Hwarhath Stories: Transgressive Tales by Aliens (2016) Written by: Eleanor Arnason Pages: 392 (Kindle) Publisher: Aqueduct Press Why I Chose It: I actually haven’t heard of this author or her stories before seeing that this book was nominated for the Philip K. Dick award. The title intrigued me and it’s been a while since I’ve […]

My podcast resolution rules as they stand now: I will listen to twelve spec-fic oriented podcasts, one per month. For each podcast, I will listen to a minimum of five episodes per podcast before I either give up or add it to my entertainment cycle. Though originally I swore to give each podcast five episodes, […]

The Butterfly Garden (2016) Written by: Dot Hutchison Genre: Horror Pages: 276 (Paperback) Series: The Collector Trilogy (Book 1) Publisher: Thomas & Mercer Why I Chose It: I found the title and a brief synopsis on a list of best horror books. I decided to pick it up because I have been frightened and fascinated […]

They might not be raindrops on roses or whiskers on kittens, but that doesn’t mean that we love them any less. Welcome back to My Favorite Things, the weekly column where we grab someone in speculative circles to gab about the greatest in geek. This week we sit down with author Anthony Francis. His urban […]

Mass market paperbacks are interesting creatures, as are some trade paperbacks. 99.99% of all mass markets, if they are slated for return, aren’t actually returned. Not whole, anyway. One of the most horrifying things a bookseller will ever learn to do is strip a book. Stripping a book means that the front cover — and […]

I’ve talked a lot about Conventions this past year and I’ve got one more set of important topics to touch on. You might hear some of these terms from seasoned con-goers: Con Prep Con Crud Con Drop The last two, especially, are things you’ll hear regular con-goers talk about. Prep is just really what happens before […]

We all love to talk about our Favorite Things, but it’s not always the latest and greatest that charms us. Sometimes it’s those foundational favorites, the works that shaped us, that we find ourselves returning to again and again. Here at Speculative Chic, we decided it was way past time to create a dedicated platform to […]

Kushiel’s Dart (2001) Written by: Jacqueline Cary Genre: Fantasy Pages: 912 (Paperback) Series: Phèdre’s Trilogy Book #1 Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates Why I Chose It: I first heard about Jacqueline Carey through Speculative Chic and since I enjoyed George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones) series, I figured that I […]

Welcome back to Sound Off!, a semi-regular column where members of Speculative Chic gather together to chat about the latest BIG THING in entertainment. This time, recruit the most powerful people you know and discuss Justice League, which premiered in the United States on Friday, November 17, 2017. Sound Off! is meant to be a reaction, but not […]

Kushiel’s Avatar (2003) Written by: Jacqueline Carey Genre: Fantasy Pages: 750 (Paperback) Series: Phèdre’s Trilogy Book #3 Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates Why I Chose It: I decided that it was my destiny to read the entire nine book Kushiel’s Legacy series after I found eight of the books dirt cheap at a library book sale. […]

The trope of the Strong Black Woman in fiction is based on an equally harmful stereotype, in which Black women are expected to perform a role that negates their own emotions, needs (both physical and psychological), in the service of caring for others. Similar to the Magical Negro, the Strong Black Woman protects her family […]