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For Writers: My Favorite Characters

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FOR WRITERS Today’s writer topic comes from QSFer Ryane Chatman: “Authors, do you have a favorite character type?” Maybe it’s the shy in RL and wild in the sheets lesbian librarian? Maybe the guy who “looks” like a top but is really a bottom? How about the ace woman who doesn’t give a shit what other people think? Or the guy (or girl or gender nonconforming character) who’s just a little oddball and off center? Join the chat

Asta’s Annotations: Queer Theory in Modern Culture

In his 1993 essay “There’s something queer here” Alexander Doty stated that queer erotics were “already part of culture’s erotic centre” (Hollows, Hutching & Jancovich, 2000, pg 339) when he discussed queer readings of films. More than twenty years on, and with gay rights movements slowly gaining ground around the world, to what extent does this statement still hold true? I believe that these readings have become more mainstream. No longer merely the purview of cultural critics, they are readily embraced by an audience happy to celebrate diversity. In a previous column I discussed the role of fan fiction in … Read more

Queer Fantasy Roots: Enough About M-Preg, How About Female Impregnation?

Since I gave some time in my first column to medieval literary examples of male pregnancy, how about some equal time for the ladies? Are there any examples in myth or literature of women getting other women pregnant? Pre-modern understandings of how pregnancy works allowed for some interesting possibilities, either in fantastic literature, or pseudo-medical writing. For example, the Greek philosopher Pythagoras (and his followers, well into the 17th century) postulated that sperm contained a tiny fully-formed homunculus that was nourished within a woman’s womb but that derived entirely from the father. This “preformationism” theory of pregnancy had its female … Read more

For Writers: You Shoulda Told Me

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FOR WRITERS Today’s writer topic comes from QSFer Lex Chase: “Things no one told me when I became an author.” Um, let’s see. Writing is a lonely job. It’s hard to change prices on Amazon. You only get so many rounds with your cover designer before they blacklist you… I could go on? Share your own “shouldas”. Join the chat

Jeff Baker—Boogieman In Lavender

                                         Wilde Stories 2016                                                 By Jeff Baker               Science fiction, magical realism, fantasy and plain old horror. All are on display in the 2016 edition of Wilde Stories, editor Steve Berman’s annual “best of the year” collection devoted to gay speculative fiction.             “Imaginary Boys” by Paul Magrs is one of several stories in Wilde Stories with a young adult protagonist. In this case David, raised by a single working mother, dealing with homophobia and with a visitor from Somewhere Else thrown into the mix. The story is both touching and funny with laughs coming from the least-likely … Read more