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History & Alternate History

Announcement: Terror of the Frozen North, by Angelia Sparrow and Naomi Brooks

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Terror of the Frozen North

QSFer Angelia Sparrow and Naomi Brooks have a new paranormal book out: War is hell, but coming home is even harder. Edward Kilsby, Lord Withycombe, flying ace and noted adventurer, has grown increasingly restless with civilian life. He seeks refuge from his depression and nightmares in adrenaline, and when that fails, in painful sex. Until his erstwhile fiancé blackmails him into making an arctic expedition. In the frozen wastes, Edward and his secretary, Charlie, work hard, facing the rigors of the climate and the lethal war machines they are testing. But no-one is prepared for what lies under the ice. … Read more

Announcement: Late Summer, Early Spring, by Patricia Correll

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Late Summer, Early Spring

DSP Publications author Patricia Correll has a new Fantasy/Paranormal book out: Hour of the Lotus: General Sho Iwata is devastated when the man he secretly loves, Prince Narita, is struck with a mysterious illness. Iwata’s current lover, Hiroshi, is well aware of the general’s unrequited passion. But that isn’t his biggest problem. His sister is Narita’s favorite consort, but Hiroshi believes she has been replaced by an imposter. When they discover the true cause of the illness, they will have to battle an ancient spirit and survive. Fox Hunter: Lord General Iwata Sho sets out in search of the mysterious … Read more

Article: When ‘Womanless Weddings’ Were Trendy

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Image from A. F. Weaver Collection/Portal to Texas History

History holds some of best quirks, don’t you think? How rich is a world that has a fundraising event like this one: When ‘Womanless Weddings’ Were Trendy Definitions of marriage in America keep expanding, but for most of the country’s history, the word “wedding” has called to mind images of a woman in a white dress and a man in a black tuxedo. And traditionally, June was the most popular month to get hitched. So, there’s no better time to reminisce about a once-popular community ritual — still perhaps practiced occasionally — that would seem to be on the edge … Read more

Know Your History: LGBT Themes in Speculative Fiction

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Knowing the history of your genre gives you insight into how it’s viewed in the larger world. Why do publishers eschew works that push the boundaries? Which archetypes touch something in readers? Do you know your history well enough to shape the future of Science Fiction? Click here for a primer on LGBT themes in speculative fiction

Discussion: Alternate History – When Things Changed

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JFK alternative history

Today’s topic comes from QSFer John Allenson: “When things changed. What stories do you like that rewrite an event in history? Examples: What if Napolean had decided to invade Scotland rather than Russia? What if Abraham Lincoln had lost the election to become POTUS?” I like this one. It’s an area of speculative fiction we don’t discuss all that often – the future as seen from the past. There are so many moments when history spun on a dime and went off in another direction because of a single event or series of events. So where would you change the … Read more

NEWS: Stonewall Inn Declared NYC Landmark

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This may not be SciFi, but it’s so incredibly important to the LGBTQ world. BREAKING: Stonewall Inn Declared NYC Landmark New York City’s landmarks commission today voted to grant official status to the Stonewall Inn, the Greenwich Village bar often credited as the birthplace of the modern LGBT rights movement. The vote was unanimous, according to the Associated Press. This marks the first time any site in New York City has been designated a landmark because of its significance in LGBT history. See the full article here

Dispatches from the Front: Review – We, The Navigators

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We, The Navigators

Hi! I’m Jim Comer and I read, edit, and post on QueerSF.  This is the first of an irregular series of dispatches from the front: I read very widely across the fields of history, science, language and religion, and want to make sure that the QUILTBAGs back home are suitably informed.  For writers and readers, here is the first of a series of book reviews, on traditional navigation in the Pacific Ocean.  I hope that you enjoy it. On a planet three-quarters of which is covered by water, sea travel is not only necessary, but a source of stories and … Read more

Announcement: The Lonely War, by Alan Chin

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The Lonely War

DSPP author Alan Chin has a new Alternative History book out: The realities of war are brutal for any man, but for a Buddhist like Andrew Waters, they’re unthinkable. And reconciling his serene nature with the savagery of World War II isn’t the only challenge Andrew faces. First, he must overcome the deep prejudice his half-Chinese ancestry evokes from his shipmates, a feat he manages by providing them with the best meals any destroyer crew ever had. Then he falls in love with his superior officer, and the two men struggle to satisfy their growing passion within the confines of … Read more

Announcement: The Time Slip Girl, by Elizabeth Andre

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The Time Slip Girl small

QSFer Elizabeth Andre has a new interracial lesbian time travel romance novel out: What if the woman you loved was more than a century away? Dara, a computer programmer from Chicago, is visiting London when she opens a door in an Edwardian house and slips into Edwardian England. Agnes, a beautiful London shop girl, takes in the bewildered 21st century American lesbian, but, as Dara begins to accept that she is stuck in 1908, she also begins to accept that she has feelings for Agnes that go beyond gratitude. And the longer Dara stays, the harder Agnes finds it to … Read more

Guest Post: F.E. Feeley Jr., Author of Still Waters

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Still Waters

We’re thrilled to have a guest post today from QSFer F.E. Feeley Jr., author of the soon-to-release (March 30) book Still Waters: Unofficially, I have been writing all my life. In college, it was my writing that really carried me through. But in that time, my work had to be sort of direct and to the point, it had to be business like and I had a hell of a time keeping flowery language out of the work I did. But I held my own. I have been writing M/M ficiton for the past four years. I was always a … Read more