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Sci Fi

Jeff Baker: Boogieman in Lavender – Sleator and Selden; of Genies and Singularities

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Jeff Baker

We are out there. We are not always obvious. In the days before the 21st Century’s sometimes grudging acceptance of LGBT YA authors, such authors labored largely in the closet, their works publicly known while their orientation was not. Two authors whose works have recently crossed my desk again are William Sleator and George Selden. Both names are probably jogging a bygone memory or two. Both had at least one familiar hit; Sleator with “Interstellar Pig,” and Selden with “The Cricket in Times Square.” And both men had definite LGBT connections. I’ll start with Sleator (pronounced “Slater.”) I first encountered … Read more

Cuteness and Sci Fi

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Fuzzies

I recently reread Little Fuzzy by H. Beam Piper and realized it’s success was probably due to cuteness. Cuteness is hard to define but generally deals with little creatures like kittens, puppies, babies, and toddlers. In the case of science fiction, cuteness comes in the form of little aliens or small robots. Little Fuzzy was a read for my science fiction book club and most of the members enjoyed a story about cute critters being discovered by a gem miner on a distant planet. Piper’s plot examined what makes a being sentient, which is a serious, non-cute subject. However, because … Read more

ANNOUNCEMENT: Royal Guardian, by Jo Tannah

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Royal Guardian

QSFer Jo Tannah has a new MM sci fi book out: Man and dragon seek those who dared harm their prince. Kallen has been away for two years to further his education. En route to his home planet, Oryon, his starship is attacked by unknown brigands. All fear the death of the heir to the kingdom, as well as those of his accompanying loyal guardians. With Bobik’s assistance, Lando Garr is the one man who can find and rescue Kallen. Not because he’s bound by duty as a Royal Guardian, but because the prince’s symbiont responds to no other but him. Both … Read more

The Hugos: The Puppies are Back

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Hugo Awards

ON TUESDAY, NOMINEES for speculative fiction’s highest honor, the Hugo Awards, were announced—and while the shortlist has stoked some controversy recently, this year passed almost entirely without incident. The Best Novel category featured widely praised works by Ada Palmer, Cixin Lu, even WIRED contributors N. K. Jemisin and Charlie Jane Anders. But lower down, nearly escaping notice in Best Novelette, was a name few people had ever seen before: Stix Hiscock. Three things immediately stuck out about this. One is the obvious nom de schwing, which reads like a rejected prank-call name for Moe to call out on The Simpsons. … Read more

ANNOUNCEMENT: Believe and Live, by Cody Sisco

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Believe and Live

QSFer Cody Sisco has a new queer sci fi short out: Mía Barrias is taking a break from managing the governor’s re-election campaign to honeymoon in Carmichael, a small resort town in Semiautonomous California. But she wakes up to a nightmare—sleeping gas wafts through the town, self-driving cars run people down in the streets, and a man clad in black is killing people with a stunstick as he tells them to “Believe and Live.” Can Mía survive long enough to outwit the man behind the massacre and bring help to the people of Carmichael, including a special four-year-old named Victor … Read more

ANNOUNCEMENT: The Android and the Thief, by Wendy Rathbone

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The Android and the Thief

QSFer Wendy Rathbone has a new MM sci fi book out: Will love set them free—or seal their fate? In the sixty-seventh century, Trev, a master thief and computer hacker, and Khim, a vat-grown human android, reluctantly share a cell in a floating space prison called Steering Star. Trev is there as part of an arrangement that might finally free him from his father’s control. Khim, formerly a combat android, snaps when he is sold into the pleasure trade and murders one of the men who sexually assaults him. At first they are at odds, but despite secrets and their … Read more

ANNOUNCEMENT: Tortured Echoes, by Cody Sisco

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Tortured Echoes

QSFer Cody Sisco has a new queer sci fi book out: Bioinformatics whiz Victor Eastmore at long last gains control over his frightening mirror resonance syndrome, but he still believes his grandfather was murdered. Victor’s best hope for finding justice lies in New Venice, a tourist town in the Louisiana Territories where his family’s company is exploring new treatment options for so-called “Broken Mirrors” and the stim addicts who experience similar symptoms–blank outs, synesthesia, and euphoria. Only by confronting Samuel Miller, the MRS “patient zero” who was responsible for the Carmichael Massacre, can Victor learn the truth. To do that, Samuel must … Read more

ANNOUNCEMENT: The Voice in My Head, by Sarah Ettritch

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The Voice in My Head

QSFer Sarah Ettritch has a new FF sci fi romance out: When Izzy’s virtual assistant implant experiences a catastrophic failure, she receives a new implant with a unique personality. Chloe, as Izzy dubs her, is wonderfully supportive and helpful. Despite knowing that Chloe isn’t a real person, Izzy falls in love with the voice in her head. Can a relationship with an AI be as meaningful as one with a person? Is Izzy destined for heartbreak? Amazon | iBooks | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Google Play | Smashwords Giveaway I’ll give away a copy of The Salbine Sisters, … Read more

Colonizing Space

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Beyond Earth

In Beyond Earth: Our Path to a New Home in the Planets, Charles Wohlforth and Amanda R. Hendrix propose colonizing Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, and the second largest moon in the solar system. They reject constructing colonies on Mars and the Moon, claiming Titan offers the most resources for creating a permanent human settlement. Even though I don’t buy their premise, Wohlforth and Hendrix have written a book that nicely sums up the current knowledge on human space travel. What’s damning and depressing is their long litany of obstacles we face living in space. Over the years I’ve … Read more

ANNOUNCEMENT: TimeLabs Inc., by L.V. Lloyd

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Time Labs Inc.

QSFer L.V. Lloyd has a new sci fi anthology out: TimeLabs Inc is a collection of six science fiction short stories, all with a romantic theme. Sam and Zak take a Time Tour for their honeymoon, visiting some of the events through time which have captured their interest, including the very first Olympics. A five-star time machine for transport, luxury meals, fine wines—what could be more perfect? TimeLabs Inc. Tom loved his master, his job and the wonderful society he lived in—until one day, somebody hacked his tattoo and his world changed forever. Tattoo Kel meets his first alien and falls … Read more