Infect Your Friends and Loved Ones

Infect Your Friends and Loved Ones takes place in a near-future where an engineered virus has eliminated the body's ability to produce hormones naturally. The population must now take synthetic hormones to survive, effectively making everyone's gender expression a matter of choice. The story centers on the relationship between two trans women who navigate this new reality while confronting their own complex dynamics. Their individual responses to the societal changes reveal deep conflicts about identity, bodily autonomy, and the nature of transition itself. The novella tracks how the characters move through a transformed world where traditional boundaries between cis and trans have been dismantled by force. The narrative focuses on intimate moments between the characters while the broader implications of the virus play out in the background. Through its speculative premise, the book examines questions about gender, medical access, and the ethics of forcing universal experiences onto others. The work engages with themes of power, choice, and the price of radical change.

Readers note the raw, unflinching portrayal of transgender experiences and complicated relationships. The novella's short length (40 pages) delivers an intense emotional impact in a concentrated format. Liked: - Sharp, honest writing style - Examination of friendship dynamics and chosen family - Portrayal of trans characters' inner conflicts - Strong metaphors around infection and transition Disliked: - Some found the infection metaphor heavy-handed - Character motivations unclear at times - Wanted more development and backstory - Content warnings needed for body horror elements Ratings: Goodreads: 4.21/5 (1,900+ ratings) StoryGraph: 4.25/5 (450+ ratings) Reader Quote: "Peters captures the messy reality of transition and relationships in a way few authors manage. The writing is brutal but beautiful." - Goodreads reviewer "The pandemic parallels hit differently now, but the core themes about identity and autonomy remain powerful." - StoryGraph user

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Little Fish by Casey Plett This story follows a trans woman discovering her Mennonite grandfather might have been trans, weaving together themes of identity, family history, and community.

Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters The complex dynamics between a trans woman, her detransitioned ex, and a cis woman illuminate the intricacies of gender, parenthood, and relationships.

Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl by Andrea Lawlor The protagonist's ability to shapeshift between genders serves as a vehicle to explore gender fluidity and queer identity in 1990s punk scenes.

A Safe Girl to Love by Casey Plett These interconnected stories present trans women navigating love, friendship, and daily life across various North American settings.

🦋 Author Torrey Peters first self-published this novella as a free PDF before it gained wider recognition and led to her breakthrough novel "Detransition, Baby" 📚 The novella explores a dystopian future where a virus forces everyone to undergo hormone replacement therapy, turning the concept of "forced feminization" on its head 💫 Peters wrote this work specifically for a trans audience, rather than trying to explain trans experiences to cisgender readers 🎯 The story was inspired by real conversations among trans women about what would happen if everyone had to experience gender transition 🌟 The book challenges conventional pandemic narrative tropes by presenting forced medical transition as potentially liberating rather than apocalyptic, offering a unique perspective on bodily autonomy and gender identity