Torrey Peters follows up her all conquering novel ‘Destransition, Baby’ with another book that puts the experience of trans women up front and centre. ‘Stag Dance’ is made up of four separate stories, the longest of which is the titular tale. Set in the early part of the 20th century, it concerns a group of lumberjacks who are working for an illegal logging outfit. It’s backbreaking work but, to raise spirits, the owner of the operation promises the men a winter dance. There are no women on hand, so some of the men volunteer to doll themselves up, some with more relish than others. The other stories detail a future world after a gender apocalypse; a boarding-school romance; and a Las Vegas party weekend among trans women and cross-dressers that takes a decidedly dark turn. I didn’t much care for the future tale, but Peters’ fizzy prose throughout is both insightful and cuttingly funny. RM

Published by Serpent's Tail