01. For starters, I’d like you to help me define gay speculative fiction. Is it speculative fiction with gay characters or are they gay stories with a touch of fantasy literature?
SB: Arguably, both. The easier question is what makes a good gay spec fic story. The fantastical elements should compliment the gay themes and characters. It’s much like creating cuisine – you don’t want any single ingredient to overpower the others. Being gay is akin to being the “outsider” – a role that befalls many protagonists in fantastic literature.
02. In Brazil, gay characters and Love stories exist, but there is not enough volume to mark the appearance of a subgenre, like it seems to be the case for other markets. What is the market for this ‘genre’ of literature in your country?
SB: In the United States, gay-oriented titles are still rather uncommon. More American women than men read books, so you are seeing a growing number of titles that can appeal beyond the usual gay readership. That said, I think a great book creates “ripples of readership” within the marketplace; the inner circles are an author’s intended readers, but the outer rings are ones he never expected. Vintage originally written for gay teenage readers, but I know many gay adult or straight females who have enjoyed the book.
03. I see in gay films a problem of repetition of dilemmas. There is always somebody who fights with their best friend when discovering their own sexuality, suffers from prejudice in the family, falls for the straight guy in collage, has a friend who is HIV positive. Sometimes all the problems in the same package, in 1 hour and a half. In literature, do you think gay life is handled more broadly?
SB: I think there is a growing movement in books to portray being gay is not always as simple or stereotyped as mass media presents. In Wilde Stories 2009, which I edited, there are guys who are coming out at age 40 and feel lost in typical gay culture, homicide detectives who deal with homophobia, and even Muslim characters in an Arabian Nights milieu.
04. In Vintage, your main character is a gay youngster who attempted suicide. Was it hard to work on the psychological aspect of the character? Does the horror element help you?
SB: The saddest part of working on Vintage involved the death of one of my draft readers—he was only 14 years old and hung himself in his closet due to depression and experiencing homophobia at school. 14 years old… it was a tragedy that affected me greatly. Some of the book’s narrator is based on this boy.
I think we all have periods of dark thoughts, of self-destructive impulses, and I tried to incorporate these and show that giving in to depression is not the answer.
05. Talk a little about Icarus your new magazine.
SB: Well, I do love reading good gay speculative fiction. It just seemed like the next evolution for my press (Lethe Press / lethepressbooks.com) to start publishing a quarterly magazine devoted to such tales. The goal is to have something special, colorful, and fun for gay men—and introduce them to stories that feature a bit of weirdness and whimsy. The newest issue, special for Halloween, just released. Where else will you find cartoons, vampire erotica, gossip, and a tale about San Francisco in the future.
I would love to see some Brazilian authors submit their work—right now it’s about American-centric, but I’d love to read a fantastic tale set during Carnivale.
06. For those who want to learn more about what is currently produced in Urban Gay Fantasy or even Urban Fantasy, which names would you recommend to get started?
SB: Some of my favorite authors are Holly Black, Cassandra Clare, Ellen Kushner, and Lee Thomas. They all have gay content, of differing amounts, and their stories are captivating and vivid.
(versão em português abaixo)