RECORDS OF THE HIGHTOWER MASSACRE

In this dystopian novella, people who don’t fit so-called gender norms are forced to undergo brutal conditioning treatments.

It’s not easy for Black, nonbinary Ash Smith and white, gay trans male Aubrey Tennyson to find employment. The two, who meet at a job fair in an oppressive Midwest confederation in what was once America, diverge from the heterosexual, gender binary society. A recruiter steers the new friends to Hightower, a center that promises to connect them with potential employers. Hightower helps overlooked “people work within the system to find themselves a livelihood and security.” But Ash and Aubrey quickly learn that something is horribly wrong there when they and a small group of others like them wind up trapped in Hightower. The center splits them into male and female groups for “correction”—Aubrey, for example, endures “femininity training.” These sessions entail shocks from a cattle prod or medical device while strapped to a chair. As these vicious acts only escalate in savagery, Ash, Aubrey, and their fellow captives, with some unexpected help, look for a way to escape the tightly locked Hightower and its array of armed guards. The cast of Cooper and Wunn’s novella is superbly diverse. Along with the two leads, there’s pansexual Julia and self-proclaimed “old lesbian” Helen as well as men who don’t abide by the “masculine archetypes” (for example, they aren’t outdoorsy). This timely, relevant plot aptly depicts the harmful effects of a society’s restrictions, as conforming can mean people sadly transforming themselves, from their dress and general demeanors to who they choose to be with. This all unfolds in an increasingly violent and bloody narrative, precipitating scenes that may churn stomachs. At the same time, there aren’t many surprises, especially as readers will anticipate the titular massacre and know who will likely survive it. The final act nevertheless provides a closer look at the dystopian world Ash and Aubrey live in, although this absorbing story stays smartly focused on the harrowing experiences inside Hightower.

A bleak, engrossing tale about diversity and acceptance in a tyrannical future world.