A Couple of Mixed Links, Mainly Promo-Stuff

Posted on April 2, 2022 by Cora

This week’s Star Trek Picard review is coming and I’ll probably do Moon Knight, too, once I’ve actually watched it.

But in the meantime, here are some mixed links to elsewhere on the web. Cause I’ve actually had quite a lot of things coming out in the past few weeks and there’s even more coming up.

Let’s start with a flash story that came out only today as part of the Friday flash fiction series of Wyngraf Magazine of Cozy Fantasy. My story is called “Rescue Unwanted” and it’s the story of a knight, a princess and a dragon. And since it’s cozy fantasy, two of them even get a happy ending. So head over to Wyngraf Magazine and read “Rescue Unwanted”.

I also was a guest on Oliver Brackenbury’s excellent So I’m Writing a Novel podcast, where we chat about sword and sorcery, pulp fiction, the Silencer, writing, linguistics, self-publishing and all sorts of other stuff, so give it a listen.

Furthermore, I was also at Galactic Journey and back in 1967 last month, reviewing a very infamous SFF book, namely Tarnsman of Gor by John Norman, while my colleague Victoria Silverwolf reviews Why Call Them Back From Heaven?, a science fiction novel about cryogenics by Clifford D. Simak. Needless to say that Victoria got the better deal.

I offered to review Tarnsman of Gor, for even though I was of course aware of its reputation, I had never actually read the book. DAW Books were not all that easy to come by in pre-Internet Germany and the import bookstore where I got most of my English language SFF paperbacks in the 1980s and early 1990s never had any Gor books. I also suspect that they wouldn’t have carried them anyway, since whoever stocked the two genre fiction spinner racks at that store certainly knew their SFF and kept most of the problematic stuff out, though they missed Piers Anthony.

I remember coming across a whole shelf full of yellow-spined Gor novels – at least thirty or so – in the catacombs of a used bookshop on London’s Charing Cross Road (and yes, that store really had a network of mazelike catacombs that went down so deep that a passing Northern Line tube train would make the shelves shake) as a student in the mid 1990s and being entranced by the striking Boris Vallejo covers. I contemplated trying the series, but there were so many books and I couldn’t figure out the order, so I passed. In retrospect, that was a wise decision.

So now that I’ve actually read Tarnsman of Gor, what is the verdict? Well, it is a bad book, though not entirely for the reasons I expected it to be bad.

What I knew of the Gor books was that they were BDSM erotica disguised as Edgar Rice Burroughs style sword and planet adventure and that the BDSM to Burroughs ratio shifts in the course of the series in favour of the former. But while the Burroughs influence is certainly notable to the point that things happen to Tarl Cabot just because the same thing happened to John Carter, the BDSM stuff and the sexual content in general is mild by modern standards. Mostly, Tarnsman of Gor is just dull.

Honestly, I would never have imagined that a book infamous for its kinky sexual content could be so dull. Because the entire first third of Tarnsman of Gor is basically one endless infodump about the history of the Cabot family and then the history of Gor. The fact that this endless infodump is imparted mostly in extremely stilted dialogue doesn’t help either. While slogging through the never-ending infodump, I came close to crying out, “You promised me sex, you promised me slave girls, you promised me adventure, so where is it? Where is any of that?”

Honestly, if I had bought Tarnsman of Gor in that used bookshop on Charing Cross Road, intrigued by the iconic Boris Vallejo cover (which wasn’t actually the cover of the 1966 edition I reviewed for the Journey) and had then gotten mired in endless infodumps, the book would have met the wall very fast.

While I’m on the subject of Galactic Journey, their publishing house Journey Press just released a brand-new anthology of science fiction by women writers of the 1950s. It’s called Rediscovery: Science Fiction by Women Volume 2 (1953-1957) and collects some excellent and little reprinted stories that will prove that the much repeated claim that women did not write science fiction during the so-called golden and silver ages of science fiction wrong.

I’m obviously not a science fiction writers of the 1950s, so how did I get involved with this anthology? Well, every story is accompanied by an essay by contemporary woman SFF writer, critic, scholar or artist and I contributed the essay for “The Queer Ones” by Leigh Brackett.

Finally, feast your eyes on that cover and then get the book and volume 1, too, if you don’t have it already:

Rediscovery: Science Fiction by Women: Volume 2

Women write science fiction. They always have.

Rediscovery: Science Fiction by Women (1953-1957) offers, quite simply, some of the best science fiction ever written: 20 amazing pieces, most of which haven’t been reprinted for decades…but should have been. Whether you are a long-time fan or new to the genre, you are in for a treat.

This collection of works—18 stories, 1 poem, 1 nonfiction piece—are a showcase, some of the best science fiction stories of the ’50s. These stories were selected not only as examples of great writing, but also because their characters are as believable, their themes just as relevant today, their contents just as fun to read, as when they were written almost three quarters of a century ago.

Dig in. Enjoy these newly-rediscovered delicacies a few at a time…or binge them all at once!

Amazon | B&N | Bookshop.org | Journey Press

Posted in Books, Links, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Indie Speculative Fiction of the Month for March 2022

Posted on March 31, 2022 by Cora

Indie Speculative Fiction of the Month
It’s that time of the month again, time for “Indie Speculative Fiction of the Month”.

So what is “Indie Speculative Fiction of the Month”? It’s a round-up of speculative fiction by indie and small press authors newly published this month, though some February books I missed the last time around snuck in as well. The books are arranged in alphabetical order by author. So far, most links only go to Amazon.com, though I may add other retailers for future editions.

Once again, we have new releases covering the whole broad spectrum of speculative fiction. This month, we have urban fantasy, epic fantasy, historical fantasy, fantasy romance, paranormal romance, paranormal mystery, science fantasy, space opera, military science fiction, science fiction anthologies, science fiction romance, dystopian romance, dystopian fiction, historical horror, vampires, werewolves, elves, mages, superheroes, arranged marriages, alien artefacts, space marines, space pirates, kidnapped princesses, crime-busting witches, crime-busting skeletons, resurrected giants and much more.

Don’t forget that Indie Speculative Fiction of the Month is also crossposted to the Speculative Fiction Showcase, a group blog run by Jessica Rydill and myself, which features new release spotlights, guest posts, interviews and link round-ups regarding all things speculative fiction several times per week.

As always, I know the authors at least vaguely, but I haven’t read all of the books, so Caveat emptor.

And now on to the books without further ado:

Reistance by Jay AspenResistance by Jay Aspen:

Would you risk everything for freedom?

Resource wars have wrecked most things from refineries to satellites. Danger stalks an uneasy peace.

It was the day Jac discovered how precarious her life had become.

Her love of nature and steadfast loyalty to her remote forest community no longer weaves the illusion of safety she has believed for so long. Driving damaged roads to a city she hasn’t seen for six years, Jac uncovers disturbing truths about the ruthless Avarit imperium controlling their lives.

And then… she has never met anyone like Raine, the mysterious and charismatic leader of the outlawed forest rangers. She offers her medic skills to the Resistance, caught between the Avarit military and the terrorist F2 gangs inflicting havoc on the city and Outlander families.

Maybe she will discover why her father was killed…

But would you risk everything for freedom?

Resistance is the first book in the Phoenix Enigma series, the dystopian romance epic from Jay Aspen.

Mage of Fools by Eugen BaconMage of Fools by Eugen Bacon:

In the dystopian world of Mafinga, Jasmin must contend with a dictator’s sorcerer to cleanse the socialist state of its deadly pollution.Mafinga’s malevolent king dislikes books and, together with his sorcerer Atari, has collapsed the environment to almost uninhabitable. The sun has killed all the able men, including Jasmin’s husband Godi. But Jasmin has Godi’s secret story machine that tells of a better world, far different from the wastelands of Mafinga. Jasmin’s crime for possessing the machine and its forbidden literature filled with subversive text is punishable by death. Fate grants a cruel reprieve in the service of a childless queen who claims Jasmin’s children as her own. Jasmin is powerless—until she discovers secrets behind the king and his sorcerer.

Causes of Death by K.T. BeltCauses of Death by K.T. Belt:

The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

The members of Space Force Fleet Command are renowned for their battle-hardened professionalism…except for one ship—the men and women who crew the ISS Griffin. Yet these misfits, screw-ups, and mutineers are Carmen Grey’s only hope at locating and destroying an alien research base concealed aboard a freighter deep behind enemy lines.

The Clairvoyant can fly and read minds, but even she can’t imagine the harrowing secrets contained aboard the freighter, which may be the key to stopping a menace poised to sweep across the entire galaxy. She has only a number of days to find the alien ship before it is lost forever.

When the situation grows desperate and when surrounded by enemies, sometimes the most dangerous adversary is the friend watching your back. The clock’s ticking.

The Tea Shop Witch by Thora BluestoneThe Tea Shop Witch by Thora Bluestone:

A disappearing body.
Hidden magical talents.
An adorable mind-reading dog.
And small-town secrets . . .

Addie James’s life imploded when she discovered her fiancé cheating and got downsized from her biotech job. So she left Silicon Valley for the haven of her Aunt Kate’s tea and apothecary shop in the peaceful mountain town of Stargaze. There, she plans to take a deep breath and figure out what’s next.

But when Addie reaches Stargaze, there’s no trace of her aunt. Until one night, Aunt Kate’s lifeless body shows up and then disappears from the locked shop.

And that’s when things really start to get strange.

As Addie sets out to find the murderer, she begins to realize her own hidden magical talent is the key to discovering what really happened to her aunt . . . who might not be quite so dead after all.

The problem is, logical Addie isn’t sure she can accept the magical parts of herself that science can’t explain. Will she learn to embrace this new life that’s full of supernatural surprises and solve her aunt’s case?

Hometown Magic by Amy BoylesHometown Magic by Amy Boyles:

There is a killer on the loose in Peachwood, and that person is targeting witches. Worse, there’s no rhyme or reason to the murders. Clementine and Rufus are at a loss as to how to find the killer.

They need help, and a lot of it. So the entire witch and wizard community of Peachwood bands together to help. Only, those folks tend to whine a lot and they’re not sure if Rufus can be trusted. With time running out, and more attacks occurring, Clem and Rufus are forced to rely on witches who can’t be trusted for help.

Will they solve the mystery? Or will Clem and Rufus be the next victims?

The Elf Tangent by Lindsay BurokerThe Elf Tangent by Lindsay Buroker:

As a princess in the impoverished kingdom of Delantria, it’s Aldari’s job to look pretty, speak little, and marry a prince.

Studying mathematics and writing papers on economic theory in an effort to fix her people’s financial woes? Her father has forbidden it. With war on the horizon, they must focus on the immediate threat.

Reluctantly, Aldari agrees to marry a prince in a neighboring kingdom to secure an alliance her people desperately need. All is going to plan until the handsome elven mercenary captain hired to guard her marriage caravan turns into her kidnapper. His people are in trouble, and he believes she has the knowledge to help.

But with an invasion force approaching Delantria, Aldari’s own people need her. She must do everything in her power to escape the elves and make it to her wedding in time.

Never mind that her kidnapper is witty, clever, and offers her a challenge that intrigues her mind even as his easy smile intrigues her heart…

Aldari can’t let herself develop feelings for him. To fall in love and walk away from her wedding would mean the end of her kingdom and everyone she cares about.

Throw Me a Bone by Rachel FordThrow Me a Bone by Rachel Ford:

I’m a magic-wielding Freak. My partner is a sentient skeleton. My fiancée is a broke lawyer. We’re Flint & Co Paranormal Investigations. And we’re going to change the world.

Being a Freak cost me my job with the police department, but that’s okay. My magic isn’t a curse, and I’m done running from it.

Which is good, because with my fiancée too busy saving the world one pro bono lawsuit at a time to take a case that actually pays and my partner losing his shirt on a Crypt Coin investment scam, it’s going to take some supernatural help just to keep the lights on.

Never mind track down the Southside Stalker, the notorious serial killer terrorizing New Boston and baffling law enforcement. Or the Pestilence, the mysterious vigilante targeting the undead. (Come on, universe! Throw a girl a bone, why don’t you?)

But, whatever: I’m ready. I can shoot fire from my freaking fingertips. I’ve got this.

I hope.

A Boy's Hammer by Alex GrassA Boy’s Hammer by Alex Grass:

20 years ago, Alan and his mother disappeared in a plane crash off the coast of Helsinki.

20 years later, a giant man with his whole body covered in tattoos appears amidst the rubble of an explosion at a Philadelphia oil refinery. He says that he’s Alan come back from the dead. Alan’s genius billionaire Aunt Mimi agrees.

And the first thing the reappeared giant has to do? Return to Helsinki, Finland.

All the while, strange happenings are underway in Philly:

A resurrected serial killer. Hidden (oc)cult conspiracies. Bizarre murders that defy the laws of space and time. Aunt Mimi in a miraculous trance state that grants her unseen visions of prophecy, and telekinetic powers.

The only person capable of unraveling this mystery? Detective Jefferson O’Brady, a dissolute alcoholic with a photographic memory…and absolutely no friends on the force.

Something’s going down in the City of Brotherly Love.

Tall Tales and Witchy Fails by Lily Harper HartTall Tales and Witchy Fails by Lily Harper Hart:

Splat.

That’s the sound Hali Waverly made when she hit the pavement after a drunken billionaire ran her over with his golf cart.

Cha-ching.

That’s the sound her bank account made when his handlers got him under control and swooped in to buy Hali off. The offer? Ownership of a tiki bar on the property of a busy resort and lodging in one of the villas on St. Pete Beach.

Now Hali is officially successful. That doesn’t mean her life is a beach of roses.

When private investigator Grayson “Gray” Hunter shows up asking questions about a missing woman, Hali is evasive. It’s not because she doesn’t want to help as much as she’s already running her own investigation with the help of her best friend, another witch, and a group of sirens who control the beach.

Gray and Hali lock horns as they continuously cross paths with one another, to the point where they agree to join forces … but only temporarily.

Evil is stalking the resort. Young women are going missing at every turn. It’s going to take a mixture of magic and might to save the day … and even that might not be enough.

St. Petersburg has a new crime-fighting team. Are they strong enough to survive the rising tide and take down a monster?

You’re about to find out.

Artifact by Joshua JamesArtifact by Joshua James:

FOR MILLIONS OF YEARS, SATURN HID AN ALIEN SECRET.
IN 2065, HUMANITY WILL FIND IT.

Lowell Carpenter is a disgraced Marine assigned to a remote US research station on Saturn’s moon Enceladus, where scientists have made an extraordinary discovery in the ocean below.

A special forces team, led by Lowell’s murderous former commanding officer, shows up to investigate. Almost immediately, everything begins to unravel.

Something beneath the surface has been activated.

Soon every space force on Earth — American, Chinese, Russian, and more — is converging on the tiny moon, ready to start a war.

But when a young archeologist with a knack for dead languages makes an amazing discovery of his own, Lowell realizes the stakes are higher than anyone could’ve imagined.

He soon has no choice but to disobey orders and fight soldiers he helped train as he races to stop an unimaginable chain reaction that threatens the entire solar system.

The countdown has begun…

Fang Deep in the Blues by Gaja K. RosFang Deep in the Blues by Gaja J. Kos:

Ever had a fucked up wolf prowling beneath your skin?

I don’t know what peace is anymore. The quiet that comes after a brutal, bloody fight, though…

I’ll take that.

The pain helps drown out the loss, even if it doesn’t last long enough.

Or gives me what I need most.

When a Leshy ambushes me one night with an offer to come work for the Interspecies Crimes and Relations Agency, I want to laugh in his face. What good could a packless, beaten-down werewolf be?

I’m good in a ring with next to zero rules, but, fuck, I’m not agent material. I’m not even functional.

Just my godsdamned luck that it looks like I’m about to be out of options.

With his magic infestation acting up, tapping into Agency’s resources might be the only way to save my brother.

And I want to. More than fucking anything.

I’m just not sure if I can save myself.

Phantom in the Pines of R.K. LatchPhantom in the Pines by R.K. Latch:

In 1933, Mississippi was in the throes of both the Great Depression and Prohibition. Dirt poor living was the way of life for most.

Some folks were forced to turn to any means possible to put food on the table. In Winchester County, the Lawtons turned to brewing moonshine to make ends meet. Though dangerous and illegal, their operation ran smoothly until John Kirkwood, a highly ambitious federal revenue agent, came to town.

Thanks to a dirty deal with a man with deep pockets, Kirkwood sees ridding Winchester County of its moonshiners as his way to fortune. Enlisting the aid of the corrupt local sheriff and a squad of bandits and goons, they launch a brutal rampage against local ‘shiners, piling up bodies along the way.

Henry Lawton works for his father in the family moonshining business. Henry also happens to be one of the best bootleggers around runs the dark country lanes delivering his daddy’s corn whiskey. At 19, he’s tough as nails and knows the backroads like the back of his hand.

Henry is also in love with a young woman. Iris is a beautiful, intelligent, artistic young woman that has captured Henry’s heart. Unfortunately, Iris is the granddaughter of Pearl Broussard, the woman the locals call the Witch of Winchester, which is a whole heap of trouble in itself. To make matters even worse, Henry is white. Iris is black. In 1930s Mississippi, such relationships are recipes for certain disaster.

When Kirkwood and his band of bandits strike close to home, seemingly wiping out the Lawtons in one horrendous night, it seems like all hope is lost. Pearl Broussard uses ancient magic known as the Arts Dark to summon a magical force known as the Spirit of the Trees with only one thing on its mind: vengeance.

The best weapon against the evil of man is the supernatural.

When the Spirit of the Trees walks free, evil runs in fear.

Sticks and Crones by Amanda M. LeeSticks and Crones by Amanda M. Lee:

When Scout Randall’s past came into focus, she thought the hard part was behind her. She was wrong.

Now, not only is she dealing with a day-walking vampire who has all the strengths and none of the weaknesses associated with his kind, but there’s also a new bloodsucker in town … and this one is out for revenge.

When she killed the last master, Scout assumed that was it. She didn’t count on him having a brother. That brother is intent on making her pay, and he’s not shy about dropping bodies in an attempt to rattle her along the way.

Scout has a sister she can’t trust, a former partner she’s trying to bring back to the world of the living, and a crew that’s often steeped in drama. When you add the Winchesters from Hemlock Cove into the mix, she has her hands full. A new vampire gang is the last thing she needs, especially when people start falling under glamours and making targets of themselves.

Scout has magic and might on her side but the fight she’s facing could force her to make a choice she never thought she would have to make.

Darkness is taking over Hawthorne Hollow. Vampires are gathering evil forces to take over the town.

The fight is on.

Rediscovery Volume 2, edited by Gideon MarcusRediscovery: Science Fiction by Women Vol. 2 (1953 – 1957), edited by Gideon Marcus:

Women write science fiction. They always have.

Rediscovery: Science Fiction by Women (1953-1957) offers, quite simply, some of the best science fiction ever written: 20 amazing pieces, most of which haven’t been reprinted for decades…but should have been. Whether you are a long-time fan or new to the genre, you are in for a treat.

Dig in. Enjoy these newly-rediscovered delicacies a few at a time…or binge them all at once!

“Kudos to the editing team for going beyond the usual selections for the classic authors featured herein. Most of these stories were entirely new to me. An exemplary assortment of SF from half a century ago, this anthology should appeal to people familiar with the period and people unfamiliar with it wishing to gain familiarity.”
~James Davis Nicoll on Rediscovery: Science Fiction by Women (1958-1963)

The Assassins of Consequence by Marshall Ryan MarescaThe Assassins of Consequence by Marshall Ryan Maresca:

The autumn semester at the University of Maradaine is underway, and Veranix Calbert is doing his best to balance the new responsibilities of being a fourth-year magic student under the militant Altarn Initiatives, while still acting as The Thorn, the street vigilante deep in a personal war against the drug kingpin Willem Fenmere. With the help of his friends Kaiana, Delmin, and Mila, he’s been able to strike real blows against Fenmere’s empire.

But Veranix’s fight has earned him more enemies than just Fenmere, including the mad alchemist Cuse Jensett, the imposters Erno Don and Enzin Hence, and the Deadly Birds Magpie and Jackdaw. These five killers join forces to escape Quarrygate Prison and offer an alliance to Fenmere, bringing with them the perfect leverage to seal the deal: the Thorn’s identity.

Once Fenmere knows who Veranix is, he doesn’t just want to kill him, but to utterly shatter him. Calling on everyone in Maradaine holding a grudge against the Thorn, he unleashes a brutal hunt against Veranix. With old and new enemies all looking to claim the bounty on his head, stripped of the security of his secret identity, Veranix faces the most brutal fight of his all too-short life.

Shamrocked by Dakota RebelShamrocked by Dakota Rebel:

I didn’t even want to come back here. I was perfectly happy living a perfectly non-magical life out in the real world. And yet, here I am. Back in Fayshore, surrounded by every painful memory I’ve spent the last six years trying to escape.

To add insult to injury, I think I might have just bumped into my soul mate.

I’d sworn that if and when I ever did settle down with someone, it would be a man who was normal. A man who wouldn’t make me feel inferior the way my family had all my life.

Except Lachlan doesn’t make me feel inferior. In fact, his completely chaotic nature actually makes me feel seen in a way that I’ve never experienced before. In a way that’s making me question absolutely everything about myself and my outlook on life.

Is he magically delicious enough for me to change my tune?

Fireball Teen by Rose RoachFireball Teen by Rose Roach:

14 year old Levi lives on Florida’s space coast. When he was only 3, his father, a lead scientist in the space program, died in a lab accident.

The details of his mysterious death were covered up immediately…

Levi always felt different from others, and his obsessive thoughts complicate his life. But he’s smart, compassionate, and has normal teenage interests, like playing video games with his best friend.

One day, Levi buys an ancient, sacred book. Its words glow before his eyes and foretell events. Levi’s skin takes on the same glow; muscles he’s never had emerge.

He hides all this at first… but when the mysterious power overtakes him, the scrawny 14-year- old boy becomes a superhero takes down a gunman and a robber.

Under the scrutiny of the FBI and scientists his father knew, Levi is detained as a potential national security threat and isolated from his mother!

Can Levi figure out his powers?

Can he ever escape?

Hag of the Hills by J.T.T. RyderHag of the Hills by J.T.T. Ryder:

“Nothing is unconquerable; even our gods can die.”

Brennus is destined from birth to become a warrior, despite his farmer’s life. But when the Hillmen kill his family and annihilate his clan, he now has the opportunity to avenge those who he loved.

Brennus must survive endless hordes of invading Hillmen and magic-wielding sidhe, aided by only a band of shifty mercenaries, and an ancient bronze sword.

Failure means his family and clan go unavenged. Victory will bring glory to Brennus and his ancestors.

Hag of the Hills is a heroic fantasy novel set in 200 B.C. on the Isle of Skye, steeped in Celtic mythology and culture.

Lured by the Lion by Aurora SpringerLured by the Lion by Aurora Springer:

Space opera and second chance romance with a moody hero and pirates.

After the death of her ailing father, Jocelyn Navarre Yazzie is free to roam the galaxy in the Star Condor, the spacecraft she inherited from her deceased husband. She embarks on a trip to deliver her father’s bequest to her aunt on a rural planet outside the civilized sectors. A chance encounter with the crippled Leonardo Horlis changes her future. Leo Horlis suffers from a debilitating malady and expects to live for less than a year. Josie is strongly attracted to him, yet she cannot hope to compete with his beautiful dead wife, whose portrait dominates his house and his memories. Sympathizing with his grief and illness, Josie offers to transport him in Star Condor to the top medical center of the ultracivilized inner planets. Their attraction intensifies in the cramped quarters of her ship. But, Leo has a dangerous secret that threatens to terminate their voyage and their lives. Can Josie and Leo escape the perils and vanquish the ghosts of their past to find happiness together?

Beyond the Eyes of Mars by Glynn StewartBeyond the Eyes of Mars by Glynn Stewart:

Beyond the borders of the Protectorate
Beyond the eyes of the Royal Martian Navy
Beyond the reach of the Mage-Queen
Innocents cry out for help—and Mars will answer!

When the Royal Martian Navy moved against reports of piracy in the Fringe Systems, the last thing Mage-Commander Roslyn Chambers expected was to find was a malignant remnant of the defeated Republic of Faith and Reason.

Now the Royal Martian Navy knows their enemy and their Mage-Queen has charged them to bring the First Legion, conquerors of the hidden colonies beyond the Fringe, to justice. The Legion knows the RMN’s tricks, though, and has cleverly concealed their tracks.

As Chambers and the spy Kelly Lamonte sweep distant stars for the trail of their enemies, the fleets of Mars gather behind them—but the fate of millions may lie in the hands of a woman none of them have ever met.

A woman the Republic already killed.

Posted in Books, Speculative Fiction of the Month | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Indie Crime Fiction of the Month for March 2022

Posted on March 30, 2022 by Cora


Welcome to the latest edition of “Indie Crime Fiction of the Month”.

So what is “Indie Crime Fiction of the Month”? It’s a round-up of crime fiction by indie authors newly published this month, though some February books I missed the last time around snuck in as well. The books are arranged in alphabetical order by author. So far, most links only go to Amazon.com, though I may add other retailers for future editions.

Our new releases cover the broad spectrum of crime fiction. We have cozy mysteries, historical mysteries, Jazz Age mysteries, Regency mysteries, paranormal mysteries, crime thrillers, psychological thrillers, legal thrillers, adventure thrillers, financial thrillers, revenge thrillers, historical thrillers, romantic suspense, police officers, private investigators, amateur sleuths, FBI agents, lawyers, hookers, serial killers, con artists, missing children, terrorism, organised crime, crime-busting witches, crime-busting socialites, crime-busting reporters, crime-busting morticians, murder and mayhem in London, Chicago, Florida, Ohio, Montana, the Caribbean and much more.

Don’t forget that Indie Crime Fiction of the Month is also crossposted to the Indie Crime Scene, a group blog which features new release spotlights, guest posts, interviews and link round-ups regarding all things crime fiction several times per week.

As always, I know the authors at least vaguely, but I haven’t read all of the books, so Caveat emptor.

And now on to the books without further ado:

Murder Among the Silent Dead by Blythe BakerMurder Among the Silent Dead by Blythe Baker:

While visiting a London cemetery, Lillian Crawford and her twin brother Felix are witnesses to a violent crime. When Felix is mistakenly arrested as the culprit, it’s up to Lillian, with some assistance from the handsome Eugene Osbourn, to uncover the truth.

But will Lillian find the answers she needs in time to clear her brother’s name?

 

 

An Infamous End by Blythe BakerAn Infamous End by Blythe Baker:

After the terrible revelations of the past several weeks, Jane realizes she can no longer stay with her Pemberton relations. Fleeing to the countryside, she becomes a temporary guest in the home of her sister and brother-in-law.

But danger finds Jane once more, when she becomes entangled in the investigation of a local murder. And worse, the shadows of Pemberton Heights continue to beckon, threatening to draw her back once more…

 

The Tea Shop Witch by Thora BluestoneThe Tea Shop Witch by Thora Bluestone:

A disappearing body.
Hidden magical talents.
An adorable mind-reading dog.
And small-town secrets . . .

Addie James’s life imploded when she discovered her fiancé cheating and got downsized from her biotech job. So she left Silicon Valley for the haven of her Aunt Kate’s tea and apothecary shop in the peaceful mountain town of Stargaze. There, she plans to take a deep breath and figure out what’s next.

But when Addie reaches Stargaze, there’s no trace of her aunt. Until one night, Aunt Kate’s lifeless body shows up and then disappears from the locked shop.

And that’s when things really start to get strange.

As Addie sets out to find the murderer, she begins to realize her own hidden magical talent is the key to discovering what really happened to her aunt . . . who might not be quite so dead after all.

The problem is, logical Addie isn’t sure she can accept the magical parts of herself that science can’t explain. Will she learn to embrace this new life that’s full of supernatural surprises and solve her aunt’s case?

Hometown Magic by Amy BoylesHometown Magic by Amy Boyles:

There is a killer on the loose in Peachwood, and that person is targeting witches. Worse, there’s no rhyme or reason to the murders. Clementine and Rufus are at a loss as to how to find the killer.

They need help, and a lot of it. So the entire witch and wizard community of Peachwood bands together to help. Only, those folks tend to whine a lot and they’re not sure if Rufus can be trusted. With time running out, and more attacks occurring, Clem and Rufus are forced to rely on witches who can’t be trusted for help.

Will they solve the mystery? Or will Clem and Rufus be the next victims?

God's Ponzi by Robert BuschelGod’s Ponzi by Robert Buschel:

Gregory Portent demands revenge. Revenge is best served cold and when the prey begs to be the target. With his skills and charisma he lures them in easy—using an investment bank to launch a Ponzi scheme. Gregory Portent has one advantage—artificial intelligence. At a critical point, he loses his way. A ‘black swan’ event follows and the Ponzi scheme borders on the brink of collapse. It’s not about revenge anymore; it’s about survival. Greedy lawyers, the FBI, and international syndicates pursue him. Greg must go on the run. Everyone he cares about is now in danger. He must win. The strange thing? You’ll be rooting for him the whole time. Will he win big and get his vengeance? Robert Buschel proves beyond a reasonable doubt, he is a rising storyteller. Pick up God’s Ponzi and unlock the secret behind the world’s most diabolical Ponzi scheme.

A Romantic Little Murder by Beth ByersA Romantic Little Murder by Beth Byers:

Jack and Vi have been on edge. Maybe Vi has been snippy and distracted. Maybe Jack has been sharp and irritable. Maybe they panic when they realize they’re unhappy with each other.

On an evening of romance, they dance, they kiss, they connect, and then they find a body. Of course, they aren’t surprised. Only this time, they realize they know the victim.

Once again, they delve into an investigation. They work together to find a killer, and if they repair what’s been going amiss between them at the same time, they’re all right with that too.

Fortuitious Justice by Dennis Carstens Fortuitious Justice by Dennis Carstens:

WHEN THEY THROW THE BOOK
AT YOU, WHO YOU GONNA CALL?

ANSWER: You’d better call top Minneapolis criminal defense attorney Marc Kadella.

Fixer Burt Chayson had well and truly fixed it this time. About to be charged in a vote-buying scandal, he was overheard declaring that if he went down, he’d take some people with him. Within hours he’s dead, and, at first glance, it looks like a suicide—until incriminating fingerprints are found.

The suspect—and Marc’s client—is realtor Hope Slade, one of a group of law-breaking former Vikings cheerleaders, now known as the Suburban Housewife Hooker Ring. Hope’s had a little bad luck lately—her husband threw her out, her children no longer trust her, and she’s already facing a plethora of other criminal charges. All she needs is a murder rap.

But not only are her fingerprints on the murder weapon but the victim, a client of several of the Housewife Hookers, was last seen with her.

Relying on the SODDI (Some Other Dude Did It) defense that’s worked so well for him before, Marc knows he’ll have no trouble coming up with other suspects. But even if Hope’s not convicted of the murder, she faces RICO, prostitution, and money laundering charges.

And it’s not just Hope. The Grand Jury’s thrown the book at the entire hooker gang, apparently in an attempt to squeeze them for information on much bigger fish – a major local drug wholesaler. The major local drug wholesaler. And danger shadows them since some of those people the fixer had planned on taking down with him want to make sure the hookers don’t spill Burt’s pillow talk.

Bridge to Trouble by Elisabeth Grace FoleyBridge to Trouble by Elisabeth Grace Foley:

Jeanette Pierpont is out of patience.

On the run from hurt and humiliation, she’s fled back to her home in the Montana mountains in search of solitude. But to her unpleasant surprise, she discovers she’s not alone there. In fact, there are altogether too many strangers lurking in the woods and around the abandoned mining town nearby—some decidedly suspicious, others merely infuriating.

Before long it becomes clear that the mountain has become the setting for a daring crime—and Jeanette finds herself dragged into a race against time to foil it before it’s too late.

A novella that blends the classic romantic-suspense style of Mary Stewart with the rugged setting of the American West.

Love, Lies and Suicide by Elle and K.S. GrayLove, Lies and Suicide by Elle and K.S. Gray:

“You can’t always get what you want.”
“But, if you try, you might find…”

You’ll get exactly what’s coming for you.

FBI agent Olivia Knight has seen the realities of what happens when nightmares come to life.

When she’s called to investigate a case of an apparent murder-suicide in an affluent community.

She finds herself buried by the unexplainable questions that arise regarding the couple’s seemingly perfect life.

When a deep dive into the life of the philanthropic couple leads to a revelation to a potential double life.

Olivia finds herself wondering if their hidden life finally caught up to them…

They say the purest form of good in this world is love.
But what happens if the love you feel is all a lie?
What happens when the thing you love the most turns into a monster that breaks you?

With her own romantic life in shambles, Olivia begins to wonder what price one’s willing is to pay for love?
And what is the truth behind this case of love, lies, and suicide?

Tall Tales and Witchy Fails by Lily Harper HartTall Tales and Witchy Fails by Lily Harper Hart:

Splat.

That’s the sound Hali Waverly made when she hit the pavement after a drunken billionaire ran her over with his golf cart.

Cha-ching.

That’s the sound her bank account made when his handlers got him under control and swooped in to buy Hali off. The offer? Ownership of a tiki bar on the property of a busy resort and lodging in one of the villas on St. Pete Beach.

Now Hali is officially successful. That doesn’t mean her life is a beach of roses.

When private investigator Grayson “Gray” Hunter shows up asking questions about a missing woman, Hali is evasive. It’s not because she doesn’t want to help as much as she’s already running her own investigation with the help of her best friend, another witch, and a group of sirens who control the beach.

Gray and Hali lock horns as they continuously cross paths with one another, to the point where they agree to join forces … but only temporarily.

Evil is stalking the resort. Young women are going missing at every turn. It’s going to take a mixture of magic and might to save the day … and even that might not be enough.

St. Petersburg has a new crime-fighting team. Are they strong enough to survive the rising tide and take down a monster?

You’re about to find out.

Path of Justice by Robin JamesPath of Justice by Robin James:

To everyone else, Denny Sizemore is the handsome face on a highway billboard. A man to be trusted. Respected. Re-elected.

To college student Neveah Ward, he is her monster.

When Neveah accuses the former mayor of a brutal rape, it’s easier for everyone not to believe her. Mayor Sizemore has lived his life in the public eye. He’s a family man. A rising star in Ohio politics. She’s a nobody with questionable motives and a shady past.

Except DNA doesn’t lie and Neveah never wavers from her story.

Lucky for her, Prosecutor Mara Brent never backs down from a worthy fight.

The case will pit Mara against some of the biggest power players in the state. They soon learn Mara can’t be bought. But she has plenty at risk in her personal life as she gears up for a nasty custody battle against her formidable ex-husband.

Mara’s willing to put her career on the line to champion Neveah. But when the rape trial takes a shocking turn, the fallout could cost Mara what she cherishes most of all. Her son. This time, the path to justice could reveal a dark family secret those close to her would do anything to protect.

Sticks and Crones by Amanda M. LeeSticks and Crones by Amanda M. Lee:

When Scout Randall’s past came into focus, she thought the hard part was behind her. She was wrong.

Now, not only is she dealing with a day-walking vampire who has all the strengths and none of the weaknesses associated with his kind, but there’s also a new bloodsucker in town … and this one is out for revenge.

When she killed the last master, Scout assumed that was it. She didn’t count on him having a brother. That brother is intent on making her pay, and he’s not shy about dropping bodies in an attempt to rattle her along the way.

Scout has a sister she can’t trust, a former partner she’s trying to bring back to the world of the living, and a crew that’s often steeped in drama. When you add the Winchesters from Hemlock Cove into the mix, she has her hands full. A new vampire gang is the last thing she needs, especially when people start falling under glamours and making targets of themselves.

Scout has magic and might on her side but the fight she’s facing could force her to make a choice she never thought she would have to make.

Darkness is taking over Hawthorne Hollow. Vampires are gathering evil forces to take over the town.

The fight is on.

Fake News and Office Blues by Amanda M. LeeFake News & Office Blues by Amanda M. Lee:

Taking down a killing team means Avery Shaw is getting a lot of attention. It’s almost too much attention. That’s why she’s ready for a new story, and when one falls in her lap, she’s more than ready to flip the script.

When leaving the courthouse, she witnesses two men in a car trying to abduct a local woman. She intervenes, but when the dust settles, the woman is nowhere to be found and people are telling her that she’s reading too much into the situation.

She knows better. Unfortunately, nobody will listen.

Her boss is trying to force her to cover pageant stories. Her husband is trying to placate her. And the sheriff? He’s convinced she’s losing her mind.

Avery doesn’t play around, however, and she keeps digging … despite the numerous distractions she’s got going. What she finds is a huge operation, and when it’s time to take it down, she’s the one in danger of not only losing her life but also her freedom.

Avery Shaw is a force to be reckoned with. She’s about to prove it … again.

Patient Vengenace by A.L. MastersPatient Vengeance by A.L. Masters:

The 2012 London Olympic Games are coming up and the country is in a state of excitement. The mood in the country is positive and hard times are forgotten, if just for a short time. But a young woman is reported missing. And then a dismembered woman’s body is discovered at an ancient historical site. Or is it? Another young woman is reported missing. Another body is found floating in the Thames. Or is it? Spence Hargreaves and his team find themselves hurled into an investigation that stretches from the Wiltshire countryside to London to East Anglia to Australia. What brings things together? Is the past the past and the present the present? Or can past and present never be separated? Is vengeance ever just? Is it true that we reap what we sow? As the reader ponders such issues, Spence and his team struggle to understand the reason why? And then how to unravel the threads.

Don't Get Close by Matt MiksaDon’t Get Close by Matt Miksa:

An infamous reincarnation cult resurfaces in the wake of a deadly bombing, and it’s up to an FBI novice to learn its true aim—and uncover its dark past before it consumes her.

Special Agent Vera Taggart walked away from a promising career as an artist to join the FBI, and she impresses her new colleagues with her eerie ability to divine conclusions from the grisliest crime scenes. Taggart’s first assignment is a decades-old cold case centered on a cult of suicide bombers known as the Sons of Elijah who believe they’ve been reborn hundreds of times, going back centuries. It seems like a low-risk assignment until a bomb tears apart a crowded Chicago restaurant. The Sons of Elijah have returned—and now it’s up to Taggart to stop their modern-day reign of terror.

Taggart’s investigation begins with Dr. Seth Jacobson, a renowned psychiatrist who claims to help people remember past lives through hypnotherapy. Jacobson had treated two of the Sons of Elijah’s founders before they’d gone on to commit a series of horrific murders. Desperate to understand how these ordinary patients could have taken such a violent path, Taggart agrees to undergo similar treatment with Jacobson.

Through her hypnosis sessions, Taggart comes to suspect the Sons of Elijah are targeting a high-tech government laboratory that could expose the group’s greatest secret with a controversial experiment. To save millions of innocent lives, Tag must come to grips with the shocking truth about the cult and her own puzzling role in its timeless mission. The fate of humanity rests on her ability to determine which threats are real and which exist only in her mind—and to decide whose side she’s really fighting for.

Bad Blood Sisters by Saralyn RichardBad Blood Sisters by Saralyn Richard:

Quinn McFarland has grown up around dead bodies…

Quinn’s always joked about death, but this summer, death stops being funny. For one thing, her brother finally undergoes transplant surgery. For another, Quinn’s estranged BFF—her “blood sister”—is brought into the family mortuary, bludgeoned to death.

Quinn is haunted by the past, her friendship gone awry, and the blood oath she’s sworn to keep secret. The police consider her a person of interest, and someone threatens her not to talk. Quinn is the only one who knows enough to bring the killer to justice, but what she’s buried puts her in extreme danger.

Little Did She Know by Willow RoseLittle Did She Know by Willow Rose:

It was supposed to be the happiest day of her life when her kidnapped daughter returned, but it wasn’t.

Fourteen years ago, Clarissa Smalls was born, and a few hours later, she was taken from the hospital. Kidnapped. Her mother searched desperately for her for years, but she never found her.

Until now.

When Clarissa Smalls is suddenly found in the swamps of central Florida, badly bruised and confused, it causes much joy and celebration in her family, especially with her mother, who has waited fourteen years to see her baby girl again. Little did she know that this day would end up being the worst in her life. Because Clarissa doesn’t want to know about her mother, she refuses to talk to anyone and won’t tell the police what happened to her.

When another baby girl is kidnapped from the same hospital, in the same manner, the police believe it’s the same kidnapper that took Clarissa. Suddenly, time is of the essence to make her answer the many questions that are piling up.

Where was she for fourteen years?

Who took her?

Why won’t she tell them who her kidnapper is?

The FBI brings in former profiler Eva Rae Thomas to help them in this peculiar case. Eva Rae Thomas knows the girl’s mother very well and is willing to go to great lengths to help her out, even though the two of them share an unpleasant history. In addition, Eva Rae’s sister recently came back into her life after being kidnapped thirty-five years ago, so the FBI hopes that she can contribute with a deeper understanding of the situation and maybe get through to Clarissa.

Little could she have known that soon she would wish that she never got involved in this, as the case becomes very personal for her.

Murder at the Savoy by Lee StraussMurder at the Savoy by Lee Strauss:

Mrs. Ginger Reed, known also as Lady Gold, settles into homelife with her husband Chief Inspector Basil Reed, son Scout and newborn daughter Rosa, but when an opportunity to join a dinner party at the renowned Savoy Hotel is offered, she’s eager to engage in a carefree night with friends. Some of the guests are troubled when their party’s number lands at unlucky thirteen, as death is sure to come to the first person who leaves the table.

Thankfully, the Savoy has an answer to this superstitious dilemma. A small statue of a black cat fondly known as Kaspar is given the empty seat, rounding the number to fourteen.

Unfortunately, in this instance Kaspar didn’t fulfill his duties and a murder is committed. The case is tricky and complicated by a recent escape of a prisoner who has a bone to pick with Basil. Are the two seemingly unrelated incidents connected?

Ginger and Basil work together to solve one while avoiding the other, and what can they do about the black cat who crossed their path?

Confusion People by Ed TejaConfusion People by Ted Teja:

Framed for a bewildering array of crimes, Martin is on the run. The government thinks Hodges is either dead or gone rogue. That makes it hard to save the world from his ex-wife who is doing her best to take over various arms and drug deals, and whatever else the cartels are doing. With both Interpol and the bad guys after them, time is not their friend.

 

 

The Girl Who Killed You by Amy VansantThe Girl Who Killed You by Amy Vansant:

When Mick and his retired military gun-for-hire “fixer” service is hired by a United States Senator to find his missing son, he enlists the help of his daughter, Siofra “Shee” McQueen. An experienced tracker, Shee quickly tracks the boy to a Bahamian island playground catering to the young and wealthy. The job seems like such a breeze, she hires her daughter, Charlotte, to infiltrate the age-restricted compound. They’ve just been reunited after a lifetime apart, and the mission offers them serious quality mother-daughter time.

Is the mother-of-the-year award in the mail yet?

Before Shee can kick back with a Bahama Mama, the senator’s son’s girlfriend turns up dead. The boy is the primary suspect. Could be he’s not the underachieving goofball he seemed to be…and her daughter is on the island with him.

Shee needs to extract Charlotte, but communication has been cut, and the sinister underbelly of the resort is beginning to show.

Shee will need to tap into her father’s collection of ex-military misfits, including a retired FBI agent, a newly-hired thief hiding a secret, and Charlotte’s father—the wounded SEAL whose heart Shee once trampled—if she’s going to save their daughter.

The island has other ideas.

Posted in Books, Indie Crime Fiction of the Month | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Star Trek Picard finally meets the “Watcher”

Posted on March 27, 2022 by Cora

Shockingly, we only have one Star Trek series airing right now (but have no fear, because Disney Plus is giving us Moon Knight next week), so here is my take on the latest episode of Star Trek Picard. For my take on previous episodes and seasons, go here.

Warning: Spoilers below the cut! Continue reading →

Posted in TV | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Star Trek Picard Undergoes “Assimilation”

Posted on March 21, 2022 by Cora

Season 4 of Star Trek Discovery ended this week, so here’s my take on the third episode of season 2 of Star Trek Picard. For my take on previous episodes and seasons, go here.

Warning: Spoilers below the cut! Continue reading →

Posted in TV | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Star Trek Discovery Is “Coming Home”

Posted on March 19, 2022 by Cora

It’s the season 4 finale of Star Trek Discovery. Reviews of previous seasons and episodes may be found here.

Warning: Spoilers under the cut! Continue reading →

Posted in TV | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

An Open Letter to the 2022 Hugo Finalists, Whoever They May Be

Posted on March 17, 2022 by Cora

This is an updated repost of this post from last year, which a lot of people found helpful.

Nominations for the 2022 Hugo Awards closed yesterday and the finalists are expected to be announced sometime in April.

Right now, no one except for possibly the Hugo administrators knows who those finalists will be. However, sometime in the next two weeks or so, some of you will receive an e-mail from Chicon 8, informing you that you are a finalist for the 2022 Hugo Award and asking you whether you want to accept the nomination. Some of you will have received such e-mails before, for others it will be the first time.

But whether it’s your first or your twentieth nomination, congratulations! That’s awesome.

As a first time recipient of such an e-mail in 2020, here are a few things I’ve learned:

  1. The e-mail may not look like you think it will. When I got the e-mail from CoNZealand in 2020, the subject line was “CoNZealand Hugo Awards Confidential”. I was exhausted that day and waiting for two important e-mails, so I scanned right past that subject line, because I assumed it was the convention newsletter. I only opened the mail, because none of the two important e-mails had come yet, so I thought I might as well check out the CoNZealand e-mail while I was waiting. Good thing that I did.
  2. If you receive an e-mail from Chicon 8, please reply as soon as you can whether you accept the nomination or not. If there are questions with regard to eligibility, answer them as soon as possible. The Hugo administrator and their team work very hard, so don’t make their job any harder than it has to be.
  3. The Chicon 8 team will also ask you to keep quiet about your nomination until the official announcement. Please don’t violate this, because you don’t want to steal Chicon’s thunder!
  4. The period between the time when the finalists are notified and when the Hugo finalists are officially announced can be weird, because while you know that you’re a finalist, almost nobody else does. I blogged a bit about my experiences last year here. Basically, I kept having the niggling fear that there had been some terrible mistake and that I wasn’t a finalist after all or that I only was a finalist because all twenty people who would have been ahead of me had withdrawn. From talking to other first time finalist, I learned that I wasn’t alone in this. And while I can’t guarantee that terrible mistakes won’t happen, the chance that the wrong person is notified about being a Hugo finalist is extremely small. So relax. You really are a Hugo finalist, even if nobody else knows it yet.
  5. Do something nice for yourself to celebrate. Have an ice cream, a nice box of chocolates, a glass of champagne, a good beer, a bubble bath, whatever it is that makes you happy. You’re a Hugo finalist, so you damn well deserve to celebrate in private.
  6. You can tell a few people you trust about your nomination as long as you know they won’t blab it all over the internet. Before the official announcement, a handful of people knew I was a Hugo finalist. These include my parents (whose reaction was, “That’s nice,” before turning back to watch a rerun of Midsomer Murders), some folks from Galactic Journey and others in the SFF community, who knew not to say anything before the official announcement, as well as my accountant (because I asked her if buying an evening gown for the Hugo ceremony was tax-deductible – it’s not BTW) and the guy who repaired my patio, because he just happened to be there, when I got the e-mail. Neither the accountant nor the patio guy are SFF fans, so chances of a leak were zero. They both also probably thought I was quite mad.
  7. If you are nominated in a fiction category – i.e. short story, novelette, novella, novel, Lodestar or Astounding – or nominated for a non-fiction book or essay in Best Related Work, you should let your editor and/or publisher know that you’re a finalist. They work in the industry and therefore know not to say anything and they may want to prepare some kind of congratulatory tweet, post or other promotion effort. Finally, editors are also happy when one of their authors is nominated.
  8. One thing I did not do is tell people about my nomination who might be up in the same category. Because I didn’t know who else was nominated (you don’t before the official announcement) and didn’t want anybody to feel disappointed, because I was a finalist and they were not.
  9. Even if you can’t publicly talk about your Hugo nomination just yet, there are still a few things you can do in the meantime. For example, you can update your bio to mention that you’re a Hugo finalist or write a bio, if you don’t have one yet. Important: Don’t upload your updated bio anywhere until the official announcement has been made! In fact, I spent a chunk of the evening after the Hugo finalists had been announced updating my bio everywhere it appears.
  10. In fact – and this is important – don’t upload anything that mentions your Hugo nomination anywhere on the internet, until the official announcement has been made. Even if you set a Tweet or blogpost to go live after the announcement has been made, don’t upload it yet. Because mistakes happen, you accidentally hit “publish” rather than “schedule” or a post goes live too early. I had my celebratory blogpost ready to go in Word, but I only uploaded it with links and a few comments added once the announcement had been made.
  11. Another thing you can do in the meantime is prepare a media kit, if you haven’t got one already. You can see mine here and there are also plenty of pages around the web that tell you what a media kit is supposed to contain. Important: Get permission to use any photos that you did not take yourself.
  12. Another thing you can do is write a press release about your Hugo nomination. It doesn’t matter which category you’re nominated in, whether it’s Best Novel or a fan category. Write a press release anyway. There are plenty of places around the web which tell you how to write a press release. It varies from country to country, so make sure you get the correct format for your country. My press releases from 2020 and 2o21 (in German) are here. Then make a list of the contact info for the relevant newspapers, radio stations and other media outlets in your region or country. Once the nominations have been announced, send your press release as well as the link to your media kit to those media outlets. The press release linked above netted me two in-depth profiles and a bonus article in two different newspapers in 2020 and two more in-depth profiles in 2021, which is much more than I’d hoped for.
  13. Consider whether you want to attend Worldcon and the ceremony. And yes, I know it’s difficult, since the covid pandemic is still ongoing and conditions and restrictions are very different in different parts of the world. Nonetheless, get a Worldcon membership, if you haven’t got one already. Like most recent Worldcons, Chicon 8 offers an installment plan, so you don’t have to pay for a full attending membership right now. The also offer a reduced rate for people attending their first ever Worldcon and have several support programs for people of marginalised identities available. You can also start looking for flights, hotels, etc…. If money is an issue, as it’s for many of us, think about crowdfunding your Worldcon trip, as several finalists have done in recent years. However, don’t start your crowdfunding campaign, until after the finalists have been announced.
  14. If you want to participate in programming, fill out Chicon’s program participant form, if you haven’t already. Do this as early as possible, so the programming team doesn’t have to find suitable programming for you at the last minute.
  15. Finally, start thinking about the Hugo voter packet. If you need to get permission to include certain texts or images, contact the relevant people.

Finally, here are a few observations regarding what happens after the Hugo finalists are announced:

  1. A lot of people will congratulate you. These will be people you expect – friends, peers, etc… – but also people you don’t expect. After the newspaper articles mentioned above came out, I suddenly got congratulations from translation customers, various relatives, neighbours, former classmates and my Dad’s diabetes doctor among others. Enjoy the experience, thank everybody and don’t forget to congratulate your fellow finalists.
  2. Some people will also not congratulate you and again, some of these will be people you don’t expect. There are several reasons why someone might not congratulate you and most of them are not malicious. For example, some people might simply not have seen the news yet. Or they may not understand the significance, since not everybody is plugged into the SFF community and knows how important the Hugos are. Of course, there will also be a few people who think that you don’t deserve your nomination. Ignore them!
  3. Your fellow Hugo finalists are not your rivals, they are your peers. You’ll probably know some of them already and if not, you’ll quickly get to know them. And yes, only one of you will get to take home the rocket in the end, but all six of you are amazing and in a way, you’re all winners. This also applies across categories. I met a lot of great people in the SFF community and even made new friends, just because we were on the Hugo ballot in the same year.
  4. In general, there is a sense of community to siblinghood among Hugo finalists. Whether you’re a bestselling author or a first-time finalist in a fan category, you’re all in this together. There is usually a private group for Hugo finalists to chat, ask questions, share gripes, post photos of Hugo gowns, tiaras and pets, etc…
  5. If you’re not part of the Worldcon SFF community and don’t know anybody else on the ballot, don’t worry! You’ll get to know the others soon enough and pretty much everybody in this community is lovely and very welcoming.
  6. As a Hugo finalist, you will get plenty of e-mails from Chicon 8 about anything from the Hugo voter packet via the program book to the ceremony itself. Pay attention to those e-mails, send any information requested in time and check your spam folder. You don’t accidentally want to miss something important.
  7. Once the Hugo finalists have been announced, there will be people who have opinions about the ballot. Most will be positive or at least fair – I always try to be fair in my own Hugo and Nebula finalist commentaries, even if I don’t care for some of the finalists – but some will be not. There are always people who think that your category or the entire ballot is too male, not male enough, too white, not white enough, too queer, not queer enough, too American, not American enough, too bestselling, not bestselling enough – you get the idea. There will be people who complain that only people no one knows got nominated or that only the usual suspects got nominated. And some of these people won’t even wait 24 hours after the Hugo finalists have been announced to air their opinions – at least they didn’t last year. Some will even tag you, just to make sure you don’t miss their very important opinion. The best thing to do is ignore those people.
  8. A handful of people seem to have made it their life’s mission to mock and harass Hugo finalists. Ignore them and block them on social media and don’t let them get you down. Most of them are just jealous.
  9. There will be drama. So far, I’ve never seen a Worldcon that did not have at least some degree of drama and I have been a Worldcon member since 2014. Often, this drama affects the Hugo finalists in some way. Sometimes, the Hugo finalists even band together and try to resolve this drama. How you engages with whatever this year’s drama will be is up to you. However, don’t let it get you down. Drama is normal. At this point, I would be more surprised at a Worldcon without drama than at one which has some degree of drama. And usually, everybody winds up having a great time anyway.

Finally – and this is the most important point – enjoy your experience! You’re a Hugo finalist, i.e. your peers consider you and your work one of the six best in your respective category. That’s amazing, so celebrate!

Posted in Books, General | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Non-Fiction Spotlight: Dangerous Visions and New Worlds: Radical Science Fiction 1950 to 1985, edited by Andrew Nette and Iain McIntyre

Posted on March 14, 2022 by Cora

The nominations for the 2022 Hugo Awards close tomorrow, so I have one last Non-Fiction Spotlights for 2021 for you. Though I will keep the project going and present SFF-related non-fiction books published in 2022, because after the Hugos is before the Hugos.

If you’re just joining us, the Non-Fiction Spotlights are a project, where I interview the authors/editors of SFF-related non-fiction books that came out in 2021 and are eligible for the 2022 Hugo Awards. For more about the Non-Fiction Spotlight project, go here. To check out the spotlights I already posted, go here.

For more recommendations for SFF-related non-fiction, also check out this Facebook group set up by the always excellent Farah Mendlesohn, who is a champion (and author) of SFF-related non-fiction.

The subject of today’s Non-Fiction Spotlight is Dangerous Visions and New Worlds: Radical Science Fiction 1950 to 1985, a collection of essays about a most exciting period of science fiction, during which the genre changed and evolved significantly.

Therefore, I am pleased to welcome Andrew Nette, one of the two editors, to my blog today:

Tell us about your book.

Dangerous Visions and New Worlds: Radical Science Fiction 1950-1985 is the third in a series of books I’ve coedited that examine various aspects of pulp and popular fiction in the post war period, from the early 1950s until the early to mid 1980s, with a particular focus on what is sometimes called as ‘the long sixties’. This era, which began in the late 1950s and extended well into the 1970s, has become associated with widespread radical social upheaval and change. The most public manifestation of this was the plethora of social and liberation movements focused on class, racial, gender, sexual and other inequalities that emerged during this time. This period also coincided with the paperback revolution in the US in the immediate post war period, a development that soon spread to the UK and by the early 1960s to Australia. Because paperback producers needed a lot of material, fast, it was inevitable that many books would mine social developments taking place during this time, whether it was moral panics about youth or the civil rights and anti-war movements. This publishing market allowed a growing number of authors to make it into print and sustain a living doing so. This included a more diverse group of writers, obviously women, but also gay and lesbian authors, as well as, albeit, at a much slower place, people of colour.

The first book in this series, Girl Gangs, Biker Boys and Real Cool Cats: Pulp Fiction and Youth Culture, 1950 to 1980, examined how paperback fiction reflected public anxieties, fears and fascinations in the US, UK and Australia around various youth subcultures: delinquent youth gangs, beatniks, hippies, musicians and groupies, bikers, and even surfers. The second book, Sticking it to the Man: Revolution and Counterculture in Pulp and Popular Fiction, 1950 to 1980, looked at how pulp and popular publishers, and the various genres they produced, crime, erotica, adventure, etc, responded to the upsurge in radical social movements that challenged the status quo in the US, UK and Australia, particularly in the 1960s and early 1970s: civil rights and Black Power, the New Left and the student movement, anti-war, gay and lesbian liberation, and feminism.

Dangerous Visions and New Worlds is focused on the science and speculative fiction that appeared from the 1950s until the mid-1980s in the US and UK, with a focus on the loose movement known as the new wave science. Starting in the second half of the 1960s, this saw the emergence of a body of works that challenged and destabilised the conservative literary, sexual, political and identity conventions of science fiction. This is, of course, not to say that there were no science fiction writers pushing boundaries prior to the new wave – writers such as Catherine Perkins Gilmore and Aldous Huxley are two very notable earlier examples just off the top of my head. But the changes in the second half of the 1960s, particular the upsurge of radical activity around the Vietnam War, significantly pushed the genre in all kinds of innovative ways, in terms of its political content, expressive and literary style, and the aesthetics of the cover illustration. Despite resistance from some fans, publishers and editors, the novels and short stories associated with this turn became hugely popular to the point of pretty much dominating awards and the field in the 1970s. As I noted above, this in turn also led to the gradual diversification of the authorship of science fiction.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m a Melbourne based writer of fiction and non-fiction. But I’ve had many work incarnations, so to speak. For a large chunk of the 1990s I was a journalist in Indochina. I’ve since worked as a university researcher and in various policy development positions for a range of community and trade union organisations. And I just completed a PhD into the history of Australia’s largest post war pulp publisher, Horwitz Publications, which should be seeing the light of day as a wildly overpriced academic text sometime in 2022.

What prompted you to write/edit this book?

The second book in our series, Sticking it to the Man, originally included material on radical science fiction but the length of the book completely blew out and our publisher insisted we shorten it. It was at this point that my co-editor, Iain McIntyre, and I realised we had the makings of a third book – on radical science and speculative fiction. We pitched the idea to our publisher, and they were very receptive. With the high/low culture, hardback/paperback, literary/pulp distinctions particularly blurred with sci-fi, and a huge range of authors and works to choose from, we certainly had no trouble finding enough material for book-length treatment of the subject. Indeed, Dangerous Visions and New Worlds could have been twice as long, and we still would not have been able to cover everything.

Why should SFF fans in general and Hugo voters in particular read this book?

Every review that I have read of our book has had something different to say about it & why it should be read (or in the cases not). I would nominate four reasons why people may be interested in reading this book.

First, we have made a deliberate attempt to expand the notion of new wave science fiction. This means that while our book looks at key new wave writers, such as Michael Moorcock, Samuel Delany, J. G. Ballard, Judith Merrill, etc, just to name a few, we also examine lessor known or recognised participants, including some of those working at the pulpier end of the spectrum. This includes things like smut SF, UK science fiction television novelisations, books like Hank Lopez’s little-known Afro-6, and William Bloom’s Qhe! series. It also meant looking at some well-known authors from a different angle; for example, examining John Wyndham from the point of view how his work aligned with second wave feminism, and Daniel Shank Cruz’s wonderful piece on the young Samuel R. Delaney’s time living in the Heavenly Breakfast commune on Manhattan’s Lower East Side during the winter of 1967-1968, an aspect of his life that has not received so much attention. Having this balance is not only about being comprehensive and expanding the commonly accepted parameters of new wave SF, but it works in terms of giving readers a glimpse of the work of little known or completely forgotten authors.

Second, we wanted to show the diversity of attitudes, styles, concerns, backgrounds and people involved with radical science fiction in the period examined in the book. While the new wave, certainly in its earlier days, was predominantly white and male dominated, this began to break down in the early 1970s with the success of authors such as Ursula K Le Guin, Joanna Russ and Marge Piercy, and in the UK the work of radical publishers such as the Women’s Press. Slowly but eventually, science fiction also became more racially diverse.

Third, the book includes an in-depth look at the political concerns of new wave science fiction and the direct political activity of many of the authors involved in it.

Fourth are the covers. As I noted earlier, a major part of the way in which science fiction began to change from the mid-1960s was aesthetic. Dangerous Visions and New Worlds contains hundreds of full colour cover images that are not only stunning to look at but they shed light of the political and thematic pre-occupations of the genre during the time.

Do you have any cool facts or tidbits that you unearthed during your research, but that did not make it into the final book?

I read a lot of new wave science fiction in my teens and have continued to dip into the genre ever since, so I feel I was already well versed on the subject. That said, doing this book exposed me to the sheer scale and diversity of new wave of science fiction. Not just in terms of stories, plot lines and speculative sub genres but the influence that came to bear on the new wave, everything from the Beats, modernism, New Journalism, William Burroughs, to psychedelics and eastern spirituality. Connected to this, it is fascinating how immersed in the counterculture a lot of the authors were and how this impacted their writing. Themes of mental disintegration, mass media saturation, sex, drugs, rock and roll, the occult, feminism, and anti-authoritarianism, not only influenced how writers told stories but manifested in books featuring experimental and bizarre prose and, of course, the cover art.

I was also really interested by how the new wave played out in terms of changing conceptions of sexual identity and joy. This is obviously related to factors such as the counterculture and the breakdown of strict post war censorship systems in the 1960s. But also important was technological innovation such as the uptake of offset printing which facilitated cheaper production and greater design flexibility, making it commercially viable for small publishers to undertake potentially risky publications, including those with heavily sexualised and pornographic content.

SFF-related non-fiction is somewhat sidelined by the big genre awards, since the Nebulas have no non-fiction category and the Best Related Work Hugo category has become something of a grab bag of anything that doesn’t fit elsewhere. So why do you think SFF-related non-fiction is important?

Not surprisingly, I think that non-fiction studies of book culture in general – not just science fiction – are vital. Hence why I have coedited three related volumes on the subject and a book an academic book on Australia pulp publishing in the works. I find authorial histories really interesting. Ditto, research on the marketing, distribution, and other political and economic aspects of the production of texts. Having a knowledge of these things really fleshes out and breathes additional life into ones appreciation of book culture and its social, economic and cultural links.

Where can people buy your book?

Depending on where your readers are, Dangerous Visions and New Worlds is stocked by a number of bookshops. In the US, the book is available through our publisher, PM Press here: https://www.pmpress.org/index.php?l=product_detail&p=1201. Readers in the UK and Europe can get the book through PM’s British site here: https://pmpress.org.uk/product/dangerous-visions-and-new-worlds/

Of course, it is also available on all the usual sites, Amazon, Book depository, etc.

Where can people find you?

I have a long running website called Pulp Curry.

You can find me on Twitter at @Pulpcurry and Instagram as @pulpcurry.

Thank you, Andrew, for stopping by and answering my questions.

About Dangerous Visions and New Worlds: Radical Science Fiction 1950 to 1985:

Much has been written about the “long Sixties,” the era of the late 1950s through the early 1970s. It was a period of major social change, most graphically illustrated by the emergence of liberatory and resistance movements focused on inequalities of class, race, gender, sexuality, and beyond, whose challenge represented a major shock to the political and social status quo. With its focus on speculation, alternate worlds and the future, science fiction became an ideal vessel for this upsurge of radical protest.

Dangerous Visions and New Worlds: Radical Science Fiction, 1950 to 1985 details, celebrates, and evaluates how science fiction novels and authors depicted, interacted with, and were inspired by these cultural and political movements in America and Great Britain. It starts with progressive authors who rose to prominence in the conservative 1950s, challenging the so-called Golden Age of science fiction and its linear narratives of technological breakthroughs and space-conquering male heroes. The book then moves through the 1960s, when writers, including those in what has been termed the New Wave, shattered existing writing conventions and incorporated contemporary themes such as modern mass media culture, corporate control, growing state surveillance, the Vietnam War, and rising currents of counterculture, ecological awareness, feminism, sexual liberation, and Black Power. The 1970s, when the genre reflected the end of various dreams of the long Sixties and the faltering of the postwar boom, is also explored along with the first half of the 1980s, which gave rise to new subgenres, such as cyberpunk.

Dangerous Visions and New Worlds contains over twenty chapters written by contemporary authors and critics, and hundreds of full-color cover images, including thirteen thematically organised cover selections. New perspectives on key novels and authors, such as Octavia Butler, Ursula K. Le Guin, Philip K. Dick, Harlan Ellison, John Wyndham, Samuel Delany, J.G. Ballard, John Brunner, Judith Merril, Barry Malzberg, Joanna Russ, and many others are presented alongside excavations of topics, works, and writers who have been largely forgotten or undeservedly ignored.

About the Editors:

Andrew Nette is a writer of fiction and nonfiction based in Melbourne, Australia. He is the coeditor of Girl Gangs, Biker Boys, and Real Cool Cats: Pulp Fiction and Youth Culture, 1950 to 1980 (2017) and Sticking it to the Man: Revolution and Counterculture in Pulp and Popular Fiction, 1956 to 1980 (2019), as well as the author of a monograph on Norman Jewison’s 1975 dystopian science fiction film Rollerball, published by the independent film and media studies publisher Auteur in 2018. His contributed reviews and nonfiction to the Los Angeles Review of Books, Sight and Sound, Australian Book Review, the British Film Institute, and Australian Centre for the Moving Image. He has written two novels, Ghost Money (2012), a crime story set in Cambodia in the mid-90s, and Gunshine State (2016), and his short fiction has appeared in numerous print and online publications.

Iain McIntyre is a Melbourne-based author, musician, and community radio broadcaster who has written a variety of books on activism, history, and music. Previous publications include Sticking It to the Man: Revolution and Counterculture in Pulp and Popular Fiction, 1956 to 1980 (2019); On the Fly! Hobo Literature and Songs, 1879–1941 (2018); Girl Gangs, Biker Boys and Real Cool Cats: Pulp Fiction and Youth Culture, 1950 to 1980 (2017); How to Make Trouble and Influence People: Pranks, Protest, Graffiti & Political Mischief-Making from across Australia (2013); Wild About You: The Sixties Beat Explosion in Australia and New Zealand (2010); and Tomorrow Is Today: Australia in the Psychedelic Era, 1966–70 (2006).

***

This is the last non-fiction spotlight for a 2021 book. But will you publish a work of SFF-related longform non-fiction in 2022 and want it featured? Contact me or leave a comment.

Posted in Books, Non-Fiction Spotlight | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Fancast Spotlight: Rogues in the House

Posted on March 13, 2022 by Cora

Nominations for the 2022 Hugo Awards close on March 15, so here is another Fancast Spotlight for your consideration. For more about the Fanzine/Fancast Spotlight project, go here. You can also check out the other great fanzines and fancasts featured by clicking here.

Today’s featured fancast is Rogues in the House, an excellent podcast dedicated to all things sword and sorcery.

Therefore, I’m pleased to welcome Matt John of Rogues in the House to my blog today.

Rogues in the House logo

Tell us about your podcast or channel.

Rogues in the House, as the title may suggest, is a sword-and-sorcery focused podcast. We explore everything from Conan the Cimmerian to Elric of Melnibone, and we aren’t afraid to dive into adjacent genres and topics. Masters of the Universe, Willow, and the Witcher tend to simmer in our soup as well.

We call ourselves half-baked experts and usually place fun in front of fidelity, though we do do our homework.

Who are the people behind your podcast or channel?

Our little show started with myself (Matt), Logan, and Alex. We’ve since added Deane to the roster. What other Rogues may join us in the future? We shall see.

Why did you decide to start your podcast or channel?

Logan, Alex, and I (Matt) met via Conan Gaming Group (a drama-free, low toxicity Facebook group I admin). From there, we began playing’ Conan Exiles together (On Playstation), and we soon realized we had a gift for gab. After a test-run episode, we decided we were entertaining enough to carry on. And here we are, a few years later.

What format do you use for your podcast or channel and why did you choose this format?

While we have done live videos in the past, we prefer the audio-only approach. Editing video is an extra layer of complexity, and it may be something we do someday, but we mostly like to talk. You don’t need to see our mugs.

The fan categories at the Hugos were there at the very beginning, but they are also the categories which consistently gets the lowest number of votes and nominations. So why do you think fanzines, fancasts and other fan projects are important?

It’s strange, isn’t it? Ultimately, all of these projects are created by imaginative human beings–dreamers, dare I say? Those who create under the banner of large publishers did not always create under such banners. Sure, there’s a learning curve, but every expert begins as an amateur, right? Fortunately, social media has made promotion of indy material more feasible. It also allows for individuals to come together in supportive communities of the like-minded. Conan Gaming Group on Facebook and the Whetstone Discord channel are two highly recommended haunts. We keep them free of scum and villainy. But I’m definitely digressing.

As a writer and game designer, I’ve worked for small and large publishers and in most cases I find scant difference between the quality of the output. My team of freelance designers for the Monolith Conan board game have, for years, created excellent ‘fan’ content, which does not get the same attention as official releases. This is particularly baffling since those who create these ‘fan’ projects are, in fact,  the same people who create the official ones. If I had to guess I’d say it comes to stigma. Indy or small projects aren’t always given the benefit of the doubt, but in my experience they damn-well should.

In the past twenty years, fanzines have increasingly moved online and fancasts have sprung up. What do you think the future of fan media looks like?

That’s a great question. My optimistic side says the future is bright for indy/fan content creators. Really, what’s stopping us? It comes down to marketing and stoking the interest of your audience. When I think of the niche genre of sword-and-sorcery, I get a good feeling about these things. It’s a smaller fandom than, say, epic fantasy or steampunk or My Little Pony, but it looks like we’re starting to find each other and coalesce as a community. And that’s without even mentioning all the smaller presses responsible for such great (and surviving) pubs such as Tales From the Magician’s Skull, Weirdbook, and Whetstone.

“It’s an older (redacted) genre, sir, but it checks out.”

The four fan categories of the Hugos (best fanzine, fan writer, fan artist and fancast) tend to get less attention than the fiction and dramatic presentation categories. Are there any awesome fanzines, fancasts, fan writers and fan artists you’d like to recommend?

Oh, boy. I’m sure there are a lot of names I could conjure. For podcasts, I’m a HUGE fan of Perfect Organism: The Alien Saga Podcast. The Cromcast is also great. For zines I recommend Whetstone. It’s online, it’s free, it’s sword-and-sorcery, and it’s excellent. Logan and I both have stories appearing there [they published Cora as well]. And–OH MY GOD–check out Tales From the Magician’s Skull. Goodman Games and Howard Andrew Jones are killing it. Not sure TFTMS classifies as ‘fan’, but you need to behold the beauty of that magazine.

[Both Tales From the Magician’s Skull and Whetstone are actually semiprozines according to the Hugo rules. They’re still very good and well worth checking out.]

We’ll actually have a Rogues in the House anthology coming out in the near(ish) future. Inside you’ll find both established authors and newcomers [including a story by Cora]. We’re excited about it but need to take the time to do a great job. We already have a tiny little sampler volume 1 out there (Amazon)that includes work from Logan, Alex, and me.

Where can people find you?

Podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/show/56vfPymYqV2qV9MZe7qDP7
https://anchor.fm/rogues-in-the-house

Email: roguesinthehousecast@gmail.com

Instagram: @roguesinthehouse

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RoguesintheHouse

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rogues_podcast

Thank you, Matt, for stopping by and answering my questions.

Do check out Rogues in the House, cause it’s an excellent podcast and one of my personal favourites.

***

Do you have a Hugo eligible fanzine/-site or fancast or a semiprozine and want it featured? Contact me or leave a comment.

Posted in Fanzine Spotlight | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Star Trek Picard does “Penance”

Posted on March 13, 2022 by Cora

With the latest episode of Star Trek Discovery out of the way, here’s my take on the second episode of season 2 of Star Trek Picard. For my take on previous episodes and seasons, go here.

ETA: Camestros Felapton weighs in on the first two episodes of Star Trek Picard here.

Warning: Spoilers below the cut! Continue reading →

Posted in TV | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments