Content Warning: descriptions of sex and body horror.

Published in Carmen Maria Machado's collection of short stories Her Body and Other Parties, "Real Women Have Bodies" depicts a world in which the commodity and consumer are doomed to become one in the same. The story follows a girl in her mid-20s as she confronts the reality of her world, as well as her girlfriend's increasing decorporialization. Machado expertly weaves themes of loss, emotional intimacy and consumerism together, tying it all off with a sci-fi, thriller twist.

A fundamental voice in 21st century feminist, queer and BIPOC literature, Machado's prose, poetry and essays have been published by household names such as The New Yorker, Tin House, Grunta, Guernica, VQR, and Best American Science Fiction & Fantasy, to name a few. Well practiced in her craft, Machado has been awarded numerous residencies and fellowships. Her sponsors include the Michener-Copernicus, Elizabeth George and CINTAS . One of the modern-day greats, Carmen Maria Machado's work has and continues to innovate conversations surrounding racial, gender and sexual equality.