2024 was our biggest year yet! Space Wizard put out twelve queer science fiction and fantasy books and 2 RPGs! Several were by the same author and I've grouped them below. If you're interested, please check them out and if you liked them, maybe tell others about them!
Why do this? If you're a member of an organization that chooses awards for books, you might be able to submit a nomination for your favorites! Some of the major scifi and fantasy awards are the Hugo (for those with a membership), the Nebula (for SWFA members), the World Fantasy Award (for members), the Dragon Awards (for DragonCon Attendees), and numerous others. There are a lot of smaller awards as well, especially for queer scifi and fantasy, but any award can help bring a book into focus and connect with new readers.
So take a look, and if you think a book is worthy of nomination, share it with others!
William C. Tracy:
"Dotch Masher and the Planet 'MM'," published in I Want that Twink OBLITERATED, (Bona Books, 2024)
The Spores of Wrath, Book 3 of the Biomass Conflux (Hard Science Fiction, Novel)
The fate of Lida looms.
Agetha thought her fate was sealed, pushed to the edge of the colony to die. But with the revelation that the biomass is not only intelligent, but sentient, changes to colony are accelerating, threatening its very existence.
Those who were controlled by the biomass once again have free will. Now, the human colonists are raising their voices and for the first time really influencing their new home. The planet-wide consciousness is slipping into a crisis of identity, when it doesn’t even have a sense of self.
The wilds surrounding the colony are becoming increasingly unstable, and the colonists find themselves divided into those who have been touched by the biomass and those who are still wholly human. Can one small colony survive its inner conflicts as well as the titanic might of an entire planet?
Published at Space Wizard Science Fantasy, April 2024
Physical Magic (Epic Fantasy, Novel)
Welcome to the Shifting Lands.
Silluka was born with only one arm and could never practice the exacting motions to summon the favor of the gods. Caught stealing, she is forced to test her powers or be branded an outcast. She fails, and loses citizenship to her village.
In a fit of desperation, Silluka tries to steal a badge of citizenship from a mysterious elder, but instead, Elder Quilqi shows Silluka a different path to gain the powers of the gods, aided by an octopus-like technological wizard who worships their own eldritch divinities. Time is short for training however, because a new island is speeding toward the coastal town, throwing deadly hurricanes and tidal waves before it and threatening all who live there.
Only the gods and godlike storm warriors protect the village from destruction, but all of them fail when a mysterious creature bursts through the wall. It's only one forerunner for a species of terrifying turtlemen: fast, deadly, and ready to invade the larger island. The village must flee inland before the invasion, while Silluka is weighed down by her outcast status and her brother’s failing abilities. To save herself, her family, and her village, Silluka must overcome stigma and self-doubt. She must learn the scope of the world outside her village. She must learn Physical Magic.
Published at Space Wizard Science Fantasy, November 2024
Jordan A. Werner
The Witch and the Ostrich (Fantasy, Novella)
Never trust a necromancer ostrich.
The witch Quin Schumacher ekes out a living as the crotchety colosseum combat critic for the Daily Stardust newspaper. Complicating her job is Fergus, the former Death Lord of Jocrom. Fortunately, Quin already turned him into an ostrich.
On their way to the dilapidated city of Queensworth to see heads roll in the local arena, Quin finds a note in a dead man’s pocket. Written in blood, it hints towards a nefarious conspiracy linking a gladiator to one of Quin’s fellow witches, all of whom are compelled to serve Her Majesty Queen Siobhan the Third.
Meanwhile, Fergus has his own plans to get his powers back, remove Quin's spell on him, and re-establish his empire. He just needs a little help from a local vampire…
Bloody violence, proto-gonzo journalism and deadly women aplenty collide in The Witch and the Ostrich, Jordan A. Werner’s debut satire.
Published at Space Wizard Science Fantasy, February 2024
C.J. Hosack
The Slayer's Magic (Fantasy, YA, Novel)
What magic does the Library hold?
Adopted at birth by a loving family of magic users, fifteen year old Ryn desperately wants to fit in, but the law is clear: only those with documented bloodlines use magic. If Ryn’s birth parents remain unknown, she will be denied the use of magic along with the knowledge and training those ancestors could provide.
When Ryn receives an unexpected invitation to search for her legacy in the closely guarded ancestral Library, she leaps at the chance. With its odd passageways and hidden treacherous rooms, the Library holds powerful knowledge, keys to ancient mysteries, and potentially, Ryn’s heritage.
To her dismay Ryn’s quest is thwarted by the very tutor who committed to mentoring her. Time is short, and access to the Library will end with her tutor’s departure. If Ryn can’t find her heritage before she comes of age, her chance to become a magic user will disappear.
Published at Space Wizard Science Fantasy, March 2024
Robin C. M. Duncan
The Rigel Redemption (Scifi Mystery, Novel)
The most powerful man in the solar system is going to steal the future.
Besides dealing with his teenage assistant, Moth (being enticed by her mafia family to join the business), Quirk’s nemesis Beatrix Potter has reappeared. The nonbinary assassin reveals an unprecedented power grab by Joshua Simister. The Old Man, aka TOM, aka Quirk’s ex-father-in-law plots to snatch control of all interstellar travel from the UN. The struggle for power puts the lives of Quirk’s ex-wife (committed to an asylum), his son (an electronic being), and Moth’s family under threat. Can the dysfunctional duo prevent this calamity?
From Mars, to London, to New York, to Venus: a worlds-spanning clandestine struggle rages to prevent The Old Man redoubling his already vast power. Old debts are coming due, deadly legacies inherited, and Quirk may not even survive being reunited with his family, much less his enemies.
Published at Space Wizard Science Fantasy, June 2024
J. Alexander Cohen
Talio's Codex (Fantasy, Novel)
Is love worth destroying his reputation?
Ten years ago, the theft of his codex destroyed Talio Rossa’s career as a magistrate in the four cities. But when his ex-wife—finally willing to forgive finding him in bed with a man—presents him a long-shot legal case, he has the chance to get his career back on track.
While fighting to rejoin the legal community, Talio uncovers a conspiracy so big it threatens the origins of the four cities themselves. Their prosperity is only thanks to their connection by magical floating waterways and the brilliance of their legal system, now regarded as near scripture.
To save his career, Talio must work with both the one who doomed his marriage and the hooded, heretical man who sets his heart aflame but is determined to plead guilty to a murder he didn't commit. To stand a chance of winning the case, saving his career and the man of his dreams, Talio will have to uncover an explosive secret destined to blow the legal system apart.
Published at Space Wizard Science Fantasy, July 2024
Carmen Loup
The Audacity! Omnibus (Space Opera, Novel Omnibus)
May’s humdrum life is flung into hyperdrive when she’s rescued from an alien abduction by Xan, an alien with a fondness for I Love Lucy who lives on the Audacity. But when Chaos incarnate decides to turn Earth into her personal sandbox, the Audacity and May’s new love of rocket racing are the only things that can stop her.
But even being wildly successful rocket racers aren’t enough for May and Xan when a tea-sipping robot arrests Xan, and Chaos steals the Sphere of Time. May must team up with Xan’s sister, Aimz (an adventure biologist) and her undead girlfriend to save Xan, the Audacity, and Time Itself.
Stranded without the Audacity on a tiny, frigid island, Xan and Aimz succumb to the Carmnian Scourge. As a last act, May must team up with old friends, enemies, and a haunted Big Mouth Billy Bass to find the cure before the goddess of Chaos enacts the final stage of her universe befuddling plan.
Published at Space Wizard Science Fantasy, August 2024
A.Z. Rozkillis
Space Station X (Science Fiction, Novel)
Will the space station bring them together or destroy them?
Engineer Jax ran away to the farthest space station from Earth in the galaxy. It’s nothing more than a pitstop, frequented only by those looking to get away, and there she wanted to live in peace. It’s a mess, but it’s her Station.
But peace was not in the cards once Saunders came on board, a chipper security officer with an infuriating habit of sneaking up on Jax and being friendly. Jax has no interest in attractive security officers reminding her of her stupidest mistakes.
Now residents are being killed. There are sounds coming from the walls, ghostly footsteps and murderous, ravenous threats that can’t possibly be there. Can they?
Deep space is unforgiving. The Station is dying. The residents are going bonkers. Jax discovers there are some problems that can’t be fixed by swinging an absurdly large murder-wrench.
Published at Space Wizard Science Fantasy, August 2024
Alex Kingsley
Empress of Dust (Science Fiction, Novel)
There are monsters outside the city walls.
Harvard is small, anxious, and plagued by a constant tremor, which is not an ideal combination for a desert scavenger. He and his crew are under constant threat of desertwalker attacks, and Harvard is nearly useless against them.
When the biggest mistake of Harvard’s life separates him from his crew, he must learn the secrets of the desert beasts in order to survive the dangers of the dusts. Returning to Bastion with a surprising ally, Harvard is forced to choose between saving his crew or allying with the “monsters” who rescued him.
Harvard never saw himself as a hero, but when the beasts of the dusts implore him to aid their rescue mission, he holds the lives of crabs and humans alike in his trembling hands.
Published at Space Wizard Science Fantasy, October 2024
J.S. Fields:
Foxfire in the Snow (Epic Fantasy, Novel)
It's a time of change, between magic and alchemy.
Born the heir of a master woodcutter in a queendom defined by guilds and matrilineal inheritance, nonbinary Sorin can’t quite seem to find their place. At seventeen, an opportunity to attend an alchemical guild fair and secure an apprenticeship with the queen’s alchemist is just within reach. But on the day of the fair, Sorin’s mother goes missing, along with the Queen and hundreds of guild masters, forcing Sorin into a woodcutting inheritance they never wanted.
With guild legacy at stake, Sorin puts apprentice dreams on hold to embark on a journey with the royal daughter to find their mothers and stop the hemorrhaging of guild masters. Princess Magda, an estranged childhood friend, tests Sorin’s patience—and boundaries. But it’s not just a princess that stands between Sorin and their goals. To save the country of Sorpsi, Sorin must define their place between magic and alchemy or risk losing Sorpsi to rising industrialization and a dark magic that will destroy Sorin’s chance to choose their own future.
Published at Space Wizard Science Fantasy, November 2024
Ocean of Fireflies (Epic Fantasy, Novel)
Welcome to the Industrial Revolution.
Magic has been banished back to the edges of the continent, and Sorin the Master Chemist has one remaining task: restore the guilds of Gasta Fletcha to save the continent's economy, and its soul.
Except the continent has never been more prosperous. Queen Magda is ready to leave the guilds behind and embrace the incoming factories. Sorin’s task of releasing trapped skills from magic amulets is no longer a priority of the crown. Sorin would rather die than give up on the guilds, but Sorin is not the queen and does not get to make these decisions. To make matters worse, the magic of Gasta Fletcha will not be so easily ignored.
Sorin would like nothing more than to sort both their personal and professional differences with Magda, but, spurred by a disembodied magic voice from an amulet, they set out on a quest across the continent, hoping to discover a new purpose. What they find instead is a trail of destruction in the wake of a rapidly growing industry: factories with horrible working conditions, children maimed in the pursuit of economic growth, and the devastating loss of guild tradition. It will take a blend of magic, chemistry, tradition, and progress to save the guilds and Gasta Fletcha, and Sorin must decide what is truly in the people's best interest—cultural history or economic prosperity. One choice will cost Sorin their queen. The other will cost them their heritage.
Published at Space Wizard Science Fantasy, December 2024
TTRPGS:
Spells of the Symphony: The Dissolutionverse Role-Playing Game (TTRPG)
Music, Magic, and Steampunk!
Spells of the Symphony is a tabletop roleplaying game for 2-8 players. As a majus, you can change reality itself with custom-crafted spells, at the cost of the notes of your soul. As a non-majus, craft unique skills and hobbies to give you advantages in adventuring, fighting, researching, or just relaxing.
Investigate strange worlds and learn music-based magic while adventuring through the ten homeworlds of the Great Assembly of Species!
Published at Space Wizard Science Fantasy, November 2024
Creatures of Ruin: A Bastion Cycle TTRPG (TTRPG)
Creatures of Ruin is a tabletop roleplaying game for 2-6 players. You can play either a giant crab-monster inhabiting the wastelands of Earth after the Great Quakes, or as a desperate human scavenger, trying to live on pieces of Earth's ancient past.
Will you fight to survive, or befriend an alien species?
Published at Space Wizard Science Fantasy, November 2024
Anthologies:
Fiery Deeps (Ed: J.S. Fields and Heather Tracy, Scifi/Fantasy Anthology)
Fire is Power!
Quest to the heart of the earth, cross flaming rivers, and brave the fire with our heroes to discover unlimited strength! From fantastic underground cities, to superheroes, to magic of the forge, titanic forces of nature collide in this lesbian-centric anthology focusing on the power of women.
Contains stories by: William C. Tracy, J.S. Fields, Robin C.M. Duncan, Sara Codair, N.L. Bates, Rosiee Thor, Maya Gittelman, Heather Tracy, N. Romaine White, and Dee Lyle!
Published at Space Wizard Science Fantasy, September 2024