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A Gay Messiah

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Today’s topic comes from QSFer Jim Comer: “Do we need a gay messiah? Do we want one? Basically, despite all of the “Jesus-was-gay” stuff, what would a QUILTBAG messiah be like? What would an LGBT Buddha be like? Do we want a queer Muhammad? Can we tell this kind of story? SF is fill of messiahs, such as Phil Dick’s VALIS books and Heinlein’s ‘Stranger in a Strange Land.’” Jim supplied this link to Rufus Wainwright’s video for the song “Gay Messiah”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oV7UGntnEks So let’s tackle this from a sci fi angle – there are many religions in the world … Read more

Climate Change Makes for Crazy Winters

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Let the sci fi plot bunnies proliferate (and maybe a few plot squirrels too): It may be the timeliest — and most troubling — idea in climate science. Back in 2012, two researchers with a particular interest in the Arctic, Rutgers’ Jennifer Francis and the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Stephen Vavrus, published a paper called “Evidence linking Arctic amplification to extreme weather in mid-latitudes.” In it, they suggested that the fact that the Arctic is warming so rapidly is leading to an unexpected but profound effect on the weather where the vast majority of us live — a change that, if … Read more

Announcement: Mythica, by Voss Foster

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QSFer Voss Foster has a new book of Fantasy shorts out: Ghosts of the past and fairies of the future. Mythical creatures and magic gone awry. From the crash of the Hindenburg to magic-crazed visions of tomorrow, wonder runs just under the surface. Six fantasy shorts from author Voss Foster explore just how deep that magic runs. And how easily it can be exposed. Excerpt Bean Sidhe Thomas walked up to one of the faceless fae milling around the crystalline station. “Is the bean sidhe in?” It raised its hands palm to palm and light flooded the tethers. He watched, … Read more

Practical Magic

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Today’s topic comes from QSFer R.l. Merrill: “Part of the reason I’ve only written one paranormal is because I don’t think I’d have anything original to say on the topic of shapeshifters, vamps, etc. I do like to include elements of magic in my contemporary romances, but it’s more a part of the characters than part of the story line… I’d love to read more/discuss more on practical uses of magic i.e. Wicca, Voodoo, etc.” Oooh, I like this one. I could see this fitting into a number of categories, including High Fantasy, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, or Magical Realism. In … Read more

Announcement: Invisible Curtain, by Alex Morgan

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Alex Morgan is out with his third book in his paranormal sleuth series: Paranormal sleuth Corey Shaw is enjoying vacation with his family in the Baltic Sea when terrorists bomb restaurants hosting World Cup parties in London and Copenhagen, just as his cruise ship leaves port. Although the United States isn’t attacked, Corey and his colleagues are unavoidably drawn into the investigation with or without the blessing of international intelligence agencies. When a third bomb goes off in St. Petersburg, Russia, Corey is convinced the terrorist is aboard his ship, or at least connected with it. Corey is torn between … Read more

Big Brother is Watching You (And He’s a Corporation)

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Do you remember that awkward moment during the 2012 presidential campaign when Mitt Romney said “Corporations are people too, my friend?” Well, maybe they’ve also taken on the role of Big Brother. Back in 1949, George Orwell famously forecast that the US would be a surveillance state by “1984”. He may have gotten the year wrong by a bit, but we now know that the NSA has its fingers in almost every datastream in the country. People kinda freaked out when they realized the government could get their cell phone data, their browsing history, and even their emails. But on … Read more

Amazing New Timelapse of the Sun

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If you’re working on a sci fi story that includes solar flares, sun spots, or other solar science, you have to see this new 4K timelapse video of the sun, made from over 17,000 images. Make it full screen and just watch – it’s truly impressive.

Humor in Sci Fi and Fantasy

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Today’s topic comes from QSFer John Allenson: “What, if any, is the role of humour in science fiction and fantasy?” Most sci fi and fantasy tends to be pretty serious stuff – looking at the social and cultural impacts of current trends on the future, aka climate change, overpopulation, technical advances, etc for sci fo, and the imminent end of the world as dark forces converge in fantasy. But I’ve also read my share of humorous works, especially on the sci fi side – see Terry Pratchett’s Discworld, or Piers Anthony’s Xanth. I’m wracking my brain for some examples on … Read more

Take to The Sky Blog Tour

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We’re participating in the Blog Hop for Gregory Jonathan Scott’s new book, Take to the Sky. We’re also giving away a copy – just leave a comment on this post with your name and email to enter by 11/20. Description An angelic romance that’s Powerful, Suspenseful, Sexy, Uniquely Erotic, and Romantic. In a secret Michigan Laboratory, an experiment developed a superior creation that was anticipated but not expected. He was the ultimate conception, a core life-being merged with avian. He was born with a gift, a rare one; the ability to fly. His wings instinctively brought out the urge in … Read more