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Transgender

Boogieman In Lavender Review: Heiresses of Russ

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Jeff Baker

The story was that some people had learned to read again.—-line from “The Tip of the Tongue” by Felicia Davin. That most conventional of female archetypes, the bride, figures in several of the unconventional stories in “Heiresses of Russ,” the 2016 edition of the best Lesbian speculative fiction of the year, edited by A. M. Dellamonica and Steve Berman and published by Lethe Press. Leading off is the first of several award nominees, (Nebula nominee, shortlisted for the Hugo and Tiptree awards) “Grandmother-Nai-Leylit’s Cloth of Winds,” by Rose Lemberg. A story of gender fluidity, magic and deepnames where men and … Read more

ANNOUNCEMENT: Margins and Murmurations

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Margins and Murmurations

QSFer Otter Lieffe has a new trans time travel book out: Imagine you had the ability to move through your own life, to revisit your past and foresee your future. Which events would you long to remember and which would you forget? Would you want to know what the future holds? This is the story of Ash, a trans woman and healer living in a corner of Europe controlled by a militarized state. Amidst the economic crash of the 2020s, this land, once a hub of diversity, saw the rise of a state-imposed monoculture of gender, sexuality, ability and race. … Read more

Arrow, Torchwood Star John Barrowman Launches Pro Trans Campaign

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John Barrowman

John Barrowman turns 50 on Saturday (11 March) and he is using the milestone occasion to make a statement. The Arrow star took to Instagram to share with his more than 650,000 followers his first T-shirt campaign of 2017 which supports transgender equality. ‘Our transgender friends and family need our help and support as a lot of decisions are going to be made on their behalf that don’t take their needs and rights into consideration,’ wrote the prolific actor, singer and author. By Greg Hernandez – Full Story at Gay Star News

Review: “Transcendent” – Boogieman In Lavender

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Transcendent

“Transcendent,” edited by K.M. Szpara, is the latest “Best Of” collection from Lethe Press. The question arises, would there be enough Transgender-related speculative fiction for a full anthology, let alone an annual series? The answer, judging from the fifteen stories assembled here, is “yes.” The stories display a surprising variety, never straying from Trans characters, (some not obvious) or themes. Transformation is an obvious recurring motif in the stories but when it occurs, it is often in subtle and startlingly different, and entertaining ways. “The Librarian’s Dilemma,” by E. Saxey, features a group “seeding” an archive, The Hairad Collection, which … Read more

Angel’s Bits – Transgender Awareness Week

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Hi all and Happy Friday! This week is Transgender Awareness Week, November 14-20. Instead of me talking about this, I want to signal boost The Trans Fiction Week blog project that Matthew Metzger spearheaded. The blogs this week focused on inclusion, on non-binary issues as writers, and on getting writers past that “can’t” mentality one often hears from cis-gendered writers. Some of the wonderful and informative blogs include: Beyond Punctuation: Editing Diverse Content Safe Spaces, and Safety Writing from the Closet (a non-binary writer’s view) Gun Control (a cis-gender writer’s view on the importance of inclusion) If it’s Cis, It … Read more

Queer Fantasy Roots: Gender Transformations in Ovid’s Metamorphoses

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Ovid Metamorphoses

(My apologies for posting this a couple days late. I’m deep in editorial revisions of my current novel Mother of Souls and am scrambling to keep up with my blogging schedule.) We sometimes think of Greek myth as representing an ancient pre-Christian religious tradition, but many of the most elaborate and familiar sources for these stories come from relatively late, primarily literary authors who were re-working fragments and allusions into carefully crafted stories with a didactic or satirical purpose. Many of the familiar Greek stories of transformation come down to us in their most elaborate form, not from an early … Read more

Asta’s Annotations: Editing Tips for Sci-Fi/Fantasy Writers

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Today I thought I would cover three of the common editing queries I see from science fiction and fantasy writers. 1) World and Race Names The common issue here appears to be whether or not to capitalise. My advice is to follow standard English conventions, unless you have a strong reason not to do so. In either case, the real key is consistency. Don’t swap and change from chapter to chapter; make a decision on your preference and stick to it. Here is an example based on common English usage, followed by a fantasy rendering. In Denmark, many Danes enjoy … Read more

Review: Lessons on Destroying the World by Gene Gant.

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Title: “Lessons on Destroying the World.” Author: Gene Gant Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult. Publisher: Harmony Ink Press Pages: 200 pages Blurb Micah McGhee has struggled all his life against prejudice and abuse. Forced to drop out of school after the death of his mother, Micah works full time to support himself and his alcoholic father. One night, on his way home from a party, Micah’s hard life ends when he’s beaten to death by a street gang. Three days later, Micah awakens with godlike abilities granted by the alien device that resurrected him. His work helping the downtrodden and … Read more

Review: Every Heart a Doorway.

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Title:  Every Heart a Doorway Author: Seanan McGuire Series: Wayward Children Genre: Magic Realism, and Queer Fiction Publisher: Tor Books Pages/Word Count: 176 pages Blurb: Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children No Solicitations No Visitors No Quests Children have always disappeared under the right conditions; slipping through the shadows under a bed or at the back of a wardrobe, tumbling down rabbit holes and into old wells, and emerging somewhere… else. But magical lands have little need for used-up miracle children. Nancy tumbled once, but now she’s back. The things she’s experienced… they change a person. The children under Miss … Read more

The First Transgender Superhero?

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Chalice

A new comic book will be the first time a transgender superhero will lead a title. Chalice, the star of new superhero series ‘Alters’, is being described as a ‘hero for the new age’. Paul Jenkins, the comic book’s author, said the main character will have not come out to her family yet and can only present as a female when in costume. So unlike other superheroes who only have one secret identity – Chalice has two. By Joe Morgan – Full Story at Gay Star News