Thursday, November 16, 2006

Interspecies Cooperation

I'm almost finished rereading WIZARDS AT WAR, the latest in Diane Duane's "Young Wizards" series. In this novel the teenage protagonists of the series, Kit and Nita, have to work with other wizards to save the universe from an abnormal proliferation of "dark matter." Their team comprises four Earth-human adolescents (including Kit's non-magical sister), a humanoid prince from a distant star system, a giant bug, an intelligent plant who looks like an ambulatory Christmas tree, Kit's dog (who has some magical gifts), and a sentient laptop computer. The larger group of Earth wizards includes whales and cats as well as human people. This delightful picture of interspecies cooperation reminds me of Madeleine L'Engle's A WRINKLE IN TIME and its sequels. L'Engle's human characters, at various times, work with cherubim, a unicorn, a friendly snake, assorted extraterrestrials, microscopic creatures within a small boy's body, and three angelic beings disguised as eccentric old ladies. James White's books set in a hospital on a space station show the protagonist, a human doctor, treating patients from many different planets. I enjoy stories that feature human beings and varied types of aliens seeing behind their mutual strangeness to the "soul," rejoicing in both their likenesses and their differences.

C. S. Lewis' OUT OF THE SILENT PLANET takes the hero, Ransom, to Mars, which he finds inhabited by three different intelligent species. A Martian native expresses amazement at learning Earth has only one. How, he asks, can we objectively evaluate our own thought processes if we can't compare them to thought that "floats on different blood"? I use this phrase in the title of my literary survey DIFFERENT BLOOD: THE VAMPIRE AS ALIEN from Amber Quill Press (www.amberquill.com).

Lewis' friend J. R. R. Tolkien says in "On Fairy Stories" that one of the universal human wishes fulfilled by fairy tales is the desire to communicate with other species. The talking animals in folklore vicariously heal the wound of our separation from the other creatures in our world. I find similar consolation in stories of friendship or love between human characters and members of intelligent nonhuman races. The Star Trek principle of IDIC, "Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations," celebrates bridging the gulf between species to form multi-species alliances, friendships, or intimate bonds. Which raises the question of how faithfully we live out this ideal in our mundane lives. Do we science fiction and fantasy fans typically rejoice in the other races and cultures on our own planet as wholeheartedly as we hope we would rejoice in elves and extraterrestrials? I must freely admit that most of my appreciation occurs at a distance; I grew up in a suburban WASP environment and have lived mostly in that kind of cultural context throughout my life. Therefore, my images of the ethnic groups with which I don't come into frequent contact tend, I'm sure, to be romanticized.

8 comments:

  1. I've been researching the romance genre and the heroes and heroines I've looked at so far are caucasion or caucasion-looking, except for the special lines for African Americans and Hispanics. One publisher specifically states that in these lines the couple must be same race. Is there an unwritten rule against inter-racial romance in this genre? Why is it okay for a human to mate with a Vulcan or a werewolf, but not an Asian? Or, is this something most writers don't think about including? Admittedly, I'm still in the process of researching, so I might not have gotten to any books like this yet. In my own book, one of the caucasion heroines rejects her hot alien prince for her African American love back home.

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  2. P.S. If that is an unwritten rule, I'm not going to follow it. Even if it means rejection.

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  3. It just occurred to me that my story is about racism. Only, it's not white against black. The heroine rejects her hot alien prince because she fears their two civilizations will go to war if she marries him. Hmmm...nice topic today!

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  4. I know there are some e-publishers specifically looking for interracial romances. Can't remember which, though. Like Sam Beckett on QUANTUM LEAP, I am developing a Swiss cheese memory. :) As for print publishers, I would think the "single title" market (as opposed to category, which has very specific guidelines for each line) would be more flexible on this point. I will try to remember to post a question on the EPIC (e-pubbed authors' group) list.

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  5. New Concepts Publishing was looking at some interesting new directions for lines.

    I think I mentioned a better list in the outdamned story blog sometime in late June. This was the snip I put in my newsletter in July-August, which was targeted towards other sfr writers, but I am almost sure there is also a HARMONY line.

    check out submissions@newconceptspublishing.com

    New Concepts Publishing is actively seeking short stories of 10,000 to 30,000 words for their new lines:

    Kinetic Series—Releasing November 2006
    The theme for this series is psychic powers. Examples include, but
    are not limited to psychokinesis, pyrokinesis, hydrokinesis, and
    other superhuman powers.

    The Brood—Releasing February 2007
    The theme for this series is animal shifter clans, either of earthly
    origin or of the fantasy variety. (Please, no bestiality themes)
    Examples include, but are not limited to wolf, lion, bear, dragon,
    griffin, swan, etc.

    Enchanted—Releasing May 2007
    The theme for this series is magical enchantments and curses.
    Examples include but are not limited to retellings of fairytales
    like Beauty and the Beast, Rose Red, Sleeping Beauty, etc.

    Inferno—Releasing August 2007
    Theme is summer and heat. These stories should be VERY SEXY and should include high sexual tension.

    Best wishes,
    Rowena Cherry

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  6. New Concepts Publishing is actively seeking short stories of 10,000 to 30,000 words for their new lines:

    Kinetic Series—Releasing November 2006
    The theme for this series is psychic powers. Examples include, but
    are not limited to psychokinesis, pyrokinesis, hydrokinesis, and
    other superhuman powers.

    The Brood—Releasing February 2007
    The theme for this series is animal shifter clans, either of earthly
    origin or of the fantasy variety. (Please, no bestiality themes)
    Examples include, but are not limited to wolf, lion, bear, dragon,
    griffin, swan, etc.

    Enchanted—Releasing May 2007
    The theme for this series is magical enchantments and curses.
    Examples include but are not limited to retellings of fairytales
    like Beauty and the Beast, Rose Red, Sleeping Beauty, etc.

    Inferno—Releasing August 2007
    Theme is summer and heat. These stories should be VERY SEXY and should include high sexual tension.

    I think there is also a HARMONY line. This is just a snip from my July/August newsletter. Or check out the joint blog for outdamnedstory for late June.

    Or, go to submissions@newconceptspublishing.com

    Best wishes,
    Rowena

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  7. Yep! It's HARMONY, Kimber An and Margaret, and it is NCP.

    Harmony™ Line—Ongoing release dates

    We are actively acquiring high quality, original interracial and multiracial romances for this line.

    This line is widely advertised in print media and heavily promoted wherever opportunities arise. Romance genres we are most interested in are paranormal, futuristic, fantasy, and historical—spicy or erotic are preferred. Straight contemporary romances are rarely accepted for this line.

    Novels should be at least 70,000 words but novellas will be considered for anthologies. Current NCP authors can submit a detailed synopsis and 10-15k words. Non-NCP authors must submit full manuscript. More information about this line can be found on our website:
    http://www.newconceptspublishing.com/submissionguidelines.

    (We've had requests for more Domination/Captive themes for this line, but are not limited to this theme alone.)Send to

    submissions@ newconceptspublishing.com

    Good luck.

    Rowena

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  8. I'm told Kensington has an interracial romance line.

    One of my own publishers, Ellora's Cave (www.ellorascave.com), is looking for interracial romance.

    Other small presses and e-publishers people have told me about, which like interracial romance:
    Logical Lust Publications (www.logical-lust.com)
    eXtasy Books (www.extasybooks.com)
    Siren (www.sirenpub.com)
    MojoCastle Press
    Freya's Bower
    Wild Child Publishing
    Ocean's Mist

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