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Social Media in Sci Fi

Social Media

Today’s topic comes from QSFer Hank T. Canon: “Social Media in a science fiction story. Admittedly, I have not read anything featuring social media since Shadowrun’s BBS style information dumps in their old splat books. I have seen it crop up in some science fiction Anime programs namely “Serial Experiments: Lain” and those shows in the “neural interface massive multiplayer online game goes horribly wrong” genre. Do you use Social Media as in your sci fi stories? Is it something just in the background, or does it strongly effect your protagonists? Do they take pains to avoid it?” I’d broaden … Read more

Announcement: Art Theft 101, by Edward Kendrick

Art Theft 101

QSFer Edward Kendrick has a new paranormal book out: Vampire Philip Archer and his team of successful art thieves — black panther shifter Duff, ghost Rob, and Duff’s human girlfriend Liddy — are asked by the handsome Ian Croft, a potential client, to break with tradition and rescue a kidnapped child. When the caper turns out rather differently than expected, Philip is bitterly reminded why he has remained single for so long. Yet, surrounded as he is by loving friends, he is not desperate. This is why, when he meets the newly-made vampire Ephram, he suppresses his attraction and focuses … Read more

Fighting Sexism and Racism

sci fi diversity infographic

Today’s topic comes from QSFer Anastasia Vitsky: “Many proponents of sci-fi point to acceptance of “difference” as why it’s a great genre. However, protagonists of sci tend to be white men. “I’m not talking about a secondary character or a walk-on, but the main character whose actions are integral to every major plot point. “What responsibility do we have, as authors and readers of queer sci-fi, to work against sexism, racism, and exclusion in the books we read and write?” This group is all about diversity – of race, of gender, of sexual orientation, and of opinion. So how can … Read more

Announcement: Time Waits, by C.B. Lewis

Time Waits

QSFer C.B. Lewis has a new sci fi/time travel book out: Badly wounded and on the run from his WWII Hungarian brigade, Janos Nagy stumbles through a temporal gateway to the future. Suddenly stranded in Manchester, England, 2041, Janos wants answers about a crazy world he doesn’t recognize. Dieter Schmidt, flamboyant historian/linguist for the Temporal Research Institution has those answers, but the TRI is a neutral entity, set up to verify historical events under a strict code of noninterference. That doesn’t stop Dieter from taking Janos under his protection. Trust doesn’t come easy to Janos, who came from a time … Read more

Angel’s Bits: You Own a Yacht, Right?

And other myths harmful to the new author… I was having a discussion with a friend yesterday about a friend of hers who would like to be published. Oh, yes? says I. Cool. What does he write? Turns out said friend writes LGBT Fantasy and was interested in learning about finding a publisher vs. self publishing. And here’s where the tearing of hair and sprinkling of ashes begins. Now, to be fair, Mr. Friend of Friend is new to this game. We were all new at one point, and many of us were led astray by bad information. Many of … Read more

“Family of Lies: Sebastian” by Sam Argent

Genre: MM Fantasy Romance Length: Novel Sebastian Orwell is the son of a washed-up wizard, but when he saves the crown prince, Turren, from an assassination attempt, he unravels a plot that will change everything. Turren isn’t the only one the assassins were after, and Sebastian has to defend the lives and secrets of his entire family, and fight to keep his own secrets safe from exposure. Plots, twisted in plots, twisted in plots. Needless to say, the plot of Family of Lies was fantastic. The entire Orwell family was loaded with secrets, and Argent leaked them out to us … Read more

Announcement: The Bastard’s Pearl, by Connie Bailey

Bastard's Pearl

DSP author Connie Bailey has a new fantasy book out: When Sheyn, a headstrong young aristocrat, disobeys his parents and travels to the far east, he passes through Kandaar, an isolated country of strange customs. He is abducted, transformed by a mysterious ritual, and sold to a barbarian king as a pleasure slave. When the king is killed by Kashyan the Bastard, dispossessed prince of Clan Savaan, Sheyn becomes Kashyan’s possession. The Bastard expects Sheyn—now called Pearl—to behave as an obedient pleasure slave, but compliance is not in Sheyn’s nature. Nor does Sheyn’s ordeal stop at being held captive by … Read more

Designer Babies

spock baby

Today’s topic comes from QSFer Aidee Ladnier: “We’ve all heard the scare tactics of politicians warning of the dangers of designer babies, but genetically modified humans are literally due to be born in the next decade. Medical science has made our lives longer and healthier. “But what if scientists modify those things that make us fundamentally who we are? Why is it okay to make sure a child is not born with a genetic disease that will kill them prematurely (like cystic fibrosis) but not okay to give an child a higher IQ which would give it a better chance … Read more

Bring Me Your Covers!

Queer Sci Fi Flash Fiction contest

I’m afraid it may have gotten lost at the bottom of our flash fiction contest announcement, but we are also doing a cover contest for the resulting eBook! Please forward this to any cover designer friends you may have! Cover Contest With the planned eBook this year, we’re also adding a new twist – a contest to create the perfect cover for the book. Cover designers, we’d love to see your work – we’re looking for speculative fiction covers that embrace the theme of discovery. Here are the ground rules: The cover must somehow embrace the theme of “discovery”. The … Read more

Announcement: Short Fuse, by Brent D. Seth

Short Fuse

QSFer Brent D. Seth has a new sci fi book out: The galaxy teeters on the brink of war. Two great Empires have marshaled their forces; they stand poised, waiting for the right opportunity to strike first. The only thing in their way is a grocery clerk, a cop, and a small house cat… Overweight and over-the-hill, Jason Miller was on the road to nowhere. With a minimum wage job and only hiss cat, Leo, for companionship, bad goes to worse when Jason rear-ends a police car containing one very angry cop. Car totaled and about to receive a ticket … Read more