#Space Journey to the West

[the-monkey-ruler]

Science Fiction Saiyuki Starzinger SF (1978) 西遊記スタージンガー

Director: Joji Kikuchi / Masami Anna / Tokiji Uruki / Eisuke Ishikawa

Screenwriter: Tazuo Tamura / Reiji Matsumoto

Starring: Hiroya Ishimaru / Koo Tomita / Takashi Toyama / Kazuko Sugiyama / Eiko Masuyama / more...

Genre: Science Fiction / Animation

Official site: https://lineup.toei-anim.co.jp/ja/tv/starginger/

Country/Region of Manufacture: Japan

Language: Japanese

Number of seasons: 1

Episodes: 73

Single episode length: 24 minutes

Also known as: Spaceketeers / SF Saiyûki Starzinger / Space Journey to the West /  太空西游记  / Stranger Things / 宇宙奇兵

IMDb: tt0185655

Type: Reimagining

Summary:

From April 2, 1978 to August 26, 1979, it was broadcast on Fuji TV every Sunday from 19:00 to 19:30. All 73 episodes. From episode 65 onwards, the title has been changed to "SF Saiyuki Starzinger II". Aired on Toei video production. Strangely enough, at about the same time, Nippon TV aired the drama "Journey to the West Series" and TBS aired the drifter puppet show "Fly! Son Goku" on the same subject.

Based on "Journey to the West", Eisuke Ishikawa's science fiction novel "Science Journey to the West" is the original draft. Produced in the midst of the Leiji Matsumoto boom that began with "Space Battleship Yamato" in the late 1970s, following on from the previous program "Wakusei Robo Kano no Danguard A", Matsumoto drew the settings for the anime. Unlike the previous work, Matsumoto himself does not comicalize, Gosaku Sakurata is "TV Land" and Shigeto Ikehara is serializing the manga version as " Adventure King". In addition, the main character of this work, Kugo, has been changed from the giant robot series that has continued with the "Mazinger" series and "Wakusei Robo Danguard A" to a life-size hero. However, perhaps because of the setting that Son Goku in Journey to the West can also be gigantic, after becoming "SF Journey to the West Starzinger II", a setting has been added in which the main character becomes gigantic and fights.

The galaxy was in turmoil. Due to the weakening of the galaxy energy emanating from the center of the galactic universe, Great Pluto, even the good cosmic creatures became ferocious and rampaged as space monsters. In order to stop the progress of the situation, the power of Princess Aurora, who lives on the planet (Earth) of the solar system, was necessary. Therefore, Princess Aurora follows three galaxy cyborgs, Jean Cugo, Don Hakka, and Sir Jogo as knights. To restore peace in her universe, she continues her journey to the great planet while fighting space monsters and evil aliens.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starzinger

Link: N/A

[the-goddess-of-annoying]

I don't know how many people are familiar with both of these mythological figures but... here's this

[m1nsur0]

[JTTW OC: 智平] “Feeble Scholar, Feeble Healer”

[mixedupmojo]

Some fan art of a fic that I may never write.

Right so basically these come from a spin off idea I had involving my jttw sci-fi au. Where bounty hunter reader frees a trapped wukong and they end up teaming up and traveling the cosmos in search of tripitaka who has gone missing. Ever since I wrote my original sci-fi concept I could not get the idea an alien monkey king out of my head and just had to attempt to draw what I think he could look like. So here are some sketches now that I've finally managed to crack his design. hope you all enjoy :)

[whatudottu]

So the anthropologist nerd/loser in me wondered what kind of folklore and mythology various alien cultures in the Ben 10 universe might have (creation myths, folk heroes, ways of explaining natural phenomena that aren’t science-based, etc.) and caused me to come up with possibly the dumbest idea for a Ben 10 OC yet: an alien bard who travels across the galaxy not just to perform but also to collect stories and ballads of great events and heroes from different planets to add to their collection and form new ballads based off of them.

One of their original stories tells the tale of an alien from a far-off planet who attempted to take control of the space-time continuum and was cursed by the gods of his planet for his hubris by being scattered across time and space and sent back to the beginning of the universe, forced to live through its entire history in an endless cycle all while never being able to experience the sweet release of death, only for him to learn how to bend time and space to his will and ascend to godhood himself, leading to an epic battle between him and the gods who had cursed him in the first place. Though they are required by the man who served as the inspiration behind the story to put a disclaimer at the beginning that the story is merely a dramatization and doesn't 100% line up with what actually happened before they can tell it.

Oh totally! With the advent of space travel, especially among the species that have had such for a LONG while, there would most certainly be folktales and mythology abound for newer space travelers to pick up. Like, even with a significant scientific understanding of the happenings of the universe, older facts translate into newer fiction as stories develop by word of mouth (or the equivalent depending on species physiology) by the more bardic types of intergalactic individuals.

Of course, you'd probably have the more librarian types who not only record all these tales but also all the fact that it was inspired by through vigorous fact checking. Me making Sugilite a mutant with a more unique planetary psychometry (accessing the 'memories' of the entire planet) lends to me also making him this librarian of Petropian history, and considering the state of Petropia (aka not revived) he can't particularly afford to spin a few myths of his own. Instead Sugilite would totally have some bardic stories ABOUT him and his 'Library of Alexandria' mutant power, especially with Mor'Otesi being as barren of cystalsapiens as it is.

[artcalledtheewhip]

My connections from Earth to Moon

They relay

Don’t hurt

Fix her

Mother Nature

Ohh Money

All in bank accounts

They lead to prosperity

[centrally-unplanned]

We (somewhat rightly) mock the 2000's era fansub translation notes for their otaku fixations and privileging of trivia over the media, but they should be understood as serving their purpose for a bit of a different era in the anime fandom. Take this classic:

Like, its so obvious, right? Just say "pervert", you don't need the note! Which is true, for like a 'normie' audience member who just wants to watch A TV Show - but no one watching, uh *quick google* "Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne" in 1999 is that person. The audience is weebs, and for them the fact that show is Japanese is a huge selling point. They want it to feel as 'anime' as possible; and in the west language was one of the core signifiers of anime-ness. 2004 con-goers calling their friends "-kun" and throwing in "nani?" into conversations was the way this was done, and alongside that a lexicon of western anime fandom terminology was born. Seeing "ecchi" on the screen is, to this person, a better viewing experience - it enhances their connection to otaku identity the show is providing, and reinforces their shared cultural lexicon (Ecchi is now a term one 'expects' anime fans to know - a truth that translator notes like this simultaneously created and reflected).

But of course your audiences have different levels of otaku-dom, and so you can't just say 'ecchi' and call it a day - so for those who are only Level 2 on their anime journey, you give them a translation note. Most of the translation notes of the era are like this - terms the fansubber thought the audience might know well enough that they would understand it and want that pure Japanese cultural experience, but that not all of them would know, so you have to hedge. The Lucky Star one I posted is a great example of that:

Its Lucky Star, the otaku-crown of anime! You desperately want the core text to preserve as much anime vocab as possible, to give off that feeling, but you can't assume everyone knows what a GALGE is - doing both is the only way to solve that dilemma.

This is often a good guideline when looking at old memetically bad fansubs by the way:

This isn't real, no fansub had this - it was a meme that was posted on a wiki forum in 2007. Which makes sense, right? "Plan" isn't a Japanese cultural or otaku term, so there is no reason not to translate it, it doesn't deepen the ~otaku connection~.

Which, I know, I'm explaining the joke right now, but over time I think many have grown to believe that this (and others like it) is a real fansub, and that these sort of arbitrary untranslations just peppered fansub works of the time? It happened, sure, but they would be equally mocked back then as missteps - or were jokes themselves. Some groups even had a reputation for inserting jokes into their works, imo Commie Subs was most notable for this; part of the competitive & casual environment of the time. But they weren't serious, they are not examples of "bad fansubs" in the same way.

This all faded for a bunch of reasons - primarily that the market for anime expanded dramatically. First, that lead to professionally released translations by centralized agencies that had universal standards for their subs and accountability to the original creators of the show. Second, the far larger audience is far less invested in anime-as-identity; they like it, but its not special the way its special when you are a bullied internet recluse in 2004. They just want to watch the show, and would find "caring" about translation nuances to be cringe. And since these centralized agencies release their product infinitely faster and more accessibly than fansubs ever did, their copies now dominate the space (including being the versions ripped to all illegal streaming sites), so fansubs died.

Though not totally - a lot of those fansub groups are still around! Commie Subs is still kicking for example. They either do the weird nuance stuff, or fansub unreleased-in-the-west old or niche anime, or even have pivoted to non-anime Japanese content that never gets international release. But they used to be the taste-makers of the community; now they are the fringe devotees in a culture that has moved beyond them. So fansubs remain something of a joke of the 90's and 2000's in the eyes of the anime culture of today, in a way that maybe they don't deserve.

[goldensadnessdolphin]

I whittled again! Mostly small things to get back into it. I cut a few 1x1x2 inch blocks following the Linker series. Only to then notice that my knife is big enough to make it a bit of a hassle, but we lived through it (　＾▽＾)

In chronological order:

The Linker bear. Needed something relatively simple to get back into whittling and if anyone asks, he was meant to be an amputee. I was kind of frustrated at the time due to the aforementioned problems, but he's really grown on me.

Tiny Nijntje/Miffy, whom I whittled for a friend I met for the first time this year! The photo is from my friend, as I forgot to take one before gifting it xD

A bit more complex here, the Conductor from A Hat In Time. Technically not fully finished, as I still want to add the gold trim to the hat, but I'd need a fine gold pen and so that'll probably be a next year thing. Whittled for another friend, gotta see when I meet them to gift it ( *・ω・)ノ

Don't recognize this guy? Then you obviously haven't seen @comicaurora 's latest Journey to the West. This is Sun Wukong, disguised as a messenger demon, delighted at his plan working. That drawing and the one of Jupiter's Rival being surprised that Sun Wukong has the same artifact absolutely sent me! I had to stop the video both times because I was laughing so hard xD

This was probably the most technically challenging whittle of all of them. My knife is curved, so v-cuts are weird and because it's also quite wide, the space between the horns needed some creative solutions. Painting was also kinda weird, since it's really hard to give a 3D object outlines that look decent from more than exactly one angle. I'm still quite happy with him though ( ´^ω^)

I still have quite a few small blocks to get through, we'll see what I'll do with those. These were all basswood, which is nice to carve. I also have bigger blocks of cherry and that is still quite a challenge for my noodly wrists xD

[kyri45]

✨ShadowPeach Bio Parents Bio AU Q&A! 20/09✨

Welcome to the Q&A! A space where I can answer related or similar question about the Shadowpeach Bio Parents AU! If you submitted your ask anonimously, then you’ll have to check the whole post if it’s answered here, if it’s not, worry not! Your asks might have been used for a future comic or just in the queue~

@funnybadger868 ha chiesto:wait so if mk can hear macaques past can he hear wukongs for example the circlet and the spell

Yeah he could. It's now just a matter of if he wants to use this power ever again

@cryptic-theseus ha chiesto:you're paying for my therapy btw, the bill is on the way

Blame it on the gay monkies not me. It's bc of them that my life is ruined/hj

@ayrza ha chiesto:Hey!I have an important question, where do you get your sources for the AU👉🏻👈🏻p? I mean, I just recently entered the LMK fandom and I see that there are parts that are not mentioned much in the series and it frustrates me because I feel like I only watch the anime but I'm missing the manga 🫠I love your art and your work, it's amazing 🫰🏻✨

Hi! Well I' finishing to read Journey to the West (im at chapter 80) and if I need extra info or just check I go to the fandom wiki.

@feyqueen91 feyqueen91 ha chiesto:A question for your Shadowpeach Bio Parent AU (btw, I just saw your recent post for More Than A Successor Arc & I thought something light hearted was needed to even out the Angst), is Macaque able to summon something like what Red Son did with the Samadhi Sprite, and he teaches MK to do it too?

Wait what exactly? I haven't understood what you meant by sprite.

@og-glitch-punk ha chiesto: Honestly I expect this to be hidden but i also love your work on both comics, keep it up!! I forgot their names but dude- how would the lotus prince and our moon chef feels about wukong and Macaque being MK's parents? HELL. WHAT ABOUT THE TRIO? YELLOW TUSK, PENG AND THE LOIN (CANT REMMEBER HIS NAME EVEN IF HE IS TECHNICALLY DEAD/GONE). Hell even this chaotic snake man may even use MK to his advantage with the fact he is the child of Wukong and Macaque. So many possibilities and guesses, so many twists and turns we will never know bro

Oh he absolutely woud. Also about the others. They would probably act like protective aunt/uncles to that poor traumatised boy.

@thenerdnico ha chiesto:Oh my GODS that last bio dad's chapter broke me, your expressions are always amazing. I'm going to assume that at the end of Wukong's and Macaque's fight, Wukong realised Macaque wasn't moving and ran up to him, and ended up sobbing and screaming when he realised he was dead??? If that is the case, do you think MK listened to it long enough to hear that as well?

Oh for angst reason yes. He did.

@shadowpeachera ha chiesto:AHHHH YOUR SHADOWPEACH BIO AU IS SOO GOOD!!!! I SCREAMED AT THE LAST UPDATE!!! I have a question though. You know in the series i think season 3 epsiode 5 where Wukong goes into a deep mystic monkey meditation, yeah. Well i was wondering if Mk has ever tried that but got disrupted and lost his memories or started acting strange infront of his monkey parents. It would be hilarious i can imagine him shouting, “TUDI, TUDI!”KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK, no pressure though! HAVE A GOOD DAY!

Lmaooo ok ok I don't think I'll go witha small amnesia arc in the AU but this doeß sound adorable.

@sakuralotus03 ha chiesto:It will probably be quite heavy, but I suggest that after Wukong saw the monkey like that he had a huge attack of guilt and anxiety and ended up injuring his left eye with his claws

Poor baby!! Nono don't worry his eye is fine.

@raylamoongirl ha chiesto:question for macaque: what was the hardest thing to teach Mk?Lmk bio parents Q&A

Mmmm so they tried really hard to teach him shadow teleportation, but he seems to not be able to do it.

@lmkobsessedmoth ha chiesto:For the Shadowpeach Bio Parent AU What if macaque and wukong go on a date and wukong doesn’t know it’s a date because he’s as dense as the rock he hatched out of

He truly would be. May the gods give him a clue or smt otherwise we wont end up nowhere here

Anonimo ha chiesto:Hey!I love your Shadowpeach bio Parent's AU But I Wonder,Does Wukong and Macaque already dance together before?

Danced??? I think so?? When they still were lovers friends I think (i think i m missing something)

Anonimo ha chiesto:I am on my knees, heart giving out, HOW IS BABY MK SO CUTE AND SHADOWPEACH SO ALLERGIC TO JUST KISSING ALREADY LIKE COME ON YOU TWO Anonimo ha chiesto:When I read the other part where swk and mac where talking about wanting MK to view them as parents at first I thought swk was proposing having another kid with Mac and I went “WOAH HEY- HOLD UP FOR A SECOND THERE U NEED TO GET UR SHT TOGETHER FIRST” and thank god it wasn’t that I thought swk was JUMPING AND ACCELERATING THEIR PROGRESS LMAOOOSo I’m actually glad they are taking baby steps, they need them

This slowburn is gonna be so slow-burning you all are gonna die when they actually kiss (will they kiss? Oh that's just for me to know ahah)

Anonimo ha chiesto:Since macaque is called mama by mk does that mean macaque is like a mother figure to mk in your au mama macaque is adorable and he gives off motherly in his character

Anonimo ha chiesto:Whos mom if there is considered a mom by MK or only dads? Is it Wu or Mac? My headcanons is Wukong basically the mom cuz he gives off mom and dad vibes together and Macaque just gives off dad vibes to me

He gives more motherly vibes, yes (Mamacaque and DadWukong forever)

Anonimo ha chiesto:Hi in you bio parent au for monkie kid how were monkey king and macaque as teenagers when they had a good relationship were like they a romantic couple or had secret crushes on each other and never told each other or were they just friends love this au it's amazing

Oh I think they were definitely lovers once. And that makes their past and what happened even more tragic honestly.

@ayrza ha chiesto:I don't know who is more adorable: Baby MK or Macaque and Wukong blushingPsd. I love your AU and your art 💖

Both. Both is good

@diamondwolf23 ha chiesto:THOSE TWO BETTER KISSSSSSSSSSS-I’m gonna miss Baby Mk ;-

Me too. Me too.

Anonimo ha chiesto:You could say Wukong is a...... simpian?(like simian but yknow >>)

LMAO YES

@scififeather21 ha chiesto:You can't believe how much I love your Shadowpeach AU comic series that last part made me grin so much. Mostly because my husband and I have done that exact thing when our kids were small babies and the looks and smiles were the same too. OMG it such a nice thing to see after a long day at work yesterday. :)

THAT'S THE- SWEETEST THING?????? LIKE IM SO GLAD I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE???? TO HEAR IT'S THE SAME THAT HAPPENED TO YOU IS THE SWEETEST THING EVER

@snsp6 ha chiesto:I love ur bio dads au! I wanted to ask what would happen if smth similar to the baby mk incident happened to the immortal monkeys.Like either they were de-aged to their youth or had an amnesia rules type of situation!(I am in love w the world building in this!!! And ur art is delectable!)

I don't thing the world would be ready for non-reformed Wukong#like-#not really reformed but the guy killed so many people bc of impulsiveness#until he learned that murder is not fine

Anonimo ha chiesto: This might be a stupid question, but for your bio parents, AU is MK just always in his monkey form, or is this just how he permanently looks now?

He's on his monkey form when he trains / stays at the weekends at FFM or when he friendly duels/train with Mei and Red Son.On weekdays he's constantly in his human form

@meisawkwardashecc ha chiesto:Is Wukong potentially shorter than Macaque? 👀🥺Avatar

Yes

@miraclecactus ha chiesto:Can you show us what's going on in the Freenoodles house? I'm looking forward to knowing how they manage to calm MK down :( Puedes mostrarnos que es lo que sucede en la casa de Freenoodles? Estoy ansiosa de conocer como ellos manejan el como calmar a MK :(

They used Wukong and Mac advices until he feel asleep.

Anonimo ha chiesto:I like how Wukong asks Macaque how he knows MK won't hate him after this. Like my guy, you literally killed Macaque, and he still hangs around I think he knows a thing or two

True. Although let Wukong be the dumbass he is.

alizardonfire ha chiesto:I love the idea of macaque being wukongs *rock* if that makes sense? It gives so much character to him.

Aaaahh ty! Yeah I feel like he's pretty good at understanding when he s just out of his mind and bring him back to earth.

Anonimo ha chiesto:If this isn't to much spoiler will the next lmk comic be angsty

This will be answered too late but I will always warn you in advance if there s angst coming.

Anonimo ha chiesto:I love your art! Lighthearted question since your about to bring the pain- do you think Mac and Wu fight over who gets to be little spoon/big spoon or are both of them 100% happy with Mac as big spoon and Wu as little spoon every night

So as for now, they are good with Wukong being the little spoon. Both bc Wukong is the the one who constantly craves for touch amd bc Macaque feels more comfortable in a position of "control" let's say. He can decide how much closer or not to get to Wukong.

Then in the future they would be more comfortable to switch (and the bicker about who should be the big or small)

@sallyvanna ha chiesto:HAIII FIRST OF ALL I LOVE YOUR BIO PARENT AU it makes my day every time I see a new page postedI was just wondering, why was macaque kinda nervous when he summoned rumble and savage? He was like 'ah shit I didn't want that-' 👀

It was because the kid would be afraid of them! Of course he wouldn't. But I guess Macaque still feels like his powers are a threat to him.

@redwrathroit ha chiesto:Hey, note this is something you can completely ignore but I wanted to know if you had a ref sheet for your monkey Bois, I'd love to take a try and drawing them plus I had made an Oc character of my own but I did it once and then art block hit me like a train and said; nah, never again. So it would really help me out if you have a ref, if not ignore this and have a nice day/night

Unfortunately I don't. I have a lot of panels where you can see them full body in various stances though.

Anonimo ha chiesto:Wukong being the little spoon is too cute, he spends years being the big spoon platonically to everyone that someone finally gave him what was needed, to be protected instead of being the protector

Yesss he iss!!!!!!

@froggyofdeath ha chiesto:Question abt Shadowpeach bio parents! Sooo, who kills the spiders, who screaming abt them, who the one who picks it up and try to scare the screaming one?🫠✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️☕️☕️☕️☕️

Mk is screaming, Wukong picks it up, Macaque kills it.

Anonimo ha chiesto:Can we see exactly when they decided to prepare the courtnapping room? Like when exactly did they know oh we need to prepare that our son has apparently followed in our footsteps

Unfortunately in this AU for now I don't plan tp draw a full spicynoodle arc as well. There will be moments for the ship as well but more like extras and side stories.

Anonimo ha chiesto:Your shadowpeach bio au reminds me of something..... I remember you saying to someone that they should Read a Son of Two Dad's. Have you read the entire thing? and the sequel?

Yes I did! Also the sequel, but i think it s in hiatus.

Anonimo ha chiesto:In you newest update for the shadowpeach parent au, that one scene of Macaque looking at Wukong as MK holds his finger kind of reminds me those flashback scenes in movies of the dead lover/wife that is looking at the main character from under a flowing blanket. I have no clue why but the image popped up in my head when I read that part of the comic lmao

I bet when they are back together they will re-create this exact image eventually

Anonimo ha chiesto:I love that Macaque is initiating contact with Wukong. Hugging him, holding his hands, cuddling with him. It makes my heart melt 🥹🥰 And Wukong is giving him opportunities to do so

He is opening the door for Mac to come closer, so that it's his choice how much he can get closer. The last thing Wukong wants is to rush things or do something that would make him more uncomfortable.

Anonimo ha chiesto:Omg! I love your art especially your shadowpeach parent bio au, it's adorable! Although I'm terrified for the next page. Anyway, my question is, why won't you let the monkey trio breathe from the trauma? 😅🥹

Bc apparently chat asked for it

[comicaurora]

hi red!! i'm doing an analysis of sun wukong's (and journey to the west in general's) impact on modern culture for my world mythology final, and for some reason i'm having a hard time finding sources. is there anything you can recommend?

The fact that Journey to the West has contributed an enormous number of tropes to modern media is very clear when the media in question is examined, but I don't know of a specific secondary source that's already done that analysis for you. However, this IS a very good excuse for you to plow through a metric buttload of shonen manga, since the lineage is basically Sun Wukong -> Son Goku -> like a solid third of all shonen action heroes written in the last forty years.

Dragon Ball kicks things off:

Started in 1984 and almost unquestionably the most influential manga ever made. Its first arc features the weird super-strong monkey-kid Son Goku - which is just the japanese pronunciation of the characters of Sun Wukong's name - meeting up with a wacky crew of thinly-veiled expys of the Journey to the West crew, with teen inventor Bulma filling the role of Tripitaka, Oolong the pig-man filling Zhu Bajie's role and Yamcha the desert-based bandit as Sha Wujing.

Hijinks ensue, and while the story drifts pretty far from Journey to the West's original plot, it actually stays pretty solidly referential in weirdly unexpected ways. Several the villains of the week are JttW references, and even the later appearance of three more Saiyans lines up with the surprise reveal of three more Wukong-like mystical apes in the original story.

The connection between Dragon Ball and JttW is very unsubtle and a frequent reference in the chapter covers and supplemental art.

Not every subsequent JttW reference is the result of Dragon Ball popularizing it or anything, since it was already enormously popular, but I think it's pretty hard to extricate Dragon Ball's influence on anime and manga from the original influence of Journey to the West itself.

One way that a distinction can be drawn is in the differences in characterization between Goku and Sun Wukong himself. A lot of the next generation of shonen protagonists were kind of Goku-alikes - pure-hearted dumbasses who only care for the three Fs: Food, Fighting and Friendship.

But the original characterization of Sun Wukong is not really all that similar. He's a trickster, sure, but he's far from a young, friendship-motivated goober. He's profoundly intelligent, pretty much the most well-educated entity on the planet, and routinely brings up that he's centuries older than most of his peers. The Goku-alikes from the later decades of shonen anime are tellingly far-removed from that original characterization. So you get characters based on Goku's cheerful idiocy, but it's just a small subset of the broader influence of Journey to the West on the space of literature.

In general, Journey to the West frequently shows up in very small, bite-sized tropes in other stories. It's less "this is wholly based on Journey to the West" and more "oh, I know where they maybe got this idea/aesthetic/power/weapon/villain of the week from." There are way too many to list, but some of the ones that tend to jump out at me are-

Sneaky characters with monkey motifs:

Tricksy, highly mobile characters who fight with a staff:

Characters afflicted with a magical restraint artifact that allows a much weaker character to stop them from misbehaving:

Specific esoteric weapons, eg. magical fans, rakes, gourds, namedropping The Sword of Seven Stars, etc.

Villains with prominent ox or pig design motifs:

Characters whose primary combat strat is just making Shitloads Of Disposable Copies Of Themselves:

Honestly it just keeps going like this. It's kinda everywhere. Finding the JttW in things is my favorite conspiracy theory rabbit hole because it's 100% harmless and more often than not completely correct.

[usnatarchives]

Katherine Johnson: The Mathematician Who Launched Astronauts into Space and Women into STEM 🚀👩‍🚀

In the vast expanse of the cosmos, where men first dreamed of reaching the stars, Katherine Johnson calculated the path that would get them there. This story isn't just about trajectories and orbits; it's about a woman whose brilliance in mathematics helped break the barriers of space and gender.

Johnson's journey began in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, where her curiosity and intelligence shone from an early age. Despite encountering segregation and sexism, she charted a course that would lead her to NASA, where her skills became indispensable to the success of the U.S. space program. Her calculations were critical to the success of the Mercury missions, including John Glenn's pioneering orbital flight, for which he specifically requested Johnson verify the computer's numbers. "If she says they're good," Glenn said, "then I'm ready to go."

But Johnson's contributions went beyond Mercury. She also played a role in the Apollo missions, including the first lunar landing, and her work on orbital mechanics laid the groundwork for the Space Shuttle program and plans for a Mars mission.

Her legacy is a beacon for women and people of color in STEM, symbolizing the power of intelligence and perseverance to overcome societal constraints. Johnson's story teaches us that the path to the stars is paved with determination, hard work, and an unwavering belief in one's own abilities.

Katherine Johnson's calculations helped lead humanity to the moon, but her impact extends far beyond the numbers. She charted a course for future generations of women in STEM, proving that the sky is not the limit—it's just the beginning. As we look up at the stars, we remember her legacy, not just as a mathematician, but as a trailblazer who launched us into a new era of exploration and equality.

[dingodad]

please god i need to know what U think of the whole “jadebloods are all female!” thing because i got into homestuck in 2019 around the time of friendsim and (retching) Lanque so i always assumed they were explicitly intended to be an all-female caste. however, re-reading the comic this year, i couldnt find a mention of it other than virgo and the Space aspect being really feminine, but i think kanayas journey with motherhood is more kanaya-centric than All-Jadebloods centric??

on one hand, it makes sense given that alternia has very real gendered oppression, so what’s better for that than CATHOLICISM?? on the other hand, i always saw kanaya as being transfem coded, because it connects so well with roxy yknow.. homestuck fans love to insist that certain characters just have to be cis women (kanaya, jade, roxy)

(as an aside; was “long hair was butch on alternia” a one off joke? i like speculation about alternia’s fashion opposing earth, lol)

most all of our basis for explicitly gendered interpretation of Alternia comes from act 6 intermission 3, where Aranea tells us that "jade 8loods were also an almost exclusively female caste". so the door has always been open for there to be "some male jadebloods". but it's a mistake to view this as having anything to do with any kind of "biological sex". the whole idea of biological sex among trolls is a smoke screen. the jadebloods' assigned gender at birth is "jadeblood". this is what makes them a feminised caste.

Caliborn doesn't have a clue what biological sex is. Aranea will tell you that there are boy cherubs and girl cherubs, but for your own sanity you need to cast this idea out of your mind: cherub sex takes place between good and evil cherubs - which is determined by their blood - and anything else is just roleplay. Caliborn's attitude toward sexing is that the ones he likes are boys - that's all the thought that goes into it. and that's the mindset we need to be aware of when we delve into understanding troll gender. there are some trolls who have breast tissue and some who don't, but they aren't "mammaries" in any sense, so there's no reason to believe they're actually sexual characteristics of any kind; maybe this is what Lord English chose to base his gender schema on, but the idea that this means there must be "male trolls" and "female trolls" is completely imagined for the narrative convenience of the human reader.

when we read that there are "male-dominated" highblood castes and therefore by implication female-populated lowblood castes, it's not by some coincidence of biology: the highblood castes are male-dominated BECAUSE they are highblood castes. each caste has a role to play in Caliborn's Alternia, and just as the highblooded roles are those of patriarchal domination, the lower castes must take on roles of feminised submission; and in the case of the jades in particular, this means breeding duties. the fact that this also comes with the expectation to wear makeup and pretty clothes is just more roleplay.

so tl;dr what i think of "the all jadebloods are female thing" is that it is very obviously true but in a way more 5 dimensional gender studies way than anyone else tends to mean when they say it

my pet "long hair was butch on alternia" headcanon - which is a joke but in the way all headcanons about alternia should be jokes of some kind - actually kind of relates to this lol. bc i figure that if gendered expectations of female trolls includes working in disgusting underground caverns filled with genetic material, it's going to be practical to keep your hair close to your head where it won't get dirty, in much the same way the feminist image of the short-haired woman became popular in the west during and after world war 2, wherein a lot of women had to start wearing their hair close to their heads to avoid scalping themselves in the factory machinery they suddenly had to start working with. hence kanaya dedicated to her assigned feminine role and wearing her hair short vs. porrim rebelling against it for feminist reasons and thus wearing her hair at a length that would be totally impractical for wading through gene pools.

[msfantasy]

Red String Witch

Embry Call x Witch!Reader

Summary: Tired of waiting on meeting your soulmate. You use your witch powers to speed up the meeting.

The red string theory is an old Chinese theory where every person is born with an invisible red string tied to their pinky finger.

Over time the string will tighten making the journey to their soulmate more difficult, the string might get tangled and tied but never severed.

Once the string draws you both together, the red string will remain short, keeping you two together and never apart for long.

Patience was not a trait that you possessed.

Since honing your witchcraft as a teenager, your patience slowly dwindled, often opting for witchcraft to quickly resolve any obstacles in your way.

Your discipline to not use magic in your every waking moment became an extremely abstract concept. If there was one rule that you set yourself, it was to let your relationships grow and develop naturally without any magical intervention.

It would only make the adventure of life boring.

So it was then that your teenage self promised to not use magic to conjure your soulmate. It would only ruin the organic meet-cute you were destined to experience.

But your teen years have long since passed and now you sit in your cottage home as a grown adult, alone and yearning for a partner to share a life with, looking down at yet another wedding invitation. ‘Plus ones are welcomed’ the letter reads. Sighing to yourself, knowing you have no one.

It was that very moment you had forsaken your childish promise to not intervene with the natural order and just speed up the meeting already.

What’s the point in having magic if you don’t make use of it? If others could, they would too.

It’s not like you were going to use magic to manipulate your soulmate. You were just going to use magic to locate and meet your soulmate and woo them, so you can finally be together and live happily ever after.

It’s not technically cheating … right ?

Any hesitation was snuffed out when a notification rung out, your phone screen displaying pictures of a new engagement ring from another friend.

A stabbing reminder that seemingly everyone in the world had someone, and you yet remain lonesome.

Moral values be damned.

You tried doing it the right way, but your soulmate is taking his sweet ass time meeting you.

Since he took too long, you’re just going to have to take matters into your own hands.

Sitting in your safe space, you preformed a viel ceremony to enable you to visualise and see the red string tied around your pinky finger. Immediately, you see the taut red string pointing towards the west. Indicating that your soulmate is currently in a western direction.

“The worst part of having imprinted is having to convince them of the bond.” Paul states, taking a hulking bite from is plate, as the others murmur in agreement.

The roaring bondfire sizzle and crackles in the crisp night air as the Uley pack discuss the worst parts of imprinting as they feast on the evening’s barbecue.

“No the worst part of imprinting is meeting them young.” Quil argues as Jacob pats his back empathetically.

“No, the worst part has to be explaining that the supernatural is real.” Sam says, as the others murmur in agreement. “Burdening your imprint with a new and dangerous reality is heart breaking, but keeping them in the dark is a betrayal and a greater danger to their safety.”

“Please, at least all of you whiny babies have an imprint.” Leah broods.

Embry nods along in solidarity. “Can’t say I’m looking forward to any of that.” Embry agrees, stabbing his fork aimlessly at his plate. “But I agree with Leah, I’ll gladly do all of that if it means I finally get to meet my imprint.”

Paul snorts are Embry’s claim. “Sure kid, just wait and see. In fact, when you meet your imprint, and you have to convince and explain to her the bond and the supernatural, I’m gonna be sitting their and laughing my ass off.”

The window blows the tree branches unceremoniously, as if hearing Paul’s taunting challenge.

Seth stands from his comfy seat to point out a mysterious figure emerging from the tree line. “Uh, guys, who’s that?”

Your quick strides soon draw you near the group, your eyes locked onto Embry as he feels gravity moving as you become the centre of reality that holds him down and nothing else. You become his sole focus as the world fades away before he feels reality shift back to normal.

It didn’t take a single word for everyone to know the mysterious figure approaching their group was Embry’s imprint.

Paul begins to grin, his taunts playing out before his eyes.

You continue to stride silently past the others, eyes unmoving from Embry until you are just at an arms length.

“This may sound crazy, but you are my soulmate.” You utter, expecting shock, resistance, mockery or denial. But instead Embry smirks with an airy laugh.

“Funny. I was going to say the same to you.” He says, rocking on his feet excitedly. Glancing down with a cheeky grin to Paul whose mouth is left agape.

“Really? Just like that, you accept my outrageous claim?” You ask relieved but also sceptical.

Embry shrugs his shoulders. “It’s a wolf thing, you?”

“It’s a witch thing.” You begin to giggle at Embry’s widening eyes. “Come for a walk with me, we have much to discuss.” You grab his hand and begin to drag him away from the pack who remains in stunned silence.

“That’s so unfair.” Paul whines as the other grimace in the ease of Embry meeting and bypassing all of the difficult rites of imprinting.

[mixedupmojo]

jttw sci-fi

Just want to put this out there but am I the only one who wants to see a journey to the west sci-fi retelling/crossover. Like considering the number of adaptations jttw has had. I expected there to be at least a few which were inspired by the sci-fi genre and aside from starzinger there don't seem to be any (if there are more please let me know). I just think it would be really cool to do a whole sci-fi version (with some fantasy elements mixed) especially considering how awesomely weird jttw can be at times I just keep thinking, how cool would it be to have a space version that feels like it's in the same ballpark/is inspired by Farscape, treasure planet, hitchhikers guide to the galaxy and to cap it all off the humans are weird/space orcs/space Australia concept.

Anyway with this concept rattling around in my head. it has inspired some ideas, so without further adu here is a list of headcanons for a sci-fi world of the journey to the west that I have. A spoiler alert is now in effect as I'm gonna be referencing some things from the book.

·         First off I am personally thinking of a version that takes place in outer space as I think it fits with the whole journey aspect not to mention there is a whole galaxy of possibilities that could be encountered (see what I did there) 

·         but I could also imagine it taking place in a future dystopian world instead. where Tripitaka has been tasked with getting some important artifact, in order to restore the world and bring back life to the planet or something. however, I'm gonna stick with the space theme so here we go

·         Combining magic and mythology with sci-fi. I just really like the idea that even though this world is heavily technology-based and scientifically advanced there is still an underlying magic system in place that governs things and that everyone relays on. Not to mention it provides an opportunity to delve into different theologies and philosophies and explore these concepts in a different way.

·         just imagine the character designs!!! 

·         Just think of how otherworldly and alien they could be like for example:

 -I can't get the idea out of my head that sun wukong looks like he's made from actual living rock. Something akin to marble with the cracks and veins looking like molten gold/lava (they also glow). I also like the idea that even though he looks like he's made from stone he doesn’t actually feel like it. Like you expect him to feel like marble but in reality, it's completely different, actually feeling like fur in some places. quills in place of some of his more fluffier parts mainly around his neck/back and head. Also, I have no explanation for this but I can't stop thinking that he would have an extra set of arms and at least one extra set of eyes. His eye's would also be huge as this is to do with the fact flower fruit mountain relies heavily on bioluminescence. originally they were black but after the incident with the furnace, they are now blood red with flecks of gold.

 -when it comes to tang Sanzang/Tripitaka I have a few different schools of thought about how he could be portrayed. The first is that he is human as I feel it kind of fits based on how his character was originally portrayed in the book and it also allows for an outsider's perspective (IDK I'm just getting token human vibes off him for some reason). Second, he is part of an endangered race that is very spiritual, taking on a slight insect appearance but in a very subtle way with iridescent skin. But for all versions, he has this hovering platform which he constantly sits on or uses as a place to meditate. it has the ability to fold in on itself for easy storage/carrying. I also like to think that as the journey progress, he starts using it less and less

 -I think it would be a cool idea for Sha Wujing "Sandy" who is obviously some kind of aquatic alien having to wear a high-tech suit that allows him to breathe out of water. Something with a large fish bowl helmet that is filled with water   

 -Zhu Bajie "Pigsy" I honestly haven't given it too much thought when it comes to him. But I do like the idea of him having these insanely large tusks like that of a wild boar

 -for Bai long ma I have this whole idea. if anyone here has seen Farscape then you will know that in the show Moya is a living space ship and I kept thinking what If Bai long ma was the same what if he started out as a space dragon, but instead of turning into a horse-like creature he would become a living space ship as it makes a lot more sense since the group are travelling through space. there could even be moments throughout the journey where he needs to turn into a smaller dragon-like astral horse creature in order to travel places or conserve energy as I imagine travelling through the void of space would take a lot out of him

 -six eared macaque shearing sun wukong's rock-like appearance (as they were both born from stone) but instead looking like he is made from quartz, with some parts of him even appearing transparent (he is also much softer to the touch than wukong somehow). his six ears are always changing colours and look like reflected rainbows

 -Neha looks like a lotus flower but on fire. Let me elaborate he looks vaguely humanoid in shape but where his head is it looks like it is made up of lotus pelts, which depending on circumstances appears as a bulb or in full bloom and he always seems to be admitting a flame-like aura around him. His body is comprised of living armour and appears copper coloured that is heavily patterned. He never walks he is almost always floating this is done through the use of a high-tech version of his fire wheels

 ·         Space dragons with translucent glittery scales that reflect the void of space so all that you see is a shimmer before they reveal themselves to you and it's suddenly like a whole new galaxy just appeared before you. Their eyes burning with the force of the sun

·         The four dragon kings are the largest of all the dragons and because of this each of them is often mistaken for being a star themselves. However in reality each of the dragon kings has taken up residence in the biggest star in each of their respective galaxies and are often found curing around them hence where the confusion comes from. and like the Tardis in doctor who, Their star homes are much bigger on the inside

·         sun wukong's staff was originally being used to prop up the sky in the domain of the dragon king of the east ao guang. After taking it the loss caused that part of the sky to sag and several stars to fall. to this day they are some of the most coverted items in the whole of the galaxy and ao guang was not happy about losing them

·         On that train of thought just imagine how cool and high-tech the weapons could be  

·         I'm just imagining the part where wukong is first brought before heaven to stand trial play out similar to stitch's trial 

Jade Emperor: It is an affront to nature. It must be destroyed!

The gold star of Venus: Calm yourself, sir. Perhaps it can be reasoned with. wukong give us some sign you understand, any of this. Show us that there is something, inside you that is good.

The entire court of heaven waits on bated breath as wukong takes a moment to think before breaking out into a great big grin

Sun wukong: Meega, nala kweesta!

The court of heaven gasps, several of the members fainting

The gold star of Venus: So naughty!

Wukong laughs maniacally

 ·         Space pirates/bandits with ships that look like they've been cobbled together or ones that take after a traditional sailing boat 

·         On a side note, just imagine all of the different types of space transportation and I'm not just talking about spaceships. What if there is more than one way to get around in space such as teleportation and it being highly regulated much like an airport you have to go through mass amounts of security. or star roads that only appear at certain points in the day and only last for a certain amount of time so you have to be quick when crossing 

·         Space fish and other creatures that somehow manage to survive in the vacuum of space

·         On that note when it comes to wukong's summersault cloud I have two schools of thought one being that its technology base appearing as a sort of hoverboard. the other is more mystical like it's made out of stardust or something

·         The group having to hitchhike on different spaceships for whatever reason and having memorable encounters with each individual that picks them up

·         Flower fruit mountain is completely bioluminescent the plants, the rocks even the water and everything seems to pulse with a strange heartbeat. the plant life being larger than life tree's towering thousands of miles into the sky that are completely hollow on the inside and looks like they are nothing but roots that have been twisted together. The flowers are as big as cars and appear to breathe their petals opening and closing in rhythmic patterns. The ground and the rock are always emitting a strong heat with different spots on the island being warmer than others and all of the residents taking advantage of that. Flower fruit mountain appears to be steeped in an almost permanent night. This is mostly due to the fact that the island does not have a sun of its own, since it is constantly on the move. It doesn't matter though as both the mountain and the inhabitants have evolved to survive without 

·         I like the idea that flower fruit mountain is a wondering place never staying in the same spot for too long, and like the stars and planets themselves appearing in certain places depending on the time of year and season. I also like the idea that it is very much a floating island and not an actual planet. The rivers just flow off the side and down disappearing into the void of space. While all the residents have to be careful not to fall off the edge

·         all of the monkey residents being very varied in their appearances and species. They live high up in the vast canopies of the trees in intricate woven villages that are hidden from all, but the ones in the know

·         The water curtain cave being at the highest point of flower fruit mountain and behind it being a complete juxtaposition from the rest of the mountain. The mansion/palace/house (I've heard it be called a couple of different things) being made of a chrome like metal and heavily patterned. 

·         The entrance to the place of the dragon king of the east sea is a wormhole. 

·         Heaven being an intergalactic space federation type of organization. with the main headquarters being located on a planet that looks a bit like Saturn but has at least five times the amount of rings and glows. it is also near impossible to get to, as you have to navigate through a minefield of asteroids and other obstacles. 

·         Just imagine all of the different worlds to explore and the different alien cultures to encounter like for example:

-the group having to cross a desert made up of red and purple sand, with there being at least three suns overhead but somehow the sky is a deep plum colour and it feels dark despite this.

-coming across a world where the inhabitants are long since dead but their spirit still lives on vicariously through their creations

-visiting a planet where the colours are completely inverted or alternatively a world where everyone perceives a completely different spectrum of light/colour (kind of like how a mantis shrimp can see 12 more colours than a human can) and trying to navigate it.

-a Gulliver travels inspired world. I'm just imagining a scenario where Tripitaka gets kidnapped by a giant little girl who views him as a new pet and the group has to figure out a way to get him back.

-visiting an intergalactic spaceport and trying to navigate through the crowds of different alien species

-accidentally ending up on a primitive world that hasn’t yet figured out space travel or the fact that they are not alone. Trying to keep a low profile so as to not freak out the locals but inevitably being discovered.

-going to a planet that is entirely covered with water and wukong absolutely hating it while sandy is just having the time of his life.

-ending up on a very sketchy planet where crime is rampant and having to constantly be on the lookout for anything shady. Wukong slowly loses his mind as somehow Tripitaka keeps getting into trouble every five seconds. the rest of the group is no better.

-visiting cities that are technologically advanced, fast pace and obsessed with the latest craze.

-stopping at an intergalactic truck stop for food and rest and being confronted by the strangest weirdest food they ever have to eat, while simultaneously trying to figure out if it is even edible. Just imagine everybody's unique individual reactions in this situation.      

 There are just so many possibilities

 ·         Imagine them having an encounter with chang'e on the moon. I'm just picturing the group having a nice chill tea break with chang'e talking about life and just taking some time to recharge before they have to move on.

·         Encountering red boy on a planet made of pure molten lava and fire. Where the fire/ lava of this world is safe to touch in some parts and in other parts it burns so insanely hot that it can melt the flesh off of the bone. and no one really being able to tell the difference between which fire is safe and which isn't. red boy is completely immune to this world and knows how to wield it to his advantage

·         Demon bull king and princess iron fan are some of the galaxies' biggest warlords and conquers. They have one of the biggest fleets of battleships and an unstoppable army. As such they have conquered multiple planets

·         That just made me think what if there was a galactic villain scoreboard just like the one in wander over yonder. Or at the very least the villains have a celebrity status amongst the galaxy. (at some point wukong would have been totally at the top of that scoreboard)

·         There's a part in the book where they encounter a demon that turns out to be Guanyin's pet goldfish that’s gone rogue. And I like the idea of the group encountering a giant dangerous Robo-mech that they have to face off against only for it to turn out that it was a tiny goldfish controlling the suit all along. (and he would have gotten away with it too if it weren't for those meddling pilgrims)

·         the lady bone demon being in control of a hive mind of other alien species. Working like a parasite she infects/possesses other creatures to do her bidding and expand her influence. the longer they are under her possession the quicker they start to waste away and become a skeletal zombie-like version of their former selves. Think of something similar to the zombie-ant fungus.  

·         What if the Single Horned Rhinoceros King instead of just stealing everyone's weapons through the use of the jade ring (an alternate form of the diamond snare that Laojun had made and used to capture Sun Wukong) like in the book. he was actually capturing planets and hoarding them like ships in bottles and the jade ring is actually some super weaponized shrink ray that allows him to do this. The group ends up not only trying to find a way to defeat him but then having to figure out how to return all the planets back to their normal size. This idea could also work with an original character as an alternative. 

·         The immortal trials I can see playing out much like the book with the exception that It takes place on a more primitive planet that does not have much experience with technology and goat, deer and tiger immortals taking advantage of that. using the knowledge and tech they have to trick people into thinking that they are all powerful, omnipotent beings and forcing them to do their bidding

·         The spider queen/spider demons being these drider like aliens. Their ships are equipped with web-like nets that they use to capture spaceships. The nets are huge in size as well as virtually unbreakable. They then kill and eat any of the unfortunate victims that they trap and sell off the ships for scrap metal along with any valuables they find. Often they will leave their webs out in space, trapping anyone unfortunate to get stuck and not returning for a lengthy period of time while they check on their other traps. by then the victims of the snare are too weak to fight back and make for easy pickings.

·         Shapeshifting while being pretty common is extremely hard to do with only a few beings being able to actually do it properly (sun wukong is one of them, pigsy on the other hand is not so he resorts to holographic glamour instead) most just end up using holographic technology to glamour themselves. Or pills that can transform a person for a short amount of time, or even stranger alternative methods

·         A planet being inhabited entirely by females playing out much like the book. With the inhabitants having the appearance of both lizards and starfish combined. They are very pleasant but extremely curious about the male species 

·         Finally, let's talk about the main goal/objective of the journey personally I like sticking with the whole finding the scriptures and returning them to the east. Which still works for this only the stakes are much higher as the whole universe has been plunged into chaos and is on the verge of full on collapsing and the only way to stop it is to get these special scriptures (honestly this can be subjective as they don't need to be scriptures just something of great importance) and get them to where they need to be. Not only is the journey there hard but the stakes are upped as they now have to get them back and by now every powerhouse and criminal wants to get their hand on them as they are a highly coverted item

    So yeah those are my thoughts. If I think of any more I'll be sure to add them but for now, this is all I got. Apologies for any spelling mistakes or if I've messed up on the lore (I tried to be as accurate as possible). I'll be honest I'm getting very tempted to write a full story based on this however I've got other writing projects in the works so I don't want to start anything new just yet. But who knows maybe one day in the future.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

can you do a blog about the main types of book genres there are if you haven't already? and how to know what you're writing?

Types of Book Genres

Mystery. Follows a crime (like a murder or a disappearance) from the moment it is committed to the moment it is solved. Mystery novels are often called “whodunnits” because they turn the reader into a detective trying to figure out the who, what, when, and how of a particular crime. Most mysteries feature a detective or private eye solving a case as the central character.

Thriller. According to the New York Public Library, thrillers gradually build anxiety and suspense. Examples of thrillers include “Gone Girl” by Gillian Flynn, “All Her Little Secrets” by Wanda M. Morris and “The Silent Patient” by Alex Michaelides. ⚜ Psychological Thriller

Horror. “Carrie” by Stephen King, “The Haunting of Hill House” by Shirley Jackson and Edgar Allen Poe’s work are all under the umbrella of horror. These works are intended to frighten audiences and elicit a feeling of dread, according to the CDE.

Historical Fiction. Historical fiction takes place in a historical setting, the CDE notes. Some examples of historical fiction include “The Prophets” by Robert Jones, Jr. and “The Four Winds” by Kristin Hannah.

Romance. Romance Writers of America (RWA) noted that romance refers to optimistic and emotionally satisfying stories that focus on a central love story. “The Love Hypothesis” by Ali Hazelwood and “Red, White and Royal Blue” by Casey McQuiston are both romance novels.

Western. Primarily set in the American Old West between the late 18th century and late 19th century and tell the stories of cowboys, settlers, and outlaws exploring the western frontier and taming the Wild West.

Bildungsroman. Translates to “novel of education” or “novel of formation,” chronicles a character’s journey from young innocence to worldly adulthood. This is a specific type of coming-of-age story in which the character gains knowledge and experience, even as innocence is lost.

Speculative Fiction. Refers to genres not based in reality, including work with magical, supernatural or otherwise imagined elements. Essentially, speculative fiction is the opposite of mimetic fiction. The category includes subgenres like fantasy, science-fiction, dystopian fiction and more, Witcover noted.

Science Fiction. This genre often involves science and technology of the future. Science fiction is frequently set in space or a different universe or world. It often uses some real theories of science.

Fantasy. According to the California Department of Education (CDE), fantasy "invites suspension of reality." The genre encompasses stories that wouldn't happen in real life, often set in another world or including magical elements.

Dystopian fiction. Imagines a future place in cataclysmic decline.

Action and Adventure. The tension of the protagonist’s journey in an adventure story creates a pulse-pounding, adrenaline-pumping storyline. Dramatic car chases, secret missions, and violent fight scenes often pop up in famous action stories. Great action writing draws in your audience, getting their adrenaline pumping as they turn the page.

Nonfiction (Memoir: Stories from an author’s life that offer a firsthand account of events are called memoirs. According to Reader's Digest, some highly-recommended memoirs include “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou and “Spare” by Prince Harry. ; Autobiography: a nonfiction (true) account of someone’s life. It is written by the subject of the autobiography; Biography: tell the story of a notable person’s life, written by someone other than the subject. Some examples are “Into the Wild” by Jon Krakauer, which tells the story of the adventurer Chris McCandless, and “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” by Rebecca Skloot.)

Food and Travel. Cookbooks, food history books, travel guides and travel memoirs all fall under this category that includes “The Omnivore's Dilemma” by Michael Pollan and “My Life in France” by Julia Child.

Humor. Strong humor writers have a way of spotting the patterns of life and bringing them to the surface at exactly the right moment.

Young Adult. YA books are intended for readers between 12 and 18 years old, according to Smithsonian Magazine. Some examples include “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins and “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas.

Children's Fiction. Many classic examples of children’s literature are picture books, including “Where the Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak or “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus” by Mo Willems. Scholastic noted most picture books are intended for children up to seven years old.

Knowing your Genre. The world of literature abounds with different genres.

Although every literary genre has its own trends and defining characteristics, the divisions between these categories aren't always clear. Whether you’re picking another book off the shelf or plotting out your new novel, learning more about genre can help you decide what comes next.

If you want to become a writer, there are a number of reasons to learn about genres, according to Paul Witcover, associate dean of the online Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing program at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU).

“I feel it’s important for writers to have an understanding of genre because it will impact how their books are marketed, as well as how they are perceived by publishers,” he said. “But I also think writers can be too concerned with genre.”

Although he encourages writers to learn about the subject, Witcover noted a tendency for overly rigid ideas about the distinctions between genres. “Concepts of genre are more fluid than writers may believe,” he said. It's important to keep that fluidity in mind.

Genre is determined by need and audience expectation. Its set functions are determined by its social need.

Broadly speaking, the fiction world is divided into 2 segments: literary fiction and genre fiction.

Literary fiction typically describes the kinds of books that are assigned in high school and college English classes, that are character driven and describe some aspect of the human condition. Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winners tend to come from the literary fiction genre.

Genre fiction has a more mainstream, populist appeal. It traditionally comprises genres such as romance, mystery, thriller, horror, fantasy, and children’s books.

Some genre writers straddle a line between genre-focused commercial fiction and the traditions of literary fiction.

Traditionally, there are 4 broader categories of genre:

Fiction: Imagined or invented literature is called fiction, Writers & Artists noted. Examples of fiction titles include “1984” by George Orwell and “Little Fires Everywhere” by Celeste Ng.

Nonfiction: According to Writers & Artists, nonfiction refers to fact-based works. Some nonfiction titles include “The Body Keeps Score” by Bessel van der Kolk and “I Am Malala” by Malala Yousafzai, and “Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking” by Marcella Hazan.

Poetry: Britannica defines poetry as “literature that evokes a concentrated imaginative awareness of experience or a specific emotional response through language chosen and arranged for its meaning, sound and rhythm.” Poetry incorporates poetic elements and encompasses the work of writers like Maya Angelou, Robert Frost, Amanda Gorman and Richard Siken.

Drama: Dramatic literature refers to texts of plays that can be read for their literary value as well as performed, according to Britannica. Dramas include stage directions and specific formatting not found in prose or verse. Some of the most studied dramas are Shakespeare’s plays, like “Hamlet” and “Romeo and Juliet.” You might be familiar with other dramas, too, like “Death of a Salesman” and “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller or August Wilson’s Century Cycle of 10 dramas depicting the Black experience in the U.S. throughout the 20th century, including “The Piano Lesson” and “Fences.”

Although most writing falls into at least one of these 4 categories, the edges are a bit blurred, and there can be overlap.

Sources: 1 2 3 4 5 6 ⚜ More: Writing Notes & References

It seems the general advice is to learn about the different genres first, and try to see which elements your story has that align with them. Perhaps start with the broader categories first, then narrow it down to the major genres, until you identify which specific subgenre your story fits. And it's fine if they overlap, as this happens with most novels. Hope this helps!

[tobiasdrake]

Incidentally, we can't really talk about pragmatism without talking about Future Trunks.

Krillin is a devious and underhanded martial artist, but still a martial artist. Trunks is an assassin. He goes straight for the throat at every opportunity. He's not here to fight; He's here to kill.

Much like his father, Trunks is not a martial artist. Every bit Vegeta's son, he's naturally gifted and has already become a Super Saiyan by both of his first appearances - in the story, when he fights Frieza on Earth, and also chronologically in Trunks the Story: A Lone Warrior.

I can't really say he's untrained. He was trained in the basics by Gohan. But Gohan is also not a martial artist; He's had one year and six months of proper martial arts training. One year from Piccolo and six months from Krillin.

Gohan's a fighter, guided by emotion moreso than technique. So there's a limit to how much Trunks can learn from him. Even Gohan admits that he's a poor substitute for his dad.

This, I should note, is a meaningful admission from Gohan because this chapter was published at the very beginning of the Cell Games. Gohan outright saying "I wanted to follow in my dad's footsteps but the clothes aren't enough" sets up an important contrast to the Gohan of the present time who has had that time with Goku and is ready to take his place.

But his concession of inadequacy is important for how we interpret Trunks as well. Trunks knows the stuff. He can perform Bukujutsu. Throw ki blasts. Power up into a Super Saiyan. But he's not Goku or Krillin or Yamcha or Tenshinhan; Like Gohan and Vegeta, he is a fighter, not a martial artist.

His heart is in the right place, but he's reckless and foolhardy. Chomping at the bit for a piece of vengeance.

This recklessness carries into his journey to the past. He never quite learns from his brief offscreen shitstomp by the Twins. He returns to a point in history just after Goku's return from space. Historically, this was a key moment in history where Goku showed up in the nick of time to save Earth from Frieza and his father King Cold. Which should technically be Great King Cold as it's Cold-Daio but he's far from the first king to have his Greatness dropped in translation, eh Piccolo?

But when Goku's late to the party, Trunks starts to worry and decides to step in himself.

Look at him. The spitting image of his father, full of piss and vinegar.

It's here that we get to see Trunks as a fighter for the very first time. Even chronologically; In Trunks the Story, they skip most of the action; It's very brief.

I mean. It's an absolutely hilarious joke that we see Trunks flying off half-cocked to go get revenge and then he's waking up from a coma on the very next page. Amazing cutaway gag.

But we're here to talk about Trunks's DNA as a fighter, so Frieza offers us the first material we have to work with. And Trunks? He does not fuck around.

Your soldiers are dead. Who's next?

You're dead. Who's next?

Your father's dead. We done here?

Trunks gives zero shits. In the span of two chapters, he massacres Frieza, Cold, and all of their soldiers without an ounce of hesitation. He is not playing.

He was even paying attention to the part where Frieza can survive grievous amounts of harm and come back. He takes great care to thoroughly and utterly annihilate every last bit of Frieza. Taking no chances.

Trunks isn't here to fight. He's here to kill. He is not interested in a protracted martial arts bout.

This fight, incidentally, also gives us a moment to talk about Trunks's sword. Cold-Dumbass thinks Trunks's sword is the key to his power.

He's an idiot. There's a reason he only exists for like three chapters and one page of a fourth. This man doesn't even understand how weapons work in anime.

Japan and the West have very different relationships with weapons. When Westerners think of weapons, we think of guns. Even when we write medieval weapons, we treat them like guns. Guns are disposable tools that bestow killing power upon their wielder. Any average Joe with a gun suddenly becomes a lethal warrior.

But Japan has a rich history and philosophy baked into their culture surrounding weapons and their role in martial arts. In anime, a weapon does not grant power; It manifests power. The weapon is an extension of its wielder. It's a means by which the wielder expresses their own strength.

In Trunks's hands, that sword can cut through Frieza. Because Trunks is powerful, and his might outshines Frieza's.

In Cold's hands, however, that sword is harmless. Because Cold is weak and cowardly. (Uh, relative to Trunks.) He has no power to express.

But Goku is strong. Goku knows power intimately, far beyond Trunks's understanding. And so Trunk's sword, his expression of power, is useless against Goku.

This is what Trunks's sword means, to him and to the story. It's an extension of his character and his strength; The means by which he delivers his killing force. Which is precisely what makes this moment so devastating.

When 18 breaks Trunks's sword, she breaks Trunks. The damage to his blade is honestly not that severe. It could probably be reforged. But the damage to Trunks's self-image, to his psyche, is unshakable.

Trunks never uses his sword again. He leaves it on the plane here.

And then we never see it again. Instead, Trunks decides to pursue greater martial arts training alongside his father, following in Vegeta's footsteps.

But he never quite loses his assassin streak. Though he begins to develop his abilities as a fighter from this point forward, Trunks is goal-oriented. He wants to kill the Twins. He doesn't care how that happens.

In the original version of these events, before Cell further altered the timeline, those blueprints were the key to Trunks's victory against the Twins of his timeline.

Though Cell has no idea how Trunks pulled off this victory despite being too weak to defend himself from Cell himself, the discovery of Gero's lab offers us a possible explanation.

The Twins have shutdown switches built into their systems. Though 17 destroyed the remote Gero built, Bulma is able to use these blueprints to build a new one.

So there's a solid implication that the weaker Trunks of Cell's timeline took Bulma's remote home with him and disabled the Twins that way. Again: He's not here to fight. He's here to kill. It doesn't matter how he does it.

...well, I guess it does matter 'cause that Trunks got wasted by Cell five minutes later.

Point is, Trunks wears his goal-oriented ruthlessness on his sleeve. He's not driven by pride of by love of the art. He has a job he's here to do.

However that single-minded focus, that determination to get it done, also holds him back. Trunks has never had proper martial training. He's been taught by Future Gohan, who is not a martial artist. And he's... taught himself near Vegeta. His developed his abilities and increased his strength, but he doesn't know fighting the way Goku or Krillin or Yamcha or Ten do. Nor does he have Vegeta's natural brilliance and general understanding.

Trunks, for all his strength and all his determination and all his killing instinct, is an amateur. We all know what happened to him in the last fight he ever fought here in the present.

Vegeta breaks the limits of the Super Saiyan and realizes that this power is good but comes at a cost, so he should only do it sparingly.

Goku breaks the limits of the Super Saiyan and realizes this form sucks and is stupid, and decides to go a different route entirely.

But Trunks breaks the limits of the Super Saiyan and goes "AWWW YEAH THIS IS THE SHIT GIMME THAT POWER" because he doesn't know. He has a killer's instinct, not a martial artist's. He's never been trained in technique.

We see, over the course of this series, both Trunks's strengths and his weaknesses as a fighter. In every altercation, he goes straight for the throat. Which is brutally effective when he has the power to back it up but Trunks, more than anyone, is vulnerable to a crushing defeat if he doesn't have the Power Level to back it up. He has nothing else.

Still, he gets to go out on a high note. His final chapter sees him return to the future, not with the remote but with the great strength he gained in the Room of Spirit and Time. And he gets to clean house his way - slaughtering the Twins efficiently and thoroughly, in true Trunks fashion.

And also getting Cell for good measure.

Godspeed, killer. You were the best your world had left to offer but you rose to the occasion, and that's the most that could be asked of anyone.