12 - The Chosen and the Bi-eautiful

Never the Twins Shall Meet

This week, Pie and Lulu discuss Nghi Vo’s novel The Chosen and the Beautiful, a history fantasy retelling of The Great Gatsby starring Jordan Baker. Topics include the way Vo integrates magic into the classic novel, Jordan’s adaptational identity as a bisexual Vietnamese woman, and an overabundance of enthusiasm for the idea of demonic bargains.

Content warnings: discussions of racism and a murder-suicide

Other media mentioned:

• Uncanny X-Men by Chris Claremont
• Exit Strategy by Martha Wells
• The Gutter Prayer by Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan
• Perfect on Paper by Sophie Gonzales
• Teen Titans: Raven and Teen Titans: Beast Boy by Kami Garcia and Gabriel Picolo
• The Great Gatsby (2013) directed by Baz Luhrmann
• The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo
• Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
• The History of Papercutting and the Magic of The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo on Tor.com
• Self-Made Boys by Anna-Marie McLemore (coming fall 2022)

You can learn more about Never The Twins Shall Meet at our website, neverthetwinsshallmeet.com