing them to scratch the itch of wanting to explore both cyberpunk and the things I'm currently reading. So, I guess that's all I'll say for now. I did really enjoy "The Girlfriend Experience" particularly for the cleverness of the murder mystery and the resolution therein. So, since I won't spoil that, you'll have to go read it for yourself!

Dress for the Genre You Want to Be

 

“To Access Seven Obelisks, Press Enter” by V.M. Ayala (Lightspeed, August 2025) https://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/to-access-seven-obelisks-press-enter/

My notes on this one say "hot nonbinary hacker brings it all down by corrupting themselves with a memory of their father." 

This short story is probably the sexiest cyberpunk short that I've listened to in a while. Like, not in an about sex way (which this absolutely isn't) but, like, actually hot. 

Our enby protag, Zan, is a lowly tech-worker who, when the story starts, wins the lottery to attend the company's annual gala. We discover as the story progresses, that their "win" was planned as part of a great hack. Zan, we find out, is working in tandem with the mysterious "L," an upper-management mole/corporate traitor and it was L who arranged the invite as part if their heist/hack.

This story also wears the "costume" of cyberpunk very blatantly. This may sound like a complaint or a dis, but it isn't. When I was a co-host on the cyberpunk podcast Mona Lisa Overpod, Ka1iban and I talked a lot about the aesthetics of cyberpunk. There are stories that 100% are cyberpunk in terms of the questions they have, the types of heroes they have, etc.,  that just do not feel like cyberpunk because they don't dress the part. A perfect example of that, to me, is Murderbot Dairies.  We did a whole episode lying out my argument as to why Martha Wells is writing cyberpunk with that series, but conclude, as I agree we had to, that is just isn't, because it doesn't LOOK like cybperpunk.

In "To Access Seven Obelisks, Press Enter," Zan is everything you expect from a cyberpunk protag, including being, in many ways, an undiscovered digital genius. They can create a glass like no one else. "Glass," in this world, is sort of like a simulated reality. I think, and I will be honest I may have misunderstood this, but Zan seems to have cracked the code, as it were, to allow this simulated reality to bleed into our own. If I'm mistaken about this, the bleed is still critical to the hack, in part because it can cause obsessive behaviors that remove someone from the picture, permanently.

If you can't tell, the plot is very plotty in this one and so, having listened to it only, I may be misconstruing critical bits. I'm not sure that much mattered to my enjoyment, though? As I note, the story is hot--the attraction between L and Zan is ultimately the highlight, at least for me? The big revolution is kind of sideline to the question of will they or won't they get together... again, for ME. You should feel free to click the link and check the story out for yourself. I don't think you'll be disappointed, particularly, if you're in the mood for cyberpunk!

Cyberpunk Short Story Thoughts, Continued

 

I've turned into one of those women who colors. I'm not sure I like this new trend because it feels so... suburban white lady. But, my wife and I were at a Craft Swap the other day and I fell in love with a bucket of fancy markers. I do some visual art, but not so much that I actually need a huge collection of markers, so I grabbed an adult coloring book from another table on impulse. 

I have other crafting hobbies that I feel more at home in like handsewing nerdy quilts. But, it's been ridiculously hot here in Minnesota and so I have not felt like sewing a bit heavy quilt. So last night, while listening to "Charlotte Incorporated" I colored pasley-flowered swirls.

"Charlotte Incorporated," by Rachel K. Jones (Lightspeed, February 2016) https://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/charlotte-incorporated/

 

I actually ended up listening to this story twice.  

I have a document file where I keep track of all of the short stories that I've listened to or read so, like with books, I won't accidentally read the same thing twice. Well, somehow "Charlotte Incorporated" evaded my notetaking!  

But that turned out to be okay because I ended up having two very different experiences with this story.

Initially, "Charlotte Incorporated" read to me as a story about not being in the right body and how expensive it is to transition. Our titualar heroine, Charlotte, is a literal brain in a jar (with what amounts to a automated wheelchair to get around in). She has been saving her pennies to be incorporated, which in this case, means having her brain put into a physical body. She puts up with fairly awful living conditions and a job where she gets shoved into a cheap "Henry" body in the meantime. 

This reasonates with me for a lot of REASONS, so it's not surprising that's what I most related to the first time through this story.

When I listened to it again last night, what struck me was the poverty. I think that this story got listed among cyberpunk short stories by the Reddit thread that I found it on because of the absolutely heart-wrenching poverty that Charlotte lives in and the fact that a couple of setbacks have utterly devestating consequences. 

Many of us are Charlotte in this last regard. Maybe not everyone can strongly relate to body dysphoria, but a shocking number of us know what it's like to 1) live with subpar equipment, etc., and 2) have the kind of financial existance where we are one car accident from total collapse. 

Right now, in fact, I'm composing this journal on a computer that I spilled coffee on several months ago. This has resulted in a glitch that--especially on humid days--causes a sticky key reaction and my keyboard will just produce a bunch of 6s all in a row. I was already using a wireless keyboard on this computer because half of the laptop's original keys are borked or missing.  And, laptops aren't even all that expensive for most people? I'm especially hard on my laptops, so I tend to be a bit cautious about just buying another one like it's no big deal, because I can not afford to replace my laptop that often. So I just live with it. And will do until money falls into my lap or the laptop finally, completely gives up the ghost.

In that way, I'm like Charlotte with her scuffed dome and wearing-out parts. 

And it's all so cyberpunk, you know? So dystopian, the way many of us have just learned to live with subpar or glitching products. Our society is so consumer-based, yet as Cory Doctorow noted there is a grand "enshitification" of the products we buy. Three years ago my Amazon Prime subscription bought me ad-free streaming. Now? Now, I just have to put up with interruptions. My once ad-free podcasts are interrupted by ads promoting AI or cars I can't afford or weightloss miracles--as are my YouTube videos, etc. There's this "what can we do?" attitude about it all, too. Like Charlotte, we just deal with the squeaky wheel because that's all we can afford, even as we hold onto this false dream of escaping our current socio-economic class, if we can just, somehow, save enough or make enough.

The ending of this one, which I will not spoil, is interesting in that it ends on a moral high note. The situation Charlotte is somewhat improved, but the real victory is a moral one. 

So, if you're intregued, check it out.

Trying Something New

 I was recently reminded that I have this blogspot blog keyed to show up on Goodreads. 

I don't really take advantage of that fact much. Heck, I barely remember to post anything at all. Part of that is where I am in my career, which is to say.. it's largely over. I'm not really writing much these days so it's not like I really need something like this for publicity's sake. 

But you know what journals like this used to be and what Goodreads often still is? Community.

And who doesn't need community? 

Lately, I've been on a short story kick. So, I'm thinking that this might be a place where I keep track of the short stories I'm reading (or, often, listening to). I might give a little review or just generally post a few thoughts on the story's theme or whatever. 

Because, why not? 

If you're interested, great. If not, this will be a nice little reference for me.

I'm going to start with a set of two that I listened to last night. 

• “RedChip BlueChip” by Effie Seiberg (Crossed Genres, June 2015) https://escapepod.org/2016/12/01/ep552-redchip-bluechip/, and
• “The Perfect Match” by Ken Liu (Lightspeed, December 2012) https://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/the-perfect-match/

Both of these (arguably) cyberpunk stories are about The Algoritm, all caps. 

In "RedChip BlueChip" we follow fifteen year-old Mikila, on their birthday, the day that their brand loyalty is chosen for them with the insertion of a bio-wired chip (either Red or Blue). In "The Perfect Match" we follow Sai who is so plugged into a (not-so-distant) future version of Alexa that she makes all of his decisions for him, even who he might date. 

Book Club Zoom August 11 at 7 pm

North Country Gaylaxians is a local queer book club that has its meeting s online. So, you, my friends, can join this discussion with me on Tuesday, August 11th at 7 pm (Central) about Welcome to Boy. Net from anywhere in the world, if you are so inclined. The link to the Zoom is not up yet, but I will post it when I know it, or you can follow the North Country Gaylaxians on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/NorthCountryGaylaxians/

It's always a little awkward as an author to drop-in on these kinds of discussions because I feel like my presence makes it somewhat difficult for the people who did not necessarily enjoy (or would like to critique some specific aspect of) the book to say so. But, maybe you have been burning to talk to me--or other fans!--about my most recent book? This is your chance! Put it on your calendar! As I note, I'll be sure to pass on the Zoom link as soon as its available. (I might recommend that if you do not want to miss this to go ahead and email David whose icloud address appears above.)

There's at least one typo on this flyer. I see that they accidentally have 2024 insteadof 2026 for their upcoming discussions. I did not design this? It's a little busier than I might have made this, but the Gaylaxians are 100% volunteer run, so I hope you will afford them a little grace. I have been to their discussions before and they're quite lively and engaging. So, there's that, if not perfect advertisement.

I am, as I'm sure it will come up in the discussion, quite stalled on the sequel. If you come, I'm sure I'll have a lot to say about all that.

Hope to see some of you there!

Minnesota NoICE

 https://www.patreon.com/posts/minnesota-noice-156554358

Naomi Kritzer, Marissa Lingen, J. R. Dawson and I talk about everything that's been happening in Minnesota to resist ICE... and, of course, our writing, too.

Pride StoryBundle

 

From my editors

THE 2025 PRIDE BUNDLE

The 2025 Pride Bundle - Curated by Catherine Lundoff and Melissa Scott

It's Pride again, and time for another queer-themed bundle! At a time when the community is once again under threat, we felt it was more important than ever to showcase the work and the writers that celebrate us. We looked for books that show queerness in all its complexity, with stories that range from pure adventure to profoundly serious, and from across the range of identities that make up our whole. We looked for stories that showcased the many and complex forms that queerness takes — the many ways that we have chosen to be. We looked for stories that engage with threats to the queer world, and for stories that imagine what we might be without threats, for stories that celebrate our joy and our resilience.

And we're pleased to say that we have found those stories, and more. If anything, the hardest part of curating this bundle was narrowing down the field: there are so many writers out there creating intelligent, nuanced, queer science fiction and fantasy that it's incredibly hard to choose among them. This is not to claim that this is a definitive LGBTQIA+ collection — given the ever-growing amount of stellar queer writing being published, we're not sure that's even possible. Instead, we thought of the bundle as a sampler, or perhaps a tasting menu. It includes novels, novellas, single author collections, and anthologies; the genres range from fantasy mysteries to cyberpunk to far future to post apocalyptic fantasy. There are newer works and writers, and some older work you may have missed when it first appeared. It's your chance to read work by some of the best writers working today.

StoryBundle has always allowed its patrons to donate part of their payment to a related charity, and this year we're once again supporting Rainbow Railroad, a NGO that helps LGBTQ+ people escape state-sponsored persecution and violence worldwide. Their work is needed now more than ever, and if you choose, you can pass on part of the bundle's price to them — a gift that can save a life. – Catherine Lundoff and Melissa Scott

* * *

For StoryBundle, you decide what price you want to pay. For $5 (or more, if you're feeling generous), you'll get the basic bundle of four books in .epub format—WORLDWIDE.

•            The Map and the Territory by A.M. Tuomala

•            We're Here - The Best Queer Speculative Fiction 2023 edited by Darcie Little Badger and series editor Charles Payseur

•            Point of Dreams by Melissa Scott and Lisa A. Barnett

•            These Fragile Graces, This Fugitive Heart by Izzy Wasserstein

 

If you pay at least the bonus price of just $25, you get all four of the regular books, plus TEN more books, for a total of 14!

•            Be the Sea by Clara Ward

•            Fallen by Melissa Scott

•            A Necessary Chaos by Brent Lambert

•            Luminescent Machinations by Rhiannan Rasmussen and dave ring

•            Fairs' Point by Melissa Scott

•            So You Want to be A Robot by Merc Fenn Wolfmoor

•            Price of a Thousand Blessings by Ginn Hale

•            Reforged by Seth Haddon

•            Welcome to Boy.Net by Lyda Morehouse

•            Power to Yield by Bogi Takács

 

This bundle is available only for a limited time via http://www.storybundle.com. It allows easy reading on computers, smartphones, and tablets as well as Kindle and other ereaders via file transfer, email, and other methods. You get a DRM-free .epub for all books!

It's also super easy to give the gift of reading with StoryBundle, thanks to our gift cards – which allow you to send someone a code that they can redeem for any future StoryBundle bundle – and timed delivery, which allows you to control exactly when your recipient will get the gift of StoryBundle.

Why StoryBundle? Here are just a few benefits StoryBundle provides.

•            Get quality reads: We've chosen works from excellent authors to bundle together in one convenient package.

•            Pay what you want (minimum $5): You decide how much these fantastic books are worth. If you can only spare a little, that's fine! You'll still get access to a batch of exceptional titles.

•            Support authors who support DRM-free books: StoryBundle is a platform for authors to get exposure for their works, both for the titles featured in the bundle and for the rest of their catalog. Supporting authors who let you read their books on any device you want—restriction free—will show everyone there's nothing wrong with ditching DRM.

•            Give to worthy causes: Bundle buyers have a chance to donate a portion of their proceeds to Rainbow Railroad!

•            Receive extra books: If you beat the bonus price, you'll get the bonus books!

 

StoryBundle was created to give a platform for independent authors to showcase their work, and a source of quality titles for thirsty readers. StoryBundle works with authors to create bundles of ebooks that can be purchased by readers at their desired price. Before starting StoryBundle, Founder Jason Chen covered technology and software as an editor for Gizmodo.com and Lifehacker.com.

For more information, visit our website at storybundle.com, tweet us at @storybundle and like us on Facebook