Strange Horizons, Jan. 16, 2012

“Recognizing Gabe: un cuento de hadas” by Alberto Yáñez

Reviewed by Jo-Anne Odell
 
“Recognizing Gabe: un cuento de hadas” by Alberto Yáñez is a feel-good vignette about how a transgendered teen is accepted by his traditional Mexican family, and what happens when his fairy godmother comes to visit.

This is an innocuous bit of literary fluff.  Devoid of plot, it uses misdirection in place of character transformation, but is nicely written, and short enough not to be arduous.  The tale’s claim to being speculative fiction is weak but valid, and only apparent in the last part of the story.