As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Transgender

Queer Fantasy Roots: Gender Transformations in Ovid’s Metamorphoses

by
Ovid Metamorphoses

(My apologies for posting this a couple days late. I’m deep in editorial revisions of my current novel Mother of Souls and am scrambling to keep up with my blogging schedule.) We sometimes think of Greek myth as representing an ancient pre-Christian religious tradition, but many of the most elaborate and familiar sources for these stories come from relatively late, primarily literary authors who were re-working fragments and allusions into carefully crafted stories with a didactic or satirical purpose. Many of the familiar Greek stories of transformation come down to us in their most elaborate form, not from an early … Read more

Asta’s Annotations: Editing Tips for Sci-Fi/Fantasy Writers

by

Today I thought I would cover three of the common editing queries I see from science fiction and fantasy writers. 1) World and Race Names The common issue here appears to be whether or not to capitalise. My advice is to follow standard English conventions, unless you have a strong reason not to do so. In either case, the real key is consistency. Don’t swap and change from chapter to chapter; make a decision on your preference and stick to it. Here is an example based on common English usage, followed by a fantasy rendering. In Denmark, many Danes enjoy … Read more

Review: Lessons on Destroying the World by Gene Gant.

by

Title: “Lessons on Destroying the World.” Author: Gene Gant Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult. Publisher: Harmony Ink Press Pages: 200 pages Blurb Micah McGhee has struggled all his life against prejudice and abuse. Forced to drop out of school after the death of his mother, Micah works full time to support himself and his alcoholic father. One night, on his way home from a party, Micah’s hard life ends when he’s beaten to death by a street gang. Three days later, Micah awakens with godlike abilities granted by the alien device that resurrected him. His work helping the downtrodden and … Read more

Review: Every Heart a Doorway.

by

Title:  Every Heart a Doorway Author: Seanan McGuire Series: Wayward Children Genre: Magic Realism, and Queer Fiction Publisher: Tor Books Pages/Word Count: 176 pages Blurb: Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children No Solicitations No Visitors No Quests Children have always disappeared under the right conditions; slipping through the shadows under a bed or at the back of a wardrobe, tumbling down rabbit holes and into old wells, and emerging somewhere… else. But magical lands have little need for used-up miracle children. Nancy tumbled once, but now she’s back. The things she’s experienced… they change a person. The children under Miss … Read more

The First Transgender Superhero?

by
Chalice

A new comic book will be the first time a transgender superhero will lead a title. Chalice, the star of new superhero series ‘Alters’, is being described as a ‘hero for the new age’. Paul Jenkins, the comic book’s author, said the main character will have not come out to her family yet and can only present as a female when in costume. So unlike other superheroes who only have one secret identity – Chalice has two. By Joe Morgan – Full Story at Gay Star News

Science Trying to Answer Why People Are Trans

by
DNA

Why are girls born as girls, and boys as boys? What about an individual who is biologically female but feels or sees oneself as male, or the other way around? Dr. Qazi Rahman who is a lead investigator into LGBT mental health at King’s College London revealed that science still can’t give a complete answer to those questions. ‘This is the key question at the moment,’ the scientist told The Guardian. ‘We know much more about how nature shapes sexual orientation, and my view of the science is that nurture does very little, if any, shaping of sexual orientation. We … Read more

Dispatches from Hogwarts G.S.A.: A Game of Thrones Report Card

by

We love HBO’s Game of Thrones. It’s some of the best storytelling on premium cable, possibly the best production quality ever for a TV series (DRAGONS!), and the directing and acting are pretty darn awesome to boot. We’re also really happy the phenomenally popular show has increased interest in high fantasy on the small screen, big screen, and in books. Another thing we love about GoT is that it has gay, lesbian and bisexual characters and decent portrayals of women. The Hogwarts G.S.A. believes gender equality and LGBTQ equality go hand-in-hand, so strong, diverse female characters are important to us … Read more

For Writers: Gender Shift

by
Gender

Today’s writer topic comes from QSFer Richard Wood: Speaking of FF and other non MM varieties of LGBT sex, why are almost all shifters male? Can a male shifter be female when shifted or choose which sex to be? Or how about shifters who shift between male and female human forms? Why are all shifters shifting between human and animal forms? How many men and women would like to experience sex from both male and female perspectives? Thinking here of Heinlein’s “I will Fear No Evil”. This topic deals with gender issues, which can be a touchy topic, so I … Read more

For Writers: The Difference Between Transgender and Gender Bending

by

Today’s writer topic comes from QSFer Matthew J. Metzger: For trans: the difference between trans stories and genderbending stories. This could be a dicey one. Gender discussions often are, so let’s try to talk this in a respectful, polite way. As Matthew points out, gender bending and being transgender are two different things, though to the outside observer, they may have some similarities, in that both challenge our traditional conceptions about gender. And in addition to transgender, we can also add the gender fluid category. So here are my thoughts – and feel free to tell me if I am … Read more