Is anyone else really sad that Sense8 is over? The Netflix show was a science-fiction drama created by Lana and Lilly Wachowski (of Matrix fame) following the lives of eight strangers from around the world linked by a sense of mental and emotional telepathy.
While a science fiction show, the series was very grounded in real issues such as race, sex, gender, and religion featuring a multi-national cast, various sexualities and a transgender character, played by a transgender actor (yay!).
I absolutely loved it, and I know much of the team did too and brilliant storylines aside, I loved the fact that Amanita, played by Freema Agyeman worked at the City Lights Bookstore, meaning it was featured in various episodes. And if you were hanging out for more bookstore references there was a second one with a mention for Shakespeare and Co in the finale too!
We’re really sad it only lasted two seasons, and if it also left you wanting more than we have some recommendations of books you might like if you loved Sense8.
What’s Left of Me – Kat Zhang
Sense8 is a melding of minds and What’s Left of Me follows a similar theme. The first book in the Hybrid Chronicles toys with the idea that we have two souls, but only the dominant one survives into adulthood, but that didn’t happen for Addie and Eva.
Beautiful Music for Ugly Children – Kirstin Cronn-Miles
One of my favourite things about Sense8 was the positive portrayals of the LGBT+ characters and if you felt the same, then we recommend Beautiful Music for Ugly Children. Gabe was born Elizabeth, but he’s a guy and this is his story.
Beautiful Music for Ugly Children US
Beautiful Music for Ugly Children UK
The Host – Stephenie Meyer
If you loved the sci-fi element of Sense8 then we recommend The Host. It’s a post-apocalyptic world where we see what happens when alien “Souls” take over human hosts after they are deemed too violent to deserve the planet.
Am I Blue?: Coming Out of the Silence – Various Authors
A selection of short stories by notable YA authors examines what it is to gay, lesbian or trans or to grow up with LGBT friends or parents.
The Chrysalids – John Wyndham
The Chrysalids is the book that just kept popping into my head when I was watching Sense8, a post-apocalyptic story where everything abnormal must be burned. The Chrysalids matches the sci-fi weirdness of Sense8 while also exploring intolerance and bigotry.
The Trauma Cleaner- Sarah Krasnostein
Sandra Pankhurst is the Trauma Cleaner, cleaning up deaths, decays and disasters. She’s also transgender but that’s just part of what she is. A gripping memoir that is hard to put down.
Stranger in a Strange Land – Robert Heinlein
The Sensates were scared of persecution, of being studied like zoo animals, of being lobotomised in a world too scared to deal with the different. Michael Valentine Smith, the man from Mars knows all about that.
So that’s it, I’m off to mope around and wonder what to do now there’ll be no more Sense8.
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