19 January, 2026 | keystroke
A Little Vice is something I was looking for but never expected to find, and then it gave me so much more than I ever asked. The novel-length web serial by Erin Elkin (screen name Shadell) explores transition in-depth using the framework of the behind-the-scenes of a magical girl show, showing the quiet moments and character interactions that happen between (and sometimes still in) fights.
Now I hear what you’re saying: Keystroke you handsome beautiful dazzling thing you, is this blog now a thinly-veiled ruse for you to talk about forcefem? And to that I say: Maybe. Possibly. Yes. Look; it’s not my fault that gendery stories tickle my brain in the way that makes me wanna write about them, and this has grounded stakes, a slow exploration of gender, one of the densest girls in fiction, and just a sprinkling of forcefem to top it all off.
I’m not a huge magical girl fan myself so I can’t speak too much to that element of this story, but it managed to embody the kind of fun you get from watching Sailor Moon while also being more grounded and conveying the experience in a fairly accessible way. The corny villains and dramatic speeches all make more sense because you get to know these characters and the framework behind their struggles, and that framework isn’t always as simple as good vs evil. Sometimes it does result in characters having multiple hidden identities, which gets confusing when every name for them is used interchangeably in a single scene.
Our main character C is such a failure of a boy and also a girl to be honest. Never have I related so hard to an idiot so in denial, and that’s at least half of the reason why I’m talking about this. Her journey of self discovery takes more than the whole book as she struggles with her identity, still considering herself a guy even after a magical girl transformation. She has to be tricked into using she/her pronouns by her chaotic partner-in-crime, who expertly diagnoses the situation upon talking to her for the first time and starts gendering her correctly to the confusion of literally everyone.
Despite her confusion, she gives everything her all and is such a drama queen about it; everyone’s doing their best to be supportive and understanding and that undermines her ability to be a dramatic sad“boy“, and she’s not having any of it! The drama must be upped; she must pronounce her past-self dead (but definitely not in a trans way) and declare herself irredeemable like a teen going through an emo phase (which in a way she is).
The amazing writing continues outside of C’s identity struggles. The story has a fun spectrum of characters with outside-the-norm presentations and not just a binary femme cast that similar stories tend to have, which just felt nice to be included as a non-binary non-passing trans girl. The focus is also moved away from just physically transitioning and hones in on the myriad of other aspects that make up someones identity and presentation and gives them so much room to breathe and be explored.
The physical transition is still an element though, and it’s also done really well; with a slow unwitting magic estrogenisation providing angst and character friction instead of simple wish fulfilment, and when the wish fulfilment comes it brings more complications without solving any issues. My philosophy on fictional transitions is simple: Do whatever results in the most angst (I love torturing blorbos someone take my fanfiction away).
Elkin has written one of my favourite books about transitioning, making me feel like I did when I read To Own the Libs but even more personal and explorative despite the much more fantastical elements. I strongly recommend this to anyone who loves reading about stupid girls, magical girls, and/or a little bit of forcegirls, there’s just so much to love.
She’s so fucking dense just like me frfr.
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