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FOR READERS Today’s reader topic comes from QSFer Andrew Kelley: Some speculative fiction movies and books that weren’t specifically LGBT and didn’t even make direct mention of any LGBT issues strongly resonated with and really moved me. Are there movies / books that others felt this way about too? 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
Doctor Who may have set a TV record with the fastest “Bury Your Gays” moment ever. Fans of the hit BBC sci-fi show were thrilled when a new gay character was introduced in its New Year’s Day special “Resolution.” But the excitement didn’t last long. Because less than half a minute later, the character had his lifeless body dragged down an empty hallway. Actor Connor Calland made his TV debut playing a gay security guard named Richard. In his <30 seconds of screen time, he challenges Dalek-controlled character Lin, played by actress Charlotte Ritchie, as she attempts to break into a … Read more
QSFer R. Phoenix has a new MM paranormal book out, the last book in the Fate of the Fallen series: Sanguine. In the epic conclusion of the Fate of the Fallen series, the stage has been set for a revolution. After the Council’s lack of reaction to the assassination of one of their own, the rebels grow bolder — and if they truly allow supes to join their ranks, they might be able to achieve the impossible. Hope has been rekindled, and nowhere has it been stronger than with the son of the former rebellion leader, Noah Franklin. Will he … Read more
FOR WRITERS Today’s writer topic comes from QSFer J. Scott Coatsworth: Every writer does it differently. We all have our own ways of putting together a story – whether it’s where, when or how. Some writers outline intensively, while some fly by the seat of their pants and clean up their stories later. Almost all of us have our own quirks when it comes to the writing process. What are yours, and how did you figure them out? Writers: This is a writer chat – you are welcome to share your own book/link, as long as it fits the chat, … Read more
Ultima Thule, an icy world 4 billion miles from the sun, looks like a big snowman. At a news conference on Wednesday, scientists working with NASA’s New Horizons mission released several images that the spacecraft took as it flew by on Jan. 1. The scientists now say with confidence that Ultima Thule long ago was two bodies that got stuck together, what they call a contact binary. “Two completely separate objects that are now joined together,” said S. Alan Stern, the principal investigator for the mission. Full Story at the New York Times
QSFer Michael Mandrake has a new MM paranormal book out in his Vale Valley series: Breakable Faith. One night equals a test of faith for Father Lance… Trouble always finds Mateo and he’s succumbed to it several times with or without help. However, after running with the wrong kinds of people, he’s decided to turn a new leaf. His attention to detail lands him a job as a tattoo artist, making people’s dreams come true through body art. With this steady gig and his grandmother’s support, Mateo is convinced he can live mostly anxiety free. Father Lance has always suppressed … Read more
FOR READERS Today’s reader topic comes from QSFer Louise Auty: Do you prefer a series to focus on one couple or do you like it to mix things up with interconnected stories and different pairings? 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 the precocious hunter of off-Earth life, the Drake equation is the ever-ready, go-to toolkit for estimating just how (not) lonely humans are in the Milky Way galaxy. The equation was developed by astronomer Frank Drake in 1961 in a slight hurry so that attendees of an upcoming conference would have something to confer about, and it breaks down the daunting question “Are we alone?” into more manageable, bite-size chunks. The equation starts with some straightforward concepts, such as the rate of star formation and the fraction of stars hosting planets. But it quickly moves into tricky terrain, asking for numbers like … Read more
QSFer Kass Barrow has a new MM sci fi book out: Going Rogue. He came to save mankind. Falling in love wasn’t part of the equation. Inside every human on this planet is a genetic time bomb that’s already started ticking. A gene planted inside of us seven million years ago by a being known as the Caretaker has mutated causing many of today’s common disorders, first in the brain and then in other less complex organs. Next it will spread to the reproductive system, leading to the eventual annihilation of mankind. The only one who can save us is … Read more
FOR WRITERS Today’s writer topic comes from QSFer Janet Gershen Siegel: How much description of mundane life do you use in your world-building? None, a touch, lots? And why? 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