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[skyeswriting]

Artemis

I am now moving onto a much smaller book. I want to keep reading, but I certainly don't have the stamina for another big book.

Artemis by Andy Weir

I loved The Martian, I first experienced its movie form, and the book made me love it even further. The humor, the--to my knowledge--scientific accuracy, and the way the story was presented.

I'm not expecting this to be the same, I've glanced at its contents, and it doesn't appear to be the same. For instance, The Martian was written as a series of log entries for the majority of the book, and Artemis seems to be more traditional. I'm assuming about the same level of humor, although I won't be disappointed if it's dialed back. As for a similarity, Weir likes to use maps, and for that I am very appreciative of. It helps to ground things for me.

I'm excited to read about another heroine, regardless of anything else.

[skyeswriting]

Harrow said, "But you're God."

And God said, "And I am not enough."

[skyeswriting]

Here's that bookmark.

[skyeswriting]

Gideon the Ninth

So, just finished... yeah, I'm going to need a minute, that was a lot. I'm really honestly not quite sure how I feel. I do know that I liked it. I liked it a lot.

I feel sad for both Gideon and Harrow. Gideon was still herself through to her end, locked inside somewhere deep in Harrow's mind, I'm sure, but still her teasing and sapphic self. She went out on her terms and I don't think I can fault that. She did what she could to save who she... loved? I think so.

But Harrow, it was probably the last thing she wanted, I think. Begging God to undo it. I'm unsure if she understood Gideon's motive, to save her because she was what mattered to Gideon. I'm unsure if she'll understand for a long time, feeling like all the sacrifices for her life would be worth it, she said they weren't, and Gideon added onto that sacrifice. Whether or not Harrow makes it worth it or not, is really up to her, but I hope Gideon hasn't left her forever.

So many secrets still remain too. Where did Gideon even come from? Who is in the Locked Tomb? The Emperor is dying? Who was the Gideon from 10,000 years ago? How many Lyctors are left?

I suppose I'll have to find out, won't I?

[skyeswriting]

Gideon the Ninth

Oh I'm loving this. There was a casual dueling scene, and I liked how all the different cavaliers were treating Gideon, there's a sort of awe and fear of the Ninth that's very interesting.

While I was reading it, I was so hoping Harrow would be caught watching Gideon duel, and at the very end my hope was rewarded. I'm so interested to see where this goes.

And Gideon is just so gay, I love her; and she fights dirty when she's irritated, and that just makes her feel so much like an actual person.

I'm so happy to have been gifted this book, it's been a joy.

[skyeswriting]

I have a bookmark now.

As an aside, I feel it's important that I obtain a good bookmark, something that'll last. I believe I have something lying around, but I'm unsure.

[skyeswriting]

Gideon the Ninth

I have a new book! Gideon the Ninth. I'm about five chapters into it now, and I've put a pause on reading Dune.

The author really knows how to balance her writing, there have been many good moments of levity sprinkled in between everything else. It's set in this necromancy, sci-fi universe, and it's also going with an enemies-to-lover lesbian romance (hopefully). I don't know if the romance happens in this book or the next two, but a review is "Lesbian necromancers in space!" so I'm very excited.

It's also part of a trilogy, so regardless of romance, I love Gideon, she's a sarcastic gem, and I want to keep reading about her and her dirty magazine collection.

[skyeswriting]

Welcome

Getting this out of the way, a link to my RSS feed.

This is my side blog for all my reading. Documenting my return to reading and my love for it. I'm no published author, all I've written is fanfiction and some test drafts (as of 2023), but I'm hoping to improve my skills along this journey.

Basically, what I'll be doing is sharing bits and pieces that I write, and writing about books (and other literature) that I read, not for the purpose of review, but to better my own skills and understand the process better.

My current reading list includes:

Dune, I-VI

The Locked Tomb series, I, II, III, IV

The Martian

Artemis

Aftermath

Hell Divers

The Expanse, I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX

The Hobbit

The Lord of the Rings

The Mars trilogy

Pandora's Star, Judas Unchained

The City of Ember

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Children of Time

The Book Thief

Roadside Picnic

Reminders of Him

Iron Widow

Culture Series, Iain M Banks

The Witch in the Well

Good Omens

Seveneves

The Night Shift

These aren't in any particular order.

Most importantly for me, I will be sharing my writings. I haven't truly written anything for myself in a long while, the reasons are short but emotional, and I want to recapture what writing meant to me. The last thing I wrote seriously was fan-fiction in early 2019, I believe, and I want to try my hand at completely original works. I have a few things in progress at the moment, just in the process of figuring out what I want to spend my time on.

To bring this to an end, I hope you can enjoy what I create, and maybe we'll learn some new things about literature together, who knows?

[skyeswriting]

I am truly awful at this whole bookmark business. I haven't even looked, I've just been busy. Not my fault, but still, I want a nice bookmark for this.

As an aside, I feel it's important that I obtain a good bookmark, something that'll last. I believe I have something lying around, but I'm unsure.

[skyeswriting]

It's been nearly a week and I've been itching to get started on this challenge. I thought about maybe writing entries based off of someone else's play-though, and I might be doing that, but in a more limited way. For example, making it a three-parter, or simply writing entries about the interesting moments where a story can properly develop and conclude. I'll figure it out, I'm sure. Just mulling over my options...

Personal Writing Challenge

Relatively soon, in maybe a month or two, I'm going to be active in a cooperative multiplayer game. Now with that, I plan to give myself a writing challenge, to journal from the perspective of a "character" I play.

Not that there's much of any role-play involved, hence the challenge, to add lore and create a world through writing; it's like those one-shots, books, movies, video games, that get based off of TTRPG experiences. I'll see if I can find a word for it, but I hope I've gotten my point across.

Anyway, that is what I'll be doing, so I'll have that to look forward too. I don't think I have any rules for it, any goals, it should just be a series of "log entries" that I'll post whenever I have the time to write them.

[skyeswriting]

Personal Writing Challenge

Relatively soon, in maybe a month or two, I'm going to be active in a cooperative multiplayer game. Now with that, I plan to give myself a writing challenge, to journal from the perspective of a "character" I play.

Not that there's much of any role-play involved, hence the challenge, to add lore and create a world through writing; it's like those one-shots, books, movies, video games, that get based off of TTRPG experiences. I'll see if I can find a word for it, but I hope I've gotten my point across.

Anyway, that is what I'll be doing, so I'll have that to look forward too. I don't think I have any rules for it, any goals, it should just be a series of "log entries" that I'll post whenever I have the time to write them.

[skyeswriting]

I have yet to find a bookmark, unfortunately. Then again, I haven't exactly had the time to look; but I should have a metal one somewhere, maybe in a moving box, we'll see.

As an aside, I feel it's important that I obtain a good bookmark, something that'll last. I believe I have something lying around, but I'm unsure.

[skyeswriting]

It's a little odd, having the urge to create when experiencing negetive emotions. Beautiful in a way, though, I suppose, creating when one feels like destruction is an acceptable response. But, as a way to process those emotions... I'm not sure it's the most healthy for myself. As a way to express those emotions? I've not found anything better; there's just something about it, y'know?

Maybe I'll do some reading, research if it's the best course of action to write, draw, etc. when having negetive emotions, as a way of processing said emotions.

[skyeswriting]

Dune, First Impressions Pt.2

I've read two more little sections now, a scene with Reverend Mother, and another with the Baron.

Addressing them in order, I think I appreciate what the 2021 film did, given the denseness of the scene in the book. The dialogue is wonderful, surprisingly snappy (given the length of the book), and once again, information dense. We learn some basic history of the Bene Gesserit, Paul gets to flex deductive reasoning, and an interesting contrast between the book and movie, Paul is very early made aware of the concept of the Kwisatz Haderach.

In addition, there's a bit about selective breeding, based on the skills of the mind, if I remember correctly. The Bene Gesserit keeps genealogical records of its members, they do this to assess the risk of pairing its members with their own families. They also do this to try and produce spiritually stronger offspring, seemingly trying to eventually breed the Kwisatz Haderach. It's very... I'm not sure, a gross concept? Intriguing nonetheless, however, for a religious group set in a very far future.

But now then, the Baron. He's much grosser in the book, the way that he talks is very lewd and very greedful. He treats Piter, his Mentat, as a sort of functioning, human, "sex" robot. Less than human, but more than a object; which also somewhat seems how people treat Mentats in general.

The primary function of this scene was to tell who the important players are in the eventualness of the fall of House Atreides. The Doctor, Yueh, who is the actual actor for the betrayal. Lady Jessica, being used as a red herring. I'm curious to see how this will play out in the book, because this was left out of the movies. What I wasn't expecting to learn, is that the Sardaukar will be dressed as the Harkonnens; now it makes sense, the Emporer doesn't want to be implicated, so he'll have his army dressed as the Harkonnens.

Oh, and also, based on Leto's letter to the Baron, man's got a little sass in him.

Anyway, it'll be a little bit before I can read any more, I have other things lined up for a short while.

[skyeswriting]

Wow. It launched. And it sure launched fast. I tried to watch the first attempt, but unfortunately, it was only an attempt. Now this? I feel... awestruck with possibilities for future space exploration, I want this. I'm so happy I can be here for this, it's been long overdue, and I can't wait for Artemis 3.

Artemis 1

Currently watching NASA's live stream on youtube; last I was aware, they are working to fix an intermittent valve leak, the countdown is a few minutes over an hour until the launch.

[skyeswriting]

Artemis 1

Currently watching NASA's live stream on youtube; last I was aware, they are working to fix an intermittent valve leak, the countdown is a few minutes over an hour until the launch.

[skyeswriting]

As an aside, I feel it's important that I obtain a good bookmark, something that'll last. I believe I have something lying around, but I'm unsure.