A Double Dose Of Deception

Here's a sci-fi romance double feature for you: DEEP DECEPTION by Cathy Pegau and NEVER GONNA DESERT YOU by Jessica E. Subject.

I was drawn to NEVER GONNA DESERT YOU because it's f/f. Lesbian SFR is still extremely rare so it tends to appear as a prominent blip on my radar.

This title is #2 in the author's The Underground series. It's probably best to read the stories in order. I forgot to check that detail going in (darn it!) and I'm guessing the setting was established in more detail in NEVER GONNA LET YOU GO. Anyway, I was keen to read another f/f sci-fi romance. Even more interesting was one part of the blurb, which I bolded:

Determined to find and bring back her girlfriend, Brook enlists in the next mission to the foreign planet, Airondelle. But the deception at Planet Core continues, and Brook doesn't realize the depth of her father's involvement until he orders her terminated. Struggling to stay alive, she quickly learns nothing is as she believed.

Will she ever find Melina? Or will Brook be stuck light years from home, alone, and with a fierce predator hunting her down?

Upon noticing the "deception" angle, the plot thickened for me because Cathy Pegau's DEEP DECEPTION, also f/f SFR, was already on my TBR pile. Did you notice the word "deception" is in the title? And guess what word shows up in the blurb?

A Must-Watch Video: "Nothing To Prove: Geek Girls & The Doubleclicks"

Via SF Signal, I discovered an amazing video called "Nothing To Prove: Geek Girls & The Doubleclicks" that addresses the gender challenges of geek culture. It's worth watching at least a hundred times. Check it out (and then pass it on!):


Joyfully yours,

Heather

The Dark & The Gritty: Part II

Previously, I blogged about Ann Somerville's COLD FRONT, one of two dark and gritty sci-fi romance titles I made it a goal to read. The second title I had the pleasure of experiencing was Darren Bloomquist and Angelia Sparrow's HARD REBOOT.

When I first learned about HARD REBOOT, I was intrigued, but also a little fearful. The description and publisher tags told me I'd be entering new sci-fi romance territory:

Two years ago, Sean O'Neill's wife, Caitlin—the ace net-runner called Irishgirl—was stolen from their bed. Now, he knows where she is, but getting her back is only the first step in a long journey.

Caitlin has been trained as a sex slave, her former skills as a net-runner and cyber-thief totally stripped from her, along with her identity and most independent thought. Powerful and wealthy social elites, playing their own dangerous high-stakes games, have hired Sean to retrieve her and again make her what she once was.

But two years is a long time to be out of the net and out of normal society. A lot of new programming has been laid down. Now, giving Irishgirl a hard reboot may take everything Sean has in him, and more...

Science Fiction / Futuristic / Action / Adventure / BDSM / Menage / Group Sex / Contains Material That May Be Considered "Dubious Consent"

Heat Level: 3

This book contains some non-consensual sex, along with some hardcore bondage and punishment. May not be suitable for the more sensitive reader.

My main concern was how the "sex slave" angle was going to play out. Usually this trope is eroticized and fetishized in sci-fi romance. On the other hand, the premise and graphic content promised to be unlike anything I'd ever encountered in SFR. So I took the plunge.

The Dark & The Gritty, Part I

One of my recent goals as a reader of science fiction romance was to delve into two dark, gritty titles that have been in my TBR pile (I'll share them in a moment). The mood just seized me. I wanted to read stories that would challenge my brain and test my mettle as a fan of the niche. I was looking to experience elements I've never encountered before in SFR. When stories promise to push boundaries or explore new territory (or a new twist on old territory), they get my attention pretty quickly.

Pretty much anything of a dark/gritty/graphic nature will interest me. It can manifest in themes, tone, or a graphic level of violence, horror, or sex. But if I'm going to read dark content I go in with the hope that it will provide me with a new perspective, insight into a particular speculative element, and a greater appreciation for the written word. I don't mind feeling disturbed by a story as long as the graphic content has a purpose. Stories that are dark in gratuitous ways usually leave me cold.

Quite a few of my favorite books, films, and TV shows (regardless of genre) are lighthearted fare. Yet as I've grown older, I've felt an increasing need for adult content, but more specifically stories that are unabashedly for (adventurous) grown-ups. Which is probably why I've enjoyed graphic novels like PREACHER, books like George R.R. Martin's A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE series, and TV shows like ARCHER in the past decade.

"General audience" stories like Disney's THE LITTLE MERMAID are easy to come by. It's the risky, edgy stuff like Hideshi Hino's PANORAMA OF HELL that's a challenge to find. Incidentally, I'm a fan of both, but I'm not sure I could tell you why my taste runs along such a wide spectrum!

At any rate, I wanted to set up this post so you'd have an idea of where I'm coming from. :)

In this post and the next I'm going to reflect on two titles. One is Ann Somerville's COLD FRONT. The other is Darren Bloomquist and Angelia Sparrow's HARD REBOOT. I'll include some non-spoiler tags, but consider these reflections as more stream-of-consciousness impressions.

Cover Reveal Exclusive: ESCAPE FROM ZULAIRE by Veronica Scott

Author Veronica Scott (WRECK OF THE NEBULA DREAM) has a forthcoming science fiction romance called ESCAPE FROM ZULAIRE (August 2013). And guess what? The Galaxy Express has an exclusive cover reveal!

Such a nice cover! I love sharing this kind of news with my dear passengers. In terms of composition, this cover is similar to that of WRECK OF THE NEBULA DREAM, which might help make it easier for readers to spot Veronica Scott's SFR work online. Smart move on her part, especially since it's far too easy for indie titles to become lost in the noise.

ESCAPE FROM ZULAIRE is a "Sectors Novel," which means it's set in the same universe as WRECK OF THE NEBULA DREAM.

I also have the blurb for you: