SFR News & Links Extra

My latest post at the Coffee Time Romance Steampunk page focuses on Dark Vs. Light Steampunk Romance. It's one way to distinguish the general tone of various stories, but I also wonder if there's a difference of perception between the two regarding quality:

I wonder about the perception of light vs. dark in this genre. “Light” can imply stories with less depth or plot. The word “escapist” has negative connotations for some readers. Consequently, are steampunk romances that feature a darker tone viewed as more valid and meaningful? Do readers take them more seriously than their action-adventure focused, Edisonade cousins? And if so, why?

At Heroes and Heartbreakers, I dive into another medium with Romancing The Video Game. Are gamers ready for RPGs that integrate romance in ways that impact the overall plot?

Seems to me that video games featuring a strong romance subplot or a romance that drives the story are ripe for developing. The key to success, at least initially, may be creating stories with strong cross-over appeal and that are more gender neutral (as opposed to a strong use of the female gaze).

 Come share your thoughts about where we are in terms of the romance-video game mix.

 One for the Titanic buffs: Pauline Baird Jones interviews Veronica Scott about WRECK OF THE NEBULA DREAM.

In other PBJ news, author Pauline Baird Jones (KICKING ASHE) is interviewed at Smart Girls Love SciFi & Paranormal Romance!

At Kirkus, John DeNardo presents a roundup of titles featuring Portals in Science Fiction & Fantasy. It prompted me think about SFR books with portals.

Dara Joy's KNIGHT OF A TRILLION STARS is one. Nathalie Gray included a portal in her steampunk romance FULL STEAM AHEAD. The virtual worlds featured in some cyberpunk stories could be considered a portal, such as Kim Knox's SYNTHETIC DREAMS and Angelia Sparrow's HARD REBOOT. Sandra McDonald's Outback Stars trilogy includes alien artifact type portals. And Pippa Jay's KEIR has a hero and heroine who travel through space and time to various fantastical settings. What other SFR titles do you think fall under the portal category? 

There's a robust discussion in progress at Spacefreighters Lounge in response to Laurie A. Green's post about When Ads Annoy, Not Inspire:

My contrasting experiences got me brainstorming about book promotion and how we might do it better. True, we don't have a mega-blockbuster movie to tap into, but heck...we write SFR! We're imaginative, innovative and far-thinking authors. We know how to color outside the box--way outside the box. So maybe it's time to apply some of that imaginative "force" to our promotion efforts. How do we draw readers in--both into our books and the SFR genre in general?

Your TBR piles are about to expand big time. Courtesy of Galaxy Express passenger L. comes a link to Pre-1923 Utopias and Science Fiction by Women: A Reading List of Online Editions. A cheer-worthy list, indeed!

L. also alerted me to an article about 9 Women Who Shaped Science Fiction. Huzzah!

Joyfully yours,

Heather