Welcome to another book essay from Robin! Thank you Case Aiken, who receives a monthly Patron shoutout.
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This essay contains spoilers for SHADES AND SILVER by Dax Murray.
Many attempts at gender allegories in fantasy (or sci-fi) fall apart because they try to replicate binary gender in an attempt at gender essentialism in different trappings. SHADES AND SILVER deftly avoids this by starting without gender and then never focusing on it.