There have been some astute depictions of queer life in the 1980s in the media — It’s A Sin and Pose and The Great Believers being among the ones that resonated deeply with me, and the upcoming Elsinore being high on my list to watch — but rarely have we seen these depictions of queer life take place outside of the Americas and Europe. In Marlon James’ The Disappearers, the action is set in 1980s Jamaica, outlining the lives of a handful of gay men who navigate tragedy and trauma with devastation. The novel itself is punishing and profane, describing...