QSFer Jim Comer posed an interesting question recently: “Megastructures and where and how they belong in SF/F; where do we fit in? Dyson Spheres/Shells, Ringworlds, Topopoleis. Alderson disks etc. This group deals with QUILTBAG individuals, mostly of human-like species. CAN we tell an LGBT story in such a setting? Is there any point even to discussing LGBT issues when we’re constructing a shell AROUND A STAR? … Very few hard SF authors (want to) deal with us and our issues, whether because of their social conservatism or because they don’t see QUILTBAG people as having a place in such a story. Well, do we?”
For folks here who aren’t familiar with what he means by mega structures, he provided this link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megastructure#Orbital_structures
It’s an interesting question. So how would you integrate LGBT issues and people into a hard sci fi story about a Dyson Sphere or Ringworld? What stories could we tell?