#LGBTQIA+ SFF

[gollancz]

The Stars Too Fondly, which will be published in hardcover in summer 2024, follows Cleo and her group of post-grad friends who break into an abandoned spaceship, only for it to start up and send them into space. The synopsis reads: "The accidental astronauts must use their considerable intellects and the reluctant assistance of the ship’s previous captain Wilhelmina Lucas – an unsettlingly accurate hologram of the woman who disappeared with her crew 20 years ago – to maybe, if they’re lucky, figure out a way to get back home. "What Cleo is prepared for least of all are the confusing feelings she develops for the captain, which show no sign of going anywhere any time soon."

Can't wait for you guys to meet the lastest entry in our frankly phenomenal Lesbians In Space collection! Also falls under our Sexy Spaceships umbrella too.

[biandlesbianliterature]

A sapphic Sherlock Holmes book, but in space, and with an F/F second chance romance. If you’re looking for a quick but engaging read, The Mimicking of Known Successes is a great choice. Whether you’re a sci-fi fan who thinks you could use a little mystery or a mystery fan who thinks you could possibly branch into sci-fi, I think you could come into this book from either angle and be satisfied.

The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older was reviewed at the Lesbrary

[jetwhenitsmidnight]

Sargassa by Sophie Burnham

Release date: 8 October 2024

Genre: adult speculative fiction

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Synopsis

In a world where Rome never fell, an unlikely group of protagonists are ready to burn down the empire in the first of this new speculative trilogy.

Selah Kleios is twenty-two years old and suddenly one of the most important women in the empires. The role of Imperial Historian is her birthright, something she’s been preparing for since birth--but she was supposed to have more time to learn the role from her father, the previous Historian. In the wake of her father’s sudden and shocking assassination, Selah finds herself custodian of more than just the Imperial Archives. There’s also the question of the two puzzling classified items her father left in her care—an ancient atlas filled with landscapes that don’t exist, and a carved piece of stone that seems to do nothing at all.

Soon, though, it becomes clear that the Iveroa Stone is more than just a slab of rock. With the reappearance of an old lost love who’s been blackmailed into stealing it for an unknown entity, Selah finds herself in a race to uncover the mysteries the Stone holds. But she isn’t the only one with an interest in it—she’ll have to contend with the deputy chief of police, an undercover spy, and her own beloved half brother along the way. What begins as an act of atonement and devotion ultimately pulls her into the crosshairs of deep state conspiracy, the stirrings of an underground independence movement, and questions that threaten to shake the foundational legitimacy of Roma Sargassa’s past, present, and future.

Content warnings

Death, murder, violence

Sexual assault, sexual harassment, mentions of rape

Slavery

Classism

Misogyny, patriarchy

Unintentional misgendering

Enbyphobia, slight homophobia

Review

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC!

Not gonna lie, the beginning is pretty rough. The first 20% introduces brand new PoV chapters one after the other, with each PoV character being in a different place doing different things, plus time jumps, which made it hard to understand who's who and what's going on. I seriously considered DNFing, but I am so glad I decided to push through.

Once all the main characters have been established, the book kicks into gear. The plot is fast-paced and engaging, the story beats are on point and the build-up leading to the reveal at the end was so well-executed, I couldn't put it down. Speaking of the big reveal, looking back, there are elements that make so much more sense in hindsight, which shows how the author really thought everything through.

One part that was kind of lackluster for me was the characters. There isn't anything wrong with them, and objectively, the character work is great! But I just couldn't connect with any of them. The romance sub-plots are also kind of meh. I didn't dislike them, but I also didn't root for them.

At its heart, though, this book is about classism and injustice. The author does an excellent job of tackling these themes with the portrayal how the caste system works, as well as how the system is built to discriminate against the lower class while protecting the upper class. I find this especially timely, with everything going on in the world right now. This book is brimming with visceral rage, from rage against the system of oppression, to rage against personal injustices.

Besides the rough beginning, this book is fantastic, with a brilliant plot and well-developed world-building and themes. I cannot wait to read the sequel!

[queereads-bracket]

OPEN SUBMISSIONS: Queer Adult SFF Books Bracket Tournament

Submissions will be open through next Sunday, November 10th.

You can submit as many times as you want.

Submission guidelines:

Must be queer

Must be science fiction or fantasy

Must be in the adult age category

Accepting all types/subgenres of science fiction or fantasy

Can be a standalone work, a series, or a novella

For series: usually it'll make the most sense to submit either the series as a whole or just the first book, but not each book individually. There's exceptions of course where it makes more sense to submit individually (e.g., books that are marketed as a "series" but have no plot/character overlap)

The google form will not collect any personal information such as email address

Ask box is open if you have any questions!

[lmsagas]

TWO WEEKS 'TIL RELEASE DAY!!

[contracat25]

Ok we are solidly into April, but so many interesting books came out last month so I thought I would post this list anyways. As always there are way more books then I can fit in here so I have def missed some. What were your favorite or the books you are most excited about that were released in March? Also these don't include sequels becase I have a whole set of lists for those. So with that said, here are some books from March that caught my atention:

The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Ann Older

Feed Them Silence by Lee Mandelo

Lucha of the Night Forest by Tehlor Kay Mejia

Chlorine: a Novel by Jade Song

Lies We Sing to the Sea by Sarah Underwood

Solomon's Crown by Natasha Siegel

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by K.J. Charles

Rose/House by Arkady Martine

[booksinmythorax]

Thorax Does the Book Riot Read Harder Challenge 2024 - #12: Read a genre book (SFF, horror, mystery, romance) by a disabled author

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green

Science fiction is one of my favorite genres, and I'd be lying if I didn't say I chose the book I'd read for this challenge by looking at my TBR and running searches on "[author name] disabled".

I'm glad I did that, because I learned some stuff about one of my favorite creators. Hank Green has ulcerative colitis, a learning disability (he suspects it's ADHD), and is in remission from Hodgkin lymphoma. I haven't seen a ton of SciShow, but I have watched many a Crash Course video (especially at the gym, where I used them to forget I was on the elliptical). I also love Hank's turn as The Fix on Dimension 20: Mentopolis.

I was hoping An Absolutely Remarkable Thing would be good, and I was not disappointed. I support women's rights and women's wrongs, and Green's protagonist, April, is two things:

Brilliantly written.

An awful person.

But she's self-aware, which is the very best kind of awful character. The conceit that she's writing a memoir allows for a hindsight mechanic working throughout the book that does wonders for April's depth. However, April isn't just self-aware in hindsight. She admits to having made her choices impulsively but with full knowledge that they were maybe not so great. Speaking as someone with bipolar disorder and PTSD, it was nice to see a character with really bad impulse control and attachment issues represented with compassion. It's possible Green brought some of his experiences with ADHD to the table with this one.

While I don't think I'd call this book cosmic horror, it does scratch that itch for me in a way. Haunted city dreamscapes? Alien watchers? Sign me up.

By far my favorite part about this book was how About the Internet it was. It brought together my favorite (video game tutorial threads!) and least favorite (...) parts of the Internet (and by extension humanity?).

If audiobooks are a thing you enjoy, I highly recommend the audio version of An Absolutely Remarkable Thing. Narrator Kristen Sieh does a fabulous job.

[cappuccinoandglitter]

A reminder that I write books. Some of them are even out there for you to read. Currently on Amazon Kindle, Amazon.com: Pike Martell: books, biography, latest update

[jessread-s]

✩🪐✨Book Box:

I know I am so late posting this, but I got my first ever Illumicrate book only box in April and I just HAD to share this photograph of their special edition of “Some Desperate Glory” with you! 

I am obsessed with the hidden quote underneath the dust jacket and the foil embossing on the hardback. Not pictured is the endpaper artwork done by @carlydraws.illustration, but you’ll have to trust me when I say that it is out of this world! I love that there is a different design on the front and the back! I am so excited to read this one at @booksdogsandcoffee91’s recommendation!

The book at a glance:

✨ Standalone science fiction novel debut

✨ Diverse, complex, queer identities

Please check the content warnings before reading! 

Cross-posted to: Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads | StoryGraph

@illumicrate

[tvansantana]

"Return of the Knife" or "Nothing Ever Goes Away" by me, T. Van Santana

[jetwhenitsmidnight]

The Crack at the Heart of Everything by Fiona Fenn

Release date: 12 November 2024

Genre: adult science fiction fantasy

Synopsis

Orpheus can't believe it's come to this. After helping his childhood friend conquer the realm by raising an army of hell-beasts, the befuddled dark sorcerer finds himself banished when the price of his magic endangers the palace. Isolated and betrayed, the feared spellcaster isn't exactly thrilled when his irritating and handsome rival keeps stepping between him and certain doom.

Ill at ease in the barren wasteland his powers created, Orpheus slowly warms to the charismatic ex-general's relentless overtures. But as his feelings grow more intense, the former villain struggles with an inconvenient calling towards heroism.

Will dabbling in good deeds get him killed or open the doors to happily ever after?

Review

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐💫

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC!

I went into this expecting more villainy, or a more villainous main character, but that's not really what this book is about.

Orpheus, initially appears to be the typical archetype of a villain: sneering, lurking in the shadows etc. But he quickly turns out to be not as villainous as he appears. Through his interactions with Fenrir (love interest) and flashbacks to his childhood, we get to see who he is under his pretense of evilness and how he got to be where he is.

This book is very much about Orpheus going through the process of healing and redemption. The general vibe is pretty angsty, with Orpheus feeling remorse about his actions + struggling with his insecurity. Not to be uncharitable, but I did not resonate with his journey. Maybe it was just my mood when I read this (it was a weird few days for me), because otherwise this is exactly the kind of book I would have loved.

I kind of wish Orpheus did/had done more evil stuff. He never actually did anything truly evil (IMO), so I don't feel like he necessarily had to do much/any redemption. Perhaps this is just me and I feel this way because I'm lacking in morals.

I noticed other reviews saying that Fenrir isn't as well-developed as Orpheus, and I definitely agree. However, I don't think it's necessary for Fenrir to be as fleshed out; Orpheus' story takes precedence here, and as he is, he serves his purpose in the narrative just fine.

One character that I wished get more development is Lore (antagonist). While we do get to see parts of her from Orpheus' childhood, we don't get to see the reasoning for her motivations. And yes, she does explain that she does the things she does because she "wants to", but I would have appreciated more depth from her. I am sort of conflicted, because, yes, not every villain needs a tragic backstory, or a noble reason for their actions, but she just feels very one dimensional.

Overall, a pretty good debut novel. This didn't resonate with me, but I think it will for lots of other readers.

[innocentlymacabre]

In the Eye of the Beholder

Part 5/5 • Part 4

Aditya Singh and his husband are killed. Writhing in the pain from his own wound and his husband’s screams, Aditya melts into death’s welcoming embrace, desperate to never have to tolerate anything that vile ever again. Unfortunately, powerful people have something else in mind. Aditya saw something he wasn’t meant to - something no one was meant to. Wrong place, wrong time, but missteps cannot go unpunished.

DAY 4

The next morning, Aditya watched Matthew go into work and operate business and usual. For the most part.

Aditya remembered thinking Matthew was a bit quitter than usual and now he knew why. He felt a smidge of satisfaction in seeing that what he was going to do was at least weighing on him a bit.

That Monday wasn’t too busy. Aditya stayed home and Kurt only went to and from the restaurant. Nothing else for Matthew to do so they gave him the rest of the day off, which he took to plan the deed. The irony was not lost on Aditya.

He scoped out a street that wouldn’t be too busy when he was to drive Aditya and Kurt to brunch, then went back to Freddie to buy a suppressor.

“Matty, I don’t know what the fuck you’re up, to but I hope to god you’re gonna be careful.”

“I am, Freddie, I am. Don’t worry about me.”

“It’s not you I’m worried about. I love you like a brother man, you know that? And those kids love you too. They’re gonna need their uncle, Matt.”

(Anne and Finn are his niece and nephew!)

“Their uncle needs them too, Fred. He’s going to be fine. Just tell me how much for the suppressor and I’ll be on my way.”

Freddie nodded and rang him up.

DAY 5

Aditya awoke feeling agitated this time.

This was the day he was to die.

This was the day that the man who’d been in his employment for five fucking years was going to kill him and his husband.

Aditya watched him do it. He watched him go to work as if everything was okay. He watched him hold a conversation with the neighbours over the fence while he waited, and he watched him greet himself and Kurt as if he wasn’t about the put a bullet in them both.

He watched him lie about the caved in road to get the car on the street he had scoped out. He watched him stop the car and turn around, gun in hand. And when the shots came, Aditya didn’t think it would hurt, but it hurt just the fucking same.

(Just the fucking same because I don’t need to feel my husband’s pain to experience it for myself. I don’t need to feel the blackness slowly creeping in, washing away any hope of life to know it’s there. I don’t need to fucking feel anything for it to hurt.)

When the deed was done, Aditya watched him take the car to the scrapyard and hand it off.

“It’s our problem now,” he watched Finney say when Matthew asked him how they were going to get rid of the bodies. Then Aditya watched as Matthew took his blood money and the terms of his employment.

“We’ve set up a bank account for you,” Finney said, handing Matthew a dusty brown folder. “You’ll be paid monthly, same as any other job, and we’ll contact you when you’re needed. For all official purposes, Hoffman Tressler’s is an insurance company. That folder also contains all the details about that side of the business, should you ever need to deal with the government, the HMRC or any other nosy parties.”

Aditya watched Matthew take the folder and shake Finney’s hand as if this were the most ordinary deal in the world, and he watched Finney drive away in his XJ as his muscle followed in Aditya’s car. Once they were gone, Matthew said something that almost made Aditya feel sorry for him. Almost.

“Jesus, I used to kill people like Finney. Now I work for him?”

He looked to the sky and sighed. “Take care of them, Ems, they’re good people.”

As Matthew walked back to King’s Cross and rode the tube home, his thoughts felt like a mixture of discomfort and hope. The ends justify the means.

DAY 6

Aditya woke this time feeling more annoyed than anything else. He so desperately wanted this cruel trick to be over.

This time, the body he was in was already awake. Much more than awake, in fact. The body was sitting at a large mahogany desk, far too big for one person. Gold inlays ran across the perfectly polished surface. He was in an office of some kind, clearly belonging to someone high up and important.

This body felt different though. It felt as if he wasn’t merely an observer with this one. It got up and walked to a cabinet to the right of the table and Aditya caught the body’s reflection in the glass.

Finney.

He brought out a glass and whiskey and poured himself some. He picked it up and walked slowly to a mirror hanging on the opposite wall and raised the glass to the mirror.

“The man of the hour. We meet at last.”

-----

If you liked the story and want to keep a handy copy on-hand, you can read the full story - all twenty-two pages - here for $1. Monthly Ko-fi supporters get access to this, and many more stories for free!

-----

Thanks for reading! My writing is entirely reader-supported, so I’d be thrilled if you could drop a coin or two into my tip jar! :)

KO-FI 💜 | WRITER NEWSLETTER | MASTERLIST

[lmsagas]

If you like ...

heartfelt space westerns like firefly (but make it queer)

found family (of chaotic misfits)

sweet, tangy snark

ai with personality (and panache)

... consider checking out my debut novel CASCADE FAILURE, out from tor books 3.19.24!

you can pre-order it today, or see what other folks are saying over on goodreads!