The 2018 LGBT+ Bundle - Curated by Melissa Scott

Last year, I asked the folks at StoryBundle if I could do a queer fantasy bundle to celebrate Pride. They were more than happy to oblige, so this year I'm back with another queer-themed bundle for Pride, this one focussed on science fiction. Once again, there was an embarrassment of riches: I found dozens of new queer stories and as many writers for whom intelligent, sensitive, nuanced, queer writing is simply their normal range. Once again, there was no easy way to winnow things down to a dozen books.

So I've made some arbitrary decisions. First, no novels in which being queer means you're evil, nor any in which it's a doomed and tragic fate. There are places for the latter, but this is June and Pride Month, and I want to share books that celebrate queerness. I've also decided to focus on small press offerings, as they are more likely to be overlooked than books from the mainstream houses. I've tried to pick newer novels, and to reintroduce some older writers. Unfortunately, this didn't narrow things down very much at all. In the end, I went with books I loved, books that showed me new facets of the LGBT+ experience, books that made me feel proud of being queer, and of being an SF/F fan. This is an admittedly eclectic group — you'll find space opera, steampunk, cyberpunk, dystopian futures, a superhero novel, and the best lesbian zombie novel ever written (imho, anyway). There are books where sexuality matters profoundly, where it is literally life and death, and others where sexuality is an uncontested issue, books where sex is the heart of the story, books where sex stays off-screen, and books where sex is defined in very different ways, but these are all queer visions, visions that celebrate our multitudes, all written by authors at the top of their game. You'll also find a diverse group of characters, an equally diverse range of styles, and stories that will hold you entranced until the very last word.

I don't claim that this is the (or even "a") definitive LGBT+ collection. The field is far too large now for anyone to claim that. What I can promise is that this is a celebration of queerness, a range of stories — gay, lesbian, bi, trans, and just plain queer — that shows off some of the best writers working in science fiction today.

StoryBundle has always allowed its patrons to donate part of their payment to a related charity, and once again, we're supporting the Rainbow Railroad, a group helping LGBT people escape persecution and violence worldwide. If you choose, you can donate part of the bundle's price to them. They are currently concentrating on helping the victims of the attacks on gay men in Chechnya; your donation will be a potentially life-saving gift. – Melissa Scott

The initial titles in the The 2018 LGBT+ Bundle (minimum $5 to purchase) are:

• All Good Children by Dayna Ingram
• The Remnant Fleet by Geonn Cannon
• Smoketown by Tenea D. Johnson
• Trouble and Her Friends by Melissa Scott
• Murder on the Titania by Alex Acks

If you pay at least the bonus price of just $15, you get all five of the regular titles, plus EIGHT more!

• Eat Your Heart Out by Dayna Ingram
• Railroad Spine by Geonn Cannon
• Sacred Band by Joseph D. Carriker, Jr.
• Worlds Afire by Don Sakers
• Mighty Good Road by Melissa Scott
• Medusa's Touch by Emily L. Byrne
• The Ultra Fabulous Glitter Squadron by A.C. Wise
• Cythera by Jo Graham

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 multiple DRM-free formats (.epub and .mobi) 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. For press inquiries, please email [email protected].