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Stranger in a Strange Land

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Today’s topic is courtesy of Belinda McBride: “Stranger in a Strange Land: How to adapt and assimilate when visiting an alien culture whose manners and morals might seem heinous.” This one could be fun. It’s hard to write a truly alien culture – I’ve seen it done a few times, notably by Robert L. Forward in Dragon’s Egg and Niven’s The Mote in God’s Eye. We’re so tied into our own culture – it’s hard to both loose the constraints of what we know and make the result relatable to the reader. So my questions today: How do you do … Read more

How Do You Like Your Fantasy?

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Today’s topic is from Tam Ames: “What exactly do you consider fantasy? What does it mean to you? How broad, how narrow?” It’s a good question. for me, “Fantasy” has always been defined by the “Lord of the Rings” – which I started reading in second grade. Others have built upon this in my world, including most notably Robert Jordan’s “The Wheel of Time” and Terry Brooks’ “Shannara” series. But over time, my understanding of what constitutes “Fantasy” has broadened to include urban fantasy, fantasy/sci fi hybrids, magical realism, and others. So my questions today: What does “Fantasy” mean to … Read more

Koala Shifters

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OK, so we’re in Hawaii for a week – our friends from Italy, another gay couple, are getting married today, so I’m in a very tropical frame of mind. So let’s talk about something fun – tropical shifters. Koalas, Kangaroos, Baboons, Panthers, Mongeese – what’s your favorite? And how would you write it?

Your Own Personal Sea Monkey Kit

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Today’s topic comes to us from QSF member Jim Comer: “Constructed cultures”. So I’m going to take this one and run with it. Anyone who grew up when I did, in the 70s and 80s, probably remembers sea monkeys. They were these amazing little critters featured in the back of comic books that you could order for a nominal fee. You would receive a kit that you could put into an aquarium, and instantly have your own little kingdom of “sea monkeys.” The ads showed these cute little creatures breathing air underwater with a castle in the background, often with … Read more

Announcement: “Lunar Affair” by LV Lloyd

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QSF member LV Lloyd has a new MM sci fi book out: Lieutenant Jack Alexander sat morosely over his drink in the corner of the bar and watched the man he loved being expertly seduced. He had waited years for Marc to return his affections, perhaps now was the time to move on – stop fixating on the one man who was out of reach, his best friend, Marc Duran. But when Major Ethan Pattisson is sent to the planet Mayia to investigate the theft of hundreds of illegal weapons, Duran comes under the spotlight, and Jack can’t help stepping … Read more

How Do Vampires Get it On?

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Today’s subject comes courtesy of QSF member Theo Fenraven: “How is it male vamps can get erections when they are short of blood?” I’ll broaden this out a bit (pun intended). With many supernatural creatures, we have to suspend disbelief a bit. This is especially true of vampires – as Theo says, if they have no blood, how do they get it up for sex? Can femail vampires get pregnant? Can male vampires make a non vampire woman pregnant? And garlic? Seriously? So my question today – how do vampires get it on? And what other things do vampires do … Read more

Feminist Moments in Sci Fi History

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While mainstream science fiction excels at imagining far-out futures, exploring the far reaches of the imagination, and scaring the bejesus out of us, it’s generally accepted that historically, the genre has been pretty terrible at populating its brave new worlds with anyone other than straight, cisgender white dudes. (Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, and many of the other “greats” wrote almost exclusively about their demographic, and onscreen science fiction, from Star Wars and Back to the Future to adaptations like War of the Worlds and Blade Runner, has long shared similar representation issues.) But sci-fi history actually has featured ahead-of-its-time, female-identifying … Read more

Announcement: Kissing the Golem, by Danielle Summers

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QSF Member Danielle Summers has a new book out: Jacob and Marcus, an interracial interfaith couple, are fighting about everything: coming out, monogamy and marriage. Then one dark night, they encounter the Golem who has protected Jacob’s family for generations. The giant but handsome man made of clay and dirt saves their lives, and his kiss just may save their relationship. Q&A: Q: What was your inspiration for Kissing the Golem? A: We had been writing about new couples, and we decided to try our hand at a romance story featuring a long-standing couple that was in conflict. We wanted … Read more

Buwahaaaahaaaahaaaa…

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Today’s topic was submitted by QSF Member RW Urbina: “Do villains deserve redemption? Or how evil is too evil when writing the big bad? It’s something I’ve been struggling with during the last month.” I have to admit, I’ve struggled with this little bit too. I have a hard time writing villains. I want all of my characters to be happy and friendly and nice. And I realize that this can make for very dull characters. But I think it comes from my near-pathological desire to have everyone like me. The other problem I often see is that many villains … Read more

Where Will Evolution Take Us?

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Today’s topic comes courtesy of Jim Comer – “evolution in sci fi”. I’m gonna take this one and run with it. Did you know that fully a third of adults in the US don’t believe in evolution? As an openly gay man, I feel that I was born this way – that it’s part of my genetics. I always figured that being gay or lesbian was nature’s release valve for population control – we don’t generally bear our own children (though we now can) but we do take care of others, and thus lower the overall birth rate. There’s even … Read more