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Announcement: Zenith (audio), by Arshad Ahsanuddin

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Zenith Audiobook

QSFer Arshad Ahsanuddin has one of his sci fi books out in audio: What if you could change history? What if someone else already had? Grounded after a rescue attempt in Earth orbit goes bad, Commander Martin Atkins of the Confederation Navy is approached by the Interscission Project, a consortium of civilian corporations on the verge of perfecting the technology to travel to another star. Despite his misgivings, the chance to get back in the pilot’s seat is too much to pass up, and he convinces his best friend and crewmate, Charles Davenport, to leave the military temporarily and join … Read more

Paramount Claims Copyright on the Klingon Language

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Klingon

Paramount is suing the makers of a crowd-funded Star Trek fan film on multiple copyright grounds. But what’s got the Trekkie world buzzing is Paramount’s claim on the Klingon language, which the defendants say cannot be copyrighted because no language can be. From the response filed by Paramount: “This argument is absurd since a language is only useful if it can be used to communicate with people, and there are no Klingons with whom to communicate,” stated a plaintiffs’ brief authored by David Grossman at Loeb & Loeb. “The Klingon language is wholly fictitious, original and copyrightable, and Defendants’ incorporation … Read more

Angel’s Bits: So your con’s in another country…

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When I was younger – and really, it’s not that long ago – we could blithely skip across the border between Canada and the US with nothing more than a passport. Where ya headed, ma’am? Oh, sure, nice there this time of year. Have a nice stay, welcome to Canada! Fast forward a bit, and lots of things about travel between countries has changed. We do need a passport now to travel to Canada, and obtaining one/renewing one isn’t a completely awful process if you leave yourself enough time. US citizens have somewhere over 120 countries where passports are sufficient … Read more

Announcement: This is How it Ends, by Nick Wilgus

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This is How it Ends

QSFer Nick Wilgus has a new sci fi/horror book out: High school juniors Billy Gunn and Rory Wilder return from a weekend camping trip to find a mysterious plague has wiped out their small town of Port Moss, Mississippi. The question of why is only the beginning—especially when the dead refuse to stay dead. Figuring out what happened is job one for Billy and Rory. But complications quickly set in. Not only do the dead rise, but a freak storm threatens torrential downpours as winter looms. And enormous ships appear in the sky, bringing with them alien visitors with technology … Read more

Interview with ‘Nathan Burgoine on Writing the Gay Fantastical

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'Nathan Burgoine

Awesome – our own ‘Nathan Burgoine was featured on SF Signal: ‘Nathan Burgoine grew up a reader and studied literature in university while making a living as a bookseller. His first published short story was “Heart” in the collection Fool for Love: New Gay Fiction. Since then, he has had over two dozen short stories published, and his first novel Light is available in e-book and print from Bold Strokes Books. Steve Berman: Thank you for baring your soul to SF Signal readers! ‘Nathan Burgoine: Uh oh. Soul baring? Understand I’m a Brit-born Canuck. Everyone is going to be blinded … Read more

For Writers: Writing Transgender

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Transgender Flag

Today’s writer topic comes from QSFer Matthew J. Metzger: The big one for me is the double standards. There seems to be a presumption that you need to have a degree in gender studies to write a trans character, no matter the actual plot or genre of the book. Whereas I can see eight novels on my feed right now that are M/M and could be changed to M/F with a simple pronoun switch-up. Why can LGB books be about, well, anything you want, but the idea of a book with a character who just so happens to be transgender … Read more

Announcement – grydscaen: alliance by Natsuya Uesugi

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Grydscaen: Alliance

QSFer Natsuya Uesugi has a new sci fi book out: Lino Dejarre has to take up his position as the Viceroy and see to the political posturing that being the head of the City, the Echelons and the Zone entails. The first thing he has to do is carry out the Trance Channeler’s punishment. What are the consequences for the Trance Channeler giving away secrets to the enemy? While Lino struggles with his new found responsibilities, the Packrats continue their support to the Psi Faction. But Faid is growing restless and swears the Packrats will go back to fighting the … Read more

Marvel Shouldn’t Be Afraid of Gay Characters in Movies

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The blockbuster film and TV universe – which spans from Iron Man and the Avengers to Guardians of the Galaxy – has portrayed hundreds of characters and dozens of superheroes – but is lacking in LGBT diversity. Gay characters have been introduced on Marvel TV shows Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and Jessica Jones – but neither of the shows have the mass-market reach of the core MCU films – which are pushed across the world, including in countries with anti-LGBT laws. But the directors of latest Marvel film ‘Captain America: Civil War’ have affirmed that aiming for global appeal across Russia … Read more

For Readers: Whiz Bang Tech

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Robotech Veritech

Today’s reader topic comes from QSFer Hank T. Cannon: What kind of sci-fi tech makes you go “OOOOOOOOOOOH!!!”? For a long time, for me it was transforming vehicles. The Veritechs from “Robotech,” the cars from the short-lived “Pole Position” cartoon, and of course “M.A.S.K.” among others. I think, from a nostalgia perspective, “Mighty Orbots” is my favorite of them all, if only because of the specific mention of matter manipulation tech in the transformation and unity process. Writers: This is a reader chat – you are welcome to join it, but please do not reference your own works directly. Thanks! … Read more

Announcement: Kellen’s Awakening, by Angel Martinez and Bellora Quinn

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Kellen's Awakening

QSFers Angel Martinez and Bellora Quinn has a new urban fantasy book out: A socially challenged pixie and a former playboy incubus find themselves in the center of the maelstrom as AURA struggles to find a source for the escalating violence threatening the city. The staff at AURA has had a busy summer. Between chronic understaffing, dealing with warring goblin factions and an unusual number of hazardous Events, everyone is overworked. Sinistrus the incubus, newly hired as an AURA medic, actually enjoys his busy new life of responsible employee and faithful lover to his gorgeous police sergeant, Ness the centaur. … Read more