Queer Eye for the Crime Tale

In 2023, a study of thirty major crime fiction anthologies revealed A disturbing figure: of the 517 stories published, fewer than one percent were written by LGBTQ+ authors. That statistic speaks volumes—not only about ongoing exclusion in publishing, but about whose stories are deemed worthy of telling. Enter Crime Ink: Iconic, a new anthology co-edited by award-winning novelist John Copenhaver and Bywater Books publisher Salem West. A vibrant and unapologetic collection of crime fiction stories inspired by queer icons—James Baldwin, Radclyffe Hall, Candy Darling, Oscar Wilde, Megan Rapinoe, Laverne Cox, and more—Crime Ink offers a necessary course correction for a genre that has historically sidelined queer voices.

The stories in this book are so compelling and so necessary, now more so than ever. We’re up against a regime whose primary and most devastating weapon has been the deliberate and systematic devaluing of empathy. There is a concerted effort underway to censor our voices, to restrict or eliminate access to our books in schools and public libraries and to label stories based on our lived experiences as “woke propaganda,” inherently obscene, or even pornography.

These two things are not separate, but intimately connected. Because nothing builds empathy like reading and sharing stories. You can’t see people as vermin to be eliminated if you’re allowed to see the world through their eyes.

I’m not talking about Manic Pixie Dream Gays who fart rainbow glitter and make “normal” people’s lives more fabulous, either. The characters you’ll find in this book are complicated, flawed, flesh and blood human beings.

So, if you’re queer and hungry for stories that resonate and make you feel seen at a time when it seems like the whole world is conspiring to erase you, this book is for you. But I really hope that people who don’t think they have anything in common with these characters will check it out too.

-- Christa Faust

Sex Workers in Crime Fiction: Sex Work is Work

Christa Faust: 

When I realized that I was probably never gonna get the chance to moderate my sex worker protagonist panel at any of the big crime writer conventions we all attend each year, I decided to take matters into my own hands. One of the writers I would have wanted to participate in that theoretical discussion is the wryly observant, fearlessly outspoken and wildly prolific Greg Herren. Seriously, I think he wrote three novels in the time it took me to type this intro, but he still took the time to share his thoughts on this topic.

Greg Herren:

I grew up in a very conservative family. Sex and sexuality were dirty dark secrets to never be discussed. Being a gay child born into this kind of environment, I had some serious hang-ups and issues around sex and my sexuality that took years to unpack and unlearn and finally let go of as I came into my own as a gay adult male in a homophobic, sex-stigmatizing society.

As I often like to remind people, of course the American society has issues about sex and sexuality. The country was originally colonized by Puritans, and that puritanical mentality carried over to sex and sex work.

This stigmatization, this refusal of Americans to feel free to talk openly about sex and sexuality, has led to some repression — women, queer people, people of color, and most especially of sex workers, who are often demonized and rarely appear in crime fiction as anything more dimensional than a stereotype, and certainly never as a fully developed, complex character. Sex workers, or those who did the work in their past, are always stigmatized; how many times has a soap opera heroine had her life ruined when her past as a sex worker was exposed? And they were never really given any back story about the sex work — it was always depicted as degrading, humiliating, something they should be ashamed of, and the good decent people of the town should shun her for her horrific past.

And how many times have we seen the proverbial hooker with a heart of gold? While it could be said these are more positive portrayals of sex workers than we usually see, it’s still a stereotype — she’s clearly a good girl gone bad for some reason.

We Need Diverse Books (by Christa Faust)

Speaking of books, if you’re reading this you probably already know about The Get Off, but did you know I’ve also got a brand spanking new short story coming out in September? I’m proud, honored and thrilled to be included in John Copenhaver and Salem West’s new anthology Crime Ink: Iconic!

In 2023, out of 517 stories published in major crime anthologies, fewer than 1% were written by LGBTQ+ authors.

Crime Ink: Iconic is a necessary course correction.

This bold new collection gathers crime stories inspired by queer icons—James Baldwin, Radclyffe Hall, Megan Rapinoe, Oscar Wilde, Candy Darling, and more—spanning the full spectrum of the genre: noir, cozy, psychological thriller, procedural.

With a foreword by Ellen Hart and an afterword by Katherine V. Forrest, the anthology is both a celebration and a call to action.

Featuring stories by:

Ann Aptaker, Chris Bollen, Marco Carocari, Katrina Carrasco, John Copenhaver, Meredith Doench, Margot Douaihy, Diana DiGangi, Christa Faust, Kelly J. Ford, Katherine V. Forrest, Stephanie Gayle, Robyn Gigl, Cheryl Head, Greg Herren, Renee James, Anne Laughlin, Kristen Lepionka, Mia Manansala, Jeff Marks, Ann McMan, Penny Mickelbury, David Pederson, JM Redmann, Jeffrey Round, & Baxter Clare Trautman

Published by Bywater Books.

If you preorder a copy of Crime Ink: Iconic or buy a copy of The Get Off from an independent bookstore of your choice (including bookshop.org) and email me your receipt dated between April 26 and May 3, I’ll donate 5 bucks to We Need Diverse Books.

Because in dark times like these, we all need diverse books. Now more than ever.

(Originally posted at https://buttondown.com/christafaust/archive/we-need-diverse-books/)

[Link] On Dames and Dark Cities

by Christa Faust

They called me a femme fatale in the media, back when that Jesse Black fiasco went down. Most people have no idea what it really means. Most people think it means badass with tits, but that’s not it at all. A real femme fatale is a villain, and I always thought of myself as a hero. At least I tried to be.

Turned out they were right.

That’s the opening of my new novel THE GET OFF. It’s the last in the Angel Dare series and represents the end of an era. For her and for me. Telling her story has been a significant and transformative part of my life for more than a decade. It’s the thing that defined me, the thing that I was and am the most proud of.

It’s also in the rearview mirror now. Which leaves me feeling a little bit melancholy but also very excited to see what kinda trouble I can get into next.

By some cosmic coincidence, the theme of this year’s Noir City Festival is “femmes who made Film Noir fatale.” It’s a dynamite lineup of flicks that highlight the genre’s top actresses, many of whom are also featured in the new, expanded edition of Dark City Dames by Eddie Muller.

Read the full article: https://buttondown.com/christafaust/archive/on-dames-and-dark-cities/

[Link] Wordless

(Originally Posted on December 30, 2021. It's older, but still well worth a read for when you feel the words are broken and just won't make their way to the page.)

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by Christa Faust

It’s Been A Year. Again. Next year looks to be more of the same and then some. But this isn’t one of those “how about that 2021?” Happy Fucking New Year type of posts.

I want to talk about not talking. Or more specifically, not writing.

Something has happened to me over the past couple of years. Something I can’t seem to put into words. Because that’s the problem. My words. They seem… broken.

We have all been playing this fun (not actually fun) game over the interminable eternity of this Fucking Pandemic. The options may be different on each person’s list, but the underlying multiple choice shuffle is the same.

Why am I like this right now?

Read the full article: https://christafaust.com/wordless/

10 Comic Books by Women You Really, Really Need to Read!

Fantastic creator-owned or non-mainstream comic books written by women who aren't Gail Simone (not that there's anything wrong with Gail, but she'd be the first to tell you she's far from the only mondo-talented woman in comic books). These are books from a few years ago and books from now, and books from even more than a few years ago still worth reading...

The Book of Mer -- Afua Richardson

Simply, breathtakingly beautiful book. Perhaps one of the finest comics artists working today. Afua has done beautiful work for others, and it's a joy to see her telling her original mermaid story here. 

Monstress -- Marjorie Liu

Another epic tale of looking past the surface of situations and people. This dark fantasy is full of longing and wonder. 

Pretty Deadly -- Kelly Sue DeConnick

Cerebral, oddball fantasy that really crosses a lot of genres. It's a sci-fi, western, fantasy, dystopian, utopian nightmare as only Kelly Sue can create it.

Grindhouse/Grindhouse Drive-In, Bleed Out -- Alex De Campi

Perhaps the best anthology to come out since the old Witching Hour and House of Secrets/Mysteries books. A little bit of many genres cover covered, from horror to sci-fi to exploitation to you name it, and all with the best kind of drive-in style.

Go-Girl -- Trina Robbins

People who said there weren't any fun, awesome books for girls must have never seen this phenomenal book. She flies, that's it, but it's also a story about kids and parents, generational issues, fun adventures, and super cute art. 

Peepland -- Christa Faust

Perhaps her only bio says it best, "A Veronica in a world of Bettys." And it shows. Any work Christa touches feels the special kind of grimy only she can deliver. But it's totally the best kind of grimy. 

Lady Killer -- Joëlle Jones

This is the pulpy masterpiece I wish I had written. Housewife by day, assassin by night. She can bring home the bacon and kill her prey with a pan. The weaker sex?! I don't think so. 

Relative Heroes -- Devon Grayson

Fun, super-hero action that really deserved broader attention. Grayson's super-powered family of adolescents tours the DC Universe and learns to get along with each other, It's the super hero version of "ohana means family."

Cairo -- G. Willow Wilson

Writing a book this good is how you land sweet Ms. Marvel and Wonder Woman gigs. Breathtaking story. Beautiful art. Literature told in pictures. One of the best graphics to come out in years. 

Elfquest -- Wendy Pini

The original and still the highpoint for classic fantasy comic books. I originally didn't include this on the list because I figured it was already so well known. 

[Link] From the Pulps to Modern Blockbusters: A Brief History of Noir & Neo-Noir

by Dustin LaValley

Neo-noir (from the Greek neo, which means new; and the French noir, meaning black) is a contemporary dark fiction subgenre with long roots in publishing and film history. It can be found in many different genres, including drama, fantasy, sci-fi and horror. In recent years, we’ve seen it in feature films (Blade Runner 2049, Road to Perdition), TV (Westworld, Better Call Saul) comic books (Southern Bastards, Kill or Be Killed) and novels (Gone Girl, Penny Dreadful). I spoke with Road to Perdition author Max Allan Collins, comic book writer Christa Faust, and crime author Gary Phillips about the ever-popular subgenre.

“Noir is a term that derives from the French Série Noire publications,” said Collins, referring to an imprint based in Paris that released hardboiled detective thrillers. Collins credits American writers like James M. Cain, Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler and Mickey Spillane with promulgating the genre.

Noir’s roots can be found in the hard-boiled crime fiction of the pulps — cheaply made magazines that saw record sales during the Great Depression and the beginning of World War II.

In the 1920s and ’30s, when readers could go to the newsstand to pick up a copy of a crime pulp, such as Black Mask, they’d discover private detectives with a penchant for alcohol, trench coats and fedoras. They’d find gangsters with pistols, cold eyes and hot tempers. They’d be immersed in shadowy atmospheres, and they’d meet male characters preoccupied with mysterious, seductive women known as femme fatales. Commonly written in first-person, the stories often highlighted the real-world issues of the prohibition years.

Due to a paper shortage during World War II, publishing costs rose and the pulps failed to make a profit. By the end of the war, many publications were closing their doors.

Meanwhile, however, other mediums flourished — especially film. Books like The Postman Always Rings Twice, The Big Sleep and Thieves Like Us were adapted to film noir in the mid to late ’40s. Under budget and time constraints, filmmakers used ingenuity to create a style that produced the core elements of film noir. Collins said, “The ’40s black-and-white crime films that most identify as noir had to do with cost-cutting — using dramatic lighting effects to disguise scant sets — but also are heavily influenced by popular crime writers.”

In addition to financial constraints, filmmakers were limited by the Hays Code of 1930. The code restricted or outright banned perverse terminology as well as sexual acts between unmarried, interracial, or same-sex couples. To get around this, filmmakers implied off-screen scenes of violence and sexual content that would’ve otherwise broken the code. This gave rise to the voiceover narrative in a dim, smoky setting, which became iconic characteristics of film noir.

Read the full article: https://www.crixeo.com/neo-noir/

The Writer Will Take Your Questions Now (#240) -- Writers Read Writers

Which writers would you most recommend for 

other writers to read to strengthen their own writing?

Every writer I know will have different responses for this, but the writers who most inspire and teach me the craft are:

 
1. Ernest Hemingway

 
2. Ed McBain


3. Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

 
4. Gabriel Garcia Marquez

 
5. Annie Dillard


6. Ray Bradbury

7. Christa Faust


8, Langston Hughes


9. Flannery O'Connor


10. Richard Hugo

[Link] Mistress Christa's Ten Rules to Write Noir

by Christa Faust Before I start, let me make one thing clear. I love noir. I read it. I watch it. But I don't really write it. The majority of my crime fiction is more hardboiled than noir. I may not be a noir writer, but I am a bossy bitch who loves telling people what to do. So when Benoit Lelievre of Dead End Follies contacted me about this deal, I figured why the hell not. To that end, here's my ten rules. Not ten rules to write the kind of book I write. Ten rules to write the kind of book I'd want to read.  1. Be a good writer. Learn your craft. Build up your chops. Because you can run the classic noir laundry list and hit all the genre sweet spots but if you suck, the book will suck. Period. Conversely, you can break every other rule on this list and then some and if you're good, your readers won't give a damn.

2. Character matters. The best noir fiction isn't about the heist, or the murder, or the dope deal. It's about the way people come undone. If your characters are cardboard, then their unraveling will be meaningless.

Continue reading: http://www.deadendfollies.com/2011/05/christa-fausts-ten-rules-to-write-noir.html

BUY THIS BOOK! -- Choke Hold by Christa Faust

 
Buy this book!

I'm recommending this one without having read it yet, based purely on the sheer awesomeness of the previous volume by the uber-talented Ms. Faust. If you haven't read Money Shot, click over to Amazon and buy that one now. Money Shot was easily my favorite book of the year when I read it in early 2009. I've been waiting forever for this follow-up adventure featuring Angel Dare. Needless to say, it's already on my Christmas list.