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Alexander the Great’s Lover Found?

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For all you lovers of historical fantasy – release the plot bunnies: A skeleton has emerged from the Alexander the Great-era tomb in Amphipolis in northern Greece, according to a news announcement by the Greek Ministry of Culture on Wednesday. At least one archaeologist has suggested that the remains, if male, could belong to Hephaestion, a close friend and possible lover of Alexander the Great — or someone like him. Archaeologists led by Katerina Peristeri found the human remains in a box-shaped grave. The 10.6 by 5.1-foot limestone burial was found at about 5.3 feet beneath the floor of the … Read more

Announcement: Perseus, by Cree Storm

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Cree Storm has another book in the erotic alternative fantasy series out: Hera and Aries have taken over Olympus. The other Gods have one chance to free Zeus, however, in order to do so the other Gods must be willing to sacrifice their freedom for his. Twelve keys will release Zeus from Icarus and those keys are each a mate to the chosen ones and the stones will lead the way. Each obstacle is a labor Hercules is all too familiar with. Can they succeed before their time runs out or are they all doomed? When Stephan finds out he … Read more

Building Your Own Religion

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There’s an old story that goes something like this (via StackExchange): It is widely believed that L. Ron Hubbard and Robert A. Heinlein made a bet in a bar one night either than L. Ron could not create a religion, or to see who could create a religion first. (In the second case, Stranger in a Strange Land is often cited as Heinlein’s effort.) The story has been widely debunked, but it is a fact that sci fi author L. Ron Hubbard came up with Scientology. I often struggle with the role of religion in my sci fi stories – … Read more

Sustainable Condoms?

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“We want to educate and help people connect the dots between condoms and hunger, health care, poverty, and climate change.” These words are taken from the website of Sustain, a new, eco-friendly condom company founded by a board member of Greenpeace and his daughter. That’s right, there is one product that impacts all of the issues aspiring beauty queens hope to change, and that is a thin piece of rubber used for protected recreational sex. The website proclaims, “[Our] goal is to get people to think about sustainability, justice, and equity every time they open a condom, even though they’re … Read more

Announcement: Missed Connections Anthology

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QSFer Cari Z. has a story in the new anthology, Missed Connections: Anthology summary: A fleeting glance across a crowded space. Trains passing by in the night. Paths that once split unexpectedly cross again. Old friends reunited. Sometimes rediscovering a person and having new feelings can be just as intense as an initial spark. Less Than Three Press presents an anthology of stories about people who get a second chance to connect… Story Excerpt The International Space Agency (ISA) welcomes you to your new position as a candidate for Project Evergreen, the next stage in humanity’s cooperative exploration of our … Read more

Transhumanism and the LGBT Community

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Today’s topic comes from QSFer Jim Comer: “Transhumanism and whether *sexuality* or *sex* will matter/could matter at all in a transhuman setting. Transhumanism takes many forms. AI is one of them. Others involve ideas such as immortality, bionics, cryonics and so on. Given the right-wing nuttiness of many hard-SF and transhumanist authors, what are some QUILTBAG answers?” Jim provided this link to give is a better idea what he is talking about: http://www.aleph.se/Trans/ Many sci fi authors have long predicted that humanity would eventually evolve, one way or another, to a transhuman or post-human state – something beyond what we … Read more

Sadly, The Rumor That Disney Would Make Gay Prince Movie is Not True

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Is Disney really making an animated feature film about two gay princes that fall in love? Sorry, but no. The false story is circulating this week, raising the hopes of many that everyone’s favorite children’s filmmakers will show gay characters on screen. The ‘report’, which has so far been shared 60,000 times on Facebook, claimed it would be adapted from Jeffrey A. Miles’ children’s book The Princes and the Treasure. While the book is real, the adaptation isn’t. In the very modern fairy tale, two very dashing princes set off to rescue a princess… and unexpectedly fall in love with … Read more

Announcement: Eve the Soul Reaper, by Leonard Cliffton

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QSFer Leonard Clifton has a new YA fantasy novel out: Raven the mysterious Fairy Warrior comes to the small town of Wonderwood to warn Eve Summers and the handsome new guy in town named Adam Winters of a sinister evil conspiring to rule the World. The teenagers discover they’ve lived a past life together fighting Grim Reapers that has resurfaced in search of a powerful scythe that takes souls, which will give Eve the power to restore souls. Raven and trusted allies train Adam and Eve to fight their fear of losing everyone they love by the Grim Reapers creating … Read more

Writing Anti Heroes

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Google defines “anti hero” as: “a central character in a story, movie, or drama who lacks conventional heroic attributes.” In practice, this often means a character who is the purported “hero” of the story – the protagonist who carries the arc of the plot – but is often deeply flawed or does bad things. My classic go-to for this one is Thomas Covenant from Stephen Donaldson’s The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever – a man with leprosy from our world who is transported to a fantasy world where he is suddenly healed, and, because he doesn’t believe it can … Read more

Announcement: Wolf’s Own, Book One – Ghost, by Carole Cummings

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QSFer Carole Cummings has a new fantasy novel out: Untouchable. Ghost. Assassin. Mad. Fen Jacin-rei is all these and none. His mind is host to the spirits of long-dead magicians, and Fen’s fate should be one of madness and ignoble death. So how is it Fen lives, carrying out shadowy vengeance for his subjugated people and protecting the family he loves? Kamen Malick means to find out. When Malick and his own small band of assassins ambush Fen in an alley, Malick offers Fen a choice: Join us or die. Determined to decode the intrigue that surrounds Fen, Malick sets … Read more