Past the Dark Field”- A Thought-Provoking Collection of Stories

Spoiler-free review: 

The book has 11 short stories about 11 different people. Each story is from the perspective of the title character. I didn’t have any exceptions when diving into the door. I was completely surprised by certain elements like the characters coming from a diverse array of life – from highschooler, mothers, babysitters, out-patient clients, and a priest just to name a couple. It’s something which I liked quite a lot because it shows how diverse the MAP demographic is which I think is important for people to understand. Some of the characters were self-loathing, some were depressed with their attraction, some were content with their attraction and lived a successful and happy life. A few of the stories had sad endings or bittersweet but some were happy for the character. I did find some of the stories to have dragged on a little too long but other than that I had no issues. There was another segment in the book which was a fictional MAP chat room. This was another part of the book I was surprised by. I think having this literary element is fantastic because forum use is how MAPs usually communicate with each other. Throughout the book there is progression of the characters in the chat room lives and just them chit-chatting. I could imagine some of those things being said in a real chat room. The book in general has a good vivid imagery. Overall it was an enjoyable book to read and I recommend to anyone, especially nons* that are interested in getting a grasp of what the MAP demographic is like.