SFR News & Links For October 2014

All I can say about this month's sci-fi romance releases is…wow!

New releases

STARLIGHT COWBOY (Beyond Fairytales) - Stephanie Beck

A Beyond Fairytales Adaptation of The Sun Brings it to Light

From the storybook of the stars.

A groundbreaking mission to the moons of Jupiter should have been Annalina's big ticket for advancement, but instead of captaining her own ship, she's second fiddle to Shields Albright.

Playboy, adventurer, immature.

Shields has been called it all, but really, he just wants to fly and hasn’t spent a lot of time on his social skills. Mutual attraction grows as the walls of the space ship close in, and they come to an arrangement that satisfies them both, while allowing them professional distance. The distance doesn’t last, not as they grow to understand themselves…and each other as someone who just fits.

Not all is as it should be among the stars.

Their ship is attacked, and the moons of Jupiter are not exactly untouched when they finally arrive. The little world they’ve built high above terra firma is about to smack down in the middle of a dangerous, maybe even deadly, reality. If Shields didn't attract trouble like fireflies on a bug zapper, the two might have an actual shot at true love.

Read the excerpt.

Sci-Fi Romance Quarterly #4: The Cyborg Issue

The latest issue of Sci-Fi Romance Quarterly is now out and it's chock full of delicious cyborg action! Issue #4 includes:

* Guest columnist by GAMES OF COMMAND author Linnea Sinclair

* "I Like Big Cyborgs And I Cannot Lie" article by Charlee Allden (Smart Girls Love SciFi & Paranormal Romance)

* An Interview with Cyborgs: More Than Machines author Eve Langlais

* "Taming the Cyborg Hero" article by Heather Massey (that's me!)

* SFR release coverage from June to September

* Ian Sales reviews WOMEN OF WONDER by Pamela Sargent

* Sci-fi romance reviews, and much more!

Download your free copy of Sci-Fi Romance Quarterly or you can read it online here. Plus, the magazine's site has been updated with a shiny new look. Happy reading!

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Cover Reveal Exclusive: WHEN DARK FALLS by Pippa Jay

Here's an exclusive cover reveal for my wonderful Galaxy Express passengers: WHEN DARK FALLS by Pippa Jay! This alternative 1920s superhero romance will be released 11/14 by Breathless Press. Check out the lovely design:

In a city where Dark Technologies Inc. now runs the show, Kadie Williams has more immediate concerns than the fall of Blaze, their guardian superhero. Almost every morning for the last few months she’s woken up with cuts and bruises on her body, and no idea how she got them. There are no nightmares. No evidence that she sleepwalks, or any sign of a break in. And nothing to tell her who’s been cleaning up after her. As just one of thousands of civilians conscripted to slave away in the labs of Professor Dark, she knew there'd be trouble ahead. But  she never expected it to be so bad, or so personal. 

Desperate for answers, Kadie looks to the new defender of the night, the only person who can hinder the total domination of Professor Dark—Nocturnelle. The mysterious vigilante superhero came from nowhere with her cybernetic sidekick Shadow, set on putting an end to the brutality of Dark's regime. But as his laboratories work on a new secret super-weapon, Nocturnelle and Shadow may not be enough to save Nephopolis...or to save Kadie either.

***

And there's more! Read an excerpt:

Seeking SFRs About Alien Heroes & Human Heroines On Earth

Star-crossed lovers Do Min Joon & Cheon Song Yi

In light of the big news that ABC is planning to adapt the popular Korean drama MY LOVE FROM ANOTHER STAR, I figured this would be a great time to crowdsource a list of similar science fiction romance books!

To learn more about the show itself, read My Epic Post On MY LOVE FROM ANOTHER STAR (no major spoilers). Tl;dr: MY LOVE FROM ANOTHER STAR is about a romance between Do Min Joon, an alien who's a cross between Superman and Spock, and Cheon Song Yi, a famous celebrity. Heat level: sweet. You can stream this show for free (with ads) at DramaFever.

Though the ABC adaptation isn't in the can just yet, I'd still like to have a list of similar SFRs handy for interested readers. Ideally, the books will, like MY LOVE FROM ANOTHER STAR, feature an alien hero, a human heroine, and a contemporary Earth setting. But really, any setting will do!

Here are some titles to get us started:

More News Coverage About ABC's MY LOVE FROM ANOTHER STAR Remake

Cheon Song Yi eating favorite meal, chicken & beer

Enjoy some chicken and beer while you catch up with more coverage about ABC's remake of the Korean drama MY LOVE FROM ANOTHER STAR!

‘My Love From the Star’ Heads to the U.S. (The Wall Street Journal)

My Love From The Star’ to get US remake (Manilla Bulletin)

ABC Options You From Another Star for US Remake

Would You Watch The American Adaptation Of "MY LOVE FROM ANOTHER STAR"?

Joyfully yours,

Heather

ABC To Adapt K-Drama MY LOVE FROM ANOTHER STAR

OHMYGOSH OMYGOSH OMYGOSH!

Remember My Epic Post On MY LOVE FROM ANOTHER STAR in which I wrote, "I wonder if someone is going to purchase the rights for a U.S. version of this show. Wouldn't surprise me."?

Well, color me ecstatic because The Hollywood Reporter recently announced ABC Adapting Hot Korean Drama 'My Love From Another Star' (Exclusive):

My Post on Superhuman SFR Via Sharon Lynn Fisher's Newsletter

I'm the September guest columnist for author Sharon Lynn Fisher's newsletter and my topic is superhuman sci-fi romance! Here's a peek:

To Love a Superhuman

"Superhuman" sounds pretty nifty, but what exactly does it mean? The term has traditionally described a sub-category of science fiction tales that feature "…the emergence of humans who have abilities beyond the norm." Sounds intriguing and even a bit mysterious, yes?

Superhuman characters are plentiful in SF and you'll encounter them in a variety of settings--space opera, cyberpunk, steampunk, near-future, etc. Most people are familiar with superhuman SF as expressed in the superhero genre. Superheroes are pretty much all superhuman, all the time. Other types of superhuman characters are more subtle in nature and include characters such as telepaths, genetically engineered people, and cyborgs.

SF offers many choices of superhuman characters and explores them in speculative-happy fashion. But what about readers who prefer a more intimate, character-driven approach?

***

For the complete article, click here. For ongoing news about the work of Sharon Lynn Fisher, sign up for her newsletter here.

If you've read a superhuman SFR and want to share, hit me up!

Joyfully yours,

Heather

In Which I Gush Even More About Talented Sci-Fi Romance Heroines

With SOLIA'S MOON (Outer Settlement Agency #1) by Lyn Brittan and CONSPIRACY (THE IRON ADMIRAL #1) by Greta van der Rol now notched on my sci-fi romance belt, I can reflect yet again on how wonderful it is to read about smart, capable heroines. These ladies are the best!

I really enjoy reading about capable heroines in action. I won't reveal any spoilers except to say that in SOLIA'S MOON and CONSPIRACY, the hero and other characters are extremely dependent on the heroine's skills sets. It's always fun to see what kinds of abilities heroines have and more importantly--most importantly--that these skill sets are viewed as normal and expected by other characters within the text. Many thanks to authors of SFR who make their heroines so talented!

Whether a heroine's skills are based on real life ones or completely made up, it's fascinating to watch them in action. In SOLIA'S MOON, heroine Solia Calian is a "Lunar Physician," so medicine is her primary skill. But she knows other stuff, too, which rounds out her character. I make a point of that because it sometimes seems female characters are solely defined by one particular skill (or by one particular body part), whereas male characters usually come equipped with a whole set.

What's In A Name?

I'm a fan of SF pulp and campy stories, truly I am. I've seen BARBARELLA. I used to watch HE-MAN regularly. I've read my share of pulpy stories in both books and comics. Too many to list, actually. Pulp can often mean "tropes I like" so I'm always game to explore such stories.

I own this DVD set!

Having established my relationship with pulp, my interest in them doesn't mean I don't question certain elements. Lately I've been wondering about sci-fi romance stories that use a "Flash Gordon" approach to naming things. Specifically, aliens and places. Like so:

For many years, the three companions have adventures on Mongo, traveling to the forest kingdom of Arboria, ruled by Prince Barin; the ice kingdom of Frigia, ruled by Queen Fria; the jungle kingdom of Tropica, ruled by Queen Desira; the undersea kingdom of the Shark Men, ruled by King Kala; and the flying city of the Hawkmen, ruled by Prince Vultan.

image source: Flash Gordon Wiki

I haven't encountered naming conventions quite so blatant as the above in SFR, but I do encounter ones that are close. To qualify, I expect those types of names in comedic SFRs or parodies, but I question their appearance in other stories, especially if there's nothing to indicate I'm supposed to interpret the names as humorous or tongue-in-cheek.

My Latest CTR Steampunk Post, and More!

Here's some recent SFR news and happenings:

I'm gabbing about gadgets in Go, Gadgets, Go!, my latest post at Coffee Time Romance's steampunk page. If you're interested in particular types of steampunk romance technology, I also present a handy, categorized list!

Jessica E. Subject recently announced a new erotic sci-fi romance with Decadent Publishing. THE STAR PRINCESS (Beyond Fairytales) is a multicultural-style romance featuring an alien heroine and is a retelling of The Star Money by the Brothers Grimm. Here's the unofficial blurb:

In one week, Princess Ro’sa will board a spaceship, leaving her home on Minjet to be with her betrothed on Earth. The only problem is, she detests the prince’s selfish and arrogant ways, preferring to spend time with his personal aide, a man who stirs her desires in ways she never imagined possible with his radient blue eyes and smouldering lips. And oh, the way he touches her.

Will she find a way to be with the man who steals her heart, or be forced to marry the egocentric prince?

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Related post: Missing in Action: Alien Heroines (via Heroes and Heartbreakers)

Dear Readers New To Sci-Fi Romance

Dear Readers New To Sci-Fi Romance,

Greetings! I hear you're thinking of trying a sci-fi romance. That's great! I welcome you to this genre. It has plenty of stories to entertain you.

Let's briefly review some basic definitions (some of which may be unique to this blog--other readers' mileages may vary).

SFRs are romances in a technology-based setting and have an upbeat ending (HEA or HFN). Other than that, the genre encompasses a wide range of stories. Settings include but aren't limited to space opera, near-future, cyberpunk, steampunk, biopunk, and superhuman. Heat levels range from erotic SFR to "sweet."

You'll meet all kinds of heroes and heroines of various genders and orientations, from scientists to space pirates to airship captains to hackers to bounty hunters to superheroes. Some are People of Color while others have disabilities. You can read stories with lots of action-adventure as well as those that are more character-driven. Want tales with a gritty feel? SFR's got that. Is kink and capture romance more your style? Oh yeah, it's in there. Looking for some intellectual fun? A selection of books is waiting for you. Need tales with a lighthearted tone? SFR's got those, too.

SFR News & Links Extra

Laurie A. Green of Spacefreighters Lounge announced she'll be releasing her first sci-fi romance November 1, 2014. The novelette's title is FAREWELL ANDROMEDA. I'd like to extend Ms. Green a huge congratulations because by following her posts, I know publication has been a dream of hers for a long time. 

Congratulations! *throws confetti* I'm looking forward to the read!

Smart Girls Love SciFi & Paranormal Romance is featuring a two part interview with The Felig Chronicles author P.J. Dean. The latest book in the series, PARADOX, releases this month. 

Part 1

Part 2

 

The interview is packed with her observations about perseverance, reading culture, diversity, and writing-related topics. This excerpt encapsulates why the series holds strong appeal for me: