The Refrigerator Monologues

The Refrigerator Monologues by Catherynne M. Valente, 147 pages

Twenty-odd years ago, comics writer Gail Simone coined the term "women in refrigerators," referring to the women who are killed off, maimed, or otherwise destroyed in comics simply for the purpose of propelling the superhero's story (one of them actually did end up in a refrigerator, hence the terminology). The Refrigerator Monologues takes those women out of their proverbial refrigerators and lets them tell their stories, which are unsurprisingly full of intelligence, power, common sense, and an underlying current of seething rage at the men in their lives.

Valente created her own superhero world as a backdrop for these stories, though the women and their stories are obviously avatars for real arcs in superhero comics. I enjoyed Valente's creative names and sharp humor, as well as her powerfully wielded anger. This was a lot of fun, and I can't wait to read more of Valente's work. It'll be interesting to see what the Orcs & Aliens book group thinks of this one. :)