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November and December M/M News

Welcome to the end-of-year double months news round-up for m/m fantasy and science-fiction.

General News

Breath coverGay actor John Barrowman’s famous omnisexual character, Jack Harkness, will be back on 1 January in the BBC special, “Doctor Who: Revolution of the Daleks“.

Alan Ball, who created the urban fantasy “True Blood” series, is set to begin work on a reboot version which will be even more gay than the original, with a brand new cast.

Marvel Comics has stated that the character of Peter Quill, aka Star-Lord, from “Guardians of the Galaxy” is bisexual and this is explored in the ninth graphic novel.  He will be shown getting into a relationship with two aliens – male and female – who are already together.

X-Men actor, Sir Ian McKellen, being in the over-80s ‘at risk’ group, has been one of the first people to get a Covid vaccination in the UK and said he felt very lucky.

Popular New Releases

Reborn coverBreath (Scales ‘n’ Spells 2) by A J Sherwood and Jocelynn Drake – A mage tries to escape from his clan with the help of a dragon shifter.

Earth Husbands are Odd (Earth Fathers 2) by Lyn Gala – Max struggles to protect his tentacled lover, Rick, and their 3 children from bigotry and other problems as they travel through space.

Reborn (Fallen Fire 1) by Richard Amos – A man finds himself with the ability to transform into someone with wings and scales and hires a detective to find out how it happened.

Bound (Chinatown Demons 1) by Rhys Ford – A detective and a demonic medical inspector try to solve a bizarre murder.

Reign of Darkness (Prince’s Assassin 2) by Ariana Nash – Prince Vasili has to leave his home and take a dangerous journey and Niko must choose whether to help him in the fight for the throne.

Reign of Darkness coverThe Divine Roses (Jake & Dean Investigations 3) by Richard Amos – The final book in this urban fantasy trilogy sees Jake and Dean trying to solve a murder where the killer leaves the mark of a rose on victims.

(Follow my Facebook page to get more SF and fantasy news, take a look at the novels I’ve enjoyed at Goodreads or enjoy my SF and fantasy pictures and m/m book cover photos on Pinterest @clares0574.)

M/M News for October 2020

Read all the latest gay science-fiction and fantasy news here!

General News

Amos RidgeStar Trek reboot actor, Zachary Quinto, talks about “Boys in the Band” and how difficult it was to publicly come out of the closet in Hollywood in this Variety interview.

There are rumours of a gay relationship for the title character of “Spider-man 3here at Pink News.  Andrew Garfield, Tobey Macguire and Tom Holland have all signed to appear in the new film.

Teen Wolf” series star, Tyler Posey, talked about his sexuality in a recent Rolling Stones interview, saying he had had relationships with men as well as women.

Popular New Releases

LacunaLacuna by N.R. Walker – Fantasy about four children who are raised to be rulers and two whose fates are entwined.

Amos Ridge (Beyond the Realm: Remember 5) by BL Maxwell – Two childhood friends fall in love and discover how to time travel to help fix problems for the human race.  (Part of a multi-author series but can be read as a standalone.)

Marked by Death (Necromancer 1) by Kaje Harper – When ghosts start talking to Darien he has to beg a necromancer for help.  (This novel is currently free here on Smashwords.)

Consequences of Crying (Grim and Sinister Delights 13) by Abigail Kade – Dark retelling of the ‘Boy Who Cried Wolf’ tale where a man is caught between an incubus and a vampire, with no one believing that he is losing his soul.  Warnings for dark themes and situations – check trigger warnings.

(Follow my Facebook page to get more SF and fantasy news, take a look at the novels I’ve enjoyed at Goodreads or enjoy my SF and fantasy pictures and m/m book cover photos on Pinterest @clares0574.)

M/M News for September 2020

Find out the latest information about m/m SF, paranormal and fantasy here.

General News

Silver MoonGay “Teen Wolf” actor, Charlie Carver, has been interviewed lately by Digital Spy about his roles in the new version of the classic gay film, “The Boys in the Band” and in the new adaptation, due next year, of DC Comics’ “The Batman“, starring Robert Pattinson.  “The Boys in the Band“, which begins streaming on Netflix on 30 September, also features “Star Trek“s Zachary Quinto and “American Horror Story” actor, Matt Bomer.

Star Trek: Discovery” has signed up non-binary actor, Blu del Barrio, and transgender actor, Ian Alexander, to play new characters, Adira and Gray.  The third season is due to begin airing in October.

Signs of possible life have been found on Venus in the inexplicable form of phosphine, a gas that is normally only created by biological sources.  Venus’s temperature is about 900 degrees Fahrenheit, which should make life impossible, so scientists are currently  baffled by this discovery.

Popular New Releases

Summoning SecretsSilver Moon (Four Moons 4) by Richard Amos is the final book in this quirky urban fantasy series and involves Aki and G fighting to save the world from destruction.  (This is part of a series and isn’t a standalone novel.)

Summoning Secrets (Familiar Magick 2) by Abigail Kade – A witch accidentally summons a demon and they join forces, helped by a squirrel familiar, in this urban fantasy.

Moon Rite (The Books of Locurnia 1) by Deonne Dane – This is the beginning of a new fantasy series about a young man, Moon RiteFalric, who has always been torn between magic and a warrior’s life and must through two rites to discover his purpose.

Shards of Ice (Grim & Sinister Delights 9) by R. Phoenix – Gay fantasy re-telling of “The Snow Queen“.  Kai is captured by the snow prince and the more time he spends with him, the less he cares about Tristan, the first man he loved.  (Warnings for emotional and physical abuse and bloodplay.)

 

M/M News for August 2020

Read the latest m/m science-fiction and fantasy News here!

General News

Dead Moon coverPopular m/m author, Jordan L Hawk, has announced that there will soon be a role-playing game based on her Widdershins m/m fantasy series.  Find out more at the Library of the Omniverse Press here.

There is an article at Pink News about gay fairytales and how they used to be destroyed in the past by academics.  One tale, “The Dog and the Sea“, about a sailor who falls for a handsome prince, is now available to find out about at an online exhibition and has a translated illustrated version available on Amazon.

Most Popular New Releases

Drowned Country coverDrowned Country (The Greenhollow Duology 2) by Emily Tesh – The mythical tale of Henry and Tobias continues in this sequel to the best-selling novel, Silver in the Wood.  (Both novels are also available as an audio book.)

Dead Moon (4 Moons, Book 3) by Richard Amos – Urban fantasy with a slow-burn romantic sub-plot.  Akira and G face separation and a journey to the underworld in the latest book in this series.  (This is part of a series and cannot be read as a standalone.)

Ember Boys coverEmber Boys (Flint & Tinder 1) by Gregory Ashe – This is a new spin-off series from Hollow Folk and follows Emmett and Jim as they struggle with life after helping to save the world.  Locked up in a psychiatric hospital, Emmett discovers a monstrous new enemy and will need Jim’s help against it.

The Lost Prince (Royal Powers 4) by Sara York – Superhero novella about two outcasts who fall in love when they are trapped by a cave-in.  (Can be read as a standalone.)

Eternal Sin (Primal Sin 2) by Ariana Nash – A war wages between angels and devils.  Severn is too weak to survive on his own and must trick Mikhail into helping him.

Want to know more about the m/m books I’m reading and writing?  Take a look at my pages on Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter and Pinterest.

M/M SF And Fantasy News for July

General News

King of the Dark coverThe StoryOrigin SFF LGBT+ Romance book giveaway will be ending soon but you can pick up some free books there now.

Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling has been criticised over the last couple of months for making anti-transgender comments on Twitter.  Daniel Radcliffe and other actors and celebrities have responded with statements of support for the transgender community.  You can read more about this at Eonline.

Superhero fantasy show, “The Umbrella Academy” will be returning to Netflix soon for a second season and has promised that it will have more gay content.

Popular New Releases

King of the Dark (Prince’s Assassin 1) by Ariana Nash – In the first novel of a new dark fantasy series soldier Nikolas becomes a slave in the palace of Prince Vasili.  (Warning for content that might disturb some readers.)

Smash & Grab (RELIC 1) by Maz Maddox – Paleontologist Simon goes on the run with dinosaur-shifter Dalton in the first book in a fun, exciting new series.

The Assassin’s Dragon (Fire & Valor 3) by W. M. Fawkes and Sam Burns – Final book in this fantasy trilogy where Tristram must somehow get the help of both the Llangardians and the mountain dragons to rescue his king.

Gay Fantasy and SF News for June 2020

General News

Prince's Master by Alessandra HazardRead about a recent study into non-binary astronomers in this article at LiveScience.

Justice Smith, who starred in “Jurassic World“, has come out as gay this month.  He and his boyfriend, fellow actor Nicholas L Ashe, shared an Instagram video and photos to support the Black Lives Matter protest in New Orleans.

New Releases

Where Foxes Hunt with Wolves coverWhere Foxes Hunt With Wolves (Folk Lore 2) by K. A. Merikan – a werewolf, banished from his pack, meets a man whose easy existence is about to vanish when he become a fox shifter.  (Part of a series but can be read alone.)

Deacon: A New Haven Prequel by Nicholas Bella – A fantasy novel about how alpha werewolf, Deacon, became the person he is in the ‘New Haven‘ series.

Prince’s Master (Calluvia’s Royalty 4) by Alessandra Hazard – After an attempted assassination a prince is separated from his family and grows up believing himself to be just another orphan.  The Second and his Bonded coverHe is taken on as an apprentice by Castien, a powerful manipulative man, who inspires both hatred and desire in him.  (Part of a series but can be read as a standalone.)

The Second and His Bonded (Kincaid Pack 2) by Kiki Clark – A wolf shifter and a tiger shifter are drawn together in the Kincaid Pack but the secrets and differences between them may pull them apart.  (Also part of a series but can be read as a standalone.)

Shayne’s Hope (Timberwood Cove 12) by Liam Kingsley – 2 shifters are brought together by the daughter one man had to give up and the other one adopted.  (Part of a series but can be read as a standalone.)

Everyone Has Secrets coverConcealed Magic (Magic and Claws 2) by Liam Kingsley and Jill Haven – a shifter tries to ignore his desire for a mage because it was mages who destroyed his pack.

Everyone Has Secrets (Detectives in Space 3) by Clare Solomon – yes, I have another new release!  The third book in this m/m SF mystery series is now out and solves a couple of the ongoing mysteries as well as a deceptively simple case of theft on a disturbing planet.

Gay Fantasy and SF News for May 2020

Film/Television News
Disney's Out
Image owned by Disney Pixar – used for promo only

Pixar has released a short film, “Out“, now available on Disney+, with a gay main character who gets magical help in telling his parents that he’s gay.

The trailer is now available for “The Old Guard“, a fantasy Netflix series premiering on 10 July, which features a gay romance.  Charlize Theron stars in the series and Luca Marinelli and Marwan Kenzari play the gay mercenaries who are part of her group, struggling to protect humanity.

The Most Popular New Releases

Hellbent Halo Complete Series Omnibus by E. A. Copen –  Get all 5 books in this best-selling series now.  In the first novel wizard Josiah Quinn has to battle his former lover to save someone from Hell.

Anniston’s Face (Timberwood Cove 11) by Liam Kingsley – Anniston is an alpha with his own pack.  His fated mate is omega Danny, who is involved with someone else, leading to problems and insecurities.

The Dead Next Door (Will to Live 1) by T. W. Smith – When zombies rise up to attack people, Will struggles to stay alive and find out what has happened to his husband.

Nikolai (The Brinnswick Chronicles 2) by Michele Notaro – The second book in this urban fantasy series sees a relationship developing between 3 unusual men while they battle evil.

The Engineer (Magic and Steam 1) by C. S. Poe – This is the first novella in a new steampunk series set on the American frontier in 1881 where an FBI agent has to team up with an outlaw to stop a crazy engineer from killing people.

Ensnared (Detectives in Space 2) by Clare Solomon – Yes, it’s the second book in my new SF series with secrets arising from Reese’s past and a kidnapping case on a bizarre space station for the detectives to solve.

Top Gay SF and Fantasy Shows

The Untamed promo photo
copyright Tencent Video – used for promotional purposes only

Ever since the days of the original “Star Trek” series and perhaps even earlier, fans have been imagining gay relationships between characters in various shows, but very few programmes deliberately show openly gay or implied gay relationships or characters.  Here is a collection of some of the science-fiction and fantasy series that do.

The Untamed” (2019)

The Untamed screencap boatBased on a massively popular BL (Boy Love) novel, “The Untamed” Chinese fantasy series was a world-wide hit when it was released last year.  The gay romance, although only implied, was left intact in this 50-episode series and the slowly developing relationship between the main characters, Wei Wuxian (played by Xiao Zhan) and Lan Zhan (Wang Yibo), is poignant and beautifully written.  The fantasy world is rich and the plot is engrossing, centred around the life of Wei Wuxian, who develops a style of magic that puts him at odds with all the major clans.

Because the novel, “Mo Dao Zu Shi” (aka “The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation”), was already so well-known before the series came out, this series has a massive fan base.  There is enough English fan fiction to keep the most avid reader happy and some of the cast meet up when schedules allow as The Untamed Boys pop group.  There is also a wealth of behind the scenes footage from the series available on YouTube and various cast interviews with English subtitles.  The series has one spin-off film, “The Living Dead“, released – although, sadly, not on Netflix – with another film in production at the moment, so interest in this show is likely to remain high for a long time.

Watch it now on Netflix with English subtitles.

Good Omens” (2019)

Good Omens promo photo
copyright Amazon and BBC

Based on the hit novel by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, this 6-part series was created by Amazon and the BBC and aired last year.  Starring David Tennant and Michael Sheen, it has a demon, Crowley, and an angel, Aziraphale, teaming up to stop an apocalypse.  Since the two main characters have not really had anyone else but each other to develop a relationship with since they appeared at the dawn of time on Earth, they have an unexpectedly affectionate relationship.  Crowley tries to convince Aziraphale to run away with him any number of times and the two of them constantly exchange adoring glances.

Along with the original novel, there is a lot of fan fiction available to read and some beautiful fan art.

Watch it now on Amazon Prime or buy the series on DVD.

Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency” (2016)

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency promo photo
copyright Amazon

This American show is based on a series of Douglas Adams novels and stars Samuel Barnett and Elijah Wood.  Two seasons have been released.  This show has had mixed reactions, largely because the plot confused some people, but it all makes sense in the end and the characters are well-developed and interesting.

Dirk is written as a gay character – and played by a gay actor – in this version of the story and much of the first season centres on his bromance with Todd, although it never develops into a romantic relationship and the second season suggests that Todd is interested in a female character.

The plots involve time travel, an alien world and various murders to be solved in Dirk’s unique holistic style.

You can see this series on Netflix or on DVD.

Guardian” (2018 Chinese series)

Guardian” is a 40-episode fantasy drama based on a much loved Chinese Boy Love

Guardian 2018 promo photo
copyright Youku

novel.  The show faced various problems, with many of its themes and even the open inclusion of a gay romance being illegal to broadcast due to current Chinese laws.   This meant that the plot of the series was flawed and many fans were unhappy with its changed ending.  Despite this, it is worth a look because of a beautifully portrayed romance between its main characters, Zhao Yunlan (Bai Yu) and Shen Wei (Zhu Yilong).

The show plot avoids censorship issues by changing the fantasy plot (involving gods and ghosts) of the novel into a science-fiction story where two races exist on Earth and Zhao Yunlan’s agency looks into crimes involving the alien race.

The strong fan love for the novel ensures that there is plenty of English fan fiction to read as well as a fan-translation into English of the original novel.

The series is available to watch on YouTube with English subtitles.

“Torchwood” (2006)

Torchwood promo photo
copyright Amazon and BBC

Captain Jack Harkness originally appeared in “Doctor Who” and then got his own spin-off series.  He was one of the first openly gay characters to appear in a mainstream SF show.  A number of gay and lesbian relationships are shown in the series but the one between main character, Jack, and Ianto is the one fans tend to love.

The show followed an agency that solved extraterrestrial crimes.

If you enjoy the romance between Captain Jack and Ianto, you might want to stop watching after season 2, as sadly it doesn’t have a happy ending, except in fan fiction.

Torchwood” is available on Amazon Prime and on DVD.

Honorable Mentions

Shadowhunters promo imageShadowhunters: Mortal Instruments” (2016) – This 55-episode US show, based on the set of novels by Cassandra Clare, featured a popular romance among 2 non-lead characters: warlock, Magnus Bane (Harry Shum Jr), and shadowhunter, Alec Lightwood (Matthew Daddario).   The show followed central character, Clary, whose mother vanished.  Clary then discovered a supernatural world existing within the regular world.  This show is available on Netflix and DVD.

Teen Wolf” (2011) – During the 6 seasons of this popular paranormal Young Adult series starring Tyler Posey and Dylan O’Brien, there were various gay and straight relationships shown.  The main characters had gay friends and, in a pleasant change from usual, no one was ever bullied for being gay.  The plot involved the main character, Scott, being turned into a werewolf and was loosely based on the Michael J Fox film of the same name. It is available to watch on Netflix and on DVD.

Once Upon a Time in Lingjian Mountain” (Chinese drama, 2019) – Although the main character, Wang Lu, eventually gets together with a female character, he manages to flirt non-stop with his best friend, Hai Yun Fan, for all 37 episodes of this parody of the Chinese fantasy genre.  The show has over-the-top humour and a crazy plot but if you want something that will make you smile, give it a try.  (If the series bromance isn’t enough for you, there are behind-the-scenes videos on YouTube of scenes too gay to escape the censors, featuring Wang Lu and Hai Yun Fan bathing together and Wang Lu repeatedly trying to kiss Hai Yun Fan.)  Available to watch with English subtitles on Netflix.

If there are SF and fantasy shows with major gay characters or gay romances that I’ve missed, I would love to hear about them.  Just comment below.

(You can follow my Facebook page to find out about future articles/News posts here about SF and fantasy books and shows.  See photo collections from all my favourite shows and novels at my Pinterest page.  Find out more about my gay fantasy and SF novels at my Amazon author page.)

Gay Book News for April 2020

Here are some of the most popular new releases in gay SF and fantasy novels from last month.

Forbidden Magic (Magic & Claws 1) by Liam Kingsley and Jill Haven – A mage and a shifter have to overcome their differences and work together to protect their home.

A Vigil in the Mourning (Soulbound 4) by Hailey Turner – Not a standalone novel.  Patrick and Jono faces new difficulties in the latest book of the urban fantasy series set in a world combining myth and the paranormal.

The Prince’s Dragon (Fire and Valor 2) by W.M. Fawkes and Sam Burns – Tristram fights to protect his beloved king in the second book in this dragon-shifter fantasy series.  (Not a standalone.)

Head On Collision (Hart Medical Center 4) by Shea Balik – Not a standalone novel since there is an ongoing stalker plot in the series.  The fourth book in this series includes a new romance between an omega who is fighting to stop his child being taken away from him and the man who is helping him with his custody battle.

Handsome Death by Sara Dobie Bauer – Dark erotic paranormal romance featuring vampire, Ethan, who grows obsessed with Tristan, wanting to protect him while fighting his own desire.

No One Likes Humans (Detectives in Space 1) by Clare Solomon – Yes, it’s mine!  The first book in my new m/m SF mystery series was released last month and there will be 2 more books out this month and in June.   When Nick Thomson gets stranded on a dangerous alien world while working on a murder case, he runs into handsome stranger, Reese, who has his own secret agenda.

New Gay Science-Fiction Detective Novel Series

I’m excited to announce that I have the first three books in my new m/m series for release over the next three months.  “No One Likes Humans (Detectives in Space 1)” is available for pre-order now at Amazon for just £0.99/$0.99, with a release date of 21 April and, by the time that’s released, the second book, “Ensnared“,  will also be available for pre-order.

The series will have a slow-burn gay romance that will develop gradually over the first two books but the mysteries will be the main plot, set on various planets and space stations.  So far, in these three books, there is a murder, a kidnapping and a theft to solve, plus a hidden mystery and the Ensnared (Detectives in Space 2)secrets that both the main characters are hiding, so there will be plenty of excitement and intrigue.

Here is the description for the first book:-

He can’t trust the murder suspects he’s investigating, but he thought he could at least trust the people he works with.

Nick Thomson has been having a bad day for the last four years. As part of the Prince Detective Agency he and his sister Poppy frequently risk their lives to solve cases across the galaxy, only to have Captain Prince take all the credit.

Everyone Has Secrets (Detectives in Space 3)Nick ends up stranded alone on an alien planet, in danger of freezing to death, being enslaved by slavers or trodden on by a giant sea monster. When the most handsome man he’s ever seen shows up he’s certain his luck is improving. He’s wrong.

Reese Zail Kintore is smart and resourceful but he has secrets upon secrets and helping Nick is just the first step in a larger plan.

Discover excitement, danger, humour and a touch of romance with the first book in this science-fiction mystery series.