#Peter Kraus

[postcard-from-the-past]

Conny and Peter Kraus on a vintage postcard

[whereyoustand]

emmy nominations are out and no Kenneth, Angela, or Peter :(

idk how it works but Kenneth deserves an emmy

[dadsinsuits]

Peter Kraus

[rwpohl]

der pauker, axel von ambesser 1958

[oldshowbiz]

The German Rock Music Riots

[peter-kraus]

Peter Kraus, New Works 2023 Fine Art Print on Hahnemühle William Turner

[knistelfitz]

Hello Mary Lou | Peter Kraus | Knistelfitz

[universallyarbiterinternet]

Peter Kraus: „Hafen-Rock“ -  Schallplatte aus dem Jahr 1958

[darkness-holds-eternal-light]

Great song! 😊💜🎶 Even if you're not German, I think this song is a banger! And if you're German/ speak German, even better! 😀

[livelovecaliforniadreams]

[ellenhuttereborn]

if my tv love interest was played by angela bassett/tracie thoms/jennifer love hewitt I’d probably never shut up about it

[postcard-from-the-past]

German singer Peter Kraus on a vintage postcard

[girlniall]

.

[nellasbookplanet]

Book recs: cosmic horror that would appal H.P. Lovecraft, part 1

From the vast void of space and other dimensions to the suffocating pressure of the deep ocean and subterranean caves; aliens and fish people and eldritch gods; madness and seeking to make the unknowable known: lovecraftian and cosmic horror comes in many shapes.

If you're anything like me, you go wild for this shit, but also think the genre's namesake can go fuck himself. Thankfully, many writers have embraced the genre over the years, and a great deal of them have eschewed Lovecraft's bigoted ideas. Here is a selection of cosmic horror that would've appalled Lovecraft and delights me. These are books about and by queer people, women, disabled and neurodivergent people, and people of color; books that ask you to sympathize with (and perhaps even romance) the monster; books that re-imagine Lovecraft's own myhtos into something less hateful yet still genuinely scary. Enjoy!

For details on the books, continue under the readmore. Titles marked with * are my personal favorites. If you want more book recs, check out my masterpost of rec lists!

Winter Tide by Ruthanna Emryss*

Aphra and her brother are the only survivors after the government raided their home, Innsmouth. Their only living family are the amphibian people of the deep, whom they will one day join, but until then they are bound to land where they struggle to build new lives for themselves after the great loss of their home and loved ones. Then rumors start to spread of a russian agent seeking dangerous and ancient magic, forcing Aphra to involve herself as they try to stop it. Does contain horror elements but is generally a much more optimistic look on cosmic horror than most lovecraftian stories, told from the perspective of one of his monsters. Lots of focus on found family and rebuilding of community and fairly light on plot, but also unflinching in its portrayal of real as well as cosmic horrors.

Providence Girls by Morgan Dante*

Sapphic horror re-imagining of several of H.P. Lovecraft's works from the point of view of the women sidelined as victims in the originals. Forced to abandon her not-quite-human children to escape a cult seeking to sacrifice her, Lavinia nearly dies from exposure in the woods. She's saved by the prickly Asenath. The two women find themselves growing close as Lavinia regains her strength. But Asenath's own dark past is catching up, as she too begins to transform into something not entirely human. Beautiful and unsettling with heavy body horror as well as more human horrors such as emotional and sexual abuse.

The Shape of Water by Daniel Kraus & Guillermo Del Toro*

In 1960s America, Elisa works as a cleaner in a government facility when a strange fish man is brought in to be studied. An immediate connection sparks between the two, but his time is running short as plans are to vivisect him. Alongside her colleague and her reluctant neighbour, Elisa must find a way to save him before he's laid under the knife. Less horror than most books on this list, The Shape of Water is nonetheless a beautiful romance about embracing (and being) the other in a world that wants you gone. If you like the movie, you likely also enjoy the book.

Otherside Picnic by Iori Miyazawa

Sapphic, surreal and episodic horror vibe. Following the directions of an urban legend, university student Sorawo finds her way to a reality populated by horrifying creatures from ghost stories and modern urban legends which induce fear and madness in those who interact with them (of which I’m sure you’ll recognize many). Here she teams up with fellow explorer Toriko, both to find out more about this strange world and to help Toriko find a missing loved one. Also available as a manga and (one season of) a pretty middling anime.

Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero

Sapphic, horror with adult and genuinely scary scooby gang vibes. Once, Andy, Kerri, Nate, Peter and their faithful dog were known as the Blyton Summer Detective Club, until they hit their fateful final case in 1977. Now, the year is 1990, and the group hasn’t gathered in years. Tomboy Andy is wanted in at least two states; Kerri, former kid genius, is tending bar; and horror nerd Nate is in a mental institution in Arkham. At least he still has the company of jock-turned-movie star Peter - except Peter has been dead for years. Now they must all come together to find out the truth of what happened all those years ago.

Where Black Stars Rise by Nadia Shammas & Marie Enger

Graphic novel, inspired by The King in Yellow. Dr. Amal Robardin, Lebanese immigrant and a therapist in training, finds herself in over her head when assigned her first client. Yasmin is a schizophrenic suffering from nightly terrors that seem all too real, and when Amal fails to give her the support and answers she needs, she disappears. Desperate to fix things, Amal goes racing after her - and ends up in a world of eldritch nightmares, more real than she ever imagined.

In the Shadow of Spindrift House by Mira Grant

Novella. After Harlowe's parents were killed by a cult, she was sent to be raised by her grandparents. There she ended up becoming part of a group of teen detectives. As the group grows up and starts splintering into adulthood, Harlowe decides to find them one last mystery to solve: the secret of Spindrift House, a manor of murky origin, surrounded by dark mystery. Entering the manor, the group is eager to solve its secrets - but Spindrift House isn't one to give them up easily.

The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle

Novella. Re-imagining of one of Lovecraft's stories. Tommy is a hustler struggling to get by; when the elderly Robert Suydam hires him to play guitar at a party, Tommy is quick to agree. But Suydam is seeking something vast and Outside our reality, inviting Tommy to take part. Meanwhile, private detective Malone repeatedly harasses Tommy and his family in his hunt for proof against Suydam's activities. A bleak look that puts the apathy of eldritch gods against the closer-to-earth evil of human bigotry.

Sawkill Girls by Clair Legrand*

Young adult. The isolated island of Sawkill Rock has secrets. It hosts the legend of a local monster, and the very stark reality of decades of girls going missing, never to be found again. Now, three girls stand at the center of the horrific mystery. If only they can come together, perhaps they can save future generations of girls from a monster that may very well be real. Asexual and sapphic main characters, including a sapphic romance. Not as heavy on the cosmic horror as other titles on this list, but the monster certainly leans hard into it.

Blindsight by Peter Watts*

Vampires, post-humans, aliens, and questions on the nature of consciousnesses, oh my! A ship is sent to investigate the sudden appearance of an alien vessel at the edge of the solar system, but the crew isn’t prepared for the horrors awaiting them. Because the aliens are intelligent, but they are nothing like us - to them, we may be nothing but a mistake to be wiped out. No, seriously, this book will fuck you up, highly recommend if you’re okay with a lot of techno babble and existential horror.

The Scourge Between the Stars by Ness Brown

Novella. After having failed at establishing a new colony, starship Calypso fights to make it back to Earth. Acting captain Jacklyn Albright is already struggling against the threats of interstellar space and impending starvation when she´s thrown a new danger: something is hiding on the ship, picking off her crew one by one in bloody, gruesome ways. A quick, excellent read if you want some good Alien vibes.

The Outside by Ada Hoffmann*

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

Shards of Earth by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Not too long ago, Earth was destroyed by the Architects, alien beings of massive proportions who seemed hardly aware of humanity's presence as they reshaped our entire planet into a twisted work of art. In their defense, humanity created super soldiers able to communicate with the enemy where no one else could. At once, the Architects disappeared without a trace. Fifty years has since passed, and Idris, one of the soldiers, has neither aged nor slept since, working on a freelance salvage vessel. But when he and his crew stumble on a sign that the Architects may be returning, they must embark on a race to find out the truth.

The Stars are Legion by Kameron Hurley

Zan wakes without memory, a passenger aboard one of the living world-ships of Legion, a fleet of decaying generations ships. Told she’s the salvation meant to free them from the fleet, Zan is flung head first into a brutal and bloody conflict. 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, where humans are nothing but part of an ecosystem that cares little for their well-being. Had I to categorize it I would call it grimdark military sf. It’s an experience but not necessarily a pleasant one.

Empress of Forever by Max Gladstone

Sapphic. Vivian Liao is a highly successful innovator, but she may have bitten off more than she can chew and fears the government may be coming for her. As she goes into hiding, she attempts to pull off one last stunt that could fix everything - but something goes wrong, and suddenly Vivian finds herself waking up in the far future, under attack by an army of robots in space. Hoping to find her way back home, Vivian must assemble a crew of dangerous outlaws to help her hunt down the Empress of Forever, the all-powerful entity who pulled her into the future. While overall a space opera in genre, Empress of Forever also features a cosmic horror threatening the entire universe.

Solaris by Stanislaw Lem

1960s Polish classic, more existential and philosophical than horror, with an exploration of how we may never understand the nature and motives of a truly alien mind. Arriving on a station orbiting the planet Solaris, Kris Kelvin is meant to study the strange, possibly sentient ocean that covers its entire surface. But the effects of the ocean are far reaching - Kelvin finds the crew of the station secretive and unstable, and is shocked to wake one day to the embodiment of a long dead lover. Was it created by the brain-like ocean, and if so, why?

The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling*

Possibly one of the most unsettling and claustrophobic books I’ve ever read. Gyre, a caver on an alien planet, ventures into the dark and dangerous underground, guided only by her handler, a woman who has no compunctions on using and manipulating Gyre as she sees fit to obtain her own secretive goals down in the caves. Alone iton the dark, Gyre must struggle to keep hold of her sanity. Sapphic in the messiest of ways.

Levithan Wakes by James S.A. Corey

Jim Holden and his crew are ice runners in a system on the brink of war, tension rising between the inner planets and the inhabitants of the belt. When the crew comes across an abandoned ship, they come into possession of a secret that may light the spark of war. Crossing their path is detective Miller, searching for a missing girl tied to the mysterious ship. More dangerous than even impending war is the truth behind the girl's disappearance, leading to a secret billions of years in the making. It has slept for longer than humanity has been aware, but now, it is waking up. It has a job to do, humanity be damned.

Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer

For decades, Area X has been completely cut off from humanity. The only ones to enter are small organized expeditions, many of which never return, or return… wrong. We follow the latest expedition, its participants known only as the anthropologist, the psychologist, the surveyor, and our narrator, the biologist. As they enter into Area X to try to find out its secrets, only one thing is for sure: they will never be the same again.

Out Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armifield

Miri thought she lost her wife Leah when her deep-sea mission ended in a catastrophe. But Leah was miraculously returned to her - or so it seems. Because something happened down there, deep in the ocean, and whatever it was, Leah has brought it back with her. Surreal and strange, Our Wives Under the Sea will not answer all your questions, but it will give you a unique experience.

The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin

Five New Yorkers find themselves experiencing strangeness as the city itself begins to wake up. They are its soul, its avatars and its protectors, and now they must keep it safe as it wakes and something alien and eldritch attempts to kill it before it’s even fully born. Mix of sci-fi, supernatural, and lovecraftian horror. Multiple pov characters of varying queer identities. Tries to bite off a bit more than it can chew but is also very inventive and unique.

The Gilded Abyss by Rebecca Thorne

Sapphic. Nix Marr is a soldier and damned good at it, but that doesn’t prepare her for her next mission: bodyguard for Subarch Kessandra, beloved royal and Nix’s bitter ex, as she ventures into the underwater city of Fall to seek the cause of a bloody murder spree and a possible deadly contagion of madness. But Kessandra has enemies, the answers she seeks marking her as a possible threat for the nation’s rulers. On their way in an isolated and enclosed underwater ship, the contagion catches up, and Nix will have to put her hurt feelings aside if the two are to arrive alive. Not quite as scary as it could be, but with some very fascinating lore and world-building.

Beneath the Rising by Premee Mohamed

The only thing extraordinary about Nick Prasad is his best friend Joanna "Johnny" Chambers, genius child prodigy. But when Johnny invents a new, clean energy source, the two are dragged into a race to save the world. The invention has attracted the attention of something ancient and dark, searching for a way into our reality, hoping to rule over humanity. Only Nick and Johnny can stop them, but as rifts between them grow wider and old gods loom nearer, they may not manage it in time. More coming of age and adventure than horror, but does feature an interesting take on elder gods mythology.

Leech by Hiron Ennes*

Unbeknownst to humanity, a sentient hive mind has taken over the entire medical profession to ensure the health of their host species. One of their doctors is sent off to an isolated location where they’re cut off from the rest of the hive mind, only to realize they’re faced with a rivaling parasitic entity of unknown intentions. Leech hands you only just enough information to get by, and whether its historical fantasy, an alternate timeline, or futuristic post apocalypse is hard to determine. It’s spooky and a bit weird and wildly creative, and does some neat things with gender.

Family Business by Jonathan Sims

By the author behind the Magnus Archives. When Diya’s childhood best friend and roommate unexpectedly passes away, Diya falls apart and, among other things, loses her job. When she’s offered a position at Slough & Sons to clean up after the deceased, she sees no other recourse but to accept. Her new job is grisly but important, and Diya starts to get back on her feet - until strange visions of a terrifying man and the dead’s last moments start to haunt her. Slough & Sons are hiding something, and it’s up to Diya to find out the truth. No romance, bisexual main character and trans woman side character.

The Hollow Ones by T. Kingfisher*

After having divorced, Kara moves to stay with her uncle and help him run his museum of curiosities, until one day she discovers a hole in the wall of his house. The hole leads to a strange bunker, and beyond that, a dark and dangerous world beyond her understanding. In the company of a friend, she goes to explore this world, but quickly comes to regret her decision to do so. No romance, major gay character, at once funny and deeply creepy.

Malevolent by Harlan Guthrie*

Lovecraftian horror mystery. Private detective Arthur Lester wakes up in his office, his partner dead, memories fuzzy, vision gone, and the voice of a malevolent entity in his mind. Unable to see, Arthur is forced to rely on guidance from the entity as he attempts to solve the mystery of what it is and where it came from. Is this a book? No. But as someone who reads mostly audiobooks, the difference between a book and a fiction podcast is negligible, and also I love this story and its characters and want all of you to do so too.

[hornyforpoetry]

Achilles and Patroclus // Apollo and Hyacinthus

Ganymede // Hylas

Narcissus // Orpheus

Artemis // Tiresias

LGBTQ+ Icons in Greek Mythology

- in the honour of Pride Month 2024

In order: ”Achilles Lamenting the Death of Patroclus” by Gavin Hamilton // ”The Death of Hyacinthus” Nicolas-Rene Jollain // ”The Abduction of Ganymede” by Peter Paul Rubens // ”Hylas and the Nymphs” by John William Waterhouse // ”Narcissus” by Caravaggio // „Orpheus” by Paul Duqueylar // „Artemis” statue replica after Leochares // „Tiresias” by Johann Ulrich Kraus

[dalsimoravskyblog]

Ultimátní vánoční pohádka: FINÁLE

Pohádky (pod předělem v abecedním pořadí a s videem):

Dvanáct měsíčků (2012)

režie: Karel Janák | hrají: Marie Majkusová, Roman Vojtek, Veronika Žilková, Ivana Korolová, Jan Komínek, Radoslav Brzobohatý

„Poklid podhorské vesnice naruší v předvečer vánoc návrat rodáka – mladého muže Karla z ciziny, kde se mu zjevně dařilo. Karel se rázem stane lákavou partií pro všechny dívky na vdávání ve vesnici, a to do té míry, že vezmou jeho chalupu útokem. Vdavkům se ale Karel chce vyhnout, naopak touží prodat statek, vzít s sebou mladšího bratra a odstěhovat se natrvalo. Proto vznikne nápad uložit adeptkám nereálné úkoly a stanovit tak jednoznačné podmínky. Úkoly se podaří splnit pouze Květě a to jen díky nevlastní sestře Marušce, kterou macecha donutí s úkoly Květě pomoci. Sama to ale nezvládne...“ (ČSFD, 57 %)

Korunní princ (2015)

režie: Karel Janák | hrají: Patrik Děrgel, Kryštof Hádek, Eva Podzimková, Pavel Kříž, Josef Abrhám, Ladislav Mrkvička

„Kdesi v Zapovězeném lese žije zlý čaroděj Kruciatus. Ten se před sto lety pokusil zničit království, kterému dnes vládne král Alexandr, jenž má dva syny – následníka trůnu Jana a mladšího prince Karla. Karel se však nechce s rolí druhého v pořadí za žádnou cenu smířit. S pomocí svého sluhy Pakosty se na hradě vloupá do zakázané komnaty, získá kouzelné rekvizity, které tu po zlém čaroději zůstaly, a hodlá svého bratra zničit. Princ Jan tak vypije kouzelný lektvar, který mu jeho povedený bratr naservíruje, a ten mu vmžiku vymaže paměť. Jan se poté bezhlavě vydává na cestu do Zapovězeného lesa, ve kterém každý, kdo tam kdy vkročil, beze stopy zmizel.��� (ČSFD, 70 %)

Kouzla králů (2008)

režie: Zdeněk Zelenka | hrají: Petra Tenorová, Martin Kraus, Michal Slaný, Anna Fialová, Josef Abrhám, Jitka Schneiderová

„Jak to tak bývá, byla nebyla dvě království. Jednomu vládl hodný král Dobromil, druhému zlý Vladan. Jenomže dobrý králům se nedějí samé dobré věci. Dobromilova dcera je začarována královnou ohně. Dobromilovi nezbývá nic jiného, než najít muže, kterému by se povedlo princeznu vysvobodit. Své pátrání rozšíří na Vladanovu říši. Najde se zde někdo, kdo princeznu zachrání?“ (ČSFD, 48 %)

Krakonošovo tajemství (2022)

režie: Peter Bebjak | hrají: David Švehlík, Leona, Jan Nedbal, Ondřej Sokol, Dominika Morávková, Jakub Prachař, Martin Huba

„Na zámek v podhůří Krkonoš přijíždí nový majitel Štěpán se snoubenkou komtesou Blankou a mladším bratrem Adamem. Cestou kočár nešťastně srazí kolemjdoucí dívku Lidušku, Adam jí pomůže a ona se do něj zamiluje. V horském městečku je ještě jeden nový příchozí, národopisec Jiráček, který sbírá místní pověsti a nevychází z údivu nad tím, že zdejší lidé ještě věří v Krakonoše. Díky Adamovi Liduška získá místo zahradnice na zámku, jenže také brzy zjistí, že Adam je beznadějně zamilovaný do Blanky. Sobecký a lakomý Štěpán se dozví od Jiráčka o nevídaných pokladech skrytých v krkonošských horách a je odhodlaný je získat, zvlášť, když Adam náhodou objeví vlašskou knihu, která pomocí tajných značek popisuje, jak se k nim dostat.“ (ČSFD, 66 %)

O vánoční hvězdě (2020)

režie: Karel Janák | hrají: Tereza Ramba, Vojtěch Kotek, Leonie Brill, Aňa Geislerová, Ondřej Sokol, Matěj Hádek, Kryštof Hádek

„Učitel Václav se chodí každý večer dívat na princeznu, jak bruslí na zamrzlém jezeře, ale ani sám sobě nepřizná, že je do ní zamilovaný. Jednoho dne se u něj doma objeví hvězda Denička, snoubenka zářivého Siria, kterou na zem srazila žárlivá Proxima. Každá hvězda na zemi vyhasíná, síly jí ale může dodat čistá, nesobecká láska. Když Denička zjistí, že Václav miluje princeznu, rozhodne se pomoci jejich lásce a tím zachránit i sebe. Jenže Proxima se rozhodně nevzdává a je odhodlaná udělat cokoli, aby zazářila vedle Siria místo Deničky.“ (ČSFD, 65 %)

Tajemství staré bambitky (2011)

režie: Ivo Macharáček | hrají: Tomáš Klus, Kamila Janovičová, Ondřej Vetchý, Petr Štěpánek, Miroslav Vladyka, Jiří Lábus, Tereza Kostková

„V jednom malém království mají panovníka, kterého máloco udrží doma. Král Vilém s královnou Olivií jsou stále na cestách a s velkorysostí sobě vlastní přenechávají vládu nad říší královské radě, ve které mají hlavní slovo rádcové Ferenc a Lorenc. Jejich hlavním zájmem je vypisovat čím dál častěji nové daně, jejichž prostřednictvím získávají stále větší příjmy do vlastní kapsy. Práva obyčejných lidí chrání jen loupežník Karaba, který přepadá výběrčí daní a nespravedlivě vybrané peníze zase vrací původním majitelům. Když se mu narodí dcera Anička, uloží své loupežnické „nádobíčko“ včetně staré bambitky hluboko na dno velké truhly a vrátí se ke svému původnímu hrnčířskému řemeslu. Ve stejnou dobu se královským manželům narodí syn Jakub. Obě děti se později, na prahu dospělosti, setkají a ke slovu se znovu dostane loupežníkova bambitka, která napravuje zlodějinu královských rádců.“ (ČSFD, 69 %)