NOTE: A version of this review first appeared on Goodreads. —-jeff

“Upon The Midnight Queer” ‘Nathan Burgoine’s New Collection

Reviewed by Jeff Baker

‘Nathan Burgoine’s second short fiction collection “Upon the Midnight Clear,” features a group of short Christmas tales featuring LGBT characters in stories ranging from retellings of classic Christmas stories (“Dolph,” “Frost”) to fully original stories. Many of them first appeared on his blog where his yearly Christmas stories became a holiday tradition. The new collection includes those, some stories published elsewhere and “Folly,” a story first published in “Upon the Midnight Queer.”

Tales range from contemporary romance to a look at one of the characters from “A Christmas Carol” after that story ended to a story set in the Canada of 1981, a very bad year for the LGBT Community there. Characters often have the sort of perceptual gifts that appear frequently in Burgoine’s stories. Romance, while sometimes only hinted at, is present throughout the book, as is social commentary if only from the fact that LGBT people are generally underrepresented in popular fiction. In that, Burgoine is carrying on the tradition of Charles Dickens whose works were peopled with appealing characters and filled with exposure of society’s ills.

Running through it all is Burgoine’s masterful command of the written word, slipping convincingly into the prose styles of earlier times when required. Whatever the era, the words are perfect.

Words like:

I learned fear and bravery are companions and how the fellowship of someone else tipped the scales to bravery’s side every time.

Or:

Holding forever in her hand, she asked for help.

And:

If you live in a garret, you get two views.

Following on the heels of Burgoine’s first collection “Of Echoes Born,” and several holiday romances (not always around Christmas!) “Upon The Midnight Queer” is a welcome addition to any bookshelf.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/220420975-upon-the-midnight-queer