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NEW RELEASE: At First Contact – Janice L. Newman

At First Contact - Janice L. Newman

QSFer Janice L. Newman has a new queer sci-fi collection out (gay, gender fluid, non-binary): At First Contact. The Fantastical Romances You’ve Been Craving Hugo Finalist Janice L. Newman presents a touching trio of romances in a speculative vein. From the edge of space, to the shadows of the paranormal, to the marvels of the mystical: At First Contact: A germaphobe and an android are assigned a mission to survey a planet together. Will they discover new life or a new love? Ghosted: Leo is searching for the soul that used to haunt his grandmother’s house. Did Will ghost him? … Read more

ANNOUNCEMENT/GIVEAWAY: When Are You?, by Addison Albright

When Are You? - Addison Albright

QSFer Addison Albright has a new MM time travel romance book out: “When Are You?”. They have to find him…but how? A former member of an elite military special forces unit, Leo Bailey can handle anything life throws at him. Except maybe approaching a certain gorgeous, purple mohawk-wearing, heavily pierced artist. Not without his three eye-rolling wingmen along to push him in the right direction. One look at the mouthwateringly muscled, military buzzcut-sporting man with the endearing blush, and Vincent Noland is in love. Or at least in lust. Love comes later. Then marriage…and sweet, adorable Oscar. Life is perfect—the … Read more

ANNOUNCEMENT/GIVEAWAY: Merchants of Milan, by Edale Lane

Merchants of Milan

Edale Lane has a new FF historical romance out, book one of the Night Flyer Trilogy: “Merchants of Milan.” Three powerful merchants, two independent women in love, one masked vigilante. Florentina, set on revenge for her father’s murder, creates an alter-ego known as the Night Flyer. Madelena, whose husband was also murdered, hires Florentina as a tutor for her children and love blossoms between them. However, Florentina’s vendetta is fraught with danger, and surprising developments threaten both women’s lives. Merchants of Milan is the first book in Edale Lane’s Night Flyer Trilogy, a tale of power, passion, and payback in … Read more

FOR WRITERS: Really Alien Love

human alien - deposit photos

FOR WRITERS Today’s writer topic comes from QSFer Jim Comer: Different planets will have incompatible chemistries– writers as far back as Doc Smith realized this. Who’s written stories with beings who can’t eat each other’s food or copulate because they’re poison to each other, but who share bonds of love (and lust?) anyhow? Editor’s Note: Romantic sci fi often sidesteps this by making different races compatible with each other. But here we’re veering more to the hard sci fi side, looking at what would happen if two species weren’t compatible at all, but still found love or meaningful relationships across the … Read more

SCIENCE: Why We Love the Undead

The Walking Dead - AMC

1) We like considering an apocalypse. People have been making predictions about the end of times for a very, very long time. They’ve never been correct, but that doesn’t seem to deter modern-day apocalypse forecasters. Live Science previously reported on the growing trend of apocalypticism, and how an increasing number of books, television shows and movies have portrayed postapocalyptic worlds over the past several decades. Among them is AMC’s sci-fi series “Fear the Walking Dead” (which airs on Sundays at 9 p.m. EDT/8 p.m. CDT). The show, now in its fourth season, follows characters as they try to survive a … Read more

FOR READERS: Supporting Your Authors

book love - pixabay

FOR WRITERS Today’s writer topic comes from QSFer Robin Harper: You know them, you love them! You pound the pre-order button, wish them a Happy Book Release Day on FB! You wake up and roll over to buy their books the moment they’re dropped and kid yourself that you’ll only read the first chapter then go to sleep and end up staying up all night wibbling over their creations~. You Love These Authors!!! How do you support your favorite authors? Writing is not a six-figure income and with the power of social media, you are able to follow your author’s … Read more

Robot Learns the Meaning of Love

Alex and Bina48

It’s been a typical week for typical college student BINA48. On Monday, BINA attended her robot ethics class. On Tuesday, the second-semester student had an excused absence to ring the bell at the stock exchange, and soon BINA will be assistant-teaching a kindergarten class and getting a face-lift at Hanson Robotics. So maybe BINA’s schedule isn’t that typical, and maybe the artificial-intelligence-driven robot isn’t the average college kid. But that hasn’t stopped the robot, which looks like the bust of a flesh-and-blood woman, from completing a Philosophy of Love course at Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont, California. Programmed … Read more

For Writers: Why Do Aliens Find Humans Attractive?

Today’s writer topic comes from QSFer Aidee Ladnier: I’ve always wondered why aliens would find humans attractive. This trope has even invaded LGBTQ fic. I’ve always wondered about this. I think when we’re more on the romance side of things, it’s a “suspension of belief” thing. We want to believe in stories of love with a handsome alien, so we do. :) On the sci fi side, though, things get a bit more dicey, as the story requires a rationale for why this would be so. It would make for a fascinating story if a human and an alien were … Read more