Gay Science Fiction discussion

Guess I'm the first to see Meghan's new invite to introduce ourselves. Let's see...

Sci-Fi was probably my first 'love' when I started reading books for pleasure rather than because I had to. That would be, oh, about 40 years ago. Back then, it was the classics, everything by Clarke, plus some Heinlein, Herbert, Gunn and others. Tried to get into Delany but it was too thick for me back then. I moved away from Sci-Fi as I got older, but am still on the lookout for good stuff when I can find it. I'm kind of into kink now, so The Initiation of Pb500 would probably be the most interesting Sci-Fi read I've had for a while. I just started Brandon Fox's The Finder which is kind of Sc-Fi. I enjoyed his old trilogy, which I guess is being reworked and re-released.

I'm definitely a geek, and it has a lot to do with how I've made my living for most of the last 30 years. Linux runs my desktop, is that geeky enough?

In any book, gay, sci-fi or otherwise, I look for well drawn, three-dimensional characters. Too many books these days are too rushed, with under-developed plot lines and characters. I finish them thinking the author has left so much on the table and not really done the job. In sci-fi, of course, verisimilitude is all important. The author has to make you believe that it's all possible, otherwise it's fantasy.

Hi Michael. What kind of scifi do you like best? Hard or soft? Cheerful or depressing? Romance or gay lit? Or is it all good?

I've read it all and I don't think I have a type. I don't read much these days that doesn't have gay characters, and I generally avoid anything that sounds too depressing, although there is some good stuff out there that's not all that cheerful. I read Remastering Jerna a few months ago, which is pretty depressing for most of the book, but a fascinating read. It's more speculative than sci-fi though.

Hi Michael, glad to hear from you! There was some discussion of the "gay lit = depressing" I stumbled across somewhere. But the argument was made that that is more the older literature out there. I don't remember where that discussion was at. Anyway, it seems like there is a lot out there that is well, not HEA, but not depressing either. :)

Hi Meghan, yes I vaguely remember seeing that same discussion somewhere as well. When I was a kid, there basically were no gay characters to be seen anywhere. When I started reading the classical stuff - I got into the English writers big time - Waugh, Maugham, etc. - there were either no gay characters, or very veiled ones, like those featured in Barbara Pym. Then I discovered real gay characters in the historicals of Mary Renault. Most of her books aren't HEA, but hey, Alexander really died, there's no way the Persian Boy can be HEA with him.

These days there's a lot more to choose from, and it runs the complete gamut from laugh-out-loud hilarious to serious romance to tragedy. Not all of it's good of course. I review books for two other sites and I've read some real crap, but no matter what you like to read, chances are there are plenty of good books to choose from.

I'm guessing that might have been the discussion in JL's forum?

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/7...

Starting with Dev's message 171? It was a short discussion, but interesting.

Anyway, that may be neither here nor there, and I'm sure it gets discussed often enough.

I'm big on characterization as well. I'll forgive all kinds of plotting sins if I believe in the characters and see them as strong, multidimensional people. And yes, like those slow deep developments. To me it's like have steak for dinner instead of Doritos. :)

I think that's part of why I like Cherryh so much (the other part is she does internal conflict like nobody's business). She's been called plodding, but I really dig her writing.

Michael wrote: "Guess I'm the first to see Meghan's new invite to introduce ourselves. Let's see...

Sci-Fi was probably my first 'love' when I started reading books for pleasure rather than because I had to. That..."

Hi Michael, glad to meet you.
I agree that some gay lit is depressing. That's how I found myself loving Gay Romance, it has mostly positive role models. When I discovered there was a gay Sci-fi club, it was fantastic. Now I can find books that fill 2 or more genres at the same time.