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How Environments Shape Society

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Cold Gay

Today’s topic comes from QSFer and Admin Angel Martinez: “How environment shapes your societies (atmosphere, ecosystem, etc)”. So let me elaborate a little. Is British Society a bit more polite than many others because of the colder climes (hey, that works for Canada too)? Do societies in warmer climes with more resources have the freedom to be more open, generally? Does the fight for resources bring out the worst in cultures, fostering discrimination? Would a new world where every birth counts to raise the population work against the expression of homosexuality? And how can we use these forces to write … Read more

Announcement: Garth’s Chronicle, by Edward Kendrick

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Garth's Chronicle

QSFer Edward Kendrick has a new paranormal book out – book three in the Immortal Angst series: When Garth is attacked by his ex lover, his life is saved by a stranger who then vanishes. When they meet again, Garth learns the name of his savior. François. What Garth doesn’t know is that François is a vampire. One who distrusts all but a few humans to the point of hatred. Despite that, they find they are attracted to each other—an attraction that François fights with all that is in him. When Garth finally learns what François is, the question becomes … Read more

Homophobia in Alternate Worlds

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Today’s topic comes from QSFer Jordan Marshall: “Including homophobia/heterosexism in our alternate worlds. Does excluding homophobia/heterosexism help us create better realities or do we erase the very real struggles queer people face.” Let’s face it – most of us want to see a future free of today’s homophobia. But is there a place in future societies for an exploration of discrimination against the LGBTI community? How can we use a future society to explore these issues in unique ways?

Exclusive Cover Reveal: The Time Slip Girl, By Elizabeth Andre

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The Time Slip Girl large

QSFer Elizabeth Andre shares her cover reveal of a new FF Sci Fi book excliusively with Queer Sci Fi: The Time Slip Girl, an interracial lesbian time travel novel published by Tulabella Ruby Press will be available for pre-order on April 19 and for sale on May 19. What if the woman you loved was more than a century away? Dara, a Chicago lesbian, is visiting London when she opens a door in an Edwardian house and slips into Edwardian England. Agnes, a beautiful London shop girl, takes in the bewildered 21st century American, but, as Dara begins to accept … Read more

Writing Dialects and Accents

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accents and dialects

Today’s topic comes from QSFer Kelly Jensen: I listen to a lot of audio books, and in one series in particular, the narrator does all the accents, which vary from regional to international. It really makes the book, which is why I pay extra to listen to this series, and others, on audio. As a reader, accents and dialects can be more difficult to decipher, however. Sometimes it’s simply a matter of word choice and speech pattern, and this works. That character’s voice acquires a recognisable cadence that stays with you throughout the book and/or series. As a writer, that’s … Read more

Announcement: My Zombie Boyfriend, by T. Strange

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My Zombie Boyfriend

QSFer T. Strange has a new paranormal MM Romance book out: Edward Grey is a medical student by day, necromancer by night. He lives alone with the first zombie he ever raised, his childhood cat, Boo. Edward’s life is simple: studying medicine, training his necromantic powers with his mentor, Mariel, and having weekly dinners with his parents. When he finds a very attractive corpse in a park and brings it home to reanimate, he accidentally creates a sassy, free-willed zombie who believes Edward is the one who murdered him. With no memory of his former life, Edward names the zombie … Read more

Privacy in Telepathic Societies

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Telepathy

Today’s topic comes from QSFer Kethric Wilcox: The issue of privacy in telepathic societies, do you prefer the open invasion style of Star Trek’s Betazoid style telepaths or the regimented only with a contract and permission style of Babylon 5’s PsiCorps style or is their a happy middle ground between the two? Oooh, I like this one. My husband Mark and I aren’t telepathic, but we are together 99% of the time (by virtue of working together at home on our own business). And as such, there’s not a lot of privacy, but it works for us. But imagine if … Read more

The Midweek Mingle

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I’ve been to a lot of conventions over the years, on both sides of the table. And doing that, I’ve met a lot of convention organizers. I count some of them among my acquaintances, and some of them among my friends. But either way, we talk to each other, and the conversation often turns to the inevitable topic of their particular SF/F convention. Now, you should know that I live in Washington, which I considered as a whole to be a very liberal state. All about freedoms and rights and all that. We’ve legalized same sex marriage, and have some … Read more

Announcement: The Eye and the Arm, by Andrew Q. Gordon

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Eye and the Arm, by Andrew Q. Gordon

Andrew Q. Gordon has a new Fantasy book out: After defeating Meglar at Belsport, Farrell returns to Haven to recover from his injuries, but Khron, the god of war, has other ideas. He gives Farrell a new mission: free the survivors of the ancient dwarf realm of Trellham from their three-thousand-year banishment. To fulfill Khron’s near impossible task, Farrell will need the help of his distance ancestor, the legendary wizard Kel. But Kel has been dead for a thousand years. Farrell finds information hinting that Kel is alive, so he moves his search to Dumbarten, Kel’s birthplace. To reach Dumbarten … Read more

Celebrating Diversity

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Homophobia

Today’s topic comes from QSFer Elizabeth Barrette: “When you have a culture that celebrates diversity, how did it get that way and how do they make it work? In particular, are any of those things replicable in the world where we live? Look at the places where we’re writing a future in which homosexuality and other sex/gender variations are fully accepted. How do we get from here to there?” It’s a great question. Mark and I run a number of directories, including one for LGBT friendly wedding vendors, and we have known for some time that our business will likely … Read more