Autism in Horror/Dark Literature: AN UNKINDNESS OF GHOSTS

A book whose dialogue struck me like lighting; An Unkindness of Ghosts, written by Rivers Solomon continues to walk across my mind, especially when thinking about the falling art of conversation: if I'm getting the flow or the cadence, quite right? If I am moving my body, breathing between each word, naturally, or do I dance away from the tempo? Missing the beat and throwing everyone, including myself, off. An Unkindness of Ghosts presented something entirely new and frames the act of speaking through the explorative nuances present in the plot, but also with how each character feels lovingly drenched in autistic characteristics. Mannerisms, ways of communicating, completely soaked in the neurotype.

Rivers Solomon is practically my literary crush; Autistic, Solomon writes in a deliciously patterned and in relatable and quizzical manner that matches the natural questions I feel most autistics experience when trying to untangle the subtextual plane of the neurotypical landscape set before them. Truthfully, what stood out to me the most, is that the existence of An Unkindness of Ghosts undeniably proves that autistic people not only can understand metaphors (and other forms of non-literal thought) but are far more equipped to expansively wield them and create a wider width of greater understanding for the rest of the world. Birthing stories that expose the cracked foundation of real, social ills.

The depth of metaphors, the way topics of race and culture are explored through the existence of the ship, Matilda's, housing, and categorical-deck system, as well as the cultural exploration, how diverse each deck's culture is one from another, was genius. Extremely clever for both the means of setting the material and foundational significance of Matilda's externalized use of racism, but also allows the plot to expose the social consequences (I.e. guard brutality, colorism, misogynoir, etc) that historically challenge heroes like Aster, an intelligently determined chemist/doctor, and the others closet to her. Obstacles that serve The Sovereign, The upper decks, and what the people on Matilda call "the heavens." undermine Aster and their quest for uncovering the present mysteries.

Solomon's creation of monologue-ish, interpersonal, and reflective dialogue scratches an itch I've needed to scratch for a long time. The characters speak with a mixture of un-demanding, yet with a firm priority for understanding. The corrective measures each character goes to re-instate the intentional meaning behind their statements, while simultaneously being allowed to question the contextual source behind other's words, is a love letter to our way of speaking, how we relate to others in specifics, but still irons the context with odd humor - it was as easy as listening to my own thoughts. My own oddness.

I love the way Solomon played with gender. I thoroughly enjoyed how non-binary and trans topics were spoken about as if all of our understanding was wiped away from it, fresh and clean like a bed of new sheets. The imprints each character made, as they took the audience through their own/cultural explanation of self, was as interesting as it was beautifully written; The Surgeon especially was a character I was fascinated by. Excited by their words.

The hype is real about An Unkindness of Ghosts. It's a masterful work filled with cosmically, chemically rich, and haunted splendor of space. A world I'm obsessed with knowing everything about. One worth being a full atmospheric movie someday. One that wrote in a language, I felt like I had lost years ago under the rubble of an unfit communication style.