Pride StoryBundle

 

From my editors

THE 2025 PRIDE BUNDLE

The 2025 Pride Bundle - Curated by Catherine Lundoff and Melissa Scott

It's Pride again, and time for another queer-themed bundle! At a time when the community is once again under threat, we felt it was more important than ever to showcase the work and the writers that celebrate us. We looked for books that show queerness in all its complexity, with stories that range from pure adventure to profoundly serious, and from across the range of identities that make up our whole. We looked for stories that showcased the many and complex forms that queerness takes — the many ways that we have chosen to be. We looked for stories that engage with threats to the queer world, and for stories that imagine what we might be without threats, for stories that celebrate our joy and our resilience.

And we're pleased to say that we have found those stories, and more. If anything, the hardest part of curating this bundle was narrowing down the field: there are so many writers out there creating intelligent, nuanced, queer science fiction and fantasy that it's incredibly hard to choose among them. This is not to claim that this is a definitive LGBTQIA+ collection — given the ever-growing amount of stellar queer writing being published, we're not sure that's even possible. Instead, we thought of the bundle as a sampler, or perhaps a tasting menu. It includes novels, novellas, single author collections, and anthologies; the genres range from fantasy mysteries to cyberpunk to far future to post apocalyptic fantasy. There are newer works and writers, and some older work you may have missed when it first appeared. It's your chance to read work by some of the best writers working today.

StoryBundle has always allowed its patrons to donate part of their payment to a related charity, and this year we're once again supporting Rainbow Railroad, a NGO that helps LGBTQ+ people escape state-sponsored persecution and violence worldwide. Their work is needed now more than ever, and if you choose, you can pass on part of the bundle's price to them — a gift that can save a life. – Catherine Lundoff and Melissa Scott

* * *

For StoryBundle, you decide what price you want to pay. For $5 (or more, if you're feeling generous), you'll get the basic bundle of four books in .epub format—WORLDWIDE.

•            The Map and the Territory by A.M. Tuomala

•            We're Here - The Best Queer Speculative Fiction 2023 edited by Darcie Little Badger and series editor Charles Payseur

•            Point of Dreams by Melissa Scott and Lisa A. Barnett

•            These Fragile Graces, This Fugitive Heart by Izzy Wasserstein

 

If you pay at least the bonus price of just $25, you get all four of the regular books, plus TEN more books, for a total of 14!

•            Be the Sea by Clara Ward

•            Fallen by Melissa Scott

•            A Necessary Chaos by Brent Lambert

•            Luminescent Machinations by Rhiannan Rasmussen and dave ring

•            Fairs' Point by Melissa Scott

•            So You Want to be A Robot by Merc Fenn Wolfmoor

•            Price of a Thousand Blessings by Ginn Hale

•            Reforged by Seth Haddon

•            Welcome to Boy.Net by Lyda Morehouse

•            Power to Yield by Bogi Takács

 

This bundle is available only for a limited time via http://www.storybundle.com. It allows easy reading on computers, smartphones, and tablets as well as Kindle and other ereaders via file transfer, email, and other methods. You get a DRM-free .epub for all books!

It's also super easy to give the gift of reading with StoryBundle, thanks to our gift cards – which allow you to send someone a code that they can redeem for any future StoryBundle bundle – and timed delivery, which allows you to control exactly when your recipient will get the gift of StoryBundle.

Why StoryBundle? Here are just a few benefits StoryBundle provides.

•            Get quality reads: We've chosen works from excellent authors to bundle together in one convenient package.

•            Pay what you want (minimum $5): You decide how much these fantastic books are worth. If you can only spare a little, that's fine! You'll still get access to a batch of exceptional titles.

•            Support authors who support DRM-free books: StoryBundle is a platform for authors to get exposure for their works, both for the titles featured in the bundle and for the rest of their catalog. Supporting authors who let you read their books on any device you want—restriction free—will show everyone there's nothing wrong with ditching DRM.

•            Give to worthy causes: Bundle buyers have a chance to donate a portion of their proceeds to Rainbow Railroad!

•            Receive extra books: If you beat the bonus price, you'll get the bonus books!

 

StoryBundle was created to give a platform for independent authors to showcase their work, and a source of quality titles for thirsty readers. StoryBundle works with authors to create bundles of ebooks that can be purchased by readers at their desired price. Before starting StoryBundle, Founder Jason Chen covered technology and software as an editor for Gizmodo.com and Lifehacker.com.

For more information, visit our website at storybundle.com, tweet us at @storybundle and like us on Facebook

Yet Another unboxing video... YAY!

 

My alter ego, Lyda Morehouse, is having a banner year. I'd be jealous, but... you know, she's also me, so.... ANYWAY, the point is that her original series, which is now 20 years old, is being reprinted by Wizard's Tower Press. We are finally releasing the last one, Resurrection Code, on October 3 (though it is already available for pre-order.)  

Mostly, the previous books are coming out nearly identically to their original. However, Resurrection Code had previously been published by a different small press, had a different cover, and many people who were fans of my previous books may have missed it. Even if they didn't, this book is also the only one that has 100% BRAND NEW material!  

So, even if you already own Resurrection Code, you won't want to miss this version!

Cover Reveal!

As you are aware, gentle reader, my AngeLINK series turned 20 this year. (I mean, technically, given that it's a series, 20 can be counted anywhere from 2021 to 2031.) But, what is truly important is that this is the year that the books are being re-issued in print by Wizard's Tower Press. The reason that Resurrection Code has lagged behind all the others is because when it was first released by Mad Norwegian Press is was it was barely a novel in length. It might be technically novella length, but we tacked on two short stories to the original publication. Wizard's Tower really wanted the price break that comes from a regular-sized novel and so I dug up and dusted off almost 30,000 "new" words to be added to this book. To be honest, dedicated fans of my series might have found a way to read a lot of what is being touted as new material, however, as it was hidden in various places all over my ancient (if still functioning) website. But this is the first time it will all be collected in one, easily readable place.

From its inception, this book was written for my superfans, so I feel like it's really fitting that it contains what is essentially authorial fanfic.

I have no idea if there is any kind of real market for this book. It is certainly NOT the kind of book that Penguin would have ever allowed me to write, not even in my heyday. It's generally weird, very trans, and now filled with so many odd (and wonderful, I hope!) drabbles and chapters I pulled from previous books and... they would have looked at it and said, what is this garbage? Or maybe not, but they certainly would have given it a pass.

I am so grateful to Wizard Tower for giving this book not only a home, but a chance to go out into the world to anyone who needs or wants even a part of it.

WorldCON Schedule

 WorldCON will be in Glasgow this year ( Aug 8–12, 2024), but I will not. However! I will be attending virtually. My final schedule looks like this:

• Let Them Cook - Food in Anime (THURSDAY: 1 pm GMT/8:00 am CT) - hybrid
• The Immersive Possibilities of Horror Audio (SATURDAY: 7pm GMT/2:00 pm CT) 
• Everything We Love (a Little or a Lot) About Fanfiction (SATURDAY: 10pm GMT/5:00 pm CT)
• Help, I Got Reincarnated Into a Worldcon Panel! (SUNDAY: 10pm GMT/5:00 pm CT)
• If I'm Not Kira and You're Not Kira, Who is Writing in the Death Note? (MONDAY: 1pm GMT/8:00 am CT) --hybrid

That's a lot of panels for me for a WorldCON and a lot of anime/manga panels! But, I am excited to be there and cheer on the friends of mine who are up for Hugo Awards this year. Hopefully see you (virtually!) there!

Queer Cyberpunk Episode!

  My new podcast, Mona Lisa Overpod, has just dropped its second episode in time for Pride Month: queerness and cyberpunk. Co-host Ka1iban and I go deep into the idea that there is something intrinsically queer about body mods, internet anonymity, and other cyberpunk themes.

You can listen to us anywhere fine podcasts are found, but several include:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/11brxmJZjf3gnzltvwXI7H

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mona-lisa-overpod/id1750537130

Spreaker: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/mona-lisa-overpod--6195851

iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/53-mona-lisa-overpod-182995443/

New bi-weekly podcast!

 

My co-host Ka1iban and I, in conjunction with Just Enough Trope, have launched a new cyberpunk-themed podcast: Mona Lisa Over Pod. Currently, you can catch our debut/zero episode on Spreaker, but we should be available on Spotify and Apple Tunes shortly. 

We will be dropping new content every two weeks, so be sure to subscribe at your favorite podcasting site so that you don't miss an episode.

You can also follow the podcast on X, Facebook, and Instagram at @monalisaoverpod !

I am incredibly excited about this. I have remained a huge fan of cyberpunk since I first published in that genre over twenty years ago. We're going to be doing broad subject episodes, like, Queerness in Cyberpunk, etc., but also deep-dives into some of the classics (and new works!) 

"Talking Smart" an interview with My Dad

 I'll bet you didn't know that my father has a vlog. 

Yes, and he has 31 subscribers!--a number which I would mock, but is significantly more followers than I have on my Patreon. At any rate, we sat down last Sunday and had a lovely conversation (if a bit awkward when it becomes fairly clear that he's not exactly sure whether I've written about zombies or vampires as Tate Hallaway) about life, the universe, and everything in the digital age. 

Unfortunately, I can't embed this video, so if you want to watch it, you'll have to click this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjSix3rLWF0 

Anyway, check it out. It's fairly entertaining.