#ci fi genre

[evermorre]

if you have fantasy or historical fiction book recommendations, would you send them to me please? :)

[bellaroles]

That is good! So very good!!

[sieclesetcieux]

Saint-Just's letter to Camille Desmoulins in (May?) 1790

He mentions the Assemblée de Chauny, which took place in May 1790 according to this site.

ORIGINAL FRENCH

Monsieur,

Si vous étiez moins occupé, j'entrerais dans quelques détails sur l'Assemblée de Chauny, où se sont trouvés des hommes de toutes trempes et de tout calibre. Malgré ma minorité, j'ai été reçu. Le sieur Gellé, notre confrère au bailliage de Vermandois, m'avait dénoncé. On l'a chassé par les épaules. Nous avons vu là vos compatriotes MM. Saulce, Violette et autres, dont j'ai reçu beaucoup de politesse. Il est inutile de vous dire (car vous n'aimez pas la sotte louange) que votre pays s'enorgueillit de vous.

Vous avez su avant moi que le département était définitivement à Laon. Est-ce un bien, est-ce un mal pour l'une ou l'autre ville ? Il me semble que ce n'est qu'un point d'honneur entre les deux villes, et les points d'honneur sont très peu de chose presqu'en tout genre.

Je suis monté à la tribune, j'ai travaillé dans le dessein de porter le jour dans la question du chef-lieu : mais je ne suivis rien ; je suis parti chargé de compliments comme l'âne de reliques, ayant cependant cette confiance qu'à la prochaine législature je pourrai être des vôtres à l'Assemblée nationale.

Vous m'aviez promis de m'écrire, mais je prévois bien que vous n'en aurez pas eu le loisir. Je suis libre à l'heure qu’il est. Retournerai-je auprès de vous ou resterai-je parmi les sots aristocrates de ce pays-ci ?

Les paysans de mon canton étaient venus, alors de mon retour de Chauny, me chercher à Manicamp. Le comte de Lauraguais fut fort étonné de cette cérémonie rusti-patriotique. Je les conduisis tous chez lui pour le visiter. On nous dit qu'il est aux champs et moi cependant je fis comme Tarquin ; j'avais une baguette avec laquelle je coupai la tête à une fougère qui se trouva près de moi, sous les fenêtres du château, et sans mot dire nous fines volte-face.

Adieu, mon cher Desmoulins. Si vous avez besoin de moi, écrivez-moi. Vos derniers numéros sont pleins d'excellentes choses. Apollon et Minerve ne vous ont point encore abandonné, ne vous en déplaise. Si vous avez quelque chose à faire dire à vos gens de Guise, je les reverrai dans les huit jours à Laon où j'irai faire un tour pour affaires particulières.

Adieu encore, gloire, paix, et rage patriotique. Saint-Just.

Je vous lirai ce soir, car je ne vous parle de vos derniers numéros que par ouï-dire.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

I found a translation here, which I used as a basis for mine, but there are some mistakes I corrected and I made some stylistic changes.

Monsieur,

If you were less busy, I would give you more details about the Assembly of Chauny, where one can find men of considerable calibre and quality. I was received in spite of my minority. Sieur Gellé, our compatriot from the bailliage of Vermandois had denounced me. He was grabbed by the shoulders and thrown out. We saw your compatriots, M. Saulce, M. Violette and others, by whom I was received with great courtesy. There is no point telling you (because you don't like foolish praise) that your region is proud of you.

You have known before I did that the département is definitely fixed at Laon. Is that good or is that bad for one or other of the towns? It seems to me that it is no more than a point of honour between the two towns and points of honour are of little importance.

I took the tribune; I worked with the intention of carrying the [order of the] day on the question of the chef-lieu: but I did not follow on; I left, weighed down with compliments like the donkey burdened with relics (1), having however the confidence that at the next legislature I could be among you at the National Assembly.

You had promised to write to me, but I can well anticipate that you had no such leisure. I am free as of now. Should I return to you or remain amongst the foolish aristocrats in this part of the country?

The peasants from my canton came, when I returned from Chauny, to look for me at Manicamp. The Comte de Lauraguais was greatly astonished by this rustico-patriotic ceremony. I led them all to his home for a visit. They said that he was out in the fields and I, however, did like Tarquin, I had a cane [baguette (2)] with which I cut off the head of a nearby fern, beneath the windows of the castle, and without a word we left and returned.

Farewell, my dear Desmoulins. If you have need of me, write to me. Your latest issues are full of excellent things. Apollo and Minerva have not yet abandoned you, whether you like it or not. If you have anything to say to your people in Guise, I will be seeing them again within the next eight days in Laon where I will be going for particular matters.

Farewell again, glory, peace and patriotic rage.

Saint-Just

I will read you this evening, since I only tell you about your recent issues from hearsay.

(1) This is a reference to a fable by La Fontaine.

(2) The baguette (direct translation: stick - the word existed before the bread style!) was a very thin cane, very fashionable to carry at the time. You can see some examples here. I'm not sure how he managed to cut a plant with it though... I've never tried to do that lol. So I don't know if it implies it was a sword-cane or if it was thin enough to do it on its own.

He compares his gesture to that of Lucius Tarquinius Superbus who, according to Livy, silently cut off the heads of the tallest poppies as a demonstration to what his son had to do.

(This is, by the way, the scene we see reproduced at the beginning of Saint-Just et la force des choses, and why they changed the fern to poppies - so the allusion would be clearer.)

[douqi7s]

Top 10+ notable baihe authors currently working today

1. Jun Sola

Jun Sola (君sola)'s claim to fame rests on her tomb-raiding epic Exploring an Empty Tomb (探虚陵), which she began serialising in 2010. It is now approximately 4 million words long and still ongoing. The epic tells of the adventures of sheltered but intelligent cultivator Shi Qingyi and the mysterious Luo Shen across multiple historical periods and into modern times.

A partial (8 out of 300 chapters) fan translation of the novel (historical section) can be found here.

A partial fan translation of the audio drama adaptation for the modern section of the novel can be found here.

2. Ning Yuan

Ning Yuan (宁远), baihe's own multi-genre queen, has been writing steadily since 2008. Her titles range from historical court epic At Her Mercy (我为鱼肉), sci-fi thriller The Creator's Grace (造物的恩宠), VR-themed novel Middle-Aged Love Patch (中年恋爱补丁), and showbiz romance The Show Must Go On (逢场入戏) For 2024, she has promised a historical cyberpunk baihe novel.

3. Ruo Hua Ci Shu

Ruo Hua Ci Shu (若花辞树), who has been writing in the genre since 2012. She is probably best known for her historical novels, of which the most popular is Minister Xie (谢相). Billed (by me) as The Goblin Emperor meets Sha Po Lang, Minister Xie tells the tale of teenage female emperor Liu Zao's indefatigable efforts to turn her (significantly older) prime minister Xie Yi into her wife while trying to get to grips with ruling an empire.

4. Jiu Nuan Chun Shen

Jiu Nuan Chun Shen (酒暖春深) shot to dizzying levels of fame on the strength of the action thriller Miss Forensics (我亲爱的法医小姐). The novel features a push-pull relationship between a forensic pathologist on a one-woman crusade of vengeance and justice with a self-destructive streak a mile wide and a police detective whose stubbornness is a match for hers. Its popularity is such that it even has some degree of mainstream awareness.

A partial (5 out of 144 chapters) fan translation of the novel can be found here.

5. Qi Xiao Huang Shu

Qi Xiao Huang Shu (七小皇叔) had been toiling unnoticed in the word mines for a few years before earning acclaim with her Republican Era tomb-raiding novel Reading the Remnants (问棺). The novel focuses on the adventures of five tomb-raiders: Li Shiyi (a veteran of the trade), Song Shijiu (a creepy fast-growing baby found in a tomb), A-Yin (a tomb-raider turned courtesan), A-Luo (the Overseer of Hell), and Tu Layao (a small-time hustler).

A partial (8 out of 115 chapters) fan translation of the novel can be found here. A second partial (10 out of 115 chapters) fan translation of the novel can be found here.

The author has since released a trio of contemporary romances — Pat Me on the Back (帮我拍拍), Evening Tide (晚潮) and Kissing a Gardenia (都什么年代了啊) — set in audio drama production and acting circles.

6. Min Ran

Min Ran (闵然) specialises in contemporary romances, all of which have been popular enough to attract print publication and audio drama (and sometimes manhua) adaptations. Her two most notable works are the contemporary age gap romance For the Rest of Our Lives (余生为期) and the showbiz novel (with a dash of rebirth) Waiting for You (余情可待).

7. Yu Shuang

Yu Shuang (鱼霜) writes primarily contemporary romances, and is particularly known for her showbiz novels. Notable works include the showbiz novels The Light (微光) and Those Long Divided Must Soon Be United (分久必合)

8. Yi Zhan Ye Deng

Yi Zhan Ye Deng (一盏夜灯) is another specialist in contemporary romances. Her best known work is probably the age gap romance Feelings Speak for Themselves (桃李不言), which has been adapted into both an audio drama and a manhua.

9. Qing Tang Shuan Xiang Cai

Qing Tang Shuan Xiang Cai (清汤涮香菜, literally: Clear Soup with Coriander) is known for her mostly-fluffy, slice of life contemporary romances. Her best known work is Fascinating (入迷).

10. Shi Wei Yue Shang

Shi Wei Yue Shang (时微月上) she came to the attention of the wider baihe audience with her 2021 infinite flow novel Players, Please Be On Standby (玩家请就位), followed by the transmigration xianxia novel Incantation for Subduing a Dragon (降龙诀).

Honourable mention #1: Tai Yang Jun 

Tai Yang Jun (太阳菌) is a favourite among fans of the wuxia subgenre, which is under-represented within baihe. She is probably best known for the two wuxia novels Jianghu Demolition Squad (江湖拆迁队) and Song of Everlasting Regret (长恨歌), as well as the xianxia novel The Dragon (见龙).

Honourable mention #2: Misterande

Your one-stop shop for dark deranged toxic lesbians, Misterande's best-known work is the dark thriller I'm More Dangerous Than You (我比你危险), featuring a cat-and-mouse game between a serial killer and a writer of suspense novels. The manhua adaptation has an official English translation, which can be read here.

Honourable mention #3: Xiao Bao

Xiao Bao (晓暴), known affectionately as 'CEO Bao' to her fans, has written upwards of 20 novels, most of them featuring high levels of explicit sexual content. Her titles include Bait (诱饵), an omegaverse novel featuring a mostly consensual poly relationship, and A Young Girl's Fancy is as Lovely as a Poem (少女情怀总是诗), featuring a daughter/mother relationship with (at least initial) noncon/dubcon.

For a fuller version of this post, see the DW entry here.

[finleyforevermore]

IN MEMORIAM OF LIAM (@zzstar-head), NEX BENEDICT, & SONYA MASSEY

HELP DELILAH!!!

HELP APOLLO!!!

My contact information.

About me!

First picture/profile picture/avatar made with this!

Second picture/drawing made by my wonderful friend Korey (@sharkbaitju1ce)! Great artist and even greater friend, please check their stuff out! :D

Third picture/picrew by @/potato-lord-but-not!

Please, if you know my age through DMs or Discord, DO NOT POST IT OUTSIDE OF PRIVATE SPACES WITH ME. I WILL CONSIDER THIS AN ATTACK.

IF A HOSTILE/OFFENSIVE ANON CALLS ME THEIR FRIEND, I AM NOT!!!! IF AN ANON SENDS SELF-HARM PICTURES AND TAGS ME IN THE ASK, THAT IS NOT ME!!!!!

More under the cut, friends! Please be sure to peruse through all of the IMPORTANT LINKS! You may also take a look at all of my wonderful Tumblr family members, but the important links ESPECIALLY. Thank you! :)

Name: Finley, but you can call me Finn or Fin, too! Or really ANY nickname derivative of Finley! I ADORE nicknames, please feel free to give me some! :D

Birthday: January 8th!

♑ (Capricorn): The Ambitious Nature

Age: Minor

Interests: Animation, voice acting, musicals

MBTI: INFJ-T

Gender/Orientation: Cis male, sex-repulsed asexual

Musical genres I like: Musicals, Classical, Orchestral, Jazz, Lo-fi, Ambient, I dabble in rock sometimes 😅

Pronouns: He/him/his

Quote(s) that describe(s) my life:

"And all I really want is some justice! Ahhh!" - "All I Really Want" by Alanis Morrisette, from the album "Jagged Little Pill"

"I've earned the right to selfishly be all for one and one for me." - "Loser Geek Whatever" from "Be More Chill"

Favorite colors: Green and blue.

Favorite Book(s): "Good Dog" by Dan Gemeinhart, "Thanks a Lot, Universe" by Chad Lucas, "Ghost Boys" by Jewell Parker Rhodes, "Long Way Down" by Jason Reynolds, "Show Us Who You Are" by Elle McNicoll

Favorite Season: Fall/Autumn

Favorite musical(s): Wicked, Hadestown, and Come From Away

Favorite film: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Favorite band: Tally Hall

Favorite shows: Infinity Train, Bluey, Hilda

DNI:

Homophobic

Blogs with DNI Minors

Xenophobic

Racists

TERFS

Radfems

Anti-abortion

Antisemites

Anti-furries

Anti-therians

Zoophiles

Wilbur Soot defenders/supporters/fans

TERFS

You ship incest, pedophilia, real people, etc.

Anti-BLM/All Lives Matter

Porn bot

Do not stand with Palestine

MAP/NOMAP

Pro-facist

Sexist

Ableist

Islamophobes

Other stuff!:

Pall Weople and Hurricane Family enthusiast!

I have chromesthesia!

If my profile pic wasn't any indicator, I wear glasses!

I play the violin and sometimes the piano!

I give off platypus vibes according to my friends!

11 of my friends have called me a "ray of sunshine" so I guess it must be true XD

I like boots more than shoes.

I saw Wicked on 10/5/22!!! 💚💚💚

[spicymalepolls]

Sexiest Monster Male Tournament

Welcome to the fourth spicy male poll to be held on this blog!

If you're someone who thirsts over monster men this is the tournament for you. Below the cut you will find information and rules for submitting your Sexy Monster Males.

Tagging for reach (let me know if you would like to be untagged: @tournament-announcer @the-polls @myfaveisfuckable @hear-me-out-poll @proshipping-polls @bestfurryhusband @sexiestpodcastcharacter

INFORMATION:

Submissions must be made through this form only

Multiple submissions are allowed but only submit a Monster Male once per person

Submissions will be added on a first come, first serve basis with characters with more submissions taking priority

There will be 32-64 slots open depending on amount of submissions, any remaining slots will be filled by me.

Make sure to mark any spoilers

SFW and NSFW art may be submitted as propaganda

Submissions are now open and will close once slots have been filled

Mod has final say on characters accepted into tournament

 If you have any questions about submissions, information, or rules please use the 'ask' button

RULES:

Characters must be fictional

Characters must be 18+ in their original media

Characters must be male (cis or trans) or masculine presenting nonbinary or genderfluid

Characters must be considered a male 'monster'. Monster can be constituted as "an imaginary creature that is typically large, ugly, and frightening" and can be found in any genre such as fantasy, horror, supernatural, sci-fi, contemporary, etc.

Characters can be from a variety of fandoms and genres including but not limited to: TV Shows, Movies, Plays/Musicals, Games, Cartoons, Anime/Manga, Books, Graphic Novels, Comics, Webseries, Webcomics, and Podcasts

Characters, while monsters, should be human-like (have human sentience) and not be straight up animals.

Furries allowed on a case by case basis 

No original characters (OC’s)

No Bandoms

No Minecrafters

No real figures such as celebrities', youtubers, or streamers

Note: Any characters submitted which do not fit the above mentioned criteria will be disqualified from participation in the tournament

[animentality]

heyheyhey idk if u know how cool and important it is to have a badass assassin story with something other than cis gays and have it be Not a Big Deal but,,, it’s literally one of the first legit published books I’ve ever found like it?? And in a genre that I love??? And written well?? And genuinely funny as fuck?? Idk I’ve never seen an enby that gets to exist without it being A Tragic Plot Point or something To Overcome so thank u??? Like so much???? I can’t tell u how much???? I definitely didn’t cry at all about it nope not even once

:DDDDDD omg, my heart started pumping faster when I saw this ask. I am always so giddy when people talk to me about my books, especially the specifics about characters and tone and things they liked!

Yeah, I wanted to include every goddamn color in the pride flag!!

Pansexual/ bisexual assassins, nonbinary demons, a transgender assassin, an unrealistic number of gay and lesbian demon summoners! That's my fantasy world. It's not talked about, because it's simply normal.

Irvine in particular I adore because I am nonbinary myself, but also because they are just so powerful, and they don't even know just how much yet!

I always disliked how many nonbinary characters in fantasy and sci fi are just token "they/them" body guards, robotic or asexual leaning non-humans, or quiet, unassuming love interests who only exist to show a character is pansexual or something.

Irvine was my love letter to my own identity because I thought hey what if there was a nonbinary character who just fucks shit up, every time they appear? What if there was an enby who just kicks ass and is sexily never showing their face, and wears a badass hood all the time?

And then Irvine was born. My little storm demon :)

Also, I don't know if you ever saw the commissioned art, but I will post it in this ask for your viewing pleasure:

so glad you love my child. my baby blorbo.

who i intend to put through the wringer, lemme tell you, because i like to put all my favorite characters through it.

So glad you find it unique too! I honestly was feeling so badly about it, after months of querying and beta swapping, and getting feedback from dozens of people who only found things to criticize as being too strange or too different or stylistically confusing.

I went through a year of being told it wasn't good, and-and I'm a little emotional and overcome with appreciation and gratitude to all the people who not only bought or downloaded the book while it was free, but who also actually read the whole thing, and found it GOOD.

Like people...think i...write well??? oh gosh. oh god.

chills.

The asks I get keep me going through this mundane, dull little world. They give me something to look forward to, in between the doldrums of normalcy...

They also validate me for thinking someone...someone out there must find this good...

Thanks for taking the time to send this ask :))) it means the world to me.

I save them all in my drafts so I can look at them when I'm sad...

Also, THANK YOU FOR NOTICING THAT THE BOOK IS FUNNY.

in between the angst and the action and the blood-filled fist fighting and crazy sniper/melee battles, there is a lot of dark comedy!

I love dark comedy. I love satire.

As much as I love being edgy, I think a story without any humor at all is unbearable.

I want you to hurt with my characters...but you should also laugh with them! Laugh at them! Be amused by their stupidity...or by their cleverness.

Be charmed by their vulnerability, but also their insane, abnormal, bizarre points of view!

AAAAH, I'm so glad you found it funny AND heart-breaking!

That is exactly what I want every story of mine to be.

Thank you thank you thank you for this ask!!

Link to referenced book here, for all the poor spectators who have to see me blubbering like a child.

Please leave a review on Amazon/Goodreads if you haven't already, but if you have, thank you for that too! Every review helps me out so much!

[mxtxfanatic]

Book of the Week: Replacing the Evil Way

Author: Cat Tea Beaver (猫茶海狸)

Genre: sci-fi, modern setting, murder mystery, danmei

Rating: T (though there is a few places of implied sex)

My Synopsis: Two cops in parallel universes investigate each other's murders in their own universes. Alternatively: everyone is in love with He Wei, a source of both much help and hindrance. Also, they were roommates.

My Review: If you enjoy stories like Mist and Time-Limited Hunt, then this should fit right up your alley. Imma be honest, I think the author was feeling themselves a little too much with those crime investigation science details (listen, I am not smart in non-physics sciences, y'all) but I at least eventually got the hang of the time stuff and the science details drops off after a moment. There are also a lot of characters on both ends, but I'm personally bad with names. If you are like me, remembering one or two people to ground you is helpful. The comedy with the character interactions—particularly the main couple first navigating thinking they're being "haunted" is great—but then later on when the suspense starts taking over, I think the author did a good job in making the readers feel just as paranoid as He Wei. (Tbf tho, I was right about just about everyone I thought was sketch 😌) I have a few content warnings for the novel: there's genre-typical violence and death, (attempted coerced) incest, and homophobia from family (in the extras but gets resolved) but I think the most landmine section is a serial murder involving an intersex woman (cis, XY chromosomes) murderer. The narration does in fact make it clear she is intersex, but the characters who do not have this insight originally assume she is trans, and the words used to describe her as trans go from neutral to fetishistic (the story does not make comedy out of this, so idk if this was a translator choice or there are multiple different words used).

The translation... could be better. It's not that there are simple grammar or spelling mistakes that may jar you but are easily dismissable, but moreso that the type of grammar mistakes that happen can throw off your understanding of what's happening. In a novel with alternate versions of characters intersecting and interacting, changing a pronoun from "he" to "they" makes a huge difference!!!! Somehow, this is the most common error that happens, so sometimes I have to read paragraphs multiple times to understand what is actually happening and who all is present. (Also at one point, the cat "barked"...) It also doesn't help that there is no distinguishing when the narrative switches between universes mid-chapter until a character appears to ground you, which becomes confusing towards the later, more hectic chapters. If this ever gets an official license, I hope they do something about that.

Translation: complete

[ordinorultor-if]

So I decided a while ago to do some facts about me when the demo dropped. Even though the demo’s been pushed back to Friday, I wanted to share some stuff about myself anyways!

So! You guys can call me JB, and today is my 21st birthday (shoutout to that one anon whose birthday is also today). I’m a cis man, and while I’m questioning my sexuality, I’m fairly certain I’m bisexual. I’m a practicing Roman Catholic, but I’m not an asshole about it - be who you wanna be, love who you wanna love, and believe in what you believe in, as long as you’re not an asshole I’m cool with you.

I was born in Chicago and lived there for a while, but me and my mom moved to Wisconsin shortly after my father passed away. Up here we basically live on a farm. We have a garden and lots of animals - two dogs and a whole flock of chickens, and we used to have horses and ducks too. I also used to have a bearded dragon (named George, because of St. George and the Dragon), but I took terrible care of the poor guy and he got sick and passed away.

When I was a kid, I wanted to be a scientist really bad. To some extent I still do, but I’ve always loved story telling, so a few years ago I realized I wanted to be a creative writer instead. While I’m currently on break from university, while I was attending I had an English Major with a Creative Writing Focus. I never declared a minor, and I was intending on a Chemistry Minor, but I might decide on an Engineering Minor when I return.

Besides reading/playing IFs, I’m into video games, TTRPGs (which is actually how I got into Interactive Fiction), firearms, history, religion and mythology, and general culture stuff. Seeing some of that, I think you could see how I ended up with the ideas for this game lol. Some of my favorite games include Crusader Kings 3 (which is how I came up with the idea for this game, playing a custom character in the Duchy of Aquitaine), Hearts of Iron IV, Skyrim, Fallout 4 (I haven’t seen the show yet, please don’t spoil it ~_~), and Cyberpunk 2077.

As mentioned above, I got into Interactive Fiction because of my love of TTRPGs. I think I’ve mentioned this story before, but I’m into Vampire: the Masquerade, and shortly after V:tM - Night Road released, I bought and played it. Around this time last year I looked into Choice of Games because of it, and the rest is history.

Also, since I couldn’t fit it in anywhere else, some genres and writing/trope stuff I like:

Childhood friends to lovers (all time favorite romance trope)

Peggy Sue fix-it fics (after all, I’m writing one over on AO3 lmao)

The former friends reconciling while facing impossible odds

Blending genres, like with sci-fan or gothic western

Related to the above: when fantasy settings have sci-fi lore/origins, and vice versa (FE3H my beloved)

Tarot motifs (again, FE3H my beloved)

Eldritch/cosmic horror

Gothic settings

Dragons that are really weird (FEA my beloved. And again, FE3H my beloved)

Anyways, that’s really all I can think of. Also, a reminder: Warlock is the best class in D&D 5E /s

[pluralsword]

Sci-Fi Rounded/Curved Armor References

we know we usually post transformers writing stuff but as we navigate digital art, and for descriptions as a writer, we found ourselves seeking armor references for hard scifi future armor that is more rounded and curvy, and moreover not designed around human androcentric stereotype body norms. A lot of the entries in this photo may seem odd but that's because visually hard scifi set further in the future tends to assume that armor will be blocky and flat, half copying the modern military standards (even though rounded armor is a thing that heavier infantry armor right now tends to have), so we had to turn to settings that are not as realistic and whose in lore capabilities (such as energy shielding) are not either.

Fiction aside said norms are an actual problem soldiers of various militaries have complained about and that has also meant that gals whether cis or transfemmes who want to say, find a suit of recreated medieval plate armor often end up using armor accounting for modern engineering principles to actually account for comfort in the chest and having a variety of different curvatures (which of course men also have which is why we said androcentric stereotypes) apart from the fact that usually that's custom fit rather than standardized as modern military armor tends to be. Something we want to note off the bat is that some of the flaws in the armors presented above is the general lack of armor for the groin for lighter armor variants and favoring shin armor instead first, even though getting hit in the groin is painful for nearly everybody, and even if you've had a nullification surgery having your ability to go to the bathroom be impeded by injury is extremely inconvenient to say the least

So- we dug around from stuff we remembered for a variety of art references from official and/or in-game art from comics, videogames and shows that works on those principles while usually at least somewhat reflecting the current trajectory of offensive-defensive technology development, or in other words what armor in the future could look like assuming some radically new physics/chemical processes or changes in weaponry don't cause shifts. Some of the examples here are basically medieval armor redone as a spacesuit but that is a cool look. E.G. the Huntress of in-game RoR2 and RoR Returns art is actually not underarmored from a medieval perspective, a lot of professional infantry such as halberdiers and pikemen did not use leg armor much or at all in order to have higher mobility, and that is something that some tactical / special ops units today with skin tight clothing underneath somewhat reflect. for an archer, her space cuirass with arm bracers and ?leather/scifi material equivalent? banded tassets (the sideskirt armor over the cloth side skirts, tassets can also be at the front of the thigh) would actually be quite good for medieval times for the kind of combat she does.

Risk of Rain is not the only science fantasy influence we looked to, specific armors from Star Wars, Metroid, Halo, Mass Effect, XCOM 2, Half Life, (listed in order approaching realism) and Transformers (the odd one out as an inherently iterative franchise that can range from high fantasy isekai to superhero fantasy to to science fantasy to social scifi to hard scifi, Verity's armor is decidedly from a continuity that is 3 out of 5 of those genres) were also considered, along with the more hard scifi Expanse, Mars Tactics, and Selaco. The funny thing about armor design in scifi is that artists who want to make realistic considerations appear across all the different subgenres because that is something that helps with the scifi feel. We did our best to find stuff that uses convex armor principles, ie, curves outward and thus helps deflect or lesson blows away from say, one's heart or lungs. Rather than concave, which curves inward, which is why boobplate that goes past the extent of being realistically useful to the point of carving out breast shapes, which historically have only been used for ceremonial purposes or by people not expected to be in the fighting, such as commanders who hung back rather than leading from the front, because the problem with such armor is that a blow over either breast can more easily slip into into the middle and chip away or pierce into a vital area.

This is true whether for pecs or tits it doesn't matter it's a bad idea. There is, from a point of view of ritual or fashion, nothing wrong with segmented boobplate, but for combat armor it is a terrible idea, unlike concave boobplate (which frankly is what a variety of historical armor designed for men look like which is yet another point for the appearance of the body is shaped by clothing showing how much of gender is a construct tally), cavalry heels (and as far as street brawls go as compared to muddy warfare if you're good at balance in high heels those things deliver quite the sharp kick, but there's a reason soldiers don't usually go past 1-inch in terms of heeled boots), battle skirts (again, tassets, such as the heavier scale mail ones used by ancient scythian men and women, and then you have stuff like hoplite battle skirts where the leather flaps would usually have an actual cloth skirt underneath, and then you have the lengthier scythian, assyrian, celtic, and persian skirts that with the scythians could be out of leather, banded, or scale mail. these are among many other societies who have a history of combat with skirted clothing), and so on.

We went for a mix of light, medium, and heavy armor on purpose, because different amounts are preferred based on needs regarding mobility and stealth, amount of combat where enemies landing a blow is expected and what kind of weapons are being used (and thus how to approach deescalation if possible), amount of other equipment being carried or that may need to be carried or carrying injured personnel, and availability.

Note- this is not a criticism of preparing for combat *without* armor that isn't just a kevlar weave or flame resistant material or something or less than that- some situations call for forgoing armor usage either because of needing to be able to move as fast as possible or get through very tight places, or because the setting is one where armor is a bad idea. For a different example, when you look at flight suits for pilots of aircraft and spacecraft, they often don't have much armor (of course, astronauts irl are not supposed to have to worry about combat in space and we hope things stay that way even though things around satellites are getting a bit heated), and even during World War II the downside of wearing flak vests on a big plane is it slows you down and if you need to get somewhere fast say to do repairs or grab a parachute or apply first aid, and technology later changed to make them much lighter.

For a different comparison, an almost absurd Catch-22 one, from scifi, in Battletech, mech pilots ideally use cooling suits to reduce chances of heat fatigue. But when that technology was lost to most societies after several rounds of galactic nuclear wars and key industrial assassinations, most pilots typically were practically down to their underwear. Given all this, it does make sense in a way that Samus's layers under her armor is basically a jumpsuit because of the amount of heat her armor could produce (with that said, we do want to eventually try drawing her with some light armor and flight suit stylization on top of that). We do fully intend to reblog this post with futuristic scifi flight and stealth getups that we took a liking to, eventually

A friend also recommended this linked thread on people going over armor designs as something to look at starting from the most recent and trawling backwards, it has been useful!

anyway, people probably want the names of these things in the image so they can look them up, so without further ado:

-top left: Security Chief Dawn's armor (which you actually equip within gameplay iirc) from the game Selaco

-in red and white with forearm armor integrated blaster cannons: Verity Simone Carlo's armor, which first appeared, iirc, in Last Stand of the Wreckers by Nick Roche for the IDW1/IDW 2005 Transformers continuity

-the two Mass Effect armors present nearby are the N7 Defender Armor worn by MShep (couldn't find an image of canon FemShep with it on and didn't feel like booting up ME3 to photo, but this one is great because Shepard is still effectively wearing mostly convex boobplate that actually looks realistic apart from the underboob indents lmao, and the suit really accentuates curves for both versions of Shepard) Hahne-Kedar armor, and that one is sourced by the art models posted by ME3 artist Rion Swanson

-with a similar color scheme and less obtrusive shoulder armor is the Martian Marine power suit armor worn by Bobbie Draper as depicted by the amazing actor Frankie Adams in the show The Expanse (we are not in any way ready or looking to discuss the plot of the show at the moment we just wanted to bring up the armor. only so many spoons). Her armor also features a forearm sized integrated minigun

-the five armors from the Halo series present are: ODST battle dress uniform,Gen 2 MJOLNIR/V - EVA, Halo 5 MJOLNIR/R - Recon, MJOLNIR/K - Commando, and MJOLNIR/B - B-class

-we chose a photo of the Laborers from Mars Tactics specifically because they are very much on the light side of armor, only having space cloth/polymer, an astronaut helmet, greaved boots, and a remote unit/life support pack that is basically a chest cuirass ie the most bra-like realistic boobplate can get

-the armor chosen from XCOM 2 is the W.A.R. suit, which in what seems to be a running theme has a heavy forearm blaster weapon mounted on.

-from the Risk of Rain series, the default armors of the Risk of Rain 2 Commando, Loader, and Huntress are shown, along with Risk of Rains Returns art of the Huntress and Mercenary.

-the cover art of Half-Life Decay depicting player character scientists Colette Green and Gina Cross wearing the signature HEV suit (Hazardous Environment Suit) typical of Black Mesa scientists prepared for dealing with said environments, including forays to the border dimension world of Xen, and famously worn by Half Life protagonist Gordon Freeman. while not quite what hazardous material suits or bomb suit armor looks like currently irl the design is undeniably slick and didn't break any of the rules we posed for our search except the avoiding concave armor in that the mid-riff area has a remote unit indent. ah well, given that the suit is literally something you power up to reduce damage to your person, it has (within the lore) first aid capacities to administer morphine when wounded, this suit doesn't play by normal modern armor rules.

-two versions of Samus Aran's armor from the Metroid series are shown, one is her partially organic technology power suit as it appears in Metroid Dread and the other is her gravity suit as it appears in the Metroid Prime trilogy. The power suit is definitely on the lighter side, while the gravity suit is easily some of the heaviest armor shown here. the size of her pauldrons on the gravity suit is of course absurd and irl her armor would be difficult to move around in unless it's an exosuit with it's own locomotion

-lastly, Star Wars The Old Republic's Shae Vizla's armor as leader of the Mandalorian people, Mandalore the Avenger. she's sometimes shown with closer to breast tight boobplate but thats not the case for this art here

Also just want to say it's very funny to us how armor plate carriers (which are commonly used currently) are not as prevalent in scifi the further in the future of a timeline one goes

[mermaidsirennikita]

Hi! Do you by chance have any kind of reading list for newbies to romance who want good examples of common tropes & an understanding of how the genre has evolved over time? Or recs for iconic titles and pioneer authors in the genre? I know Nora Roberts and Danielle Steele are everywhere but are they really the best place to start?

I can offer some recs/guidance! My word definitely isn't gospel and I have my blind spots—I try to read diversely, but I can always do better and am a white, cis, physically abled woman.

Soooo in terms of Nora and Danielle, I'd say yes to trying Nora, no to her necessarily being the best START, and personally I don't care for Danielle's books. But that's a pure taste issue, and the big thing is that the vast majority of Nora's books are romance (more recently, she's been published some dystopia/fantasy-bent stuff with romantic subplots while still publishing romance, I believe, and she's been publishing her In Death series, which is romantic suspense with some sci-fi elements, for years as J.D. Robb) whereas a lot of Danielle's books aren't. The first Danielle Steel book I ever read as a kid was pitched as a romance. It wasn't, and I hated it.

Nora is very good, but I do think she can be a bit overwhelming for new readers just because she's been through so many eras. She also has a very distinct voice, and you're either gonna be into it or you aren't. Nora writes a lot of trilogies, which will sometimes offer standalones and sometimes reeeeally read as interconnected series that happen to focus more on one of three couples per book (while the other couples still stay on as strong supporting characters). See my favorite books I've read by her, the Circle Trilogy. It's paranormal romance with a strong fantasy element. While each book centers one of of three couples, the books must be read in order and all feed into this overarching "save the day" storyline.

But to cut to the chase... Here are some books that can offer you an intro "sampler".

Iconique Classiques

A Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught. This medieval romance is enemies to lovers where they're LEGIT enemies to lovers, with a delightfully complicated heroine. It's a great example of Judith McNaught, who is a foundational author, and despite being written in the 80s (with all that entails) it holds up really well.

The Bride by Julie Garwood. Another foundational medieval with a "oh, this is 80s but it hjolds up" vibe. Arranged marriage with a classic medieval setup: the Border Marriage! (Scotland x England marriage for political purposes.) Alec Kincaid is an EXTREMELY influential hero, and this is just such a fun book.

Indigo by Beverly Jenkins. Beverly Jenkins isn't by any means the only author who's written historical romances about Black characters, but she's perhaps the most influential and probably the historical romance novelist wh does the most research in general. Her writing is gorgeous, and this book focused on a practical heroine who ends up in over her head after she nurses an infamously rakish Underground Railroad conductor back to health is just so romantic.

A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux. This is a really interesting romance, again very 80s but still good (imo). It focuses on a heroine in the 80s who goes to a church to cry wishing for a knight in shining armor after being abandoned by her douchey fiance. Then a literal medieval knight literally time travels right before her eyes. And he's also a douche lol. But a hot one!

Johanna Lindsey is also a very influential author in the genre, but a lot of her big CLASSICS are more noncon-leaning. A big one is Prisoner of My Desire, in which the heroine is forced to rape the hero in order to get pregnant (he later does the same to her in revenge... and then they fall in love). Kathleen E. Woodiwiss's The Flame and the Flower also features the hero raping the heroine, and it's also a classic. I won't get into it on a request post, but if you want to explore the genre more academically~ and are okay with reading noncon, I'd encourage checking out these and/or McNaught's Whitney, My Love. They're good books, imo, but the reality is that consent issues are a part of the genre's history, and that books with consent issues did and DO appeal to many romance readers for reasons that I think relate to the genre's appeal in a big way.

Kiss an Angel by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Susan Elizabeth Phillips did a lot to work towards the contemporary romcoms of today, except her books are often a lot more romantic and a lot funnier. This one is also generally WILD with a super dickish alpha hero who takes the heroine (who was forced to marry him by her dad) on a jaunt around the country with a TRAVELING CIRCUS. It's crazy. It's extremely fun. It's WILD.

To Love a Dark Lord by Anne Stuart. This is another historical, and to me it shows a lot of the early seeds of dark romance. You have a shady hero, a deal with the devil, and high stakes throughout. Stuart writes the biggest assholes for heroes, but this one is on the softer side for her.

Contemporary

Reel by Kennedy Ryan. Kennedy is one of the best in the biz! This book focuses on a famous director who falls for the up and coming actress he's chosen to star in his passion project. But she has a secret that could come between them. It also has a unique quality in that it goes back and forth between their story and the movie "script", which tells its own love story.

Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert. The first in Hibbert's funny, feelings-y, and hot Brown Sisters trilogy. Showcases a heroine with chronic pain who decides to get a life (as the title suggests) witht he help of her hot neighbor.

Lush Money by Angelina M. Lopez. A super unique billionaire romance with a Latina heroine who is in fact the billionaire, making a very unique deal with a prince in need...

How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang. A successful author sets out to have her books adapted into a TV show, only to find out that one of the writers on the show is a man who was pulled into her sister's suicide when they were teens. (Basically: her sister jumped in front of his car, it was by no means his fault but the heroine and her parents hated him for it.) They can't resist their chemistry as adults, and begin a short-term no-strings thing that obviously... is a lot more. SUPER emotional, super hot, would recommend 100000%. READ THIS OVER EMILY HENRY. IMO.

Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid. A great way to try sports romance, and a particular niche of sports romance called hockey romance, and a particular niche of hockey romance called GAY hockey romance. One of the only hockey romances I'm into, about a pair of longtime rivals who've secretly had a FWB situationship for years and are clearly in love but can't handle admitting it. SO. GOOD.

Chef's Choice by T.J. Alexander. A classic fake dating setup with a lot of cooking when a down on her luck woman agrees to pretend to date the French heir to a famous cooking family while he takes on a cooking... challenge...? To lock in his inheritance. A book with a trans hero and a trans heroine, rare (unfortunately) in romance.

Managed by Kristen Callihan. This is a great example of a rockstar romance, albeit one that focuses more on the manager of the band who's sooo uptight, and the social media girl/photographer he can't live without.

Lead by Kylie Scott. And if you want a rockstar romance that's about, well, the rockstar side... Here's a book about a recovering addict frontman whose world is turned upside down when his hard-ass assistant/sober living companion/unintentional best friend quits her job (because she just realized that somehow she's fallen in love with him).

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang. A woman on the spectrum who's convinced that she's bad in bed (and wants to get married to please her family) hires a sex worker to get her out of her funk. Definitely recommend!

Historical

Again the Magic by Lisa Kleypas. This is the prequel to Kleypas's Wallflowers series. By and large, I generally recommend trying to read older editions of Lisa's earlier books—she's been making a lot of edits since 2015ish that I don't... love.... I haven't heard of any edits being made to this one, though, and she's one of the greatest historical romance authors of all time. This is a dual romance, with a second chance/revenge interclass romance as the main story, with an age gap sort of redemption romance in the second story. Both are excellent.

Thief of Shadows by Elizabeth Hoyt. Hoyt's entire Maiden Lane series is sooo good, but if you're going to read one book by her, go for the one with the virgin vigilante hero who finds love with a jaded society widow.

The Duke Gets Even by Joanna Shupe. This is a standalone that's even better when you read the prior books in its series first. However, I think it's a great sendup of historical romance tropes—you get a rakish heroine, a hero who likes some rough sex (giving AND receiving bites and bruises) and a lot of HIGH OCTANE EMOTION with a feminist streak.

A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall. A friends to lovers romance between a PTSD-ridden duke and a woman who, unbeknownst to him, is his best friend from before the war, who faked her death after the Battle of Waterloo in order to live as her true self. A rare historical romance with a trans heroine.

The Dragon and The Pearl by Jeannie Lin. A cat and mouse villain/kidnapping romance set in Tang Dynasty China. Super tense in the best possible way.

An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera. A sapphic romance set in 1800s Paris, with one heroine being forced to show the other the secrets of the lesbian art community as a part of a business deal.

Princess by Gaelen Foley. To me, this is a great example of CAMPY 90s bodice ripper vibes in the best possible way. A bodyguard! A princess! An age gap! It can't be! She lactates when he sucks on her tits (she's a virgin).

The Mistress Experience by Scarlett Peckham. A sex work-positive romance with a shy hero and a bold heroine, a super modern and exciting look at historicals.

Devil's Bride by Stephanie Laurens. This is one I would definitely recommend to see a throwback—it's a great example of the campy historicals focused on one big family, with a solid dose of humor. And I mean... you kind of need to read a book with a hero named Devil.

Unmasked by the Marquess by Cat Sebastian. A super lovely friends to lovers romance with a nonbinary protagonist. It definitely broke new ground in historical romance.

Waking Up with the Duke by Lorraine Heath. Lorraine is one of the best historical romance writers in the game and is known for turning bonkers plots (in this case, local man agrees to impregnate his impotent best friend's wife) into suuuuuuper emotional love stories. A must-read.

Paranormal Romance

Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh. A really interesting, influential shifter romance with a heroine who's literally incapable of feeling emotion... falling for a hero who's a literal panther shifter that feels ALL the emotion.

A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole. A CLASSIC paranormal romance and the first full-length installment of Immortals After Dark, the best PNR series I've ever read. Very classic hyper alpha werewolf book, with the "feminine but headstrong" heroine type Kresley's so good at. I would also make your way to Lothaire, which is later in the series but probably the BEST vampire romance novel I've ever read. A true example of a villain romance, which can be hard to find.

Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison. Another Big Alpha romance with mating bond stuff, this time featuring a dragon shifter who hunts the heroine down after she steals from him.

Morning Glory Milking Farm by C.M. Nascosta. Not MY favorite book, but it's cute, and if you want an example of the modern "soft monster" romance, this... is it. (Run, Run Rabbit is my Nascosta of choice, but it's definitely a darker bite and feels a bit less "monster romance" to me as the leads are werewolves. To me, a monster should be less... humanoid.)

Bride by Ali Hazelwood. I really liked this, but I also think it's good to read to see the contrast between currently lite paranormals and paranormals from the height of the early 2000s wave. Plus, it's a tradpub book with knotting, which... shows how far we've come lmao

Moonglow by Kristen Callihan. Another KCallihan, but she writes across so many subgenres! This one I'm recommending to illustrate a particular niche we don't get enough of—historical paranormals. A werewolf/witch book set in Victorian London? And he's a Scottish rake? HELL YEAH.

A Long Time Dead by Samara Breger. A recent release that offers more gothic approach, with a romance between sapphic vampires spanning centuries. You can totally see an Interview with the Vampire call and response thing going on, but as a true romance novel with more explicit queerness (referring to the Interview book, not the show).

Erotic Romance

Priest by Sierra Simone. Good for dipping your toes into the Sierra Simone waters, a very classic "taboo" (but the taboo is religious, so it's light for a lot of people) romance between a Catholic priest and a woman seeking to unburden herself. With unique usages for holy oils. For Simone, I'll also recommend..............

The New Camelot Trilogy. This is for people who are ready to expand a bit and explore poly romance—I personally don't think anyone writes poly as well as Simone. An MMF triad retelling of the King Arthur myth, with the president, vice president, and first lady in a tangled, semi-dark-but-more-emotionally-speaking-not-violently-speaking triangle. Her writing is MAGNIFIQUE.

Praise by Sara Cate. Sara Cate is hit or miss for me, but this one is a great way to try her out while getting a good example of a "sex club" romance. The heroine ends up in a light D/s relationship with her ex-boyfriend's dad, with a good bit of praise involved. ;)

The Master by Kresley Cole. Another author who has to be featured multiple times due to her expansiveness. This one is a Russian mafia book that involves some truuuuuuly interesting... devices. But also, a lot of heart, as Kresley Cole is so good at making everything work. An interesting contrast to Lothaire, which I maintain is the paranormal version of this book in a lot of ways.

Mafia Mistress by Mila Finelli. A great example of an Italian mafia romance, with a massive age gap and some daddy stuff. I will also say—it does end on a cliffhanger and you need to read Mafia Darling to get the full story. Mafia Madman is actually my favorite in this series and is about a different couple, but they're ALL super good.

His Valet by S.M. LaViolette. A historical erotic romance with boss/employee stuff, secret identity stuff, a great grovel, and a nonbinary protagonist. Gorgeously written, daring, and a must.

Preferential Treatment by Heather Guerre. A billionaire romance that critiques the very concept of billionaires, and a great example of a soft femdom romance.

Act Your Age by Eve Dangerfield. An interesting and again self-analytical daddy age gap romance.

Fantasy Romance

A Heart of Blood and Ashes by Milla Vane. An amazing barbarian-type romance with a big fantasy world and a ton of heat and swoony passion. A must!

The Witch Collector by Charissa Weaks. I just think this series is everything people tell you ACOTAR is, and I would absolutely recommend for multiple great romances (m/f and m/m), complex characters, and amazing dynamics throughout.

Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco. This kicks off Maniscalco's Kingdom of the Wicked series, with witchcraft, demons, and more. This series began with a YA tone (the heroine was never underage, though) but in the second book Maniscalco transitioned to a fully adult sphere (and content...). You could also begin with the "adult from the start" spinoff Throne of the Fallen, it's up to you.

The Wisteria Society for Lady Scoundrels by India Holton. A whimsical and super romantic book kicking off a series with thieves, flying pirates, witches, and a ton of humor with a historical romance bent.

The Winter King by C.L. Wilson. Another high fantasy type romance with a conquering winter king marrying a summer princess in a true-making arrangement. Ice sculptures, war, and enemies to lovers goodness ensues.

Aaaand I don't read a lot of alien/sci-fi romance, but I'd definitely say that everyone should give Ruby Dixon's Ice Planet Barbarians series a try for the culture! Barbarian's Mate is my favorite, but Barbarian Alien might be a good place for newbies to start.

[momoliee]

Finished Can Ci Pin, time for a review! [Warning: this review will contain some spoilers!]

Priest…that was brutal. You murdered me in cold blood. That was CRUEL. When was the last time a danmei had me crying this hard?!? I genuinely didn’t think you had it in you to do us all like this😭

To start off the review, I will first talk about the plot. The series spans 7 novels, two of the novels being split into two parts along with the extras, resulting in a total of 10 installments, making it one of the longest danmei novels that i’ve read, along with 2ha by meatbun and tgcf by mxtx. It takes place in a futuristic sci-fi society that exists in space, in a world run by technology and Ai with humanity inhabiting not one planet, but instead 8 whole galaxies (no there are no aliens in this series). I guess the reason why it’s incredibly underrated and overlooked, despite being one of Priest’s best works ever (literally on par with sha po land, mo du and lie huo jiao chou), would be its unique and niche genre, not preferred or sought after or appreciated by the majority of the danmei readers in both the chinese and english fandoms. Nevertheless, if you got some time on your hands, i would definitely recommend you give it a go! Priest makes it super easy and uncomplicated to settle into the world with her incredible world building skills (think of the steam punk universe of sha po lang), and the whole plot literally revolves around politics, war, and the struggles between different parties for power, which is smth that’s already pretty popular within danmei!! and the aesthetics are pretty cool too!!! think spaceships and astronauts!! also there are elements of mystery and comedy and action!! come on yall!!!

Now let’s get into the ACTUAL review. In a world where the Interstellar Union is constantly being tossed around like a tennis ball between the Eden Committee and the Military Council (think of the IU as the king/emperor/ruler, the Eden Committee as the prime minister of the government, and the Military Council as the marshal or commander of the military), the struggle for power led to centuries of underhanded and unethical and inhumane tactics and practices being brewed under the surface by all parties involved. On the surface, there was ‘peace’, peace that came at the expense of others, peace that was no thicker than a hair strand, ready to snap at any given second. Our main characters happened to be born in the century in which this fragile and delicately maintained peace is finally shattered, everything fell apart and no more secrets were kept hidden as all was exposed. The story follows so many threads that priest has managed to weave slowly here and there from very early onwards. The first two novels, priest spends them introducing several different plot lines and several different ‘problems’ and ‘issues’ that she later on ties together into one thick huge interwoven heavy plot in the fourth book. Most readers end up abandoning the story after reading the second novel, feeling that the pace is too slow, everything that’s happening is too random and left up abruptly without a satisfying conclusion, there is no one consistent plot line to follow, and the whole thing feels very overwhelming. However, after reaching the fourth novel, where the plot pace is suddenly picked up dramatically and everything becomes set to motion, it is clear the build up was very necessary or else the whole series wouldve turned into one big jumbled mess. There are time skips within the novel, one in the beginning and one in the middle, the one in the middle sort of splitting the series into a ‘before’ and ‘after’. The last detail i’ll mention regarding the plot, would be that the war doesn’t exist between just two sides, it exists between our main characters, the union, two other parties, and the internal strife between the split factions of the union. so you can….already imagine how complicated and intricate this is.

Now onto the characters. There is Lin Jingheng!!! The Man of The Hour. Aloof and cold on the outside, soft and kind on the inside. Ruthless and Merciless on the outside, a big mother-hen on the inside. A former commander turned mafia leader, his heart dead set on revenge, his body a weapon hes sharpened over the years, his life absolutely disposable to him. Keeping his distance, staying away from everyone, closing himself off to the world, he only ever had one goal in mind and it was to tear apart the union that took away his loved ones. Hes the best at what he does and he knows it, and he will absolutely use himself up to the max. He will not hesitate to make cold and harsh sacrifices, if it means he can logically get to his goal as efficiently as possible. Watching him grow as a character, watching him develop attachments and warm emotions, watching him slowly let out his inner child, was worth it. I absolutely love how the more he developed as a character, the more feelings he started expressing, the more bonds and attachments he started to form with those around him, the more he loved, the stronger he got. Unlike what he initially thought, love and affection and care did not hold him back or make him weaker, it only made him stronger and more invincible, ready to take on anything now that he finally has a purpose, now that he has people he wants to protect and more importantly, return to. An absolute favorite of mine, a true gem. His character is easy to grow fond of, and definitely enjoyable to be around.

Next is Lu Bixing, aka, my absolute favorite. Starting off as the naive, charismatic, funny, hyperactive and handsome little engineer and scientist, neither the series nor priest are kind to him😭😭😭😭 priest, you’ve truly put our sunshine boy through a LOT. i’ve cried several times. tears were shed. Lu Bixing underwent a dramatic character development due to extreme pain and trauma (im still recovering from this) and was stripped off of many of his most endearing character qualities to become a sharp blade ready to take on the world. but despite everything, the seed of kindness in his heart wasnt gone, all it needed was a bit of rekindling and healing and by the end of the series, we had our beloved son back again!!! His character started off well, drifted off the rail due to the harsh circumstances, then came back again, stronger and more mature than ever but still retaining his flirty and bright and active spirit and personality. I absolutely LOVED his healing arc, i love how no one gave up on him even when he gave up on himself, and i love how he came back to us again. Priest truly did his character justice, and didn’t let him off to be this “forever cold and heartless because of my trauma” character, the way many other authors wouldve.

One more thing that i loved, is how priest gave detailed and thorough attention to the side characters in this masterpiece of a work. Priest has managed to make sure that almost every important character in the series had a whole backstory and arc going for them, making you care about all of them and get attached and grow fond, even if some of those characters were already dead years before the novel even started. Priest dedicated several extras to some of those already dead but important characters, and it was the best decision she couldve ever made, making you all nostalgic and sentimental while reading.

Now onto the romance, definitely in my top 5 favorite danmei parings. The commander and his engineer. If Lu Bixing was a crown prince, then Lin Jingheng would be his knight. If Lin Jingheng was a sword, Lu Bixing would be his shield. A relationship that is also a partnership, where theyre both standing on equal ground, where they both need each other’s strengths and talents, where they both trust each other endlessly both on and off the battlefield, whether it be with each other’s lives or with each other’s hearts. It’s like those countless queer quoted shows and movies where two generals or two soldiers go through everything back to back, except this is a danmei so they DO end up together and it doesn’t end up being dismissed as a ‘friendship’. I love their hot and cold dynamic, i love how well they complement each other and how they somehow complete and balance each other. i love how they bring out the worst and best in each other. i love how they always wanna live one more day to come back to each other. Also Lu Bixing’s attempts to win over Lin Jingheng in the beginning were a 10/10 entertainment, definitely had us all, readers and side characters, rooting for him and cheering him on to get that cold commander’s heart!!!

This series will make you laugh, make you cry. There are intense action scenes, complex war and politics scenes, brutal bloodshed scenes and extremely funny and light hearted scenes. Even the romance gets its fair share of attention, the relationship building up at a perfect and reasonable and natural pace, as you grow to love the characters individually then love them together. it was cute, adorable, embarrassing, sexy, angsty (oh the ANGST) all at once!

Would definitely be rereading this, would definitely be giving this a 15/10.

[Here is my favorite scene from book 2 (i hope the humor convinced yall to pick up this incredible series!!!)] :

[sleepyowlwrites]

wip questionnaire tag

from @illarian-rambling what a pretty url

I'll do city story because I am trying to psych myself up to write a new scene.

What's The First part of the WIP that you created?

The beginning, but not the very beginning. Chapter 2 type beginning. I still gotta write an actual first scene.

If Your Story was a TV show, what would the theme song/intro be?

Mess We Made by The Paper Kites

What are your favourite characters that you made and why?

The main trio of Jet: angry fighty lad, Rune: secretive angry gal, and Copper: concerned supportive twin brother (to Jet). Copper and Jet are 100% there for each other and trying to reconnect after years apart, and consequently are having some heavy emotions about it. Jet and Rune are character foils for each other, each drawing out things and changing things about each other by just being in orbit. Rune and Copper are (not really) competing for Jet's attention and both want good things for Jet according to their own definitions. It's delightful.

What other pieces of media your fanbase would share?

I'm not sure, since I don't actually fiction in the genre this is (realistic contemporary fiction, or as I call it: ci-fi - city fiction). I'll let them make their own connections and comparisons, I guess.

What has been your biggest struggle with your WIP?

Finishing a draft, which is my number one struggle with all my wips. If I have started a draft, it's murder to finish it. If I haven't, it's murder to start.

Are there animals in your story? Talk about them.

There aren't and that was kind of on purpose. It helps to hone in on the isolated vibes.

How do your characters travel/get around?

Jet has a motorcycle. It's a piece of crap that he's restored to working condition with Moss's help. Rune has a car of the Honda civic variety. Moss has a tiny little sedan and Yarrow, Hawk, and Shadow walk out take a bus.

What part of your WIP are you working on right now?

The sort of third act of the first draft.

What aspects (tropes, maybe) will you think will draw your audience in?

Found family (everyone's favorite), no romance, hurt/comfort, visceral depictions of emotions, characters who are either too honest or not enough, the slow crawl from apathy to purpose, and finding catharsis in a situation that intends to deny finding any.

What are your hopes for your WIP?

I want to finish a draft, and then finish another one. I have no plans to publish this particular story. My sister is hoping to get into bookbinding, though, and she's moving back home at the end of the summer, so if I can get this thing to a good place, I might have her make a nice book of it for me. Until then, I'll keep letting people read it.

@revenantlore @talesofsorrowandofruin @rains-inky-mind or anybody

[soeurdelune]

parce qu'on approche doucement mais sûrement de la spooky season 🎃, c'est l'occasion de parfaire votre culture en films d'horreur! voici une petite sélection de 10 diamants du genre, visionnables gratuitement sur youtube (et sous titrés en anglais pour ceux en langue étrangère! que demande le peuple...) il va sans dire que l'horreur étant un genre parfois costaud, pensez à vérifier vos triggers pour chaque film sur le site does the dog die?

carnival of souls, 1962 (vo: anglais américain), une masterclass, un des premiers grand films d'horreur moderne, il a inspiré des réalisateurs comme david lynch ou james wan. (la note de lune: 5/5)

el espinazo del diablo (l'échine du diable), 2001 (vo: espagnol), personne ne raconte une histoire de fantômes comme guillermo del toro, un très beau film qui inaugure sa trilogie de la guerre civile, à suivre avec le labyrinthe de pan et son pinocchio de 2022. (la note de lune: 4/5)

a tale of two sisters, 2003 (vo: coréen), des influences gothiques saisissantes et une histoire aux allures de diabolique petit puzzle. (la note de lune: 4/5)

ringu, 1998 (vo: japonais), un immense classique de la j-horror que l'on ne présente plus, efficace et très bien ficelé, featuring hiroyuki sanada ♥️ (la note de lune: 5/5)

the last man on earth, 1964 (vo: anglais américain), inspiré du roman i am legend qui a donné une palanquée d'adaptations au fil des années, celui-ci est de loin mon favori, vincent price est une ICÔNE et ce film est un pur plaisir à regarder. (la note de lune: 4/5)

kairo (pulse), 2001 (vo: japonais), un autre classique de la j-horror, l'ambiance est profondément troublante et mélancolique, avec des scènes qui vous hanteront pendant un bon moment. (la note de lune: 4/5)

hellraiser, 1987 (vo: anglais américain), tout le monde l'a probablement déjà vu mais la version youtube est tellement quali que je le mets ici quand même, pinhead est un méchant incroyable, le film a des défauts mais les qualités l'emportent sur le reste, un bijou de l'horreur un peu gory des 80s! (la note de lune: 3/5)

donnie darko, 2001 (vo: anglais américain), diffile à mettre dans une catégorie plutôt qu'une autre, un peu d'horreur mêlée à du thriller psychologique et une pointe de sci-fi, ça reste un classique au dénouement final incroyable. (la note de lune: 5/5)

one missed call, 2003 (vo: japonais), juré après j'arrête avec la j-horror, celui-ci est plus efficace dans sa seconde moitié que dans la première, il y a des moments qui font vraiment vraiment peur. (la note de lune: 3/5)

les yeux sans visage, 1960 (vo: français), avant la piel que habito d'almodovar, il y a eu les yeux sans visage, un petit précurseur considéré comme le premier film d'horreur moderne français. (la note de lune: 3/5)

[grassbreads]

I just finished SPL volume 3 and need to decide what to read next, and I kinda get a kick out of these polls, so:

I'll throw some quick thoughts/context for each novel under the cut:

I've read the first 15ish chapters of JWQS and I do want to continue it. It's good! The plot is interesting, I like the main character, and I desperately need more good wlw content in my life in general. I'm definitely getting back to this one of these days. It's just a question of when.

Can Ci Pin is on the list because, for better or worse, I really want to read more priest. I've developed somewhat of a love/hate relationship with her work. I'm fascinated by both its good and bad aspects and I want to read more. CCP interests me at the moment because I haven't read any of her sci-fi works before, and I'm curious to see her operate in this genre. Plus, it's the most recent of her works with a full translation available that I haven't already read, and so far the newer one of her novels is, the better I like it.

Qi Ye interests me for all the same priest-fixation reasons as the above, but with twist of it being old. I said I've tended toward recency bias, but the oldest priest novel I've actually read is spl from 2015. This is from five years and over a dozen publications before that. I'm curious to see what early priest is like. Plus, this novel is relatively popular, and I'm pretty sure its sequel is priest's most popular work (on tumblr), so after all my time in the Tai Sui/NPNPH fandom obscurity corner, I'm curious to see what about these brings in so much hype.

[thebearthatreads]

Writeblr Intro

Hi, so I've been a part of tumblr for quite some time but I've only really begun to be active again in the last month or so. I figured given my long absence perhaps it was time to introduce myself and open up to connecting with other writers here.

So who am I?

My name is Sasha Hanton (She/Her), I'm the author of It's All Magic To Me which was originally released in May 2022 (Re-releasing as Polishing Magic in May 2025). For a long time, I struggled with openly describing myself as a person of colour, coming from a mixed-race background it's always been a bit strange figuring out how to define myself. However I now feel more confident in how I describe and define myself.

I'm Australian but I have Eurasian heritage, meaning my family come from a combination of Asian and European backgrounds. I know some people don't like the term Eurasian, and that's perfectly fine you don't have to label yourself with something you don't identify with but for me, I'm proud to call myself Eurasian. My family have identified as Eurasian for more than three generations now, and we've always been proud of our mixed ancestry (feel free to ask me more about this if you're interested).

Coming from a mixed background I like to bring that mix into my writing, injecting influences from a variety of cultures and mythologies. Whilst I'm a cis, heterosexual, neurotypical woman I try my best to be an ally and am always happy to bring more diversity into my writing and to read more diverse stories (if you know any good books by diverse authors please send me your recommendations I'm always happy to build up my tbr).

My writing

Currently, I'm in the limbo of waiting for feedback on projects and I generally try to stick to having one WIP on the go at a time (as otherwise I'm prone to overwhelm) . Predominately I write urban fantasy, generally with new adult-aged characters but written to be middle-grade and up friendly. Here's a quick breakdown of my works:

It's All Magic To Me - This is my novel, originally published under contract in 2022 but now out of contract and out of print but I will be re-releasing it in May 2025 under the new title Polishing Magic. It follows Willow, a university student, who discovers she has magical powers and goes on to be taught how to use them by Sphynx, a cat. Urban Fantasy inspired by the likes of Buffy, Charmed, Sailor Moon, and Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Themes involve family, responsibilities, and friendship. Venatores de Mythos Trilogy - My major WIP at the moment, I've written drafts for all three books but am waiting on feedback for book 1 before continuing editing. Urban Fantasy, follows three different characters who are all recruited by a mysterious agency that hunts and tracks down mythological creatures and artifacts. Globetrotting features a mixture of languages (Arabic, French, and Spanish with the main composition being in English). The main characters are from varying cultural backgrounds, each wildly different from the other with their own reasons for agreeing to join the agency. Percy Jackson kind of vibes. Chimera - Currently in the process of writing the first draft. Inspired by a short story I wrote for a recent competition following a mixed race, mixed species, witch and her family who are being hunted for parts. Dark Urban fantasy based in Australia, will feature lots of mythological influences. Adult because there's body horror, probably going to be some explicit sex scenes (not sure yet), and just generally dealing with heavier/darker themes. The Short Story Press Collection - A collection of short stories, currently available as an e-book on Amazon or in print (the print edition is newer and contains more stories than the e-book). Stories cover a range of genres from sci-fi, fantasy, gothic horror and more. Customerpocalypse - My first novel, currently available as an e-book on Amazon. Post-apocalyptic fantasy, written during a time when I was struggling with my mental health and it shows. If you've ever wondered why in post-apocalyptic video games there are NPCs who work in what's basically customer service then this might be for you.

Please shoot me an ask if you'd like to know more about any of my writing projects or about me. I'm hoping to share more on my WIPs here and to engage more, so please feel free to tag me in tag games!

You'll also see plenty of shares from fandoms I'm part of here, I have no intention of segmenting my Tumblr into two separate accounts so my apologies if you get spammed with Fairy Tail posts or DnD stuff (or anything else).

If you'd like to follow me on other social media or want to find my books here's a link you can follow for all of that: https://bit.ly/m/SashaHanton-Links