A Friday Post - The Science Fiction Novel - For Your Consideration (Alternate Reality)

Another weekend is around the corner and we're coming to the end of another month. The news is so depressing these days; stock market on a big downward cycle, the Coronavirus. But I guess at least spring is almost here.... except for those places that keep getting snow.. Egads!

So let's stick to books, OK? I have had a great reading month. I think I'll be able to finish one more book this month as it's a relatively short one and very entertaining. Nothing new to report on that front today but I did get a new book in the mail yesterday. I'll update that and get back to my look at the Sci-Fi novel. I'm not sure if these books actually classify as Sci-Fi but I think besides being horror stories, they fall into the Fantasy and Alternate Reality sub-genres. What do you think?

New Books

1. The Girls in 3-B by Valerie Taylor (1959). I have found a few books via the Femmes Fatales press; mysteries, noir, LGBTQ, etc. Books like Bunny Lake is Missing by Evelyn Piper, Laura by Vera Caspary, etc.









"Annice, Pat and Barby are best friends from rural Iowa, freshly arrived in booming 1950s Chicago to explore different paths toward independence, self-expression, and sexual freedom. From the hip-hang of a bohemian lifestyle to the sophisticated lure of romance with a handsome, wealthy, married boss, to the happier - but taboo - security of a lesbian relationship, these three experience first-hand the dangers and limitations that await spirited young working girls who strike out on their own in a decidedly male-centered world.


An honest, explosive novel that turns conventional ideas of 1950s life and femininity upside down, The Girls in 3-B reveals in heart-breaking detail the hidden world of mid-century America, where women live on their own in seedy apartments, have premarital sex, get illegal abortions, yearn to be artists, experiment with drugs, and, if they are so inclined, discover a mannered, thriving lesbian underworld.

Valerie Taylor's focus on themes of class as well as gender and sexual identity provides an unusual perspective on the myth of the American Dream. With poverty never more than a paycheck away, the girls in 3-B inhabit a world in which their bodies are sometimes their only currency, and their artistic and career ambitions are limited by both their meager resources and the blatant sexism of their time. The characters in the novel are, surprisingly, far more self-aware and daring than most contemporary images of 1950s America - and then offers a defiantly subversive alternative. A classic pulp tale showcasing predatory beatnik men, drug hallucinations, workplace intrigues, and secret lesbian trysts, The Girls in 3-B approaches the theme of sex from the stiffened vantage point of 1950s psychology."

The Science Fiction Novel - Alternate Reality (Vampires and Other Monsters)

I've enjoyed the various writers who use Alternate Reality as their sub-genre. Harry Turtledove specializes in the sub-genre; what if a Roman Legion is transported to another planet, what happens if aliens invade during WWII, what happens if the Confederacy won the Civil War. One of my favorite books in this sub-genre was Philip K. Dick's The Man in the High Castle which posits that Japan and Germany won WWII. What I will focus on here are two series, one by Laurell K. Hamilton and the other by Charlaine Harris. Both posit that vampires and other creatures walk among us and that they are accepted by law. Both authors have created fascinating worlds. Let's take a look at them

1. Laurell K. Hamilton (Anita Blake). I discovered this series back in the mid-90s and got hooked on it right away. What you have is Anita Blake, a necromancer, vampire hunter and powerful lady. She lives in St. Louis in a society that has passed laws granting vampires citizenship. Other creatures also exist but still live in hiding, werewolves, etc. On the surface the stories are mystery / horror specific but Hamilton has created a new society, a look at an alternate present where the supernatural become natural. My daughter could explain this much better than I ever can as she uses the themes of this series in the university course she teaches and will use it also in her PhD thesis. Suffice it to say that there are many fascinating themes explored in the series that go beyond just a basic vampire story.

2. Charlaine Harris (Sookie Stackhouse). This series was the basis for HBO's great True Blood series. I often felt that it was basically Anita Blake light but Harris explores similar themes. Sookie Stackhouse is a waitress in Louisiana. She can read minds, a power that both helps and hinders her. Similar to the Anita Blake books, vampires are once again accepted by law. They run clubs in New Orleans and across the US. Of course, there are other species as well. I don't think this series explores the themes that are covered in the Anita Blake books but still, they offer a neat alternate reality.

As I started discussing these two series, another popped up on my list. The book is The Night Watch by Russian author, Sergei Lukyanenko. The story features supernatural creatures living in an uneasy truce in Moscow, a fascinating alternate fantasy universe. I have read and enjoyed the first book. It has now been expanded to six books. I will have to find the other stories as I did enjoy this one very much.

I recognize this is a short posting but if you're interested in trying these series or other series by the mentioned authors, below is a link to all of their books -

a. Laurell K. Hamilton's books;
b. Charlaine Harris's books:
c. Sergei Lukyanenko's books.

Have a great weekend!!