Seriously, there’s something about the use of dates in science fiction titles that immediately lends a sense of epic grandeur to the story. It’s almost as though past a certain date, life on Earth will change so drastically that it becomes an uber exotic wonderland. (Kubrick masterpieces aside, just make sure it's set far enough into the future. Somehow THE CLASS OF 1999--a title released in 1990--doesn't quite have the same kapow anymore!)
In the spirit of this grandeur, science fiction romance author Susan Grant initiated an ambitious book project known as “the 2176 series.” Beginning with Grant’s THE LEGEND OF BANZAI MAGUIRE, a hand-picked league of writers penned this five book series featuring an assortment of stories about kick-butt heroines and their high octane adventures in a shared setting. Susan Grant wrote about its origin here (please note for future reference where she states the first book “doesn't follow the traditional plot-structure of most romance books”).
Click away on the title links below for story summaries/excerpts:
This endeavor is an amazing achievement for the science fiction romance genre. That such experimentation can happen is the beauty of a niche market. Makes me wonder about what other kinds of collaborations could materialize.
Now stay tuned, because I’m not done with this topic yet. While researching for this post I made a very interesting discovery, and I’d like to discuss it with you next time as we hurtle through the sea of stars aboard The Galaxy Express....
If you glance to the right-hand column, you’ll notice I added the following blogs recently: Jonathan McCalmont’s SF Diplomat (Science Fiction), Barbara Vey’s Beyond Her Book (Romance) and Dorchester’s Romantic Reads (For Writers).
I weigh in again as Grasping for the Wind posts another edition of “Ask The Blogger.” The current topic is Mapping SF&F. If you’re not a DORA THE EXPLORER fan, you will be after reading my answer. ;)
There's no time to waste: Get your groove on by plunging into Gemini Division (thanks to Angela James for the link. She provides a brief rundown of this hot new show in her blog post).
SHADES OF DARK, by FF&P member Linnea Sinclair, is among the Top Staff Picks for August at PNR (the ParaNormal Romance review site). Reviewer Leslie Tramposch claims, “If you read one SF romance this year, make it SHADES OF DARK. And if you haven’t yet read GABRIEL'S GHOST run, don't walk, to the nearest bookstore and read it first.”
And mark your calendars (this announcement also from FF&P):
Join Sinclair for a discussion of Kick-Butt characters written by authors with a law-enforcement background (she was a PI for ten years) at the Romance Divas on Friday and Saturday, September 12-13 (free registration required). She will also guest blog for the Desert Isle Keepers on Monday September 22, 2008.
Now, here’s something to feed your fantasy lover fantasies: Lisa Paitz Spindler dishes On Geek And Alpha Heroes.
Fantasy & Sci-Fi Lovin’ Blog has a new look! SQT’s recent posts are super entertaining so go check ‘em out. (She’s also contributes to “Ask The Blogger.”)
I discovered a few more science fiction romance books in the pipeline! From the ever resourceful Karen Fox: Jess Granger's CHAINS OF HONOR, a sexy futuristic romance about a hardened soldier on her final mission who rescues the a former sex slave hero from a deadly fate and their escape from behind enemy lines of an intergalactic war, to Leis Pederson at Berkley Sensation, in a nice deal ($1 - $49,000), for two books, by Laura Bradford at Bradford Literary Agency. - Publisher's Lunch 8/16/2008
Robin Owens's HEART CHANGE, the story of a commoner and a noblewoman; a man with little magic and a woman whose catalyst magic dramatically changes lives, and HEART JOURNEY, to Cindy Hwang at Berkley, in a nice deal )(1 - $49,000), in a three-book deal, by Deidre Knight at The Knight Agency (NA). Deidre.Knight@knightagency.net - Publisher's Lunch 8/14/2008.
While you’re waiting for HEART CHANGE, you can read Robin Owens's newest release HEART FATE (she has an excerpt available through her Web site).
Aspiring SFR writers, if you’re planning to submit your work to Dorchester’s Shomi line, visit a new industry blog called Romantic Reads, helmed by Dorchester editor Leah Hultenschmidt. That’s where I found the following announcement:
Amy Rench - FALLEN ROGUE, a debut novel for the Shomi line about an Olympic swimmer whose athletic dreams are dashed when she's accidentally injected with a top-secret serum that suddenly gives her psi powers. Now the only man she can trust is the one who's been sent to eliminate her. Coming in Fall 2009.
Publisher’s Weekly reviewed Jordan Summers’ RED. She posted a copy here.
And how cool is this? Our own Frances Drake of Frances Writes is a judge for RWA’s Futuristic Fantasy and Paranormal Chapter “On the Far Side Contest,” one for unpublished writers. Congratulations, Frances! Score one for Science Fiction Romance!
I lurk at Ann Aguirre’s Yahoo group "Action and Attitude," so I’m passing on the link to a recent interview conducted by AztecLady. She & Ann Aguirre, the author of GRIMSPACE and WANDERLUST, dish on craft and her favorite Mexican dish.
Like many people, I’m a diehard fan of SF films. I anticipate each new one with high expectations. In fact, if I had a superpower, it would be my suspension of disbelief.
Unfortunately, reality dictates that many attempts to bring science fiction stories to life on the big screen (or DVD, as the case may be) result in either campy B movies, mixed quality films, watered down “event” extravaganzas, or a cesspool of bad acting, wooden dialogue, and special effects so cheap it seemed like the producers ordered them from the back of a cereal box.
I realize that the road to creating a science fiction film is fraught with peril. F/X technology has limited countless projects since 1902's LA VOYAGE DANS LA LUNE. As with the Melies classic however, we can overlook this if the basic story is sound. Then there’s the budget allotted. Too little and irreplaceable elements end up on the cutting room floor. Production design, costumes, and cinematography all require synchronization in just the right way.
To me, there’s also an unspoken factor, that of the cast and crew taking a science fiction film project seriously, and not merely jumping on the SF bandwagon to cash in on the STAR WARS & STAR TREK phenomena.
For those reasons, I usually evaluate the quality of an SF film two different ways: The final product as is and what it could have been. There are so many elements involved that I count my lucky stars when a film succeeds with at least a few of them.
So when a science fiction film, let alone one with a romance, achieves something close to perfection, I swoon. DARK CITY (1998) is one such film.
In DARK CITY, our hero must overcome amnesia to understand his bizarre new powers and overthrow a sect known only as The Strangers. It doesn’t make reconciliation with his wife—if she ever was his wife in this topsy-turvy world—any easier, especially when he’s wanted for murder.
I actually wrote the above words for another post—John and Emma were contenders for my “The Top 15 Couples In Science Fiction (Romance)”—until I realized that this couple and the film itself begged for a showcase of its own.
Director Alex Proyas produced and co-wrote this spectacular journey that combines elements of film noir, romance, and mystery. It’s also a psychological thriller that paints Psi powers with a fresh coat of German Expression. Despite the twist ending, you’ll want to relive the film again and again. The romance is mature, yet understated and sweet. No naked, writhing bodies here (unless you count the goldfish).
The cast is stellar: Rufus Sewell. Jennifer Connelly. William Hurt. Kiefer Sutherland. DARK CITY is a prime example of what happens when the right actors with the right chemistry join forces to bring a story to life. In particular, Dr. Daniel P. Shreber (Kiefer Sutherland) has a sensational character arc.
Although considered a disappointment at the box office, DARK CITY soon attracted a cult following on video. (I suspect the marketing department had a difficult time wrapping their minds around this one.) The video run was so successful in fact, that New Line recently released a new cut of the film to mark its 10-year anniversary. This release omits the ham-fisted “Here’s What’s Goin’ On, Ya Dummies” narration of the beginning, placed there at the behest of the studio.
Cool trivia alert: Richard O’Brien, Riff Raff himself from THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW, plays the lead baddie. His performance alone makes this film worth seeing.
If you’d like to learn more, here’s a link to New Line’s official site. Film critic Roger Ebert was such a fan that he proclaimed it the best film of the year, and recorded an in-depth commentary for the DVD. Ebert unravels layer after layer of symbolism and points out the stylistic devices that went into creating a rich, sophisticated viewing experience.
So if you’re feeling jaded and want to immerse yourself in completely new world, check out DARK CITY. That’s my pick for a fairly recent SF film done right. What’s yours?
Despite the plethora of genres and subgenres, the boundaries between science fiction and fantasy are frequently blurred. This factor poses a challenge for Web sites or blogs that feature these stories. Restricting books or films because they don’t fall into one category or another is almost a lesson in futility. However, blended genres also makes for more varied reading choices.
Often the focus is simply on spreading the word about great stories—categories be hanged, danged, drawn and quartered.
Recently, I had the wonderful opportunity to chat with Tia Nevitt, proprietor of Fantasy Debut. It's a great resource for SF/F fans. She breaks down the newest SF/F releases to give readers informed choices and help prioritize those ever multiplying "To Be Read" piles.
Over a couple of virtual Shirley Temples and pecan praline cookies, we gabbed about her blog and what it means to you, the hip passengers of this galaxy-hopping locomotive. (Chef’s rolling by with the snack cart—snag some of the cookies before they’re gone!)
While you’re munching, here’s Tia’s guide to life, the universe, and everything: The Galaxy Express: You run Fantasy Debut, a joint for…debut fantasy books. Please tell us about your blog’s mission.
Tia Nevitt: For a long time, my logline was “All debut fantasy . . . all the time.” However, I had to add an “(almost)” in there because it’s hard to read 100 percent debut fantasy. Mostly because I don’t even read 100 percent fantasy.
The idea behind my blog was to showcase debut authors. The reason I wanted to do that is because I've been reading debut novels for years. I had discovered that debut novels are often something special, so I loved discovering new authors. My goal is to showcase every major debut fantasy and science fiction release. I often cover supernatural horror as well. I do as many reviews as I can, but I have limits on my free time that makes the time it takes for me to finish one novel painfully slow. That’s why I am so hesitant about taking review copies.
TGE: You also post reviews and announcements about “the occasional science fiction novel.” What makes the ones you choose so hard to resist?
TN: To me, a science fiction novel is as fantastical as fantasy, but in a very different way. I am a geek at heart, and I love astronomy. Therefore, I love adventure that takes place in the stars, even though in real life travel between stars is highly improbable. I like all kinds of science fiction, from hard to soft, military or romance, as long as it takes place in space. I only occasionally read science fiction that isn’t space-based, such as Elizabeth Moon’s outstanding THE SPEED OF DARK.
The last science fiction novel I reviewed was ELOM, which I absolutely loved. It starts out as a fantasy, but by the end it is very much science fiction. I also want to read THE COLD MINDS, which is the sequel to THE HIDDEN WORLDS by Kristin Landon.
TGE: What are your thoughts about books that mix romance and science fiction? Please describe a few debut books you’ve featured that blend science fiction and romance.
TN: I love a good romance. I’ve read two debuts in the past year with strong romantic elements, THE HIDDEN WORLDS and THE OUTBACK STARS. I enjoyed both, but THE HIDDEN WORLDS was almost too gritty for my taste. Even so, I couldn’t put be dratted book down. Both novels had forbidden love. In THE HIDDEN WORLDS, the man came from a male-only society where women were only used to propagate the species. THE OUTBACK STARS had a wonderful forbidden romance between and officer and an enlisted man.
In my opinion, any novel that doesn’t include a touch of romance is missing something. I know that some excellent novels don’t allow for the possibility of romance, such as HUCKLEBERRY FINN. But in general, we all love a love story. I’m reading a very gritty science fiction story right now called MIRRORED HEAVENS by David J. Williams and what does it have? A love story that gets downright self-sacrificing at times. And right in the midst of a cyberpunk thriller where the action never stops.
TGE: You recently celebrated Fantasy Debut’s one year anniversary. Congratulations! In light of this, have you noticed any interesting trends in the speculative fiction market since you started?
TN: Thank you! Urban fantasy and dark fantasy seem to be very hot right now. In fact, sometimes the genres seem to blend a bit. Some urban fantasies take a humorous turn, such as the work of Jennifer Rardin, who has done very well over the past year. YA fantasy is also very hot, with newcomers like Melissa Marr and Stephanie Meyer shooting up the bestseller lists. Epic fantasy doesn’t seem so hot in comparison, but I can think of several debut epics that have come out in the last year so it seems to be holding its own. I don't see very much high fantasy—the kind that features elves and such. Lisa Shearin’s Raine Beneres series is a notable exception, perhaps because it has an urban fantasy voice.
TGE: Is there anything else you'd like to share about Fantasy Debut?
TN: Only that this is my very first interview. I feel like a celebrity—thank you!
Tia, thanks for your art and for visiting The Galaxy Express!
As we chug along toward our next destination, what are your thoughts on science fantasy? Are some SF stories too fantastical to be called science fiction? If you ran a mega chain bookstore, how would you shelve the current crop of fantasy and SF? Finally, do you have any favorite genre blogs like Fantasy Debut that you’d like to recommend?
Obvious innuendo aside, the title of today’s post was prompted by a comment at the Futurismic piece, “Nostalgia Does Science Fiction A Disservice” (and you can follow the thread of discussions here, here, and here. Thanks to SFSignal for the linkage):
“Lois McMaster Bujold tends to work as an introduction to SF, as does Linnea Sinclair, particularly for female readers” [emphasis mine].
This commenter adds, “In the end, it really depends on who the person you’re recommending something to is and what he or she is interested in otherwise.”
Of course, I was thrilled that those two authors’ names came up. It’s a testament to the entertainment value and speculative aspects of their work that the commenter thought to spread the word. He/she has great taste!
However, the implications of the first statement made me wonder about the overall issue of female SF readers. There’s an implication that if the reader is female and has never read SF before, we shouldn’t recommend hard SF authors like Alastair Reynolds, Nancy Kress, or Iain M. Banks. Shoot, there’s a whole list right here. Knocketh yourself out!
Assuming the commenter isn’t the only person who feels this way, why are Sinclair’s and Bujold’s novels considered “gateway” books for women? Why not for uninitiated men? To me, these two authors simply fall under the speculative fiction umbrella. I’d just as soon recommend women read their books as anybody else’s—hard SF, soft SF, mushy, whatever.
I agree with the commenter in that what one recommends to new readers depends on the reader’s tastes, but I never would have thought to break it down by gender. “Oh, I see you’ve got boobs. Here’s an SF 101 book written by a woman because you need to be broken in gently.”
Huh?
I’m a woman, and I cut my teeth on Robert Heinlein, Andre Norton, Frederik Pohl (the first book of his I’d read was GATEWAY, lol!), Frank Herbert, Edmund Hamilton, Ray Bradbury…the list goes on. Not all of those authors write hard SF, but when selecting their books, I didn’t think about the fact that I was female. Plus, I know plenty of women who enjoy hard SF. I suppose, however, I shouldn’t be surprised that other people might take that kind of detail into account.
Now back to the “gateway” issue: Maybe it’s just me, but I’m puzzled about the idea of any one book or class of books being considered as “introductory.” With so many different subgenres of SF, the way to introduce a new reader depends more on the type of story he/she usually gravitates toward. Some prefer action adventure; others would prefer mundane SF, space opera, or cyberpunk. Even though I adore science fiction romance, it’s a niche market and hardly representative of the genre as a whole. Really, what subgenre is?
Now you tell me, and all points of view are welcome: What do you think about the idea of SFR/character driven stories as “introductory” science fiction? To what extent would it predict that a reader would seek out other kinds of SF?
What if the comment quoted above had read “particularly for romance readers?” Would that have made a difference?
