What can we look for when we read stories of collapse and apocalypse while the world is on fire? It’s hard to know at first glance—perhaps, a map? Or a blueprint. Something to guide us forward, take us out of this mess. Reflections on the end of the world and its aftermath have been a crucible leading to so many incredible narratives that give those possible blueprints: Tank Girl and Mad Max: Fury Road, yes, but also The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin, Blackfish City by Sam J. Miller, and Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler.

These stories show us that the end is not simply a dark road leading to more grit and doom. In that tradition, Glitter + Ashes: Queer Tales of a World That Wouldn’t Die is an anthology centering queer joy and community in the face of disaster, via the amplified horrors of our current trajectory as well as more haunted and sinister ills. We set out from the beginning to find scraps of hope in every ruined future, knowing that queer folks, especially those with less access to sociocultural capital, often must learn to find meaning within the fractures of all manner of broken terrain. Yes, you’ll read stories of folks learning how to get by, how to survive. You’ll also read stories of folks learning to love themselves, learning how to find one another in the darkness, and learning how to stand up for each other. Making something stronger and more beautiful.

I am grateful to be able to share the roleplaying game Dream Askew by Avery Alder with you at the end of the anthology. Dream Askew forgoes dice and uses shared authority to explore the collapse through a queer enclave. It’s a compelling, thoughtful system and I hope it gives you an opportunity to live and breathe the sort of stories that can become blueprints of your own.

If this summer has taught me anything, it is that there is beauty and power in refusing to back down, especially in the face of seemingly unassailable opposition. Even when the world is on fire. I’m humbled and inspired by the stories in Glitter + Ashes. Each of them is a bright torch against the cold night. Bear witness to their resilience and determination. Hear their laughter, and raise your fists with them.

May they give you the same solace they did me. May that solace be a commitment to nurture scraps of hope, glittering and fragile, amidst the ashes of today, not some uncertain future. Refuse to back down. And if joy is missing, may we come together to make it ourselves.

dave ring

June 2020

Washington, DC

On unceded Nacotchtank & Piscataway land