The LGBT+ Fantasy Bundle - Curated by Melissa Scott

Two years ago, I asked the folks at StoryBundle if I could do a queer fantasy bundle to celebrate Pride. The next year, I asked if I could do it again, only with science fiction, and both times they were happy to oblige. This year, I'm back with yet another queer-themed bundle to celebrate Pride month. I'm focussing on fantasy again this year, and, as in both previous years, there has been an embarrassment of riches. Some of my favorite authors have new work, and I found a bunch more who were new to me, and whose work is intelligent, sensitive, nuanced, and queer. As always, there was no easy way to winnow things down.

So I've made some arbitrary decisions. The first one was the easiest: no stories in which being queer means you're evil, and none 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're more likely to be overlooked than books from the mainstream houses. I've also chosen several anthologies, on the theory that they offer extra bang for your buck: they all contain multiple writers, many of whom were new to me, and thus extra chances for you to find new favorites, and I've included some single-author collections. After all, not every writer worth reading works at novel length. I've also included a work of interactive fiction, The Eagle's Heir, from Choice of Games, which offers a fascinating way to explore sexuality and gender disguised as a high-flying steampunk adventure.

This is admittedly an extremely eclectic group. You'll find short stories and novels (and, as I mentioned, a game); you'll find contemporary werewolves and steampunk, dark Edwardian fantasy and stories that draw on myths ancient and modern, a "year's best collection," a year's worth of Glittership, and a wildly diverse collection of pirates. What they have in common is queer visions, visions that celebrate our multitudes, all written by authors at the very top of their game. You'll find diverse characters, an equally diverse range of styles, and stories that will hold you entranced until the very last word.

I don't claim this is the (or even "a") definitive LGBT+ collection. We've come too far, and the field is far too large, for anyone to claim that. What I can promise is that this is a celebration of queerness, a range of stories that shows off some of the best writers working fantasy 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

For StoryBundle, you decide what price you want to pay. For $5 (or more, if you're feeling generous), you'll get the basic bundle of four books in any ebook format—WORLDWIDE.

• Scourge of the Seas of Time (and Space) by Catherine Lundoff
• Underdogs by Geonn Cannon
• Transcendent 3 edited by Bogi Takács
• Sea, Swallow Me by Craig Laurance Gidney

If you pay at least the bonus price of just $15, you get all four of the regular books, plus SIX more!

• Wireless and More Steam-Powered Adventures by Alex Acks
• GlitterShip Year Two by Keffy R.M. Kehrli
• Skin Deep Magic by Craig Laurance Gidney
• Underdogs 2: Beware of Wolf by Geonn Cannon
• The Eagle's Heir by Jo Graham and Amy Griswold
• Spectred Isle by KJ Charles

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 press@storybundle.com.