Of course this means that I have been busy--so busy, in fact, that I have not read any of the other stories in the anthology. What anthology, you might ask? Crossed Genres Press has just released Fierce Family, a collection of stories in which GLBT or QUILTBAG main characters face a challenge with the support of their families, a theme which I have rarely, if ever, seen in science fiction and fantasy these days. Maybe that's because it's such a specific requirement? Well, more likely because people rarely consider this sort of premise when writing fantasy or science fiction, or when writing GLBT/QUILTBAG fiction either, and even less so when the two cross over.
Oh! and here's the lovely cover!
I know exactly what I wrote for the anthology, not least of all because I've gone over it a dozen times to edit, but I'm curious about what all the other writers contributed and what was selected by CG. QUILTBAG (which is the designation CG used) is a blanket term for virtually all sexualities outside of heterosexual, and I wonder if they have all been represented--positively, thoughtfully, and honestly--here. I'm also curious what sort of 'challenges' each of these writers chose to tackle, and what the balance of SF and fantasy is in the collection, and male and female main characters, and who the authors are themselves. And lots of other things.
I suppose the only way to find out is to read Fierce Family, isn't it? Surely I can make space in my busy schedule to do this and, hopefully, I will be able to share a review of at least a few stories in my next blog. I'm sure looking forward to it!
