#scifi books

[murderbot-moodboard]

Found an Easter egg in the book The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles by Malka Older!

It's the second (and latest) book in her mystery series The Investigations of Mossa and Pleiti. I can highly recommend both it and the first book, The Mimicking of Known Successes.

The simplest way to describe the series is that it's very similar (I'd say intentionally so) to the Sherlock Holmes stories, but if Sherlock and Watson were reimagined as lesbians with chemistry that was more than just potential subtext, and they lived in a future post-apocalyptic colony in space with definite Victorian-type/steampunk world building, but with a healthy amount of foods and other cultural aspects from many different cultures around the world.

In fact, one thing that surprised me at first was that the books' vocabulary commonly uses not only formal/older English words, but also words and expressions from many different languages, only some of which were familiar to me, but most of which can be understood from context. It's a choice that makes sense, though, for a society that's been removed from Earth for a long time, and what it would look like for different Earth cultures to synthesize into totally new cultures and groupings of people over time.

Anyway, these are the kind of books that you're likely to enjoy if you like TMBD. As a matter of fact, in the first book's acknowledgments, Malka Older listed Martha Wells first among the other authors she was thanking for their writing and how it impacted her. So if you're looking for a fun and interesting scifi read, these books are worth it! :)

[airyfrasc]

Behold ! She is risen

[mysteriesbooks]

Don’t you just hate it when your laptop breaks because the liquid vaporized outside? (Shirt, sticker and such)

[intothestacks]

Octavia Butler, The Grand Dame of Science Fiction

[oatmilk-vampire]

This morning I'm crying.

I received an email from my local library asking me if I would like to donate a copy of Tomorrow's Loss, my book.

I'm crying because, I may not be getting paid for them to purchase my book or for patrons to check out my book, but they'll be able to read it. For free.

I'm crying because trans kids will pick up this book and see themselves represented as a protagonist.

I'm crying because gay and even ace kids will see themselves represented as happy and falling in love despite the world crashing down around them.

I'm crying, and even laughing, because I finally did it; and in a red state no less.

This is the beginning for me.

[newenglandfaerie]

I'm rereading The Martian, and in Chapter 15 the narrator lists some (though it's implied not all) previous NASA Mars missions, including "Mariner, Viking, Spirit, Opportunity, and Curiosity". The book was originally published in 2011, a year before Curiosity landed on Mars (though obviously the plan was well known), and including it in the list was a cool and subtle way of reinforcing that the story takes place in the near future.

But obviously Curiosity is now old news, and in 2021 Perseverance became the latest NASA rover to land on Mars. It landed on the opposite side of the planet from where the Martian takes place, so it's presence wouldn't be relevant to Mark's survival, but it's absence from the list in chapter 15 is notable if you are even vaguely aware of current NASA research.

I think it'd be really cool if in future reprintings of the book (I assume it's still in print?) they left everything else the same (because adjusting for every new scientific discovery would be a nightmare), but added Perseverance to that list. idk about anyone else, but that would do wonders for my immersion in the story and make it feel less like a past vision of the future, and more like a still real vision of the future

[heathercauthor]

Gotta love when they forget to clue others in 🤣

Book info:

The series is called Earth Sucks! A queer apocalypse tale that brings Tumblr's Humans Are Space Orcs to life.

It's the apocalypse, and Feng has a knack for pissing people off.

Mercenary Feng is both the hunter and the hunted, searching for his missing family while hunted by the alien intruders who are trying to get him to stop blowing their shit up.

Life gets worse when he must befriend one of the alien creatures to survive. She grew up on stories of humans, and Feng’s about to upend everything she's ever known—if they don't get each other killed first.

"Readers may appreciate the many twists and betrayals..." —Kirkus Reviews

"Action-packed, fast-paced sci-fi story bursting with psychological games and manipulations..." —Readers' Favorite

If you like the Last Of Us, the 100, or unlikely allies in the slightest, check out Earth Sucks On Amazon, Kobo or Barnes and Noble!

[kaylinalexanderbooks]

Beta Readers Wanted!

My YA sci-fi fantasy novel The Secret Portal, Part One is READY FOR BETA READING!

At about 106k words, TSP Pt1 is about a group of young preteens and teens discovering a portal to another dimension called Alium, full of people with powers and a group without powers. With extremists on both sides, war has plagued Alium for decades, and they are in need of change. TSP is planned to be a five-book series.

The following form is the application for beta reading. You will give a gmail so I can grant you access to the document, answer questions to see if I need your specific knowledge to consult (not a requirement), and understand the content warnings of TSP to see if you're okay to read about it.

I don't have a time limit yet, so even if the next few months are hectic, I am willing to be very flexible.

If you cannot apply for any reason, please reblog anyway so this gets around! Thank you!

[cassderangedinsanity]

These are just mine but idk

[rotten-whispers]

Calling all LGBTQ+ horror and scifi authors!!

I want to promote your work, as it is hard for us to get our books out there on Tumblr :)

Send an ask with your novel, cover, and blurb, and I'll include your book in a master post, as well as an individual post if you're comfortable with being @'ed there!

Stay strong, fellow authors!

[franticvampirereads]

This was such a good book! I don’t really have the words for all the feelings that this book gave me. It was comforting, it was adventurous, it was political, and so many other things. I just loved this so, so much.

I loved the dynamic between Kiem and Jainan once they got past all the awkward miscommunications (and lack of communication). I loved that Kiem was so bubbly and talked with literally everyone, and that Jainan was almost the complete opposite. I loved all the political drama, the murder mystery, and everything else that this had going for it! Somehow this world felt familiar and yet not at all, if that makes sense. Winter’s Orbit was just so good and I’m giving it five stars.

Reading Challenge Prompt Fills:

PopSugar 2023: a book you bought from an independent bookstore

Shop Your Shelves: read outside, bestseller

[chefoshawott]

Started the 3rd book in the Machineries of Empire trilogy and I just can't get this out of my brain. This is the whole series lol.

[rrcraft-and-lore]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by R.R. Virdi (@rrvirdi)

Short video for #InternationalWomensDay (look make it a month why only a day), Dune 2 month, and how one woman's contribution goes overlooked in how influential she was to Herbert creating Dune.

This is a primer about a little novel called, The Sabres of Paradise, and the research and writing Lesley Blanch did that Herbert free inspiration from to create his legendary SF epic!

[odessasilver]

Ebooks for everyone!

Everyone likes free books right? Well I have so many to give away from loads of indie authors. There are some which are paid too, as authors need to make a living, but check out the links and you'll find many which are free! Need something new to try? I have all types of fantasy and sci-fi, plus queer books too. These are all only available this month.

🌸 Fantastic FREE Fantasy: https://books.bookfunnel.com/fantasticfreefantasy/h5s9hr24vz 🌸 Queernorm Worlds Fantasy Fiction: https://books.bookfunnel.com/queernorm_world/e0a97d0ak3 🌸 Free Sci-Fi & Fantasy Books: https://books.bookfunnel.com/abcdef1234/zysjrqnssr 🌸 Science Fiction & Fantasy: https://books.bookfunnel.com/sci-fi-fantasy-free-oct/bwts1nvqm9 🌸 October Free Fantasy books: https://books.bookfunnel.com/octoberbookreview/1g7tdvpzoe 🌸 Free Fantasy & Science Fiction: https://books.bookfunnel.com/octoberfantasy/1elgie28xm

[lilareviewsbooks]

Books With Morally Grey Gay People for Pride Month (Except, I'm Late)

Happy Late Pride, everyone! I'm sure many of you, like me, are tired of reading about perfect gay people doing everything right – you want some chaos in your stories! You want some problematic gays! So, even though I missed the end of Pride Month by about two days  – and as a reminder that every month is Pride Month! –I've compiled a list of 5 books that have something super cool about them: their gays are bananas, complex as fuck and ready to wreck hell. 

The Masquerade Series, starting with The Tyrant Baru Cormorant, by Seth Dickinson

This is one I've read recently and haven't gotten over just yet. The Masquerade Series is a triumph. This series follows Baru Cormorant, a young girl from the island nation of Taranoke, who watches her country be colonized by the hugely powerful Masquerade Empire. After one of her fathers is killed for being queer, Baru decides to join a Masquerade school and destroy the Empire from the inside out. Soon, she is being sent to unruleable Aurdwynn, where she is to be the Imperial Accountant. And things get very, very complicated from there.

Baru is an incredibly complex, ever-changing character surrounded by a cast of other complex, ever-changing figures – and most of them are queer! In fact, I think the only drawback for The Masquerade Series is that it can be a little too complex. But the payoff is amazing, and so worth it – especially in this first book, The Tyrant Baru Cormorant. And don't even worry about it – Baru & co. will cause more than enough harm in their way, making them an essential addition to the "problematic queers" packet.

The Locked Tomb Series, starting with Gideon The Ninth, by Tasmyn Muir

You've probably heard of The Locked Tomb Series if you spend a little bit of time on queer SFF booklr, but it's never too much recommending when it comes to this series.

It's very hard to explain what goes on in The Locked Tomb. The first book, Gideon The Ninth, follows our butch lesbian star Gideon as she is enlisted to become the sworn swords-woman to Harrowhark Nonagesimus, and they’re summoned to the First House to compete to become Lyctors, the companions of God. The first book plays out as murder mystery, while the next ones all devise creative ways to tell this story, which grows more and more complex. As the plot thickens, so does the complexity of our characters. They shine through in these novels, as their unapologetic queer selves, in this universe where homo and transphobia don't exist – refreshingly. But, as is the theme here, they don't always make the moral choice. In fact, The Locked Tomb is filled to the brim with crazy queers who do the most insane, deranged things. And Tasmyn Muir's complicated, intriguing writing will get you completely hooked and desperate to know what happens next with our problematic queers!

The Salt Grows Heavy, by Cassandra Khaw

I feel like The Salt Grows Heavy is severely underrated. It just needs to be better known! This is a horror twist on The Little Mermaid, and follows a siren and a plague doctor, the only survivors of a destroyed kingdom, as they go on the run, and the creepy things they find along the way. Now, although our queers aren't exactly villains, they aren't exactly the most moral of people. And their deep feelings of anger, for instance, permeate every page of this book. Mx. Khaw's writing style perfectly captures this, as they weave a tapestry of purple prose that keeps you hooked – I wasn't able to put this novella down from the moment I started until I finished it. Hopefully, you'll have as intense of an experience! She Who Became The Sun, by Shelley Parker-Chan

Another must for your problematic queer needs: She Who Became The Sun is a multi-POV story spanning two different nuclei. One follows Monk Zhu, who assumes her brother’s identity, sure that she is destined for greatness, and the people she meets in her quest to achieve this. Another focuses on Ouyang, an eunuch general who serves – and is lowkey in love with – Esen, the son of a province’s Prince, and the war they’re involved in. Zhu and Ouyang are the most chaotic of protagonists – and their decisions are morally grey, at best. The best part is that they arrive there very naturally – Mx. Parker-Chan is a master at character development, taking you from A to B smoothly. Plus, their writing is absolutely fantastic. She Who Became The Sun is a stunning debut and it is definitely worth all the hype! I'd hop on the train now, before He Who Drowned The World, the sequel, comes out in August!

The Monster of Elendhaven, by Jennifer Giesbrecht

Another novella, this one follows a monster and the man who controls him, exploring their complicated relationship. It's hard not to spoil it, but rest assured that these gay people do the craziest, most morally corrupt things you can imagine! What I enjoyed the most about The Monster of Elendhaven is its readability. I remember flying through this in a single sitting. The writing style reminds a little bit of The Salt Grows Heavy in the sense that it leans into the gruesome, but keeps itself very lyrical! Not to mention, the build up for the toxicity of their relationship is absolutely masterfully done, and I loved every single second of it.

That's all I have, guys, but if you want more queer books, I'd definitely check out my Queer Normal-World Books, where I've compiled some stories with no queerphobia in them!

[leebrontide]

Trying to work on adding shadows to my animation. From my Secondhand Origin Stories book trailer.