EG MANETTI ~ TEMPEST TOSSED

 

Having survived Hurricane Ian and continuing to struggle through the aftermath, I’ve become aware of the ‘tempest tossed’ as a theme in sci-fi romance and space opera romance. All begin with a cataclysmic event—natural disasters, battles or invasions, deep-space disasters— and then the story focuses on surviving the aftermath.

Cara Bristol explores this theme in her Alien Castaways Series where a group of advanced aliens escape the destruction of their home world and end up stranded on modern future earth. Each book features one of the aliens struggling to adapt to their new reality while grappling with the grief of their loss.   

Veronica Scott’s Escape from Zulaire is a classic space opera where surviving the attack is only the beginning. The main characters' flight toward safety takes them on a harrowing journey through hostile and alien territory. 

Anna Hackett’s Hell Squad books explore a dystopian earth where the survivors of an alien invasion battle to rescue others while clinging to hope for a better future.

The stories are as different as the authors’ writing styles, but the heroes and heroines share similar traits. All of them are resilient, tenacious, and determined to endure while retaining their moral compass, compassion, and hope for a better future.

In The Twelve Systems Chronicles, The Cartel opens after Lilian has survived the threat of execution. In the aftermath, she will struggle to rebuild her life and future, ultimately altering the fate of her galaxy.

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*** Excerpt from The Cartel ***

The amphitheater that is the Associates’ Hall is an archaic remnant of the founding days of Serengeti when armed servitors gathered for battle training. Known for its reverence of tradition and strict adherence to protocol, the Serengeti Group’s commitment to ancient formality serves as a reminder that in these modern, civilized times, commerce remains conflict. Serengeti associates are expected to excel in all forms of commercial warfare.

Lilian enters warily as the thirty or so occupants focus on her. Honor acts as duty commands.

A handful of associates arrayed in the finest of commerce couture are seated in the first of the tiered rows designed to accommodate five hundred. These are the protégés. Two months gone she expected to have an honored place in this elite group. Instead, the elegant crowd greets her with sneers. “Coward. Shadeless twist. Demon shit. Doxy.”

As she reaches the middle rows, twenty or so associates garbed by the better merchants join in the hostility, the murmurs swelling in volume as she passes. Chin high, eyes forward, pace even, she continues on, refusing to acknowledge her tormentors. She should be accustomed to insult and able to ignore it by now. This day. There is only this day.

 

EG Manetti

Where duty and passion collide 

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EG MANETTI - SLIPSTREAM DREAMS

 

The definition of slipstream fiction has evolved since the term was coined. In current usage, it commonly refers to “novels not categorized as strictly under science fiction, fantasy, or horror,” but some combination. In relation to space opera, space opera romance, and science fiction romance, it encompasses a growing group of novels that reside at the intersection of science fiction and fantasy or the paranormal: shaping shifting aliens, vampires from the stars, and other paranormal creatures.

But what of the grayish areas? Veronica Scott’s Danger in the Stars features an empathic heroine who is not human. Is it fantasy or an acceptable projection of an alternate evolutionary path? Does a character with paranormal abilities make Danger in the Stars any less science fiction than the winged aliens in Lea Kirk’s Silverstar Intergalactic Dating Agency novels or the telepathic bond that forms between mates in Tasha Black’s Stargazer Alien Barbarian Brides?

Then there is the flip side of slipstream, where paranormal fiction intersects science and science fiction. Rebecca Zanetti’s paranormal Dark Protector series explains the vampires’ ability to teleport and perform other ‘magic’ through advanced genetics and physics.

With so much potential for creative storytelling available within the classic boundaries of science fiction and paranormal fiction, why the merging? What is the appeal of the genre mash-ups? Veronica Scott likes to include a touch of the inexplicable in her stories since science cannot explain everything. It is a sentiment I share. My space opera romance series The Twelve Systems Chronicles, includes elements of what may or may not be divine intervention.

Conversely, even in the most fantastic of magic-driven stories, there is a desire to ground it in the known; to recognize physics, chemistry, and biology. My newest release, Elemental Fire, is an urban fantasy, but I could not resist speculating on science, and science fiction.

Sin Marston is a rare human who can see through glamor. With the veil with the treaty of 2010, the magical visitors, known as the Hidden, flowed into the Terran realm. With her unique talent, Sin's services are in demand from businesses and law enforcement with Hidden problems. She also has a growing clientele of Hidden visitors wishing to avoid confrontation with the Human Protection Society and other anti-Hidden Terrans.

After thwarting a daring art heist, Sin encounters a stunning fire elemental who reveals the theft was something very different. Everything she thought she knew changes.

Radzik Cray has lived for centuries, building his magical and political power base. The appointment as the Elders’ Council Warden for the Eastern United States comes with untold wealth and power, as well as untold danger. When he meets Sin Marston, he is interested in a pleasant distraction. Instead, he discovers that Sin is not all she appears and his control over his territory is not as absolute as he thought.

***Excerpt***

My fingers laced with Rad’s, I take in the starlit night. “Space travel. Are there Hidden on the moon? Mars? Is there a magical version of faster than light speed?”

Rad’s laugh is a deep, rich rumble that sends shivers down my spine. “There is no magical passage through the void of space. As I understand the theory of spacetime, it is not so much a matter of faster-than-light engines, but a mechanism to bridge between two points long enough for the transit. I know of no Hidden magic with such capability. Although, it is possible some undiscovered realm has the ability.”

“How is the void of space different from the veil? I don’t breathe when we pass through.” We turn off the riverwalk toward his building. “What do you mean, ‘undiscovered realms’?”

Rad’s step slows, his expression suggesting he is searching for words. “Are you familiar with the multiverse theory?”

“Parallel planes of existence coexisting side by side?”

“Think of those planes as not parallel so much, but as beads suspended in liquid. The liquid is the veil. Some of the beads are quite close, and transit is a simple jump. A dozen are close enough to Terra for the Hidden to cross. Beyond those, there is another score of realms within control of the Elders’ Council. A dozen more that will not join and do not permit passage into their realms. What lies beyond those realms is unknown.”

“So, there’s truth to the multiverse concept, but it’s not exactly as science fiction portrays it?”

He swings my hand as we start walking. “Because Terra has so little ambient magic, you have developed your science to compensate. When physics becomes far enough advanced, it may well match magic in its capabilities.”

“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”

He chuckles. “I like that. One of your scientists?”

“Science fiction writer. Arthur C. Clarke. You are so watching Star Trek Voyager with me this weekend.”

“If you insist.”

“Three episodes. If you hate it, we’ll do something else.”

His sexy half smile emerges. “I will plan to hate it.”

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EG Manetti

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EG MANETTI - GALAXIES AND GODS

 According to a 2022 Gallup poll, eighty-one percent of Americans believe in God. According to Wikipedia, worldwide religious adherents are 7.8 billion. While recognizing that ‘adherent’ does not necessarily mean ‘believer’, with the 2022 world population at 8 billion, it is safe to say that most of the world acknowledges some form of deity.

Yet, it is rare to see faith or spiritual observance reflected in contemporary fiction outside of a few narrow sub-genres. I suspect that mainstream contemporary fiction avoids spiritual topics because they can be so controversial. Science fiction has fewer boundaries, allowing the inclusion and exploration of faith and spirituality without the baggage of modern sensitivities.  

The incorporation of faith can be as minimal as occasional references to The Lords of Space in VeronicaScott’s Sectors stories, or fuller blown as seen in the Badari Goddess who appears to various Badaris in both the Badari Warrior and Badari Gladiator series. Not only do I love the female persona, but also that the Badaris were stolen from their home world and enslaved, yet their Goddess finds them and aids them in their times of trial.

The use of the use the female to personify the ultimate spiritual power is also seen in Cara Bristol’s Alien Dragon Shifter series where an immortal priestess is the guardian of their Eternal Fyre; a collective of all their fyres (souls).

Marie A. Perez’s The Curse of Sotkari Ta series includes two contrasting belief systems with the patriarchal Arandans believing in a single deity while the contrasting Sotkari Ta seek The Farthest Light, which represents total evolution and perfection.

In a departure from humanoid deities, Alexis Glynn Latner’s Aeon Legacy series contains two ancient and powerful alien intelligences, one plant-based and the other pure energy. The humans who encounter them come away from the experience as if they had met archangels—powerful lieutenants of a greater force.

In all cases, the ability to incorporate spirituality or religion allows for greater scope in both plotting and character development, the different depictions as varied and fascinating as the stories.

In The Twelve Systems Chronicles, the main character’s spirituality and spiritual growth are a central theme and source of her strength. The primary belief system is based on deified ancient heroes, The Five Warriors, and Adelaide. As a result, society reveres martial arts and even considers them a form of prayer. It was not an accident that when inventing this pantheon of six ‘gods’, three are female. Each of the six has a dedicated sect with a clerical hierarchy. While the sects are rivals and some ways, for the most part, they are cooperative and unified.

There is even a dissenting group that practice a more zen-like, pacifist spirituality known as the Universal Way. Considered odd by the mainstream and somewhat marginalized, this group has a profound impact on the successful resolution of several crises throughout the series. The stage is set for the importance of Lilian’s faith in the first volume, The Cartel, when she undergoes a formal rite where Adelaide’s symbol is tattooed on her hip.

***Excerpt***

By canon and custom, Five Warrior Rituals are open to the public. They are to be witnessed by any with an interest in the Will of the Shades. Only members of the warrior class receive warrior marks. At the dedication, the Warrior’s Mark is drawn in henna on a four-year-old child. A true tattoo is incised at the consecration.

Although she no longer holds warrior status, having been dedicated, Lilian cannot be undedicated. She is bound by tradition and faith to consecrate the bond with a rededication made of her own free will.

Chrys frowns. “I did not know one could be dedicated to Adelaide Warleader. I thought it was only the Five Warriors that accepted the dedication of their descendants and their retainers’ descendants.”

“It is a small sect but supported by the canons. There was some controversy when I was dedicated to her,” Lilian explains.

Chrys is ever curious about both Lilian and the ways of the warriors. “How so?”

Leaning against a console, she regards the far wall of the windowless chamber. “I was intended for the Fourth Warrior. At that time, I was the eldest and only offspring of the newly formed Grey Gyre Cartouche. It was my duty to demonstrate our loyalty to, and descent from, the house of Jonathan Metricelli. It was to have been an elaborate ritual.”

Releasing her regard of the wall, she searches her friend’s face.

Fascinated, Chrys nods his understanding. Lilian has never yielded so much before this. The ritual must be extremely important to her.

She continues, “Apparently, I became bored and wandered off. They eventually found me in the Adelaide Alcove. I was seated in the lap of the effigy happily singing to myself and playing with her warbelt. The keeper decided that Adelaide had called me to her. They dedicated me as I sat there. By the time anyone else knew what went forward, it was too late. What was done could not be undone.”

~~~

The prelate waits in front of the statue of Adelaide Warleader as Lilian moves to the center of the semi-circle.  “Do you come of your own will to answer the call of Adelaide Warleader? Do you become her true servant in this time and this place? To live by her discipline and listen for her voice?”

Lilian’s voice clear and certain. “Of my own will.”

Pulling the thorn from her belt, Lilian places it on her palms and bows at the statue. Straightening, she transitions smoothly into a series of rapid movements, the thorn flashing like a flame before her. The rhythm shifts and the flame becomes a flickering light before disappearing entirely for the final set of maneuvers playing in light and shadow. At the completion of the demonstration, she folds to her knees and places the thorn on the stone floor in front of the statue.

At this point, Chrys moves to the alcove entrance and places his back to it, crossing his arms. Trevelyan notes that the young man is easily able to block the opening with his frame. Chrys’ stance is casual and his smile unexceptional. His presence neatly breaks up the small group gathered to observe.

Trevelyan finds the young man also makes an effective screen. He cannot see beyond him into the alcove where, bared to the waist, Lilian is receiving Adelaide’s mark. Long moments pass before Chrys turns and reenters the alcove, where Lilian, still kneeling, raises her left palm, right hand holding her thorn. She makes a quick pass with the blade, leaving a red trail of blood forming on the raised palm. Rising, she cuts a silver coin from her belt and rolls it in her bleeding hand. Placing it on the altar, she says, “For skill in the discipline of attack.”

Freeing a second coin, Lilian rolls it in her blood and then places it in the effigy’s lap with the words, “For skill in the discipline of defense.”

For the third coin, she voices, “For skill in the discipline of avoidance.”

The final coin is anointed. “For Adelaide’s will and voice.”

Stepping back, facing the statue, Lilian carefully cleans the thorn before sheathing it and bowing a final time.

The alcove keeper comes forward to collect the cloth used to clean the thorn and place it on the sacred flame. Returning, the prelate binds Lilian’s hand. “By your own will, you are Adelaide’s to command. Listen to her voice.”

As they leave, Chrys cannot contain himself. “Were you truly sitting in the lap of the statue playing with that grisly belt?”

“They are stuffed leather balls, not shrunken heads, and I was but four.”

“She was singing the Warriors’ Litany, as well,” her sister puts in, thrilled to have something to contribute.

Chrys offers a teasing grin. “Were you truly?”

“So, the alcove attendants attested. I do not recall the matter,” Lilian says dismissively. She lacks not reverence. She is far too pragmatic to give much credence to the shrines’ obsession with unsubstantiated manifestations.

“It is no wonder that they dedicated you immediately. Perhaps the Warleader did summon you. Certainly, it is well that your patron force is known for extended combat.” For all his teasing, Chrys is serious. Considering his friend’s trial, a deity renowned for endurance is a positive.

***

The Twelve Systems Chronicles have won numerous awards: three Paranormal Guild Reviewers’ Choice Awards, five RONE Finalists, and Shield Bearer received the 2021 RONE for Science Fiction. All ten volumes are available in both e-book and paperback, with the e-book available on multiple platforms.  

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EG Manetti

WHERE DUTY AND PASSION COLLIDE  

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AFTER THE FLOOD: A NEAR-FUTURE SF TALE

Sienna watched the reeds for movement.

 May, 2052

Sienna watched the reeds for movement. She could see for miles in this drowned land. Much of what had once stood here—homes, stores, office buildings, gas stations—had been swept away by storm and flood. Over and over again, until the wetlands had come to reclaim the mud and rubble. Now only the wild things lived here. The things she hunted. The things that hunted her.

On the raised causeway that led past what remained of the city, the big shots reclined in their vehicles and let the comps guide them to their destinations. Holograms assaulted their senses from the very air around them, exhorting them to do their duty to God and Nation, to be fruitful and multiply, to buy and spend. Sienna could see the holos from here, even though she was a long way from the causeway. She ignored them. The people in those cars might as well live on another planet for all she had in common with them.

She certainly wouldn’t be multiplying. She had vowed to die before she would allow herself to be taken by the slavers coming up from the South to steal fertile women off the streets. So she had taken a year’s worth of pelts and scavenging treasures to pay for the illegal operation upstate that ensured she could never get pregnant. Now she would never be burdened with a child she couldn’t feed. And she was safe from bio-slavery.

The air around her already shimmered with heat, though the sun was barely above the horizon. The hazy sky told her it would be a scorcher today, a day to seek the shade in her home in one of the few concrete structures that still stood on higher ground. But first she had to find meat—a deer or a pig, if she was lucky, a groundhog or a muskrat if she wasn’t. She had learned the hard way that the shellfish that thrived in the swamp weren’t safe to eat. They were rotten, contaminated by poisons in the soil and water. She let them be.

The AR-50 rested easily in her hands, a weapon she was used to carrying. It wasn’t ideal for hunting—it often made a mess of a smaller target—but there were other reasons to pack the cheap automatic. Armed gangs and the police roamed the streets; feral pigs ran in herds in the swamp. Guns, unlike food or shelter or other basics, were easy to get. And though she lived with others, she hunted alone.

A splash off to her right caused her to whip around. But she saw nothing. No deer, no birds. A prickle of awareness raised the hair on the back of her neck. There were other things in the swamp that sometimes needed killing, wilder, more dangerous things.

When she heard the first coyote yip, she knew she might be in trouble. It was close, and on the right side, where she’d heard the splash. She eased silently to the left and back toward a raised tuft of grass. But an answering call came from even closer; the pack was circling. Then she heard the unmistakable sounds of something running through the knee-high water, splashing and grunting. The pack was after its prey now, yipping and warbling in the high, feverish calls that meant breakfast would soon be served. Coyotes never hunted strong, healthy individuals. Whatever they were after was wounded or sick or too young to survive. Not worth fighting them for it.

The chase ended almost before it began, with a high-pitched scream cut short and the triumphant coyote-party howls that always followed a kill. A feral human then. Sienna could tell from the scream. One of the many young ones that scraped out a life in the wetlands after those that were forced to bear them dumped them here. The series of foster homes where Sienna had grown up had been a horror show, but at least she hadn’t had to fight off coyotes. Just predatory males.

She cursed. The hunting in this part of the wetland would be ruined for the rest of the morning. All the prey would have gone to ground in the commotion. She decided to head back. Better to be hungry another day than dead.

She took the time to scan the marsh again as she slogged through the mud. Over on the causeway, the cars drove on, oblivious to the life-and-death struggle below them. In the sky, the holos filled the air with color and sound. “Only You can Save this Nation! Do your Duty Now!”

This mini-short story is a work of fiction in the long tradition of science fiction that places the issues of the present in the context of the future. Everything in it is directly extrapolated from the headlines of today. If the world I describe is not one you wish to live in, well, I don’t blame you. Me neither. Check the last line.

In hopes of change,

Donna

 

 

Rewind: Where does my book fit?

This is a repeat of an article I wrote back in 2018. The issue remains the same and it's something that's very important to me.

I sometimes wonder how big the market is for stories like mine. I can't in all conscience adorn my covers with beautiful male chests, although I'll admit I did try it, a long time ago. (See left) I suspect it worked, too, because readers at least read the blurb. But over time, my stories have become less explicit when it comes to sex, and I believe lots of man-titty signals explicit sex. On the flame scale, I wouldn't put my books at more than 2-3. They're not fade to black when the bedroom door closes, but you wouldn't want to use them as a 'how to'.

Science fiction is such a hard genre to define and the merge with fantasy is unavoidable. We write about 'science' that does not exist. It may in the future, but it's impossible now. Artificial gravity, forms of faster-than-light travel, advanced artificial intelligence, lifelike avatars, alien beings - the list goes on. It's not magic. We don't have magic in our SF worlds. But we can have shifters, vampires, strange alien psi powers and the like. Anything, really - as long as we claim a scientific explanation.

Anne McCaffrey's much-loved Pern series is one that has often been poo-pooed by the SF purists. It has dragons and mental telepathy, so it's fantasy. But the dragons are genetically engineered local species, with powers that evolved so the little fire lizards could escape the ravages of thread. Somebody once described the dragons as an ecologically sustainable air force. I like that. As far as I'm concerned, that's SF, not fantasy. As we say in the copyright notice on our books, "any resemblance to any person (or animal) is purely coincidental".

I actually find it harder to fit the romance half of the title. I'd be much more comfortable being in Science Fiction - romance. Genre, you see. It’s all about marketing. Into which pigeonhole does this book fit? I had some fun drawing a diagram to illustrate some of the complexities of genre.

 Some genres are pretty easy. In romance, the romance must be the focus of the plot, and it must have a happy ever after (HEA) ending or a happy for now (HFN) ending. I talked about the rules of romance here. But every genre has ‘shades of grey’ (yeah, yeah). Science fiction ranges between hard SF and soft SF. I discussed that here. On the hard SF – soft SF line, I’d put most space opera sort of in the middle. Star Wars and Star Trek would definitely be down the soft SF end, McDevitt’s books would be down the hard SF end. Romance has its continuum, too, often expressed in degrees of ‘heat’ (ie explicit sex scenes). In ‘sweet’ romance, the scene stops at the bedroom door. In erotic romance, the sex is explicit.

Now we get to science fiction romance, which is a combination of two genres. The SCIENCE romance – ROMANCE science line indicates what is the most important focus of the work. Would we have a story without the romance? Would we have a story without the science? I would suggest that real SFR should be down the science ROMANCE end – I think Avatar is a good example. Without the romance, there is no story. And in Avatar the explicitness of the sex component is most definitely ‘sweet’. Interestingly enough, one of McCaffrey’s early works, Restoree, is listed in science fiction. Yet Restoree is without a doubt science fiction romance, with a ‘sweet’ tag on the sex register. So SFR has been around for a while, mixed in with SF. But there isn't a lot. When I went looking, Linnea Sinclair's books were in romance, not SF.

It’s a pretty complex combination of components.

When I started writing, I knew I’d write SF because that’s what I like. But I wanted to add a bit of emotion to my writing. Most SF either seemed to leave out love and sex (Asimov), or it was so understated that it almost disappeared. An example of the latter is Moon’s Serrano series. SF was pulp fiction, with an expectation that it was fast-paced action-adventure. A response to a query I sent to a publisher around 2008 reinforced that belief. “Well written, but needs more action.” So I added more action. Still no cigar.

Okay, what about science fiction romance? Ah, but most SFR books are in the romance section. This has an advantage in one way, because romance sales are way, way more than SF. But it seems only a small subset of romance readers will read SF. Moreover, the expectation for the romance genre is that the romance is the core of the book. No romance, no story. I can honestly say that not one of my books fits that definition. Of them all, the Iron Admiral duo come closest and even with those two I had to do some serious tweaking for my editor to agree it had earned a romance tag.

We are told that sticking to one genre when writing is a good idea. And it makes sense. With that in mind, I resolved to write SFR, albeit with less emphasis on the romance. 

As far as SFR is concerned, I'm definitely going against the trend. I see more and more books that emphasize the sex. Reverse harem has become popular and sexual encounters with aliens and cyborgs is huge. It's a matter of personal taste, isn't it?

What’s the outcome? Well, if you’re looking for a fast-paced, action-packed read with a complex plot – come on in, sit right down. Would you like to call that pulp fiction? Sure. Will there be some emotional elements, some sex? Sure. Love is a powerful emotion, sex is a fundamental driving force. You’ll find those things in everything I write. Do I do my research? You bet I do. I try to make my science sound, my history correct, my settings convincing. 

And as it happens, SFR stalwart, Pauline Baird Jones, has just started a group for books like mine - and hers. Lots of action, lots of romance but the sex is not explicit. It's called Blush Free Books. If you're a reader who prefers to skip the steamy scenes, this might be a group for you. 

About Blush Free Books

Welcome to Blush Free Books, a website and newsletter dedicated to building a community of readers who love exciting, action-filled, and well-written books that are hotter than the clean and sweet, but close the door on the steamy scenes. 

There are communities aplenty for steamy and inspirational books, but there is an underserved group in the middle: readers who crave well-written books with all the action, suspense, excitement, and romance without the graphic sex. These stories have the edge-of-your-seat action with a hint of spicy language and some of the sexual tension not found in the cleaner-sweeter stories.

The group is not just for SFR. You'll find fantasy, crime, paranormal novels that all share that basic characteristic - the sex isn't explicit. If that's your thing, come on over and join us. Authors, you're invited, too. See you there!

 

SPACE FOR TV WRITERS: VACUUM SUCKS

In today’s science lesson, boys and girls, we’re going to review some basics that the writers of television science fiction seem to have forgotten. The shows I’m going to rant about are generally categorized as space opera—adventures set in space, sometimes with a military framework—and are among my favorites, but in a few cases, the writers just went too far with poetic license. That’s okay if you’re writing fantasy or paranormal, but in science fiction, the science should be a little more rigorous, even on TV.

Let’s start with The Expanse, the fifth season of which just concluded on Amazon Prime Video. There’s a lot to love about this series, based on the books by James S. A. Corey, starring Stephen Strait, Dominique Tipper, Wes Chatham and Shohreh Aghdashloo. The ongoing political and shooting battles between three factions in the near future: Earthers (which include colonists and others on the moon), Martians (long-time colonists who are now independent of Earth) and Belters (independent spacers who make their living among the asteroid belts and outer planets of the solar system) are constantly entertaining and full of marvelous worldbuilding detail.

Why, then, do we always have to “hear” the roar of ships’ engines in the blackness of space (that is, from the external shots)? As the tagline to ALIEN so famously put it, “In space, no one can hear you scream.” Vacuum can’t transmit sound; there aren’t enough molecules to vibrate to a level where humans can hear it. Those engine sounds would only be heard from inside the ships, if at all. Yet, every time we see those thrusters light up against the backdrop of black space, we hear a roar. No! They would be completely silent. Explosions: silent. If I remember correctly, even Classic TREK in the Sixties got this right, and certainly 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY did.

The writers on The Expanse just plain have a disregard for the dangers of vacuum. They insist on issuing projectile weapons to their crews despite the problems a wayward bullet would cause in a pressurized hull. It’s the future, after all! Give them lasers or proton pistols or something that won’t put a hole in your ship.

The Expanse is excellent, but tends to ignore vacuum.

Things finally came to a ridiculous head this season when somebody got the bright idea to send one of the main characters (Naomi Nagata, played by Dominique Tipper) out an airlock without so much as a rebreather or a light jacket. It was her idea, too, mind you, an escape to a ship tethered alongside the one where she was being held captive. O-k-a-a-y! Someone must have read the research that says an astronaut once lasted 14 seconds in near-vacuum in a testing situation when his suit sprang a leak. Wow! Plot bunny! So they shoved Naomi out an airlock with nothing, had her cross a catwalk to the other ship, open the other airlock and repressurize, all with few effects. No boiling eyeballs or saliva, passing out from lack of oxygen, “bends” from pressure changes, frostbite on various extremities from the extreme cold, etc. Sure, I believe that.

I guess the writer who researched the effects on the human body in a vacuum neglected to note that the astronaut who survived his accident was still wearing his suit (it just had a pin-sized hole) and had a team to revive him. The last thing he remembered before passing out was the saliva on his tongue boiling. Naomi was on her own—and, outside of a few aches and pains, was just fine!

This kind of thing makes me crazy, mostly because The Expanse offers itself as a science-based show. Star Trek, on the other hand, has always pushed the boundaries of what is considered acceptable science. It is true space opera, in that there is an element of the old “Buck Rogers” serials in it, and always has been. Still, the science in TREK has less of fantasy about it than some franchises, and a separate fandom has even arisen around the military structure of Starfleet (with fan groups organized in ships and in cordons of Starfleet “Marines.”)

This third season of the latest iteration of the Star Trek franchise, Star Trek: Discovery, gave fans a lot to think about when heroine Commander Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and the U.S.S. Discovery leapt 930 years into their future to protect the secrets of the “spore drive” and time travel. They found a galaxy much changed from the one they knew. A galactic disaster called “the Burn” had rendered dilithium crystals inert, destroying all dilithium-dependent ships in a single stroke. As a result, Starfleet and the Federation all but crumbled overnight, leaving systems and planets prey to slavers and opportunists like the Orion-run Emerald Chain. Burnham had to find allies and connect with what’s left of the Federation, but first she had to find the Discovery, which somehow hadn’t followed the same flight path into the future as she had.

Though I missed the characters that drew me to the series in the first place—Captain Christopher Pike (the delectable Anson Mount of HELL ON WHEELS) and Spock of Vulcan (Ethan Peck)—this third season had plenty of new features (and characters) to keep me intrigued. The writers, though, made a couple of boneheaded mistakes that belong more in fan fiction than on national television.

The gentle Kelpien Saru (Doug Jones), for example, may be a fan favorite, but he is NOT captain material, as he showed multiple times this season. (Remember that episode of Classic TREK when Kirk was split into Nice Kirk and Evil Kirk and Nice Kirk made a lousy captain? Yeah. That’s Saru.) The writers did fix this mistake by the end of the season, in a very satisfying way (I won’t tell you how in case you haven’t seen it.)

But they allowed another major error to stand. You can never, ever, make an ensign First Officer, as they did here. As most of us know who have a military background, there is a command hierarchy that must be followed. People advance in their careers through the ranks. And an ensign is the lowliest officer rank aboard ship. Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman) has been an ensign for the duration of the show and saved the ship multiple times. (In that way, she’s the very definition of a Mary Sue, the minor female character in fan fiction that takes an overblown role.) I’m sure she’s a fan favorite. Please, for God’s sake, promote her. But don’t make her the First Officer, who answers only to the Captain.

At least that captain is now Michael Burnham, who, despite her flaws, has a commanding presence.

Cheers, Donna

 

 

 

 

 

Why I love science fiction

 

I enjoy reading 'hard' science fiction as well as the softer stuff - the likes of Star Wars. I love the soaring of imagination, the tech, the aliens, the strange societies, the weird landscapes - all within the compass of Humanity's desire to explore. With or without a helping of romance on the side.

Science fiction takes me away to places I’ll only ever see in photographs. This graphic is a NASA image of Alnitak and the Flame Nebula, one of the three stars of the belt of Orion. The other two are Mintaka and Alnilam, and those three names alone show what an important place Arab astronomers have in our knowledge of the stars. I suspect the names should be written Al Nitak and Al Nilam – but that’s another story.

But a photograph is just a pretty picture. And here’s a quote from Jack McDevitt's wonderful book, SLOW LIGHTNING, to illustrate that sometimes a picture isn’t worth more than a thousand words. A skilled writer can take you there, ignite a fire in your soul, show you the very edge of infinity.

“She meant the vast interstellar clouds, cradles for new stars, turbulent and explosive, illuminated from within but also by Alnitak. The nearby nebula NGC2024, stretching for light years across that restless sky, was a kaleidoscope of bright and dark lanes, of exquisite geometry, of glowing surfaces and interior fires. Enormous lightning bolts moved through it, but it was so far that they seemed frozen in space.” Jack McDevitt SLOW LIGHTNING

I wrote a sort of review of Slow Lightning. Should you be interested. By the way, for reasons known only yo the publisher, the book's title is INFINITY BEACH in the US.

The Disappearing Skinks -- Guest Blog by Jessica Subject

Today I welcome another of the Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2 authors, Jessica E. Subject, who is well-known in the science fiction romance community, to tell a story about an adventure she had with skinks!
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I have had at least one pet for as long as I can remember. But, over the years my strangest animal encounters have always been with lizards. I’ve never been grossed out by snakes, lizards, frogs, or any other type of reptile or amphibian. But, they don’t listen the way a dog or cat would.

My grandparents used to live in a house located in a provincial park here in Ontario. Every summer as children, my brother and I visited them there for at least a week. One of the stops we made while there was to the Visitor’s Center. It was far away, and often we had the opportunity to feed the snakes and hold them around our necks. We also would go out to the forest nearby to see what kind of creatures we could find. One day I found two skinks under a log. I was proud of my find and decided to take them back to the Visitor’s Center to see if they could use them in a display. I had them cupped in my hand and held them against my shirt. It didn’t take long before I reached the Visitor’s Center, but when I arrived the skinks were no longer in my hand. They had disappeared. I didn’t remember feeling them slither out of my hands, and became worried that I’d stepped on one or both as I’d made my way out of the forest.

Then I felt one move. It was on my stomach. In fact, both of them were there. They had crawled out of my cupped hands and under my shirt. We managed to get them peeled off my stomach and they were put in a habitat display at the Visitor’s Center. Though, that was the last time I brought any skinks back.

 

Gib and the Tibbar
A Novella in the Galactic Defenders Series
By Jessica E. Subject

A dedicated Defender to the core, Gib is willing to go to any planet the Galactic Alliance sends him. That is, until he’s sent with his squad to Hemera for their Alorama ceremony, far from any threat of Erebus invasion and with no chance for promotion.

Vilarra has lived on Hemera all her life, working hard in the kitchens of the royal palace until she achieved lead hand. But learning of the universe beyond her world reveals her insignificance and shreds her sense of accomplishment and purpose.

With the help of a furry, little tibbar, Gib is determined to win the affection of Vilarra, prove to her how significant she is to him and the people who depend on her. But will his personal mission be cut short before he has the chance to win her heart?

About the anthology:

The pets are back! Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2, featuring twelve of today’s leading Science Fiction Romance authors brings you a dozen original stories written just for you! Join in the fun, from the Dragon Lords of Valdier to a trip aboard award-winning author, Veronica Scott’s Nebula Zephyr to journeying back to Luda where Grim is King, for stories that will take you out of this world! Join New York Times, USA TODAY, and Award-winning authors S.E. Smith, M.K. Eidem, Susan Grant, Michelle Howard, Cara Bristol, Veronica Scott, Pauline Baird Jones, Laurie A. Green, Sabine Priestley, Jessica E. Subject, Carol Van Natta, and Alexis Glynn Latner as they share stories and help out Hero-Dogs.org, a charity that supports our veterans!

10% of the first month’s profits go to Hero-Dogs.org. Hero Dogs raises and trains service dogs and places them free of charge with US Veterans to improve quality of life and restore independence.

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EXCERPT:
A small, furry white creature scampered between the Defenders and the fire. Gib yanked his feet back and gasped. He tried to follow the path the animal took, and when it disappeared into the grassy field, he relaxed a little. Not that he was afraid, only startled by the sudden appearance of the critter.

But his watch partner reacted differently. The cowardly Defender stood on his bench, reaching for a low branch on the ropral tree as if to lift himself farther off the ground. “What in Gaspra was that? No one told me about any deadly creatures on this planet.”

Gib laughed and slapped his hand on his lap. “I wouldn’t call the fluffy little thing that raced by us a deadly creature.”

“Okay, Hemera is infested with vermin, then.” Zair examined the area around him before he dared put a foot on the ground.

A high-pitched squeak sounded, and Gib’s surveillance partner returned to reaching for the branches. The little creature stood on its hind legs below Zair’s bench, peeping as if telling him off.

Gib couldn’t hold in his laughter. Not just at the other Defender’s reaction, but also the thoughts running through Zair’s mind, thoughts he’d failed to block in his fear.

“It’s not going to eat you.” Gib shook his head, wondering how his squad mate could see the creature as dangerous. “Would you please get down from there? Defenders are supposed to be brave and fierce. Right now, you’re neither.”

“Go to Gaspra, Mingot. And stay out of my head.” He yanked his plazer from his hip holster and aimed it at the critter. “If I don’t destroy it, it will bring death to everyone on this planet.”

Stepping into the line of fire, Gib yanked the weapon from his squad mate, thankful the safety remained on. “You’re being ridiculous. Besides, if you fire your weapon, you’ll cause a panic. The Hemera will think Erebus have arrived.”

The frightened Defender shook a foot at the creature. “Fine, then. Kick it into the fire. Or you could stomp on it.”

“Don’t you dare!” A Hemera woman burst from the bushes, storming toward Zair like a mother rehn protecting her young. She shoved him off his bench and shouldered past Gib before scooping the noisy creature into her hand. “This is my tibbar, not some kind of vermin.”

“Tibbar? Try nasty rodent that tried to eat me.” Zair smoothed out his uniform but kept his distance from the creature now perched on the woman’s shoulder.

“You’re both on nehbred.” She kicked dirt at them, her pink lips pursed and her dark eyes set in a deadly stare. “You don’t know what you’re talking about when it comes to my pet or my planet.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jessica E. Subject is the author of science fiction romance, mostly alien romances, ranging from sweet to super hot. Sometimes she dabbles in paranormal and contemporary as well, bringing to life a wide variety of characters. In her stories, you could not only meet a sexy alien or two, but also clones and androids. You may be transported to a dystopian world where rebels are fighting to live and love, or to another planet for a romantic rendezvous. When Jessica is not reading, writing, or doing dreaded housework, she likes to go to fitness class and walk her Great Pyrenees/Retriever her family adopted from the local animal shelter.

Jessica lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two energetic children. And she loves to hear from her readers. You can find her at jessicasubject.com.

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