Speculative Ficiton – Page 3

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“Ink” – The Judge’s Choices

July 28, 2021 by scott

It’s time for the next round of announcements for our 2021 QSF spec fiction contest. First off, the five Judges’ Choices. These stories were not chosen as our top three winners, but were singled out by our judges and director for special recognition. Congrats to all! Judge: Angel Martinez EduTron 6000 + Principal Vertner 4EverBrenna Harvey “The Ink-themed entries for this year’s flash fiction contest were surprisingly blood and death laden (surprising to me, at any rate), so the lighthearted stories really stood out for me. I found this particularly whimsical piece completely charming with a surprising amount of world … Read more

FOR READERS & WRITERS: Pets in Spec Fic

June 24, 2021 by scott

FOR READERS & WRITERS Today’s writer topic comes from QSFer Scott: Pets in speculative fiction – readers, what are your faves? Writers, how have you incorporated them in your work? Writers: This is a reader/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: FB: http://bit.ly/1MvPABVMeWe: http://bit.ly/2mjg8lf

On Beyond Cisgender, part Three: Jeff Baker, Boogieman in Lavender

March 12, 2021 by Jeff Baker

QSF On Beyond Cisgender Part Three By Jeff Baker For a year or so now, I have been posting about authors who do not fit the “white, male, cisgender” paradigm most familiar from recommended reading lists in schools. Three books on the list this time, three books that I discovered by accident. “Cosmos Latinos” (ed. by Andrea L. Bell and Yolanda Molina Gavilan, published by Wesleyan University Press) is a large collection of fiction by Latin American authors from the turn of the last century to the present century. Most surprising to some readers unfamiliar with … Read more

Rainbow Space Magic Starts Today!

March 12, 2021 by scott

It’s here! The virtual Rainbow Space Magic con is the brainchild of Olivia Helling, and Angel, Valerie, Monique and others worked hard to bring it to fruition. It’s a queer con (as if you couldn’t tell) for fantasy, sci-fi, paranormal, and horror readers and authors, and most of the content will be posted to the RSM YouTube channel once the con is over. And it’s FREE (but we encourage you to donate to one of our featured charities). Some highlights: Jewelle Gomez is our Keynote Speaker, at 3 PM Pacific Today Tons of author readings Vendor pop-ups Saturday and Sunday … Read more

Happy Turkey Day!

November 26, 2020 by scott

FOR READERS & WRITERS Today’s writer topic comes from QSFer Scott: On this American Turkey Day, share your favorite spec fic books featuring Thanksgiving meals (queer or otherwise). Writers, feel free to share your own works. Writers: This is a reader/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: FB: http://bit.ly/1MvPABVMeWe: http://bit.ly/2mjg8lf

“On Beyond Cisgender; Part Two.” Jeff Baker, Boogieman in Lavender.

June 13, 2021November 13, 2020 by Jeff Baker

On Beyond Cisgender Part Two By Jeff Baker About a year ago I posted a column suggested by A. M. Leibowitz’ list of suggested reading for High School of sci-fi/mystery authors outside the usual straight-white-male paradigm. These next few may be considered addenda of sorts, but are not as readily available. I have a thing for science fiction of the Nineteenth Century-early Twentieth Century and recently got the Dover Publications book “The Feminine Future.” Subtitled: Early Science Fiction by Women Writers, the book presents fourteen stories of sci-fi published between 1873 and 1930. Cyborgs, mysterious rays, … Read more

FOR READERS: A Change of Perspective

October 20, 2020 by scott

FOR READERS Today’s reader topic comes from QSFer Ryane Chatman: Have you read anything (fiction or non-fiction) that shifted your perception and made you think differently about speculative fiction? 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: FB: http://bit.ly/1MvPABVMeWe: http://bit.ly/2mjg8lf

FOR READERS: Favorite Spec Fic Magazines and Journals

October 15, 2020 by scott

FOR READERS Today’s reader topic comes from QSFers Scott and Ryane: What are your favorite inclusive spec fic magazines and journals, and why? 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: FB: http://bit.ly/1MvPABVMeWe: http://bit.ly/2mjg8lf

Are We Living in the Matrix?

October 14, 2020 by scott

It is not often that a comedian gives an astrophysicist goose bumps when discussing the laws of physics. But comic Chuck Nice managed to do just that in a recent episode of the podcast StarTalk. The show’s host Neil deGrasse Tyson had just explained the simulation argument—the idea that we could be virtual beings living in a computer simulation. If so, the simulation would most likely create perceptions of reality on demand rather than simulate all of reality all the time—much like a video game optimized to render only the parts of a scene visible to a player. “Maybe that’s … Read more

The Feminist World of Joanna Russ- Boogieman in Lavender

September 14, 2020September 13, 2020 by Jeff Baker

Her literary criticism was blunt and uncompromising. Her humor was sharp and stinging. Her importance to the field of science fiction cannot be underestimated. Best of all, her fiction is still being read, enjoyed and learned from. She is Joanna Russ (1937 -2011.) Here, I must confess that I have not read much of Russ’ work, but I am familiar with it. Her book “How to Suppress Women’s Writing” is a must-read. I sat down with one of her collections; “The Hidden Side of the Moon.” I didn’t quite know what to expect, I certainly didn’t expect her sense of … Read more