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Genres

Suparanorror

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OK, it’s paranormal day at the QSF blog. Today, I’m thinking about supernatural, paranormal, and horror. They have a lot of overlap, but are not exactly the same thing. For instance, Twilight is probably paranormal, with its shifter themes, and maybe a little supernatural. The Amityville Horror was clearly horror, with a little supernatural, but was it paranormal? Maybe? The Texas Chainsaw Massacre – horror only. What I’m wondering this morning is – where do you draw the line between supernatural, paranormal, and horror? And what are some examples you’ve read and enjoyed in each subset of the Suparanorror genre?

Q&A With Anna Frost, Author of The Fox’s Mask

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Anna Frost, a fantasy writer with a great YA series – The Fox’s Mask, The Fox’s Quest, and The Fox’s God – stopped by the QSF blog for a Q&A. QSF: How did you get into writing? Frost: I was a voracious reader as a child/teen and at some point it occurred to me I could write my own stories too. There was no stopping me from then on. QSF: Is this your first book? Frost: Most writers have old manuscripts hidden away, stories that didn’t work out or weren’t good enough, but yes I would call this my first … Read more

Cheating Death

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We’re going to a funeral today. It’s for one of Mark’s uncles – not someone I knew well. But it’s the latest in a string of funerals over the last several years. I’m reaching that age, I guess, where many of my friends and family members are passing on. In the last two years for the two of us, that’s included a grandmother, a mother, a dear friend, an uncle, a step mother, and several others. It’s made me reflect on family and life and death. And in the sci fi context, it’s made me think about immortality. I always … Read more

Crowdfunded Gay Sci-Fi Film Raises Over $36K in 30 days

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Credence, a sci-fi film about the end of the world, and an evacuation of the earth, features a gay couple’s family, and the devastating effect the loss of their daughter The final cut of the film will be directed by Mike Buonaiuto, and feature a soundtrack by Scottish composer Craig Sutherland and New York based artist and vocalist Lucien Dante. The description on the trailer for the film reads: “Ever wondered what it might look like if a science fiction film presented LGBT people the way it should be done? #Credence will be the first Sci-Fi of its kind to … Read more

Great Author Interviews Coming Up at Gay Sci Fi (m/m romance)

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Ashlyn Forge over at the Gay Sci Fi page on Facebook has some great interviews lined up next month: 9/6/14, 6 PM EDT: Live Interview With Pelaam Pelaam lives in clean, green New Zealand. She is a published author of gay male romance and erotica across time and space. When not writing, she indulges in her other passions as a foodie and wine buff. Event Link Interview Link 9/20/14, 5 AM EDT: Live Interview With Eva Lefoy Eva Lefoy writes and reads all kinds of romance, and is a certified Trekkie. She’s also terribly addicted to chocolate, tea, and hiking. … Read more

What is Paranormal, Really?

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OK, so we all know that “paranormal”, over the last few years, has in large part consisted of vampires and shifters, at least in the popular culture – see True Blood and Twilight. But there’s so much more to it – including witches, ghosts, zombies, hauntings, mummies, and more. We’re always looking for the next big thing… in paranormal circles in the last few years, that seems to have been stories that mix the various characters in the paranormal playbook. But what’s next? What under-explored paranormal sub genres and characters are ripe for exploration? And are you writing any of … Read more

Fantasy and the Modern World

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Some of my favorite fantasy series – Lord of the Rings, the Shannara Series, the Wheel of Time – take place all or mostly separated from current day. Although I have to acknowledge that Terry Brooks has since gone on to connect the Shannara books to his A Man of His Word series, which did bring the idea of his fantasy series into the present. It seems to me that this blending of Fantasy elements and the modern world offers a unique opportunity to explore the LGBT community’s place in society, by giving us tools to look at how we … Read more

Would They Really Look Like Us?

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For the purposes of MM-Romance driven gay sci fi, alien characters are often built like us – otherwise, would we want to have sex with them? And to be fair, this is not just a conceit confined to MM romance. Many sci fi TV shows have constructed their aliens around human lines – most prominently star Trek – with two arms, two legs, and a head with two eyes, a nose, a mouth, and two ears in generally the standard human configuration. Some have even come up with semi-plausible reasons for the similarities, from “it’s the only practical configuration” to … Read more

LGBT Paranormal Is Really Weird (And Hot)

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OK, in honor of Me Me Monday over at our Facebook Discussion Group (a weekly event where authors in the group post their promos about upcoming work, new releases, etc), I’m inaugurating another first – the Cover Cavalcade. Let’s post our favorite LGBT paranormal covers on the FB page – covers that get you hot under the collar, or that are just so fricking weird that you can’t help but stare in awe. What are your favorite LGBT paranormal / supernatural covers – the good, the bad, and the beautiful-ugly? And let’s keep it in good fun – no insults, … Read more

Getting There

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We attended a reading of a play set in the early to mid 1800’s this week in downtown Sacramento. At one point in the play, one of the characters, an escaped slave, claims to have gone from the South to San Francisco, and then back to New York City, in a relatively short period of time. It was a bit unbelievable, and we later learned form the author that it was intended to cast doubt on the truthfulness of the character. But still, it got me thinking about transportation, and the role it plays in science fiction. If you ever … Read more