#& Luminous (Left)

[luminlunii]

Take this illustration thing I did in under a few hours because even god quivers before me as I work at the speed of light due to hyperfixation.

I did this while I was sick btw

[majunju]

dance partner

[cirkkaa]

Carmen Dei

[nellasbookplanet]

Book recs: Queer science fiction, part 1

There is a lot of queer sf out there, and I read a lot of sf. When I started working on this list, I quickly realized it was impossible to include all that I've read and enjoyed in one single rec post. Thus, this is the first of so far three queer sci-fi book rec posts.

A note: queer here does not necessarily mean "guarantee of an f/f or m/m ship with a happy ending", but rather simply a significant presence of queerness. Some of the books feature no romance but has a same gender attracted/trans/a-spectrum lead, or features an m/f relationship with bisexual, trans or aro/ace characters, or simply features a world-building which is heavily queer inclusive in ways that don't always compare to our own ideas of sexuality and gender. I have however disqualified works where the only queer presence is along the lines of "gay best friend" or a blink and you'll miss it confirmation that never comes up again.

Previous book rec posts:

Really cool fantasy worldbuilding, really cool sci-fi worldbuilding, dark sapphic romances, mermaid books, vampire books, many worlds: portal fantasies, many worlds: alternate timelines, robots and artificial intelligences, post- and transhumanism, alien intelligences

For more details on the books, continue under the readmore. Titles marked with * are my personal favorites. And as always, feel free to share your own recs in the notes!

The Light Brigade by Kameron Hurley*

Dietz is a soldier in the war between Earth and Mars - to travel to the battle front, she and her fellow soldiers are broken down into light to be able to quickly travel across space. But something keeps going wrong with Dietz's travels; her memories don't match up with the mission briefs, as she experiences time itself turning in on itself. Is she going mad? Or are the things she's learning skipping through time the truth - and the war that's stealing her life the lie? A mindfuck of a book that's scathing in its critique of fascism and war. Features a sapphic lead but no romance.

A Psalm for the Wild-Built (Monk and Robot duology) by Becky Chambers

Novella. Long ago, robots, upon gaining sentience, simply laid down their work and walked into the wilderness. Long after, a tea monk looking for purpose follows after them into the wilds, where they come across one of the robots seeking its own sort of answers. While not plotless, this story focuses more on character and vibes over plot. Also has a nonbinary main character and features conversations on gender between human and robot.

Meet Me In Another Life by Catriona Silvey*

Thora and Santi are strangers, brought together by a coincidence and torn apart just as abruptly when tragedy strikes. But this is neither the first nor the last time they meet - again and again they encounter each other, as friends, lovers, enemies, family, every time recognizing in each other a familiarity no one else carries. But with every new life, a mysterious danger grows ever closer, forcing them to find out the truth of their connection. This is a puzzle-box of a story that goes some entirely unexpected places in a very wild ride, featuring a bisexual co-lead.

The Archive Undying (The Downworld Sequence) by Emma Mieko Candon

In a world where AI gods sometimes lose their minds and take entire populations down with them, Sunai was the only survivor when his god went down. In the 17 years since, he has wandered on his own, unable to either die or age, drowning his sorrows in drink and men. But his attempts to flee his past comes to a stop as he is forced back into the struggle between man and machine. Featuring some pretty wild world building and narrative techniques, this book will definitely confuse you, but it is worth the experience.

The Paradox Hotel by Rob Hart

January Cole works security at the Paradox Hotel, last stop for tourists heading for the timeport, which allows them to travel to and witness any moment in time. But years of proximity to the timeport has left its damage on January, making her unstuck in time, letting her relive memories of her dead lover even as her sanity slips away bit by bit. As she starts witnessing proof of a horrible crime in the hotel that no one else can see, January must race against her own mind, a killer, and time itself to solve it before it's too late.

A Fractured Infinity by Nathan Tavares

Hayes Figueiredo is a struggling film-maker who wants to finish his documentary, whose life gets turned upside down when handsome physicist Yusuf Hassan enters his life, claiming an alternate version of him is a great inventor who’s sent a mysterious device to their universe. As Hayes gets drawn deeper into the conspiracy - and his feelings for Yusuf intensify - he has to decide just how far he’s prepared to go to win the life and the love he wants. Featuring a very gay and very morally dubious lead, this is a creative and strange read.

Bridge by Lauren Beukes

When she was little, Bridge and her mother Jo used to play a game - one where they traveled to other worlds, inhabiting the bodies of their other selves. Now Jo is dead, and as Bridge is cleaning out her apartment she finds a strange device: a dreamworm, the very thing that supposedly makes inter-dimensional travel possible. Suddenly faced with the possibility that multiverse travel is real, Bridge is struck by a different question: could her mother still be alive? Scifi spiced with a healthy dose of body horror and some absolutely wild twists, Bridge also features a bisexual lead (however this is a blink and you’ll miss it moment) and a nonbinary co-narrator.

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers series) by Becky Chambers

Rosemary Harper just got a job on the motley crew of the Wayfarer, a spaceship that works with tunneling new wormholes through space. With a past she wants to leave behind, Rosemary is happy to travel the far reaches of the universe with the chaotic crew, but when they land the job of a life time, things suddenly get a lot more dangerous. A bit of a tumblr classic in its day, this is a cozy space opera with an episodic feel and vividly realized characters and cultures. While pretty light on romance and focusing found family, there is a main f/f relationship.

An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon

Life on the lower decks of the generation ship HSS Matilda is hard for Aster, an outcast even among outcasts, trying to survive in a system not dissimilar to the old antebellum South. The ship's leaders have imposed harsh restrictions on their darker skinned people, using them as an oppressed work force as they travel toward their supposed Promised Land. But as Aster finds a link between the death of the ship's sovereign and the suicide of her own mother, she realizes there may be a way off the ship.

Ninefox Gambit (The Machineries of Empire trilogy) by Yoon Ha Lee*

Military space opera where belief and culture shape the laws of reality, causing all kinds of atrocities as empires do everything in their power to force as many people as possible to conform to their way of life to strengthen their technology and weapons. It’s also very queer, with gay, lesbian and trans major characters, albeit little to no romance.

The Left Hand of Darkness (Hainish Cycle) by Ursula K. Le Guin

1969 classic. Genly Ai is an emissary sent to the planet of Winter, meant to help facilitate Winter's inclusion in a growing intergalactic civilization. But he's unprepared for Winter's citizens, who spend much of their time genderless or switching between genders, making for a culture wildly different from that Genly is used to.

Too Like the Lightning (Terra Ignota series) by Ada Palmer*

Centuries in the future, humanity has deliberatly engineered society to be as utopian as possible, politically, socially, sexually, religiously. Written in an enlightenment style and featuring questions of human nature and whether it’s possible to change it, and what price we’re prepared to pay for peace, this book is simultaneously very heavy and very funny, and written in a very unique style. While still human, the society presented often feels starkly alien.

The Stars Are Legion by Kameron Hurley

This book fucked me up when I read it. It’s weird, it’s gross, there’s So Much Viscera, there are literally no men, it has living spaceships and biotech but in the most horrific way imaginable. Had I to categorize it I would call it grimdark military sf. It’s an experience but not necessarily a pleasant one.

The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling*

Possibly one of the most unsettling books I’ve ever read, and definitely the most claustrophobic. Gyre, a caver on an alien planet, ventures into the dark and dangerous underground, guided only by a woman who has no compunctions on using and manipulating Gyre as she sees fit to obtain her secretive goals down in the caves.

Escaping Exodus (Escaping Exodus series) by Nicky Drayden

While my feelings on Escaping Exodus were mixed, it cannot be denied that the dynamic between the two leads and the way they go from childhood best friends to enemies on different sides of a class and power struggle is very delicious. It also features some really cool worldbuilding of living, alien generation spaceships and the human culture that has developed inside them.

The Doors of Eden by Adrian Tchaikovsky*

The Doors of Eden is something of an experiment in speculative biology, featuring versions of Earth in which various different species were the one to rise to sentience, from dinosaurs to neanderthals. Now, something is threatening the existence of all timelines, dragging multiple different people and species into the struggle, among those a pair of cryptid hunting girlfriends and a transgender scientist.

Ascension by Jacqueline Koyanagi

Ascension follows Alana Quick, an expert Sky Surgeon who stows away on a spaceship in hopes of landing herself a job. But the ship and its crew are in deeper waters than she expected, facing threats emerging from a whole other universe, all of them searching for the same person: Alana’s spiritually enlightened sister. Undeniably a bit of an odd read, Ascension is also very creative and features polyamorous lesbian relationship.

Contagion (Contagion duology) by Erin Bowman*

Young adult. After receiving an SOS, a small crew is sent on a standard search-and-rescue mission. But what they find are not survivors awaiting help, but an abandoned site, full of dead bodies and crawling with something... monstrous. No romance, but features one sapphic co-lead and one who can easily be read as demisexual (however this doesn't show up until book two, which has more romance).

A Memory Called Empire (Texicalaan duology) by Arkady Martine

Mahit Dzmare is an ambassador sent to the center of the multi-system Teixcalaanli Empire, where she discovers that her predecessor has died. Trying to protect her home, an independent mining station, from being taken over by the empire, Mahit struggles to find out the truth of her predecessor's death while carrying the voice of his ghost in her head, guiding her as best he can. Light on the romance but does feature a sapphic relationship.

The Outside (The Outside trilogy) by Ada Hoffman*

AKA the book the put me in an existenial crisis. Souls are real, and they are used to feed AI gods in this lovecraftian inspired scifi where reality is warped and artifical gods stand against real, unfathomable ones. Autistic scientist Yasira is accused of heresy and, to save her eternal soul, is recruited by post-human cybernetic ‘angels’ to help hunt down her own former mentor, who is threatening to tear reality itself apart. Sapphic main character.

Dawn (Xenogenesis trilogy) by Octavia E. Butler*

After a devestating war leaves humanity on the brink of extinction, survivor Lilith finds herself waking up naked and alone in a strange room. She’s been rescued by the Oankali, who have arrived just in time to save the human race. But there’s a price to survival, and it might be humanity itself. Absolutely fucked up I love it I once had to drop the book mid read to stare at the ceiling and exclaim in horror at what was going on. Queer in the sense that the Oankali doesn't follow human ideas of gender and relationships, which is mirrored in their romantic relationships with humans. It is, however, pretty dark, with examinations of agency and consent, so enter with caution.

Remnant by Kate Genet

One day, Cass wakes up and finds everyone else is gone. Not dead, just gone, leaving her in a world which nature starts taking back with a dangerous, unnatural speed. But as she tries to survive this new normal, Cass realizes she may not be alone after all - but who else is out there, and are they a threat?

The Scorpion Rules (Prisoners of Peace duology) by Erin Bow*

Young Adult. Featuring a dystopian future in which an AI forcibly keeps world peace by holding the children of world leaders hostage. If anyone attempts to start a war, their child will be executed. Greta is one of these children, kept in a school with others like her. But things start to change one day when a new, less obedient hostage arrives. A unique, slowburn take on the YA dystopian craze, also featuring a bisexual love triangle.

Iron Widow (Iron Widow series) by Xiran Jay Zhao

Young adult. Zetian is a citizen of Huaxia, where mecha aliens are constantly trying to breach the Great Wall. To keep them at bay, couples of men and women pilot so called Chrysalises, giant transforming robots. But the pilots are not equal - the women almost always die, sucked dry by their co-pilots. When Zetian sets herself up to become a concubine-pilot, she does so with the plan to assassinate the male pilot who caused her sister's death. Features a polyamorous main relationship.

Bonus AKA I haven't read these yet but they seem really cool:

Survival Instincts by May Dawney

Lynn Tanner has been surviving the post-apocalypse alone with only her dog for a long time, trusting no one. But when she's forced to travel the dangerous remains of New York City alongside another woman, her priorities are challenged. Is staying alone really the best way to stay alive?

These Burning Stars by Bethany Jacobs

When con-artist Jun Ironway gets her hands on possible proof of the powerful Nightfoot family, controllers of interplanetary travel, committing genocide, she has in her hands a chance of taking them and their monopoly down. But the family and their allies won't go down easily, and sends two brutal clerics to stop her.

Everfair by Nisi Shawl

A neo-victorian alternate history, in which a part of Congo was kept safe from colonisation, becoming Everfair, a safe haven for both the people of Congo and former slaves returning from America. Here they must struggle to keep this home safe for them all.

[magnoliagrey]

"Were that not the case... I'd love to hug you too"

Literally could not sleep until I drew this xx Hoyoverse let them hug you cowards.

(Please don't repost and click for better quality!)

[maiuoart]

It's been a while since I drew this Edgelord--

Regal is very royal; Normally I don't draw him with a smile, but have this.

As a treat. ♥

[averaillisa]

#aprilluc Day 5: Chest

Just found out about the #Aprilluc 2024 prompt list on Twitter and rushed this out before the day ended! I'm gonna try to do as many as I can >w<

[sunnyvaiprion]

Goddess

[cyanophen]

Is Lumine also a giant?

when I first made this AU, I did think about it, but I decided not to bc it would be more angsty

bonus:

[rhineposting]

so about the last part of that event

[qaanngi]

Old-ish sketches I still really like ✨💠

[ohshitiforgor]

Dain. Where the fuck are you. Where are you Dain.

[just-someone-online]

Hey Hugtan, I think you forgot somebody

[kavehsclaymore]

Traces we Left

an 4nemo smau

DISC 1 - Track 2 : Watch this!

You laugh as you look at your phone's notifications. You're seated on the couch in your living room, warm in your sweater and fuzzy socks, and full still from the dinner you and Kuni cooked earlier. Silly as her initial tweet was, Lumine is right: this happens every year when Kuni visits you for Lantern Rite. Like clockwork, the moment he's seen at the airport beside you, photos and rumors begin circulating online; and like always, you both ignore and deny the dating rumors. But this year you stirred the pot yourself, so to speak - and this way, it's clear to fans and the media both that you're aware of the situation, and that you know how to handle it light-heartedly. Beside you, Kunikuzushi lets out what almost sounds like a grumble as his phone buzzes for what must be the upteenth time tonight. "You couldn't have waited for me to warn my PR team?" He asks this with a stoic face, but there's no real bite in his voice. He shoots a text to someone (probably his manager Jean - just to assure her that yes, you and he are still "just friends") - and then shoves his phone into his pocket, and promptly stretches himself out on the couch, using your lap like a footrest. "Put these away," you joke, poking at his socks, but he merely arches a brow at you. "If you don't, I'm snapping pics and selling them online. Your 5wirls will go crazy."

Kuni rolls his eyes.

"I'm wearing socks, nobody would buy them. And aren't you my #1 5wirlie?" he reminds you. "So wouldn't that include you?"

"I've seen your toes for free since third grade. So I don't count." You shove his feet off your lap, but he only shoves them under your thighs instead. You shoot a playful glare at him. "They aren't even that pretty."

He lets out an amused scoff.

"Wow, when did you become such a toe connoisseur?"

Now it's your turn to scoff. "Okay, listen... I didn't mean it that way."

"Sure."

"Shut up."

Your eyes meet, and you stay comfortably like that for a little while, simply staring into each other's eyes. His are a very unique shade of blue, almost a light purple in the right lighting. Like right now -- in the ambiance of your living room, lit up only by the lamp in the far corner, and bathed in moonlight besides that, they're a soft lilac shade that reminds you of midnight glaze lilies.

He is the first one to break away. He sticks his tongue out at you and then turns his head towards the window across the room. You lean back against the soft plushness of the cushions and start aimlessly scrolling through your social media accounts, ignoring the constant notifications popping up.

"I've been thinking..." He starts.

"Must be hard for you," you say with mock sympathy. He kicks you lightly.

"I've been thinking about my future," he says. You blink, and take a better look at his face. The expression he's wearing... It's a little wistful, and his brow is furrowed. You realize this is something he must have been giving a lot of thought lately, so you silence your phone and put it down beside you.

"Sorry for teasing you," you apologize gently. "Go on."

He waits for a few moments, watching the branches on the tree outside sway in the breeze against the backdrop of the night sky, before finally speaking again.

"I don't have any interest in a college degree, unlike some of my bandmates," he said. "But when 4nemo breaks up someday... What do I want to do after that?" He shakes his head. "I haven't had an answer to that for a long time."

Your breath hitches. "So... Are you saying you don't want to continue singing if that happens?"

He turns and looks at you with an inscrutable expression on his face. You almost want to squirm under his gaze, it's so intense.

"I didn't say that," he says slowly. Your heart beats quicker, relief pouring through your veins in spite of yourself -- and when he pulls his feet back and sits up, you do, too, putting your hands in your lap. "I know what I want. Or, at least, what I want to do next."

You tilt your head, urging him to continue. His eyes follow the movement.

"I promised I'd write a song someday," he says. "But I'll do better than that, because I can. I'm going to release an album."

You feel your heart in your throat now, and your eyes widen.

"A solo album?" You ask, and you can't keep the excitement from trickling into your voice when he nods. Kuni picks up on it (because of course he does) and smirks at you.

"You can do lyric work on the next one," he promises. "I know that's what you're studying for, anyways."

You feel your eyes bugging out of your head -- Next one, there's gonna be a next one?? you think wildly -- but you catch the unmistakable drawl at the end of his sentence.

"But...?" you prompt him.

"But," he says, looking into your eyes, "This one is all me. I'm going to say what I've always wanted to. So... Don't look away, okay?"

You open your mouth to speak, but just then, his phone rings. You purse your lips; Kuni actually groans as he pulls the phone from his pocket.

"Great timing, Jean..." he mumbles sarcastically. He answers, and moves to stand and take the call in another room, but you reach out and tug on the bottom of his long-sleeved sweatshirt. He stops and looks at you.

"I won't," you promise. "I won't look away. And sign my copy first!"

He huffs, but his lips tug upwards into the smallest of smiles. He then walks away, muttering into his phone in soft tones to not disturb others in the house, leaving you to sit and process the news.

A solo album.... His first solo album... Wow. And he told you first. (Maybe he's talked about it with his fellow 4nemo members, you think - but then you remember the intensity of his gaze, and know without a shadow of a doubt that he wouldn't have. This was personal to him.)

You wonder now, as you turn to face the window, watching the branches sway outside -- with the flickering of a bygone image teasing at the edges of your memory -- if he knows just how much his words means to you.

a/n: :x i didn't plan for the album thing to happen so soon but uh..... sometimes the plot guides itself lolol.

Summary: As your final semester in university begins, your childhood friend-turned international idol Kunikuzushi decides to make good on the promise he made to you all those years ago.

He's going to write you a song.

Scaramouche/Wanderer x gn!y/n

ALBUM: Traces we Left

prev | masterlist | next

Credits: Y/N's circle || Kuni's circle

DISC 1:

Track 1 | ▶ Playing Now: Track 2 | Track 3 | Track 4 | Track 5 | Track 6 | Track 7 | Track 8 | Track 9 | Track 10

DISC 2:

Track 11 | Track 12 | Track 13 | Track 14 | Track 15 | Track 16 | Track 17 | loading....

((message to be added to taglist))

taglist: @misfireezreal @crowbird @i5yanfei

[paimonial-rage]

Thank you so much for sharing 'Wisdom of the Enneagram' with us. It's so interesting learning about the different types in depth and helpful for analyzing characters!

Recently, I've been trying to pinpoint the traveler. Do you have any thoughts on Aether's enneagram type? (#3) Thank you in advance <3

I'm answering this out of order because oh my God I did not think anyone actually paid attention to those tags HAHA. I can't believe you actually looked up that book I am honestly like both impressed and flattered. It is a super helpful book to understanding characters and their motivations.

[Character Analysis Ask Meme]

What is Aether's enneagram type?

Analysis below!

I'm going to answer your question in a more train of thought process because the Traveler is a really interesting character. They're meant to be a faceless character we can project ourselves on, but they certainly do have a personality. That being said, do we know enough about their personality to be able to pinpoint an ennea? If I have to be honest with you, I don't have a set idea of what they can be.

The best way to do process of elimination with ennea is to focus on the triads. What is their core emotion? Shame (heart triad), fear (head triad), or anger (gut triad)? Do they have issues with identity (heart triad), security/anxiety (head triad), or autonomy/control (gut triad)?

The hard thing about the Traveler is that the only time they show emotion is when it has to do with their sibling. But what else do we know about them? They don't like being tricked. They don't like being obligated to do things out of the goodness of their heart. They're friendly. They like cracking jokes. They like playing around.

I think, with what we're given, we can throw the heart triad out right from the start. The traveler shows no signs of shame. They have no issues with their self-image. Based upon their bond with their twin and Paimon, the answer seems to lean the most to wanting support and guidance. But can it be said their core emotion is fear? Could it possibly be anger instead?

Unfortunately I'm going to have to cheat a bit here and go based purely off of my knowledge of actual people and their types. If the traveler is a head type, the only type they can be is a 7. 5 and 6 simply are not their vibe. They'd probably be a 7w8. That being said, a 7's core aspects do not match that of the Traveler as seen above.

If the Traveler is a gut type, the only types they can be is a 9w8 or a 1w9. Simply put, they are not aggressive enough to be an 8. The argument for 9w8 is that... well... this type I fall to when most other types don't match. HAHA A 9w8 is primarily peace seeking, but won't hesitate to fight and assert themselves if they see the need to. The core aspects of a 9 match as well, as seen below.

The argument for 1w9, though, and also the one I'm leaning more towards is that 1s are very judgmental. And the Traveler is extremely judgmental. LOL 9w8s literally don't care. Just leave them alone. 1s, on the other hand, typically have superiority complexes. LOL Not to say that the Traveler does, but I digress. Unlike 9s, the Traveler does not hesitate to judge. They are self-driven and won't hesitate to make decisions based upon what they feel to be right. That being said, the core aspects do not match, at least with what we know of the Traveler currently.

So those are my picks as to their possible type. I am leaning more towards 1w9, even though we don't have enough canon evidence to support it. Probably a 1w9 so/sx. But if we go based off of canon evidence, they'd probably be a 9w8.

[kaelumizine]

1 week left for Contributor Apps!

We got about a week left before Contributor Apps close for "Frostwind Star", a free, digital-only, and SFW KaeLumi fanzine! Deadline is November 17th!