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Announcement: Ghost’s Dilemma, by Morwen Navarre

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Ghpst's Dilemma - Morwen Navarre

Torquere’s Morwen Navarre has a new fantasy book out: “Moon shine on me, Ghost. When you look at me like this, how can I even think of anything but making love to you?” Ghost is content to spend all his free time in bed with Gerry. But scandal and hate surrounding Ghost’s appointment as the first male witch and a deadly epidemic force Ghost to make choices that might cost him Gerry’s love. Spurred on by a message from his mentor, Ghost embarks alone on a journey through mystical underground tunnels and lost civilizations to the frozen lands of his … Read more

Non Consensual Sex in Sci Fi / Fantasy

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No Means No

OK, we haven’t had a hot button topic in awhile – we try to limit them to about one a month, because they often do stir emotions. So a four ground rules: –Please be civil –This is not a discussion about sex with minors – we are talking about adults here –Please be civil –Please be civil So here it goes – do depictions of MM non-consensual sex have a place in sci fi and fantasy? If so, have you used it, and why (writers) and have you read it, and did it forward the story (readers)? If not, why? … Read more

Announcement: The Parliament of Twilight, Episode 1, by Dani Hermit and Nevi Star

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Parliament of Twilight paperback

QSFers Dani Hermit and Nevi Star have just released their book The Parliament of Twilight, Episode 1 in paperback for the first time: What do a TV ghost hunter, a fading Broadway icon, a CEO and his son, a bored assassin, and a whole host of other delightfully damaged and deranged characters have in common? The Parliament of Twilight binds them all from the shadows. The men of this deliciously Yaoi-inspired world fall in and out of love nearly as much as they fall in and out of danger. Steered from the shadows by the mysterious Parliament of Twilight, they … Read more

Mainstream Books With LGBT Protagonists

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The Lord Won't Mind

Today’s topic comes from QSFer Theo Fenraven – “‘The Lord Won’t Mind’ by Gordon Merrick became a NYT bestseller. Think we’ll ever see that again? With so many people writing books with gay main characters, we should already have seen it. Why haven’t we? Why hasn’t one of our books gone ‘mainstream’ and hit the top ten?” So I’m going to unpack Theo’s questions here a bit. It seems to me there are two main issues here. The first one is writing LGBT characters into mainstream fiction – and for the purposes of this discussion, I’m going to define mainstream … Read more

“Greenwode” by J. Tullos Hennig

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To all you historical fantasy fans–check this out. The flavor of Greenwode hit me as a historical, but there’s a bit of magic, and it’s loosely based off of the legend of Robin Hood.  Loosely.  Otherwise, the language, the setting, and the voice was all very Old English.  Hennig did a lot of research, and has a section in the back of the book devoted to how much she did. I don’t read a lot of historicals, but I enjoyed this one.  The magic kept things interesting for me, and the language was not something I was used to, therefore … Read more

Announcement – Infected: Paris, by Andrea Speed

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Dreamspinner author Andrea Speed has a new paranormal book out: In a world where a werecat virus has changed society, Roan McKichan, a born infected and ex-cop, works as a private detective trying to solve crimes involving other infecteds. Roan is working a frustrating stalker case, with no shortage of suspects and little solid evidence, when he comes across a startling eyewitness living in his car across the street from the scene. A tiger-strain infected, the only one Roan’s ever met, Paris Lehane is a former Canadian golden boy who suffered a breakdown after becoming infected in college. While Roan’s … Read more

Superbugs

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Today’s topic is “ripped from the headlines” – specifically: The Scary Rise of the Latest Superbug This illustration released by the Centers for Disease Control depicts a three-dimensional (3D) computer-generated image of a group of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae bacteria. The artistic recreation was based upon scanning electron micrographic imagery. A potentially deadly “superbug” resistant to antibiotics infected seven patients, including two who died, and more than 100 others were exposed at a Southern California hospital through contaminated medical instruments, UCLA reported Wednesday. (AP Photo/Centers for Disease Control) The country’s latest health-care scare centers around a growing problem that’s keeping public health … Read more

Announcement: Koan, by Carole Cummings

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DSPP has a new Fantasy book out from Carole Cummings, book three in the Wolf’s-own series: After saving his people, killing the man he once loved, and losing his little sister, Fen Jacin-rei has made his way to Tambalon with his surviving brothers and Kamen Malick. But shortly after arriving, old ghosts resurface, new dangers arise, and Malick tells Fen the gods aren’t done with him yet. Fen now knows he’s a catalyst for Fate and a magnet for Fate’s players, and he’s dangerously close to falling over the edge into insanity. But tracking down the vicious creatures that have … Read more

Women and Horror – Frankenstein

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Today’s topic comes from QSFer John Allenson: This is women in Horror month. To honour one of the most influential hooror books written by a woman, let’s talk about Frankenstein? Are you more interested in mad scientists or the creatures they create? In what way was Frankenstein irresponsible? Was it in reckless action or was it in abandoning his child? From Jurassic Park to Roboapocalypse to Ascension to The Rocky Horror Picture Mary Shelley’s ideas still resonate with us. John asked so many great questions above, I don’t think I need to add any. Discuss!

Announcement: Uneasy Dreams, by Felicitas Ivey

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Dreamspinner author Felicitas Ivey has a new Fantasy/Paranormal book out, the third in the Dreamlands series: Sequel to Back to the Dream War came to the Dreamlands when Kyushu was invaded by the Egyptians and Inuzaka Keno’s old nemesis, the Trust. As the lords of Nippon maneuver on and off the field to recover their lands, the peaceful life Keno enjoyed with his lover, Samojirou Aboshi, comes to a violent end. Loyalty to their rulers and the need to drive the enemies from Kyushu tears them apart and forces them to question everything they thought they believed. Trust refugee Mason … Read more