Guest blogger Misa Buckley on Shapeshifters in Sci Fi

When people hear the word “shapeshifters”, most automatically think of werewolves. Almost everyone thinks of them being a staple of the paranormal novel.

But what is a shapeshifter? A basic definition would be someone (or something) that can shift its shape. Vampires shift into bats. Transformers can shift from vehicle to robot. Wait, what? Well, that’s true, isn’t it? But how many consider an Autobot a shapeshifter? I doubt you do.

Yet shapeshifters do exist in science fiction, however they are few and far between, which I think is both a shame and a lost opportunity. Shapeshifters offer great possibilities. Not just as potential enemies, like the T2000, but also as allies.

Sadly, the only example I can think of where a shapeshifter had a major, recurring role in sci fi is Star Trek DS9’s Odo. Not even my favourite shows Stargate SG-1 and Farscape had them (though maybe one could argue Maldis shifted shape). Stargate Atlantis came the closest with the human form Replicators, but otherwise the genre is shockingly short on shifters.

This was the reason that I wanted an alien shifter as the love interest when I started writing STAR ATTRACTION – it was time to bring shifters to sci fi.

For Raul, and others of his species, being able to shift to look like other beings is a defence mechanism, which they use like camouflage when observing different races. However, this peculiarity is used by a parasitic race to enslave Raul’s species and then spread their own kind across the galaxy, making the shifting ability a negative.

To find out what happens to Raul, you’ll have to read STAR ATTRACTION. Or you could win an e-book format of your choice if you tell me what other paranormal/fantasy staple you’d like to see represented in the sci fi genre.

Blurb: Observatory tour guide Megan Shaw has always had stars in her eyes, so when she all but runs down the otherworldly Raul, she barely blinks. It doesn’t hurt that Raul is hot – whether in his human form or his natural one – and that there’s an immediate mutual attraction.

But Raul is on the run from his alien overlords and soon Megan finds herself fighting against a foothold situation with nothing more than a couple of cattle prods and Muse for soundtrack.

However Earth is not the only planet at risk and with his species desperate to escape generations of oppression, will Raul’s loyalties shift as easily as his physical appearance?

Bio: Misa Buckley is a sci fi geek who escapes the craziness of raising five children by creating imaginary characters who experience adventure, romance and really hot sex on their way to happily-ever-after. You can keep up to date with Misa’s latest news by following her on Twitter (@MisaBuckley) or at her website (www.misabuckley.com), and you can check out her many books on AMAZON.