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FOR WRITERS: Building Your Own Worlds

worldbuilding - pixabay

FOR WRITERS Today’s writer topic comes from QSFer Davina Jamison: How do you go about world building in fantasy and/or science fiction — and how do you avoid letting popular fiction influence you too much in the process? Writers: This is a writer chat – you are welcome to share your own book/link, as long as it fits the chat, but please do so as part of a discussion about the topic. Join the chat

Is Super Mario’s Luigi a trans woman?

Fans of Super Mario Bros. have leapt on a new revelation from Nintendo to declare Luigi as a trans woman. In describing the Super Crown bonus item in the Nintendo Switch game New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, the gaming giant told visitors to its website that “when Toadette finds one of these, she can transform into the super-powered Peachette. (Sorry Luigi—only Toadette can use this item!)” While this announcement killed off the hope many fans had that the Super Crown—which gives its wearer a woman’s body and stereotypically feminine clothing—could be used to make Bowser into “Bowsette,” Nintendo’s additional … Read more

ANNOUNCEMENT: Unkilted, by Erin O’Quinn

QSFer Erin O’Quinn has a new MM historical fantasy out, the first one in her new Renegade and the Runaway series: Unkilted. Gregory MacGregor is a Highlander, a moody, angry outlaw who calls himself Grier Black. The British crown has taken his clan name, his tartan, his dagger, and his very honor. His mission in life is one of lawless rebellion. Iain Stewart is Grier’s uncle, a man who has lost both his brother and his beloved wife. He lives apart from his family in the tall dark city of Edinburgh, where he follows his wits and instincts to help … Read more

Me Me Monday!

Me Me Monday Holiday

Welcome to M3: ME ME MONDAY at our FB discussion group – your chance to pop in and tell us about your latest success. Have a new book or short story coming out? Let us know. Just sell something? Let us know so we can cheer you on. HOW IT WORKS: I’ll pin this topic to the top of our FB discussion page for the day. –Please post your announcement as a separate post so we can comment on yours specifically –Check out the other posts and congratulate and share them too! And congratulations!!!

Golden Globes Snubs Black Panther Snubbed, But Stars Share Lesbian Kiss

Black Panther stars Lupita Nyong’o and Danai Gurira gave fans exactly what they wanted at the 2019 Golden Globes. The two Marvel stars were having fun at InStyle‘s Golden Globes after-party, in a ‘party elevator’ video skit with co-star Michael B. Jordan. The clip, shared on social media, shows Gurira waiting for an elevator, before the doors open to reveal Nyong’o and Jordan kissing. Nyong’o promptly dismisses Jordan, and begins to make out with Gurira instead. Sharing the clip, Nyong’o wrote: “When the cat’s away…” By Nick Duffy, Full Story at Pink News

ANNOUNCEMENT: Tender Distraction

QSFer J. Hali Steele has a new MM paranormal tale out: Tender Distraction. Hot men, the grim reaper, and an archangel who is—nasty! A near collision sidetracks two lives. Cristophe Kingston hasn’t dated since… Okay, it’s been months. Hands in his pockets, he watches an endless line of revelers enter a club he frequents. Something, an odd chill, forces Crist to hurry away and he carelessly lurches into traffic. Already late for a deadly assignation, Lex Torcher figures what the hell—a perfect diversion. Too many years on earth has Torch craving human touch. The stranger who steps in front of … Read more

QSF Flash 6 Theme Announcement

Hey all… It was Mark’s turn to come up with the theme this year, and he came up with something that had a real relevance and resonance with today – “Migration”: Seasonal movement of animals from one region to another. Movement of people to a new area or country in order to find work or better living conditions. Movement from one part of something to another. We live in an age of migrations – from one kind of society to another, from one country to another, from one platform to another. It’s a rich vein to mine, and we look … Read more

There Are Animals On the Moon – Live Science

China’s Chang’e-4 lander touched down on the far side of the moon (Jan. 3 Beijing time, Jan. 2 US), and it’s got some living things on board. A small “tin” in the lander contains seeds of potatoes and rockcress (Arabidopsis thaliana, a flowering plant related to cabbage and mustard, as well as a model organism for plant biology), as well as silkworm eggs. The idea, according to a report in The Telegraph earlier this year, is that the plants will support the silkworms with oxygen, and the silkworms will in turn provide the plants with necessary carbon dioxide and nutrients … Read more

ANNOUNCEMENT: I Am the Storm, by Tash McAdam

QSFer Tash McAdam has a new queer sci fi out, book one in the Psionics Series: I Am the Storm. Keep your head down. Don’t look anyone in the eye. Never even think about technology if one of those ghostly, grey cars is sliding silently down the road. They’ll see the thoughts inside you, if you let them.  Sam’s a technopath, able to control electronic signals and manipulate technology with his mind. And so, ever since childhood, his life has been a carefully constructed web of lies, meant to keep his Talent hidden, his powers a secret. But the Institute … Read more