FOR WRITERS Today’s writer topic comes from QSFer John Marshall: Magical realism. When we include magic in our paranormal settings, do we look to the real word or do we seek something totally original? If we do choose to use real world cultural traditions, how can we both indulge in poetic licence but also be sensitive to the history of white authors sensationalizing non-western cultures in negative ways. Join the chat This is a legacy chat.
J. Scott Coatsworth has a new queer magical realism book out: A group of strangers meets at Ragazzi, an Italian restaurant, for a cooking lesson that will change them all. They quickly become intertwined in each other’s lives, and a bit of magic touches each of them. Meet Dave, the consultant who lost his partner; Matteo and Diego, the couple who run the restaurant; recently-widowed Carmelina; Marcos, a web designer getting too old for hook-ups; Ben, a trans author writing the Great American Novel; teenager Marissa, kicked out for being bi; and Sam and Brad, a May-September couple who would … Read more
WELCOME to Rabid Reader Recommendations, or R3 WEDNESDAYS! We host this discussion the first Wednesday of every month; it’s a great opportunity to recommend and discuss works you have enjoyed in queer speculative fiction. For December R3, the theme is: Magical Realism! (Books that are pretty close to reality, but with a hint of magic.) HOW IT WORKS: The works have to be QUILTBAG Speculative Fiction. They have to be related to the theme. This is a reader discussion. Don’t recommend your own works–get someone to do it for you! Please include a Goodreads link or something comparable. You can … Read more
QSFer Stephen del Mar has a new MM magical realism book out: Going home can be hell, even if it’s paradise. Victor Cruz returns to the Arizona town where he grew up to bury his estranged father, and dispose of the family’s ancestral home. The plan: get in and get out. A stop at Santo Domingo’s Lady of Guadalupe chapel compels him to offer up a simple prayer, “May I do what needs to be done,” and starts a landslide of events-old friends, old loves, and who is in collusion with the murderous Cumero Cartel? “Of Paradise and Purgatory” is … Read more
Today’s writer topic comes from QSFer Therese Woodson: I’d love to talk more about Urban Fantasy – what classifies something as urban fantasy vs magical realism vs regular fantasy. This is a topic near and dear to my own heart – as I write a bit of both. I’d say urban fantasy presupposes a whole magical framework in our world, while magical realism is more subtle – almost a heightened reality. So my questions today – how do you define Urban Fantasy? How do you define Magical Realisim? And how do you think they are different from one another? Join … Read more
Genre: Gay Urban Fantasy Romance Length: Novella Brad Weston is the chief of staff for a Republican California state senator, and it seems like he has everything going for him. Sam Fuller, fresh out of college, is also working for the GOP as Weston’s aid. They work hard for their party, even when they face constant homophobia, but neither really knows how bad they’re discriminated against until Weston enters an antique shop, looking for a present for his boyfriend for their anniversary. The enchanted trinket he finds exposes Weston to all the hate in the world, and the revelations … Read more
Hey all, It’s finally here – my very first stand-alone story, in the form of a novella from Dreamspinner Press called “Between the Lines” (save 25% at the DSP store with code BTLRC). This is one of my favorite little stories – my love letter to Sacramento. Sacramento is our adopted hometown. Mark and I moved here in 2003 looking for a little more room at a better price than the Bay Area offered. We never planned to stay, but here we are, twelve years later, and SacTown has gotten under our skin. It was fun to explore the city … Read more
Torquere Press author Angela Benedetti has a new fantasy collection out: There’s magic in the world, and its hiding in plain sight. Your friends, your neighbors, the guy who runs your favorite restaurant — any of them could be more than they seem. A man trick-or-treating with his son finds the courage to go after what he wants when he confiscates and eats some unwrapped candy. A park ranger who’s afraid of outing himself in public is reminded that his lover will — and can — protect him, no matter what. An apprentice mage learns that his master never forgets … Read more