Guest
Blog with Misa Buckley
Hello,
hello! I hope all of my lovelies are doing well. Today I would like to introduce
to you Misa Buckley. Ms. Buckley is going to talk about a topic I presented to
her ~ the draw of SciFi in books ~ because it seems lately that I have been
seeing more and more SciFi and the popularity seems to be growing – especially in
romance paired with SciFi. Maybe it is just me, but nevertheless, I still was
curious to know an author’s outlook on the topic. So here we go!
**MISA BUCKLEY**
Misa has been making up
stories all her life, but it wasn’t until 2007 when she tried the National
Novel Writing Month that she realized that writing was her calling. Though she
failed to reach the prescribed 50,000 words, the writing bug had bitten and
there was no cure.
Being raised on a diet
of Doctor Who and Star Trek sealed Misa’s love for science fiction and the
extraordinary, and she now writes speculative fiction mixed with a dollop of
romance and a sprinkling of sex.
She lives in the north
of England
with her husband, five children, two budgies and barmy dog. When she’s not
writing, she can be found cosplaying Steampunk, knitting, and watching Stargate
SG1 because Ba’al is just so damned gorgeous.
**GUEST POST**
**Topic: The Draw of SciFi In Books**
I’ve been asked
to talk about the draw of sci fi in romance books, which is frankly the easiest
question ever. I write sci fi because there are no conventions in it. Sci fi
offers a freedom that conventional stories don’t, very much like fantasy does. You
get to make your own worlds, your own rules. It’s a liberating genre to write.
And space
really is our final frontier. It’s an unknown quantity, an adventure. There are
sub-genres within it, from the Western pioneering flavour of Firefly to the
futuristic universe of Star Trek. The only limit is your own imagination.
To a large
degree, the conflicts found in sci fi are like the ones we find on Earth.
Questions about race, creed and culture were faced in Star Trek, the first
television show to feature a character of colour in a fairly prominent role.
Let’s not forget the first inter-racial kiss to be broadcast.
That brings me
to the romance element. Why have a love story set in space? Well, why not? If
humanity ever does venture off to other worlds, love is still going to happen.
As, no doubt, will prejudice and hatred of things we don’t understand, but I
like to dwell on the positives. And romances in space are hardly new – take Han
and Leia, Mal and Inara, John and Aeryn. Kirk and every female he came across…
In sci fi
romance, the romance aspect is key. That doesn’t mean that the sci fi should be
discounted – it’s important that the setting have an impact as well – but, for
me, the main story is about the relationship. About the trials and tribulations
the couple faces and how they overcome them. How that affects them as a couple.
My favourite
relationship arc is the redemptive one – where one (or both) of the characters
finds themselves challenged on a personal level. I like characters that develop
and grow as individuals.
Admittedly,
PARADIGM SHIFT isn’t a redemptive tale, though my alien character does make a
mistake. It is purely an “us verses them” adventure, with a love story thrown
into the mix. It has an alien who can appear human as well as alien. The love
doesn’t stop when he’s in that form, either.
Shapeshifting
is a fairly common theme in sci fi as well as paranormal, and allows authors to
push the boundaries on taboos such as inter-racial affairs and even bestiality.
The latter is a fine line to walk, but it does seem to be more acceptable in
sci fi – just look at the “tentacle sex” stories that are available. While I
don’t write that, I’m aware it’s out there. It’s breaking conventions. Is there
anything that shouldn’t be written? Possibly, though I dislike censorship. On
the other hand, I hate rape as a romance plot as well. I think it should come
down to reader discretion, rather than the publishers forbidding and censoring
content. A controversial opinion? Most likely, but that is my opinion.
Before I sign
off, I was also asked about Steampunk. Ahh, yes. Now I love Steampunk, almost
as much as I adore sci fi. Do I prefer to write one over the other? No,
absolutely not, though I think that growing up with Star Trek and Doctor Who
kind of put my natural setting on sci fi.
But Steampunk is
another genre that pushes the boundaries. For me, it’s the best of both worlds
(those being sci fi and fantasy) because I can combine elements and come out
with something utterly unique. It also gives me the chance to rewrite history,
which is always fun.
Basically, if a
genre is quirky and different to the norm, then I want to play in that sandbox.
That’s why I have an upcoming story that’s not just Steampunk but Paranormal as
well. The true draw of writing sci fi, of writing anything speculative, is that
I can mix, match or even mash them together.
ROTFLMAO
@ “Kirk and every female he came across”! Word! *nods* I have to say it all
makes a bit more sense to me now. Thanks you very much Ms. Buckley for
answering my question and for taking the time to create this response. I
enjoyed it very much! So how about I tell you about the book now? Yes?
**PARADIGM SHIFT**
Observatory tour guide
Megan Shaw has always had stars in her eyes, so when she all but runs down the
otherworldly Raul, she barely blinks. It doesn't hurt that Raul is hot -
whether in his human form or his natural one - and that there's an immediate
mutual attraction.
But Raul is on the run
from his alien overlords and soon Megan finds herself fighting against a
foothold situation with nothing more than a couple of cattle prods and Muse for
soundtrack.
However Earth is not
the only planet at risk and with his species desperate to escape generations of
oppression, can she really trust Raul? Or will his loyalties shift as easily as
his physical appearance?
Until next time …
HAPPY READING!!!
Thank you for having me!
ReplyDeleteYou are more than welcome! Thank you so much for being here with us today. :)
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Pippa ~ I am so happy that you enjoyed your time with us today. Thanks you very much for hopping in! Have a wonderful day
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