Sarah has twenty story segments to her credit, in two serials and three
self-contained works. Except for "Princess Hope," the works use a science
fiction theme to facilitate changes from male to female. Two, "Generic Brand
Hero" and "Fem Corps" use DNA manipulation as the device, the first
accidental, the other intentional. The "Snuggle Bunny" stories use an alternate
universe portal. Even in "Princess Hope," the magic is more of potions than
spells or totems, thereby having a science fiction feel.
There are several consistencies in Sarahs works. The stories pay more attention
to the transformation process than typical TG fiction with a focus on result. Sarahs
heroines make the description Reubenesque sound miserly. Huge breasts and
prodigious milk production are inevitable features, along with the requisite pregnancy and
birthing. Sarahs writing is consistently literate, although too often a bit too
self-conscious. Since a woman's function is to give birth, the female characters, by birth
or transformation, tend to be vapid, hormone driven, sex maniacs. Sarahs female
character are not going to win plaudits from even traditional generic females.
Most of Sarahs leads are bumbling incompetents as males. They have no big urge to
become female, nor do they seem to be terribly bothered by the prospect. The repeated
theme is if the hero is a flop as a male, they can at least be a success as a female.
Especially a female with an imagined fifties mindset. If you can recall Carol
Burnetts bumbling secretary crossed with Hollywoods Jane Mansfield dumb
blonde, youve got the idea.
In "Generic Brand Hero," the boob is supposed to undergo a cultural change.
The cultural change is really to fat rather than black. True cultural change
stories are extremely difficult. Few of us know more than one culture in sufficient
sympathetic detail to do it well. "Generic Female" has interest for becoming
used to being a heavy female, but being black has no effect other than on cuisine.
"Fem Corps" is Sarahs most ambitious work, with several subplots
helping fill the time between the transition and birth. There are many imaginative twists,
so many that the feeling grows that Sarahs self-assigned task between parts was to
come up with a new twist, much as in the old Saturday serials. With changing friends,
relationship twists, and a female just this side of Cruella deVille, it describes quite
nicely as a pot boiler. The heroines emotional changes are apparently of the magic
wand variety, as in all a good woman needs is a good man. Uh-huh. Sudden shifts
in relationships and authority levels just breeze along, not unnoted, but resolved quicker
than you can say, "Cut to a commercial!" This story received many positive
comments, the twists definitely kept up interest from post to post.
"Snuggle Bunny" contains several logic problems, severe enough to cause that
figurative head snap. Once again characters who would have to struggle to be called
pathetic are to have their lives remade. The best laid plans aft agang aglay and
this set hasnt time for best laid. Unfortunately, neither does the author,
sliding off into cackling hens and other non-human results.
Sarah liked "Snuggle Bunny" so much, she couldnt resist a sequel.
Its more focused, with a stronger premise for a long transition process. By dropping
the alternate reality back to the fifties, it is not effectively used to explore
differences between male and female. Not that there arent attempts, but women are
still posited to be brainless, so theres little to explore beyond physical side
effects.
Sarahs last effort, "Princess Hope" tries a different tact, at least
superficially. Instead of the fifties we have feudal times. Instead of Sci-fi, we have
magic. Instead of a hapless hero, we have a studly male, threatened with doom to others to
consent to being transformed. What we still have is a shrinking form with huge breasts, a
hormonally diminished capacity, and milk production that would displace whole herds of
Guernsey dairy cows.
Sarahs writing shows flashes of wit and intelligence, laden with plot twists.
Unfortunately interfering with a good read, Sarah is rather too taken with her own
efforts, shown in part by intrusive author comments. There is a substantial difference of
effect between an author as narrator or as hero and narrator commenting on the action, and
an author trying to do a Woody Allen insert. Its annoying enough when Woody does it.
It only really works in a few Looney Tunes cartoons where viewers are not asked to suspend
disbelief. Compound this with a repeated disdain for women other than as wombs, and I
wonder why Sarah writes in this genre. Undeniably there is talent, but I doubt this is the
outlet for it.