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CALL: WhimsyCon 2019 Anthology

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steampunk - pixabay

Shiny Garden is seeking short fiction for its 2019 WhimsyCon Anthology. Steampunk, science fiction, fantasy, and other spec fiction is preferred. While this will not be a queer anthology, queer submissions are requested and welcomed. Submissions should be: Written in English Written for a PG-13 Audience (no explicit sex or violence) Between 5,000-15,000 words Typed and double spaced Include the author’s name, address, phone number and approximate word count at the top of the first page. Print ready. (please don’t send first drafts, send it through an editor for grammar ect.) Saved as a .doc or .docx file Also do … Read more

ANNOUNCEMENT: Transcendence

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Transcendence

QSFer A.M. Burns has a new MM fantasy book out: In a world torn between magic and science, he was created to be a servant, but the power of love gave him the strength to break his chains and save the world. Names have power. That simple statement defines Jaxon’s life. Without a name he would be nothing. He was created by the Mage Lord of Denver, Robart Hasslan, as a spiritual servant. His life is a series of duties for Hasslan until Hasslan takes an apprentice, Xedric Collins. Xedric stirs feelings in Jaxon he never knew existed. When Xedric’s … Read more

SCIENCE: Flies With Frickin’ Laser Beams

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Robotic Fly

A new type of flying robot is so tiny and lightweight — it weighs about as much as a toothpick — it can perch on your finger. The little flitter is also capable of untethered flight and is powered by lasers. This is a big leap forward in the design of diminutive airborne bots, which are usually too small to support a power source and must trail a lifeline to a distant battery in order to fly, engineers who built the new robot announced in a statement. Their insect-inspired creation is dubbed RoboFly, and like its animal namesake, it sports … Read more

ANNOUNCEMENT: Twenty-One Arrow Salute, by Kasia Bacon

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Twenty-One Arrow Salute

QSFer Kasia Bacon has a new MM fantasy book out: Verhan Tŭrryés of Black Mountain is a handful. Freshly enlisted in the Highland Regiment, he does all he can to steer clear of responsibility and commitment. Just not his cup of mead, that. Loose of tongue and even looser of morals, he rarely misses an opportunity to get into trouble—and into the other archers’ knickers, too. In a unit composed almost entirely of Dark Elves, Hernan Seinnés, with his green eyes and auburn hair, is an outsider. When Verhan, up the creek again, is blackmailed into helping Hernan, he never … Read more

FOR WRITERS: Managing My Brain and My Writing

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writing - pixabay

FOR WRITERS Today’s writer topic comes from QSFer Sheena J. Himes: Managing depression/mental health issues while still maintaining a decent writing schedule. Tips? Suggestions? I’m balancing a fine line but I’m failing more than succeeding at this point, and my production divebombs during the winter. (My current self-care routine is adequate for maintaining my equilibrium but not at all helpful in staying productive.) Join the chat

WEIRD NEWS: Hairy Beast Washes Ashore in the Philippines

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hairy sea monster

It came from the depths of the ocean and has since mystified onlookers: the decaying, truck-size body of a hairy sea monster. What it is, no one can yet say. But the beast, which washed ashore on a beach in the Philippine province of Oriental Mindoro on May 11, is likely the remains of a whale, fishery law enforcement officer Vox Krusada told The Sun. However, DNA testing is needed to pinpoint the exact species, Krusada said. [13 Bizarre Things That Washed Up on Beaches] Until the species is officially identified, people are calling the 20-foot-long (6 meters), grayish and … Read more

ANNOUNCEMENT/GIVEAWAY: Ghost’s Sight, by Morwen Navarre

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Morwen Navarre has a new MM paranormal book out: Years ago, a bond was forged when a little boy, plagued by dreams and visions he could not explain, became the Witch’s new apprentice healer. Gerry, a rugged and headstrong hunter, is brought to the Witch for healing, and Ghost is forced to reveal the mark beneath his snowy hair that sets him apart from other men. But Gerry does not reject Ghost as an outcast. He finds Ghost beguiling and mysterious and declares his intent to claim Ghost as his own. When Ghost is kidnapped by a rogue ranger, Gerry … Read more

FOR READERS: Characters With Different Abilities

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can - pixabay

FOR READERS Today’s reader topic comes from QSFer Tracy Timmons-Gray: Since we need more books including characters with different abilities (mental and physical), what disabilities would you like to see a Main Character have/represent in a story? What would you like to see most? And what are some examples of this, done well? 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

SCIENCE: Aliens in the Multiverse?

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multiverse - pixabay

Should the search for alien life in our universe come up empty-handed, it might be worth checking in on a neighboring universe instead. According to a new pair of studies in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, there’s a decent chance that life-fostering planets could exist in a parallel universe — even if that universe were being torn apart by dark energy. The idea that our universe is just one of many, perhaps infinite, other universes is known as the multiverse theory. Scientists have previously thought that such parallel universes, if they exist, would have to meet … Read more