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people

SCIENCE: What if humans had photosynthetic skin?

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green man - deposit photos

The series “Imaginary Earths” speculates what the world might be like if one key aspect of life changed, whether related to the planet or humanity. Green skin is common in science fiction, from little green men to Hera Syndulla from “Star Wars Rebels” to Gamora from “Guardians of the Galaxy.” But what if green skin were not just for fictional aliens? If humans had green skin, for instance, what if it granted us the ability to perform photosynthesis, which plants use to live off of sunlight? Let’s analyze what science says about similar abilities in other animals and ask award-winning … Read more

FOR READERS: Multiple Minority Status

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minorities - pixabay

FOR READERS Today’s reader topic comes from QSFer Brian Cherry: I’d like to see more books with characters with multiple minority status, such as a gay person who is also trans, disabled, an ethnic minority, etc What are some of your favorite books that mix and match this way? Writers: This is a reader chat – you are welcome to join it, but please do not reference your own works directly. Thanks! This is a legacy chat. Join the chat

FOR WRITERS: That’s Me!

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mirror - pixabay

FOR WRITERS Today’s writer topic comes from QSFer Ryane Chatman: I know we talked about this quite a bit in the past, but character references. What are your feelings when a reader tells you that they identify with a character you have written? This is a legacy chat. Join the chat

FOR WRITERS: Things That Act Like People

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anthropomorphic - pixabay

FOR WRITERS Today’s writer topic comes from QSFer Tam Ames: What about anthropomorphic … things? There was a cute book that I have yet to read with a book who was anthropomorphic and other creatures. Think The Little Toaster for grown-ups. Anyone done it? Read it? Hate it? Love it? Too… out there? In the original chat, Tam had specified “no shifters.” But I like the idea of exploring non-animate shifters here too. :P This is a legacy chat. Join the chat

FOR READERS: Tops, Middles, and Bottoms

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top bottom - pixabay

FOR READERS Today’s reader topic comes from QSFer Kari Trenten: Do you enjoy having pairings with roles such as top/bottom, seme/uke, butch/femme? Or do you prefer something more ambiguous and equal? Does this preference apply to cover imagery as well as how the characters develop within the story itself? Writers: This is a reader chat – you are welcome to join it, but please do not reference your own works directly. Thanks! Join the chat

For Writers: Researching People

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Today’s writer topic comes from QSFer Ryane Chatman: Do you talk to people to get a feel for a certain personality trait? Also how do you go about cultural research? It’s a great question. As writers, we often write stories about characters different from ourselves, sometimes vastly different. This can be someone who is aggressive where we are shy, or someone who is sweet and young while we are bitter and old (we are writers, after all *grin). Or it could be someone from an entirely different culture. So how do you get the details right? Join the chat