For today’s discussion, we’re thrilled to host our first F/F takeover of the QSF discussion group. Today is your chance to talk all things F/F and speculative fiction. Have a favorite book or author? Tell us about it. Do you write F/F? Tell us about that too. We talk about M/M fiction here all the time, so it’s time to turn the tables. Come join the discussion!
How can any of us queer scribes not be interested in being LGBT? In 2008, I told my progressive, hetero cousin that I was a Lambda Literary Foundation Emerging Writer Fellow. It was an honor, but not the Nobel Prize, and I wasn’t expecting thunderous applause. I was surprised, though, when she asked, meaning no ill, “Do you want to be known as a gay writer?” I was reminded of this when Rita Mae Brown, author of the landmark lesbian novel “Rubyfruit Jungle” (released in 1973), received the Pioneer Award on June 1 at the 27th Lambda Literary Awards in … Read more
QSFer Lissa Kasey has a new Fantasy book out: Seiran Rou did the unthinkable to save his own life—he killed someone with magic. Now he’s haunted by the deed, and his internal troubles are ripping apart his newly strengthened relationship with Gabe. And the Dominion still wants him to toe the line and produce an heir. After receiving threatening e-mails, phone calls, and vandalism that all seem to stem from another dead man from Sei’s tormented youth, Matthew Pierson, Sei thinks he’s going crazy and realizes he needs help. He turns to a Dominion-recommended psychiatrist. But the past has already … Read more
OK, time for our final winners in this year’s Flash Fiction contest – “Apart From You”, by Ophelia Gränd, and one more great cover, this one by Ethereal Ealain. Thanks again to everyone who participated this year – the response exceeded my wildest dreams. Enjoy! Apart From You Ophelia Gränd Don felt light, free. He hit the button on the radio and danced along with the pop tunes. In the middle of a pirouette, he opened the fridge door, but stopped short as he saw a bowl of minced meat. Not even meatloaf could ruin this fine day, it might … Read more
QSFer C.E. Kilgore has a new sci fi-post apocalyptic book out: An apocalyptic M/M Romance. Electricity is gone. Society is on its knees. The heart’s compass becomes the light in the darkness. Joshua has had enough of people. Especially those desperate, starving bastards who he’s certain ate his dog. When people decide to leave the university town of Lincoln, Nebraska and head south before winter sets in, Joshua heads north instead. When he lands face-first in a snowbank, he welcomes death. What he finds instead is the handsome smile of Chris, a lone goat farmer who’s trying to make the … Read more
The question came up on the group the other day – what mainstream publishers are accepting unsolicited submissions? We were talking about efforts to increase the presence of queer characters in mainstream spec fic, you see, so it was an inevitable question. For the purposes of this group, we’ll only be discussing publishers that are looking for spec fic. Romance is another animal entirely, existing in a parallel dimension (this is not to imply in any way that the enormous romance industry is somehow less in any way – it’s just a different topic with a certain amount of crossover … Read more
Genre: MM Science Fiction Romance Length: Novel Issac Ozawa is slightly mentally damaged due to a cybernetic implant malfunction. As a result, Issac’s brain experiences the occasional inopportune glitch. For a pilot, this was almost a career breaker. Fortunately he found a carrier ship, Hermes, whose captain would have him, and whose crew is also a bunch of other delightful misfits—but they get the job done. The Hermes crew encounters a drifting troop vessel, and when they board they discover complete mayhem and bloodshed. Searching the vessel, they find one lone survivor, unscathed physically, except he’s clearly traumatized. They … Read more
Here are our First Runner Ups for the contest – “Zero G Corn Pier”, by Astrid Amara, and a lovely cover by Bronwyn Heeley. Enjoy! Zero G Corn Pie Astrid Amara With a loud thump, the Cressida’s gravitation system finally died. It didn’t surprise anyone. Last week the air conditioning broke, and now all one hundred twenty researchers onboard walked the hallways in their underwear. And while this was a sexually attractive side effect of the ship’s impending doom, the subsequent failing of the automatic chef system was less sexy. The autochef now only produced corn pies, which was particularly … Read more
QSFer Rory Ni Coileain has a new Fantasy book out: Conall Dary is the mightiest mage born to the Fae race in more than two thousand years, ever since the Sundering of the Fae and human worlds. But that power condemns him to an untouched, virginal life — sex calls to power, and his power is enough to drain the magick, the life, from his entire world. Exiled from the Realm for refusing to turn his talent to service a Noble’s petty revenge fantasies, his soul is torn in two and his magickal gifts blocked. Josh LaFontaine is a gifted … Read more
Another fun topic today. There are so many mainstream/straight stories out there. Growing up, most of us were immersed in a sea of heterosexuality. As we’ve discussed many times in this group, there has historically been a real lack of LGBT representation out in the world culturally – in film and in literature. That’s changing now, but there are still many iconic books, shows and films that have virtually no LGBT content. Here’s your change to change that. If you could take a current mainstream sci fi/fantasy/paranormal story (film, book, etc) and give it a real LGBTQI/QUILTBAG twist, which series … Read more