Gay Science Fiction discussion

I just finished Ethan of Athos by Lois McMaster Bujold

A Gay positive exploration of a man who left his all male planet on a quest to acquire ovarian tissue for use in reproduction on his planet Athos. He meets and is forced to interact with true aliens, females, for the 1st time in his life. The plot is driven by the mystery of stolen ovarian cultures and unexpected twists that resulted in their theft.

The book has a great plot, but I wish the idea had been fleshed out more. It is more of a novella and a novel. I want to know more about Ethan and Terrence Cee and how they interact. Perhaps Ethan is just an extremely adaptable male, but given the nature of Athosian culture, I would expect him to have more difficulty interacting with the females he encounters. I would like to know Ethan and Terrence better.

It is not really a Vorkosigan novel, though it occurs in the same universe. Will Ethan or Athos return in later books?

Kernos, I'm not familiar with this author. Are all her books m/m, or just this one? Have you read the rest of the series? What do you think of the series as a whole?


I've recently finished reading An Uncommon Whore by Belinda McBride. This is the first book I've read by this author, and her first m/m book. It's going to have a sequel, which I'm excited for because I absolutely loved this book! Helios is a slave and a whore, but he's also a king who was captured in battle and had his memory wiped. His people have been forced from their planet and scattered around the galaxy as they try to rebuild their once non-space faring civilization and search for their missing king.

Griffin is Helios' bodyguard and friend, who has been searching for him for years. When he finally finds him, Helios is a much different person, submissive where he was once dominant, and unable to remember anything of his past. They have to find a way to reestablish their friendship, their love for one another, and their fallen nation from the grasp of the foolish and corrupt leadership that has taken over since Helios' disappearance. The second book will likely deal with Helios' efforts to take over the leadership of his people, but apparently it's going to be told from Griffin's POV.

What's great about this book is that it really plays with the idea of dominance and submission and the ways in which one can find power in both positions. The world building is also great, as Helios' culture was once non-space faring, although they knew of space flight. They're culture is similar to ancient greece, but much more technologically advanced, and there's a nice contrast between their society and the rest of the galaxy.

Kernos, great book! True classic. I read it a few years ago. The only gay related one from Bujold I think. The gay relationship isn't a central to the plot as many of the newer 'less mainstream' authors are putting out now. But, I kinda liked the lack of steamy m/m sex scenes and more scifi...and a good story. Of course, nothing wrong with steamy sex scenes...just like to have some books not treat the m/m angle as 'all sex'. ;)

Sean wrote: "Kernos, great book! True classic. I read it a few years ago. The only gay related one from Bujold I think. The gay relationship isn't a central to the plot as many of the newer 'less mainstream' au..."

BTW, I've read all the Vorkosigan books...and enjoy most of them.

Alaina and Sean - This is the only book of the Vorkosigan saga that has m/m content. However, I remember being quite in love with Miles Vorkosigan, the main character in many of the books when I read these in the early '90s. I dont really remember why.

Bujold is one of the greats of modern SF. She has also done some very good Fantasy. Vorkosigan is on my re-read list and soon.

I have researched the name 'Athos'. Mount Athos is famous in Greece and classical mythology, but the name is pre-Hellenic and refers to the Mountain. It is also famous because after the resurrection, the Virgin Mary visited the mountain and so is sacred to Christians (esp Greek Orthodox).

See A history of Mount Athos

I wonder if Bujold was being ironic in naming an all male planet after a place sacred to the Mother of God? I plan on asking Bujold herself about this.

I just finished Soothe the Burn by T.A. Chase and really enjoyed it I rated it 4stars.

I just read Freighter Flights by Drew Zachary and enjoyed it. The romance side wasn't very romantic, but it was fun. The sci-fi part was good if not overly detailed.

don't know if this group is still being watched, but thought I'd recommend what might be a sleeper, Rampant, by Eric Del Carlo. Although it's marketed as m/m, it isn't your standard romance, reading more in the vein of allegorical scifi, alternate universe type stuff. You can see my review of it if you want to know more. Del Carlo is a pretty well published in mainstream scifi, in shorts, mostly, but as a coauthor with Asprin as well.

Another m/m of his, Steel Sleet, is also very good, although more the standard spacey type scifi, and not departing quite as much from the romance conventions as does Rampant. Can't say that I like the sequels as much, they just sort of ride the coattails of the first in the series, and the conflict gets sort of lost.

Ocotillo wrote: "don't know if this group is still being watched, but thought I'd recommend what might be a sleeper, Rampant, by Eric Del Carlo. Although it's marketed as m/m, it isn'..."
Hi. Please add those to the group's bookshelf (to the right) as it's open to all to read...and I think many people just read the shelf and don't join the group. Thanks!

I think I did. I'll go double check.

Hi all - I'm new to your group. I just finished reading "Spin Control" by Chris Moriarty (which I think is a really smart fun read) - featuring a strong thread of man on man clone sex. I am wondering if members of this group who have read this book think it fits into the gay science fiction genre - or whether the incestuous clone action negates the homoerotic themes. This book certainly has some interesting things to say about notions of deviancy in a post human age - but is it gay?

Hey folks. We have a new book out called Demonic and Other Tales by Garon Cockrell. It's gotten good reviews and endorsements by Brandon Ford and Simon Clark. Please check it out and post a review!

Has anybody read "The Steel Remains", or "The Cold Commands" by Richard K. Morgan? I am a member of a science fiction and fantasy book discussion group, as well as a gay book group and I would like to suggest these books, but have not read them.

Just finished The steel remains - which was a lot of fun with some great sex!

I just recently finished Eric del Carlo's Steel Sleet series. I liked it. Not super original, but still interesting. I liked the middle book the most just because I used to live down on the MS coast.

I just bought The Silent Empire series and The Disciples of Goedric series. Look forward to reading both.

I read and enjoyed Storms and Stars by Neena Jaydon which was released in January this year. Very good example of the gay romance scifi sub genre. I added it to the bookshelf. Hopefully I've picked the right shelves!;)

Hi Mandy, I just read that too and enjoyed it!

I'm also looking forward to Gravitational Attraction which is coming out soon. AM's fantasy series (Finn) was good so I'm hoping she's gone all out with the Scifi genre! lol

I've just reread Cagebird by Kiran Lowachee, and am now half way through Warchild, with Burndive come soon after, I hope (have to depend on the King Cty Library system..) Have really enjoyed the books so far. Each can stand alone, but all are intertwined, and she's left her self room to expand beyond, as the ending in Cagebird really doesn't resolve anything except the turmoil of the main character. All of these books really stress what is done to children by the adult world and the problems we adults create. Think of the young children "gang pressed" into armies in Asia or Africa, or the young and impressionable children and youth used to deliver suicide bombs anywhere in this world. Damm but we adults can really mess it up, and we wonder why the world is as it is!

Chuck wrote: "I've just reread Cagebird by Kiran Lowachee, and am now half way through Warchild, with Burndive come soon after, I hope (have to depend on the King Cty Library system..) Have really enjoyed the b..."

I just added Cagebird to the bookshelf. I guessed from your description that it is a dystopian novel, but please check that the shelving is appropriate.

http://www.goodreads.com/group/booksh...

Just finished Warchild, the first in the three books by Lowachee. This one is intense, covering as it does the ideas of first contact, and our inherent western sense that only eurocentric civilization is the only model that we need to follow. Or that if we find someone who objects to having their ways of being and doing, the only answer is to impose our will through force. That if we do, and they seek to counter this force, that somehow they brought it on themselves. Its truly a good read, and I'd recommend it to anyone.

Alaina wrote: "Kernos, I'm not familiar with this author. Are all her books m/m, or just this one? Have you read the rest of the series? What do you think of the series as a whole?..."

I overlooked your questions (sorry). The Vorkosagin Saga is one of the best SF series extant, IMO, and is still ongoing. I would read them in publication order, an do read them! I don't recall other Gay related content in the series, though Athos (a planet of males only) may have been mention in passing.

Just wanted to share this (free) webcomic:

http://webcomics.yaoi911.com/

'Spacey SF', hard, but not super-geeky in terms of science explanations. Man genetically engineered to be a killer. Excellent story, excellent art. Updates regularly.

Only downside: if you go read it right now, you be left on a cliffhanger. :D But that should resolve within a week, maybe two (of course, I'm not the author so I don't actually know)?

Oco wrote: "Just wanted to share this (free) webcomic:

http://webcomics.yaoi911.com/

'Spacey SF', hard, but not super-geeky in terms of science explanations. Man genetically engineered to be a killer. Excell..."

I am staying far away from you with your tempting WIPs. Back I say!

I just read this:


Rinse and Repeat

I love time travel in general, and the "Groundhog Day" trope is one of my favorites, so I really enjoyed it.

David wrote: "Has anybody read "The Steel Remains", or "The Cold Commands" by Richard K. Morgan? I am a member of a science fiction and fantasy book discussion group, as well as a gay book group and I would lik..."

I've read both :) and they're really a sci-fi/urban fantasy mix, with lots of intrigue, lots of violence, a very clever story line, and only (IMHO) small mentions of the hero's sexuality, and not in a descriptive way. There are a couple of scenes which you can read either way (possibly written to prevent the unenlightened from being 'frightened'), but nothing too in-your-face. Friends/enemies with benefits, maybe, but really depends on the reader's imagination.

Sorry if that's what you were looking for, but I wouldn't want to class these two books in any of our listings.

I just swallowed whole The Starving Years yesterday. Didn't mean to, because I really didn't have time (was supposed to be catching up on my grading), but it just grabbed me and didn't let go.

The book is a romance (m/m/m) but one thing I love about JCP is that the romance never overshadows the rest of the story, and this one is a wonderful piece of what I'd call 'real' SF, where it really examines a what-if scenario--doesn't just set heroes down in a futuristic (or alternate reality, in this case) setting with cool gadgets and words.

Most excellent, and I'll be trying to find the time to write a proper review soon.

Charming wrote: "Oco wrote: "Just wanted to share this (free) webcomic:

http://webcomics.yaoi911.com/

'Spacey SF', hard, but not super-geeky in terms of science explanations. Man genetically engineered to be a ki..."

This is finished, btw, for anyone who likes comics. :)

Oco wrote: "I just swallowed whole The Starving Years yesterday. Didn't mean to, because I really didn't have time (was supposed to be catching up on my grading), but it just grabbed me and did..."

Yay! I put it back on the hard sci-fi shelf per my post, http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/8.... I read it last week :-D

I just finished reading "Heritage of Hastur" by Marion Zimmer Bradley. It was a very good book with two main protagonists, who are both gay. I would like to know how to shelve this book since all of the Darkover books are really Science Fantasy.

David wrote: "I just finished reading "Heritage of Hastur" by Marion Zimmer Bradley. It was a very good book with two main protagonists, who are both gay. I would like to know how to shelve this book since all..."

Let's put them in with paranormal scifi for the moment. If we end up with more than a few fantasy scifi books we can add another shelf.

I'm thinking about starting Line and Orbit. Has anyone had a chance to read this?

Oco wrote: "Just wanted to share this (free) webcomic:

http://webcomics.yaoi911.com/

'Spacey SF', hard, but not super-geeky in terms of science explanations. Man genetically engineered to be a killer. Excell..."

Thank you for the link, this is great!
;P

I recently listened to Trick of Time as an audiobook, and really enjoyed it. It is kind of pushing it to call this scifi, since the time travel aspect is not explained, but there aren't enough gay scifi audiobooks to be that picky.

Lyn Gala's "The Only Way Out is In" is a sci-fi based story that has been posted in the M/M Romance, Love Has No Boundaries writing challenge. It's long for a short story but well written. Aspects of the story reminded me of Firefly and Battlestar Gallatica, but it creates its own universe. I'm thrilled that Lyn has already submitted a longer version of the characters in this short story to her publisher.

I'm glad that you enjoyed it. That was a great prompt, and I really wanted to do right by the main character

The Only Way Out Is In

and download here:

http://www.mmromancegroup.com/?p=3515

Jen4607 wrote: "I'm thinking about starting Line and Orbit. Has anyone had a chance to read this?"

I don't know if your question is still relevant in the months since your post, but I guess it won't hurt to at least answer. :-)

It's been a while since I read Line and Orbit (I think it was back in March). What I do remember is that at the least, it deserves a chance. The plot is very grandiose in scale (aka: epic), which I feel many SF M/M books lack. The story is original and the characters were likeable in their own way. The only complaint I had was that I felt that the relationship aspect between the two characters could have been fleshed out more. Basically, this was one of those stories where the romance took the back burner while the plot itself was the focus (not to say that there isn't ANY romance).

Kernos wrote: "I just finished Ethan of Athos by Lois McMaster Bujold

A Gay positive exploration of a man who left his all male planet on a quest to acquire ovarian tissue for use in reproduction on his planet A..."

The tone was very light, but I still loved Ethan of Athos. (Maybe that was part of why I loved it.) I also liked the role reversal, with Ethan as a kind of Lois Lane character. I would like to see Ethan return in more of Bujold's books.

I often suggest Bujold to anyone who likes military sf.

I guess we're both on a little delay. Thanks for answering. I had forgotten about this book but now I'm interested again. :)

Xing wrote: "Jen4607 wrote: "I'm thinking about starting Line and Orbit. Has anyone had a chance to read this?"

I don't know if your question is still relevant in the months since your post, but I guess it won..."

The best gay scifi book I have read lately is Claimings, Tails and Other Alien Artifacts. It is much better and more interesting than the cover or title suggest. The aliens are really alien in their thinking and actions. Liam has been living and working with them for years, and there is still much he doesn't understand. Ondry has the advantage of basically (view spoiler)[ reading Liam's mind (hide spoiler)] and just goes ahead and does what is both good for Liam and appropriate in Ondry's culture, though it causes a huge uproar amongst the humans.

Charming wrote: "The best gay scifi book I have read lately is Claimings, Tails and Other Alien Artifacts. It is much better and more interesting than the cover or title suggest. The aliens are really alien in th..."

Just noticed this thread--absolutely loved, loved Claimings, Tails and Other Alien Artifacts--I think this is my definition of what M/M Sci-fi should be. Sexy, but thoughtful and thought-provoking, using the form to examine "Earth" values and assumptions, but staying completely within the story, AND, all important, without ever becoming tendentious. I would also recommend her other Sci-fi title from the M/M event this spring, The Only Way Out Is In, which shows all of the same qualities (minus the delicious D/s dynamic.)

My most recent read is not quite so serious however: Concubine of a Space Conqueror!--I feel the need to add more exclamation points just to get the idea across: Space Conquerors!!!! AND Concubines!!!! Well-written as all of Mistry's stuff is, with added benefit of being a hilarious near-parody of the usually disappointing alien abduction story--in this case with an abductee who is more than a little enthusiastic about getting ravished by his captor. Added praise for the sublime title.

Lilia wrote: "My most recent read is not quite so serious however: Concubine of a Space Conqueror!--I feel the need to add more exclamation points just to get the idea across: Space Conquerors!!!! AND Concubines..."

I swear, anything that makes me laugh is already in positive territory.

My Fair Captain is a nice mix of sort-of "regency" and sci fi and M/M. And the cover is very representative of the content!

I just read and reviewed In Liam's Wake: The Makeshift Soldier by Ashlyn Forge. My review is here. Wonderful MM Science Fiction Dystopia Romance. It has violence but not horror. I will warn you that you should block out a good chunk of time because you will not want to put it down.

I love that book. The whole series actually.

Nathan wrote: "My Fair Captain is a nice mix of sort-of "regency" and sci fi and M/M. And the cover is very representative of the content!"

I just (finally?) finished Turbulence by Lyn Gala. It was a nice mix of space opera and MMR, written from the point of view of a not-so-intelligent soldier who knows how to survive. Great writing.
I'm a slow reader generally, taking weeks to read a book regardless of how captivating it is. The few times I can do nothing but read, it feels like the stories are over before I've really experienced them. So when I do take my time with a good book, it stays with me for a while. I'm still in Jacqs head. Thanks Lyn
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

Charming wrote: "The best gay scifi book I have read lately is Claimings, Tails and Other Alien Artifacts. It is much better and more interesting than the cover or title suggest. The aliens are re..."

Thank you for recommending this! I got the sample, loved it, bought the kindle book, and then blazed through the whole thing in less than a day because I couldn't put it down.

Angel 1089 (also recommended above in the thread) was also amazing. I couldn't get the world out of my head, even after finishing it. I just kept thinking on it and thinking it (actually, like the book above, although more).

Both of these books are outstanding in creating different but real sci-fi worlds.

Mateo, I'm so glad you enjoyed the story. That was an amazingly good prompt you gave me, and I loved writing in that universe.

Katsueki, I actually am writing a sequel to Claimings that is longer, but I'm a little stuck on it. I'm hoping to get something worked out so I can get it finished and to the publisher in the next few months.