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Genres

Why Aren’t We Writing More Non-Romance LGBT Speculative Fiction?

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This is a topic near and dear to my own heart. I started writing more than forty years ago when I was a little kid – I always felt the need to write. And as I grew older and realized I was gay, I wanted to include LGBT characters in my work. At first, I was really tentative about it – back in the late 80’s and early 90’s, there were very few LGBt characters in sci fi and fantasy, and I could count on one hand the books that had major protagonists who were gay. Fast forward to now, … Read more

Interview: Sweet Fire, by Sarah and Shannen Brady

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QSFers Sarah and Shannen Brady have a new paranormal book out in their Gifted universe, their first MM title: Between Homeland Security’s Gifted Agenda and the bigotry of a fearful populace, having paranormal Gifts is a dangerous thing. Pyrokinetic Aaron Flores knows firsthand how difficult it can be to control his power. Still, he runs his bakery and never gives up on finding his Happily Ever After. When Aaron’s cousin asks him to check on her former EMT partner, Aaron’s chance has finally arrived. He’s determined not to let anything stop him from catching (and keeping) his man. Ramón Del … Read more

Announcement: Fountain of the Worlds, by Laney Cairo

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Laney Cairo has a new paranormal MM romance out: Island ran away from his past and settled into a new life as a bar owner in Melbourne, Australia, with a quietly promising relationship with Faith, his manager. The past hasn’t forgotten Island, however, which is obvious when Schröd! inger, the talking cat, arrives at the bar. Island’s allegiances to his ex-lover, Trouble, draw Island and Faith to the City and into a territorial dispute for a small corner of the universe. Faith’s willingness to trust Island and Trouble, and her innate sneakiness, are all that stand between their team and … Read more

New Settings for Sci Fi and Fantasy

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Today’s topic comes from QSFer Jim Comer: “Where are the tales of Santa Muerte? Of the demons that infest Google Glass? What haunts the Pacific Garbage Patch? Yuck!” Our world is full of cultures and situations ripe to be exploited in LGBT sci fi, fantasy, and even paranormal. To add to Jim’s list above: –Are supernatural forces behind Global Warming to get hot guys naked? –Is the local Farmer’s Market a modern-day portal into Faery? –Will Uber’s software become self-aware and take over the world? Let’s have a little fun today and mine the culture for some great new story … Read more

A Great Lake on Mars?

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NASA has announced a major discovery by the Curiosity rover; water may have been more plentiful on the planet’s surface than previously thought. This could mean that some forms of life existed on Mars millions of years ago. In a news conference earlier this week, lead scientist John Grotzinger said that observations by the rover on its year-long trek across the Gale Crater indicate that the area was likely dotted with rivers, deltas and even a “great lake” in the distant past. Taking soil samples and detailed photos as it made its way towards Mount Sharp, the rover discovered layered … Read more

Announcement: Under a New Star, by Leo D’Entremont

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Leo d’Entremont at Dreamspinner has a new sci fi story out, part of the Advent Calendar package: In the 26th Century, mankind has breached the light speed barrier and begun to colonize other planets. They’ve also learned to Design human beings, known as Morphs, for specialized colony missions. Adrian is an Aerial Morph, on his way to colonize the low-gravity planet Eridani VI with his scientist Partner, Michael. In violation of the rules of the Morph Projects, they’ve been lovers for months. Michael cares more about his work than anything, while Adrian doesn’t take anything seriously except Michael. Before they … Read more

What If All the Ice Was Gone?

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Two hundred sixty feet of sea level rise. The number is breathtaking, and yet matter-of-fact: It simply describes how much oceans would rise if all of the planet’s great ice sheets — all of Greenland, all of Antarctica — were to melt entirely and fall into the oceans. Nobody thinks this will happen in our lifetimes. However, if we let global warming rip, and move into a hothouse world with enough heat trapped by atmospheric greenhouse gases, it could someday. After all, the planet has been there before — in the late Cretaceous period, some 80 million years ago, sea … Read more

Announcement: Conjuring the Shroud, by Tim O’Leary

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Today we have a short story from QSFer Tim O’Leary – a free read: CONJURING THE SHROUD is part of the Real Story Safe Sex Project, began by award-winning author Brent Hartinger (Geography Club.) The project called for authors to write short stories, all available for free download, that told fun, hot stories that incorporated safe sex. (And of course I knew mine would have to incorporate elves and wizards in some way.) SHROUD features Adrian, a 17-year-old bisexual punky kid with a geeky obsession – the tabletop role-playing game he and his friends play everyday after school. When he … Read more

Researching Sci Fi

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Today’s topic comes from QSFer LV Lloyd: “That might be a good question for the blog -‘how much research do you do for a sci-fi story?’” Sci fi is unique in that we’re speculating on things yet to come, but based on what we know now. When I write a contemporary story, I can visit the place where it’s set, use a 3d mapping program, to hget a feel for it and how it hangs together, and even see photos from just about anywhere for details. There are apps and sites for transit schedules, people we know who may have … Read more