Showing posts with label Apocalypse Babes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Apocalypse Babes. Show all posts
Friday, July 31, 2015
Buffy and The World of Sci-Fi Romance
*This post is a partial repost from 4/27/12
As a romance novel fan, I had never watched or read sci-fi until I stumbled onto Buffy The Vampire Slayer after it was already off the air. After renting the first 3 episodes, I bought all 7 seasons on DVD and have watched them at least 3 times each.
As a romance novel fan, I had never watched or read sci-fi until I stumbled onto Buffy The Vampire Slayer after it was already off the air. After renting the first 3 episodes, I bought all 7 seasons on DVD and have watched them at least 3 times each.
Buffy opened my eyes to a whole new world and I've never looked back. I was attracted to the mythology, the action, the symbolism, and just plain fun...while my first love--romance--was never in short supply.
So now I'm a sci-fi romance fan. Naturally, I went on to watch and obsess over Angel, Firefly, and Dollhouse--all Joss Whedon creations. But I also loved the Underworld series, Matrix series, and Donnie Darko to name a few. Some of my favorite sci-fi books are The Doomsday Book and Day of the Triffids (along with all the authors here, natch). These TV shows, books, and movies helped me think in a whole new way, and inspired me to write my novel series Apocalypse Babes.
Apocalypse Babes follows Seffy Carter and her longtime friends Gareth, Addison and Lani. The four besties share a past dysfunctional and dark enough to keep them bound together under do-over identities. But like off-brand velour, rends develop in their relationships from the flesh-eating pressures of ending up in 1980, in a Montana desert, surrounded by zombies wearing dated disco duds.
The first book in the series is free right now.
The first book in the series is free right now.
Sci-fi romance allows the author to explore extreme themes and employ deep symbolism and subtext while putting the characters in the outer bounds of probability. It allows readers to have their imaginations fired with fun escapes from the mundane.
And to think, it all started (for me) with a girl with a stick.
Thanks Mr. Pointy.
Friday, October 24, 2014
Sci Fi Romance Titles In My Book Pile
I haven't been reading as much as I'd like, but many of my offerings have included Science Fiction Romance.
From my reading pile:
WOOL by Hugh Howey
While the romance herein is more of a tease than a plot point, this book probably tops my SF list. It was absolutely spell-binding.
In a ruined and toxic future, a community exists in a giant silo underground, hundreds of stories deep. There, men and women live in a society full of regulations they believe are meant to protect them. Sheriff Holston, who has unwaveringly upheld the silo’s rules for years, unexpectedly breaks the greatest taboo of all: He asks to go outside.
His fateful decision unleashes a drastic series of events. An unlikely candidate is appointed to replace him: Juliette, a mechanic with no training in law, whose special knack is fixing machines. Now Juliette is about to be entrusted with fixing her silo, and she will soon learn just how badly her world is broken. The silo is about to confront what its history has only hinted about and its inhabitants have never dared to whisper. Uprising.
THE SYNCHRONICITY WAR PART 1 by Dietmar Wehr
After almost a century of peaceful exploration and colonization of space, the United Earth Space Force stumbles across a shockingly xenophobic alien race that has more and better armed ships and refuses all attempts at contact. As the outgunned Space Force is driven back in battle after battle in what appears to be a war of extermination, one officer experiences precognitive visions that help him blunt the enemy onslaught but he can't control or predict when they occur.
With the Senior Brass convinced that he's a tactical genius, he's given more and more responsibility and is terrified by the belief that Humanity's Fate will be determined by a battle with himself in overall command. This is Volume 1 of a military SF series about desperate space battles and the men, women and Artificial Intelligences, who fight and die in them.
UNDER DIFFERENT STARS by Amy Bartol
This is bona fide science fiction romance, and extremely enjoyable to boot!
Kricket Hollowell is normally not one to wish upon stars; she believes they’re rarely in her favor. Well versed at dodging caseworkers from Chicago’s foster care system, the past few years on her own have made Kricket an expert at the art of survival and blending in. With her 18th birthday fast approaching, she dreams of the day when she can stop running and find what her heart needs most: a home.
Trey Allairis hates Earth and doubts that anyone from his world can thrive here. What he’s learning of Kricket and her existence away from her true home only confirms his theory. But, when he and Kricket lie together under the stars of Ethar, counting them all may be easier than letting her go.
Kyon Ensin’s secrets number the stars; he knows more about Kricket's gifts than anyone and plans to possess her because of them. He also knows she’s more valuable than any fire in the night sky. He’ll move the heavens and align them all in order to make her his own.
When everything in their world can be broken, will Kricket rely upon love to save her under different stars?
SAVING YESTERDAY by Jessica Keller
Time travel is technically science fiction, but this title also has some paranormal elements. And it's fantastic.
Her blood holds secrets she never knew existed.
Despite the fact that she acts as a parent to her alcoholic father, Gabby Creed feels pretty normal. But her life is turned upside-down on her seventeenth birthday when a bracelet appears on her wrist and sucks her back through time.
Turns out she’s not even a little bit normal. She’s a Shifter—a protector of humans and of history itself. And she’s not alone. The other Shifters believe Gabby is special, even more special than the mysterious Michael Pace. Oh, and the Shades—seriously creepy creatures who feed off of human despair—are determined to capture her.
It’s all a lot to absorb. So Gabby’s grateful to have Michael as her Trainer—or she would be if she could get her rebellious heart under control. Then again, if the rumors about her blood are true, saving yesterday will be the least of her worries.
APOCALYPSE BABES by Bella Street
Speaking of time travel...oh, hey, by the way, I wrote a series like that!
Amazon certified #1 BESTSELLER in Time Travel Romance
No mad skillz, no sacred destiny, just a pink tracksuit that will take her places she never wanted to go...
In this Gothic science-fiction novel series, a stylish group of twenty-something friends are torn from the Babylonian arms of 2006 West Hollywood and flung nearly thirty years into the past, setting off a chain of events more disturbing than a roller skating conga line. They wake up in an apocalyptic but strangely familiar landscape, complete with a hidden mountain compound and retro survivalists, hinting at hidden and retro secrets they must face if they want to survive.
What's on YOUR SFR reading list?
Friday, July 4, 2014
It's A Dystopian World After All
As Count Olaf asks (skip to 1:35 in the video) "Why so glum?"
That's the question I ask when I look around and realize nearly every trending movie and book has a Dystopian or post-apocalyptic theme.
I'm not wondering in a judgy way, just curious. Usually large cultural movements reflect the mood of the culture. So, what exactly is going on?
Bad economy, wars, governmental upset...even just one of those is apt to make anyone gloomy. But wouldn't we want an escape? Why aren't Utopian films and books the cat's meow (the real reason, of course, is because no one wants to see a society all wearing the same white outfit).
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| H/T http://thatgeekchick.net |
Science-fiction romance is also trending Dystopian. Heck, I wrote a series like that myself called Apocalypse Babes. And frankly, after the sparkly vampire stage, Dystopia is a welcome change.
Novels like the Divergent series, The Matched series, and films like Warm Bodies, and Hunger Games abound. I have a theory--I call it Reverse PollyAnna, and that is when times are tough, oh baby it could be so much worse. End-of-the-world worse. And it's so bad I wanna roll in it and get all desperate, especially when one of the last few males on the planet shows up.
Like that.
So, that's my pop-psychology answer to the latest glum craze in media. And if you can't get enough of plagues, zombies, and nightmare scenarious, grab the first book in my Apocalypse Babes series, The Z Word. It's free for Kindle and will help you forget your own bummer of a day.
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Sci-Fi Romance On My Kindle
SWITCH by Janelle Stalder.
All’s fair in love and war.
Two thirds of the world's population has been wiped out, devastated by the worst war earth has ever seen. Still standing amongst the ruins is a mind reader who finds herself on the wrong side of the war.
Everyone does what they must to survive.
When the rebels bent on bringing down the New World leader start to rise up, it is her job to make sure they stay down where they belong. That is, until one rebel sneaks past her defences and into her heart. Love will blossom from the ashes, but will it be enough to save them, or will it mean the end of them both?
All’s fair in love and war.
Two thirds of the world's population has been wiped out, devastated by the worst war earth has ever seen. Still standing amongst the ruins is a mind reader who finds herself on the wrong side of the war.
Everyone does what they must to survive.
When the rebels bent on bringing down the New World leader start to rise up, it is her job to make sure they stay down where they belong. That is, until one rebel sneaks past her defences and into her heart. Love will blossom from the ashes, but will it be enough to save them, or will it mean the end of them both?
AMANDA'S EYES by Kathy DiSanto.
Waking up is the pits when you come to in a hospital with a broken arm, a colorful assortment of abrasions and contusions, and a face swathed in bandages. It's even worse if you can't remember what hit you.
The bad and the ugly are crime reporter Amanda "A.J." Gregson's business. But learning she had a ringside seat for an explosion that vaporized two federal agents, incinerated an entire block of warehouses, and peppered her eyes with so much shrapnel they had to be surgically removed? Well, that gives the darker side of life a whole new meaning.
Haunted by will-o-the-wisp nightmares, A.J. waits for her transplant and struggles to remember the events leading up to the fateful night of September 4, 2075. She isn't the only one who wants that information. Special Agent Jack "Iceman" Eagan is as determined to get the facts as she is to remember them. When memory floods back in brutal detail the night before surgery, fed and reporter form an uneasy alliance against the architects of her personal disaster, a lethal band of killers-for-hire known as Ferrymen.
THE MAD SCIENTIST'S DAUGHTER by Cassandra Rose Clarke.
Waking up is the pits when you come to in a hospital with a broken arm, a colorful assortment of abrasions and contusions, and a face swathed in bandages. It's even worse if you can't remember what hit you.
The bad and the ugly are crime reporter Amanda "A.J." Gregson's business. But learning she had a ringside seat for an explosion that vaporized two federal agents, incinerated an entire block of warehouses, and peppered her eyes with so much shrapnel they had to be surgically removed? Well, that gives the darker side of life a whole new meaning.
Haunted by will-o-the-wisp nightmares, A.J. waits for her transplant and struggles to remember the events leading up to the fateful night of September 4, 2075. She isn't the only one who wants that information. Special Agent Jack "Iceman" Eagan is as determined to get the facts as she is to remember them. When memory floods back in brutal detail the night before surgery, fed and reporter form an uneasy alliance against the architects of her personal disaster, a lethal band of killers-for-hire known as Ferrymen.
“Cat, this is Finn. He’s going to be your tutor.”
Finn looks and acts human, though he has no desire to be. He was programmed to assist his owners, and performs his duties to perfection. A billion-dollar construct, his primary task now is to tutor Cat. As she grows into a beautiful young woman, Finn is her guardian, her constant companion… and more.
But when the government grants rights to the ever-increasing robot population, however, Finn struggles to find his place in the world.
Finn looks and acts human, though he has no desire to be. He was programmed to assist his owners, and performs his duties to perfection. A billion-dollar construct, his primary task now is to tutor Cat. As she grows into a beautiful young woman, Finn is her guardian, her constant companion… and more.
But when the government grants rights to the ever-increasing robot population, however, Finn struggles to find his place in the world.
SANCTUARY by Pauline Creeden.
"Makes you afraid of the end times again." - D. M. Dutcher for Sword Cross Rocket
"Sanctuary crosses boundaries and borders and incorporates elements of all kinds of action and intrigue, from thriller-like adventure to a post-apocalyptic tale of life after aliens invade. Thus it will delight readers seeking something truly different, while disappointing those who anticipated a shallow, one-dimensional subject and story line." - Midwest Book Review
"Makes you afraid of the end times again." - D. M. Dutcher for Sword Cross Rocket
"Sanctuary crosses boundaries and borders and incorporates elements of all kinds of action and intrigue, from thriller-like adventure to a post-apocalyptic tale of life after aliens invade. Thus it will delight readers seeking something truly different, while disappointing those who anticipated a shallow, one-dimensional subject and story line." - Midwest Book Review
It's Men In Black meets CSI:Miami!
He's a Florida cop. She's an intergalactic zombie hunter. Saving Earth is the least of their problems...
Bahia Vista homicide detective Theo Petrakos thought he'd seen it all. Then a mummified corpse and a room full of futuristic hardware sends Guardian Force commander Jorie Mikkalah into his life. Before the night's through, he's become her unofficial partner--and official prisoner--in a race to save the Earth. And that's only the start of his troubles.
Jorie's mission is to stop a deadly infestation of bio-mechanical organisms from using Earth as a breeding ground. If she succeeds, she could save a world and win a captaincy. But she needs Theo's help, even if their unlikely partnership threatens to set off an intergalactic incident, and forces her to choose between a planet and a promotion--and a man who's become far more important than she cares to admit...
And if you like Linnea, you like zombies with your sci-fi, the first book in my Gothic SFR series Apocalypse Babes, The Z Word, is now FREE.
So, what's on your Kindle?
Friday, April 11, 2014
Time Travel and Sci-Fi Better Than Peanut Butter and Chocolate
(Note: This is a repost from March 2013)
Remember those Reeses Peanut Butter Cup commercials where one person with chocolate runs into someone else with peanut butter and then they collide? Or maybe I'm just that old.
But that's not the only thing that’s better when combined...or when it collides.
Science fiction is known for many things, but one of the best components is time-travel.
The idea has been around for a long time, across most cultures, and there are those who claim they've done it themselves.
There's no end to the story possibilities and a fish out of water story just never grows old.
Plus it's fun to imagine what would might do if given a second chance--a very compelling aspect of the human condition.
And sometimes we just want to know the future fashions.
I have two series that focus on the time-travel element--both #1 Amazon Bestsellers in Time Travel Romance. In Kiss Me, I'm Irish, a young Regency-era lady has been banished to a convent. When a chance of escape is at hand via some mysterious lights in the forest, she finds herself in modern day Tennessee at the mercy of a struggling musician and his snarky sister.
In Apocalypse Babes, the main character--a type of Persephone--gets a second chance at happiness, but she must fight her way through a crummy past, flighty friends, a mysterious compound in the wilderness, and pink velour.
So take a trip on the wild side, and travel through time--even if it's only in your mind.
Friday, August 2, 2013
Time-Travel, Robots...and A Little Love
In the detritus of Hollywood tent-pole films cramming our multi-plexes these days, a couple of smaller films have caught my eye in the Sci-Fi genre...although the romance side of the equation might be a stretch. Even so they are worth a mention.
First we go back in time (2009) to Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel. As a HUGE (read: memorized the script) Shaun of the Dead fan, this spin-off about schlubby pub crawlers looks adorable.
Heading into the future a bit, World's End (not yet released) features many of those who appeared in Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz...and looks hilarious.
And with Pride & Prejudice's Rosamund Pike, there just might be a hint of--or attempt at--romance.
At least there will be giant ants, space aliens, and time-travel...and there's a kind of romance in that...
Honest.
--Bella Street (author of Apocalypse Babes--for shizzle sci-fi romance)
First we go back in time (2009) to Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel. As a HUGE (read: memorized the script) Shaun of the Dead fan, this spin-off about schlubby pub crawlers looks adorable.
Heading into the future a bit, World's End (not yet released) features many of those who appeared in Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz...and looks hilarious.
And with Pride & Prejudice's Rosamund Pike, there just might be a hint of--or attempt at--romance.
At least there will be giant ants, space aliens, and time-travel...and there's a kind of romance in that...
Honest.
--Bella Street (author of Apocalypse Babes--for shizzle sci-fi romance)
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Symbolism—It's So Hot Right Now
In our Western culture
with our linear way of thinking, sometimes we miss out on some great,
squirrelly writing. But it wasn't always that way. Back when Western
culture was pulling heavily from the Oriental influences of Asian and
Arabic literature, we got 'the classics'. The more 'Oriental' style
of literature is full of hyperbole, couplets, apocalyptic devices,
poetry and symbolism. Western students were taught literary symbolism
and when they read 'the
greats', they had a more immediate
understanding than we often do today.
Many of us are like
that dude from Dragnet
(I can never remember his name). Nowadays, just saying the term
Dragnet acts as a symbol. Most everyone would instantly think of the
show's catch phrase 'Just the facts' and understand the need for just
the important stuff without the fluff. Savvy? Some stories are better
because of the Just The Facts style of writing, but I also think
there's been a burgeoning interest in stories with deep layers,
uneven timelines, and cleverly disguised cues—if they serve the
story.
LOST
anyone? For every publisher that claimed flashbacks were a
non-starter in writing, fans of LOST watched not only
flash-backs and flash-forwards, but flippin' flash-sideways. It was
awesome—and symbolic of the topsy turvey lives the
characters found themselves in and running from. Kinda like the plane
wreck that started it all (another symbol!). One thing the show was
known for was a tight mythology, no matter how wonky the plot went.
Fans knew they could trace the symbols and clues back and gain a
deeper understanding of the characters and their relationships to
each other.
I know not everyone is
a fan of director M. Night Shyamalan, but the man knows how to use
symbolism in his films. In Signs,
the first scene we see is a a swing set through a window with wavy
glass. As the camera pans to one side, the swing set seems to waver
like water—which becomes a meaningful plot point at the end—not
only with water, but a loss of innocence and absolution. And speaking
of Signs, many people didn't care for the movie because the
aliens were cheesy. The point of the aliens wasn't to look cool (or
cheesy), but to symbolize how alien grief is to the human
heart. We're simply not equipped to handle the loss of a loved one.
Going through a loss is terrifying, confusing, and can feel like
being attacked.
Brilliant symbolism
(and I admit, a bigger CGI budget could've helped).
Even if you write in a
spare, non-flowery way, you can still sprinkle symbolism and visual
cues into your story. In my book series Apocalypse Babes, zombies are not there because
they're so hot right now (anyone hear Mugatu saying that?). They
symbolize the initial dead-end life choices of the characters while
at the same time proving they can't forever outrun their problems.
Because zombies, er, consequences, always catch up no matter how
benign they seem in the beginning.
Everybody loves to be
in on an inside joke (were you thinking Michael Scott? Me, too), so
let your reader in via a shared understanding, bonding them to the
characters. Every time Michael says “That's what she said” we
laugh, but it also serves as a symbol of a person so desperate for
acceptance, he tries to make a funny joke that ends up driving people
away, especially women.
Each symbol should
pertain to something in your story. You can't just scatter the things
willy-nilly. And they may seem high-falutin' and literary, but a
well-wrought symbol in a novel is really a short-cut; a direct path
to the heart and mind of the reader you're trying to connect with. In
our society of instant communication, things shared have an even
deeper meaning. People crave depth and substance, and when we can be
in on the joke or have that sudden connection, a relationship is made
or sustained.
If you need your
symbolism creativity jump-started, here's a fun site—an online
Dictionary of Symbolism. Watch Shyamalan (hint:
the stories are never about the obvious), or The
Office
and Arrested
Development to see incredibly keen senses
of symbolism in action. They may be movies and TV shows, but they
started as scripts, which in case you didn't know, is writing.
That's what she said.
(Hmmm, that sounded
funnier in my head.)
So check out my 6 book series Apocalypse Babes, usually $4.99, now just 99 cents. As #1 Best Seller in Time Travel Romances, Mugatu might say, it's so hot right now.
Friday, March 22, 2013
Time Travel and Sci-Fi Better Than Peanut Butter and Chocolate
Remember those Reeses Peanut Butter Cup commercials where one person with chocolate runs into someone else with peanut butter and then they collide? Or maybe I'm just that old.
But that's not the only thing that’s better when combined...or when it collides.
Science fiction is known for many things, but one of the best components is time-travel.
The idea has been around for a long time, across most cultures, and there are those who claim they've done it themselves.
There's no end to the story possibilities and a fish out of water story just never grows old.
Plus it's fun to imagine what would might do if given a second chance--a very compelling aspect of the human condition.
And sometimes we just want to know the future fashions.
I have two series that focus on the time-travel element. In Kiss Me, I'm Irish, a young Regency-era lady has been banished to a convent. When a chance of escape is at hand via some mysterious lights in the forest, she finds herself in modern day Tennessee at the mercy of a struggling musician and his snarky sister.
In Apocalypse Babes, the main character--a type of Persephone--gets a second chance at happiness, but she must fight her way through a crummy past, flighty friends, a mysterious compound in the wilderness, and pink velour.
So take a trip on the wild side, and travel through time--even if it's only in your mind.
Friday, January 18, 2013
Post-Non-Apocalypse Therapy
Apocalytic and Dystopian fiction has been a hugely popular in our post-modern culture, and the Mayan apocalypse was almost anticipated with glee.
Now that we found out the Mayans were wrong, it won't be long until we're nostalgic for the good old days of mass panic and destruction.
Luckily, Apocalytic and Dystopian fiction is still available on our shiny, non-scrap-metal e-readers and phones. Phew!
So indulge in a little Post-Non-Apocalypse Therapy and read a book. Amazon alone carries 3, 316 apocalypse themed books. A couple of us Starbound Lovers bloggers have apocalypse-specific reads for your perusal:
 | ||||
| http://amzn.com/B0061Y7J94 |
Six months after an Influenza Pandemic swept across the globe, the world
is starting to emerge from quarantine. But Pestilence Free Day is
short-lived. For an unseen enemy has just been unleashed.
Five people. Seven days.
A brilliant scientist with an apocalyptic forecast
A soldier that needs an enemy to fight
A college student venturing into a changed world
An insurance salesman who exploits every opportunity
A juvenile delinquent desperate to leave his past behind
Redaction: Humanity is about to be erased from the Book of Life
Five people. Seven days.
A brilliant scientist with an apocalyptic forecast
A soldier that needs an enemy to fight
A college student venturing into a changed world
An insurance salesman who exploits every opportunity
A juvenile delinquent desperate to leave his past behind
Redaction: Humanity is about to be erased from the Book of Life
 |
| http://amzn.com/B006OFBP5E |
It's been said that a sure sign of the coming apocalypse is an 80s
roller skate disco movie coming to DVD (with special features). In the
science-fiction novel series Apocalypse Babes, a stylish group of
twenty-something friends are torn from the Babylonian arms of 2006 West
Hollywood and flung nearly thirty years into the past. It might be
because one of them purchased the taboo film in a nostalgic moment,
setting off a chain of events more disturbing than a roller skating
conga line. They wake up in an apocalyptic but strangely familiar
landscape, complete with a hidden mountain compound and retro
survivalists, hinting at hidden and retro secrets they must face if they
want to survive.
So grab your gas masks, MREs, and some apocalypse reads, and settle in for some pulse-pounding, chaotic storylines in lieu of the real thing.
For now.
Friday, December 7, 2012
Science Fiction Romance Fashion Tips
When it comes to Science-Fiction Romance fashion, why does it often seem metallic and a little gray and gloomy?
Or weird and kooky?
Why can't Science-Fiction romance be softer? Prettier? And well, pinker?
It can for one lucky winner. I'm featuring a contest on my personal blog where the grand prize is a Juicy Couture pink velour tracksuit, which was featured in my Science-Fiction Romance series Apocalypse Babes.
After all, handling the aliens, zombies, conspiracies, and romantic angst that come with SFR, one needs the extra comfort and indulgence that comes with designer velour. It's as important as a light saber, people.
So imagine yourself curling up with one of the SFR books featured by the great authors of this blog, wearing the comfy and fashionable and PINK tracksuit.
Cause you'd make SFR look even better.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Sci-Fi Films--Are There Original Stories Left?
 |
| Total Recall |
Science-fiction used to be where boundaries were pushed and new horizons explored. Yet Hollywood seems to be in the business of regurgitation. The majority of summer films this year were/will be sequels or reboots. If a movie is really good, I don't care all that much whether it's been done before. But a redo seems to be a contrary theme when sci-fi is all about new ideas.
It's been fun watching gadgets and technologies plied on board the Enterprise (original and NextGen) come to be something we use on a daily basis--communicators (cell phones) video glasses, phasers (the military uses them)...I'm still waiting for the food replicator to be invented (and I won't be ordering tea, Earl Gray, hot).
 |
| Dredd |
So with all this forward thinking and invention sci-fi offers, why are ideas being recycled?
Spiderman, Total Recall, Batman, The Hobbit, Dredd, GI Joe...may all be great movies, but why the dearth of original ideas?? With the advents of indie publishing, Hollywood should be awash in fresh ideas in sci-fi and sci-fi romance. Maybe in this tight economy, no one--including film studios--wants to take the risk. A retread or sequel already has built-in marketing, built-in recognition. A brand-spankin' new idea must start from scratch.
But if sci-fi is not about risk, what is?
 |
| Apocalypse Babes--time-travel, frenemies, pink velour. |
I encourage sci-fi fans to give indie authors a chance--especially those listed on this blog. Wild ideas, far-fetched scenarios, mind-bendy world-building, and heart-melting romance await those who are willing to take a risk.
Because pushing the boundaries with fresh ideas is what sci-fi is all about.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Vintage Sci-Fi Romance Is Extra Awesome
Part of the fun of science fiction and sci-fi romance is the covers, and the 60s and 70s had some of the most awesome--complete with voluptuous females, death rays, and beehive hairdos.
But did you know Harlequin dabbled in science-fiction romance? Me either! Well, enjoy a blast from the past with a few boss covers from the biggest romance publisher on the planet. Hmmm...Planet Biggest Romance sounds like a great title for an SFR book!
Science Fiction Romance is still going strong. Check out all the authors on this blog and satisfy your futuristic/bizarre/dystopian/weird romance. It will never go out of style!
Cover images from http://www.vintagepbks.com.
Friday, April 27, 2012
As a romance novel fan, I had never watched or read sci-fi until I stumbled onto Buffy The Vampire Slayer after it was already off the air. After renting the first 3 episodes, I bought all 7 seasons on DVD and have watched them at least 3 times each.
Buffy opened my eyes to a whole new world and I've never looked back. I was attracted to the mythology, the action, the symbolism, and just plain fun...while my first love--romance--was never in short supply.
So now I'm a sci-fi romance fan. Naturally, I went on to watch and obsess over Angel, Firefly, and Dollhouse--all Joss Whedon creations. But I also loved the Underworld series, Matrix series, and Donnie Darko to name a few. Some of my favorite sci-fi books are The Doomsday Book and Day of the Triffids (along with all the authors here, natch). These TV shows, books, and movies helped me think in a whole new way, and inspired me to write my novel series Apocalypse Babes.
Sci-fi romance allows the author to explore extreme themes and employ deep symbolism and subtext while putting the characters in the outer bounds of probability. It allows readers to have their imaginations fired with fun escapes from the mundane.
And to think, it all started (for me) with a girl with a stick.
Thanks Mr. Pointy.
Friday, April 20, 2012
Bella Street Writes Romance With A Touch Of Weird
I'm so excited to be a part of Starbound Lovers! I can't say my characters make it to the stars (yet) but they do tend to travel through time where merry mayhem ensues.
I write romance with a touch of weird--that's my open-ended excuse to write whatever tumbles out of my twisted brain, so a space opera is always a possibility in the future.
My latest project is Apocalypse Babes.
It's been said that a sure sign of the coming apocalypse is an 80s roller skate disco movie coming to DVD (with special features). In the science-fiction novel series Apocalypse Babes, a stylish group of twenty-something friends are torn from the Babylonian arms of 2006 West Hollywood and flung nearly thirty years into the past. It might be because one of them purchased the taboo film in a nostalgic moment, setting off a chain of events more disturbing than a roller skating conga line. They wake up in an apocalyptic but strangely familiar landscape, complete with a hidden mountain compound and retro survivalists, hinting at hidden and retro secrets they must face if they want to survive.
This series has time-travel, a pink sun, a cagey survivalist, zombies, possible alien visitation, disco, voodoo blood, a love triangle (more of scalene triangle), rabies, happy air, Juicy Couture, and the greatest apocalypse of all...with romance.
Like I said, romance with a touch of weird.
Please leave a comment. One winner will receive a free Kindle or Nook set of Apocalypse Babes: The Complete Series.
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