#Reproductive fidelity

[queencolondarkwing]

Um…

some couple just approached us on fetlife and want us to eventually move in with them so they can financially support and date us. The woman also said she may want to have my primary partner’s child.

I’m not monogamous, but I’m beginning to feel I may believe in reproductive fidelity because the idea of that offended me deeply. We have been building a life together and haven’t had our own kids yet. I would at least insist we have kids first before he branches out, but this woman is older and on a timeline…just…I know it’s hierarchy…but ain’t no way. Kids are a HUGE commitment and not just some willynilly decision that this lady and her hiss and are talking like it is. I think she just wants a mixed race child tbh…

keep in mind we haven’t even MET these people yet and only started talking to this older couple days ago. I don’t romantically connect to people easily. We mainly are swingers/open relationship and not polyamory (but open to it). It took 7 years of slutting around before I got with my partner. I’m very picky. They seem to assume we wanna jump into a relationship. And also that they can create a closed relationship with us (he hates condoms apparently) when we are both very popular in the swinger scene right now.

like nah I don’t know anything about either of you yet. Chill. Let’s take things slow. I view them talking about us moving in as they’re younger human sex toys when they don’t know us yet to be a massive red flag, but we agreed to hookup in a few weeks to at least test sexual compatibility. We aren’t committing though.

[richardvarey]

Full sonic capture, or euphony? And why.

Audio engineer Ben Duncan’s book High Performance Audio Power Amplifiers for music performance and reproduction (1996, Newnes) is unusual for its “interleaving of electronics and audio, engineering ideality, and musical and practical reality”. He points out that the ideal intention of hi-fi audio is to capture, and reproduce at any time, the captured sound with greatest accuracy. Alternative to…

[synchodai]

Let's talk adaptation theory, because I've been seeing a lot of accusations that criticism of HotD is just "wanting it to be exactly like the books" and "book purists" not knowing what an adaptation is. So okay, let's talk about what an adaptation is, then.

I'll mostly be quoting from Linda Hutcheon's A Theory of Adaptation, because this is the first book most everyone reads when going into adaptation studies. Let's look at several ways we can approach and critique adaptation.

ADAPTATION AS INTERPRETATION

The adapted text, therefore, is not something to be reproduced, but something to be interpreted and recreated [...]

No one expects HotD to be a 1:1 reproduction of F&B. Hutcheon often compares adaptation to the process of linguistic translation, in that there will always be an inevitable loss of fidelity when translating from one language to another. However, the translator is still expected to provide an accurate representation of the source text — hence, adaptation as interpretation and recreation. Some may call this approach "fidelity criticism," an evaluation of quality based on how much the adaptation aligns with the source text.

("Fidelity criticism" is not what GRRM did. He didn't criticize the show simply because it differed from the books, and often even praises changes from the source material if it "strengthens" the impact of the work. His priority was never fidelity.)

This approach has its detractors, but there is merit to pointing out that HotD and its audience will have a difficult time interpreting and conveying F&B's message (story) if the showrunners actively take out key words (characters) and terminology (plot events). If we view adaptation as translation (from one medium to another), then the role of the adapter is to convey the intention and meaning of the source text as accurately as possible. And people do have a right to criticize "accuracy" of meaning if we see adaptation as a process of translation and remediation — which you are free not to, but some people DO come from this angle and are often dismissed as "book purists."

If you see adaptation as interpretation, are you a book purist? Perhaps, depending on what the definition of "book purist" is, but to make it clear, the people who are coming from this viewpoint clearly do not expect a blow-by-blow reproduction, and to argue that they do is dismissing a whole school of thought when it comes to adaptation.

ADAPTATION AS SUBSTITUTION

Another way to look at adaptation is through a "process of substitution." Pretty simple to understand, right? Prose that says "red dress" is substituted for an image of a white gown but with ruby embellishments, two characters are merged into one for the show, and Aemond and Aegon working together in Rook's Rest is substituted for the former betraying the latter. Your mileage may vary on whether you find these acceptable substitutions.

I believe this is the camp GRRM falls into. He brings up fidelity only insofar that he's concerned a lack of it will lead to poor and unacceptable substitutions.

How does one know if a substitution is "acceptable?" Well, I'd like to use the analogy Hutcheon brings up about surgery:

Usually adaptations, especially from long novels, mean that the adapter's job is one of subtraction or contraction; this is called "surgical art."

Good adaptations are like good surgeries: the body remains holistically intact and ideally functions better with the replacements and removals. Bad adaptations are like bad surgeries — hence the oft lobbied critique of an adaptation "butchering" the source material. The body of the adapted text cannot function on its own, being maimed or crippled by the adaptation process.

For example, the adaptational change of making Rhaenyra and Alicent the "heart" of the story has been discussed a lot by fans and critics. It was praised in the first season because it gave the story an intimate and personal "face." But it was lambasted in the second season because it actively deterred the plot progression, "crippling" the pace and stakes of the show.

In GRRM's case, his argument was that while Maelor was an unimportant part by himself, his presence was necessary for the continued function of other more vital organs. He goes on to suggest possible replacements and reprecussions upon the text as a whole. While he expresses disapproval that Maelor was removed in the first place and mentions other potentially "toxic" changes, there's also the (albeit wary) admission that Condal and his team could very still find acceptable substitutes that may stave off the damage he foresees being done to the body.

Again, this is valid criticism and a legitimate approach to HotD as an adaptation.

ADAPTATION AS AUTONOMOUS

Perhaps one way to think about unsuccessful adaptations is not in terms of infidelity to a prior text, but in terms of lack of creativity and skill to make the text one's own and autonomous.

Basically, this approach to adaptation asks, "Is the show still good by itself? Or does it fall apart without its source text and paratext (interviews, podcasts, press releases, etc.)?" This mode argues that adaptations cannot be simply sequels, prequels, or any sort of expansion of the source text. They must be separate retellings that actively evolve and mutate into a species that can survive on its own — mainly, that it adapts to a new context and audience so to speak.

A critique lobbied at the season two HotD finale was that its impact relied solely on the legacy of the prior show and the A Song of Ice and Fire mystery of who truly is The Prince That Was Promised. If the audience had no connection to Daenerys, no investment in the question of who truly was TPTWP, and never watched Game of Thrones, would Daemon's decision to finally devote himself to Rhaenyra make sense? Or does its emotional resonance rely solely on the audience's investment to another story that is not this one? Is it an adaptation of F&B or a prequel to GoT?

There's nothing wrong with it being a prequel, but if it was billed as an adaptation, then the audience has the right to feel misled because both conventional wisdom and esoteric theory agree that prequels are not adaptations. I think this is the school of thought most people subscribe to when they say HotD feels like "fanfiction" — because while fanfics CAN be written as adaptation (like modern AUs, video game novelizations, etc.), a vast majority of them are not. Most fanfics are grafted on expansions reliant on the source text for context.

This is all to say that a lot of criticism levied against the show, including GRRM's, can't be chalked up to "people not knowing what an adaptation is." There are several different ways to approach adaptation — the question is does HotD succeed in any of them?

[fantasy-anatomy-analyst]

Orc breast anon again. None-human reproductive biology and habits was one of the key things I’ve been trying to add to all my otherwise traditional fantasy beings for this current project. For some more examples…

Elves have the standard of low fertility and long pregnancies (about 14 months). However elven fertility is controlled partially by population and resources access, taking a nose dive if things get too stressful. Female elves are also taller and more socially dominant than men. Similar to goblins, elves have a strong cultural distinction between “romantic” & “reproductive” relationships, the elven concept of marriage being nothing more than a breeding contract, having no expectations of fidelity or romance.

Dwarves have little to no sexual dimorphism, both sexes being equally stout and hairy. Feminine characteristics like breast and wide hips only being visible when a dwarf women is pregnant, receding shortly after. Dwarf Soceity has no real gender roles, biological sex not being a factor in much of anything from work/ politics/ etc… . Dwarves are highly monogamous, things like infidelity and promiscuity are rare and seen as signs of mental illness. Dwarven monogamy is to the point that dwarves have greater emotional difficulty escaping toxic/abusive relationships, and in the case of a partners death the grieving spouse never remarries.

Ogres have a soceity similar to elephants, in that their Soceity is completely gender segregated and they only temporarily meet up to breed. Ogre women and children live together in settled communities, led the eldest female as matriarch. Ogre men are solitary nomads, kicked from their birth community by the time they become a teenager. The ogre religion strictly bans the union of genders, as a consequence of the ogre creation myth of the original male abusing the three original sisters and killing his progeny in jealously. He and his sons being forever cursed to wander the world as punishment for masculine ego.

Those are currently the most developed by their are more. Like trolls having wolf pack family dynamics/ fairies undergoing pupation to grow wings during puberty/ merfolk laying eggs like fish and harpies having exotic bird mating displays.

As for the brutality and “savagery” thing, I can see what you mean and how these traits may be misconstrued that way. My orcs and goblins are no less advanced then the other peoples,(being around a late renaissance era) having their own nations/ city states/ and so on. And that one of the main details I’m focusing on is that “Everyone is full of Sh*t”. All of the sapient beings in my world have problematic and barbaric practices, it not just being limited to the orcs and goblins. You got some universal issues like bigotry/ corporal punishment/ tyrannical leaders/ pointless wars/ widespread slavery/ etc… Then theirs some culture specific ones. Humans are ,ofcourse, very misogynistic as well and the major human empire is currently a colonizing and slavery based abusive superpower. Elves are practitioners of eugenics and purity culture, equating “beauty” with “moral goodness and spiritual purity”, with all the ugliness these entail. Dwarves have a rigid caste system ala dragon age, with no social mobility being possible except becoming a cast-less exile. Gnomes practice blood sacrifice and dark magics on a regular societal level. “serious STAY AWAY FROM THE GNOMES!!!”. And so much more.

This is all I’ve got for now of the current WIP of this project, and this has given me a lot to think about. Thank you once again for responding and your advice!

You've been putting a lot of work into this project! It's honestly really cool. I love seeing unique takes on fantasy people like this.

Having big issues in every group you write definitely helps balance things out! That's very good. You keep on having fun and building on your ideas!

[bunny-claws]

constellation correspondences ✦ ˖ ⁺

a list of common constellations and their correspondences

(there are many myths from many cultures surrounding the constellations - pls keep in mind that these are personal correspondences largely inspired by greco-roman mythology and will be updated periodically - last update on 6.15.25)

A

andromeda - power, removing barriers, release, letting go

aquarius - innovation, luck, rebellion, intellect, curiosity

aquila - guidance, psychic work, astral travel, wisdom

ara - hearth, home, devotion, refuge, protection 

aries - protection, banishing

auriga - wisdom, knowledge, storm magic 

B

boötes - protection, acquisition, nature, weather, storm warding

C

cancer - astral travel, dreamwork, psychic abilities, imagination, creativity, subconscious desire 

canes venatici - companionship, faithfulness, protection while traveling, healing, abundance, fertility, growth 

canis major & canis minor - death, renewal, new beginnings, protection, purification

capricornus - harvest, energy, abundance

cassiopeia & cepheus - balance, relationships, love, union, healing, maternal conflict (cassiopeia), and familial/home conflict (cepheus) 

centaurus - balance, duality, healing, wisdom

cetus - power, intelligence, communication, change, growth, happiness

columba - peace, relaxation, fidelity, devotion, marriage, union

corona australis - emotions, love, spirituality, success, manifestation of goals 

corona borealis - guidance, authority, protection, knowledge, divination, success, manifestation of goals

corvus - wisdom, secrets, duality, prophecy, divination

crater - life, emotions, abundance, cleansing, healing

crux - elemental energy, crossroads, decision-making 

cygnus - light, death, transformation, prophecy, self-esteem 

D

delphinus - intelligence, wisdom, truth, releasing negativity, fertility, safe travels 

draco - wisdom, power, knowledge, prosperity, luck, protection 

E

eridanus - life, health, abundance, power, wisdom, transformation, meditation 

G

gemini - balance, change, transition, increased power, banishing

grus - death, rebirth, mysticism, truth, divination  

H

hercules - wisdom, creativity, strength, energy

hydra/hydrus - life, reproduction, forces of nature, power, healing, transformation, change

I

leo - power, protection, courage, strength, abundance 

lepus - abundance, swiftness, wisdom, divination, hidden knowledge, transformation, lunar magic 

libra - balance, healing, justice, legal matters 

lupus - power, purpose, loyalty, protection

lynx - isolation, purification, cleansing, illumination, insight, hidden knowledge, swiftness

lyra - underworld, enchantment, immortality of the soul, music 

M

monoceros - beauty, freedom, love, luck, spirituality, transformation, wisdom, creativity 

O

ophiuchus & serpens - healing, balance, the flow of energy 

orion - self-confidence, strength, victory, winter storms 

P

pegasus & equuleus - travel between realms, spiritual communication, astral travel, divination, psychic abilities 

perseus - heroism, courage, power 

phoenix - change, cycles, transformation, rebirth, renewal, personal growth 

pisces - creation, fertility, union, creativity 

pleiades, the - mysticism, power, higher consciousness, wisdom, awareness

S

sagittarius - mental stimulation, virility, sexuality, physical energy, power, skill, manifestation of goals

scorpius - protection, the underworld, creativity, transformation, psychic abilities 

T

taurus - abundance, regeneration, power, strength, potency 

triangulum - balance, change, transformation

U

ursa major - protection, strength, survival, exile, courage, the afterlife

ursa minor - protection, youth, nurturing, awakening, renewal

V

virgo - rebirth, harvest, regeneration, prosperity

© 2025 bunny-claws

[wittywords]

𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐚

Strong interest in the high-fidelity reproduction of recorded sound.

[blorbohoarder]

i already love them

ALSO!!!

you can buy this if you want!

[sewards-phonograph]

How do you feel about the newest phonographs coming with discs?

I've ordered one lately! It is a bad habit of mine – to browse through catalogues when I am Glum. And I have been rather Glum.

Mechanically, it is rather fascinating. The lateral recording method on the disc – vibrations etched side to side, rather than vertically – means the needle tracks rather differently. It takes a few plays to make evident the fidelity of reproduction, especially for speech. There is less hiss and pop, though perhaps slightly more mechanical hum.

It is presently sitting beside my old faithful wax cylinder phonograph. I will be tinkering with it as soon as I get the time.

[thectower]

I, well and truly, I believe all forms of AI will fail to meet expectations for the following reasons:

1) it is an attempt to create a system of intellectual engagement such that any one person can engage with it and receive absolutely exactly what they want to know, fully interpreted and understood. A feat that is not even achievable between human people.

2) that such a feat can be accomplished in less than a single human lifetime and,

3) without that system having a tengible connection to the ever changing world and the intention to engage with it.

In order to be able to achieve what is expected of AI, the system would need to be able to understand and predict what any given human being could wish from it. Those expectations from us are predicated by the world around us, our history as participants in the world, and as part of a history of participants in the world.

AI systems are, at best, infantile and develop far, far slower than any single human would. What AI learning models, in theory, could afford is growth beyond a single human lifetime. This means that the only way for it to come close to meeting expectations is after several human lifetimes of development.

To push this idea further, let's discuss fidelity. Since AI is, in essence, an attempt to create a high fidelity outlet for the sum total of all human knowledge, it is important to discuss the limitations of creating something of absolute fidelity.

The tension of any representation of the world is that it compromises fidelity for form. An adaptation of a novel into a film cannot hope to recreate 1 to 1 the fidelity of the text. This is because the form of a novel with the highest possible fidelity is a reproduction of the novel. Any adaptation will have to sacrifice fidelity.

Another way of looking at it is through the lens of film since it's a visual medium. A film cannot be a full fidelity recreation of the world. Good film makers know this. It is, instead, attempting to create a focused representation of the world. But, due to that focus, it is limited by that focus.

In order to create a film that reflects the world to the highest degree, one ought to simply film the world, second by second. But even that method would result in the details beyond the scope of the camera, limitations of the microphone, and the organic nature of human action being lost. The only way to experience the world in the highest fidelity is to experience the world.

We must then understand that AI cannot hope to achieve what's expected of it. It cannot recreate it. It cannot represent it to us. In the same way that nothing but the world itself can. The only way to contain the sum knowledge of the world is to produce a 1 to 1 recreation of the world, to ask all of its inhabitents what they know and to pool that information. But even if you did that, your ability to understand it would be limited by the lens of your own existence. The work of interpretation will always be necessary.

[oddman-the-oldman]

Black-footed Drone Fly aka Eristalis hirta shown feeding on Meadow Deathcamas aka Toxicoscordion venenosum feeding a usually poisonous flower where both nectar and pollen are poisonous to most animals and insects. It also shows the flower fidelity required to pollinate a mandatory out crossing plant at the beginning of the clip when the fly moves from one flower to the next.

I found this activity while looking for Andrena astragali which so far appears to be absent at this location. (Mima Mounds Wa.)

Use the two arrows near the bottom right of the video so you can get the resolution to see the detail by full screening it. Use your escape key to move on.

You may also wish to read:

Notes on the reproductive biology of Zigadenus paniculatus, a toxic range plant.

Where they talk about Eristalis flys.

@jadeseadragon

[perenial]

gene im so glad you said this cause I haven't seen anyone else comparing it to the book as source material for like character and tone but i am So sure that if terry was alive the season would not be like this but i fear good omens fans dont realise how big a factor the lack of terry's influence is?? or like they forget that good omens was never just neilman???

ok before i go any further: i rly don't want to detract from anyone's enjoyment of the season and everything im going to say comes from a place of love for a) the original novel (& season 1 to a certain extent bc it got me back into it lol) and b) tv as a medium so like peace and love on planet let people enjoy things etc etc

but

like u said, terry's influence on the book was enormous – what makes gomens gomens is the balance of his genuine warmth and precise understanding of humanity tempered with neilman's sardonic voice and general like.....savvy approach to storytelling? i guess u could call it? anyway what rly helps the book is that it took them years to write it, passing ideas back and forth and rewriting each other's work until their voices blended seamlessly and a well structured capital-s Story was created. when i praise the book for being self-contained i think a huge part of that comes from the circumstances in which it emerged: two authors with complementary styles writing in a v particular time period where they had both the space to play with their ideas and the constraints of the novel as a storytelling format from which to craft something extremely specific.

adaptations are a tricky business and a tv version of gomens produced literal decades after the book was always going to have some unique challenges, but i don't think that's a bad thing bc the challenges could prove to be creative opportunities to take both the established audience and those new to the story by surprise. my biggest hot take here is that i don't think translating a story into a different medium means it has to follow the original narrative exactly, bc each medium has its own ways of communicating information and these structures, rules and traditions in turn inform what that story is. what matters more than following a story beat-by-beat is capturing what that story is about at its core, what themes and messages and ideas it works through and how.

all this is to say i never expected tv gomens to be a perfect reproduction of the book and if it had it been, it probably would have been worse off for it. that being said, there are parts of the book – like u said, its tone and character – that needed to have some fidelity in order to pull it off, and for the most part s1 did that bc it was still working predominantly within the bounds of the novel & its core ideas. while i did have some issues w how neilman & amazon adapted some details and characterisations, i generally rly liked s1 – it reminded me of why i loved the book and it was just generally fun to watch.

s2 was. not that fun to watch

a few positives before i go ham w the critiques:

the hair & makeup + costumes were fantastic (although i feel like s1 was slightly better re: makeup?)

the sound design & score made some of the more awkward scenes bearable and thats no mean feat imo

david & michael gave incredible performances w what they were given – michael especially managed to salvage aziraphale enough that his complete 180 didnt feel completely tonally dissonant (more on this later)

the detail of the sets is NUTS and i genuinely want to see more of hell bc of how intricate and fun the props look

i actually like gabriel/beelzebub!! their getting together montage worked for me, although they could have spent sliiiightly more time establishing what it is they like abt each other so much + why gabriel wanted to stop armageddon 2.0 so suddenly

the opening scene, although not on par w the novel's & s1's, was visually gorgeous and thematically resonant (although neilman owes me royalties for ripping it off from this shitty fic i wrote back when raphael!crowley was all the rage lol)

now w THAT being said:

like i said yesterday, the pacing was fucking awful. flashbacks are hard to work w at the best of times and the way they were used in this season felt so needless, especially the 40s one in ep 4 that takes up like 90% of the episode. in both flashbacks + present day there were scenes that dragged for no real reason, dialogue that looped back around on itself to stretch out the runtime, and weirdly enough places where there should have been character & plot work where there just,, wasn't any?? for example, maggie & nina's night locked in the café – some parts of the dialogue in later episodes made out that they'd had some rly deep conversation abt how they feel about each other or even that they'd had an affair, but that isn't clear from those scenes in the café. i'm not saying we had to see that conversation in its entirety but that there needed to be more connective details – either in dialogue or direction – that gave that part of the story coherence.

(there were pacing issues w the editing too but i don't want to jump down the editor's throats on this one bc im more focused on writing & direction issues)

the second major problem that i mentioned in my tags yesterday is the protagonist shift, which is an issue that started in s1. aziraphale & crowley are side characters in book gomens – significant ones, yeah, but still somewhat peripheral to adam (& anathema who counts as a deuteragonist imo). this works incredibly well w who they are as characters: they're Just Some Guys who happen to be involved in this epic biblical-level bureaucratic nightmare and importantly, they don't want to be in the spotlight. the arrangement was created so that they could explore what it meant to be themselves away from the Big Narrative; literally any time they get involved in larger affairs is bc the plot is alive and caught them unionising on company time. the last fucking chapter is adam (& god) being like haha u guys are alright keep it sleezy and letting them go. like. hello. neil u let them go.

but then!! tv gomens s1 does something interesting at the end w the body swapping addition that i dont totally hate – it gives aziraphale & crowley the extra bit of character work that brings them slightly more adjacent to their book selves. see i kinda view tv a/c as the younger, less settled versions of book a/c; they're still caught up in the immediacy of being key players and haven't fully realised that earth is their home. i haven't watched s1 in a while but one scene i remember rly clearly is crowley throwing all those astronomy texts in the air and angsting abt when he was an angel; i remember it bc his anguish in that scene feels a lot newer and rawer than book crowley's feelings about falling. when tv a/c do their bodyswap, it gives them the chance to land a blow against heaven/hell in a way that solidifies their allegiance to earth in a way that more closely resembles what book a/c have been abt the entire time (still adjacent, though. not parallel).

the reason why this works is that it does one final pivot to orient aziraphale and crowley as almost-main characters in a manner that makes sense in relation to a) their book selves and b) the position the tv show has placed them in. a combination of factors made tv a/c feel a lot less mature than their book counterparts but at the end of s1 they're sort of facing the same direction the book ended in, albeit through their own flashy late 2010s means.

when s2 was announced i was.......apprehensive bc to me, that felt like a satisfactory ending. i get the impression that amazon saw how wildly successful the adaptation was and was like oh shit we could make way more money out of this and neilman, having all those undead darlings that he and terry killed in the process of whittling the book into a workable novel, jumped at the chance to resurrect all those half-realised ideas. but not only were those ideas probably discarded for a reason, they've either been laying in wait for years unworked or they're new inventions, which means they weren't molded in the way that the book had been. like i said before, book gomens underwent years of rewrites and creative collaboration, and i think that process was what made it so good; s2 didn't have that. even if some of terry's ideas made it into s2, his influence is still missing bc he and neilman weren't in dialogue the same way they were in the book (and in some ways s1 bc i know terry was involved in the process of adapting gomens to screen before his death).

i don't think it's a case of newer fans forgetting terry so much as it is the context of terry's involvement being so removed from the current circumstances that certain aspects & discourses (i.e. is the s2 finale queerbaiting (no), does binge watching change the viewership experience (yes), etc etc) about the show overshadow other discussions that would usually be taking place. and before anyone says it's a case of neilman forgetting terry, i definitely don't think it's that either bc thats. yknow. wildly disrespectful. but also there are larger systems and structures at play than one writer no matter how much beef i have w him and his decisions, bc ultimately he's just one guy (a powerful and wealthy guy, but just a guy) and there's a wider cultural shift happening rn towards rehashing old stories without understanding what made them successful in the first place, and that same culture just doesn't allow for much, if any, constructive discourse analysis

so yeah

[alsgrid]

Why retro graphics are sometimes better

For the past few days, I have been playing through this game called Signalis. It's a survival horror game, and a throwback to the genre classics of the 90s in both gameplay and visuals. And I like those visuals. A lot, in fact, I think it looks better than any of the Resident Evil remakes, or any modern horror game. Looking at gameplay screenshots, that might sound absurd, but hear me out.

For a long time, I felt like older games were in many ways more atmospheric and immersive, specifically because of the way they looked, but playing through Signalis finally helped me articulate why that is. In the pursuit of realism and fidelity, a lot of games have stopped having a distinctive, deliberate visual style. In other words, instead of drawing inspiration from art, they draw inspiration from reality. This might work well for many kinds of games, and I won't say that a lot of modern AAA games aren't good looking or the people working on them aren't talented.

But for fantasy, sci-fi, and horror, a lot of the time, photorealism just doesn't cut it. In Signalis, everything from the color palette, the character models, the environments, to the animations and even the lighting is designed to create a certain mood, and transmit an emotion. The game is scary, and melancholic and mysterious because every facet of the world was specifically designed to look that way. Instead of trying to reproduce objective reality, the game creates a subjective representation of it, filtered through the lens of whatever it wants you to feel. It also leaves a lot of details to the imagination, which is, quite frankly, the trick to all good horror. No one can frighten you more than your own imagination.

Now, I have no actual background in analyzing art, and quite honestly, I'm talking out of my ass here, but I do think it's an interesting example, and an example that mainstream developers can learn from. Not every game needs to be as close of a reproduction of the real world as you can muster, and in fact, for some games it is quite counterproductive.

Oh, and I will also be posting a full review of this game soon, cause I think it's excellent(you can find it on gamepass BTW)

[blueiscoool]

Michelangelo’s Masterpieces Are Getting a High-Tech Makeover

An experimental exhibition in Denmark is intended to spark debate about the future use of 3D-printed replicas in museums.

When it comes to critically-acclaimed museum shows, a high premium is usually placed on the uniqueness and rarity of the objects on display. Back in the day, however, copies of an ancient masterpiece would often have to do. This was how the marvels of Greek art made their way to workshops across the Roman empire, in due course influencing the Renaissance masters and Western culture at large. Not only would ideas spread far via reproduction, but otherwise site-specific art could be appreciated in new contexts.

Carrying this spirit into the 21st century, the National Gallery of Denmark (SMK) will present the most comprehensive Michelangelo exhibition since 1875, featuring a groundbreaking blend of 19th-century plaster casts and state-of-the-art 3D-printed replicas. Opening March 29, the show will reassemble scattered masterpieces and showcase works that rarely, if ever, leave their original locations, offering visitors a unique opportunity to experience the Renaissance master’s art.

Plaster cast after Michelangelo Buonarroti, Medici Madonna. Original made ca. 1526–1532, cast in 1897. Photo: SMK – National Gallery of Denmark.

Using technology from Factum Arte in Madrid, the museum will enhance its collection of 19th-century plaster casts of Michelangelo masterpieces, such as the head of David and the Medici Madonna, with newly created 3D-printed replicas. These replicas provide access to works that are otherwise unattainable due to immobility or location. For instance, Michelangelo’s depictions of Saints Peter, Augustine, Paul, and Gregory are fixed elements of the Piccolomini Altarpiece in Siena, Italy installed so high that they cannot be easily viewed up close. Other works, like Cupid, are in high demand and geographically restricted, currently on loan to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York from France until 2029.

The show’s curator, Matthias Wivel, said he is not concerned that the use of replicas might be off-putting to audiences. “We will achieve a beautiful exhibition with them that will be compelling to the public,” he said. “The appreciation and study of art has always relied heavily on reproductions. Without them both would be much more limited. Used responsibly, there is huge potential and value in using reproductions.”

He conceded that the show is an experiment, and he will measure its success on its ability to “stimulate debate and prompt refinement or rejection, and innovation.”

Perhaps the strongest argument for the use of reproductions is greater freedom to build art historical narratives unbounded by practical limitations. For example, the show in Denmark will bring together several pieces originally produced for the tomb of Julius II that have since scattered across different locations. These include the Boboli Prisoners at the Accademia and Genius of Victory at the Palazzo Vecchio, both in Florence, and Rachel and Leah at San Pietro in Vincoli, Rome.

Plaster cast after Michelangelo Buonarroti, Day. Original ca. 1524-26, cast 1897. The Royal Cast Collection, SMK – National Gallery of Denmark Photo: SMK.

Factum Arte have also been able to reconstruct Infant John the Baptist from Ubedà, which was smashed during the Spanish Civil War. Though the statue has been restored, it still bears the scars of its destruction; the new 3D model was made by referencing archival photographs of the work from before the restoration. Wivel hopes it will “convey some of the wonder of the original.”

The exhibition will also reveal how much reproduction technologies have evolved over the centuries. According to Wivel, Factum Arte’s facsimiles made using digital techniques are accurate down to the micron level, resulting in pieces of “much higher fidelity than the plasters, in that they reproduce the color, surface, and detailing such as veining, of the marble.”

He also noted that digital facsimiles like those made by Factum Arte provide highly detailed records of artworks that may be valuable to researchers and restorers for centuries to come. Wivel noted that traveling as part of exhibition loans can cause significant physical strain on fragile objects as well. In other contexts, high-tech replicas have also played an important role in facilitating repatriation agreements, allowing museums to keep a copy of an object that they decide to return.

Together, these reproductions, both old and new, will enable the most comprehensive monographic exhibition dedicated to Michelangelo since 1875, when the 400th anniversary of his birth was celebrated in Florence. Running through August 31, the exhibition will also include a selection of Michelangelo’s original drawings, correspondence, models in wax and clay, and several bronzes made after models that are now lost.

Plaster cast after Michelangelo Buonarroti, Head of David. Original made in 1501-1503, cast in 1890. Photo: SMK – National Gallery of Denmark.

By Jo Lawson-Tancred.

[aprajitaart12]

Every Wall Art Painting Tells a Story

Transform Your Space with Meaningful Art

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Themes of tranquility, transformation, and nature are common threads in her collections. This makes her art especially suited for spaces where mood and mindfulness are important, such as reading corners, meditation rooms, or creative workspaces.

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Aprajita Art makes it easy to browse collections based on theme, color, or format. Whether you're searching for vibrant autumn tones, oceanic blues, or expressive abstracts, the site features curated sections to help you find the perfect canvas art for sale for your needs.

In addition, new seasonal collections are introduced throughout the year, allowing returning customers to refresh their spaces with timely, emotionally resonant pieces. This curated approach encourages not just decoration, but connection between viewer and artist, space and emotion.

Custom Commissions Available

One of the most compelling aspects of Aprajita’s practice is her openness to collaboration. If you’re looking for a specific color scheme, size, or theme not currently available in her collection, she offers custom commissions. Clients can work with her to create a one-of-a-kind wall art painting that fits their vision perfectly.

Commissions are ideal for commemorating special events, matching a unique interior palette, or gifting personalized art that carries deeper meaning. Each commissioned piece is created with the same care and attention to detail as her originals.

A Gallery Experience from the Comfort of Home

The digital gallery at aprajita.art is designed to mirror the thoughtful experience of a brick-and-mortar art space. Detailed product images, close-up views, size guides, and styling suggestions make it easy to visualize how each canvas art for sale will look in your own space.

Shipping is available worldwide, with secure packaging to ensure your art arrives ready to display. Every piece—original or print—is signed, quality-checked, and delivered with a certificate of authenticity.

Explore and Elevate Your Walls

At Aprajita.art, each wall art painting is more than just a visual asset—it’s a doorway to reflection, atmosphere, and self-expression. With a growing catalog of canvas art for sale, this collection offers something for every aesthetic, from subtle and serene to bold and energetic.

Browse today to find the artwork that speaks to you, enhances your environment, and transforms your walls into a personal gallery of meaning and beauty.

[blorbohoarder]

The lovers

ALSO-

i do commissions! (message me or go to my pinned post for more details)

and if you want to have this image in your home, you can get it here! (along with some other stuff)

[opera-ghosts]

"At Midnight On My Pillow Lying" from Jakobowski's opera Erminie Elizabeth Spencer

Erminie is a comic opera in two acts composed by Edward Jakobowski with a libretto by Claxson Bellamy and Harry Paulton, based loosely on Charles Selby's 1834 English translation of the French melodrama, Robert Macaire. The piece opened at the Grand Theatre, Birmingham, England, on 26 October 1885 before transferring to the Comedy Theatre in London on 9 November 1885 and playing for a total of 154 performances. A long-running production opened on Broadway in 1886, and the opera enjoyed unusual international success that endured into the twentieth century. Erminie became a revered classic, produced all over the United States and the second act “Lullaby” becoming universally known and loved. The New York Times: The success of Erminie can scarcely be questioned. The chief merit of Erminie is the combination it offers of pleasing and enlivening strains with an exceptionally good libretto.

The youngest of four children, Elizabeth Spencer was born Elizabeth Dickerson on April 12, 1871; her father died eight months later. In 1874, her mother remarried to Col. William Gilpin, who had served as the first governor of the Territory of Colorado in 1861. The family moved to Denver, where Spencer received vocal training and learned to sing, recite stories and poetry, and play piano and violin. She graduated from St. Mary’s Academy and, after going on an extensive European tour, married Otis Spencer, an attorney.

A recognized society woman, Spencer sang in churches, concerts, clubs, parties and amateur theatricals. She got her big break in 1905, performing a successful solo act at the local Orpheum Theatre, her professional debut in a major vaudeville house.

Her second engagement, a one-act sketch, displayed her acting abilities, and the experience led to roles in Broadway road companies. By 1910, she was residing in New York City and making her first recordings in an era dominated by a formal, opera-influenced style of singing. Signing an exclusive contract with inventor and businessman Thomas Edison’s staff, she became its most prolific vocalist in the studio, participating in solos, duets, trios, quartets and choruses. Edison loved Spencer’s rich, high-quality voice—she was often billed as a “dramatic soprano”—and he would frequently study its vibrations and quality.

Having made only phonograph cylinders, Edison decided to add a disc format to the product line because of increasing competition from rivals such the Victor Talking Machine Company. His “Diamond Discs” enjoyed commercial success from the mid 1910s to the early 1920s. Spencer’s first Diamond Discs were distributed as samples to dealers to demonstrate on phonographs. The Diamond Disc was where the majority of her best work was heard, her singing quality reproduced with greater accuracy.

The public “Tone Test” demonstrations would prove to be Edison’s greatest promotional scheme. He chose Spencer to travel around the country and fill theaters and auditoriums, greeted by dealers, salespeople and thousands of Edison phonograph owners. She would sing at the same level with the phonograph. The venue would darken, and the audience members had to guess when the artist stopped singing and when the phonograph took over, revealing the superior qualities of Edison’s sound reproduction.

The Edison studio cashbooks document Spencer in approximately 661 sessions by the time her Edison commitment expired in 1916, more than any other vocalist. She signed with the Victor Talking Machine Company, but her output there paled in comparison to that at Edison. She returned to Edison in 1920, though her recording sessions slowed down considerably. When radio broadcasting began in the 1920s, she sang and recited “on the air.” Despite the greater audio fidelity of Diamond Discs, they were more expensive than and incompatible with other brands of records, ultimately failing in the marketplace; Edison closed the record division a day before the 1929 stock market crash. Spencer died in Montclair, New Jersey in 1930, ten days after her 59th birthday.