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Review: Off World, by Jonah Bergan

Off World

I had the pleasure to receive an advance copy of Jonah Bergan’s new MM sci fi book Off World. The cover of the book is gorgeous – it immediately made me interested in reading the story. The image of the main character is mysterious and gorgeous, and the planetary background promises a lush sci fi adventure. The story doesn’t disappoint. Let me say up front that the book does include some semi graphic sex with a dominance theme. But one of the things I loved about it was that the sex was both secondary and integral to the science fiction … Read more

Announcement: Blood & Tears, by Ethan Stone

Blood and Tears

DSP Publications Author Ethan Stone has a new Mystery and Suspense book out: The last thing Gabe Vargas wants to do after nearly dying is to leave his young son. But that’s exactly what FBI Agent Drew Bradley is asking him to do. According to Drew, the only way to protect Gabe and find his wife’s killer is to fake Gabe’s death. With an already established adversarial relationship, protecting a hothead like Gabe isn’t exactly a picnic for Drew either. But Drew lets his guard down and a desire for Gabe leaves him confused. Before the crime can be solved, … Read more

Announcement: Lore and Logos, by Matthew P. Buscemi

Lore and Logos

QSFer Matthew P. Buscemi has a new Sci Fi anthology out: Twins enter a forest and witness strange phenomena that the other sibling is unable to see. A cat enthusiast wishes to procure a genetically unadulterated breed of feline. A young couple is torn apart as they discover the opportunities and costs of exploration. A scientist’s experiment gone awry contorts her reality into a scrambled mess of terror. Self-aware server code contemplates the meaning and purpose of its existence. Matthew Buscemi spins his weirdest and most eloquent tales to date in this collection of nine short stories, elegantly weaving the … Read more

Announcement: Fox Hat and Neko, by Gus Li

Fox Hat and Neko

QSFer Gus Li has a new paranormal book out: Tokyo high school student Tsukino Ayumu never wanted to stand out. He’s always been content to run at the middle of the pack and go unnoticed, and he doesn’t expect much to change when he moves to the small fishing village of Yuuyake to live with his grandfather. In Yuuyake, Ayumu makes his first real friend in Ikehara Haruki and forges close ties with two girls, Shizuka and Chou. Together, the four friends muddle through the messy world of dating and relationships while trying to succeed in school and prepare for … Read more

Article: Celebrate Marriage Equality with these 12 Beloved LGBT Characters from Geek Culture

Family and Reflection

Article: Celebrate Marriage Equality with these 12 Beloved LGBT Characters from Geek Culture Sci-fi tends to explore themes of identity, tolerance of differences, and true expression of the self, so many stories have served as allegories for the oppression of homosexuals in society, most notably X-Men. But in spite of this, geek culture hasn’t historically been the most diverse, with sci-fi TV and comics just recently taking some baby steps towards representation (there are no sci-fi movie franchises on this list). And the real world is catching up, as SCOTUS just ruled that gay marriage is legal in all 50 … Read more

Article: Supreme Court rules states must allow same-sex marriage

Washington (CNN)In a landmark opinion, the Supreme Court ruled Friday that states cannot ban same-sex marriage, establishing a new civil right and handing gay rights advocates a victory that until very recently would have seemed unthinkable. The 5-4 ruling had Justice Anthony Kennedy writing for the majority with the four liberal justices. Each of the four conservative justices wrote their own dissent. See the full article here

Article: Queer Cogs

** I should preface this article by saying that I am self-published and have never submitted to Tor. Yet I continue to direct fellow authors and readers to this article because it both highlights the LGBTQ inclusiveness of Steampunk AND is hosted by the aforementioned large publisher. That fact alone sends one of steampunk’s primary messages: there’s hope for humanity. -Vance ** Queer Cogs: Steampunk, Gender Identity, and Sexuality Lisa Hager Given that speculative fiction questions our most basic assumptions about life, from what is the nature of consciousness to our knowledge of history, it also regularly challenges our accepted … Read more

Announcement: Caledonia, by Amy Hoff

Caledonia

QSFer Amy Hoff has a new Fantasy book out: D.I. Leah Bishop accepts a transfer to a Glasgow branch of Interpol. She soon discovers her fellow officers are monsters from folklore, and they have recruited her to help them solve what they have always considered a human crime – the first serial killing of faeries. Leah and her Victorian selkie partner, Dorian Grey, investigate supernatural crime in Scotland’s city of culture. Excerpt Yesterday, Leah Bishop didn’t believe in faeries. *** “What the hell,” she croaked, because awake was definitely not what she wanted to be. She looked at the empty … Read more

Announcement: A Siren Released, by R.C. Ethan

A Siren Released

QSFer R.C. Ethan has a new fantasy book out: Meet Iris. An introverted, enamoured and bullied girl. That is until a school trip to the town’s aquarium changes everything about her and her life. A duckling turned temptress finds herself entangled in oceanic mysteries, serial murders, famiy secrets and a love rectangle that will test who she is and what she’s made of. Mild language and violence. Contains Bisexual characters and situations. Excerpt Buy Links Swoon Reads (Free): Click Here Author Bio Rhys Christopher Ethan is by no means a scientist, but he is an architect of his own fantasy … Read more

Discussion: Bending the Mainstream

Gay LOTR

Another fun topic today. There are so many mainstream/straight stories out there. Growing up, most of us were immersed in a sea of heterosexuality. As we’ve discussed many times in this group, there has historically been a real lack of LGBT representation out in the world culturally – in film and in literature. That’s changing now, but there are still many iconic books, shows and films that have virtually no LGBT content. Here’s your change to change that. If you could take a current mainstream sci fi/fantasy/paranormal story (film, book, etc) and give it a real LGBTQI/QUILTBAG twist, which series … Read more