Indie publishing (also known as self-publishing) has been around for quite a long time, and with the introduction of ebooks and print-on-demand, it is a legitimate and growing industry. Here at Speculative Chic, we’ve featured a number of indie authors, both as guests and on our list of regular contributors, so we thought we’d give […]

Why I Chose It: The cover instantly caught my eye. I was looking for a fun, vibrant adventure to run a group through, and this sounded perfect! The Premise: The Festival of Magic is a short introductory adventure for a group of of 1st-characters, compatible with the Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition game system. It is […]

During this here quarantine I’ve been video gaming like it’s my erstwhile commute. Which is to say, daily and multiple times a day. Throughout my time in isolation, I’ve made it a point to stick to things I find comforting and calming. In gaming terms, this would be Dragon Age: Inquisition, which I have in […]

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 Albert Wendland, whose Temporary Planets […]

At Speculative Chic, we feature a lot of authors who share everything from their favorite things to the inspiration for their work. But why not also share their fiction? Welcome to Fiction Friday, where you’ll be able to sample the fiction of a variety of authors, including those who write at Speculative Chic! Today, we’re […]

This is the final book available for the Embraced series. The title sounds slightly less hokey, though my guess is it’s supposed to be a play on How to Love Yourself. I might be wrong, but I don’t much care. Quick story time: Officially this book is Embraced by Magic Book 1 because, in case […]

On the very last day before the public library closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, I made a frantic trip to snatch up as many books as I could. Grave Sight was one of the books that I grabbed because I enjoy Charlaine Harris’ light, quirky paranormal mystery books. I also chose this book because […]

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 Nancy O’Toole Meservier, whose latest […]

Some people like their book club books to be the kind of literature they would never read on their own: books they need to be goaded into reading. Others like book club books to be challenging — in either a socially-conscious way or in provocative writing style. There is nothing wrong at all with those […]

For my 2020 Resolution Project, I’m tackling two great Netflix animated series, starting with Voltron: Legendary Defender. We’re already at Season Four — the halfway point in the series! — and if you need some refreshers, take a look at my breakdowns of Seasons One, Two, and Three. The Premise: DreamWorks’ Voltron Legendary Defender picks up […]

I wholeheartedly admit that I am a sucker for anything described as “illustrious leader must unite a band of misfits to save the world/galaxy.” Probably a niche genre but yeah, I love stories like Firefly and Star Trek (2009) and Mass Effect. Ensemble pieces where not everyone works together perfectly at first but by the […]

Although I have well over a dozen books that I’m supposed to be reading for my 2020 resolution, the next book in the Embraced series was released, so I’m playing catch-up on all of them and re-reading the first three, so I remember who these women are, who their men are, and how they’re all […]

Hi! Venessa here. You might recognize my name from my monthly column here at Spec Chic, where I talk a little bit about books, television shows, and lot about conventions, including my Convention Life series and Con Season on a Budget. I also do some behind-the-scenes stuff for the My Favorite Things column too. The […]

Today, let’s sail through the Icy Seas, around the Poles of the world, to the Blazing World, whereupon we shall frolic with the Bear-Men, and the Fox-Men, and those wise beings of a Grass-Green Complexion — let us journey to a Fiery Sphere of feminism. “Mad Madge,” aka Margaret Cavendish, forged the path in 1666 […]