#Possibly my favourite post-apocalyptic/apocalyptic story | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

thesiltverses · 1 year ago

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I don’t know who types up the ask answers on this blog but to whoever’s reading this: how do you all feel about being alive and sentient? What keeps you going, what purpose propels you through this chaotic void? What do you think (or hope) waits for you after your inevitable end? What do you think constitutes a life well lived?

I'm going to answer this in the most wayward and stupidly overlong manner possible, because the previous ask had me thinking about puppets, and I was already mid-way through writing up a book recommendation that's semi-relevant to your questions.

Everyone (but especially people who've enjoyed The Silt Verses and all the folks on Tumblr who loved Piranesi by Susanna Clarke) ought to seek out Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban.

Riddley Walker is a wild and woolly story set in post-apocalyptic Kent, where human society has (d)evolved into a Bronze Age collective of hunter-gatherer settlements. Dogs, apparently blaming us for our crimes against the world, have become our predators, hunting us through the trees. Labourers kill themselves unearthing ancient machinery that they cannot possibly understand.

A travelling crowd of thugs led by a Pry Mincer collect taxes and attempt to impose themselves upon those around them with a puppet-show - the closest possible approximation of a TV show - that tells a mangled story of the world's destruction, featuring a Prometheus-esque hero called Eusa who is tempted by the Clevver One into creating the atomic bomb.

Riddley himself, a twelve-year-old folk hero in-the-making surrounded by strange portents, ends up sowing the seeds of rebellion and change by becoming a conduit for the anti-tutelary anarchic madness (one apparently buried in our collective unconscious) of Punch 'n' Judy.

It's a book in love with twisted reinterpretation, the subjectivity of interpretation, buried or forbidden truths coming back to light (the opening quote is a curious allegory about reinvention and cyclical change from the extra-canonical Gospel of Thomas, which is a good joke and mission statement on a couple levels at once) and human beings somehow stumbling into forms of wisdom or insight through clumsy and nonsensical attempts to make sense of a world that is simply beyond them.

It rocks.

The book starts like this:

On my naming day when I come 12 I gone front spear and kilt a wyld boar he parbly the las wyld pig on the Bundel Downs any how there hadnt ben none for a long time befor him nor I aint looking to see none agen. He dint make the groun shake nor nothing like that when he come on to my spear he wernt all that big plus he lookit poorly. He done the reqwyrt he ternt and stood and clattert his teef and made his rush and there we wer then. Him on 1 end of the spear kicking his life out and me on the other end watching him dy. I said, 'Your tern now my tern later.'

Riddley's devolved language - a trick which has been nicked/homaged by many other works, most notably Cloud Atlas and Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome - is a masterwork choice which may seem offputting or overwhelming at first, but which has its own brutal poetry and cadence to it, and ultimately which makes us slow down as readers and unpick the wit, puns, double-meanings and playful themes buried in line after line.

(Even those first five sentences get us thinking about cyclical change, ritual and myth in opposition to the dissatisfactions of reality, and 'tern' to paradoxically indicate a rebellious change in direction but also an obedient acceptance of inevitable death.)

In one of my favourite passages in literature and a statement of thought that means a lot to me, Riddley has been smoking post-coital weed with Lorna, a 'tel-woman', who unexpectedly declares her belief in a kind of irrational, monstrous Logos that lives in us, wears us like clothes, and drives us onwards for its own purpose:

'You know Riddley theres some thing in us it dont have no name.' I said, 'What thing is that?' She said, 'Its some kynd of thing it aint us but yet its in us. Its lookin out thru our eye hoals...it aint you nor it dont even know your name. Its in us lorn and loan and shelterin how it can.' 'Tremmering it is and feart. It puts us on like we put on our cloes. Some times we dont fit. Some times it cant fynd the arm hoals and it tears us a part. I dont think I took all that much noatis of it when I ben yung. Now Im old I noatise it mor. It dont realy like to put me on no mor. Every morning I can feal how its tiret of me and readying to throw me a way. Iwl tel you some thing Riddley and keap this in memberment. What ever it is we dont come naturel to it.' I said, 'Lorna I dont know what you mean.' She said, 'We aint a naturel part of it. We dint begin when it begun we dint begin where it begun. It ben here befor us nor I dont know what we are to it. May be weare jus only sickness and a feaver to it or boyls on the arse of it I dont know. Now lissen what Im going to tel you Riddley. It thinks us but it dont think like us. It dont think the way we think. Plus like I said befor its afeart.' I said, 'Whats it afeart of?' She said, 'Its afeart of being beartht.'

While Hoban is, I think, deeply humanistic to his bones and even something of a wayward optimist, the notion of human beings as helpless and ignorant vessels, individual carriers - puppets, if you like - for an unknowable and awful inhuman power-in-potentia and life-drive that lacks a true shape or intent beyond its own continued survival (even when that means destroying us or visiting us with agonising atrophy in the process) conjures up the pessimism of Thomas Ligotti, another big influence on our work and a dude who was really into his marionettes-as-metaphor.

Let's go to him now for his opinion on the thing that lives beneath our skin. Thomas?

Through the prophylactic of self-deception, we keep hidden what we do not want to let into our heads, as if we will betray to ourselves a secret too terrible to know… …(that the universe is) a play with no plot and no players that were anything more than portions of a master drive of purposeless self-mutilation. Everything tears away at everything else forever. Nothing knows of its embroilment in a festival of massacres… Nothing can know what is going on.

Curiously, both Ligotti and Riddley Walker have appeared in the music of dark folk band Current 93, whose track In The Heart Of The Wood And What I Found There directly homages the novel and ends with the repeated words,

"All shall be well," she said But not for me

These words, in turn, hearken back to Kafka's* famous reported conversation with Max Brod:

'We are,' he said, 'nihilistic thoughts, suicidal thoughts that rise in God's head.' This reminded me of the worldview of the gnostic: God as an evil demiurge, the world as his original sin. 'Oh no', he said, 'our world is only a bad, fretful whim of God, a bad day.' 'So was there - outside of this world that we know - hope?' He smiled: 'Oh, hope - there is plenty. Infinite hope, just not for us."

So, we walk on.

We carry this thing that's riding on our backs, endlessly bonded to it, feeling its weight more and more with every passing day, unable to turn to look at it. Buried truths come briefly to life, and are hidden from us again. Perhaps they weren't truths at all. We couldn't stand to look the truth directly in the eyes in any case.

If there is hope, it's for the thing that looks out from our eyeholes, which thinks us but cannot think like us. We'll never get to where we're going, and the thing will never be born. There's no hope for it. Perhaps we don't want it to win anyway. It's nothing, and the key to everything.

The Jesus from the Gospel of Thomas says:

'When you see your own likeness, you rejoice. But when you see the visions that formed you and existed before you, which do not perish and which do not become visible - how much then will you be able to bear?'

Kafka, writing to his father, begins by expressing the inexpressibility of his own divine terror:

You asked me why I am afraid of you. I did not know how to answer - partly because of my fear, partly because an explanation would require more than I could make coherent in speech…even in writing, the magnitude of the causes exceeds my memory and my understanding.

Kafka concludes that while he cannot ever truly explain himself, and that the accusations in his letter are neat subjectivities that fail to account for the messiness of reality, perhaps 'something that in my opinion so closely resembles the truth…might comfort us both a little and make it easier for us to live and die.'**

It doesn't bring comfort to Kafka, whose diarised remarks both before and after the 1919 letter make it clear that he views his relationship with the things (people) that birthed him as an endless entrapment that prevents him from attaining any kind of self-actualisation or even comfort, since he cannot escape their influence or remember a time before them:

I was defeated by Father as a small boy and have been prevented since by pride from leaving the battleground, despite enduring defeat over and over again.

It's as if I wasn't fully born yet...as if I was dissolubly bound to these repulsive things (my parents).*** The bond is still attached to my feet, preventing them from walking, from escaping the original formless mush. That's how it is sometimes.

Samuel Beckett returns again and again (aptly) to this pursuit of a state of true humanity and final understanding that is at once fled and unrecoverable, yet to be born, never to be born, never-existed, endlessly to be pursued, pointless to pursue. From the astonishing end sequence of The Unnameable:

alone alone, the others are gone, they have been stilled, their voices stilled, their listening stilled, one by one, at each new-com- ing, another will come, I won’t be the last. I’ll be with the others. I’ll be as gone, in the silence, it won’t be I, it’s not I, I’m not there yet. I’ll go there now. I’ll try and go there now, no use trying, I wait for my turn, my turn to go there, my turn to talk there, my turn to listen there, my turn to wait there for my turn to go, to be as gone, it’s unending, it will be unending, gone where,where do you go from there, you must go somewhere else, wait somewhere else, for your turn to go again

I’m not the first, I won’t be the first, it will best me in the end, it has bested better than me, it will tell me what to do, in order to rise, move, act like a body endowed with despair, that’s how I reason, that’s how I hear myself reasoning, all lies, it’s not me they’re calling, not me they’re talking about, it’s not yet my turn, it’s someone else’s turn, that’s why I can’t stir, that’s why I don’t feel a body on me, I’m not suffering enough yet, it’s not yet my turn, not suffering enough to be able to stir, to have a body, complete with head, to be able to understand, to have eyes to light the way

From Thomas' Jesus:

When you make the two one, and you make the inside as the outside and the outside as the inside and the above as the below, and if male and female become a single unity which lacks 'masculine' and 'feminine' action, when you grow eyes where eyes should be and hands where hands should be and feet where feet should stand and the true image in its proper place, then shall you enter heaven.

Tom's Jesus makes a particularly Gnostic habit of both insisting that the hidden will be revealed and demonstrating the impossibility of attaining a state where the hidden ever can be revealed. Contrary to C.S. Lewis, we will never have faces with which to gaze upon the lost divine and the mysteries that shaped us, and crucially, as Christ puts it, we would not be able to bear the sight of ourselves if we did.

We will never become the thing that's riding on our backs.

Jesus again:

The disciples ask Jesus, 'Tell us how our end shall be.' Jesus says, 'Have you found the beginning yet, you who ask after the end? For at the place where the beginning is, there shall be the end.'

The Unnameable:

I’ll recognise it, in the end I’ll recognise it, the story of the silence that he never left, that I should never have left, that I may never find again, that I may find again, then it will be he, it will be I, it will be the place, the silence, the end, the beginning, the beginning again, how can I say it, that’s all words, they’re all I have, and not many of them, the words fail, the voice fails, so be it

The final passage of The Unnameable, which often is hilariously shorn and misinterpreted as an inspirational quote about how if you don't succeed, try again:

all words, there’s nothing else, you must go on, that’s all I know, they’re going to stop, I know that well, I can feel it, they’re going to abandon me, it will be the silence, for a moment, a good few moments, or it will be mine, the lasting one, that didn’t last, that still lasts, it will be I, you must go on, I can't go on, you must go on. I’ll go on, you must say words, as long as there are any, until they find me, until they say me, strange pain, strange sin, you must go on, perhaps it’s done already, perhaps they have said me already, perhaps they have carried me to the threshold of my story, before the door that opens on my story, that would surprise me, if it opens, it will be I, it will be the silence, where I am, I don’t know. I’ll never know, in the silence you don’t know, you must go on, I can’t go on. I’ll go on. †

We bear this thing that's riding on our backs. We'll never get to where we're going, and the thing will never be born. If it was born, it'd be too terrible for us to bear. There's nothing riding on our backs.

It will never speak us into being.

We keep on calling out into the silence, we keep trying to explain or understand the thing that's riding on our backs, searching for a way to birth it before we die. Our words about the thing are crucial, and they're meaningless, and they're all we have, and they're nothing at all. We cannot name it and we cannot express it, but we cannot stop trying, and we will keep turning back to our words about the thing, obsessing over them, tearing them to pieces, putting them back together.

I'm fumbling at something I can't think or say, but fumbling is all we're capable of. There could be beauty and meaning and comfort in the fumbling, but it's also vain, and foolish, and pointless, and we're lying to ourselves about the beauty and the meaning and the comfort, and we're indulging ourselves pointlessly by going on and on about the pointlessness of it. Nothing can know what's going on. We will never get close enough to understand without being destroyed.

Thomas' Jesus again, warning those who seek to reveal what's hidden:

He who is near me is near the fire.

Riddley Walker, reflecting on the Punch puppet's inexplicable desire to cook and eat his own child:

Whyis Punch crookit? Why wil he al ways kill the baby if he can? Parbly I wont ever know its jus on me to think on it.

If you got to the end of this, congratulations: but the above is honestly the most appropriate patchwork of what I believe, what propels me, what I feel.

As for what comes after life, I think it's fairly straightforwardly a nothingness we are tragically incapable of fully knowing or accepting - it's Beckett's unimaginable and unattainable silence, a silence that his characters' voices keep on shattering even as they cry out for it.

-Jon‡

*I can't remember if Kafka makes prominent reference to Czech puppets in his work, which is interesting in its own right given the thematic relevance (the protagonist in The Hunger Artist is perhaps a kind of self-directing puppet show?).

However, Gustav Meyrink - who some unsourced Google quotes suggest was pals with Czech puppeteer Richard Teschner - did write a strange little story, The Man On The Bottle, about an audience watching a 'marionette show' who are too wrapped up in performances and masks to interpret the reality that they're actually watching a human being suffocate to death.

**Thomas Ligotti: "Something had happened. They did not know what it was, but they did know it as that which should not be.

Something would have to be done if they were to live with that which should not be.

This would not (be enough); it would only be the best they could do."

***Beckett's Malone Dies actually kicks off with a related sentiment:" I am in my mother’s room. It’s I who live there now. I don’t know how I got there...In any case I have her room. I sleep in her bed. I piss and shit in her pot. I have taken her place. I must resemble her more and more."

† I don't necessarily align myself in humour with Ligotti on a lot of this stuff but I imagine he would recognise both Beckett's writing and Kafka's frustrations re explaining the causes of his hatred for his father as sublimation: finding artistic and philosophical ways of sketching the inexpressible horror and uncertainty of our existence in order to reckon with it at a remove without destroying ourselves. A higher form of self-deception, but self-deception nevertheless.

‡Muna's more of an anarcho-nihilist, I think.

#long fucking post just to say 'i don't know'

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thlayli-ra · 13 days ago

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Stole this from @stripeydani - Happy New Year bestie! Lang may yer lum reek!

2024: My Year in Writing

2024 Summary

Words Written - 292,392 words

Fics Published -

The Moon Rises Red Tonight - Vampire AU, AJ Lee/CM Punk/LA Knight/ Finn Balor. My weird little baby that was meant to be just straight up smut with my favourites yet kinda turned into this angsty piece involving a trauma flashback-inducing vagina so... yeah...

Would You Offer Your Throat to the Wolf? - Hunter/Prey AU. CM Punk/Drew McIntyre. Literally the second Punkintyre fic on AO3 and my first full foray into Dead Dove horror. It is entirely to blame for my writing taking a drastic turn into the unhinged and I'm still not sure if that's a good thing or not. 😅

The Chain - Soulmate AU. CM Punk/Drew McIntyre. I'm still really proud of this twisted little ficlet. So far, it's the only time I've written in first person POV.

Stray - Stray AU. CM Punk/Drew McIntyre. Part fluff, part angst, it tells the story of two broken souls helping to mend one another. And Drew in a muzzle.

Losers pray for things to happen; winners make things happen! - Winner's Room AU. CM Punk/Drew McIntyre. A silly ficlet I wrote after Clash at the Castle that inadvertently launched a whole entire au, in which Gunther has a pet play kink. One of my most successful fics. More will follow, I assure you!

Thlayli's Trick or Treat Ficlets - Various. A collection of request ficlets I did for my Trick or Treat event in October. I had so much fun working with all of your requests and got to flex my writing abilities a bit. However, it did spawn the Alien Breeding fic so there's that...

A Sinner at Heart - Valetverse AU. LA Knight/Nick Aldis. A huge thank you to Dani @stripeydani for prompting this pairing. They're so much fun to write and I plan to add more to this fic next year! (They're so fucking!)

Out of the Ashes - Post-Apocalyptic AU. CM Punk/AJ Lee, various. Finally got the sequel to Scorched Earth back up and running after a long slump.

'Acknowledge Me' - Winner's Room AU, LA Knight/Roman Reigns. Technically the first winner's room fic I wrote but it got stuck in WIP hell until last month. Nasty little piece where neither man comes off better.

My Favourite Fic - Oooooh! That's tricky. It's a close-call between Red Moon, the hunter/prey au and Stray but if I had to choose, it would be Stray. Mainly because it all started off as an interesting concept that popped into my head one morning and evolved with each chapter into a beautiful character study of love and loss. I especially enjoyed writing Divorced!JoePunk and capturing their complicated feelings towards one another.

My Most Written Pairing - Isn't it obvious? It's been the year of Punkintyre. They infested my brain and consumed me entirely (they're both lingering in there still, I just need to get over the holiday season for some time to write/draw)

My Most Used Tags - 'Rape/Non-Con Elements' - I mean, I'm bad enough with this tag anyway but Punkintyre made it all so much worse! 'Anal Sex' - they're all fucking each other (when they're not murdering one another in the woods of course!). 'Past Abuse' - one must have past trauma in order for a tattooed man to heal them, right?

What I learned - That all my readers are freaks (in the most affectionate way possible!) But seriously, this was a revelation - after the Hunter/Prey AU, I allowed myself to write darker, more explicit fics and it has been weirdly liberating. Like writing all the darkness out of me and embracing it in a safe way.

What I want to write next year- Sooooo much! So far, the WIP list looks like this;

- Complete Out of the Ashes

- Part 2 to the Alien Breeding/Experiment AU fic

- The Valets of WWE; Modern Era (first chapter in progress)

- More LA Knight/Nick Aldis fics

- LA Knight/Shinsuke Nakamura, Winner's Room fic

- Red Moon off-shoot featuring Punkintyre (based on an idea proposed by @selamat-linting )

- A little ficlet/art piece based off of my good friend @elementaldoughnut12 's Stripper AU

- Several ficlet requests I have on stand-by in my askbox (requests are always appreciated btw so feel free to send any in)

- Part three of Flint and Steel (one can dream!)

- Not to mention any inspiration that comes my way during Wrestlemania season (keeping all my fingers and toes crossed for a Punk/Gunther feud!!!)

#Thlayli-writes #2024 summary #fic summary #wrestling fanfiction #fic wip

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scifimagpie · 1 year ago

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Writeblr intro

Last Updated: Mar 2024 So, I realised I hadn't actually written one of these, and I had to fix it!

Name: Magpie, or Shelle, or Michelle.

Pronouns: she/her or xe/xer/xis.

Who: both a writer and an editor!

The Writing: I’ve been publishing since 2011, and I have a bunch of free and paid anthologies I’ve organized, but these are my most important/favourite works.

Except for The Meaning Wars series, all of my books are set in Canada!

The Meaning Wars (complete; And The Stars Will Sing, The Stolen: Two Short Stories, The Meaning Wars, Poe’s Outlaws, A Jade’s Trick, The Meaning Wars Complete Omnibus)

Similar to: Becky Chambers�� A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet and Ruthanna Emrys’ A Half-Built Garden

Vibes: Space opera! Found family! Mature (30s) protagonists! Best friends! Sapphic and queer m/f romance elements! Friendly space raptors! Space pirates! A beach episode! Antifascism! Colonization (and inequality issues)! Fighting stuff with democracy and direct action!

The Underlighters (Book 1 of The Nightmare Cycle; Book 2, Monsters and Fools, is complete and in edits. Book 3, The Foundling City, is a current WIP!)

Similar to: Jean DuPrau’s The City of Ember, Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere, the Fallout series

Vibes: Coming of age/new adult themes. Spooky monsters. Post-apocalyptic. The importance and warmth of community. Friendship. Struggling with teen problems. Polyamory. Nightmares. Mental health issues. Trauma. Hope. Recycling.

After The Garden (Book 1 of the Memory Bearers Saga; Book 2, Within the Tempest, is also one of my WIPs)

Similar to: Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake, The Wachowski sisters’ Sense-8, the Fallout series

Vibes: Found family. Gentle romance. Polyamory (m/f/m). Superpowers without superheroes. Sinister cults and religious extremism. Reincarnation. An alternate future. Adorable giant spiders. Silk-weaving and fiber arts. Post-collapse societal reorganization and politics.

The Loved, The Lost, The Dreaming: A Horror Anthology includes an alternate-ending version of The Underlighters, the novella A Shot of Vodka, and a dozen or so genre-crossing short stories. All of them have spooky elements.

Similar to: Neil Gaiman’s Smoke and Mirrors, Roald Dahl’s Skin and Other Stories (this is not an endorsement of antisemite Roald Dahl; I am antifascist)

Vibes: Underground living. Spooky dolls. Abandoned houses. Queerness. Sinister fey. Nightmares. Lovecraftian eeriness. Here be monsters.

Bad Things That Happen To Girls (Book 1 of the Memory Bearers Saga; Book 2, Within the Tempest, is also one of my WIPs) Possibly my most underrated work, this New Adultish story is a standalone novella about trauma and what happens when life breaks down.

Similar to: Emily Danforth’sThe Miseducation of Cameron Post and Miriam Toews’ A Complicated Kindness

Vibes: Broken family. Abusive mother. Being queer in a small city. Religious trauma. Forbidden cross-cultural love. Teen heartbreak. Coming-of-age. Sisters.

The Hell series (Unpublished WIPs; Dark as Hell, Uncharted Hell, Hope in Hell)

Similar to: Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag, Andrej Sapkowski’s The Witcher series

Vibes: Grumpy/sunshine romance! Mature protagonists! Queer f/m romance! Thriller elements! Immortal pirate! Marxist/anti-billionaire politics—with a billionaire protag! Lovecraftian ocean horror! Historical fantasy elements! Lots and lots of boat stuff!

Prairie Weather Trilogy (Unpublished but complete, in submission; Chinook Phase, Tornado Warning, Brushfire)

Similar to: Douglas Couplands’ Jpod,Nick Sagan’s Idlewild trilogy (without the sci fi stuff), Love Actually, Heartstoppers

Vibes: Aggressively Canadian! Found family! Cozy academia! University! Set in the early 2010s! Queer romance! Ensemble cast! Aggressively queer, diverse, and inclusive! Coming-of-Age/New Adult issues! Friendship! Drama! Sex work-positivity!

The Editing: I've been a professional freelance editor since 2013, with Top-Rated status on Upwork (a freelancing website) and several hundred books under my belt. (I don't know how many things I've worked on at this point. I've lost count!) Primarily into sci fi, fantasy, horror, and literature (and associated subgenres); enthusiastic about #ownvoices and all kinds of diversity/marginalised representation in fiction.

You don’t have to go through Upwork unless you want to; DM me if you’re looking for an editor who’s knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and gentle. I’m also budget-friendly!

Age: in my 30s.

Queer?: yes. Also poly! Happily married to two people; also have a girlfriend. Not looking for more partners.

Disabled?: yes.

Languages: English mostly, but some conversational Spanish (rusty), scraps of French, tiny bits of German and Irish. All my writing is in English, though.

Location: Southern Alberta, Canada. (Texas + Kansas + Colorado = Alberta, more or less.)

Other hobbies: Knitting, making jewelry, playing Dungeons and Dragons (and other tabletop games), singing, reading (obviously), learning stuff; playing cello, clarinet, and violin

Interests: Jewelry, gems, metalworking, fiber arts, queer issues and social justice, environmentalism, drinking quite a lot of tea (usually black; I like an assam, Ceylon, or breakfast blends, though Golden Snail absolutely slaps when I’m in the mood for it, and I love Earl Grey Cream as well)

Other internet profiles: *Website * Mailing list * Magpie Editing * Amazon * Tumblr * Mastodon *Facebook * Medium * Twitter * OG Blog* Instagram * Paypal.me * Ko-fi

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burningdarkfire · 11 months ago

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books i read in jan 2024

[these are all short + casual reviews - feel free to ask about individual ones if u want my full thoughts or ask for my goodreads!!]

the tail end of winter break + flights to the other side of the world and back + two week vacation means i am so fucking back, baby

prince's gambit (reread) + king's rising (reread) + the summer palace + the adventures of charls, the veretian cloth merchant + green but for a season - c.s. pacat ★★★★★ (fantasy romance)

nothing like tearing through the whole capri series to start off your year by changing your brain chemistry yet again. it's not a perfect series but it is so good at the erotic and the romantic and the perfect push and pull of tension !!

locklands - robert jackson bennett ★★★★★ (fantasy)

fantastic and utterly satisfying end to the series. i'm always trying to pitch these books as much as possible because the magic system is one of my favourites ever and rjb has an understanding of themes if i've ever seen one

[reread] jane, unlimited - kristin cashore ★★★★★ (YA fantasy)

still love this genre-bending mind-fuckery of a book. it's an interesting take on grief and a positive look at the potentiality of both the universe and individuals

a beautifully foolish endeavor - hank green ★★★★★ (scifi)

utterly shocked considering how little i liked the first book but i found this one compulsively readable and absurdly fun. it still reads like someone very online wrote it but i enjoyed the ride this time

the rest of us just live here - patrick ness ★★★★☆ (YA fantasy contemporary)

solid and pretty standard YA contemporary that has some bonus fun fantasy that made it much easier to swallow for someone who doesn't like YA contemporaries very much

a power unbound - freya marske ★★★★☆ (historical fantasy romance)

decent conclusion to the series and a hot romance that kept me invested, but the "plot" dragged and took up so much pagetime

bloodmarked - tracy deonn ★★★★☆ (YA fantasy)

obvious second book syndrome with wacky pacing and a bloated cast of characters, but it handled a lot of trope-y YA stuff pretty deftly and i am deeply curious where this plot is going to lead

moon of the turning leaves - waubgeshig rice ★★★★☆ (post-apocalyptic)

decent sequel that trades in the horror of the first book for a more survivalist bent. i don't think it's particularly interesting if you don't already like these sorts of books, but i do, so i liked this one as well

the trial of henry kissinger - christopher hitchens ★★★★☆ (political non-fiction)

def not kissinger for babies but the writing was solid and easy to follow, even if i knew nothing about the politics going in

eileen - ottessa moshfegh ★★★☆☆ (thriller)

relentlessly unpleasant to read but the frame story gave it an interesting flair. i've always found ottessa moshfegh's works worth reading even if i don't exactly enjoy them

annihilation - jeff vandermeer ★★★☆☆ (scifi)

extremely slow to start but it does eventually cohere into something? the writing was beautiful and i understand why everyone highlights it as atmospheric

small things like these - claire keegan ★★★☆☆ (historical)

complete nothing of a book to me. wasn't good, wasn't bad, totally fine, just didn't make me feel anything and i probably won't ever think about it again

the perfect crimes of marian hayes - cat sebastian ★★★☆☆ (historical romance)

the plot of this book was so so bad and unfortunately rather important to the flow but it did feature two character tropes and a romance that were exactly my type of shit. i would describe this as "if you closed both eyes and ignored the plot entirely it's almost an astrid/wulf fic" and that's how i had fun

you made a fool of death with your beauty - akwaeke emezi ★★★☆☆ (romance)

the banter and relationship with the FMC's best friend was by far the best part of the book. i liked the premise of the main romance, but it ended up being insta-love despite the incredible setup. also read like it was so concerned with being beautiful that it forgot to be horny or passionate or even interesting

lumberjanes vol. 1-2 - n.d. stevensen et al. ★★☆☆☆ (children's graphic novel)

tried to be coherent in the wrong sorts of ways and didn't lean into childish whimsy the way it should have, but the art was cute. it wasn't bad but i'd never choose to give it to a kid

#my posts #reading wrap up #books #liveblogging books #captive prince

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beyond-the-lens · 2 months ago

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The Art Of Storytelling In Video Games: The Last Of Us

Introduction

What are video games when you really think about them? Of course they are a form of entertainment, well, for most of us. Video games are a way to have fun and bring out your competitive side. It's an adrenaline rush. Most gameplays are filled with endless possibilities and are never ending.

I personally believe that what makes video games interesting are their narratives. The storytelling.

Now it doesn't necessarily mean that games without a story are unentertaining. If you think about Minecraft, which is a sandbox game filled with endless creativity, still has a story behind it. This is captured through the characters and scenery.

The Importance Of Storytelling

Storytelling is a method of expressing emotions through words and actions, which exposes pieces of a story and encourages the listener to be imaginative, (National Storytelling Network. 2019).

There's so much more to storytelling when it comes to video games than just creating an engaging story. It's a way to immerse players into the game's universe, full of different characters which one might sympathise with and others whom you despise (Game-Ace, 2023). According to Porokh, H. (2023), one of the key benefits to storytelling in video games is the immersive experience which allows the player to become fully invested in the game's narrative, creating an emotional attachment and having a more satisfying experience.

Porokh, H. (2023), continues on how deeper and important themes and messages are displayed more clearly through certain narratives, eventually this leads to critical thinking and problem-solving as players delve into complex narratives.

Artwork

Now that I have proven myself to be more drawn to story-based games, one of my absolute favourite games that I have played which struck me emotionally is The Last of Us, both part I and part II. The sequel delves deep into an apocalyptic world, based in the US, specifically in Boston, Pittsburgh, Settle, Salt Lake City, Jackson and many more locations. The story is focused around the lives of Ellie and Joel. Throughout the games we see their relationship blossom, while on a journey to find a cure for the fungal disease also known as 'Cordyceps', which attacks the brain and transforms people into monsters known as Clickers, Stalkers and Bloaters; these are the different stages of the disease.

Reviews

These characters' stories are filled with personal struggles and having to sacrifice a lot along the way, evoking a deep emotional response from the player. Players have described it as the greatest most intense and emotional journey that they have experienced. Another player said that it was an immersive experience which blossomed relationships not only through relating to the characters but to the player him/her self.

Themes Explored

From my experience of playing the game, I have noticed many themes which came out throughout the game. These are some of the key elements noticed in both parts:

Love and Death

Of course it being a game set in a post-apocalyptic world, one would expect for death to be a big part of the game. Characters are constantly dying but those who are not of much importance, their loss is not felt like others. In the beginning of Part I, Joel almost immediately loses his daughter Sarah, and later on his friend/love? Tess. These deaths impact how the characters' personal evolves.

A great example which comes to mind, is the bitter suite attitude Joel had towards Ellie when they first met. He was cold towards her and almost seemed as if he did not want to create a form of relationship with her, because deep down she reminded him of his daughter and that Joel did not want to experience more loss. Certain emotions might be missed if you're not keen on these small details.

Loss of Innocence

Ellie, being a 14 year old in the beginning of Part I, growing up in such an environment, experiences a loss of innocence. These harsh environments teach these young characters to be mature from a young age, grappling complex emotions and the harsh realities of survival. From loosing her best friend Riley, she had to learn how to cope with this loss, but further into the game, her emotions become more strong as she has to deal with bigger things.

Violence

Violence is a big part of video games. In the Last Of Us, violence brings more violence. This is especially seen in Part II, where the killing of certain people lead to a war between groups. Humans turn on humans in stressful environments, living in a world of no clear right or wrong answers. Apart from human disagreements, violence occurs throughout with the infected and other groups.

Conclusion

Video games have undoubtedly evolved into a great medium for storytelling and have yet to increase their capabilities. Unlike other forms of storytelling, video games give the player the opportunity to take part in the unfolding of the story. As the medium evolves and expands, storytelling in video games will surely play an increasingly crucial part in the overall trajectory of modern storytelling, challenging our perceptions and pushing the boundaries of what narratives can do.

References

Game-Ace. (2023). The Power of Storytelling in Video Games. [online] Available at: https://game-ace.com/blog/storytelling-in-video-games/.

National Storytelling Network (2019). What Is Storytelling? [online] National Storytelling Network. Available at: https://storynet.org/what-is-storytelling/.

Porokh, A. (2023). Storytelling in video games. [online] Kevuru Games. Available at: https://kevurugames.com/blog/the-art-of-storytelling-how-is-storytelling-used-in-video-games/.

Sukhdial, A. (2022). Video Games and the Power of Storytelling. [online] stonesoup.com. Available at: https://stonesoup.com/post/video-games-and-the-power-of-storytelling/.

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brid-jagtap · 20 days ago

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Blog#1

Narratives

As part of my master's in Games Art and Design, we started the first session of the module, Digital Media: Sources and Significance, with a discussion on Narratives, specifically narratives in games.

The first question we were asked was “ Is my favourite game a story? In what ways can it be said to have a narrative?”.

In my opinion, all games have some form of a story and/or a narrative regardless of the genre. In the case of games, the definition of the narrative can be interpreted differently than other media like film, books, and audiobooks. Unlike other media, in games, we can be the narrator as well as the narratee. For my first blog, I would like to analyze a few of my favourite games for their different narrative and storytelling approaches.

img: https://images.app.goo.gl/2izDyJDXyMW9ESVi9

Detroit: Become Human

Detroit: Become Human was developed by Quantic Dreams studio and initially published as a PlayStation 4 exclusive by Sony Interactive Entertainment in 2018. I got the chance to experience it myself when it was later ported to PC. It is set in the year 2038 where most jobs are automated with the use of Androids and we live in this modern age where humanity has become scarce. This game had a unique way of interactive narrative which I felt was way ahead of its time. Non-linear or choice-based storytelling wasn’t something new, but in Detroit: Become Human, not only are there 3 different protagonists or characters we play as, but also our choices and decisions at each step have an impact on the story. Every choice we make throughout the game as any of the three characters could set us up on drastically different paths and have very different endings for our playthrough. At the end of each chapter/mission, we get a screen showing a branching storyline as the outcome of our choices and all parallel possibilities. This type of storytelling gives a different meaning to the traditional definition of a narrative. We play as 3 different androids, Connor, Kara, and Markus and progress through their journey simultaneously. It also deals with sensitive topics like abuse, racism, segregation, sexuality, and torture from the perspective of the three androids. With interactive storytelling and the freedom of choice, we decide the fate of all 3 protagonists. We are the narrator of this story and it is truly in our hands how we get to the closure.

The Last of Us

The Last of Us is an action-adventure survivor horror game developed by a portion of Naughty Dog Studios. It was released in 2013 exclusively for PlayStation 3, and since then it has been remastered for the NextGen PlayStation versions and also released for PC. The Last of Us is a typical linear narrative story-driven game that is heavily praised for its realistic graphics. The game is set in a post-apocalyptic future where it has been 20 years since the fungal-based virus outbreak that infected more than 60% of the population. When humanity is still in search of the cure for this virus, we follow the story of the protagonist “Joel”, and 14-year-old Ellie, a girl we later find out is immune to the virus. The Last of Us sets the tone with its gut-wrenching epilogue. Through their journey the cold-hearted survivor Joel develops a bond with Ellie, who was born in this dehumanized world and has never experienced what earth was like before the outbreak. The Last of Us being a linear story game, we are not provided with much freedom of choice and we progress through the story only by completing the objectives. The story is so compelling that we as the narratee, develop the same emotional bond with Ellie. It is not just the story narrated by the cut scenes, but small gameplay elements like interactions between Joel and Ellie, items we collect, the environment, and attention to detail, that tell a lot about the aftermath of the outbreak. All these things contribute to the excellence of the storytelling in The Last of Us. At the climax, when we as Joel have to make a moral decision between the greater good of saving the world at the expense of Ellie or saving Ellie at the expense of humanity, we understand why Joel would choose to save Ellie. He decides to save his world instead of humanity which was never great to begin with. It was not the infected who killed his daughter but the same humanity that he is supposed to save now. The game does a great job narrating these emotions to us with the best acted-out performances I have seen in any type of media.

Red Dead Redemption II

The third game I want to analyse is arguably the best game in terms of story, characters, level of detail, gameplay mechanics, and all the aspects of gaming, Red Dead Redemption 2.

It was developed and published in 2018 by Rockstar Games, the studio behind many AAA games, including GTA. It is a prequel to the 2010 Red Dead Redemption. It is a Wild West-themed story of a fictional recreation of Old Western America set in 1899.

We play as Arthur Morgon, a member of the Van Der Linde Gang, trying to survive harsh weather, law enforcement, and the Wild West. This is an open-world game with a non-linear story, where players have the freedom to explore the world, interact with environments, and NPCs, do side quests, or just progress through the main story. This is a type of experimental narrative we commonly see in games. What made Red Dead Redemption 2 stand out is first of course its story. There are a lot of old Western American-themed movies that are famous from the past, but to be able to virtually live in that era and have an interactive narrative is quite an experience. It took more than 8 years for the development of Red Dead Redemption 2, rightfully so. All the elements of the game are well developed, from character to environment design. The way everything interacts with one another to tell a story, and the way every NPC has their own story, routine, and life is fascinating to experience. You can be a part of any event you choose. From doing random quests to just exploring the world of Red Dead Redemption 2 can tell you a different story every time you play. This is the type of narrative you could only experience in the Game Media.

References:

Contributors to Detroit: Become Human Wiki (no date) Become human, Detroit. Available at: https://detroit-become-human.fandom.com/wiki/Detroit:_Become_Human (Accessed: 08 October 2024).

Contributors to The Last of Us Wiki (no date) The Last of Us, The Last of Us Wiki. Available at: https://thelastofus.fandom.com/wiki/The_Last_of_Us (Accessed: 08 October 2024).

Wiki, C. to R.D. (no date) Red Dead Redemption 2, Red Dead Wiki. Available at: https://reddead.fandom.com/wiki/Red_Dead_Redemption_2 (Accessed: 08 October 2024).

#digital media #Academic Blogs

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amplesalty · 3 months ago

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Halloween 2024 - Day 2 - Dead 7 (2016)

The best supergroup since The Traveling Wilburys...

Apologies for the immediate tangent but for once this is a fresh addition to 'the list' so I can actually document how it came to be there. Just the other day Butterfly by Crazy Town came up on my playlist and I was reminded how their lead singer, Shifty Shellshock (…okay), passed away earlier this year. It was on his Wikipedia that I learned that he has a very brief filmography of this film, Willowbee and 1994's Clifford.

Which incidentally is potentially one of my favourite movie posters of all time based purely on Charles Grodin's expression. This movie by the way isn't about a big red dog, Grodin only makes dog movies about St. Bernards.

And it was on the entry for today's film that I proceeded to sit in shock and awe at the text that in front of me. A post-apocalyptic zombie horror western movie written and starring Nick Carter, yes that Nick Carter, and produced by The Asylum. That alone would have me interested but wait, there's more. Nick is joined by a veritable supergroup of 90's boy band alumni with entrants from Backstreet Boys, NSYNCH, 98 Degrees, O-Town and All-4-One…oh my! Given The Asylum's reputation of being a mockbuster studio, this film very much smacks of The Magnificent Seven mixed with The Walking Dead, though they're about 6 years late to the party on that Walking Dead part. Releasing within a week or so of the original with a near enough exact same name is more their style.

In the post apocalytic world, a witch doctor priestess type woman named Apocalypta threatens to raise a zombie army to overthrow what little of humanity remains so that she can take over the world (of course!). It's up to a rag tag crew of miscriants from Desert Springs to fight back and save humanity, which is where our Magnificent Seven comes up.

Jeff Timmons (98 Degrees) as Billy Sullivan, generic hero man

Carrie Keagan (not musically inclined) as Daisy Jane, generic hero man's girlfriend with the big knockers to keep male viewer's interested

Nick Carter (Backstreet Boys) as Jack Sullivan, Rick Grimes lite

Joey Fatone (NSYNC) as Whiskey Joe, the only actual decent character by way of him being the fun drunk

Howie Dorough (Backstreet Boys) as Vaquero, the Hispanic one who picked the sniper class and instantly regretted it since I don't think there is ever a need for a sniper at any point in this movie so all of his shots are from like 2 feet away as the shuffling zombie horde ambles toward him

Erik-Michael Estrada (O-Town) as Komodo, the one that picked the Samurai class and spends an inordinate amount of time slashing zombies because he wants to show off how he maxed out the sword skill

Lauren Kitt-Carter (also not muscially inclined or pictured) as Sirene, generic Native 'tracker' type who mains a Shotel for some reason and is also apparently a nepo hire given she's married to Nick Carter

Debra Wilson (not musically inclined but apparently shoot bald) as Apoclypta makes up for the fact that the character is very one note and essentially just thrust at you as the big bad without any explination or reason. She spends half the time just screaming and pulling over the top faces so I can appreciate that at least.

Her minion, Johnny Vermillion (AJ McLean of Backstreet Boys) is a more convincing villain than her and he actually manages to off various major and minor characters. Plus he gets to run around in clown makeup and a bowler hat whilst he does it so points for that.

A special shoutout has to go to Jon Secada (solo artist) as well purely for his magnificent sideburns.

I say the setting and story isn't explained, it may well have been in the little intro sequence but I was far too busy suffering from a major headache at the editing job they did on that. There's so many fast edits and weird effects and the thing constantly shifts between various harsh color filters that it pained me to actually watch. Possibly they were going for a graphic novel type thing to tie into the Walking Dead thing?

And don't get me start on the transitions between scenes. So many establishing sweeping shots of the goddamned mountains and valleys. Don't ever use this as a drinking game, your liver would be destroyed within minutes.

Going through the introductions of all these various characters is kind of fun, going through the whole 'getting the band together' motions. The ending as well has it's moments as it's building to a crescendo with various characters laying down their life for the greater good but the middle third of the movie feels a bit plodding as the group makes it's way towards Apocalypta.

Fatone, Wilson and McLean go a long way to saving this movie as they're the one ones that seem to be having some fun with it. Everyone else is taking it far too seriously which I don't feel they have any right to given the circumstances, a movie starring this many boy band stars has no serious artistic merits. To say he's given top billing, Carter is particuarlly bland and monotone throughout but he is still miles ahead of Chris Kirkpatrick (*NSYNC), though we're at least spared him for the majority of the movie given he only has about 3 scenes.

All things considered, I have to give this movie some praise for just about living up to my lofty expectations of it to fulfill the bollocks-o-meter. By no measure it is a good movie (what else were you expecting?) given the edits that drove me crazy at times, the mediocre acting, generic story and just general vibe that only comes with these kind of movies. But some of the characters are engaging, it has some satisfying gore and there's no denying it's an absolute curiosity piece to see the cast of a VH1 type 'Boy Bands Forever' show suddenly whisked away to film a feature length zombie movie. The theme song kinda slaps too.

#Halloween 2024 #Dead 7

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aiyexayen · 4 months ago

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What's your FAVORITE VIDEO GAME?? Also what's your favorite genre of video game??

another ask! thank you bestie 🥹

LEGEND OF ZELDA BREATH OF THE WILD! hands DOWN favourite video game. i still play around in it all the time, yesterday afternoon i took a stroll leaving kakariko village going west, at link's slowest walking speed, just enjoying a few days of travelling and camping each night between stables it was SO NICE (except for the yiga i guess but they weren't too bothersome).

the visuals are still stunning, there's so many places to explore and climb around and i don't get tired of it. and the STORY specifically the environmental storytelling, the thousand small and sometimes sweet and often sad stories in every nook and cranny of the world. the places it's open to possibility, to interpretation, letting the player paint themselves into the scene without it being too open-ended or unguided, mostly getting to decide how they feel about what's happened or even happening now. down to the ache at the fact that most of these small stories cannot and will not ever be known because the ones who knew them are gone and you are left in the aftermath to save what you can of an already post-apocalyptic world. but the hope and quiet joy inherent to seeing how people have fought and thrived even under a hundred years of shadow because life always finds a way and the spirit is indomitable UGH IT'S SO GOOD I'M GONNA CRY

also i like the puzzles, they're fun. and the way the game allows and even rewards you for trying alternative solutions or gameplay styles to get around puzzles or enemies which in particular made it very friendly for me, a chronic wimpy baby scaredy pants when it comes to games and monsters and fighting.

i am in love with it forever.

bUT i will say it is pretty closely followed up by stardew valley my beloved 🥹 so cute, so nostalgic, so moddable. single-handedly got me into like two different new hobbies.

i think genre of game is really hard to pin down for me. i love stardew valley but most farming sim cozy tm games i have tried kind of bore me. i love breath of the wild but damn me i have yet to really enjoy anything in any of the genres it falls into. i haven't even managed to make it all the way through any of the other zelda games i've tried playing yet, though i am VERY excited for echoes of wisdom. acnh is another one i like a lot but the rest of the animal crossing brand doesn't even tempt me.

i think probably i am just not a big enough gamer to have genre appreciation, and i just float around until someone drags me into a game with them and it hits all the right buttons at the right time and sticks lmfao

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charzeewrites · 8 months ago

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Books I've Read

And reviews

This is in no particular order btw!!

This is honestly just because I wanted a log of my favourite books, and I see no harm in posting it so why not :)

One of us is lying

8/10 - (murder mystery)

I really like this book!! My boyfriend recommended it to me because it's his favourite and I completely see why. It's a super good murder mystery story that always keeps you guessing. I genuinely would have never guessed how it would end, but it made sense, unlike other mystery-type stories I've read.

Howl's Moving Castle

9.5/10 - (fantasy fiction)

This book holds such a special place in my heart. It's an amazing story with, in my opinion, an equally beautiful movie. The book is really well written and has such a unique storyline and characters. This book was my escape in a really dark point in my life and for that I'll always be grateful for it's ability to pull a reader fully into the story and make them feel like they were really there. The outstanding writing of the gorgeous scenes and endearing characters makes for an absolutely magical read.

Girl in Pieces

10/10 - (fiction)

I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream

I think this is my new favourite book of all time. This book both broke & healed me. I saw so many people from my life in these beautifully written characters & now I see them in an entirely new light. I didn't know it was possible for a book to change my perspective on life in such a way. This book was an absolute rollercoaster of emotions to read & I would do anything to do it for the first time again. I relate to Charlie so much, including our shared name. This book is so well written and it really shows the process of learning to heal and grow. The representation for mental health that this book offers is more than I could ever ask for. I think this book will stick with me forever. This book truly gave me hope that I can heal, and that I will. I think we'll all be ok eventually.

6.5/10 - (post-apocalyptic science fiction)

Really great(and short) read! I really enjoyed it. There are certain parts where I felt if I had any sort of distractions then I couldn't understand and had to re-read it. Regardless it's still a very interesting story with super intriguing characters.

The Outsiders

9/10 - (bildungsroman)

Omg this book is so amazing. I originally read it for class in the 8th grade but I've read it countless times since because of my love for the book. I got quickly attached to the characters and I absolutely adore the story line. I would 100% recommend this book!!

Twisted Love

unread/10 - (romance)

How to Find Love in a Bookshop

unread/10 - (romance/domestic fiction)

#book #books #book list #book log #reading #reading list #reading log #my reading #my reading list #my reading log #long reads #short reads #i have no mouth and i must scream #the outsiders #girl in pieces

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amethystina · 2 years ago

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Hi ! i hope you are doing well

7. Any worldbuilding you’re particularly proud of?

8. What song would make a great fic (to either write or read)?

17. What highly specific AU do you want to read or write even though you might be the only person to appreciate it?

I'm still sick so I could be better? x'D But thank you for asking! 💜

7. Any worldbuilding you’re particularly proud of?

Well, the entirety of Hyperborean tbh? Because I got to write an "eternal winter" post-apocalyptic world with an entirely new social structure and get into the nitty-gritty of their everyday lives in a way that was very interesting. Some of it I would probably have written differently had I written it today, but I'm still very proud of it.

Another is Autonomy which, unlike Hyperborean, was less about creating an entirely new world and more about tweaking the canon Marvel concepts into something that fit a Space AU AND my idea of HYDRA being a parasitic virus instead of an ideology. I had so much fun figuring out how that should work and how to best showcase it in the story.

Because, to be honest, that's the best part? Not the world-building itself but the satisfaction I feel when I can make it relevant to the story. I'm not fond of info dumps so, incredibly often, I have a lot more information than ever makes it into the stories. But that's just a choice I have to make to keep the story well-paced, even if I LOVE world-building.

8. What song would make a great fic (to either write or read)?

Oh dang, a question about music x'D Honestly, for being someone who loves music as much as I do, I'm really, really bad at connecting music to writing or being inspired by music. I used to be back during my teenage years but, somewhere along the way, that just... faded? Not sure why.

ANYWAY. I think I'd have to go with Wicked Game by Chris Isaak. Because I'm a sucker for that kind of push-and-pull and "reluctant to fall in love" trope, especially if it has a hint of danger or drama. Here for it.

(Fun fact: The version of this song that I listen to the most is a cover made by the Finnish band HIM, which, incidentally, is a remnant from the previously mentioned teenage years. I was edgy back then)

17. What highly specific AU do you want to read or write even though you might be the only person to appreciate it?

That's tricky. Though I guess the easy answer would be a fic I'm already writing which is literally just for me. Like, I don't think anyone else (aside from my wife) will read it xD

And that's a Barduil AU (as in Thranduil and Bard from The Hobbit) where Thranduil fails spectacularly the first time around and gets a do-over, basically reliving the events of the Battle of the Five Armies — with his memories intact — and do better (and perhaps save a couple of lives on the way).

It's hyper-specific and hyper-catered to my own likes and desires. We'll see when I finish it and if I'll even bother to post it. But do know that I'm having an absolute BLAST writing it. Because it's entirely in Thranduil's POV and that is, quite possibly, my favourite POV I've ever written. He is a delight.

Questions for fic writers

#Amethystina Does Ask Memes #Anonymous #That highly specific AU has been in the making for years #I find it difficult to prioritise it over other fics #Since it's basically just for me #But maybe I should do something about that #It brings me so much joy #We'll see!#I have so much I want to write x'D #Also #I'll get to the rest of these tomorrow #I need to sleep now x'D

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procrastinatorproject · 1 year ago

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Oh, I like your thinking!

I absolutely agree that because Agnes saw the Admonition filtered through Oh's eyes, her perception of it was deeply coloured by Oh's interpretation. (Someone else also touched on that in one of my all-time favourite Agnes fics, actually!) And Oh's perception was always going to be extremely prejudiced, because the whole Zhat Vash training prepares you for a horrible, terrible, world-destroying secret -- and then you receive the Admonition. How could you interpret it as anything but hostile?

And if you want, you can even read hints of this interpretation in the show itself. The visuals we get for the Admonition show drawings by Da Vinci, Earth-based plants and animals, a human fetus, images of a Soong-type android, synths with Starfleet insignia, the Attack on Mars... When the Admonition was created several hundred millenia ago, none of these things existed!

And sure, the Doylist explanation is that these are the visuals that work because they give us, the 21st century audience, the right associations and vibes. But I think it makes sense in-universe, too. Because the Admonition isn't a video message or anything nearly as coherent. It draws on the memories, experiences, and thoughts of the person who receives it and creates visuals out of those.

And I think the version of the Admonition that we see is what Agnes sees. That's why it has animals and plants from Earth and a human embryo. Because if it was Oh's vision, "life begins" wouldn't necessarily conjure humans, even if they currently post the biggest threat where the development of artificial life is concerned. And then when Sutra melds with Agnes, it's her voice that reads out the message, which again makes it feel like the Admonition adapts to its recipient.

I it's entirely possible that the message Sutra took from the Admonition was deeply coloured by both Oh's interpretation and Agnes's devastation, but also by her own character. Sutra is shown to be manipulative and willing to sacrifice anyone and everyone for what she perceives as "saving her people". She even sacrifices Saga to make her fellow synths believe that the threat gainst their lives is so great it justifies any action they might take. (Which makes some sense, as her characterization, when you remember that her sister was killed by Starfleet and she was creted and taught by Soong and Maddox, neither of whom could be discribed as having great judgement, honestly...)

So, maybe, if, say, Data had accessed the Admonition directly, the message might have been less "You will have our protection. Your evolution will be their extinction. [Implied: We will make sure of it because it's the only possibility to protect you from the organics] and more "You will have our protection. Your evolution could be their extinction [so we will ensure that you can leave their plane of existence and join us/ make sure you and all of your offspring will be protected and be given a place in their society, if you wish.]"

It's definitely something to ponder!

Though I think I personally prefer the headcanon that the Admonition was created as a passive message, not as a thing with agency 🤔 Your interpretation is really cool and there is a lot of potential for stories and meta in there!

I just like the Lovecraftian implications. That seeing the Admonition could never be a truly positive experience for a non-synth, because they cannot understand what it's trying to tell them and get hurt in the process.

Even if it doesn't give you visions of Death, Destruction, and Apocalyptic undoing (because those might have been a Zhat Vash interpretation issue), it'll still be too vast and too much information to be processed by an organic (or semi-organic) brain. You'd be left knowing you have gotten a glimpse of something vast and fundamental, and so, so far beyond you. And you'd know you'll never be able to understand it or make real sense of any of it. That would probably drive anyone some flavour of mad, even if the unearthly glimpses they got weren't in and of themselves devastating. To say nothing of the damage this sort of overload would probably cause an organic brain...

Hmm according to Fandom Alpha, he mentioned that The Admonition:

“—was designed for synthetic minds, any organics attempting to access it could be driven to madness, self-harm, and suicide.”

So I wonder what would have happened if the Admonition was passed on to the Borg.

BTW, I still can’t believe that Ramdha’a supposed grief and despair was the reason for the submatrix collapse of the Artifact Cube.

Because the Borg have assimilated so many worlds, a billion minds filled with grief and despair as their lives were taken from them and their loved ones. It doesn’t make sense, it has to be something else.

I believe that Narissa believed it was because of Ramdha. But I personally don’t.

(The whole AI synthetic thing was too close to BSG and the one other game— I’m not on board with that part of the plot.)

But also, Romulans love their secrets too much that 80% of the time the cause of their own downfall.

#so many cool ideas!!#(and i love reading your thoughts and interpretations!#thank you so much for sharing them!)#long post #sta trek la sirena #star trek picard #the admonition #romulans #commodore oh #agnes jurati #synthetic life #synths #lovecraft #@biblioflyer

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