JACQUI GREAVES
  • Home
  • About
  • Stories
    • Flashes and Snippets >
      • Madame Baderschmitt’s Sweet Emporium
      • Touch
      • Familiar
      • Three Wishes
      • Resurrection
    • Published Stories
  • Blog
  • Contact

Why Speculative Fiction?

6/1/2024

0 Comments

 
Human beings, and I expect many our hominid ancestors and relatives, have indulged in sharing speculative fiction for as long as we’ve spoken stories. We created myths and legends to explain the world around us – to rationalise what we saw, felt, heard, tasted, and smelled. We’ve always speculated about things that lie beyond our understanding. It’s in our very nature to ask, ‘What if?’

We love reading speculative fiction. According to Wikipedia – if we ignore religious texts (I have thoughts), comics and textbooks, and add Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings (reportedly over 120 million copies sold in different formats) – 5 of the 8 best-selling books of all time are speculative fiction (and, yes, this is a western-centric assessment).

When we engage with speculative fiction, we’re not just entertained, we’re taken on a journey into the unknown. It allows us to indulge our desire for the extraordinary. It’s an invitation to dream and question.

Speculative fiction offers us an opportunity to interrogate the real world from a safe distance. We can investigate what it means to be human. Most of the stories in ‘Letters From Elsewhere’, my collection of speculative short stories, explore what it means to be monstrous. What better way to do that than from the perspective of a so-called monster. Who was more monstrous – Mary Shelley’s Dr Frankenstein or the monster the he created?

Another favourite character of mine, who offers a unique perspective on humanity, is the cyborg, Murderbot (The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells). Much of Murderbot’s understanding of humanity comes from streaming soap operas, but when they work alongside actual living humans the reality is quite different. Through internal, and often comedic, dialogue, Murderbot provides a running commentary on the dangers of human emotions and how they compromise our motives and behaviours.

Through speculative fiction, we can hold a mirror up to ourselves in a manner that isn’t dangerous or confronting but gets to the truth of who we are. It allows us to confront our deepest fears, desires, hopes and wildest dreams from within the safety of fictitious construct.

Think of how ground-breaking ‘The Left-Hand of Darkness’ (Ursula le Guin) was in challenging the concept of binary sexuality, and ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ (Margaret Atwood) was in exploring the rise of fundamentalism. Both books brutally critiqued society. That’s what speculative fiction can do.

Sometimes, the answer to ‘What if?’ isn’t happy. I wrote ‘Rose Moon’ in response to the election of Trump as President of the USA. I imagined a human world darkened by repression, cruelty, environmental damage, and religious extremism – tragically, that didn’t turn out to be the speculative component of the novella!

In the upcoming ‘Ghost Assassins of Bijou’ collection of novellas, I’m delving into misogyny, repression and the patriarchy. To lighten the tone, I’m telling the stories in the form of a Space Opera with humour woven through the prose. The messages are no less confronting, they’re just delivered in a more palatable package.

In speculative fiction, we can imagine how different environments, technologies, or societies might alter the human experience. Speculative fiction can foster discussion about socio-political issues, encourage diverse thinking and offer concepts for technological innovation. Submarines, space travel, computers, cell phones and virtual reality all featured in speculative fiction before existing in reality.

Speculative fiction taps into our curiosity about the future, the supernatural, and the abstract possibilities that lie just beyond our reach. It’s also fun!
0 Comments

Oh to be Infamous!

4/28/2024

0 Comments

 
The best way to sell books is to already be famous or famous adjacent.

That’s my takeaway from a recent article* discussing the state of the publishing industry. And, to an extent, that’s not even true but already being famous is the best way to make money as a writer. The bigger your name and fame, the bigger your advance. This tiny portion of the writing community command 6- to 7-figure advances and 5-figure marketing budgets. The chances of a writer like me making that kind of money are about the same as winning the lottery. Not impossible, but highly unlikely. Yet, despite the odds, I keep trying on both counts.

On a recent holiday with the extended family-in-law, my accountant nephew asked how many thousands of copies of ‘Letters From Elsewhere’ I’d sold. I laughed so hard, I almost cried. Then he complained about how expensive the book was and suggested that was why it wasn’t selling. I was confused because I deliberately kept the price low to maximise sales. When he said he’d looked at it on Mighty Ape, I was even more confused, as I don’t sell through them.

Of course, I looked myself up on MA, and sure enough both my books were listed, along with ‘Remains to be Told: Dark Tales of Aotearoa’, published by Clan Destine Press. Shockingly, ‘Letters From Elsewhere’ and ‘Rose Moon’ were listed at three times the price they sell for on all the usual platforms I list on.

So, just for fun, let’s imagine someone is stupid enough to buy ‘Letters From Elsewhere’ on MA. They pay $39, MA pays $10.99 probably to Amazon, and in turn Amazon pays $1.84 to me.

Even if I do manage to sell thousands of copies, I’m not the one making the money out of my writing.

Despite the odds, I live in hope. I also buy tickets in the lottery and look for ways to become famous – or, more likely in my case, infamous! So, if my name ever pops up in the headlines for the wrong reason...just know it's a publishing ploy.

 
 
* read the article on the state of the publishing industry HERE

0 Comments

​Genre Blending

10/5/2023

1 Comment

 
I often blend genres in my stories. I don’t do it to challenge standard conventions of genre, but as an extension of the “What If?” question. What if an elf finds herself in space?  What if a Greek god finds herself in Aotearoa? What if pirates are in space and use sex as a weapon, a reward and a negotiation tool?
 
What is a genre?
Genres began when Aristotle developed an absolute classification for Greek Literature: they’ve evolved.
Today, genre is an ever-expanding way to group books. Genres are used by librarians and booksellers to group books on shelves. They’re also a strong marketing tool and set readers expectations.
Genre fiction can be broken into a multitude of categories, including: comedy; fantasy; science fiction; climate fiction; dystopia; erotica; horror; crime; thriller; historical; romance; western; war; spy; and so on…the list is ever changing.
By blending genres, we create opportunities for new ways to tell stories. For example, science fantasy: where technology and magic coexist, and space opera: where science fiction, fantasy and drama can coexist.
 
How to blend
It’s important to start with a base genre. At its core what is the plot of your story about? Once the base is established other genres can be overlaid. It’s important that the secondary genres enrich, but don’t overpower the base genre. Each element must play a part in the plot or contribute to character development.
In my collection, Letters From Elsewhere, the story, Moths to the Flame, is at its heart a science fiction story with elements of fantasy, erotica and historical fiction.
 
Why blend?
Multiple genres can add depth to the plot. Readers don’t want to just know the science in science fiction, they want to know how it impacts the characters. Characters come alive. A detective story is one thing, but what if she’s having to deal with the challenges of being married to a vampire? By blending genres, the world gets bigger. We can create a universe where everything is not as it seems.
 
But the most important thing is to write a good story. All the genres in the world won’t make up for poor character development, weak world building or a lack of plot.
1 Comment

Letters From Elsewhere

9/14/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
Letters From Elsewhere is my first published collection of short stories and is available as an ebook on all your favourite platforms.
Universal Link:
https://books2read.com/LettersFromElsewhere

For print version, search directly on your local Amazon or Barnes & Noble site.
 
Blurb
This genre-blending collection is rich in characters who aren’t always what they seem at first glance. Space pirates, Fire Elves and living grotesques take us on journeys across the multiverse and deep into the hidden crevices of the mind. These stories interrogate what it is to be monstrous; and along the way, they confront the patriarchy and explore the spectrum of sexuality. If you like your fantasy and science fiction a bit dark, laced with humour and sometimes spicy, these stories will entertain, disturb and challenge you.
​
“Jacqui Greaves titillates with this outstanding collection of speculative encounters, visits and ventures by otherworldly beings, each tale sharpening our understanding of the human condition and the tiny role we play in the universe. Cosmic, cautionary, and compelling, served up with a sprinkle of humour and a good dose of sauce, Letters from Elsewhere is a satisfyingly good read.” —Lee Murray, five-time Bram Stoker Award®-winning author of Grotesque: Monster Stories.

What inspired you to put together this collection?
I’ve been writing short stories for almost a decade now, so I’ve built up a large catalogue. Quite a few have already been published in various online magazines and anthologies, but over the years most of those publications have disappeared into the ether, leaving my stories orphaned. Others have just never found their place in the world.
Earlier this year, SpecFicNZ ran an online workshop on getting your short stories published. It got me thinking. When I went through my files, I realised I had a lot of orphaned and unpublished stories just sitting there doing nothing. So, ‘Letters From Elsewhere’ was born.
The collection covers a broad range of speculative fiction, including fantasy, science fiction, erotica and horror.
 
What on earth possessed you to mix your genres?
Honestly, I don’t set out to mix genres. I set out to ask “What if…”
Most of the stories in this collection are either fantasy or science fiction, with a few lying further afield on the spectrum of speculative fiction. A little under half incorporate explicit sex.
My genre blending is best demonstrated in the story ‘Moths to a Flame’, which has elves fucking in space – so fantasy, science fiction, erotica and a hint of historical fiction all twisted together in the space of a couple of thousand words.
I’m not afraid to include sex in my stories – after all it’s such a primal driver for humanity. I use the word erotica, because it’s a catch all, but I get frustrated when people interpret that to mean romance. The sex in my stories is not often of the romantic kind, it’s more about pleasure, and sometimes it’s weaponised. In ‘Flower Girl’ sex is used for pleasure, as a punishment, to celebrate and as a negotiation tool.
 
Does the collection have a theme?
For me the theme of the collection is ‘what it is to be monstrous.’
Are we born monstrous, or do we become monstrous? It’s not that simple. Our genes, our family, our experiences in the universe all feed into creating who we are. I believe we all have a monster lurking within. Whether that monster is unleashed on the world is a consequence of multitudes of small decisions and actions.
Several stories in this collection, e.g., ‘Persuasion’, ‘The Grotesque Wars’, ‘Please Sign the Waiver’, cause us to question who the real monster is. Often my tales are told from the perspective of someone we would consider a monster, e.g., ‘Starkiller’, ‘You are Already Dead’, ‘The Abyss’. I want my readers to sit in the monster’s skin and question their own monstrousness.
 
Most of your stories include strong female characters. Why?
I’m a feminist and a bisexual, so I naturally include strong female characters and queerness into my stories. I’m so tired of misogyny and the patriarchy – it’s just exhausting having to deal with them decade after decade. So, I write ‘What If’ stories where women rebel against expectations and oppressors get their comeuppance. Some of these stories, e.g., ‘Redundant’, have been influenced by real life.
 
You use humour to great effect. Why?
I once went to a book launch where someone else read out one of my stories. The audience were in hysterics. I was surprised because I hadn’t intended for it to be funny; it just was. That still happens, but I’m more aware of it now and use it consciously.
Some of these stories deal with big, serious issues, like death and the end of the world. By adding elements of humour, I think it makes it easier for the reader to handle these heavy subjects, while not slipping into a pit of despair.
​



0 Comments
    Find me in other places...
    Amazon
    Goodreads
    ​
    Facebook

    Mastodon
    Email

    Archives

    March 2025
    February 2025
    December 2024
    October 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    June 2023
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    July 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016

    Categories

    All
    AI
    AI Apps
    AI Bots
    AI Generated
    Angela Yuriko Smith
    Antagonist
    Antarctica
    Aotearoa
    Art
    Artificial Intelligence
    Authors
    Bad Sex
    Bad Sex Awards
    BDSM
    Becky Chambers
    Beowulf
    Book
    Book Covers
    Book Publishing
    Book Review
    Books
    Book Sales
    Brand
    Change
    Character
    Character Arc
    Character Development
    Chatbots
    ChatGPT
    Chinese Diaspora
    Chinese Mythology
    Chinese Women
    Clan Destine Press
    Coffee
    Colonialism
    Conferences
    Copyright
    Cover
    Craft
    Craft Of Writing
    Creating Monsters
    Creatives
    Creatures From The Deep
    Critique
    Critique Group
    Cuba Press
    Darkness
    Death
    Deep Sea
    Demons
    Discovery Writer
    Dystopian
    Economics
    Editing
    Edwidge Danticat
    Elves
    Emmanuelle De Maupassant
    Environments
    Erotic
    Erotica
    Evil
    Extremism
    Fantasy
    Feminism
    Feminist
    Feminist Writing
    Fiction
    Fox Spirit On A Distant Cloud
    Fundamentalism
    Fury
    Genre
    Genre Blending
    Genre-blending
    Ghost Assassins Of Bijou
    Gods
    Gods Of Fire
    Good Sex
    Grammar
    Grief
    Halloween
    Highland Pursuits
    Historical
    Hope
    Horror
    How To Write
    How To Write Sex
    Humour
    Indie
    Inspiration
    Jacqui Greaves
    Japanese
    Juliette Banks
    Kurangaituku
    Lee Murray
    Lesbian
    Lessons In Writing
    Letters From Elsewhere
    Literary
    Literary Festivals
    Lovecraft
    Lust
    Margaret Atwood
    Marketing
    Mark My Words
    Martha Wells
    Medusa
    Memory
    Mentoring
    Midsummer
    Misogyny
    Money
    Monsters
    Monstress
    New Writers
    New Zealand
    Nnedi Orokafor
    Novel
    Novella
    Novellas
    Ocean
    Paranormal
    Patriarchy
    Plot
    Plotting
    Poetry
    Pornography
    Promotion
    Prose
    Pseudonym
    Publish
    Published
    Publishing
    Publishing Industry
    Punk
    Queer
    QueerFiction
    Rachel De Vine
    Rage
    Readers
    Realms
    Rebellion
    Remains To Be Told
    Research
    Resistance
    ReWriting
    Romance
    Rose Moon
    Russian Bride
    Saga
    Sales
    Science
    Science Fantasy
    Science Fiction
    SciFi
    Scotland
    Scraping
    Self
    Self-determination
    Self Editing
    Self Publishing
    Self-publishing
    Setting
    Sex
    Sexism
    Sex Scenes
    Sexuality
    Shape-shifter
    ShortStory
    Short Story Collection
    Sidhe
    Space Opera
    Specfic
    Speculative
    Speculative Fiction
    SpeculativeFiction
    Story Arc
    Submission
    Subversive
    Subversive Writing
    Superhero
    Supernatural
    Tea
    Toni Morrison
    Travel
    Trickster
    Utopian
    Vampire
    Werewolf
    What If
    Who Am I
    Witches
    Women
    World
    World Building
    Worlds
    Writers
    Writing
    Writing Advice
    Writing As Rebellion
    Writing Erotica
    Writing Organisations
    Writing Pornography
    Writing Research
    Writing Sex
    Yamaubu

    RSS Feed

© COPYRIGHT 2015. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Home
  • About
  • Stories
    • Flashes and Snippets >
      • Madame Baderschmitt’s Sweet Emporium
      • Touch
      • Familiar
      • Three Wishes
      • Resurrection
    • Published Stories
  • Blog
  • Contact