#diary of an interstellar android

[diary-of-an-interstellar-android]

Stygian Blight

The Stygian Blight is an enigma that puzzles doctors and scientists all over the galaxy. It hits suddenly, and causes rapid wasting until the victim succumbs. By the time the first visible symptoms, which include strange black markings across the skin, are identified, it is almost 100% fatal. The strangest thing about the Stygian Blight is that unless the corpse of a victim is properly disposed of (usually through cremation), the victim will rise from the grave as a mindless zombie. This makes it incredibly hard to study the disease.

Currently, the only known cure for the Stygian Blight is the power of Radiance. This is why it is incredibly important that the Beholder of Radiance is found—the Luminosity Beacon, while still powerful, can only cure one person at a time.

The last major outbreak of the Stygian Blight occurred in Bandisbul in the years 1232-1233 NW. It ended with the 3rd Emergence, since the explosion of Radiance power caused by the Emergence traveled through the entire city, healing almost everyone afflicted. Some still died of health complications triggered by the Blight, but most people survived.

[wangxianficfinder]

In the mood for...

Apr 29th

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1. Itmf wangxian but A) it's a universe with mechas and wwx may/may not be a mecha genius or mecha master?

B) wx but make it Interstellar univ

C) wwx transmigrating please

1A)

The Weight of the World by KouriArashi (T, 67k, WangXian, XiYao, XuanLi, Pacific Rim Fusion, Robots, Monsters, robots fighting monsters, Family, Romance, Developing Relationship, Angst, (but not about the romances), Hurt/Comfort, Politics, Happy Ending)

Thunder's Coming Over Me by phnelt (E, 38k, WangXian, WIP, Avatar & Benders Setting, Pacific Rim Fusion, temporary character death (wwx's), Angst with a Happy Ending, Action & Romance)

I’ll buy you the moon (I’ll buy you two) by Thesaurus_with_no_words (E, 27k, WangXian, Science Fiction, Space, Rebels, Space Opera, On the Run, Promoted To Parent, Robots, Androids, Mechs, Battle Mechs, Hurt/Comfort, Technopathy, Willful and Deliberate Baby and Wife Acquisition, Porn With Plot, Mpreg) would this count if the mech fighting is only mention and wwx is currently a technopath?

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2. Itmf request! Any fics where LWJ and WWX get together (even if just as friends) before LWJ figures himself out and so he's embarrassed by WWX or otherwise reticent or dismissive about their relationship?

Cleaning & Courtship by Winxhelina (T, 13k, WangXian, Modern Cultivation, Getting Together, First Kiss, Bunnies, Domestic Fluff, Fluff) fits the bill I feel. Lan Wangji definitely isn’t dismissive on purpose but he is awfully embarrassed and flustered in chapter 2. (And in fact In the secret chapter 3 that has been in my drafts for ages, but we don’t talk about her. The story is done. Supposedly.)

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3. heyy there, feeling for some angsty fics of lwj finding out wwx death or just grieving for him over the years. thanksss

to the act of making noise by words-writ-in-starlight (WordsWritInStarlight) (G, 19k, LSZ & LWJ, LSZ & WWX, WangXian, Grief/Mourning, Father-Son Relationship, inquiry, LSZ is the best of boys and I will not hear debate, Music, Angst, Fluff and Angst, Found Family) This is sorta third party POV, with Sizhui being the third party. Angsty yet tender, with Sizhui growing up hearing Inquiry. I swear I went through a pile of tissues the first time I read it, but in the best way! Highly recommend the podfic version for extra feels!

to remember names of plants series by detention_notes (T, 8k, Diary/Journal, Character Study, WWX's canonical humor as deflection, WQ is a lesbian, Friendship, Parenthood, Pining, thinly-veiled anger and fear, small moments of hope, planning for uncertain futures, is this angst?, gentle angst, Reminiscing, Found Family, Parenthood, Reminiscing, Pining, Grief/Mourning, Epistolary, Healing, Childhood, Love, LWJ's single parenthood, how to love a memory, how to raise the next generation, Canonical Character Death, Yearning, LWJ's concentrated stream-of-consciousness emotions, Bittersweet, Hopeful Ending)

New Perspective by mrcformoso (T, 8k, WangXian, LSZ & LWJ, Major Character Death, Angst, Hopeful Ending, Fatherhood, Regrets, Flashbacks, POV LWJ, LWJ-centric, Canonical Character Death - WWX, Pining LWJ, LWJ Has Feelings, LWJ Needs a Hug, Character Development, Dead WWX, LWJ deals with the death of his love, And learns to be a father along the way, Introspection, Feelings, LWJ is Bad at Feelings, Character Study, WWX's death in The Untamed was too raw, Regretful LWJ, Breaking Toxic Cycles, Canon Compliant, LWJ in Seclusion, Post-LWJ in Seclusion, Child LSZ)

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4. hello! thank you for all the lovely work you do mods, this is my favourite account for finding fic recs :)

i wanted to ask for recommendations of fics where lwj is pining for wwx and maybe genuinely emotionally hurt, or some temporarily unrequited love? the angstier the better tbh, i want to see lwj go through it (before wwx makes it better). only happy endings though please :’)

thanks so much!! 💖

Continuation by thefaceofno (T, 14k, WangXian, Canon Continuation, WWX builds a lotus pond in cloud recesses, Hair Brushing, Light Angst with a Happy Ending, Pining, gay disaster LWJ, Post-Canon Fix-It)

When the Words Stop Coming by mrcformoso (T, 7k, WangXian, Canon Compliant, POV WWX, POV LWJ, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, Pre-Sunshot Campaign, Burial Mounds Settlement Days, Canonical Character Death, Love Confessions, Rejection, LWJ is a Panicked Gay, Temporarily Unrequited Love, Trauma, WangXian Get a Happy Ending, Angst with a Happy Ending, Sad with a Happy Ending)

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5. fics of lwj being protective of wwx?? have a good day, thanks. ❤️

Inchoate by Marinelifeclub (T, 20k, WangXian, WIP, Child Abuse, Bad Parent JFM, Bad Parent YZY, Protective LQR, Protective LWJ, Rogue Cultivator WWX, Not YZY Friendly, Not JC Friendly, No Golden Core Transfer, Dark JFM)

🔒 between the shadow and the soul by Reverie (cl410) (M, 22k, WangXian, JYL/WQ, JC/NHS, Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Family, Dark WWX, Feral WWX, Memory Loss, Magic, Magical Realism, Protective LWJ, Protective JC, Protective JYL, Grief, BAMF WWX, POV Alternating)

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6. Hi! For the next itmf, do you have anything with jyl acting as a mother to wwx? Or anything similar

Fatherhood’s Calling by Fortune_Maiden (G, 1k, JYL/JZX, JZX & WWX, post-sunshot, crack, humor)

The Teapot Plot series by ToxicAngel13 (E, 127k, WangXian, LXC/NMJ, Misunderstandings, protective Jiang siblings, Golden Core Reveal, Golden Core Transfer Fix-It, Idiots in Love, Post-Sunshot Campaign, Pre-Burial Mounds, Potential for M-Preg, Fix-It, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Injury Recovery, Gusu Lan Sect Rules, Mpreg)

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7. Hi! Someone suggest coming here to ask for wangxian fic recs so here I am >^<. Anyways, do you know any fics where wangxian got together before wei wuxian's death? As in, wwx still dies and comes back later in mxy's body.

Thanks in advance!

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8. in the mood for a wangxian fic thats shows/movies rewritten to fit wangxian, i recently read this mamma mia and love O2O au and fell in love with wangxian being put in shows/movies @yesibest

all your life you’ll dream of this by Attila (T, 22k, WangXian, Fairy tale, Cinderella Fusion, Pining)

🔒 the stars in the hazy heaven tremble above you by cicer (G, 64k, WangXian, Fantasy, Cinderella Fusion, Mutual Pining)

the rivers start to sing by fruitys (M, 27k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Tangled (2010) Fusion, Fairy Tale Elements, Strangers to Lovers, True Love's Kiss, or something like that, Sharing a Bed, Wound Tending, Hurt/Comfort, Attempt at Humor, Implied/Referenced Torture, Canon-Typical Violence, the inherent intimacy of traveling with a beautiful stranger, and completely depending upon one another for 3 days)

Down comes the night by danegen (E, 67k, wangxian, Alternate Universe, Canon Era, inspired by From, Horror, Sharing a Room, POV LWJ, no jiangs, a whole village of OCs, tiny mention of past wwx/omc, Happy Ending)

The Dragon's Bride by jaws_3 (T, 34k, WangXian, Beauty and the Beast Fusion, Arranged Marriage elements, Slow Burn, sometimes ya get sent off to atone for ur villages misgivings and u just gotta deal, Dragon LWJ, Mutual Pining, Happy Ending, Spanish Translation Available)

Something Good by boxoftheskyking (T, 43k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Teaching, Sound of Music AU)

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9. Can you all recommend me some fanfic (preferably if long and not modern AU) also if it's completed. @lanwuxian0725

💖🔒 love, in fire and blood by cicer (E, 360k, wangxian, Canon Divergence, YLLZ WWX, Arranged Marriage, political scheming, Gratuitous Domesticity, Mutual Pining, EXTREME SLOWBURN, the inherent eroticism of the forehead ribbon, The Mortifying Ordeal of Being Known, neither wwx nor lwj want to be Perceived, but sorry kids! it’s gonna happen!, rated E but the the NSFW stuff doesn’t begin until chapter 19!, bottom LWJ in chapter 20 and 27)

Teen Project to Change the World by animeloverhomura (Not rated, 810k, WangXian, watching the series, BAMF WWX, Fix-It, JGS is his own warning, Attractive WWX, Homophobia, disturbing imagery, WIP)

🧡 Stunted, Starving Juvenility by TomatenMark (E, 786k, WangXian, WIP, Fix-it of sorts, Talisman master WWX, Not JFM Friendly, Study Arc, Getting together, Fluff and Angst, Engagement)

❤️ Tragedy is Not the End by Hobbsy3 (T, 358k, wangxian, Time Travel, Torture, Hurt/Comfort, Golden Core Reveal, Canon Divergence from Qiongqi Pass, Angst with a Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Yunmeng sibling bonding, good dad wwx, good dad lwj, JZX Lives, JYL Lives, Junior Quartet Dynamics)

A Narrow Bridge by FrameofMind, Jo Lasalle (Jo_Lasalle) (E, 700k, wangxian, time travel fix-it, slow burn, getting together, first time, pining, pining while fucking, burial mounds settlement days, angst w happy ending)

Love Song In Reverse by timetoboldlygo (T, 237k, WangXian, Amnesia, Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Falling In Love, Slow Burn, agressively mixing and matching novel and cql canon, No Homophobia, Mentions of Starvation, Parental WWX)

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10. Itmf: anything with wwx meeting his family on his father’s side? Preferably Pre-canon or a canon divergence

We Meet at the Thousandth Step by Admiranda, Rynne (T, 295k, WangXian, CSSR/WCZ, WIP, Canon Divergence, No Sunshot Campaign, CSSR & WCZ Live, Rogue Cultivator WWX, Different First Meeting, Night Hunts, Genius WWX, Inventor WWX, Plot, Romance, Drama, Fluff, Strangers to married, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Everyone Lives AU, Developing Relationship, Minor Violence, Case Fic, Mystery, Flirting, WWX’s Canon-Typical Flower Flirting, Arson, There Was Only One Bed, Getting Together, First Kiss, Meeting the Parents, Resolved Sexual Tension, Resolved Romantic Tension, WWX Is a Good Big Brother, New Relationship Bliss, Chinese Mythology & Folklore, Blood and Injury, Yiling siblings, Married WangXian, Honeymoon, Wangxian’s Baby Fever)

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11. Hi! As always thank you for everything!!! Do you have recs where lwj kinda gets hurt and wwx just go ylz crazy?? Thank you!! @gideonmorningstar

the field meets the wood by astronicht (T, 7k, WangXian, BAMF WWX, slight whump, Ritualistic Self Harm, Canon Era, Tang Dynasty style, Blood Loss, Blood and Injury, salt economics, Post-Canon)

cold black light by rynleaf (E, 2k, WangXian, PWP, Major Character Injury, Unorthodox Methods of Healing, Rough Sex(Ish) Anal Fingering, The Yiling Patriarch, Blood, Bottom LWJ, Aftercare, LWJ is in love, Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Podfic Available)

love what’s burning right in front of you by seularen (E, 10k, WangXian, Post-Canon, BAMF!WWX, description of murder, Case Fic, Political Intrigue, YL WWX, Bottom LWJ, Top WWX, but Big Switch Energy)

to be wielded by your hands by Vir_Abelasan (M, 3k, WangXian, Post-Canon, Fluff and Smut, Competence Kink, Knifeplay, Established Relationship, LWJ has a Yiling Patriarch kink, Consensual sealing of meridians, kink negotiated on the fly, Strength Kink, Resentacles)

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12. hiii!! thank you for all the work you do.

i'm itmf some wwx age regression? like he gets cursed somehow and turns into little a-ying and it's just all feels with the juniors and lwj taking care of him :(((

❤️ grow by cafecliche (T, 14k, WangXian, Age Regression/De-Aging, Character Study, Post-Canon)

found your writing on my wall by howodd5ever (T, 25k, WangXian, JC & LWJ, JC & WWX, Accidental Baby Acquisition, De-aged WWX, Post-Canon, Getting Together, Referenced Child Neglect, discussion of parental loss, child food insecurity, Case Fic, kind of, Nightmares)

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13. hello! i was wondering if there are any fics where Jin Zixuan and Wei Wuxian become like besties/sworn brothers or like really close? thanks <3 @nyxiblue

❤️🔒 Candy & Conspiracies by Reverie (cl410) (T, 16k, wangxian, JZX & WWX, jin wwx, fluff & crack, found family, humor, no angst) WX is taken in by the Jin instead of the Jiang, & he, JZX, & MM are besties

🔒 The Second Hand Unwinds by trulywicked (E, 56k, WangXian, JYL/JZX, WIP, Time Travel Fix-It, Not JC Friendly, Not Yunmeng Jiang Sect Friendly, Not Jiāng Family Friendly, Not YZY Friendly, Time Travelling LWJ, Protective LWJ, Fluff, Minor Angst, Minor Character Death, JGS is his own warning, Wooing, LWJ is romantic af, Inventor WWX, Genius WWX, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Protective Gusu Lan Sect, Supportive LXC, Good Uncle LQR, WWX Protection Squad) has Wei Wuxian become sworn brothers with Jin Zixuan

Twin Treasures by crossdressingdeath (T, 81k, WIP, JZX & WWX, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Can’t quite tag this as ‘everyone lives’ but I promise everyone who dies will DESERVE IT, mostly novel-verse with a bit of CQL here and there, currently being edited) has Wei Wuxian and Jin Zixuan become actual brothers.

watch what we'll become by glitteringmoonlight (T, 60k, JZX & WWX, WangXian, Background JZX/JYL, WWX & JZX are married but completely platonically, featuring my let WWX and JZX be bros agenda, slow burn? is it even a slow burn if they confess but can't be together for Reasons?, Canon Divergence, Fix-It of Sorts, Angst with a Happy Ending, you've heard of enemies to friends to lovers, now get ready for enemies to reluctant husbands to begrudging best friends)

🔒 Quartet series by WithBroomBefore (T, 69k, Platonic Soulbond, Hurt/comfort, Canon   Divergence, No golden core transfer, JC&JZX stay in Xuanwu cave, Fix-it, Temporary character death)

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14. ITMF ask, I’m looking for any golden core fix it fics. (with minimal to no JC bashing plz) I’ve looked through the comp and it doesn’t clearly separate fix-its, golden-core revels and golden-core fix its. And some authors don’t explicitly tag a golden-core fix-it or wwx getting a new core as explicitly that, sometimes they just leave it tagged as a fix-it and it’s missed. So give me any good ones you’ve got. @omgnectarina

The Fire Lapping Up the Creek by notevenyou (E, 66k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Hurt/Comfort, Canon-Typical Violence, Injury, Injury Recovery, Blood, Respiratory Illness, Major Illness, Fever, Grief/Mourning, Burial Mounds, Angst with a Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Hunger and food scarcity, Surgery, Fix-It of Sorts)

💖 Echo, Murmur, Dream, Here by bluerainmist (M, 51k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Universe Alteration, the yiling patriarch survives, Angst with a Happy Ending, Catharsis, Slow Burn, Drama, Getting Together, Romance, Hurt/Comfort, Melancholy, Love, Mutual Pining, Reunions, Love Confessions, Eventual Smut, Blow Jobs, Anal Sex, Switching, Grief/Mourning, fucking while pining, Implied/Referenced Torture, Self-Harm, golden core transfer, Playing fast and loose with worldbuilding, Plot, Battle Scenes, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, implied / Referenced suicide attempt, Sect Leader WWX, YLLZ WWX, Yílíng Wèi Sect, mind all the tags) might count as a GC Fix-It?

🧡 Weep You No More, Sad Fountains by athena_crikey (T, 48k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Fix-it fic, Whump, Curses, Fever, Delirium, Stabbing, Loneliness, Confessions)

the breaking of your soul (upon my lips) by sunsandships (M, 40k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, Mutual Pining, Golden Core Reveal, Happy Ending)

Righteous at a Cost by thunderwear (G, 21k, wangxian, LQR & WWX, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, no one dies, LQR finds out about WWX’s core, WWX and LQR are friends??, In My Fic?, its more likely than you think, LWJ in the bg like whats happening?, Fluff, WWX goes to Gusu, Mutual Pining, Golden Core Reveal)

Ghosts Shouldn’t by ShanaStoryteller (Not Rated, 15k, WangXian, Grief/Mourning, Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending)

Can’t Tell Me Nothin by natacup82 (T, 35k, wangxian, Canon Divergence, Everybody Lives, Family Feels, Communication, BAMF Women)

I’m Sorry & Thank You by Iamnotawriter (T, 12k, WangXian, LQR & WWX, Canon Compliant, Post-Canon, Golden Core, Canon-Typical Violence, lqr’s epipheny, Angst with a Happy Ending)

~*~

15. helloo, itmf wei ying near death experiences, canon or modern is finee. thankss.

🔒 a candle blown out by RoseThorne (T, 1k, LWJ & WWX, JC & WWX & JYL, JFM & WWX, Near Death, Depression, Psychological Trauma, Justice, Fear, Angst, No War AU, Attempted Murder, Bad Parent YZY, POV Third Person, POV LXC, Podfic Available)

🔒 a star called sun by thelastdboy (E, 120k, wangxian, SL/XXC, JC & JYL & WWX, JYL & LWJ, WWX & WN & WQ, JYL/JZX, Canon Divergence after Xuanwu Cave, Fall of Lotus Pier, But worse!, Power Imbalance, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Not Everyone Dies AU, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Canon-Typical Violence, Sunshot Campaign, Miscommunication, Heavy Angst with a Happy Ending, Slow Burn, Major Character Injury, Loss of Limbs, Chronic Illness, Seizures, WWX’s Three Months in the Burial Mounds, Wēn Remnants Live, Wēn Remnants Deserve Better, WWX Creates a Sect | Yílíng Wèi Sect, Additional Warnings In Author’s Note, Hurt/Comfort, Selectively Mute LWJ, Service Animals, Crows)

🔒 Bright Voice Roughly Rendered Softly Silent by Preludian_Staves (T, 26k, WangXian, Canon-Typical Violence, Canon Divergence, No Golden Core Transfer, Muteness, Hurt/Comfort, Getting Together, Not JC Friendly, Confessions, Angst, Choking, Red String of Fate, Appearances by Paperman!WWX, Inventor WWX, Good Uncle LQR, WWX goes to Cloud Recesses, Feelings Realization, Caretaking, Supportive Lan Family, Genius WWX, Angst with a Happy Ending, WangXian Get a Happy Ending, Protective LWJ, Protective Lan Family, Character Death (not wwx or lwj))

when you’re doing all the leaving (then it’s never your love lost) by tardigradeschool (T, 26k, wangxian, canon divergence, hurt/comfort, canon-typical violence, sharing clothes, sharing a bed, fix-it, golden core transfer)

When You Wake, 怎能当梦一场 by acertainrogue (T, 39k, WangXian, WWX is in a coma, Angst with a Happy Ending, Modern AU, Single Dad LWJ, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Parenthood, YZY’s A+ Parenting, JFM’s A+ parenting, wangxian family)

总有一天; a place to hide (can’t find one near) by yiqie (E, 76k, WangXian, Modern AU, Pianist, Getting Together, Mental Health Issues, Suicide Attempt, Suicidal Thoughts, Depression, Hospitals, Overdosing, Eventual Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Additional Warnings In Author’s Note)

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16. Hi, thank you for all the work you do.

Wondering if there's any fics where Jiang Cheng does manage to capture Wei Wuxian post res and drag him back to Lotus Pier. (Like lwj doesn't get to him in time or jl doesn't get to save him) Preferably JC unfriendly, thanks!

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17. This blog is amazing thank you mods!!!!

A) Do you know of any Jin Zixuan lives and brother in laws Wei wuxian and jiang cheng

Or

B) Sister in law Jiang Yanli with Lan zhan

17A)

Marital Prospects by Vamillepudding (G, 18k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Everybody Lives, Romantic Comedy, Misunderstandings, LWJ Needs a Hug)

17B)

Aftermath by KouriArashi (T, 57k, JYL/JZX, wangxian, LXC/JGY, JZX & JGY, JYL & WXX, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, Everybody Lives, Romance, Developing Relationship, Family, Sibling Bonding, Light Angst, Politics, Attempted Sexual Assault, some murder on occasion, People talking about their feelings, processing their trauma, The good shit) Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji are engaged but not married yet at the end.

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If you didn’t get an answer to your ask here, don’t forget to make use of @mdzs-kinkmeme and MDZS KINK MEME on Dreamwidth. Authors actually do use them for ideas. You may get what you order!***Your prompt doesn’t have to be kink! Fluff, crack, whatever - it’s all good!***

[specialagentartemis]

So this deeply depends on what you mean by “about optimism and hope,” but here are some of my favorite no-romance long-form works that have themes of healing, community, and compassion:

Straightforwardly cozy:

Chronicles of Nerezia by Claudie Arsenault: Horace leaves eir protected city under a magical dome to strike out for answers after the dome fails, in the company of a mysterious elf who knows both less and more than they should, a travelling tinkerer, and a sentient wagon. Admittedly I’ve only read the first one and it’s okay, but the author is an internet friend and is aroace and has been pitching this as an “aspec-focused queernormative world” and book 1 had no romance and I feel fairly confident it will continue to not. Novella series, 3 books out so far out of a planned 7 I think.

Heterogenia Linguistico by Salt Seno: recommended with the caveat that I’ve only read one of them so far and don’t know the author personally, lol. But it may be up your alley if you like slice of life and fantasy worldbuilding. It’s about a linguistics grad student who goes on a journey through the realm of monsters. Slow paced, and mostly interested in monster language and culture. Manga, 4 volumes translated into English so far, ongoing.

Optimistic in its themes:

The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells: My current love. Murderbot is a cyborg-like construct created to be used by oppressive corporations as a tool of surveillance and control, but it mostly just wants to halfass its job and watch soap operas instead. Unfortunately, when faced with innocent humans put in danger by its own company’s callousness, it has no choice but to protect them. And start caring. Which it hasn’t let itself do basically ever. The series is Murderbot’s journey of self actualization and finding its place in the galaxy and in community, healing, making friends, and figuring out what it actually wants. Murderbot is very consistently portrayed as having no interest in romance. Book series, novels and novellas, 7 books + 2 short stories out so far, and ongoing.

About other stuff, but are more optimistic about the world and human nature than pessimistic, and very much about personal growth and healing from the pits you have sunk yourself into:

InCo, by @itmeblog: Nova NoStar is an InCo, an information courier, a dealer in secrets, part interstellar messenger, part spy-for-hire. She lives alone on her spaceship with no home base and only her health android for company. She’s fine with this (well, no, she isn’t, but it’s her life, and she went into it, no matter how unhappy and prickly and hurting she is). Until she accidentally rescues a boy who was spaced and left for dead—a boy who claims to be the prince of a planet that shouldn’t exist. This is the secret of a lifetime, and Nova is going to get to the bottom of it— and maybe, just maybe, make some real friends and slowly let herself heal from her painful past along the way. Nova is very prickly and misanthropic at first, and her journey feels real and powerful for how much she struggles to trust people and open up. It’s great and I love it. Podcast, 3 seasons, complete.

Wolf 359 by Long Story Short Productions: possibly my favorite podcast of all time. It follows a small crew of a space station orbiting a small star. None of them seem to want to be here. None of them seem to think their job is important. Until they accidentally stumble on a secret bigger than any of them, that could reshape the world if they survive it. Like InCo, the main characters start off so prickly and unhappy—they do not like each other, and they do not want to be here. The character growth over the course of the series is fantastic and really well written, as they start to communicate, to start putting in the effort to understand each other. I would really recommend listening all the way through season one before you decide if you like it or not. Podcast, 4 seasons, complete.

Anyone have any recs for long form fiction (a book series or multi season podcast, etc) about optimism or hope, AND has NO romantic subplots whatsoever even tangentially? I am desperate here. If you give me something that fits both these traits I will 1000% get into it for you. PLease

[genesis-of-the-between]

made an alt blog for a story I’m writing

@diary-of-an-interstellar-android

got a couple posts up, go check it out

[doctormyuu]

10 things about me! - Munday meme

The name of the game is: If you’re tagged, post 10 random facts that your followers don’t know about you, and then tag 10 people who you want to know more about, and they’ll do the same!

Tagged by: the lovely @cruciatusxcervus​ (thank you ♡)

1. I used to live in the UK but I very recently moved to the other side of the world, where I am much happier.

2. I have a bachelors degree in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, and a doctorate in Computational Neuroscience, Biology and Robotics. My research on human-robot interaction was published in an international journal, and I have several papers from my PhD. My research took place mostly in the UK and Australia but I also spent some time doing experiments in the south of France.

3. I have been keeping a personal diary since 2002 (I have a lot of books). I don’t write every single day but I try to make time to record my thoughts and experiences as often as I can. I find that, in my earlier journals, I talk about many good things which I can no longer remember, so it’s nice to read.

4. For a very short time I sang in a gospel choir, and I had a lot of fun whilst I was in it. I was an alto but I could hit some soprano notes, too. We sang together several times on stage, and on one occasion our performance was broadcast locally in our city.

5. I love photography. I mainly do landscapes and wildlife, but I’m super interested in astro and I have spent several years chasing the milky way to take photos of it. I could do with some better equipment, though. It’s an expensive hobby ;-; 

6. I’m never happier than when I’m in a cafe writing. Out of all the things I’ve ever done, writing is without a doubt my greatest passion, and I find the environment of a cafe very relaxing. I could sit there and comfortably work for hours on end. When I was writing my thesis I would often leave the office and just work in cafes where I was comfortable (and had a steady supply of coffee).

7. The first gaming console I ever owned was a Sega Megadrive (AKA Sega Genesis). I also owned the original Game Boy (that huge grey brick which takes like four AA batteries) and have been into handheld consoles ever since, though I rarely have much time for it these days.

8. My favourite film is Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar”. Don’t even get me started on that, gosh. I went to see it in IMAX twice ‘cause I fell for that shit hard.

9. I’m really into website development and design. The first website I ever built was a terrible fan shrine for Android Seventeen, which I threw together in FrontPage and unleashed onto the internet back in 2005. It’s still there to this day but it’s in dire need of updating and redesigning.

10. I have a terrible weakness for stickers. Anything art and craft, really. Washi tape, cardstock, you name it, I’m ready to hand over the cash. I can never have enough!

Tagging: @shininqbeacon, @caelestalis, @defyloyalty, @moonfayth // @gumihc​, @thompsonxxwitches, @data-cat, @thevioletandroid and anyone else who hasn’t done this and wants to

[radiantseraphina]

Hello. I noticed that you seem happy to give out writing advice to people who ask for it, so I though I'd take a chance. I hope I'm not bothering you with this, but do you have any tips on writing a b-plot into a story?

The first thing you must do is make sure the climax of your story involves Meta Knight’s estranged brother torching Dreamland to the ground on a giant, mechanical dragon, who Meta Knight then fights in a hot air balloon. Meanwhile, Kirby races to Dreamland’s castle in order to stop an android waddle dee from blowing up Dedede. (It’s a joke). I’ll certainly offer what I know, although admittedly, there are many ways to do b-plots. Again, if you want any clarification or don’t understand my examples I just sort of assume people asking me for writing advice have also read my fanfics?, do feel free to ask. It’s not bothering me in the slightest.

There are different kinds of b-plots, so I’m going to link you to an article just in case it turns out you’re looking for a sort of framing device (the grandpa and little kid from the Princess Bride, most Mark Twain stories, etc.)

Have you ever wondered why so many YA novels have love triangles in them? That’s the subplot, usually; sometimes, it usurps the main plot. But usually, especially the dystopian works, that’s the subplot. Romance works well as a subplot because as you’re developing the plot, you’re also developing your characters’ relationships. That being said, a romance doesn’t have to be the subplot; it’s just a pretty common one.

This does depend a little on how you’re writing, but a good way is to pick the main character you’re going to focus on the most. Then, give your other main characters (within reason. If you have a hundred characters, don’t give them all a subplot) something to do; whatever you give them is your subplots.

For example, in DLU Bandanna Dee’s subplot revolves around his relationship with his brother. This has nothing to do with what’s currently going on with Nightmare, but later in the story, Bandanna Dee’s brother is going to--not only realize how wrong he was--but play a pretty important role when I get to covering Robobot. The good thing with this approach is that it also defines what your characters think is important.

Dedede’s subplot revolves around trying to kick off a romance with the most oblivious man in the world.

Kirby’s subplot hasn’t really showed its head much yet, but it’s going to be about trying to untangle his relationship with his parents because Kirby’s mom really hates Nightmare and isn’t exactly fond of Kirby hanging around with Meta Knight.

Now, when I’m doing anything with a subplot that isn’t, say, relationship-based, I plot this stuff out, primarily because I like to connect my subplots to the main plot (which I want to stress you don’t have to do). And you want to unfold them gradually, just as you would any other plot, so if you’re writing a twenty-chapter fic, maybe don’t introduce and resolve a romance in a single chapter. The subplot doesn’t have to tie into the main story, but I think it works better when it does. Otherwise, your reader might feel confused about why they read about Magolor and Meta Knight having a violin duel when it added nothing to the text.

Another helpful way to think about this is by looking at the structure of TV shows. Typically, they have an overarching plot, and the subplots construct the individual episodes. The Kirby anime, for example, does this. 

Subplots are especially helpful, I think at least, for your pacing. This is why, in the middle of that being stuck in another dimension plot of Hey, Gorgeous You Have Something of Mine, anime!Dedede and game!Meta Knight bond over things. Because if Dedede wasn’t teaching Meta Knight to drive and talking to him, the plot would be: Meta Knight is lonely and sad, BAM!, castle attack, Dedede is there! Which...would really make Meta Knight seem like he was overreacting because, from a reader’s standpoint, it would feel like he really hadn’t been there long at all.

So if you feel like things are moving too fast, or you’re in some sort of Epic Fantasy Adventuring lull, that’s when you want to really use your subplots. Just make sure that your main plot is continuing in the background.

Two is most common, but you can have more subplots depending on how long your work is; the primary goal is to make sure that your b, c, or d-plot advances your story in terms of either plot or character. So while having Bruce Wayne convince Clark Kent to front as Batman, so the two can pretend they’re dating for the tabloids is hilarious...Bruce and Clark should be using their fake dates to either a.) establish their bromance or romance or b.) to work on stoppping whatever villain. Possibly both. Someday, I’m going to write that, and it’s going to be great. Along with that an interstellar villain drops Kirby off on Tony Stark plot.

Alternatively, something that’s popular to do is introduce multiple plots set in, like, different times, so reading one gives you insight on the other. You still have a main plot, but the plots are closer in importance here. (I guess a good example would be Alice is trying to solve the murder of Joan, and every other chapter is a day from Joan’s diary, so you have Alice’s story and Joan’s story. And at the end, Joan’s diary would reveal something crucial for Alice.) This would be like if I wrote DLU and had far more chapters about Bikaia interspersed with the...er, college chapters. Technically, I could’ve set them up in parallel (i.e. Kirby meets Meta, Bikaia meets Galacta, Kirby meets Dedede, Bikaia meets Nova, etc.).

If you are writing historical fiction, put the historical events in there and help those shape subplots. (I recently read an infuriating book that shall remain nameless. Book took place during World War II...there was no mention of World War II). I guess if I’m going to make that into more general advice, give your characters subplots that fit their setting and themselves. This is why DLU Delilah has that subplot about her duchy being on a Haltonium mine; she’s a duchess, so she needs to actually run her duchy. If your warrior princess Arwenhilde is fighting the forces of darkness...don’t give her a subplot involving a random apple merchant (unless, of course, the apple merchant is secretly one with the Dark Side and is trying to turn Arwenhilde away from her mission).

Remember that, while genres had certain rules and expectations, the general rule for fiction, especially fanfic, is that you can break all the rules if you can do it well.

[spynotebook]

Detail from the cover of Medusa Uploaded by Emily Devenport.

Image: Tor Books

May is here, and the month brings tons of new science fiction and fantasy books for your reading pleasure, including tales of kingdoms in turmoil, aliens battling AI in outer space, alt-history fantasies—and a new novel by some guy named Stephen King.

Bandwidth by Eliot Peper

In this near-future techno-thriller, a young political lobbyist realizes there are dangerous forces working to control the digital feed that the entire world relies upon for news updates (and everything else). It’s up to him to prevent an upcoming shadow war from causing certain devastation—but doing so may cost him the ultimate price. (May 1)

$16

From amazon

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Black Helicopters by Caitlin R. Kiernan

This is the expanded, completed version of the author’s World Fantasy Award-nominated Lovecraftian novella. It’s about a secret agent tasked with investigating strange happenings around New England that seem to be foreshadowing a horrific, chaotic invisible war. (May 1)

$13

From amazon

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The Glory of the Empress by Sean Danker

Amid a raging interstellar war, a group of soldiers develops a new weapon they hope will turn the tide in their side’s favor—not realizing their test runs in a far-off pocket of the galaxy will have unexpectedly towering consequences. (May 1)

From amazon

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Medusa Uploaded by Maggy Thomas

After she’s shoved out of an airlock and miraculously survives, a rebellious “worm” takes advantage of being presumed dead to prowl the generation starship she’s on, assassinating the powerful to try and even the stakes for everyone else. (May 1)

$11

From amazon

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The Poppy War by R.F. Kuagny

This debut historical fantasy is inspired by 20th century China; it’s about a war orphan who shocks everyone when she gain acceptance to the country’s most elite military academy—and shocks herself when she realizes she has a powerful talent for magic. (May 1)

$24

From amazon

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The Smoke Thieves by Sally Green

The complicated lives of five very different characters (a princess, a soldier, a hunter, a thief, and a servant) intertwine in a magical land on the brink of war in this first installment in a new fantasy series. (May 1)

$19

From amazon

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Song of Blood and Stone by L. Penelope

In a time of war, an outcast uses her magical gifts to heal an enemy spy, and the unlikely bond between them grows as they race to prevent an ancient evil from taking control of both their nations. (May 1)

$19

From amazon

3 purchased by readersGizmodo Media Group may get a commission

Artificial Condition: The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells

The cyborg security agent nicknamed “Murderbot” returns in the sequel to the author’s All Systems Red. This time, it’s hellbent on finding out exactly why it has that ominous nickname and travels to the scene of an infamous massacre to poke into its cloudy, troubled past. (May 8)

$15

From amazon

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Compulsory Games by Robert Aickman, edited by Victoria Nelson

A collection of supernatural tales from the late World Fantasy Award-winning author of “weird stories.” (May 8)

$18

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King of Ashes by Raymond E. Feist

The first book in a new saga follows two young men—one a highly skilled swordsmith; the other an assassin and spy who’s also secretly the heir to a stolen throne—whose paths converge as they become drawn into an ongoing war and the greater fight to save their world. (May 8)

$25

From amazon

52 purchased by readersGizmodo Media Group may get a commission

What Should Be Wild by Laura Fine

A young woman, the latest in her family to be cursed with the power to kill or resurrect anything she touches, spends her entire life hidden deep inside a dark forest—until her father goes missing, and she ventures into the outside world for the first time to search for him. (May 8)

$24

From amazon

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The World of All Souls by Deborah Harkness

Fans of Harness’ All Souls series (A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night, and The Book of Life) won’t want to miss this illustrated guide to her fantasy trilogy; it includes special features like character bios, maps, and even recipes. (May 8)

$29

From amazon

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Armistice by Lara Elena Donnelly

The author’s follow-up to the Nebula-nominated fantasy thriller Amberlough returns to the intrigue-filled 1930s to follow three characters living in a politically unstable tropical country: a diplomat, a filmmaker, and a stripper-turned-revolutionary. (May 15)

$17

From amazon

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Ascendant by Jack Campbell

The Genesis Fleet military scifi series continues as a former fleet officer and a former Marine band together to fight off attacks on their newly-colonized planet—and find it’s frustratingly hard to hold onto freedom when you have limited resources and a steady stream of aggressors. (May 15)

$19

From amazon

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Buying Time by E.M. Brown

A man falls asleep one night in 2017, but wakes up and realizes it’s nine months earlier than it was the day before. The trend continues the next day, when he wakes up three years earlier, and on and on until he eventually seems to completely disappear. Where (or when) did he go? (May 15)

$15

From amazon

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By Fire Above by Robyn Bennis

The second entry in the author’s Signal Airship fantasy adventure series follows an airship captain who must battle enemy forces and bureaucracy when her hometown comes under attack. (May 15)

$27

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In the Region of the Summer Stars by Stephen Lawhead

In this new Celtic-inspired fantasy, the king’s oldest son is cast out of his tribe, so he undertakes a perilous journey to clear his name—but the magic secret he discovers may help him save his imperiled land instead. (May 15)

$24

From amazon

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The Oddling Prince by Nancy Springer

In ancient Scotland, two royal brothers who were raised separately must join forces to save their family from a magical curse that threatens to kill their father and tear his kingdom apart. (May 15)

$16

From amazon

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The Queen of Sorrow by Sarah Beth Durst

The author begins the final entry in her Queens of Renthia trilogy in a time of long-overdue peace—but that doesn’t last long when one queen tasks evil nature spirits with kidnapping another queen’s children, unleashing war and chaos back into the forest. (May 15)

$22

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The Soldier by Neal Asher

The author returns to his Polity worlds for this new military saga, as the discovery of a strange disc teeming with living technology threatens both humanity and their crab-like alien rivals. To ensure the safety of both civilizations, they task an android-human hybrid (and her mysterious alien associate) with protecting the mysterious disc from sinister interlopers. (May 15)

$27

From amazon

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War Storm by Victoria Aveyard

The Red Queen series concludes as superpowered heroine Mare Barrow overcomes the ultimate betrayal as she plots to overthrow the Silver kingdoms once and for all. (May 15)

$14

From amazon

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Wrath of Empire by Brian McClellan

The Gods of Blood and Powder epic fantasy series continues with this second entry, which picks up amid war-torn turmoil for both soldiers (and those who would raise their own armies with the help of some ancient magic) and refugees (and those who are desperately trying to help them). (May 15)

$18

From amazon

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American Hippo by Sarah Gailey

This compilation brings Gailey’s acclaimed 2017 novellas River of Teeth and Taste of Marrow—alt-history tales in which wild hippos run amok in what used to be the Mississippi River region—together into one volume, along with a brand-new short story. (May 22)

$19

From amazon

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84K by Claire North

A dystopian tale set in a world where crimes can be atoned for with specific dollar amounts—a set-up that doesn’t really bother the main character, an assessor at the Criminal Audit Office, until he’s tasked with a murder case involving someone who was once very dear to him. (May 22)

$17

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The Outsider by Stephen King

The powerhouse author’s latest begins with a murdered child, and eyewitnesses and forensic evidence identify a local baseball coach as the killer. But the man has a rock-solid alibi, and an impossible question emerges: Could he have been in two places at once? (May 22)

$18

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The Testament of Loki by Joanne M. Harris

Ragnarok has come and gone, but Loki’s not one to stay trapped in purgatory forever. In this sequel to The Gospel of Loki, the trickster makes his way to Earth, via the mind of a teenage girl who’s none too happy to find him lurking in her brain... or to realize all of her friends (and a dog) are also being taken over by Norse god refugees. (May 22)

$23

From amazon

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Lifelike by Jay Kristoff

A teenage girl with a talent for building robots (and some frightening superpowers, as well as a disturbing past she’s blocked from fully remembering) finds herself in deep trouble with some greedy gangsters just as she meets a handsome android that makes her question everything about her life. (May 29)

$13

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The World of Lore: Wicked Mortals by Aaron Mahnke

The world of the popular podcast/TV series/book series expands even further with this illustrated guide to “the most despicable people ever to walk the earth,” including Chicago World’s Fair serial killer H.H. Holmes and the Scottish cabinetmaker who inspired Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. (May 29)

$26

From amazon

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[diary-of-an-interstellar-android]

more Picrew? more Picrew

[diary-of-an-interstellar-android]

oh yeah, more aphoris art

[diary-of-an-interstellar-android]

made Aphoris in Picrew

[diary-of-an-interstellar-android]

I HAVE RETURNED

And I bring art

digital art!

[diary-of-an-interstellar-android]

Don’t you love it when you accidentally destroy an entire kingdom and kill thousands?

[diary-of-an-interstellar-android]

drew Malachite cause why not

featuring the Crystallized Inception of Calamity, Hellgate’s Key, and my shitty handwriting (which I intentionally made worse because it’s supposed to be his and he canonically didn’t learn to read and write until he was like twelve)

[diary-of-an-interstellar-android]

I drew Horatia!

It’s not exactly how I picture her in my head, but my drawing skills are limited. Enjoy anyway!

[diary-of-an-interstellar-android]

Crystallized Inceptions

Crystallized Inceptions are artifacts created from the Old World’s Inception Nuclei. There is one for every known Beholder and then some. They include:

Equinox Android: A sentient bionic android powered by the OW Nucleus of Being

Spindle of Aeons: A spindle that allows the user to weave the threads of time, made from the OW Nucleus of Epoch

Luminosity Beacon: A torch that never goes out and can cure the Stygian Blight, made from the OW Nucleus of Radiance

Hellgate’s Key: A broadsword with immense destructive power, made from the OW Nucleus of Calamity

Eye of Evocation: A mirror that can show the memories of anyone ever, made from the OW Nucleus of Remembrance

Perspicacity Computer: A supercomputer that holds an infinite amount of knowledge, made from the OW Nucleus of Acuity

Dream of Periwinkle: A flute that will put to sleep anyone who hears it’s song, made from the OW Nucleus of Slumber

Sovereign’s Crown: A diadem that can turn anyone into a loyal servant after hearing the wearer speak, made from the OW Nucleus of Prepotence

Die of the Fortunate: A gilded die that brings luck and wealth, made from the OW Nucleus of Fortuity

The Department of Inception Research in the Axis Dome is responsible for keeping track of the Crystallized Inceptions.

A Counsel of Cosmos convention in the year 1228 NW, one year after the 1st Emergence, decided that when a Beholder is born, the Crystallized Inception matching their powers will automatically and legally become their property.

(Jenna here: this list is incomplete. I’m going to add more to this post as I continue writing Diary of an Interstellar Android. See you then!)