#I really like kuang s writing

[ifeelfreewithoutmyshoes]

105 pages into Babel and I can already tell I’m gonna be thinking about this for quite a while

[permanentreverie]

how did your quick prediction before the last few pages turn out? 😃😭

I HAD A SLIGHT HUNCH AND I WAS RIGHT BUT I STILL ENDED UP SCREAMING AND CRYING

[burningthetree]

for the writing ask!

politely requesting numbers: 2, 4, 13, 21, 30, 31, 45, (i'm always looking for stuff to read) 66

i know this is so many lol i'd love to hear them all btu pick and choose ones you'd like to answer!

love you 4ever <3

Hi love! Ask and ye shall receive <3 under the cut because I ramble, I love you <3

2. A notable time a narrative / character has looked me dead in the eyes and said “fuck your plan, here’s what we’re actually doing”

Either one of my long fics to be honest. When I started writing fmn, it was supposed to be a 10k one-shot and turned into a 150k monster. When I started writing s&w, it was supposed to be 50k, and we’re at 124k and I’m halfway through now. In fmn, I blame Bokuto. In s&w, I blame Kuroo and Iwaoi, because they introduced these ridiculous side-plots that were never meant to be there. And in s&w, I also blame Atsumu, because turns out that he’s more fun to write than I originally thought. They all raised their middle fingers at me and are so mean actually

4. the plot bunny I’ve been carrying for the longest? Bonus: Do you ever wonder why you haven’t written it yet and experience deep existential regret?

Mmm I think that would be my high fantasy idea? I’ve had it since I was 13-ish but I don’t think I’ll ever end up writing it. I do think about why I keep ignoring it, but I think it’s just because it’s an intimidating genre, though it makes me sad that this holds me back from trying. (I did start drafting a fictional language and its grammar, but got stuck while working on my thesis.) The deep existential regret is there for sure :)

13. A writing experience that has pleasantly surprised me

I’ve been doing some original writing lately, and I have a submission for a student magazine that got accepted. I had to work together with an editor and send my draft back and forth to work on it and I was dreading it—it’s so jarring to send your writing to someone and them editing it. But it was the loveliest experience I could have ever asked for, and I am so glad I was brave and send in an idea that they ended up accepting. That being said, I also have my most recent writing experience where I’m actually working towards a deadline to have it published (and available for judgement from a jury and also available for purchase?). It’s been really scary IMO but, after writing my first three chapters, my best friend read them and gave me feedback, while my other friends encouraged me to do it. And it’s just so lovely to finally manage to be open about me being passionate about writing and having my friends be so lovely and supportive :)

21. A writer to co-write a book with and what we’d write about

Honestly my favourite author is R.F.Kuang and in my dreams, we are working on a novel together. I don’t know what we’d write about, but I think we would have a similar passion across genres as well as an affinity for linguistics, and I think we’d make a neat team. I’d also learn so much from here so that would be pretty cool overall. In terms of fanfiction writers, I’d write something with you Cat :) it’d be a Romeo and Juliet x Haikyuu crossover

30. Most inspirational quote I’ve ever read / heard that is still important to me

From R. F. Kuang’s Babel: “That’s just what translation is, I think. That’s all speaking is. Listening to the other and trying to see past your own biases to glimpse what they’re trying to say. Showing yourself to the world, and hoping someone else understands.” It’s just. Yummy.

As a teenager, this one meant a lot to me, and it still comes to mind for each time someone asks me for a quote: “Broken is not the same as unfixable.” From Marissa Meyer’s Lunar Chronicles.

45. Name of three of my favourite fanfic writers

Since you’re asking for writing recommendations, I guess I won’t name you -_- in Haikyuu, it’s CheCheCheer, daydreamer1227, eldureira. THIS IS DIFFICULT. I’m trying not to name the ones that show up in like every rec list lol

66. When I have felt the most confident in my writing

I think that is each time my friends read something I write and then they tell me their honest opinion, which is usually positive. And like, I trust my friends to be completely honest with me and tell me if something is garbage. So that is always a big confidence boost. Also, a long, long time ago when I was 10 years old, we had creative writing workshops in school, and my teacher complimented my writing and told me that I was good at it. Getting approval from him and a couple of other teachers as well as encouragement really meant a lot, and I don’t think I would have continued writing as much if I didn’t have this memory to fall back on :)

[bloodmaarked]

babel, or the necessity of violence: an arcane history of the oxford translators' revolution // r.f. kuang

first published: 2022 re-read: 26 may 2024 – 10 june 2024 first read: 2023 pages: 542 format: hardback

genres: fiction; adult; fantasy (urban/magical realism); historical fiction favourite character(s): don't make me pick just one least favourite character(s): again, i can't choose (because they're all brilliant)

rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕 thoughts: haters will hate but they will never make me hate this book! i didn't realise i'd read babel the first time around so recently (about this time last year) - i guess i was that eager to read it again, and luckily it was just as good the second time around. most times on reread my opinion shifts slightly lower or higher, but i couldn't not give babel the full 5* once again.

r.f. kuang seems to be a bit of a divisive figure, and especially at one of my book clubs where babel and yellowface have their fair share of critics and fans. having been exposed to more of the criticism, i did go into this with a more open mind, but i have to say that i didn't see it... and maybe this book/kuang's writing is just something you either enjoy or don't. in terms of my own experience, i found babel to be a sharp and scathing critique of complacency and complicity within not just the British empire of the 1800s, but the power structures of today. it's told with the most wonderful cast of characters in a rich world that i felt immersed in from start to finish. i adored the realism of the fantasy and the way it was conducted via silver bars which were deeply integrated into the way the world worked.

i love, love, love the dark academia style of writing, both in the atmosphere of the world, and the academic style of writing. the writing was atmospheric and gorgeous, the tonal shifts between the beauty of oxford and the ugliness of the people who made it the institution it is captured perfectly. r.f. kuang loves her characters, and it really comes through in her writing. being with the cast, especially the core four, was like a warm hug. the title itself is just ridiculous in the best way, and i enjoyed the additional context contained in the footnotes, which were a really cool addition for a work of fiction. (i will say the asterisks were a little harder to find on the print edition i read this time around than they were on the e-book edition i read last year.)

i also have to give props to the research that had to have gone into the writing of this book, including the historical context and the etymological study. i was floored.

my wish is to have a griffin(/sterling) backstory, or a victoire sequel, but i doubt we'll ever get it :'(

the emotional beats didn't hit any less on reread, and that last chapter had my heart pumping hard. this is honestly a story that sits close to my heart and i see myself rereading this a thousand times. it may not be for everyone, but it's definitely for me and i couldn't be happier. you can read my original review for babel here.

[hesbuckcompton-baby]

[tag game] get to know me

Thanks for the tag @xxluckystrike - love you, Blu! <3

name(s): helena! I'm no longer fussed about the pronunciation, I swear I've heard every iteration that is humanly possible. (it's phonetic. work it out people)

pronouns: she/her

star sign: libra

# of siblings & fun facts about them (if you have any): I have one sibling and we're super close. I'm a few years older than them and as such have successfully indoctrinated them into loads of my interests, and we love watching period dramas together - especially ones for 'old ladies' like Downton Abbey and Call the Midwife

# of pets & their names: I don't have any pets anymore, but I used to have 2 ginger cats - they were brothers named George and Jasper

fandoms: SOOOO many so I'm gonna have to shortlist - HBO War, A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones/House of The Dragon, The Terror, Star Wars, Shadow and Bone/Six of Crows, Ted Lasso, BBC Ghosts, Doctor Who, Lord of The Rings/The Hobbit, and about a hundred different period dramas

favorite color: green!

favorite song: I think I'll have to go with I Know The End by Phoebe Bridgers - literally nothing hits quite like it

favorite author (of anything readable-- books, fanfics, zines, webtoons, whatever!): Leigh Bardugo is the author I've read the most of, but I also really love Taylor Jenkins Reid, her characters and writing style are really easy to engage with. I'm really getting into R.F. Kuang's books at the moment, as I'm currently reading the second book in the Poppy War trilogy.

hobbies: writing is ofc a big one, but I've always really loved art too! I've been acrylic painting for about ten years, which has enabled me to develop my skills in a way I'm really proud of, and I've recently started doing digital art too. I'm still trying to find my footing with that, and it'll take a lot of practice, but hopefully someday I might draw something good enough to post

favorite fic type: I love angst and fluff equally, it's all dependent on the character(s) I'm reading about or the mood I'm in tbh

favorite holiday: Christmas!!! I'm a Christmas girlie until I die, nothing else comes close

do you have any partner(s)? (romantic, qpp, anything!): nope

fun facts about you / anything extra you wanna share!: Wasn't sure if I should include music under fandoms, but it's a huge part of my life, so I thought I'd ramble about it here. My favourite artists are Hozier, Florence + The Machine, Phoebe Bridgers/Boygenius, and Taylor Swift (Who I'm going to see live this summer!). But I listen to music almost constantly, I literally can't do anything without it, whether I'm writing, working, or just walking around, music is an absolute life-saver to me

Tagging: @basilone @latibvles @dcyllom @trenchenjoyer @educationalporpoises @footprintsinthesxnd

[cosmicrhetoric]

tagged by the incomparable @briarhips to post nine book recs <3 sorry so many of these are classics im going thru smth

Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen: This is MY Austen of choice. I'm doing a reread atm and it's very Emma in it's social commentary but this is THEE eldest daughter book of all time. Maybe I just like when characters are super repressed but if you want to see a woman (who has spent 200 pages being soooo hinged) have the most cathartic breakdown about it......

Identitti, Mithu Sanyal: For fans of Kuang's Yellowface who want a bit more of an academic lens! Our main character, a 2nd gen Indian-German woman, spends years of her life in the trenches of postcolonial study under a seemingly Indian woman who is then exposed as white. It doesn't give you any easy answers but it provides a lot of scholarly resources and leaves a lot of space to come to your own conclusions. Read it on a plane. Kinda fire.

Eros the Bittersweet, Anne Carson: We all know Carson. But I'm picking a nonfiction essay instead of Autobiography of Red or her translations mostly because this one takes you behind the curtain of a lot of her famous translations when it comes to the aspect of love. I'm not really nonfiction girl in general but this was worth it

Chain Gang All Stars, Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah: Speculative abolitionist fiction! Set in a near future where prisoners can compete in death matches to try and win their freedom. I've honestly read nothing like this...ever, like it's in a league of it's own but if you're a fan of the way footnotes were used in something like Babel you're gonna wanna check this out. Multiple povs (really interesting pov switching from a craft perspective actually) overlap to paint a stark and realistic depiction of American prisons.

The Devourers, Indrapramit Das: This was described to me as "IWTV but with werewolves and in Mughal India and actually really good" and while that's a pretty comprehensive plot summary it does not even begin to cover the shit this novel goes through. This is a book about transformation and stories and what letting a story live in you can do for you. The werewolves are kinda obviously a genderqueer allegory as well (as they often are in sff lmao) but when the interviewer himself starts talking about gender in his experiences you can see how that changes the story he's transcribing and it's just very cool. Heavy trigger warnings on this one though. Don't read if you can't handle a bit of piss (they are wolves). Writing style wise feels very similar to the magical realism of The Hungry Tide if that's ur bag

The Mill on the Floss, George Eliot: In the way that s&s is my Austen, this is MY Eliot. A classic story about women of this era who cannot fit into the boxes society lays out for them. A failed romance brands the main character an outcast in their town in a way that is. Hear me out. Fucking Utenaesque. Follow for some classic tragedy and themes of water....I would compare this more with like Dickens Bleak House than Austen though.

Villette, Charlotte Bronte: Once again. MY Bronte. Maybe it's just cause I read this before Jane Eyre but literally I do not understand why Miss Eyre gets so much more love than my girl Lucy. In broad strokes the story is about an English girl who ends up having to support herself by moving to France and becoming an English teacher at a girls boarding school. She's also plagued by a terrifying apparition of a nun, because this is Charlotte we're talking about and there's a bit of Catholic v Protestant thing going on. I read this during the very early pandemic and let me tell you some of the descriptions of isolation and loneliness are soooooo. yeah.

Monstrous Regiment, Terry Pratchett: Listen. Like, listen. It's that good. I wouldn't put a discworld novel up against fucking chain gang all stars unless it was THAT good. This is a classic 'girl dresses up as a boy and goes to war to find her brother' story. It definitely started as a commentary on folk songs/stories but it is at it's heart a novel long criticism of imperialism, nationalism, and organized religion (there's jokes though it's funny). Also not to be that guy when it comes to LGBTQ book recs but the thing came out in 2002 and it's surprisingly thoughtful when it comes to both gender and sexuality. You do not have to be a fantasy fan or a discworld fan to read this. If you gave Pratchett a try and didn't like it i STILL insist you give MR a shot. It is in a league of it's own.

Wives and Daughters, Elizabeth Gaskell: Do not be scared off by the sheer length of this one. It's fucking silly. This is one of my faaaaaaaave 1800s novels about class. We have juxtaposition between Molly's family (her father is a gentleman but a working doctor) and the landed gentry but also this divide between the uneducated Squire and his Cambridge bound sons and another one with the 'new money' gentry. There's also quite a lot of early science and anthropology documented in this (Gaskell and Darwin were besties) if that's interesting to you. WARNING: SHE DIED BEFORE SHE FINISHED THIS. ITS LIKE 99% DONE THOUGH

This was a hard list to narrow down but I have to include (at least as honorable mentions): Ling Ma's Severance/Bliss Orange, Cixin Liu's Three Body Problem and the SFF POC anthology New Suns

tagging: @weltonreject @bronskibeet @gaymersrights @orchidreign @brechtian + any and all mutuals i know ive forgotten <3

[elenaferrante]

In 2022 I managed to read 52 books, one per week, so in 2023 I got ambitious and gave myself a goal of 53 books, just slightly more than one book a week.

I am very proud that I ended up reading even more than that 🥰

✨ 2023 books list ✨

1. Spatriati, M. Desiati

2. Olga dies dreaming, X. Gonzalez

3. My year of rest and relaxation, O. Moshfegh

4. Really good actually, M. Heisey

5. Our country friends, G. Shteyngart

6. Homebody, R. Kaur

7. Three women, L. Taddeo

8. Animal, L. Taddeo

9. Ghost lover, L. Taddeo

10. You think it, I’ll say it, C. Sittenfeld

11. The man of my dreams, C. Sittenfeld

12. I have some questions for you, R. Makkai

13. Best served hot, A. Elliott

14. Table for two, B. Graham

15. The Paris apartment, L. Foley

16. In the kitchen, various authors

17. Romantic comedy, C. Sittenfeld

18. Pineapple street, J. Jackson

19. Cook, eat, repeat, N. Lawson

20. Do I know you?, E. Wibberley

21. The ballad of songbirds and snakes, S. Collins

22. Supper club, L. Williams

23. The golden couple, G. Hendricks and S. Pekkanen

24. Daisy darker, A. Feeney

25. Sister mother husband dog (etc.), D. Ephron

26. Notes on heartbreak, A. Lord

27. The women of Troy, P. Barker

28. Euphoria, L. King

29. The Rachel incident, C. O’Donoghue

30. Second self, C. Ashby

31. The list, Y. Adegoke

32. Bad fruit, E. King

33. Before we were innocent, E. Berman

34. The girls of summer, K. Bishop

35. The daydreams, L. Hankin

36. Women are the fiercest creatures, A. Dunlop

37. People like her, E. Lloyd

38. When we were bright and beautiful, J. Medoff

39. The writing retreat, J. Bartz

40. The wife upstairs, R. Hawkins

41. The golden spoon, J. Maxwell

42. American wife, C. Sittenfeld

43. Father of the rain, L. King

44. Darling, I. Knight

45. Yellowface, R. F. Kuang

46. Weirdo, S. Pascoe

47. Piranesi, S. Clarke

48. Heat wave, P. Lively

49. Good material, D. Alderton

50. High fidelity, N. Hornby

51. A Paris all your own, various authors

52. Menodramma, M. Castellitto

53. The raptures, J. Carson

54. One last stop, C. McQuiston

55. Young Jane young, G. Zevin

56. Hamnet, M. O’Farrell

57. The invisible life of Addie Larue, V. E. Schwab

58. Hot milk, D. Levy

Bonus (audiobooks):

1. Wintering, K. May

[camiercoles]

im doing the mid year book freakout tag

nobody tagged me but fuck it we roll

best book you've read so far in 2023?

its either A Feast For Crows by George R.R. Martin (duh) or Sula by Toni Morrisson. AFFC was just phenomenal, its one of those books i lost myself into and when i had to resurface i felt actual sadness because it was over, and i cant wait to reread it. Sula, however, is just perfect, i laughed and i cried, i felt so connected to the story and the writing just everyone go read Sula. its one of the best books to have ever been written.

i also reread My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante and that is also the best book of all time.

best sequel you've read so far in 2023?

um AFFC!! or A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin. either one if those are phenomenal sequels. tbh i haven't read any other series this year so its either asoiaf or nothing, and storm and feast are my favourites.

new release you haven't read but want to?

nothing?? idk i havent read a new book in forever. maybe Yellowface by R.F Kuang or the new percy jackson book but i have no idea.

most anticipated release for the second half of the year?

unless its a surprise TWOW drop which isn't happening i have absolutely no clue.

biggest disappointment?

i'm sorry to all the fantasy fans out there, but i just finished Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson and i dont care for it. i really thought i would be more interested in the story but it was so meh for me i couldn't bring myself to care about anything or any characters. i did like the magic system.

i also reread The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet, which is a book i ADORED when i was like 14, ans im sad to say it folks but it was foul.

biggest surprise?

again ik this book is old but Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut FLOORED ME. i still think about that book constantly its so phenomenally written and ive owned it for years and never got to it because i thought it would be boring but it was completely excellent.

favourite new author (debut or new to you)?

Susan Sontag, David Foster Wallace and Toni Morrison. first time i read any of them was this year and what a waste of time to not have read them sooner.

newest fictional crush?

its jaime. ig he's from last year but yeah its jaime.

newest favourite character?

uhhhh jaime. jaime lannister. i am not better than this.

a book that made you cry?

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante. It's a reread but jesus christ that ending always gets to me, especially knowing what comes after.

a book that made you happy?

i cant seem to escape ASOS and AFFC, but genuinely my reading experience of asoiaf was unparalleled.

most beautiful book you've bought this year?

i went to the Libreria Lello (aka the world's most beautiful bookstore) and i got the most BEAUTIFL edition of Las intermitencias de la muerte by José Saramago.

what book(s) do you need to read before the end of the year?

i want to read Richard III by Shakespeare, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, En diciembre llegaban las brisas by Marvel Moreno and Beloved by Toni Morrisson. hopefully i'll get through them all

anyways do this if you want you are officially tagged bye

sorry i dont read new books if you have any recs im mega down

[moodywyrm]

I’m back 😎

a song that reminds you of your partner (if applicable) 

brag. about anything. 

do you believe in ghosts? 

favorite article(s) of clothing

if you could change anything about yourself, what would it be and why? (If you’re comfortable answering) 

if you were stuck on a desert island with access to one book, one album, and one movie/tv show, what would they be? 

what planet would you live on, besides earth? 

do you believe in aliens, or at the most, some form of life out there? 

what would you do with 1 billion dollars? 

dream job? 

give me one fact about yourself, well known or not! 

favorite author?

favorite poem! 

a strange fact you know

go-to starbucks/coffee shop order

do you have a skincare routine (and how many steps is it)?

favorite disney princess movie?

rank the methods of death: freezing, burning, drowning

a number that weirds you out?

how’d you think of your url/username? what’s it associated with to you?

do you have an emotional support water bottle?

how’s your room/home decorated? do you have a specific theme or style going on? 

nonnie I love you this is so fun!!

I have a few! Rosemary by Deftones, Mary on a Cross by Ghost, and Cariño by The Maria's.

I'm actually so smart! I've made Dean's List multiple times (which is so fucking hard in a quarter system), I'm in the senior honor's program for my major, and im generally just very smart! A smart cookie <3 egg head <3

Yes! And I think we should let them be <3

My big gray cardigan! And my black leather jacket, my black velvet mini, my collection of band tees, etc.

Simply I wish I were less anxious. Like I worry about anything and everything 24/7 and it is just as brutal as it sounds.

Book would be Frankenstein by Mary Shelley or Babel by R.F. Kuang. The album would be Hozier (extended) by Hozier because that is my Man. Show would probably be Gilmore Girls!

Mercury, purely because I'm a Virgo

Yes!! I think the chances of us being alone are so astronomically small, there has to be something else out there, right?

Donate pretty much all of it to causes bigger than myself. Keep enough to pay off my families debts and mortgages, and to get myself a small house.

Author! I wanna work in publishing <3

My original favorite games were Pokemon Ruby and Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life! In general im a big Pokemon fan <3

Ahhh I have a few? Casey McQuiston, Anna-Marie McLemore, R.F. Kuang, John Steinbeck!

I'm not a big poetry person, but (and this is gonna sound so pretentious) probably Paradise Lost? Does it count? It's an epic poem and I say it counts <3

Female Hyenas have pseudo-penises and female ducks vagina's have dead ends (I took a class on sex in nature)

Cold brew! or a matcha latte, or black tea lemonade. but usually cold brew <3 the Starbucks pumpkin cold brew is my baby and I miss it

Yes! I do cleanser, toner, serum, essence, moisturizer, and (if it's morning) sunscreen!

hmmmm I really like Mulan!

from 'best' to worst: freezing, drowning, burning

the number 7. weird.

originally I wanted moonywyrm but it was taken, so I went with moodywyrm bc I am a very moody pouty person and also wyrms are a type of dragon!! and I love fantasy, so it just kinda stuck? I associate it with writing (obvs) but also wine grapes?? that one always stuck.

I have a few!! I have a big green yeti bottle, a yeti rambler, and my sister just gave me one of the smaller Stanley sippy cups and I use them all for different purposes <3 but that green yeti really puts in work man, I love it.

ahhh I aim for moody maximalist? the big inspirations are like ,,, the house from practical magic, howl's bedroom in Howl's Moving Castle, and general spooky halloween witch vibes? but also old library dark academia? if that makes sense

[interact-if]

First up for our Pride Month Event is Anna!

Anna, Author of Wayfarer

When your mercenary work backs you into a corner, you take the only option available and accept a contract: to travel to the city of Velantis and steal an ancient artifact said to be blessed by the gods. Simple, right?

But Velantis holds more than you bargained for. Gathering a ragtag party of malcontents and renegades from across the city, you must navigate enemy factions, meddling guilds, and escalating political tensions. Your choices will ultimately determine the city’s fate – and the fate of every person who lives there.  

Wayfarer is a dark fantasy interactive fiction game. You play as a Wayfarer, a member of an order of warriors born with magical immunity in a world dominated by magic. It is currently in development. The full game will include three acts and a total of 14 chapters.

Read more about Wayfarer here. Play the Demo here. Anna's Patreon and Ko-fi.

[INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT UNDER THE CUT!]

Q1 - Please, introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your project!

I’m a playwright! After several years working in the theatre industry, I wanted to branch out into video game scriptwriting. Wayfarer actually started as a portfolio piece and grew into what it is today.  

Wayfarer is a dark fantasy game. You play as a Wayfarer, a mercenary from an order of warriors immune to magic. When your last job backs you into a corner, you take a contract to travel to the city of Velantis and steal an ancient relic… but of course, things do not turn out the way you expect.

Q2 - What or who are some of your biggest inspirations?

There’s quite a few! In terms of writing, I take a lot from the works of novelists like Brandon Sanderson, S.A. Chakraborty, and R.F. Kuang, as well as playwrights like Judith Thompson and Colleen Murphy. With game design and general worldbuilding, the Dragon Age series is Wayfarer’s main source of inspiration, alongside the Witcher 3, Fire Emblem, Final Fantasy, and D&D.

Q3- What excites you most about IF? What drew you to the medium?

Interactive fiction sits in a very special place because it’s text-based. I think sometimes we’re accustomed to thinking visual media as superior to text, but it’s not true. There’s power in prose, power in the reader’s imagination, that can push a game beyond the limitations of traditional video games.

Even just speaking narratively, you can do more with nonlinear storytelling in interactive fiction than you can elsewhere. I adore the concept of choice-based gameplay. I love pushing my game in different directions and crafting concrete consequences for the player’s actions. This ultimately results in a significant amount of branching. Episode 1’s boss fight has multiple versions depending on how you handle the events leading up to it, which is not something that would be possible in traditional gaming.

I also love interactive fiction because it has become an intrinsically queer space. Our stories and experiences are so often on the fringes, and interactive fiction is a gaming medium that pushes against the boundaries of the traditional. There is so much being done here to explore gender, sexuality, and personal identity. It’s nice to be able to play queer relationships without feeling like you’re the outlier or that the content was thrown in last minute.

Q4 - Are your characters influenced by your identity? How?

Absolutely. Wayfarer’s world is inherently queer. It is littered with queer characters (major companion characters and NPCs included), and gender expression is fluid and malleable. When I did the initial worldbuilding, I really wanted to separate it from societal constructs from the “real world.” It’s a fantasy, after all, and part of that fantasy is living in a world where being queer is about as remarkable as what you had for breakfast. Sometimes it’s nice to have a narrative where folks can live their lives without facing sexism, homophobia, and transphobia.

On a more personal level, Wayfarer’s romance system is shaped by my experiences as an asexual person. Romantic and sexual attraction are two very different things, and this is typically not addressed in most fiction. I wanted a system that acknowledged those differences, while also allowing the player to change things up when they felt it was in character. So, while there’s no “Select A to be Ace” option in the character creator, the player will always have agency when it comes to how they want their character to engage with either type of attraction—whether it be romantic, sexual, both, or none.

Q5 - What are you most excited about sharing related to your project?

I’m excited to share the kind of game that I love to play! Wayfarer has a vibrant world, rich lore, a huge cast of diverse and dynamic characters, and—most importantly—choices that really do matter. Every playthrough is different, and there’s always some new piece of the puzzle to uncover, even after multiple replays.  

Q6 - What would you like to see more of in LGBT+ fiction/IF community?

More of everything! Human experience is so varied, so nuanced, it’s impossible to capture all of it in a single work. I think it would be a detriment to a story as a whole to squeeze every possible experience into one place (if you spread yourself too thin, you end up with shallow writing and characters). I’d love to see more LGBTQ+ fiction and games, full stop. That’s how we will get those varied, wide-ranging perspectives and experiences, while also having fulfilling stories and characters.

I’d also love to see more authors delve into the complexities of intimate relationships. I rarely see topics like romantic and sexual compatibility addressed. This is often a huge part of asexual relationships (if what you want doesn’t match what your partner wants, you need to address it), but I think it applies to so many other folks as well.

Q7- Lastly, what advice would you give to your creators and readers?

For developers, make the game you want to play. Don’t worry too much about following trends or popular staples of the medium. If you don’t vibe with a certain mechanic or idea, don’t feel pressured to add it to your game. Conversely, if you really love a popular mechanic or idea and are worried about doing the same thing everyone else is doing, go for it anyway! If you’re passionate about what you’re creating, you’ll find your niche. Interactive fiction games are at their best when the creator is having fun and making the material they themselves enjoy.   

For players, indulge in the roleplaying! Every game has something different to offer. If you try to pre-determine your playthrough before you even start, you might end up with a good, but somewhat hollow experience. The fun of playing interactive fiction games, for me, is sticking to my character’s instincts and seeing where those choices take me—even if it doesn’t turn out the way I wanted it to.   

[zhuhongs]

Ever since I watched Your Name Engraved Herein two weeks ago, I have wanted to talk about Jiahan as whole but in particular this scene right here that starts around the 40 minute mark. 

CW’s: discussion of religion, internalized homophobia, violent homophobia, choking, and lack of consent. Generally, the same cws as in the movie. 

Read more bc it’s uh.. 2.7k

all images are described in alt text

As soon as I watched this scene I just knew it had to be really significant and now rewatching YNEH, I realize that this is a major ideological turning point for Jiahan as a character. From this point on he slowly begins to accept that he’s gay and starts to consciously act on his feelings for Birdy. However, I must first add some context and insights on Jiahan’s prior behavior before I dive into this scene as a whole. At the beginning of the movie, we see that while Jiahan feels different from the rest of his roomates, he still sneaks out with them when they go hook up with girls, despite not showing any interest in the girl he’s with. He feels very different from the rest of his friends, but still goes along with them due to peer pressure. Later, he tries to dissuade them from violently hazing the gay student, Xie Zhenhong, (his name is never said in the film but it says so on his uniform shirt, and that what I’ll refer to him as for the rest of the post) but is reluctantly influenced to gang up on the student as well. He closes his eyes while he’s about to strike the bat down on the student, until Birdy rescues the student-- and Jiahan in a way-- from what is about to play out. After this, his friends accuse him of being in the same stall as Birdy (which he was) but he denies it, not wanting to explain why he was there and the ensuing taunting from his friends.

 While its obvious that Jiahan has feelings for Birdy, he isn’t confident enough to pursue them outright. Birdy is the more confident one in both their friendship and in his sexuality, not caring about how anyone perceives him and does what he wants regardless of the consequences. Jiahan is the one worried about societal stigma and goes along with things he doesn’t want to do. However after this encounter with the gay underclassman pictured above, Jiahan become more brave and honest about his feelings towards Birdy. Interestingly enough in the scene directly after this, Birdy begins to conceal his true feelings for Jiahan and pursue a straight relationship with Banban. He doesn’t do this hurt Jiahan, as he does reciprocate Jiahan’s feelings, but to discourage him from coming out and becoming a social pariah for being gay. Birdy himself doesn’t mind being an outcast, but he does not want to see the same thing happen to the one he loves. So instead of letting Jiahan do that, he tries to discourage Jiahan from ever pursuing him by getting a girlfriend and suggest Jiahan does the same. In the same day, both Jiahan and Birdy come to opposite realizations about their feelings for the other, thereby changing their dynamic for the course of the movie. Someone else has picked apart Birdy’s scene in their own post. If you haven’t read that analysis, please go read it, because its really good at explaining Birdy’s character since most of his story isn’t directly revealed to us. We must read inbetween the lines and piece it together, which can be confusing on a first watch.

Anyways, now we can focus on Jiahan. At this point in the movie, Jiahan is trying to understand why he’s upset that Birdy is showing interest in a girl in their band while dealing with his own internalized homophobia and denial over his sexuality. He then turns to the only out gay person he knows -- Xie Zhenhong, who he sees in the cafeteria with new bruises on his face. He looks at Jiahan with a smile. This makes me feel like Zhenhong probably picked up on Jiahan and Birdy’s feelings for each other since last year, when he saw them exit the same stall in the bathroom. Having been the Distinguished Out Person in a group before, I can definitely relate to the way Zhenhong reacts to Jiahan. It the typical “oh honey, you don’t realize it yet, but I know you’re gay” reaction. 

 Jiahan waits outside the cafeteria and calls out to out him from behind. At first Zhenhong ignores him as we can see that he smirks a bit when he first speaks. He definitely heard Jiahan but doesn’t answer him until he repeats himself a few times. Zhenhong purposely stops when the two are in front of the stained glass window, away from others. Jiahan’s word choice towards Zhenhong is also interesting as he addresses him as “學弟” which is a term for an underclassman. To my understanding, it’s not overly formal nor is it overly familiar, however it is the nicest way that anyone has addressed him all movie. Jiahan than asks him who gave him those bruises, showing concern for his well being. He then reveals why he stopped Zhenhong saying “Actually I want to ask you, when did you start liking boys?” This really seals the deal to Zhenhong that Jiahan is talking to him to try and sort out his own feelings towards Birdy. While his suggestion that Zhenhong perhaps “see a doctor” or “consider getting a girlfriend” read as a microaggression to most viewers, Zhenhong himself can tell that Jiahan is asking him this in good faith. And perhaps, this might be the most understanding anyone has been towards him since Birdy helped him out prior. Before he responds, he looks up at Jiahan and fixes his bangs. This all stumps Jiahan whose eyes dart around, speechless. Zhenhong then circles his arms around Jiahan’s neck, a very intimate gesture, and studies him for a moment. We cannot see Jiahan’s face at this moment but he does shuffle slightly, his body language nervous and confused, but not upset. After looking at him, Zhenhong then goes in closer, assumedly to kiss him. At this point, Jiahan physically stops him and grabs him by the throat. However, Jiahan’s face doesn’t seem to be angry, if anything, his face looks more scared and confused-- akin to a ‘what are you doing?’ moment.

Initially Zhenhong’s choice to kiss Jiahan read very...strangely to me. Why would the screenwriter, as a gay man that grew up in the 80’s, choose to include this? What was there to gain? To me it seemed like it was reinforcing the stereotype of gay men being overly flirtacious and viewed as predators. Why show a nonconsentual attempted kiss at all? I thought about it a lot, both for this scene and the following one with the old man and later between Jiahan and Birdy because it seemed?? Odd to me?? Isn’t that a disservice in representing gay men? I don’t fully have the right answer but I feel like by writing the scene like this, it goes to demonstrate how Jiahan still isn’t fully comfortable with being gay. And also that lgbt people, especially teens, aren’t always going to be good rep. Liu Kuang-hui wasn’t writing the movie to be an perfect, morally uplifting, santized gay narritive. He was writing something that spoke to his real life experience as a gay man in 1980’s Taiwan. In real life, people do questionable things and good narratives are supposed to make you question characters and their actions and judge for yourself whether what they did was right or wrong. The narrative isn’t looking to condemn Xie Zhenhong for doing this. Xie Zhenhong is ultimately a victim of violent homophobia, that will not hide himself or his sexuality despite the violence he faces. He isn’t perfect, nor is Jiahan, nor is Birdy, nor is anyone in the film. 

Although now having rewatched this scene upwards of eight times in writing this, it feels like Zhenhong didn’t assume this action to be without consent. Of course, no words were explicitly exchanged about kissing, and I’m not trying to make the case that it’s okay to kiss someone without their consent, that’s harassment. However, Zhenhong did gave Jiahan time to express his discomfort before proceeding. Zhenhong first got close to Jiahan by brushing his bangs, Jiahan did not say anything or look visibly uncomfortable. He then put his arms around Jiahan’s neck, and stared at him for a good ten seconds. At this point, Jiahan had time to say he was uncomfortable. As we know it, consent does indeed entail a verbal, understood yes from both parties. However given the context, I can understand why Zhenhong thought that Jiahan was consenting at that moment. However the moment Jiahan revoked his consent Zhenhong stopped trying to kiss him. Zhenhong shouldn’t have gone in without getting verbal consent, and Jiahan could’ve done something other than grabbing him by the throat. They were both in the wrong. Violence shouldn’t have been the reaction, nor should’ve kissing someone without their verbal consent. The lines were very blurred, and proper communication could’ve resulted in a better interaction but like I mentioned above, I don’t think the writers wanted to portray the scene in that way. The intent was not to say that Zhenhong’s actions were romantic or something to emulate. It was very purposeful in showing to interplay of homophobia, gay desire, and religion.

The scene is set up like a religious confession. Zhenhong purposefully leads Jiahan to the stained glass, a metaphor for his religious guilt. He doesn’t look Zhenhong in the eyes, his voice is hushed, and body language nervous, and troubled-- it communicates to Zhenhong that he thinks he may be gay and wants either reassurance that he isn’t or acceptance that is. Regardless, it’s a very vulnerable and intimate moment. Jiahan is facing him like ‘hey, I know my friends were bullying you and I wanted to save you but was too much of a coward and almost took part in harming you. I’m sorry. I know you saw that me and Birdy were in the same stall together, and that you saw me just telling him not to talk to the girls, and neither of those are heterosexual things to do. Please, help me.’ He’s asking Zhenhong to pass judgement on him, is he gay or not? By virtue of even asking that question, they both know the answer -- Jiahan is in love with Birdy, but whether Jiahan can accept that or not is up to him. In a way, Zhenhong is testing Jiahan to see how honest he can be with himself. By approaching him like that, he’s testing to see whether Jiahan can accept being intimate with a man or not. It’s not a good or ethical test, but it sure is effective. Because in his head, Jiahan is coming to realize that he doesn’t mind a man being close to him in a romantic way. Although, he isn’t fully there yet. He still grabs Zhenhong. But as Zhenhong stares at him despite the hand around his throat, Jiahan really has to think about his actions. Is that what he really wants to do, or is that what he’s been taught to do? It illustrates his internalized homophobia perfectly. Jiahan is literally staring gay desire in the face, rejecting it, while in front of his religion. Zhenhong finally answers Jiahan that “he has always loved boys since he was little, it’s never changed.” Upon hearing that his grip loosens and he pulls away. And the fact that we can hear him well means that Jiahan was never choking him, his hand was there, but not gripping. Zhenhong pulls him in closer and tilts his head, and says “and it never will.”  Zhenhong’s words are very deliberate. It’s as if he anticipated this might happen and knew exactly what to say. He wants to carve it in Jiahan’s brain that no one chooses to be gay. They always are and no amount of denial, like the kind Jiahan is showing, will change that. He then finally lets go of Jiahan, who is speechless, he thanks him, and leaves. Jiahan, however, stays there for a second, processing everything that has happened, and breathes heavily before the scene cuts to later that day.

Finally, I would like to examine exactly what Zhenhong’s “thanks” even means. Why would Zhenhong be thanking Jiahan? On the surface, it lookslike Jiahan waited for this guy to finish eating, then asked him invasive questions about his sexuality and suggest he should get help and then almost choked him. This should count as a microagression at best and an attempted hate crime at worst. But, as I just dived into, this wasn’t a bad faith jeer by Jiahan in order to bully Zhenhong, this was a genuine cry for help made by a deeply confused teenager. I feel like the “thanks.” at the end of the scene was perhaps just as puzzling to me as when I thought about why the staff would have that scene play out like that in the first place? I think his thanks is conveying many things. Firstly, thanking him for not actually hurting him and allowing him to have a semi normal interaction with a student of the same gender. As far as we know, many,  MANY different students have tried to hurt him in the new semester alone. Hell, we literally do not even know his name as everyone refers to him by the q slur or some other derogatory term, which speaks a lot to how he is treated. He also may be saying thanks for actually asking him about his sexuality. While Jiahan still followed it up with a suggestion he see a doctor, he still genuinely wanted to know why rather fully assume he has something wrong with him. Also, I feel like he might be thanking Jiahan for being brave enough to actually confront his sexualtiy and ask Zhenhong for help in the first place. Zhenhong really seems to be alone as the only gay student at the school but now knowing that Jiahan is realizing thathe’s gay as well, might make him be hopeful that things may slowly begin to change. Sadly, this interaction is the last time we see Xie Zhenhong all film which sucks because I really liked him. And I feel like it would’ve been really nice to see him after the time skip or at least have Jiahan mention him because this moment was one of the things that really made Jiahan start to accept his sexuality. A cut scene with Father Oliver also contributed, but I really wish Xie Zhenhong got more narrative than being the only out student that was then violently bullied. But, I acknowledge that MANY scenes were cut from the film for length so I can’t complain to much.

Oh god, that was a lot to say about a scene that was literally a minute and thirty seconds long. In conclusion!! I just had a lot of things to say about this scene and the scenes surrounding it. I think Jiahan is just a very painfully relatable character for many LGBT viewers and he was incredibly relatable for me which is why I felt the need to spend my day off writing this as opposed to doing homework. This scene is incredibly rich on many levels and I really appreciate YNEH as a whole for not spoonfeeding the viewer information and letting us interpret and question the scenes on our own and come to our own conclusions about the characters and yea. There’s so much going on and a lot of nuance and idk how to properly convey a lot of my thoughts but I tried really hard bc i really do love this movie. I really was puzzled by this scene at first, but now having examined it, it is my favorite scene in the movie. If this scene was changed in any way to make it more palatable, it would’ve been nearly as impactful which was a hard decision to come to, but I stand by it. I don’t know if I feel the same about other scenes but I will be reviewing YNEH as a whole in a different post. I have much more to say but my thoughts on this scene were far too long to not make it a separate post of its own. In essence, YNEH is about growing up and accepting yourself in all ways. Not all of those things are pleasant but if you cannot accept those things about yourself, you’re doomed to be miserable until you can live life unburdened by your own and societies limitations. Goodnight, my fingers hurt.

[wexhappyxfew]

Landslide | Chapter 82 | Pity Won’t Win in Espionage

"Fire and water looked so lovely together. It was a pity they destroyed each other by nature."

― R.F. Kuang, The Dragon Republic

" Did you manage to see if a letter from my brother came in?" Natia asked him quietly, finding herself leaned back up against the wall opposite Captain Speirs' desk, her mind contemplating as she bit back her lip and let a familiar frown cross over her face.

" Not yet." Captain Speirs said; she noticed the used of 'yet' within those two words. He was still fueling the hope that she would get a letter in return - and it was something she hoped would still come true. Zofia's last few moments though echoed in her mind; they bounced off the walls and landed right in her brain and almost vaguely brought her back to that night, sobbing and yelling into the radio just to hear her voice. But she had remembered all these months later what Zofia had told her, what she had managed to say to her before the explosion. The camps.

Natia's heart managed to plummet as she stood there, and it caused her mind to race. If it were true, how was he able to even correspond? Her mind was caught in a disarray, a sloppy fashion of confused and loss nearly all at once consuming her. She could feel her heart pounding in her ears practically as she stood there.

[read the rest on AO3 + Wattpad!]

｡↷ ✧*̥₊˚‧☆ﾐ

HELLO FRIENDS! another friday has dawned upon us, which meant another early wake up for a chem lecture and another day to put out a landslide chapter, and especially one that i *thoroughly* enjoy writing! :) i won’t say much more on the chapter; i feel in this instance it tends to speak for itself, but i really love how it came out so i hope you all enjoy! thanks for sticking around, reading and enjoying; it has meant a ton! happy reading! <3

tags: @sunnyshifty @alienoresimagines @vintagelavenderskies @julianneday1701 @huenoclue @liebegott @hellitwasyoufirstsergeant @sunflowerchuck @tvserie-s-world @wecomrades @thoughpoppiesblow @pxpeyewynn @rogue-sunday @embersjanuary @jalapeno-peaches-andhersheybars @lovingunderratedcharacters @legally-devorak @sgtxliptons86 @alejodi0nysus @mrsalwayswrite @heffrcns @supervalcsi @xthefourthx @whoahersheybars @kryzes @papersergeant-pencilsoldier @whovian45810 @how-are-those-nuts-sarge @geniedocroe @holdingforgeneralhugs @martinsrestingbitchface @pipster4107 @mads-weasley @hinkel-im-home @ocfairygodmother @heirsoflilith

-> if you would like to be added/removed from the taglist, shoot me an ask or message! :D

[bloodmaarked]

the list // yomi adegoke

first published: 2023 read: 04 june 2024 – 08 june 2024 pages: 384 format: e-book

genres: fiction; adult; mystery-ish; contemporary favourite character(s): kwabz least favourite character(s): most of the rest of them...

rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑 thoughts: the thing about the list is that it is not a serious book, and i could tell this from the moment they revealed the cover which pissed me off from the very beginning. and, i don't think the unseriousness is for lack of trying, necessarily. but it's definitely just not serious.

this book was on my radar for a while, and i've been keeping an eye out for yomi adegoke and elizabeth uviebinené after reading and loving their joint non-fiction venture, slay in your lane. it was one of the first books i read after getting back into reading in 2020, and it's one i want to go back to. so i was very interested to see what yomi would be like as a fiction writer. the premise hooked me easily. but seeing the cover, and the more i saw it in bookshops, the more i had a niggling feeling that it was going to end up being very mid. and unfortunately my feelings were correct.

i think the book could have been a bit punchier and sharper with the commentary it wanted to make around online anonymity, abuse allegations, and how we respond to those as individuals, social media users, and a society. as it was, it felt a little clumsy, and it got lost among a mediocre writing (sorry) and a mediocre cast of characters. ultimately there's not much memorable about this book. ola was just a non-character in my mind, and michael was not likeable in the slightest. ola's friends were also both awful. i feel like every "twist" and "turn" had been done a hundred times, so nothing was really shocking. the ending was... again, very unserious. the comparisons to, and the bundled sale of this book with, yellowface by r.f. kuang are laughable; they're not on the same level at all. do not be duped lol.

one thing i did really like was how steeped it was in london culture and references; not sure how well this translates to non-londoners/non-brits as the references were frequent and niche enough, but i had fun with the extra layer of relatability.

i see this has been picked up for a tv adaptation and, well, i don't think i want to see that. although i do think it could do really well, and possibly, possibly make its points better than the book does. but will i be tuning in myself? the jury's still out but i think it's not likely.

[goblins-riddles-or-frocks]

What are some books you genuinely enjoyed and think are really well-written?

Liking things?? Me?? Unheard of!

So these are pretty much all SFF because that’s the majority of what I read. Contemporary bores me to death rip

Young Adult:

Shadow glass by Rin Chupeco

I liked the first two books a lot! Unfortunately I think it didn’t really stick the landing in the last one? But the first two are fun, I enjoyed the worldbuilding particularly. And it’s told through a framing device where the protagonist is relaying the story several years in the future, where the circumstances are *completely* different and it’s cool to try to figure out how things are going to turn out the way they are. And like trying to predict how the protagonist is going to inevitably spiral and what is the cause of her falling out with the majority of the people in her life.

The Diabolic by S J Kincaid

This is probably my favorite YA book series? Ever? It’s kind of like… Hamlet in Space if Ophelia was a super soldier bodyguard pretending to be the *real* Ophelia. It’s incredibly YA, it’s incredibly soapy, and an absolute roller coaster. It’s also hard for me not to point out failings in the things I like, and I do think this series makes some… choices, but I do generally love it for how wild it is.

Also the last book came out at some point last year and while I read it on release I’m still percolating on how I feel about it lmao. So I’m still undecided there.

Adult:

The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter

Her writing style >>>>>>

I adore the imagery in all of her stories and the atmosphere. I’m incredibly picky about fairytale retelling and I’m generally pretty damn bored with them at this point, but this collection is just so good.

The titular story is a Bluebeard retelling and it’s just so evocative and brutal! Idk I love it. Erlking and Lady of the House of Love were notable faves.

Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky

This is such an ambitious, odd little space opera! The story follows a colony ship, housing the last of humanity, on a desperate journey to find a safe planet to settle down in.

Meanwhile the chapters alternate by showing us the gradual development and evolution of a society of telepathic matriarchal spiders? Idk it’s impossible to succinctly describe everything this book deals with but it’s very compelling! I felt like the ending was… mildly a cop out? But it’s a very cool book

The Poppy War by RF Kuang

I went into the first book somehow under the impression that it was YA because of the initial academy setting and then it really. really. was not lmao. It lifts heavily from Chinese history, and while it’s not a 1:1 it’s really interesting how it engages with real events. The second book is probably my favorite. Bring me all the naval warfare lol.

But yeah it’s an absolutely gutting series. And like the protagonist commits actual legit genocide. The trigger warnings list is… very very long. So maybe check that out before getting into it.

The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson

I’ve yet to finish this series but I looove the worldbuilding and the protagonist is fucking stone cold omg.

I’ve heard this book described as econipunk? It’s everything I love about court intrigue and getting into the real nitty gritty of how government *works.* Basically the protagonist tries to rise up the ranks within an evil empire that colonized her home country. And she’s just a fantastic Machiavellian type. I love her so much.

Misc:

Anyway I ran out of bandwidth to go over everything else in detail rip but I also love most of Haruki Murakami’s work! NK Jemisin has the coolest ideas, and Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, while def her most uneven work, as a debut, also left a huge impression on me. The Broken Empire trilogy by Mark Lawrence is also extremely grimdark with a villain protagonist but I enjoyed it a lot! Another one where I suggest checking out TWs first. Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo is REALLY GOOD it’s also a fairly short novella and I’ve yet to read the sequels. The world buildinggggg. The authors other books also look promising.

I’m also a huge fan of the Vampire Chronicles though…I wouldn’t call them necessarily well written.

Honorable mention to SJM’s first Crescent City book, not because it was necessarily groundbreaking but I was so astonished to actually like it. I haven’t read the sequel yet so idk if that’s going to ruin it for me.

Also to rattle off some classics: the Philip Marlowe series by Raymond Chandler, Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, Dracula by Bram Stoker (surprising no one). My Cousin Rachel by Daphne Du Maurier.

[thelivebookproject]

Talking Books With @mercy-is-alive!

[What is this and how can I participate?]

Important note: I haven’t changed or edited any of the answers. I’ve only formatted the book titles so they were clearer, but nothing else. Because I’m incapable of shutting up, my comments are between brackets and in italics, so you can distinguish them clearly.

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[Image description: a square titled “Know the blogger”. Name & pronouns: Mercy, she/her; country: Ethiopia; three adjectives to describe her: stubborn, excitable & cocky /end]

1. What question(s) would you ask your favourite author, if you had the chance?

Ooooh that's soo good!! So I can't really choose a favourite author but my favourite series is The Mortal Instruments, so I guess I'd bombard Cassandra Clare with a list of world building questions.

Like what inspired the design of Alicante? Why is the Clave more backwards that the mundane world? Stuff like that.

[Fun fact that has nothing to do with your actual answer: Alicante is an actual city in Spain, so in the Spanish translations of TMI they changed it to Alacante 😂]

2. Last book you've read that had such beautiful prose it should be engraved somewhere?

Ooh, the book I'm currently reading! The Poppy War by RF Kuang. It's really pretty and the story is really good!

[“Currently” as in September 14]

I also wanna say Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, but the prose isnt classically beautiful, so much as really enjoyable and incredibly quotable 😂

3. Do you buy book merch?

I would like to! But I haven't done much in that area. I have one (1) Harry Potter funko figure, and that's it 😂

[You have more than me then! The only thing I have that could be remotely considered book merch are bookmarks]

4. How long is your TBR right now?

Currently 208 books, according to my goodreads, but probably a lot more.

5. If you could live in any literary universe, which would it be?

I would live in, either, the wizarding world of Harry Potter or the world of the Shadowhunter Chronicles!

Free space!

I wanna recommend the Percy Jackson series and the Artemis Fowl series, just because I was thinking about them earlier today 😂 also Children of the Red King by Jenny Nimmo because those books are really good too!

You can follow her at @mercy-is-alive​, on her writblr @mercy-writes-things​, and on Instagram.

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Thank you, Mercy! This was really nice.

Next interview: Saturday, 8th of May

[blysse-and-blunder]

in lieu of a -- wait did i not just do this

uh 7:30 pm, june 27, 2021

did i not just fucking do this?? what is summer time. summer reading updates under the cut!

reading making gradual progress on a bunch of my summer reads. i didn’t make a plan or a book list, though i have admired those of you who have-- that kind of forethought! intention behind your choices? putting together a priority list or a plan? couldn’t be me. anyway, currently on the main burner(s), i’ve got:

- a canticle for leibowitz, walter m. miller, jr. i sank a good hour or two into this one this afternoon, and as much as i want to interrogate the premise (why would medieval-ish catholicism survive a nuclear apocalypse versus like, anything else?), there’s some underlying stuff going on that i enjoy. will try to finish, about halfway through.

- the poppy war, r. f. kuang. i’ve hit part two, the lore training has kicked into gear, and i’m vibing a bit more with the style. i wasn’t sure there was going to be magic but i think it looks like there is? i’ve also heard this one gets heavy, so...something to look forward to. there’s been plenty of drugs and violence, but none of it has been too, too graphic-- the unhealthy study methods have bothered me more! also bc that’s where i’ve been like...clearly this is fantasy. clearly a real human could not learn like this.

- watership down, richard adams. the rabbits have reached the down, holly and bluebell (?) have shown up (i managed not to be scarred by the ghostly black rabbit moments, the story of what happened to their original warren was far worse imho), they’re following hazel’s plan to take care of other creatures (mice, birds) in order to gain allies, and bigwig is tending to his gull. this definitely isn’t like most of the other animal-protag novels i’ve read, and i’m enjoying it. best of all, maybe, they’re finally realizing something that occurred to me in chapter one, which is that there are no female characters? at all? and that they’ll need to fix that-- for rabbit-procreation reasons, ofc, but also i really hope that translates to, you know. actual female characters.

- the book of delights, ross gay. tumblr recommended this to me, accidentally, through screenshots of the ‘carrying a tomato seedling through an airport’ essay. it’s a year’s worth of daily essays where gay writes about delight. they’re usually quick to read, but beautiful-- i don’t like to speed through them, despite the informality and breezy style, because they often make me think or want to savor them for a minute. a little over halfway through.

- the dark lord of derkholm, diana wynne jones.  about 25% through. derk just summoned the blue demon by accident and of course that’s...going super well. this a ‘read to relax before bed’ book and i know i’ve written about it here before anyway, so i’ll just say-- still good.

- interesting times, terry pratchett. woof. it’s interesting reading this alongside the poppy war (and after some of the other takes on fantasy!china i’ve read this spring, the grace of kings and under heaven , just to mention novels) and realize how...it’s just uninformed. like he’s doing his usual pterry-discworld-hyperbole-and-humor thing, and maybe there’ll be a funny line or turn of phrase on each page, but the overall direction of the satire is...about obedience and about subservience, and it unfortunately rings as hella superior and not all that clever. another one i read to fall asleep, about 45% through.

listening, watching were both pretty fallow this week. more water time (watching the anime free!) with @hematiterings and @pep-squad-lizzie, and the promise of future untamed time with them, @dimir-charmer, and even newly minted phd candidate @dinosauriaawesome (!!!!!), but i haven’t watched much of note on my own. maybe some word of honor, in which case the thoughts would be “scorpion and his ~godfather~ are my favorite villains but wtf even is their dynamic, oh no xie’er is doing that thing with his eyes again and while it is pretty he is not permitted to be sad!! make xie’er less sad!!” and “ye baiyi is a Wholeass Mood and possibly my favorite part of the show, idk”, with a side-helping of “okay, okay, this plot is starting to be mildly engaging” bc we’ve gotten more wen kexing backstory.

playing spent longer than i should have back with ultramoon this weekend, hunting an abra and trying not to scream at the incessant magnemites. also bought my little trainer some new duds, including sweet blue knee socks, got her hair did, etc. why do i have the hardest time nicknaming these little virtual monsters? i swear it takes me 15 min to choose a moniker for each (though on the plus side, having done that helps me overcome my distaste for the boring/weird ones, which i’m sure is the point. nothing like naming something to help you view a thing as cute...sorry grimer).

making going to say that organizing the garage and basement on saturday counts here, because we made space and it made me happy and also oh thank god, the diminished chaos in the living room is such a relief.

working on started reading an academic article written in welsh on...thursday last week? and i’m nearly on page two!! the excitement here is definitely tinged with a lottle bit of panic!