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Month: October 2014

Announcement: Precious Metals, by L.A. Witt

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L.A. Witt has a new steampunk book releasing today: For Constable Paul Benson of the North-West Mounted Police, monotony is a blessing. As a provision inspector below the Chilkoot Pass during the Klondike Gold Rush, he’s seen miserable conditions and gold fever turn civilized prospectors into madmen. Joseph Starling is on his way to the Klondike to find the men who savagely beat him, murdered his eldest brother, and stole their mining machine. They’ll kill his youngest brother if Joseph doesn’t operate the machine for them—it won’t work without him. With time running out, Joseph must purchase an expensive ticket … Read more

Me Me Monday!

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Welcome to ME ME MONDAY at our FB discussion group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/qsfdiscussions/members/ Your chance to pop in and tell us about your latest success. Have a new book or short story coming out? Let us know. Just sell something? Let us know so we can cheer you on. HOW IT WORKS: I’ll pin this topic to the top of our FB discussion page for the day. –Please post your announcement as a separate post, so I can also share it over to our FB page (as opposed to this discussion group). –If you want, send me your book announcement info at … Read more

Lesbian Colony on Mars?

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Andrew Sullivan makes the case for women on Mars. I can already see the lesbian plot bunnies proliferating: Last year, Kate Greene and five teammates simulated living conditions on Mars for a NASA-funded project (the experiment actually took place on a volcano in Hawaii). What she noticed while collecting and managing data: Week in and week out, the three female crew members expended less than half the calories of the three male crew members. Less than half! We were all exercising roughly the same amount–at least 45 minutes a day for five consecutive days a week–but our metabolic furnaces were … Read more

Mirror, Mirror

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Our topic today comes from QSFer Rebecca Cohen: “I do like parallel dimensions and alternative universes.” Oooh, me too. I still remember that Star Trek episode, Mirror Mirror, where everyone had an evil version of themselves in an alternate universe. Or the Phantom Zone from the Superman comics. Or the paths of the Silfen in Peter Hamilton’s Commonwealth series. So how about you? What are some of your favorite “alternate Earth / parallel dimension” stories? And how could we use them to explore LGBT life?

Announcement: Untouchable, by LV Lloyd

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QSFer LV Lloyd has a new sci fi book out: Untouchable is a story about two men, Alan Stewart, First Lieutenant on the space ship Qatar and Captain Robin Lang of the Huan Police Force. Stewart and Lang have been best friends since their days in the Space Academy, despite the fact that Stewart is gay and Lang has a wife and son, Max. However Max is growing up and their friendship is threatened when Lang believes Stewart has designs on his son. When Max, now an adult and a recent recruit to the Qatar, is assaulted in a gay … Read more

Make Your Own Animal Hybrid

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Many ancient legends feature creatures that are part one thing and part another – the Chimera, the Griffin, the Centaur… ok, so the last one is half human, but still… So I thought we’d have a little fun today. The Daily Mail has an article with a great sampling of some of the possibilities of morphing two animal species, including the Guinealion above: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2448571/Hilarious-Frankenstein-style-creatures-photos-ordinary-animals-morphed-together.html So what two species would you like to see merged? And what would you do with your new creature in a fantasy or paranormal (or heck, even sci fi) story?

Announcement: No Light in August, by R.L. Robinson & Pedro Elefante

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QSFer RL Robinson has a book of short stories out: From depression era America, to fantasy worlds similar and yet different from our own. Journey into the realm of the Yellow King. As There are many roads to Carcosa, which one will you take? Featuring eight short stories and two novelettes inspired by the King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers, as well as Lovecraftian elements, ‘No Light in August’ also includes illustrations by Brazilian comic artist Pedro Elefante. Excerpt Whent looked up, startled from his cleaning work as three men banged the door open and strode into the tap … Read more

Dismantling the Closet Door

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Today’s topic comes from one of our QSFers, but I have to apologize – I misplaced the name of the person who submitted this one – if you wanna come forward, I’ll happily give you credit. Nevertheless, it’s a great topic: “Are we past telling ‘coming-out’ stories? Are we past ‘being LGBT makes you a pariah’ stories? Do we need new sources of dramatic tension?” LGBT stories in general have gone through some historic periods. In the fifties and early sixties, they were all about how terrible it was to be gay – the repercussions in society once you were … Read more

Announcement: Down Under, by Tam Ames

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QSFer Tam Ames has a new sci fi novel out: The year 2089 finds Australia split between east and west, with a wall to ensure the east stays safe. College student Aiden Taylor is traveling from Perth to Sydney to see Men at Work, who have been revived after cryogenic freezing. Regrettably, only days into his trip, his moped is stolen—and then he meets a naked man from the east. The man turns out to be Matthew King, who offers Aiden a ride—no strings attached—all the way to Sydney. When another attack occurs the following night, Aiden discovers Matthew’s impossible … Read more

Where Do I Submit My Non-Romance Story?

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Today’s topic comes from QSFer Hank T. Cannon: “who are the best publishers to submit gay sci-fi to? My work is not particularly romantic, but the protagonists are gay.” Hmmmm, I think we’re at the beginning of a potential expansion of LGBT stories in speculative fiction (hence this blog) that do not rely on romance as the principle plot driver. I’ve said for a while that I want to see more LGBT stories in sci fi and fantasy, especially, that are driven by the genre and not the romance. Not that there can’t be some romance or relationship included. I’d … Read more