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Discussion

Are You Going to RainbowCon?

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RainbowCon

Hey all, We’re just three weeks out from RainbowCon in Tampa. QSF is going to be there in a big way: –We have a gathering planned for 4-6 PM the first day, and then anyone who wants to go can join us at Panera for dinner from 6-8 –We will have a table in the dealer room for QSF, right next to Angel’s table –By my count, we will have 46 QSFers there –Many of us will be on panels too. I have nine panels over the weekend – schedule here So are you going? Are you excited? Come join … Read more

ARTICLE: New Sesotho-named dinosaur from South Africa

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Discovery is perhaps my favorite element of SciFi writing. So when we discover something NEW about our environment, a whole new realm of possible story ideas peeks out from behind the prehistoric fern fronds. I love that this article shines a light on an environment that paleo-research has not traditionally been funded to explore. New Sesotho-named dinosaur from South Africa South African and Argentinian palaeontologists have discovered a new 200-million-year-old dinosaur from South Africa, and named it Sefapanosaurus, from the Sesotho word “sefapano.” See the full article here

Discussion: Are We Over Shifters?

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Today’s discussion topic comes from QSFer Jenn Burke: “Are stories of shifters overdone? What are your favourite/least favourite aspects about this trope? How would could it be refreshed?” Shifters saw a rapid rise to prominence in the paranormal genre in the last ten years, riding the popularity of Twilight and True Blood along with vampires. Suddenly everything was about shifters – wolf shifters, cat shifters, even one of my all0time favorites, cuttlefish shifters. But the tide seems to be receding now, and many are predicting the demise of the sub-genre. But is everyone wrong? Are we due for a resurgence … Read more

Discussion: Writing Clichés

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Cliché

We’ve all seen it or done it. When you’re writing, it’s easy to fall back on clichés because they are a sort of universal short-hand. Use one and your reader instantly knows what you are trying to convey. But clichés can also have the effect of making the writing seem stunted and, well, cliché. One of my editors called me on the use of: “He let out the breath he didn’t know he’d been holding.” She urged me to find a more original way to express that sense of anticipation and nervousness, which I did, and the story was stronger … Read more

Article: Queer Cogs

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** I should preface this article by saying that I am self-published and have never submitted to Tor. Yet I continue to direct fellow authors and readers to this article because it both highlights the LGBTQ inclusiveness of Steampunk AND is hosted by the aforementioned large publisher. That fact alone sends one of steampunk’s primary messages: there’s hope for humanity. -Vance ** Queer Cogs: Steampunk, Gender Identity, and Sexuality Lisa Hager Given that speculative fiction questions our most basic assumptions about life, from what is the nature of consciousness to our knowledge of history, it also regularly challenges our accepted … Read more

The Sci of Scifi: A Place for Your Stuff

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Hello! I’m Elizabeth Noble and I’ll be bringing you articles to hopefully give inspiration to your writing or at least be something interesting to read. Writing in any genre requires research. Whether you’re writing about actual historical events or creating a whole new world for your book it doesn’t matter. It’s likely research is a large part of creating a novel. As readers of scifi are well aware many of the books/movies/etc created half a century ago resulted in the development of some technology we have today. As writers of scifi I feel strongly that we as a group should be … Read more

Announcement: Caledonia, by Amy Hoff

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Caledonia

QSFer Amy Hoff has a new Fantasy book out: D.I. Leah Bishop accepts a transfer to a Glasgow branch of Interpol. She soon discovers her fellow officers are monsters from folklore, and they have recruited her to help them solve what they have always considered a human crime – the first serial killing of faeries. Leah and her Victorian selkie partner, Dorian Grey, investigate supernatural crime in Scotland’s city of culture. Excerpt Yesterday, Leah Bishop didn’t believe in faeries. *** “What the hell,” she croaked, because awake was definitely not what she wanted to be. She looked at the empty … Read more

Media Crossovers: Sense8

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I tripped across this quick article on The LGBT Update regarding the new show Sense8. The article highlights the queer characters and shares a promo video: SENSE8 – A Sci-Fi Series With Leading LGBT Characters (Netflix) Known for their science fiction blockbusters (The Matrix franchise, Cloud Atlas, Jupiter Ascending, etc..), The Wachowski siblings are now taking their epic filmmaking talents to Netflix, in their highly anticipated new sci-fi series Sense8. The global concept of this groundbreaking series surrounds eight strangers, who mysteriously become mentally and physically connected, while being hunted by a unknown organization (which all sounds pretty awesome). Yet … Read more

Promotions Week: Contests and Giveaways

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Promotions Week

It’s time for another theme week at Queer Sci Fi. This time around, we’re talking promo. :) Here are our topics for the week: Promotions Week: Where to Get Started – making a schedule Promotions Week: What to include – Guest Post vs. Announcement vs. Cover Reveal Promotions Week: Keywords and Categories Promotions Week: Social Media and Reviews Promotions Week: Real World Promo Options Promotions Week: Contests and Giveaways Day Six: Contests and Giveaways Welcome to the last day of the Queer Sci Fi Promotions Week! I think it’s gon really well – we’ll do this again next year. Today … Read more

Promotions Week: Real World Promo Options

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Promotions Week

It’s time for another theme week at Queer Sci Fi. This time around, we’re talking promo. :) Here are our topics for the week: Promotions Week: Where to Get Started – making a schedule Promotions Week: What to include – Guest Post vs. Announcement vs. Cover Reveal Promotions Week: Keywords and Categories Promotions Week: Social Media and Reviews Promotions Week: Real World Promo Options Promotions Week: Contests and Giveaways Day Five: Real World Promo Options We’ve spent a couple days talking about how to promo your book online, but what about in the real world? We’ll cover a few things … Read more