W_L

True, I think part of my issue with the original novel was that it was trying too hard at the end to make an impossible narrative to round out. Amazon's series went further and explicitly explored alternate timelines/universes, I thought Fringe did it much better personally with its open ended implications. For me the best alt-history writer in Sci-Fi would be Turtledove, Harry Turtledove's stories inject humanity into his alt-history scenarios, even when they involve aliens with cold fusion and interstellar propulsion. He examines contemporary issues and near-future technologies in context to one another. One of the points made is being more advanced does not make a civilization better or greater, because power alone is not enough to influence human beings to follow you.

Aye, I don't disagree with you that quality science fiction/fantasy or any novel to media adaptation, is not assured. On a side note: @RonI am curious what is your thoughts on Amazon's show The Man in The High Castle, the alt-history/multiverse Science Fiction from Philip K. Dick, one of the greatest Science fiction writers of the 20th century (also likely having severe mental health issues)? I think Amazon extended the concept of Alternate realities well beyond Philip K. Dick's original work, built a more complex story, and pushed some boundaries (probably borrowed from Fox Fringe), but I didn't feel any closure at the ending of the book or the Amazon show. Technically, Amazon was being faithful to Dick's original vision/story, but personally, I didn't like the original ending either. I know this book was well before my birth, but I'm a Harry Turtledove fan as well, alt-history is a sub-genre in science fiction that appeals to me. Among the stories I am awaiting for someone to latch onto, I hope Turtledove's WorldWar will get produced one day and showcase Turtledove's grand alien invasion and historical epic.

One of the things about disability housing on college campuses, it's actually quite difficult, especially for Freshman. Most students are just put into regular housing with special accommodation applied to classes. There's also very little interaction between kids with similar disabilities and background. Yes, you will have blind kids, deaf kids, mobility disabled kids, and so on in college meet in clubs/groups, but it's hard to find people just like you. I'm not sure if folks ever considered that aspect about disability and college education before. It's something I remember and I know it hasn't improved that much over the years. Add to the fact that these boys are all former athletes, emotionally scarred, and gay to boot, it's quite a daunting task to find housing for them, if they can afford it as well.

Or who can't afford college at all? Welcome to the House of Broken Boys Glad you are liking the story so far Mrs. Potter, Chip, and the unnamed cook are the only 3 non-college student members of the house. Brad technically doesn't take any classes, either, but he is enrolled. It's my interpretation of the Beast's magic castle, without fantasy elements, since he was supposed to be a Prince.

Well for those people who follow my writing, book reviews, and stories, you probably noticed I started a new series, True As It Can Be, a story inspired by the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast. I have read the classic fairy tale La Belle et la Bête in high school french class, along with watching the Jean Cocteau 1946 french film and 1991 Disney animated movie. Everyone has seen or heard of the classic, most of the folks probably have seen the Disney version as kids like me. However, I wondered what if I take away the fantasy elements from the story and added in modern realities, especially issues involving disabilities, depression, added complex characters psyches, and reinterpreted the concept in a college setting. I don't know if readers will like or hate my story idea, especially without an editor on board for it. I wanted to try a hand at writing something that speaks to me. Currently the cast of Characters in the story so far are: Brad Brooks aka The Beast - A big muscular blond haired former High School Football Quarterback from a wealthy background. Originally, he's from Colorado. He is gay naturally, but he used his innate sexual appeal on women during his high school years to gain popularity and influence. He used to be vane, arrogant, ambitious, and selfish, but he made the mistake of sacrificing others for his personal gain and loving someone that he created in his own image. The result is his disfigurement, injuries to his body, and a state of angry depression that he cannot control. The only person he has even shown an ounce of tenderness toward is the unlikely Beau Cocteau. He is my interpretation of the Beast from both the classic movies and the novel. Beau Cocteau - He is a petite Caucasian brown haired college freshman, who has very few friends and was disowned by his family in Minnesota. He's inquisitive and very well read. He is significantly shorter than most boys his age, his hair is neck length, and his clothes are from the kids section of discount stores, like Marshall or TJ Maxx, due to his lack of support from his family even before he was disowned. He knows he's weak and alone, but he doesn't give up without a fight. He feels attracted to the Beast/Brad, even though he is not attracted to big muscular jock-type guys, because his family belittled him. There's something in those blue sapphire eyes. He represents Belle in my interpretation. Gary Gaston- The main antagonist of the story. He's vane, masochistic, and cruelly seeks out personal pleasure or desires without regard to others. He used to be Brad's protege in high school and love interest, but he betrayed Brad. He comes from a wealthy background as well, but while his family fortune may not compare to that of Brad, his family's influence is built on generations. He tries to rape Beau and fails due to Brad's intervention. He is my interpretation of Gaston from the Disney version. Mrs Angela Potter- She's the resident caregiver and licensed nurse at the unofficial Keller Hall, which Brad and the other students live in. She's separated from her husband. She has one young son around the age of 11-12, named Chris, who is affectionately called "Chip". She is my interpretation of Mrs. Potts, the teapot, from the Animated Disney movie. Chris "Chip" Potter- He's a talkative, spontaneous, and easily distracted brown haired young boy, who lives with his mother at Keller Hall. He suffers from ADHD and is on the Autism Spectrum. Quite intelligent, but very innocent acting and will speak without any filters about everything. He has a love of Pokemon and has several different outfits that are color coordinated to match each of the creatures. He is my interpretation of "Chip", the teacup, from the Disney version Francis Lumens- He's a blind redheaded caucasian resident of Keller Hall. He's a former high school American Football O-Line Center. Despite sharing many similarities to the Beast, he has a lot of personal antagonism against the Beast especially. He is my interpretation of Lumiere from the Disney version. Min Takato- He's a wheelchair bound Asian boy, who was a former high school baseball player. He's sympathetic to the Beast's issues. He is my interpretation of Cogsworth Paki Feathersworth - He's an effeminate Black boy without a hand. He used to be a high school gymnast. He's also sympathetic to the Beast and continual bickers with Francis. Paki's name in African-Xhosa language means "Witness", which parallel his background and his relationship to the sightless Francis. For those who know the Disney version of the character, you can guess why. He is my interpretation of the Feather duster from the Disney version aka Fifi. Warren Garcia- He's an effeminate Latino Boy with massive burn scars across half his face that he hides with makeup very well. He used to be a high school Wrestler. He shares a dismissive towards the Beast with Francis. He is my interpretation of the Wardrobe in the Disney version. Morris - He's Beau's Black freshman roommate initially, who acts as a protector and friend. He is heterosexual and has major sexual desires to the point of developing an STD during the first month of school. He's overall treats Beau like family. He's my interpretation of Maurice, Belle's father in all the incarnation. Unnamed Cook- Nothing is known so far, except he can scramble eggs, make pancakes, and can make a mean omelet ----------- Anyway, I hope this story is fun for readers as it is to me. I set it in November, so I am preparing to go whole hog on the Holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas, along with others.

The creature carries me into the building. The first room we enter is quite dark and appears to be some kind of large bedroom, the size of a studio apartment. It stank of sweat and musk. Being in college, you get used to the smell of such rooms, a lot of guys don’t always have the best hygiene or cleaning habits. However, a faint glow of a dim table light in the room illuminates the shredded remains of boxer underwear, beer cans, and several magazines with pictures of muscular guys. The faint si

Thanks for reading Chris, Yes, Beau is really lucky. A lot of girls and guys can get cornered, especially in secluded areas of college campuses, with sad results. It's not that rare. Sadly sometime, a lot of people know who probably did it, but there's no proof. As for Gary, he's been taught to get whatever he wants by any means. I can tell you without spoiling other parts of the story, it's not the last time you will see him.

Yes, wonder what or who will save him?

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16100972-openly-straight This award-winning book is something that I have heard about for years and wanted to look into. The description and premise appear very modern, contradictory in many ways as well. I had never read anything by Bill Konigsberg before, so I was unprepared for his style or choices for characters. I can honestly say that if you are a fan of a realist style for gay fiction, then you should not miss this author’s work. I went through his

Thanks for reading on, there are reasons why Gary hasn't been reported. The most obvious one is that he is a true predator; he stalks and hunts targets that either satisfy his lusts or cements his prowess as superior. I had a different interpretation for Gaston vs. the Beast for this novel, I hope readers will see what I am trying to do.

Thanks for reading, I hope the description of Brad works as an allusion to the Beast's original arrogant princely counterpart.

Bilbo would be so proud

Not chiding you specifically, just pointing out why fans of Dune series are split on the prequels (and sequels). I am a sci-fi reader, I read them all and have no issues with the new elements. Frank Herbert's writing style was very long and exposition heavy (Reading Dune is almost like reading fantasy novel series, which is one reason why I drew the comparison with LoTR), translating it to a big screen production requires a lot of interpretation. The 1980's film was an acid dream, the 2000's Sci-Fi channel mini-series was better, but it had to skip major points. Also, based on the reviews coming out, I am worried about the opposite of the 1984 film. If you try to produce Frank Herbert's Dune novels literally, you will end up with a heavy plot, missing subtle human elements embedded in the story, killing its story entertainment value, even if it becomes a Box Office hit like a Michael Bay movie. Exposition-type fiction requires movie screenplay writers to interpret humanity through the source material. My greatest fear with Hollywood's production is both extreme interpretation like the 1984 film or a literal interpretation devoid of humanity, ultimately entertainment as well. I am hoping the early reviews are off about the spectacle and problematic plot translation. ----------- Also @Ron, I prefer streaming service approach too as I also have a strong sound system. Personally, I want Dune to have a Game of Thrones treatment, 1-2 hours long movie production level standards as an episodic series. I'd pay for that at the cost of a movie each month. The book is already one part Science Fiction and Soap Opera, it makes more sense to go that route than big-screen production.

A re-interpretation of a Classic Fairy Tale: Brad Brooks has become isolated, self-destructive, and beastly to others around him. Beau Cocteau is a petite and kindhearted gay college student with no family and few friends. A chance encounter one night will begin a tale as old as time.

My name is Beau Cocteau, I think I am related to some famous French writer or something. With a name like that, it’s weird to tell people I was raised in the little town of Lake Elmo, Minnesota, which had more farm land than people and usually just one kind of people. My family like to tell people that my grandfather left France in the 1940’s and settled in the town for a quiet life, but when I dug around my grandfather’s old luggage trunks, I found his old Vichy French passport and pictures of

Brad Brooks was the quintessential American high school quarterback. He was popular and his physical beauty attracted many girls and boys in school. His muscular body was sculpted through years of strenuous strength training and careful nutrition. His glorious facial features were a testament to a combination of moisturizing lotions, grooming, and genetics. His family had enormous resources, owning the largest fracking company in Colorado, the second largest fracking oil state after Texas. For a

Brian is using a bit of the historical background Frank Herbert wrote as notes for Dune, but the stories were not written by Frank Herbert. You can tell based on the prequel books, like Butlerian Jihad, it's done in two very different styles. Brian Herbert never quite captured his father's scope or human story. It's fine science fiction, but some fans of Dune have argued that it's a cash grab by adding outside Sci-fi elements to extend the story. With Frank Herberts original writings, I hope Hollywood starts with Dune and stops at Chapterhouse of Dune: Dune Dune Messiah Children of Dune God Emperor of Dune Heretics of Dune Chapterhouse of Dune Again, I know it goes further through Brian, but Hunters and Sandworms were not originally written by Frank Herbert, they also raised new issues that haven't been resolved.

I'm hoping they give this the Peter Jackson treatment Dune is to Sci-fi what Lord of the Rings is to Fantasy; it's an epic with contemporary issues and complex characters. The original 2 Books : Dune and Dune Messiah are among the best of Science Fiction, while the sequels Children of Dune and God Emperor are thought provoking masterpieces that raised the bar even further. Frank Herbert (and to a lesser extent his son Brian) created a vibrant universe spanning thousands of years. To be honest, I am not sure if Hollywood knows what it takes to build an epic movie series anymore. Paul Atreides rise to power, his struggle with House Harkonnen, and his eventual journey to the desert requires an young actor of great talent and range, who can grow with the films. When his son Leto II comes into play in the later movies, a mirror image of Paul will be needed and that character has a lot on his shoulders. A lot of planning needs to go into play for Dune as an epic (akin to what Peter Jackson needed for LoTR), I just hope they don't half-ass it.

@James Matthews Thanks for reading my review, I think you can tell I really loved the novel. It's a true classic in every sense of the word and foundation of many things in gay literary fiction today.

https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/28580293 The most important thing for any gay fiction story is a proper ending. As a reader, I love happy endings, but I can also respect sad endings or even realistic endings. Leta Blake gave me a “complete” ending to the romantic courting and love life of Will and Patrick in this book. Everything that had happened to them has come full circle and love is finally within grasp. I know there’s a 7th book, which is longer and portends to open even more p

https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/28459278-will-patrick-meet-the-mob Will and Patrick’s relationship has heated up and the action has ratcheted up. Yes, some people will say the premise of the story was outlandish, but the plot appear to have balanced off in this installment. It was a fun short reading. This book is 147 pages and approximately 4 hours long on Audible. Like the other books in the original series, it is a nice short read. Plot: Patrick is on his knees as Will’s

Well, if you want an interesting exploration of sexuality and themes about same sex love/relationships: The Boys in the Band from 2020 may hit the spot, it's on Netflix For those who have seen it, show of hands: Who thinks Alan was deeply in the closet?

Thanks for reading the review, I also just fixed the typo. If I were a professional book reviewer, I think an editor would have picked it up. I think William Di Canzio was trying to establish a meta-commentary on Forster and establish a sort of story within the story concept. I thought the book was entertaining.

Interesting, I did not know some of the gay fiction writers I read used different pen names for different genres of writing. It figures, I use different pen names on different websites, too. Reading Nealy Wagner, aka the alternative pen name Sarina Bowen (Author of HIM Series) Goodbye Paradise, it's an interesting plot, heavy emotional baggage, and deep seeded hurt/comfort gay romance. Do you guys ever wonder what other pen names your favorite authors go by?

Congratulation Krista, you deserve so much more praise than I can offer Thank you for providing entertaining and fun stories