Clarity (noun)

Four definitions to inspire writers around the world and an unlimited number of possible stories to tell:

1) Coherent and intelligible
2) Transparent or pure
3) Attaining certainty about something
4) Easy to see or hear

Clarity features 300-word speculative flash fiction stories from across the rainbow spectrum, from the minds of the writers of Queer Sci Fi.

Every year, Queer Sci Fi runs a one-word theme contest for 300 word flash fiction stories, and then we choose 120 of the best for our annual anthology.

Buy Clarity here.

From the Foreword

It's hard to tell a story in just 300 words, so it’s only fair that I limit this foreword to exactly 300 words, too. This year, 312 writers took the challenge, with stories across the queer spectrum. The contest rules are simple. Submit a complete, well-written Clarity-themed 300 word sci-fi, fantasy, paranormal or horror story with LGBTQ+ characters.

For our ninth year and eighth anthology, we chose the theme “Clarity.” The interpretations run from an “Aha!” moment to the bubbling laughter of water to a private, life-changing realization. There are little jokes, big surprises, and future prognostications that will make your head spin.

I'm proud that this collection includes many colors of the LGBTQ+ (or QUILTBAG, if you prefer) universe—lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, and asexual characters populate these pages—our most diverse contest yet. There's a bit of romance, too—and a number of stories solidly on the "mainstream" side. Flash fiction is short, fun, and easy to read. You may not fall in love with every story—in fact, you probably won't. But if you don't like one, just move on to the next, and you're sure to find some bite-sized morsels of flash fiction goodness. There are so many good stories in here—choose your own favorites.

We chose three winning stories, five judges' choice picks, and one director’s pick, all marked in the text. Thanks to our judges—Angel Martinez, B.A. Brock, Ava Kelly, Lexi Ander, and J.M. Dabney—for selflessly giving their time, love, and energy to this project. And to Ryane Chatman too, for editing.

At Queer Sci Fi, we're building a community of writers and readers who want a little rainbow in their speculative fiction. Join us and submit a story of your own next time!

Authors:

A Acosta - Stuck in the Space Elevator
A. B. Encarnacion - Arene, 27F Invisible
A.H. Lykke - Fresh
A.J. Clarke - Shinigami
Abbie Bernstein - Kids Know
Alden Loveshade - Clouds
Alex Blanc - Death by Siren
Alex Liddell - Telegram From the Netherland
Alex Silver - Smile
Alison J. McKenzie - Happy to Help
Allan Dyen-Shapiro - Oysters and Other Slimy Creatures
Alma Nilsson - Meet Me at the South Gate
Amanda Meuwissen - Willows
Andrea Stanet - Bathtub Gin
Anne Smith - A Glimpse
Anton Kukal - Detonation
Antonia Aquilante - Through the Glass
Avery Vanderlyle - Taking the Plunge
Barbara Krasnoff - Age Cannot Wither Her
Beáta Fülöp - The Unicorn Handler
Belinda McBride - The Choice
Blaine D. Arden - No Crime Unseen
C.T. Phipps - The Chase Was Enough
Camryn Burke - Burden of the Blurred
Caro Soles - The Truth Sayer
Catherine Yeates - Outpouring
Chloe Schaefer - Matthias
Crysta Coburn - The Ghost Maid
D.M. Rasch - Crystal Clear
Daria Richter - Make Me Real
Darrell Z. Grizzle - The Vampire and the Werewolf Priest
David Viner - The Best Solution
Derwin Mak - Software Update
Devon Widmer - Post-Apocalyptic Goo
Drew Baker - The Only Question I Could Ask
E. W. Murks - Earth Day
Elizabeth Hawxhurst - Inflection Point
Emmy Eui - Sunset
Gina Storm Grant - Clearing the Heir
Ginger Streusel - Lovers' Letters
Gordon Bonnet - Refraction
Isa Reneman - The Furthest Horizon
Isabel McKeough - The Art of Not Blowing Up
Isobel Granby - Sea-Glass
Izzy Tyack - Magically Induced Clarity
J Sigel - Hindsight
J.S. Gariety - Bloom
Jaime Munn - Impulse
James Dunham - Brain of Theseus
Jamie Lackey - The Cursed Princess
Jamie Sands - Remote Working Gothic
Jana Denardo - Unexpected
Jane Suen - Bowls of Steaming Noodles
Jason Sárközi-Forfinski - ACAB
Jaymie Wagner - Harmony
Jendayi Brooks-Flemister - Heartsbeats
Jennifer Haskin - Cold Conviction
Jess Nevins - Stagecoach Mary Versus the Ghost of Cascade
Joe DeRouen - The World Around Her
Jordan Ulibarri - Franklin
Josie Kirkwood - The Blue Capsule Experience
Julie Bozza - Verity
K.L. Noone - The Unicorn's Knight
K.S. Murphy - Looped
Kaje Harper - Beneath the Surface
Kayleigh Skye - Blue
Kim Fielding - Shared Language
Kiya Nicoll - The Satyr and the Wishing Pond
Kora Knight - Sunrise
Kris Jacen - Visus
Krystle Matar - My Poppy Fields Are Burning
Lloyd A. Meeker - Ruti's Prayer
Lori Alden Holuta - Magic Mirror
M. X. Kelly - Muddy the Waters
Marie Victoria Robertson - As Foretold
Mary Kuna - Late Bloomer
Megan Baffoe - Ribbon Thread
Megan Diedericks - The Closet is Made of Mahogany
Megan Hippler - The Gift
Mere Rain - With Clear Eyes
Minerva Cerridwen - Secundum Artem
Monique Cuillerier - Through This Window
Nathan Alling Long - The Shadow of Doubt
Nathaniel Taff - The Gauntlet
Nicole Dennis - Orange Dust
Oskar Leonard - Murcorpio
Patricia Loofbourrow - There's Something Weird About Joe
Phoebe Ching - The Killer Cupid
R.L. Merrill - The Sitter
Rainie Zenith - Crystal Clear
Raven Oak - Wrinkled
Rdp - Alice!
RE Andeen - Male Female Nonbinary Other
RE Carr - A Woman's Reward
Rie Sheridan Rose - The Night Witch
Rin Sparrow - Never Alone
RL Mosswood - A Trick of the Nerves
RoAnna Sylver - The Face in the Mirror
Rob Bliss - PSI Ecstasy
Rory Ni Coileain - One Night in Troy
Sacchi Green - The Star Beast
Sage HN - Impact
Scott Jenson - Cycles
Sheryl Hayes - A Smoking Hot Proposal
Shirley Meier - Upon Reflection
SI CLARKE - If the Shoe Fits
Siri Paulson - Blood and Water
Stacy Noe - Demons Need Love Too
Stephen B. Pearl - Sad Reality
Stephen Dedman - Through a Glass Clearly
Steve Fuson - Translucent
Steve Rasnic Tem - The Man in the Mirror
T.J. Reed - New Memories
Terry Poole - A Grey Man
Tori Thompson - A Visage of Home
V. Astor Solomon - Blood Will Show Us Who We Are
W. Dale Jordan - Ascension
Warren Rochelle - Ghosts
William R. Eakin - Overcoming Entropy
Yoyoli - If Deliberate Avoidance Fulfills No Dream

Queer Sci Fi is the brainchild of J. Scott Coatsworth, a blog and website that’s all about LGBT characters in science fiction, fantasy, paranormal and horror fiction. We’re dedicated to promoting the inclusion of LGBT characters in these genres.

We started the site in January of 2014, with the intent to create a community for writers and readers of LGBT-themed speculative fiction. We post regular discussion topics, news, book announcements and reviews. We have an AWESOME Facebook discussion group, and a great admin team - Angel Martinez, Ben Brock, Ryane Chatman, and J. Scott Coatsworth.

Once a year, we put out a call for flash fiction submissions based on a single word theme, and get anywhere between two hundred and four hundred entries. Clarity is our eighth annual anthology.

​Website / Facebook (Personal) /Facebook (Author Page) / Twitter
​

QSF is giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Card + Ink / Innovation eBooks with this tour:

Happy October, my darlings! I'm looking forward to diving into some seasonably appropriate autumnal books this month, if I can get out of the reading slump that plagued me through September (and before that, really). I did a little rereading in audiobook on my walks in September, but I mostly started and stopped reading books that I really do want to read and hope I can get back into at some future point. I only read a few new to me books:

The King of Faerie by AJ Lancaster: I've been meaning to read this last book in the Stariel quartet for ages! And it was so good, so I wish I'd done it sooner. This books wrapped both the romance and the quartet-long plot up in a very satisfying way (and there is another book coming about a supporting character, which I am very pleased about). I did see a plot reveal coming early on, but it didn't ruin anything for me. If you enjoy quasi-historical, slightly steampunkish fantasy romance with fae, give these books a try. Meanwhile, I will be waiting impatiently for Marcus's story in a A Rake of His Own.

This Side of Murder by Anna Lee Huber: I borrowed this first book in the Verity Kent mystery series in audiobook from my local library. These books are set just post World War I. While her husband went to war (and died there), Verity Kent spent the time working for the secret service, something she wasn't allowed to tell anyone. But now she is receiving anonymous notes from someone who knows about her war work and says her husband was a traitor. They lead her to a house party on an isolated island, where people begin to turn up dead. I enjoyed the story (though I'd had a twist accidentally spoiled for me before I started) and the narration. I'm sure I'll continue with the series.

Wicked Autumn by GM Malliet: This another first book in a mystery series that I borrowed in audio from the library. Wicked Autumn begins the Max Tudor series, in which an ex-MI5 agent turned village vicar gets sucked into solving crimes. I was intrigued by the premise and enjoyed the English village mystery vibe, though for some reason this book felt like it should be historical but it's contemporary. I do wish there had been a little more autumnal atmosphere in the book—I'm in that mood! From the title, I was expecting it, but other than the murder happening at the Harvest Fair and a little description, it was missing that fall atmosphere.

What have you read lately?

​It's weekend, and time for more Rainbow Snippets! The Rainbow Snippets group on Facebook asks its members to share six sentence snippets from their work each weekend. Check out the group's Facebook page to read all the snippets and add lots of great books to your TBR. You'll find all sorts of books with the common thread that the main character identifies as LGBTQ.

​Happy October, all! And with October 1st comes the publishing anniversary of A Dance of Water and Air (out in the world for four years!). I thought I'd share a few snippets this month to celebrate. A Dance of Water and Air is the first book in my Elemental Magicae series, which I wrote challenging myself to write a series that would be complete within those two books. (It is, but I'm probably going to write more in this world. Because of course.) In this book, Edmund is a demisexual prince whose father arranges a marriage for him with the queen of a neighboring country to create an alliance. However, Edmund soon finds himself falling for the queen's brother, Arden (who is bisexual and transgender). When Edmund is framed for an attempted assassination of the queen, he and Arden realize there is a lot more going on than they thought, and they go on the run, hoping to figure out a way to save Edmund and their countries and for them to be together. In this snippet, Edmund and his secretary are traveling to meet Edmund's intended bride.

You can find more about A Dance of Water and Air here. Thanks for reading today, and I hope you're all staying safe and well.

​It's weekend, and time for more Rainbow Snippets! The Rainbow Snippets group on Facebook asks its members to share six sentence snippets from their work each weekend. Check out the group's Facebook page to read all the snippets and add lots of great books to your TBR. You'll find all sorts of books with the common thread that the main character identifies as LGBTQ.

This week, I have another snippet from The Sorcerer's Guardian, which had a publishing anniversary this month. In The Sorcerer's Guardian, an arrogant (but really very powerful and talented) sorcerer and a loyal guard captain are sent on a dangerous mission by the Crown Prince. Neither of them feels it is necessary that they make this long journey together, but the guard captain is too loyal to argue and the sorcerer's arguments are ignored. Along the way, they bicker and snark at each other, and learn to work together...and that they're quite attracted to each other. In this snippet, Loriot decides Savarin has been working too long and needs a break...

You can find more about The Sorcerer's Guardian here. Thanks for reading, and I hope you're staying safe and well!

I'm so excited for Rainbow Space Magic tomorrow! RSM is a free one-day virtual conference with lots of panels and discussion about writing queer science fiction and fantasy. I've really enjoyed this conference the last couple of years, and I'm sure it's going to be wonderful again. I will be on a panel about writing series SFF this year, and I hope you'll join us. Find out more and register here.

​​
​It's weekend, and time for more Rainbow Snippets! The Rainbow Snippets group on Facebook asks its members to share six sentence snippets from their work each weekend. Check out the group's Facebook page to read all the snippets and add lots of great books to your TBR. You'll find all sorts of books with the common thread that the main character identifies as LGBTQ.

This week, I have another snippet from The Sorcerer's Guardian, which had a publishing anniversary this month. In The Sorcerer's Guardian, an arrogant (but really very powerful and talented) sorcerer and a loyal guard captain are sent on a dangerous mission by the Crown Prince. Neither of them feels it is necessary that they make this long journey together, but the guard captain is too loyal to argue and the sorcerer's arguments are ignored. Along the way, they bicker and snark at each other, and learn to work together...and that they're quite attracted to each other. This week's snippet is Loriot and Savarin's first kiss.

You can find more about The Sorcerer's Guardian here. Thanks for reading and I hope you're staying safe and well!

​​
​It's weekend, and time for more Rainbow Snippets! The Rainbow Snippets group on Facebook asks its members to share six sentence snippets from their work each weekend. Check out the group's Facebook page to read all the snippets and add lots of great books to your TBR. You'll find all sorts of books with the common thread that the main character identifies as LGBTQ.

This week, I'm switching over to snippets from The Sorcerer's Guardian, which also has a publishing anniversary coming up this month. In The Sorcerer's Guardian, an arrogant (but really very powerful and talented) sorcerer and a loyal guard captain are sent on a dangerous mission by the Crown Prince. Neither of them feels it is necessary that they make this long journey together, but the guard captain is too loyal to argue and the sorcerer's arguments are ignored. Along the way, they learn to work together...and that they're quite attracted to each other. And at one point, there's a storm and only one room left at the inn with only one bed. But we haven't gotten that far in this snippet... (I'm sorry that it's a bit long!)

You can find out more about The Sorcerer's Guardian here. Thanks for reading and I hope you're staying safe and well!

Time continues to fly by this year, and I continue to have weird and frustrating reading slumps, which have me starting books and putting them aside for later and started others and repeating the whole cycle again. *Sigh.* But despite that, I did read a few books I enjoyed in August:

From Bad the Cursed by Lana Harper: This second book in the Witches of Thistle Grove series was just as delightful as the first. I loved Isadora and Rowan and their enemies to lovers romance. This book is a great witchy read with some supernatural mystery/suspense and a wonderful romance. And I love the world too—I think I'd like to be a Thistle Grove witch. You could probably read this without reading the first in the series (though events in that book are mentioned and characters from it find their way into this one), but Payback's a Witch is delightful too, so you might as well start there anyway. I'm very excited for the next book in the series and not at all happy to have to wait for it!

Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson: In this YA fantasy, Artemesia is training to be a sister in an order that cleanses the bodies of the dead and helps their souls pass on—so they don't rise again as evil spirits to come after the living. When her convent is attacked by an army of possessed soldiers, a dying sister passes a saint's relic to Artemesia for her to use to save the convent. Which she does, but is almost possessed by the powerful revenant it contains in the process. I'm going to say here that I kind of adore the revenant and the bond that grows between the revenant and Artemesia as they come to work together. Their banter is just fantastic. I also love the world building and the twisty evil plot and Artemesia discovering that all she's been taught about saints and revenants and spirits and old magic isn't necessarily true. I feel like there are some Joan of Arc parallels that I hope I'm imagining because they have me a bit nervous—this book ended well, but there's supposed to be another in the series.

Fluke and the Fantastic Finale by Sam Burns: The Fantastic Fluke series has been such fun from the very beginning. I've loved getting to know Sage and his familiar, the delightful fox Fluke, and Gideon and the whole family built throughout the series. The paranormal world building and mystery/suspense aspects were great too and wrapped up well in this last installment, but it's the characters I've become attached to. And while I'm so happy with the way the series ended, I'm so sad there won't be more stories about them. Definitely start from the beginning with this series, as the books don't stand alone. And you'll want to read Sage's story from being alone and believing he had no power to speak of to becoming a powerful arcane mage with a close found family all around him—and lots of danger along the way.

What have you read and loved lately? (Or are you stuck in a strange reading slump like me?)

​​
​It's weekend, and time for more Rainbow Snippets! The Rainbow Snippets group on Facebook asks its members to share six sentence snippets from their work each weekend. Check out the group's Facebook page to read all the snippets and add lots of great books to your TBR. You'll find all sorts of books with the common thread that the main character identifies as LGBTQ.

I decided to share a few snippets from The Dragon's Devotion leading up to its fifth anniversary this weekend. In The Dragon's Devotion, Corentin is a scholar with a secret (he's a dragon shifter) and Bastien is an earl with far too much on his shoulders—including learning that his parents' death several years ago might not have been the accident they all believed. As they become closer, Bastien looks into the death of his parents and is drawn into danger, leaving Corentin in the position of revealing his secret—which could put his people at risk—or losing the man he's come to love. In this week's snippet, Bastien sees Corentin as a dragon for the first time.

You can find out more about The Dragon's Devotion here. Thanks for reading, and I hope you're staying safe and well.

Just a quick reminder that if you're going to GRL next month (how is it so soon?!), you can preorder signed books from me and pick them up at the book signing using this form through September 5th. I'll have some books with me at the signing, but if you want to make sure you get a particular one, preordering might be best. See you at GRL!