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Readers

For Readers: Finding New Books to Read

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FOR READERS Today’s reader topic comes from QSFer Hank T. Cannon: How do you find the books you want: search patterns, key words, special techniques, etc? How do you find the stories you want to read? As writers, we tend to have voracious reading appetites and an innate need to read. So spill – what are your secrets to finding good fresh meat? Writers: This is a reader chat – you are welcome to join it, but please do not reference your own works directly. Thanks! Join the chat

For Readers: It’s in the Cards

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Tarot Cards

FOR READERS Today’s reader topic comes from QSFer Kari Trenten: I’d also love a discussion on tarot cards, since their imagery has a strong impact on some of the novels and plots I’m working on. That’s a great topic – have y’all read anything that used Tarot VCards as a device or as part of the plot? Writers: This is a reader chat – you are welcome to join it, but please do not reference your own works directly. Thanks! Join the chat

For Readers: Alternative History

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FOR READERS Today’s writer topic comes from QSFer John Allenson: “What do you think are good turning points?” I’ll elaborate a little on John’s question. Most alternate histories choose a point in our own past and ask the question – what if this had gone the other way?: What if Hitler had won WWII? What if the black plague had killed everyone in Europe? What if the Dark Ages had never happened? What if the Japanese had discovered North America first? So what are some alternate histories you’d like to see? What point in history would you suggest be changed, … Read more

Dispatches from Hogwarts G.S.A.: In tribute to a Hero: Perry Moore

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Perry Moore

For this month’s dispatch, we thought we’d write about an innovator and an activist in queer fantasy who left us much too soon. Perry Moore (1971-2011) was an author, screenwriter, and a film director. He was probably best known for The Chronicles of Narnia franchise. Widely regarded as smart, influential, and not incidentally a handsome guy, Moore accumulated an impressive Hollywood resumé by his mid-thirties. Though his work was behind the scenes, he seemed to fit the moniker “golden boy” in a lot of ways. Moore was also an openly gay man in an industry where, if being gay was … Read more

For Readers: My Favorite Mythos

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Gorgon

For Readers: Today’s reader topic comes from QSFer Kari Trenten: Mythology would be a great subject, too, zero-ing in on specific mythos which draw or attract us. When I was a kid, I devoured Greek Mythology books… I loved the stories of these gods and goddesses. As an adult, I am probably more partial to Italian mythology (what with the whole language thing). What are your favorite mythos, and some of the books you’ve read that scratch that itch best? Writers: This is a reader chat – you are welcome to join it, but please do not reference your own … Read more

For Readers: Slice of Life

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life in the future

Today’s reader topic comes from QSFer John Allenson: What about gay science fiction that is not about dashing heroics but just describes a mundane life in a fantastical future? I do really get into some of the little day to day details of the future, like the last episode of “Weeds” that predicted a coffee-bar style chain of marijuana stores. Or the way near-future tech worked in the everyday world in “Her”. Writers: This is a reader chat – you are welcome to join it, but please do not reference your own works directly. Thanks! Join the chat

For Readers: Adding Pieces

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For Readers: Today’s reader topic comes from QSFer Jim Comer: The trope of writing extra body parts onto characters: wing fic, taur fic, extra genitals. This may be explained as ‘alien’ beings who just happen to look like a human with six extra legs, or like a human with 23 vulvas (Yes, I ran into this in a story once). It might be ‘explained’ as the result of (weird) genetic manipulation, ot (Lord help us) ‘nanotech’. Sometimes it isn’t explained at all. OK, readers, do you like stories with modified humans? Do you expect a good explanation, or do you … Read more

Asta’s Annotations: The Death of Punctuation, or the Decline of the Reader?

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Anyone who knows me well will know semicolons are punctuation marks about which my views are passionate. Unfortunately, many digital/small publishing houses do not appear to agree. Notes from editors frequently come through to me with requests to remove all (or at least some) of my semicolons since they are ‘specialised punctuation’. My response to this (in my head) is to ask: Since when? Now, this column is by no means intended as a rant against any publishers or fellow editors; I merely use it to illustrate a point. I fully accept that each publishing house has its own preferences, … Read more

Refill the Reader Topics Bucket!

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rainbow bucket

Hey all, We’re almost out of reader topics, so we need your help. As readers, what would you like to talk about? We’re looking for topics all across the LGBTIQA/QUILTBAG/Queer spectrum, and up and down the speculative fiction one – sci fi, fantasy, paranormal and horror, and all the various flavors too. It can deal with fan fiction, reading, cons, characters, tropes you like and hate, stories you’d like to see, and much much more. We’ll do another of these in a couple weeks for writer topics. For this one, lets concentrate on reader topics only. :)

For Readers: Queer Villains

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Young Protectors

Today’s reader topic comes from QSFer John Allenson: “It used to be the only gay characters were the villains. How is it possible to have gay villains given the history of homophobia? Will you stop reading a story if the antagonist is gay?” For a long time, back before the best representation we could manage in fiction was the gay best friend, queer characters were almost always the villain. And once we pushed back, it was pretty much verboten to write a queer villain anymore, because history. But now, have we moved past that taboo? Have we put enough time … Read more