ZOMG! Transformation fiction...

[altivo]

Title: Seeing a Man About a Horse
Author: Lorne Rodman
Publisher: Torquere Press
Date: 2006

Note: This review is rated for all audiences. The book, however, is NSFW.

I just finished (at 3:30 am this morning, a very unusual time for me to be awake) Lorne Rodman's new book Seeing a Man About a Horse. It's not a terribly long work, listed at 114 pages by the publisher. It was 136 pages on my reader. Yes, folks, this is an e-book, available in multiple formats. It does have a digital rights restriction, I believe, so you can't easily share it, but $3.49 US from the publisher and discounted as low as $2.97 by ebookwise.com and fictionwise.com I suspect most of us can afford it if we're interested. I got through about half of it before falling asleep last night, and had such vivid dreams about it that I had to get up and finish it.

Rodman's novel is only marginally what I would call furry fiction, but it is certainly transformation fiction (werewolf stories, therianthropy) and unusual in that respect. One of the two protagonists is a mustang stallion named Feder, who is able to transform into a human form but has never had much use for the ability. When he is collected in a BLM round-up, though, he is rescued at the last moment from being gelded. Casey, a rancher who raises bucking horses for rodeos (or so it seems, though that is only mentioned once) takes him off the hands of the BLM contractors, intact, and probably in violation of regulations. Still in his horse form, Feder finds himself in Casey's barn, with several attractive mares nearby, but shut into a stall. By changing to human form, he is able to escape the stall, but Casey catches him doing so.

Casey's love for horses appears to be equalled only by his love for handsome men, so I won't pretend that this novel isn't erotica. It is, and it features male-male interactions, described with some graphic detail but not offensively so. What intrigued me most, though, is the contrast to the usual werewolf tale. Normally the therianthrope would prefer to stay human but is forced to transform upon certain stimuli, or can transform at will but only does so to take advantage of the animal form's special abilities. Rodman has given us a protagonist who would rather just be a horse, but like the selkies of Celtic legend, falls in love with a human and takes human form in order to interact with his love object. There are still difficulties of course. Feder eagerly helps Casey with farm chores and dons human clothing when Casey insists upon it, but he doesn't quite see the point of chores, schedules, or clothing. On the other hand, he has the horse's physical interest in new experiences, willingly tasting human foods and human sensations, such as growing tipsy after sampling beer for the first time. He lives for his time alone with Casey, but expresses an increasing need to run free again as a horse.

Meanwhile, Casey keeps hoping that he has tamed Feder into the human form that he loves. When the day's chores include riding fence, though, Feder offers to take horse form and let Casey ride him. No saddle, please, but he's happy to carry his partner. Casey realizes that he can't keep Feder trapped in human shape, and a resolution must be found. You'll have to read the book to see how the tension is resolved and just how satisfactory the answer may be.

I'll note that the resolution I really hoped for is not the resolution that was found. But the end result is nonetheless a happy one for all, including the reader. I hope we will be seeing more transformation stories from this author. Other reviews and a sample chapter are available on the websites linked earlier.

Comments

[darkhorseman.livejournal.com]

I think im going to order that

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Check the available formats and make sure you get one that will work for you. Microsoft Reader and Adobe Acrobat Reader are available for free for Windows-based PCs and Macintoshes. I use a dedicated reading device from ebookwise.com and love it, but as long as you are willing to read from your computer screen, you don't need to buy a reader to read these.

I do think you in particular would like this book. ;)

[darkhorseman.livejournal.com]

Its coming from amazon in adobe format

[darkhorseman.livejournal.com]

Downloaded and reading.

[ducktapeddonkey.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the review.

I think for the money, I'll order it as well. I didn't really care for the last Jose Farmer book I just finished this morning. I could use something to get the taste out of my mind. :)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Yes, for the money, it's definitely worthwhile. And I think you'll enjoy it. Once a few of us have read it, we can talk about what would make it even better. ;D

[farhoug.livejournal.com]

Hmm, that certainly got me curious... I'll save the information for later processing, I think I won't ever get to read that while sitting in front of the computer. I really need one of those ebook readers. =)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Yep. You'd like Shifting and Shifting Too edited by Rob Knight, as well. Those have shapechanging stories with wolves and tigers and lions. All very good. Come to think of it, one of them did have a story with two tigers who could become men...

[farhoug.livejournal.com]

Yep, got those in my notes too, you recommended those to me some time last year, I think... ^^

[darkhorseman.livejournal.com]

Im 16 pages into it and I think I need to stop reading. Its getting steamy and I want to finish it some place more private. Good story so far and good potrayal of the horse

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Yes, I really liked the horse. Casey was a little too unbelievable, the way he takes everything in stride so easily. But Feder is so horsey, even when he's in human form, it's quite nice.

[darkhorseman.livejournal.com]

I dont know... knowing horses as well as I do if one morphed into a human and wanted to make love to me it might take a highball of crown to clear my head but once I realised it was real i would be all over that situation. Thow I think the lovemaking would be nice but I would really love to sit down and talk with a once horse turned human. Find out "I really like this or I dont like that why do humans do this." Just get more insight on the equine prespective and share the human perspective thow I suspect they know more about us then we do them

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I think you're right on all counts here. As described in this book, it's an offer I wouldn't refuse either. And I might have the one same reservation that Casey had-- "Wait a minute, this is another species..."

[darkhorseman.livejournal.com]

Needless to say I wouldnt have. I would probibly give anything just for one night for my mare to be human. True I would like to be intimate but just to hold her and talk face to face using human words. We can talk for hours using horse language and just what probibly equates to telepathy but to accually talk with human words even for a day I would give anything

[altivo.livejournal.com]

ANYthing?

[darkhorseman.livejournal.com]

Short of giving her up yes I would have to say anything

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I wasn't thinking of giving her up, at least not directly. I was thinking of that scary opening scene in the book...

[darkhorseman.livejournal.com]

Considering how upset she and all my mares would be if that happened I would have to say no for their sake. Now if it came down to keeping her once again yes I would give that up

[darkhorseman.livejournal.com]

I did like the reaction thow.. its so horselike "But your a horse" "Im not right now" Thats would be the exact response I would expect from a horse

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Yep. I had to laugh at that one.

[heavens-steed.livejournal.com]

Yes, that definitely sounds like an interesting read.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

It is. Supposed to be erotica, but that part was sorta ho-hum. The concept of the wild horse who assumes human form like a selkie, though, is very well done. I'd have liked to see a lot more detail about that, including how he got the ability and whether there are others like him... Mmmm, more? I want one.