Where to Start Reading Candas Jane Dorsey
Candas Jane Dorsey is an incredibly versatile writer who moves effortlessly between genres, meaning your ideal starting point depends entirely on what kind of story you are in the mood for. Because her novels are distinct in style, we recommend choosing one of two primary pathways:
- For Mystery and Metafiction Fans: Begin with The Adventures of Isabel (2020). This is the first book in the Epitome Apartments Mystery series. It introduces a nameless, pansexual amateur sleuth who solves gritty local crimes with sharp humor, a love of language, and plenty of queer community dynamics. It is by far her most accessible and fast-paced work.
- For Speculative and Science Fiction Lovers: Begin with Black Wine (1997). This award-winning masterpiece is a complex, beautifully written feminist fantasy/sci-fi novel about identity, maternal relationships, and freedom. Be warned that it features non-linear storytelling and poetic prose, so it requires close attention but offers immense rewards.
The Epitome Apartments Mystery Series in Reading Order
If you want to read Dorsey's mystery series, you should absolutely read them in publication order. The books follow a continuous character arc for the nameless protagonist, and the events of the earlier books directly impact the relationships and mysteries in the later installments. The series is set in a vivid, slightly stylized version of Edmonton, Alberta, and centers around the quirky residents of the Epitome Apartments.
- The Adventures of Isabel (2020) – The nameless protagonist is hired to look into the murder of a young woman, leading her into a web of street-level politics, corporate greed, and family secrets.
- What’s the Matter with Mary Jane? (2021) – The sleuth is called to investigate when a wealthy, eccentric woman named Mary Jane is found dead. This installment won the Crime Writers of Canada Whodunit Award for its clever plotting.
- He Wasn’t There Again Today (2023) – The third book finds the protagonist under suspicion herself when the man convicted of murdering her former partner and friend is found dead in his prison cell, forcing her to clear her name while defending her neighborhood.
Standalone Novels and Young Adult Fiction
Outside of her mystery series, Dorsey has written several standalone novels. These do not share a continuity and can be read in any order you choose:
- Hardwired Angel (1987) – Co-authored with Nora Abercrombie, this early cyberpunk novel was famously written in just three days for the International Three-Day Novel-Writing Contest (which it won). It follows a tech-genius named Angel who invents a revolutionary microchip, turning her into a target for military and corporate forces.
- Black Wine (1997) – A landmark in Canadian speculative fiction, this novel explores themes of loss, agency, and female connection across an Earth-like fantasy world. It won the James Tiptree Jr. (Otherwise) Award, the Crawford Award, and the Aurora Award.
- A Paradigm of Earth (2001) – A near-future science fiction novel that deals with a house full of eccentric outcasts who end up taking in and raising a mysterious, non-human alien being, exploring how humanity reacts to the ultimate outsider.
- The Story of My Life Ongoing, by C.S. Cobb (2022) – Published by Inanna Publications, this young adult novel focuses on Corey, an intersex and nonbinary teenager in 2007 who faces intense pressure from their family and society to conform to the gender binary.
Short Story Collections
For readers who want to sample Dorsey's shorter work, her collections showcase her transition from classic cyberpunk and feminist speculative fiction to lyrical literary stories:
- Machine Sex: And Other Stories (1988) – This collection established Dorsey as a major voice in feminist science fiction. The famous title story critiques the male-dominated tropes of early cyberpunk.
- Dark Earth Dreams (1994) – A smaller, lesser-known collection of speculative and slipstream fiction.
- Vanilla and Other Stories (2000) – A collection spanning 25 years of her writing, blending speculative stories with realistic mainstream fiction. It won the Writers Guild of Alberta Short Fiction Award.
- Ice and Other Stories (2018) – A comprehensive retrospective collection compiling thirty years of Dorsey's boundary-pushing short fiction.
What to Know Before You Start
Candas Jane Dorsey's writing is highly stylistic and experimental. In her mysteries, the protagonist is intentionally nameless, and the books play with classic detective tropes in a metafictional way. In her science fiction, she rarely utilizes straightforward chronological timelines. Instead, she pieces together memories, multiple perspectives, and poetic prose to create an immersive atmosphere. If you prefer straightforward, plot-driven action, you may find her speculative works challenging, but readers who appreciate feminist themes, queer representation, and beautiful language will find her bibliography deeply satisfying.