Valerie Estelle Frankel teaches English at Mission College and San Jose City College. The author of more than 90 popular culture books and more than 100 stories and essays, she lives in Sunnyvale, California.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Kai Cheng Thom

Introduction

1. Ordinary World

Secret Identity: The Matrix (Film)

Trapped at Home: Dreadnought (Novel)

Forbidden Desires: Magical Boy (Graphic Novel)

The Call to Escape: The Sunbearer Trials (Novel)

Refusal Through Fear: Shadowhunters (Series)

2. Divine Aid

Human Mentor: Meet Cute Diary (Novel)

Dragon Mentor: "Battlement of Straw" (Short Story)

Otherworldly Mentor: The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Film)

Talisman: Our Flag Means Death (Television)

­Self-Naming: DC's Nubia and the Amazons (Graphic Novel)

Defying the Threshold Guardian: Charmed (Television)

Discovering a New World: The Affair of the Mysterious Letter (Novel)

3. Safety with Others

Haven: Doom Patrol (Television)

Found Family: Dead End: Paranormal Park (Television)

An Uplifting Interlude: Steven Universe (Television)

Finding Allies: Pet (Novel)

4. Challenge and Growth

Partnering the Double: The Witch King (Novel)

Following the Anim Guide: The Prince and the Dressmaker (Graphic Novel)

Loving the Anim: A Lady for a Duke (Novel)

Mirroring: Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Film)

5. Battling Society

Misgendered: Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston (Novel)

Dumped for Being Trans: If I Was Your Girl (Novel)

Threatened: Supergirl (Television)

Forced to Suppress Legitimate Anger: Seven Suspects (Novel)

Punished for Rage: Orange Is the New Black (Television)

6. Underworld Descent

Descent Within and Without: The Watch (Television)

Belly of the Whale: Look Past (Novel)

Supreme Ordeal: No Man of Woman Born (Short Stories)

Tyrant Parent: Funky Dan and the Pixie Dream Girl (Novel)

Shadow as Otherself: Loki (Television)

Sacrifice: Sandman (Graphic Novel)

Rebirth: Birdverse (Series)

Transcendent Treasure: Peter Darling (Novel)

7. Return and Acceptance

Escape with Allies' Aid: Sense8 (Television)

The Tyrant Crumbles: Sort Of (Television)

Public Acknowledgment: Cemetery Boys (Novel)

Master of the Two Worlds: Good Omens (Television)

Freedom to Live? Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars (Novel)

Becoming a Community Elder: Pose (Television)

Teaching the Next Generation: The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (Film)

Final Thoughts

Glossary

Resources

Texts for Beginners

Anthologies and Collections

Children's Picture Books

Children's Middle Grade Fiction

Young Adult/Teen Novels

Works Cited

Primary Sources

Secondary Sources

Index