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blackswaneuroparedux · 4 years ago

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The Great Drive: James Hunt and Niki Lauda at Fuji, 1976

I feel really sorry for Niki. I feel sorry for everybody that the race had to be run in such ridiculous circumstances because the conditions were dangerous and I fully appreciate Niki’s decision. After an accident like he had, what else could he do? Quite honestly, I wanted to win the championship and I felt I deserved it. But I also felt Niki deserved to win the championship – and I just wish we could have shared it.

- James Hunt on winning the Japanese Grand Prix 1976 to become F1 World Champion

James Hunt’s epic title battle with Niki Lauda, during what many see as the definitive F1 season, was topped off by a thrilling race in the land of the rising sun. It became an instant classic, one of F1’s Great Drives.

With everything to lose, in treacherous conditions, and with late drama, James Hunt's drive in the 1976 Japanese Grand Prix was one of the greatest of all time.

James Hunt delivered his greatest drive in spite of himself. It wasn’t just the peak moment of his career, but also a defining drive for F1.

The British gentleman racer conquering the world’s best in far away lands – Hunt embodied it.

Despite this, the Brit’s landmark drive came in the midst of late night escapades, mechanical disasters, psychological warfare and F1 politics.

As the ‘76 season approached its climax in North America and Asia, it seemed all might be lost for the McLaren team and its lead driver. Hunt had been duelling with Ferrari’s Niki Lauda throughout the year, but losing his British Grand Prix win to disqualification (announced by the FIA at Round 14 in Canada) seemed to have derailed his season for good.

McLaren team manager at the time Alastair Caldwell describes the state of affairs as they approached the North American leg of the season: “We abandoned the idea of winning the world championship. I let him misbehave in Canada and in Watkins Glen. On both occasions we were pissed on race eve, both of us in a bar after midnight getting rotten – me on alcohol and him on women, because he was always very successful with women.

“James met a girl – the leader of the band at the motel in Montreal – and so he came to the race dishevelled, in the same clothes as he’d been wearing the previous night – and he won the race!

“Even then we still thought we were out of it. Then we won Watkins Glen too! So suddenly we became serious again.”

Lauda had scored 4 points to Hunt’s 18 in this period. With the championship fight back on, the rejuvenated team and driver looked at the season finale in a new light. The championship fight was back on, and as a result, McLaren prepared for the Japanese GP with renewed vigour.

James Hunt had been in Japan a fortnight, ostensibly to test at a circuit new to him. Delays at customs, car problems and bad weather had severely restricted his running, but at least now he was totally orientated and, in his inimitable fashion, ‘relaxed’. That meant when he wasn’t strutting his stuff on the hotel’s squash court, he was billing and cooing with its latest migratory flock of pretty air stewardesses to bed. It beat jogging.

Lauda arrived later, low-key and at a low ebb. The spirit that held the demons at bay during his remarkable Monza comeback had evaporated in Canada and America. Now running on empty, he was full of doubts. While Ferrari team manager Daniele Audetto attempted to whip up retro oppo to McLaren’s ‘illegal’ testing, his star driver looked the other way and wished it over: Lauda was sick of Enzo and his minions, of a season in its 10th month and of press intrusion.

McLaren’s earlier preparations were in sharp contrast to the rest of the field who arrived just for the race weekend itself. According to Caldwell, “The others all turned up on the Thursday, including Niki, you can see them all get off the plane knackered and then trying to find where this new racetrack was.”

It wasn’t just through testing and acclimatisation that Hunt and McLaren stole a march. Caldwell thought he might use interactions with the press to his advantage: “Just for a laugh we spread a rumour. A journalist said to me ‘what’s the track like?’ I said ‘It’s is good but it’s got a lot of loose gravel on it.’”

Enjoying the effect the track surface story had on the rest of the field’s preparations, Caldwell thought he’d develop the rumour into a full-blown design feature.

“Because we were bored and had nothing else to do, the mechanics made mesh covers for all the air intakes on the car, to “protect” the brake ducts and air intake.

“Then Niki (Lauda) came down to our garage, which he always did – he spent more time in our garage then Ferrari’s. He would joke with us and do mechanic’s repartee.

“Psychologically we had them on the back foot right from the start.”

“Niki had come to see what we’d done with the cars as he was also a spy. So I told the mechanics, ‘just by mistake’, to take the covers off the cars so you could see the mesh covers on all the intakes. They did this and then they put it back on in a hurry while I ‘looked displeased’.

“And so then Niki broke off the conversation, trotted back to Ferrari and said ‘f**king hell, McLaren have put vents near these grilles over everything in the car, we got to do the same.’

“The whole Ferrari organisation went out to find these grilles, find where they came from and make them for their three cars. Then we put our three cars in the pit road and took all the grilles off the T-Car. Niki came down and said ‘You f**king bastards!’ They came down the pitroad and Ferrari had this shit all over their car – these grilles all over the radiators.

“He had to tear back and tell them to take them all off. Psychologically we had them on the back foot right from the start, there’s all this psychological warfare.”

Niki was plastered across front pages because of his near-death experience on the track; James was on them because of the life he led off it. Their battle and clashing personalities, though they were good friends, had made the world championship a global news shit-fight. Hunt, outgoing but often lonely in a crowd, pretended to be okay with it. Lauda didn’t.

Friday’s practice sessions provided blessed relief, therefore, even though both men suffered understeer on the stickier Goodyears made available to its faster teams because of the rare presence of Bridgestone and Dunlop on one-off Japanese entries. The title rivals finished the day one-hundredth apart on a provisional third row.

Each improved on Saturday – Hunt to second, Lauda to third – and James, a notoriously slow starter who, by his own estimation, needed to win the race in order to become world champion, was in a much-improved mood. Niki’s never budged.

Then it rained. And rained. And rained some more.

The storm that swept in from China a day later than forecast was the last thing Lauda needed: another element beyond his control. Mist shrouded the snow cone of Mount Fuji, which supposedly bestowed good fortune – when visible – and Niki felt hemmed in by circumstance.

The mind-games might well have been in vain, for the monsoon weather which rolled in on Sunday looked like putting the race in jeopardy. If the Grand Prix was cancelled, Lauda would be handed the World Championship.

Not that Hunt was enamoured with the situation. He spoke privately with Lauda and agreed an attempt to have the race postponed – albeit not before he stressed that he would take the start if necessary and race as hard as Niki forced him to.

The Grand Prix Drivers Association had been formed to have some influence on such matters, to stop the interests of teams, the governing body and sponsors taking precedence over drivers’ well being. Hunt and Lauda were both members and convened prior to the race start in an effort to have it stopped.

“They were adamant the race wasn’t going to be held. Bernie (Ecclestone, Brabham team boss) and I were in the race control tower trying to convince them to hold the race.” says Caldwell “And James kept on saying ‘No no, we’re not going to race’. I tried to explain to him that no race meant no World Championship. He replied “No, no, no, it’s totally unsuitable, we can’t race”.

Alistair Caldwell, McLaren Team boss, resorted to more imaginative tactics to swing the mood towards starting the race.

“I was going down (to the pits) getting my car mechanics to start the engines every half an hour, which would make all the other teams start doing it – they didn’t know why. The engines were making this noise ‘woop, woop, woop’”.

The engineer then turned his attention to activating the spectators.

“I was trying to get some enthusiasm from the passive Japanese crowd, they’d been there for hours doing nothing. They weren’t even talking, just sitting in the rain – miserable.

“I said to our tyre man Lance Gibbs ‘Do you think you could get the crowd going?’ So he got up on the pitwall with his ACME Thunderer whistle, which had been given to the boys to use as a horn, for when they pushed the race cars around the paddock.

“He went ‘beep beep’ and hundreds of spectators did the same – got them doing a concert. We then did the business of slow clapping, when it gets to the end, people can’t keep up, they lose co-ordination and you get a huge noise.

“I went back to the tower and the geriatric Japanese officials and said, ‘Look, you’ve got a riot on your hands’ Bernie was there and he said ‘Yeah, you’ve gotta hold the race. Otherwise you’ll have trouble’. So they said ‘Ok we’ll have the race.’”

With the decision made, the cars finally lined up to start at 4pm. The deliberations had been going on so long that the light was now beginning to fade, reducing the limited visibility even further.

Hunt, nervously retching and hacking more than ever, was so distracted that he took a leak in full view of the spectators. Cue polite applause. Ominously, he then walked a plank laid across a puddle and stepped aboard his McLaren M23. He tipped his helmet back against its roll-hoop and closed his eyes in contemplation. Lauda, crushed by all that had gone before, hunched forward in his 312 T2’s cockpit. Both knew that fate was about to be sorely tempted.

Hunt made a blinding start and held a huge lead by the end of the opening lap. As the rest pecked hesitantly in his rooster-tails, he was out of sight, both physically and metaphorically.

Meanwhile, Lauda, unable to blink because of his burn injuries, was drowning in the pack and questioning his sanity. He formulated an answer by lap two. The Ferrari – “a paper boat in a storm” – rolled into the pitlane and drew up at its garage. Measured. The team descended while designer Mauro Forghieri craned into its cockpit to ascertain the problem.

After just 1 lap, Lauda had seen enough. Deeming the conditions too dangerous, and having already nearly lost his life at Nürburgring that year, the Austrian decided it simply wasn’t worth carrying on. He pulled his Ferrari into the pits and walked away from the 1976 World Championship. Lauda, the reigning world champion, had the skill but not the will to continue. It was “murder” out there – and life was for living.

Hunt, as drivers without a world title feel compelled to, pressed on and kept his date with destiny. Hunt being Hunt, of course, he almost missed it. Not until his post-race red mist lifted could he be persuaded that he hadn’t.

With Lauda out the race, Hunt’s task was now a little more straightforward. He simply had to finish third, and the title was his.

The McLaren driver pressed on and by lap 10 his lead had doubled to over 8sec. Meanwhile, interesting movements were afoot further back in the pack.

Local hero Kazuyoshi Hoshino, driving a privately-entered Tyrrell 007, had made his up to third, from 21st on the grid!

More worrying for Hunt was that March’s Vittorio Brambilla had overtaken Andretti and was beginning to hunt him down. By lap 20, Brambilla had closed right up behind the Hunt.

On the next lap, the March driver decided to go for it. Brambilla, known for an erratic driving style, conformed to type on this occasion by inadvertently out-braking himself as he dived down the inside of the McLaren.

Hunt had been wary of Brambilla and was monitoring the situation constantly. In a moment of brilliant anticipation, he allowed the March to spin in front of him, performing the cutback and before carrying on as if almost nothing had happened.

Brambilla dropped to fourth, the danger to Hunt being over for now. Andretti at this point was gradually dropping back through the pack. It was Hunt’s team-mate Jochen Mass who was behind him now, with a McLaren 1-2 now looking very much on the cards.

Seeking to control the race from here on in, the team’s new concern was the drying line which was now appearing on the track. Caldwell put out a pit board sign telling his drivers to cool their wet weather tyres – this was done by searching for wet sections of the track, the water preventing the rubber from overheating.

To his team manager’s frustration, Hunt didn’t appear to be heeding the warnings: “As soon as Mass saw the sign, he pulled over in the water right in front of us. Then on the next lap he came down the right hand side of the track, splashing through the puddles, which cools the tires down, (while) James didn’t react.

“The next lap we gave it to Hunt again, the next lap again, he still didn’t do it. So we took away the pitboard, just gave him the ‘cool tyres’ sign and he still didn’t react. So then everyone in the team started pointing at it (the sign). Everybody in the team pointed, Teddy (Mayer, McLaren Managing Director) and everyone else and he still did nothing.”

Hunt carried on down the dry line, running his tyres way above their recommended temperature, seemingly oblivious to the warnings.

If Hunt wasn’t going to heed the warnings, then Andretti was: “Because we were emphasising this so much, Andretti saw it and started to cool his tyres. So he started running through the puddles. He didn’t have to stop (as a result).

“But James just resolutely drove down the middle of the dry track, and we could never bring him in, because he was never that far ahead. It was never possible to tactically stop him because there’s a big long pitroad at Fuji.”

Jochen Mass, benefitting from his team’s tyre advice, now began to reel in his team-mate. If he got past, he would have no trouble driving off into the distance to take the win.

However, the German’s diligence came to naught, as he spun off and out of contention on lap 36. This would have a huge bearing on the race later.

For now, Hunt was again in the clear. Another challenger, Shadow’s Tom Pryce, moved into second, but he too retired as his Cosworth engine expired on lap 46.

As the grand prix wore on, Hunt remained in a seemingly trance-like state as he stuck to his line, the situation became critical.

Whilst yet another to danger to Hunt had abated, the McLaren driver was now deciding whether to play the percentages. He could either pit to replace his worn tyres – and lose track position – or try and stick it out at the risk of losing so much grip he would be overtaken anyway.

Hunt took the second option. He could afford to drop to third, and this is indeed what happened. On lap 61, he was overtaken not only by Tyrrell’s Patrick Depailler, but also the resurgent Lotus of Andretti.

If Hunt managed to hold position, he would be world champion. For the next 7 laps, the plan appeared to be working. Then, on lap 68, disaster struck.

The McLaren driver suffered not one, but two deflated tyres – both on the left-hand side of the car. They were, as Caldwell puts it, “worn down to the air”. Hunt managed to drag his car round for half a lap before scraping into the pits.

F1 jacks at the time were not designed to lift a car with puncture at the front and rear of the car. While the jack was used to lift the rear of the car, TV shots show Caldwell and other team members lifting the other end of the car themselves to replace the front-left tyre.

It was a long pitstop, and once out, Hunt found himself back in fifth place. There were four laps left and Hunt was two places down on where he needed to be.

Two more laps passed and the Englishman was no further up the order. It looked as if he may have lost his championship chance.

Then, with two laps left of the race to go, Hunt started the fight back. At the exit of T1 he managed to get past the Surtees of Alan Jones. One more place and the championship was his.

Next up was the Ferrari of Clay Regazzoni. It turned out there were some Scuderia politics at play which would work to Hunt’s advantage.

Caldwell filled in the back story: “Ferrari’s reaction to Niki’s crash was to sack Regazzoni (for 1977). He had already been sacked (by Fuji).

“So he was pissed off at Ferrari. When James came charging along, he just stepped out of the way and let him by.”

After benefitting from Regazzoni’s apparent generosity, Hunt was suddenly back in the golden position, the third place he needed to clinch the championship.

The McLaren man just had to keep it on the road for two more laps and he’d take the title. The tension mounted, both in the team pit and back in the UK, where his family were watching the live television feed at 3am.

Despite two nerve-wracking final laps, the Englishman duly brought his McLaren home in third place. He was the new F1 World Champion.

Photographs show Hunt angrily remonstrating with his team as he climbed from the car. He hadn’t realised he’d got the job done.

Caldwell himself had mixed emotions about the whole affair, “He didn’t look at the board and when he came into the pits he started shouting at us, because he didn’t know what happened. He was incredibly annoying on the day. He did drive magnificently, he kept it on the road – that’s one point of view. From my point of view it was the most frustrating day – I could’ve hit him with a baseball bat! He could have won the race, just strolled the world championship. All he had to do was read this pitboard and drive in the water, which is what Andretti did, so he didn’t wear the tyres out and could paddle across the line with the same ones.”

In spite of Hunt seemingly making a championship-losing decision, he had still managed to pull it off.

However, such was Caldwell’s consternation, the two didn’t discuss afterwards.

I was so angry about it. We flew back to England and I wasn’t talking to him on the plane. He was pissed as a newt anyway – we were all pissed as a newt and totally exhausted. He just went to sleep.”

The two never discussed the reasons behind the events, but it didn’t change the result. Three years after making his F1 debut, Hunt was the world champion.

Ten weeks later Hunt arrived in Argentina to begin his title defence feeling underwhelmed and under-prepared. A few celebratory cigs and tins with his friend Britain’s newly crowned 500cc motorcycle world champion, Barry Sheene, at Fuji and a riotous return flight had been followed by a disorientating whirl of meetings, interviews and engagements. The race-by-race title chase had been thrilling: a sequence of one-day stands. Making it official had cooled the relationship. The love affair was over.

Though both men would retire summarily during the 1979 season, Hunt did so because he felt frightened and disillusioned, whereas Lauda did so because he felt nothing, which frightened him.

Niki, though, had a system – plus a plan to run his own airline – and ultimately would return to the F1 cockpit and be successful. James, whose theories were sometimes somewhat scrambled, would not. He bred budgies instead. You do what you have to do.

Lauda’s decision to stop at Fuji ensured that he would be able to continue. Hunt’s decision to continue ensured that he would have to stop sooner rather than later. One racing mind wiped clean, the other cluttered – and racing.

In spite of his career’s decline, Hunt’s endeavours had captured the imagination of the wider world in a way no racing driver had done before.Hunt knew that life was for living, too. Tragically, however, he had just discovered how best to when fate too soon snatched it from him.

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krillbeans · 3 years ago

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Hellooooooooooo Krill!!

Oh Oh I want to make questions:

What inspired you to write Bloom into you?

Why are your songs so FUCKING BEAUTIFUL?

If Moominpappa decided to participate in a dance challenge, what style of dance would he choose?

Ps: I love u 💕

HI Q ILY TOO SOUPFACE ♡♡♡

I was inspired because I love my cousin and I wanted to write a song about her, but then I changed my mind and made a love song.

"Kindness blooms in hearts like yours" was about her

everything else was snufmin >:)

I HAVE NO IDEA I just wanna make songs that feel like a blanket on your heart. I almost always feel that way.

LETS GO LESBIANS !!!!!!!

Oh my god. Ok knowing me youd think I'd say "He'll twerk fortnight dance then do the nae nae, in that order" but my honest opinion is that he'll do an epic tango or waltz with moominmamma.

thered be a whole plot of him wanting to win the contest but in the end he'll realize that he now wants to do it for moominmamma and because he loves her. Then he'd forget about the whole contest as he's dancing with the love of his life. They wont win but hed say something cheesy like "I'm a winner every day cuz I've got the most precious prize right here!" then they will nuzzle >:)))))))

#ask #moominmamma #moominpappa

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steve0discusses · 4 years ago

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TOS violations by Yugioh Characters that, Unfortunately, got them Banned from Twitch.

Only two people asked for this and I have a stomach ache and can’t do much else, so here you go:

Joey Wheeler: Did a burger eating contest to try and gain subscribers. It was so many burgers that it was considered ‘bodily harm.’

Maximillion Pegasus: drawing slutty fanart of Kuribohs but as a BDSM style Princess Peach, the infamous “Kuribette.” An ill placed and somewhat poorly drawn pink scapegoat tattoo was misinterpreted as a nipple.

Mokuba Kaiba: Tried to get around an illegal gambling loophole by filming in International Waters. Honestly he would have never been caught by the police if his streaming gambling ship hadn’t been abducted by pirates (while on stream, which was a whole other violation in itself).

Noah Kaiba: Got banned for streaming the process of how to turn dogs into far superior robot dogs. Also tried to use the loophole of filming in International Waters by doing this in the basement of Mokuba’s floating casino pirate-bait ship.

Seto Kaiba: Turns out all of those space ships he said he was building were just very large and overly-complicated bongs.

(read more under the cut)

Gozaburo Kaiba: After starting a new career by purchasing Twitch, his investors banned his twitch account once his dazzling personality ruined his stock prices virtually overnight when he started hooting and hollering about putting all your sons in Orbs.

Mai Valentine: Said she was going to Murder Joey Wheeler just one too many times (it was 485 times.) To be fair, Joey Wheeler was not aware she had a Twitch Account at the time.

Yugi Muto: Took his shirt off mid-stream when phasing into Yami mode. Although he is a man, this upset so many people (just 3 people, all of which were the Kaiba brothers), that he made a 40 minute apology video and banned himself, although he was never asked to do this.

Yami Muto: After starting a successful second gaming account under Yami’s name of PHARAOH420BLAZEIT, Yami didn’t realize that when you “block” accounts it doesn’t mean you literally phase users into actual literal blocks.

Tea Gardner: Got too greedy and faked her age to get paid through an onlyfans account. Was blissfully unaware that most people use it for porn. Even when this was clearly explained to her, she doesn’t understand why that was a terrible idea.

Grandpa Solomon Muto: Destroyed public property by claiming it was lost history and trying to dig it up. It was an Arby’s. A skeleton under a very bad Arby’s. A skeleton under a very bad Arby’s that came to life and tried to rule the world. His last words on stream were “not again!”

Tristan Taylor: Stole copyrighted music like the basic bitch he is.

Duke Devlin: his makeup channel got banned after a bunch of very viscous reports that his makeup palates were not vegan like he had claimed. After searching far and wide to find the source of these rumors, he discovered that the angry redditors spreading these malevolent lies were in fat the very jealous cultists that live in Pegasus’ basement. For, as it turns out, the palates he was selling through Pegasus’ company, were made of people.

Despite that, his friends still buy the eyeliner because it freakin sticks to you like a godsdamn second skin.

Marik Ishtar: His crafting channel made Etsian crafts that not only looked exactly like a bong but were entirely bongs. But,TBH, he got banned not for the bongs themselves, but for copyright strikes for making bongs that looked waaay too much like a more popular bong maker on twitch. His bong reputation has never recovered from the shame and now he just makes glass bangles.

Ishizu Ishtar: She was just so good at poaching popular streamers’ streams, even when they tried to stream on a 30 minute delay. It was always a different game in which she would appear too--if it were a large match of PUBG, or even a small match of Among Us, there IshizuSeesYou would stand--seemingly loaded into the game before the server room would even be created. Eerily, she would always win, every time her ghostly account would appear. So, she got banned for hacking when, in fact, she never hacked--not even once.

Odion Ishtar: Odion had an excellent show of being a Minecraft streamer, up until he got banned for electrocuting himself with his own streaming equipment by accident and scarring a lot of little kids who just wanted to see him dig deeper and deeper and deeper and deeper and deeper and deeper and dee.

Ryou Bakura: his generally pleasant and peaceful British-Bake-Off inspired cooking streams got banned because every lovely loaf of bread and every carefully decorated cake he made had the terrifying cross-section of a headless corpse screaming “YOU, TOO, SHALL DIE.” Not once did Ryou ever notice said cross-section, as he showed it to the camera, full of smiles and sunshine. Not once did he seem to notice his chat also screaming, their fingers turning to acid as they typed.

Yami-Bakura: After his kinder self was removed from twitch, Yami Bakura decided to do the job that his other self could not do. So he started a new account under the name BakuraSpiceAndEverythingNice but unfortunately he got too angry during a fortnight match and decided to call upon the powers of darkness to make him win. But, when someone stabbed Bakura in the game, it also stabbed him in real life, and both Twitch and Epic Games banned him before the game could finish. Ryou Bakura awoke in his gamer chair covered in gamer blood, unaware of who stabbed him or how.

Slightly-Eviler Marik Ishtar: After Marik’s cancelled crafts career, Sightly-Eviler Marik attempted to launch himself into stardom by doing lifestyle streams to launch a political career...unfortunately, he was shut down for trying to influence the American Election. More specifically, to try and put himself on the ballot for President under a third party (the Green Party, as he figured they wouldn’t bother kicking him out). It was his unwillingness to show a proper birth certificate to clear his age (which couldn’t possibly be 4000 years old), that did him in.

Bandit Keith: Got swatted and arrested by the FBI on stream for trying one too many times to make Slightly-Eviler Marik’s ill timed candidacy for President a thing. Weirdly enough, the people who swatted him? Russian bots.

Weevil: Arrested for inventing a new type of gambling called “bug fighting” while sailing in international waters on Mokuba’s ship.

Rex Raptor: Got into Dartz’ streaming house but forgot to do the laundry and was promptly kicked out. So really it was just a human decency violation, but it was enough to contractually keep him from creating another twitch account.

Dartz: Made a streaming house where everyone freakin died.

Everyone except for Freakin Rex Raptor because he couldn’t do the godsdamn laundry.

The part of Bakura that lives in Yugi’s Necklace: After Yami’s account was blocked, the part of Bakura that lives in Yugi’s Necklace decided it was up to him to make a mark on internet history, so he started a somewhat successful account called BetterLateThanNever, but it got banned once he stabbed some random guy in Fortnight and, according to the ban report--stabbed him in real life?

#ygo #yugioh #au #twitch violation #I don't know what you tag this sort of thing #fic #?#joke thing?#I dunno #I'm not gonna list every character though here you go

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accio-the-force · 5 years ago

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accio-the-force does fic reading bingo ⤷ Mediterranean Holiday by @eclecticmuses (Fitzsimmons, Rated T, 102,610 words)

Square Filled: >50k words

Author Summary: When Jemma wins a two-week Mediterranean dream cruise, she asks Fitz to come along as her plus one. A fortnight of traveling and seeing the sights of Europe seems like the perfect getaway for two best friends--but cabin mishaps and nosy passengers seem designed to put that to the test. Will they make it through their holiday in one piece, or will they discover there's more to their relationship than they want to admit?

Why I Love It: This fic combines two of my favorite things Fitzsimmons and travel! Three, if you count an an abundance of tropes (fake dating and bed sharing, anyone?!). All of Steph’s fics are wonderful but I particularly loved this one because I had been to a bunch of these cities and it was a wonderful trip down memory lane for me, with bonus Fitzsimmons. If you haven’t checked this fic out yet, you’re in for a treat because this epic fic is now COMPLETE, so you can read it all in one go! (Disclaimer: I’m not responsible for any missed sleep when you start reading this and can’t put it down!)

Read on AO3 // more fic recs

#team space aos #earth vs space #aosficnet2 #EXTREME FIC REC #fitzsimmons #acciotheforce does fic rec bingo #acciotheforce does fic reading bingo

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newmusickarl · 4 years ago

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Foolishly, I’ve neglected my blog during two of the biggest weeks for new music this year. The last 14 days has seen great new albums from Fleet Foxes, Sufjan Stevens, Sigur Ros’ Jonsi and IDLES, as well as hot new singles from Sundara Karma, London Grammar and Travis Scott. We’ve also seen the late Lil Peep’s breakout mixtape Hellboy added to streaming services for the first time, as well as Michael Kiwanuka winning the Mercury Music Prize for instant-classic, Kiwanuka – two albums you should definitely check out if you haven’t already.

However, despite all this great new music, it isn’t even the pick of the bunch, with several of the best albums so far this year dropping over the last fortnight. Here’s my quick round up:

Albums

Working Men’s Club by Working Men’s Club

One of the finest debut albums you’re going to hear in 2020, the self-titled from Yorkshire four-piece Working Men’s Club is a nostalgia-laced, pulsating rollercoaster ride of a record. Creating a retro dance sound that you could imagine a supergroup of New Order and Fontaines D.C. pumping out, the rave-rockers effortlessly mix punky vocal lines with acidy synths.

From electric opener Valleys to the dancefloor-filling throb of Teeth, Working Men’s Club blast out youthful, energetic new-wave club anthems that will leave you smiling and dancing. Eventually culminating in the 12-minute epic Angel, a dizzying, psychedelic track to get lost in, this debut is a real breakthrough for Working Men’s Club, and possibly the most-assured to come out of Yorkshire since Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not. I’ll have more to say about this one in a few months’ time but for now, get your headphones on and enjoy this one.

Ohms by Deftones

From bright newcomers to legendary veterans now, as metal icons Deftones recently released their brilliant 9th studio album, Ohms. Although there are no radical changes in sound here or anything that will defy expectations, what Ohms does achieve is cement Deftones as one of the finest metal acts working today – 25 years on from their debut, they continue to create stunning records that are just a level above anything else on the scene.

From raucous opener Genesis, the equal parts roaring and mesmerising The Spell of Mathematics through to the truly colossal, thumping riff of the album’s title track, Ohms is the sound of a great band at the peak of their powers - showing that even after 25 years Deftones are still the untouchable kings of alternative metal.

Roisin Machine by Roisin Murphy

If metal isn’t your thing however and you’re more inclined by something you can groove to, then look no further than Roisin Murphy’s incredible fifth solo album, Roisin Machine. Already receiving heaps of praise from fans and critics alike and rightfully so, Roisin Machine sees the Irish singer-songwriter delve headfirst into the shimmering world of disco, crafting arguably her strongest record to date.

Beginning with 8-minute dance number Simulation, which begins with a flurry of strings before transforming into a laid-back groove that calls back to her days in Moloko, Roisin sets an impossibly high standard early doors. However in the second half of the record Roisin still manages to raise the bar yet again, hitting the listener with a trio of retro dance numbers in Murphy’s Law, Jealousy and Narcissus, as well as the fun, electro-pop vibes of Game Changer. This really is a remarkable album and in a year of great electronic and dance records, this is definitely up there amongst the very best.

Tracks

Always by The Snuts

Scottish rockers The Snuts deliver their biggest indie anthem to date, propelled by an infectious guitar riff and heartfelt lyrics.

Lifetime by Romy

Following in the footsteps of her bandmate Jamie, The XX’s Romy has released her first solo single this week, a Eurodance track with a playful beat and a catchy chorus.

Blue Crow by Hayden Thorpe

Hayden Thorpe continues to prove that he does not know how to write a bad song - described as “Cumbrian folk psychedelia”, Blue Crow is another haunting track lifted by Thorpe’s signature, inimitable vocals and some trippy guitars.

Two Minutes Hate by The Slow Readers Club

The second taste of their forthcoming 91 days in Isolation album recorded in COVID lockdown, Manchester indie rockers The Slow Readers Club continue to show they have hit a creative peak in 2020 with their timely, relatable lyricism (“I start to crave chaos”) and glistening guitar melodies.

#working mens club #valleys #deftones #ohms #roisin murphy #roisin machine #the snuts #the slow readers club #hayden thorpe #romy #the xx #new music #best new music #album recommendation #music recommendation #best of 2020

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gotouda · 5 years ago

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my mum was like.. spend your first paycheck on something for yourself and i was like good advice but over the past fortnight ive lent her half my paycheck and the other half went to living expenses so LOL epic jobless parent win

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ajanefantasy · 5 years ago

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Book Love part 5 - Brothers (Brothers Book 3)

Brothers was the fifth novel in the fantasy world of Dahrè, and the conclusion to the Brother’s Trilogy. As I was writing Gin, I knew that his book wouldn’t be able to conclude the story of the brothers and so what originally started out, my original intention to write a short story for each brother turned into a bit of an epic tale. More and more the brothers revealed, their families revealed, the world revealed, each book taking on a life of its own. Book 3 was no different considering it came close to 200,000 words.

With this book, I had to find a way to bring Rum and Gin back together as one force instead of rushing about on their own. That was was a big challenge with this book. Getting them to stop blaming each other for their issues and see each other for who they had become, to be able to trust each other. They needed to stop fighting so they could gain the vengeance needed against those responsible for the murder of their parents. Plus a few adventures on the way where often times interesting secrets were revealed.

-- Fun Fact: Well maybe not so fun. This third book was originally titled Vengeance. But I had a thought, well it’s actually about the brothers and so titled it thusly. I often wonder if I should have kept Vengeance because I’m afraid people might get the wrong idea about this book.

With that said, I introduce:

[Image ID: Image of three, three mast ships sailing in the middle of the sea, the sun setting, two ships sail in one direction and the third ship sailing towards the other two as if to attack, with the word Brothers written across it]

Vengeance would be theirs. With their treasures by their sides, nothing could stop the brothers from their Blood Right. Except themselves. Rum and Gin must get past their differences if they are to gain their rightful vengeance and destroy those responsible for the murder of their parents. Book Three of the Brothers Trilogy Story contains strong language and explicit sex. 192,000 words

Amazon / Smashwords / Kobo / Apple / BN

A preview of Brothers can be found under the cut.

Gin stood rooted to the deck as he watched his twin leap across the distance separating Treasure Hunter and the boat known as Graceful. Rum landed in a crouch upon the railing, hazel eyes drilling into him.

“What do ye do here, Rum?” He had never quite seen that look in his brother’s eyes.

Rum continued staring at Gin, knowing it to be him despite the change in hair color from blond to dark brown, he still had their mother’s blue eyes. He would know his brother anywhere, even had he changed eye color. Temper aroused, his Lyndian brogue was thick, his U’s dipping and his R’s rolling, as he growled, “Hide all you want, brother mine, ‘twill not stop me from finding you and thrashing you well.”

For reasons he knew not, Gin took a step back, his hand going to his hair. Surely he was not hiding. “Excuse me?”

“Think you ‘tis acceptable to cease our connection with nae warning? To leave me dangling in such a fashion?” Rum launched himself at Gin, tackling him.

Gin rolled with Rum trying to gain the top position, but Rum fought back and overpowered him, forcing him onto his back. Gin struggled, refusing to lose, and felt his own anger begin to rise. He hated that Rum—fragile Rum, delicate Rum, scared Rum—could win in this instance. As the older brother, he, Gin Py, should always beat his little brother.

“Ye bastard, married ye were, I needed not knowing what went on ‘twixt ye and him.” Gin continued struggling and managed to roll Rum over. “Why would I wish to know yer lustful activities?”

“Then you need not crawl about my head while I fuck him! Nearly did I die and never would you have known. Wonder I do if you would have cared.” Rum forced Gin onto his back once more before pulling back his fist and striking him.

The brothers’ eyes went wide, both too surprised to react for a moment—it had been years since either had struck the other. With the shock wearing off, the pain hit Gin.

“Fuck!” Gin’s hand flew to his jaw. “Ye hit me!”

“Aye! ‘Tis something you deserved from me.” Rum went to hit his brother again, but Gin blocked him.

Gin holding Rum’s fist, lunged up and elbowed his brother in the jaw, knocking Rum off of him. Sitting up, he shook his head, trying to dispose of the stars circling his vision. He expected pain from the elbow thrown, but none came. Instead Rum looked to be the one suffering from the elbow, just as he had suffered Rum’s fist.

“How?”

“The High Keeper of all Keepers, removed she did Perta’s curse nigh a fortnight past.” Rum crouched, readying to spring, not done with the fight.

“She said naught to me when last I saw her.” Why that hurt, he knew not, other than the van Wyrn had shown a preference for his brother. But then his brother’s words sunk in. “What mean ye, ye almost died?” He looked for Suede Boots and found that he had boarded Treasure Hunter. Rum’s husband stood at the railing. “Ye were supposed to protect him!”

“Both horribly hungover Rum and I were that morning next with nae memories of the night previous.” Suede crossed his arms over his chest, doing what he could to keep from the fight. He did not want his husband injured, but ‘twas always best not to try to separate brothers fighting. Besides, Gin deserved all Rum could throw at him. “Even had I remembered, doubt I do I would have seen the spell that harmed my husband for ‘twas hidden within the cobbles of the street outside yer townhouse. Not even the van Wyrn saw it.”

“And what were ye doing going about…”

“You think so little of me.” Rum sprung, tackling his brother once more. “I am nae longer that lad, I am not fragile!”

Knowing that he no longer felt the pain upon striking Rum, Gin did not hold back, allowing all of his resentment to flow through him, and started swinging his fists as if this were any other fight and not his brother.

Book Love: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9

#© A. Jane #A. Jane #Book Love #book promotion #my writing #Brothers Trilogy #Brothers Book 3 #Brothers #Rum and Gin #pirates #magic #fantasy romance #story snippet

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laikaworld · 7 years ago

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LAIKA’S FIFTH FILM IS MISSING LINK!

Hugh Jackman, Zoe Saldana, and Zach Galifianakis star in our most ambitious film to date - a rip-roaring, globetrotting comedy adventure.

‘LAIKA, the animation studio behind the Academy Award® nominated Kubo and the Two Strings, The Boxtrolls, ParaNorman, and Coraline, announces its fifth and most ambitious film to date: MISSING LINK. The title, U.S. release date (Spring, 2019) and complete cast details were revealed today by LAIKA President & CEO Travis Knight as he prepares to meet with foreign buyers at the Cannes Film Festival. Missing Link will be distributed in the U.S. by Annapurna Pictures. AGC International, the sales and distribution division of AGC Studios, is handling international sales.

“Missing Link is an artistic and technical wonder,” said Mr. Knight. “Led by our visionary director Chris Butler, LAIKA has once again blended fine art, craftsmanship, and cutting-edge technology to achieve something we’ve never tried before: a raucous comedy entwined with a swashbuckling epic, underscoring the universal need to find belonging. Commingling keenly felt emotion, madcap humor, and retina-bursting visuals, Missing Link is a kaleidoscopic cinematic experience unlike any other. It’s the most striking thing we’ve ever done.”

The charismatic Sir Lionel Frost (voiced by Hugh Jackman) considers himself to be the world’s foremost investigator of myths and monsters. The trouble is none of his small-minded high-society peers seems to recognize this. Sir Lionel’s last chance for acceptance by the adventuring elite rests on traveling to America’s Pacific Northwest to prove the existence of a legendary creature. A living remnant of Man’s primitive ancestry. The Missing Link.

Zach Galifianakis is Mr. Link: the slightly silly, surprisingly smart and soulful beast upon whom Sir Lionel’s dreams depend. As species go, he’s as endangered as they get; he’s the last of his kind, and he’s lonely. Proposing a daring quest to seek out his rumored distant relatives, he enlists Sir Lionel’s help in an odyssey around the world to find the fabled valley of Shangri-La.

Together with Adelina Fortnight (voiced by Zoe Saldana), an independent and resourceful adventurer who possesses the only known map to the group’s secret destination, the unlikely trio embarks on a riotous rollercoaster of a ride. Along the way, our fearless explorers encounter more than their fair share of peril, stalked at every turn by dastardly villains seeking to thwart their mission. Through it all, Mr. Link’s disarming charm and good-humored conviction provide the emotional and comedic foundation of this fun-filled family film.

Bursting with humor, heart, and a profound message of acceptance and finding one’s place, Missing Link is written and directed by Oscar® nominee Chris Butler (ParaNorman). LAIKA’s head of production and Oscar® nominee Arianne Sutner (ParaNorman, Kubo and the Two Strings) is producing with Mr. Knight, who earned an Academy Award® nomination and BAFTA win for his directorial debut on Kubo.

“It was a constant source of delight to witness how our game and captivating cast imbued these larger- than- life characters with distinct personality,” said writer/director Chris Butler. “Hugh lends Sir Lionel a giddy schoolboy enthusiasm bubbling beneath the surface of his suave English gent; Zoe brings an unflappable ardor and a witty playfulness to Adelina, and Zach's performance as Link is not only laugh-out-loud funny, but a beautifully nuanced balance of innocence and vulnerability. It was a treat to be able to join this eclectic gang of adventurers on their journey across the world.”

In addition to Jackman, Saldana and Galifianakis, the estimable voice cast boasts a roster of internationally renowned and award-winning actors from all corners of the world. Oscar® winner Emma Thompson (Sense and Sensibility), Stephen Fry (The Hobbit), Timothy Olyphant (Justified), Matt Lucas (Alice In Wonderland), David Walliams (Little Britain), Amrita Acharia (Game of Thrones) and Ching Valdes-Aran (Nurse Jackie) bring their extraordinary talents to this globe-trotting spectacle.

“It's only now with our fifth film that as a team we have the experience, the know-how and the collaborative confidence to even attempt a movie of this size and scope,” said producer Arianne Sutner. “We created 110 sets with 65 unique locations to achieve the film’s scale, majesty and geographic beauty. I couldn’t be more in awe of our LAIKA crew members. Their endless reserves of imagination were pushed to the limit during the production of this ambitious movie, and we ended up soaring past those limits.”’

https://www.laika.com/news/missing-link

#missing link #laika studios #animation #stop motion #film news #news #WE'VE GOT A TITLE FOLKS! AND LOTS OF INFORMATION!!!#OUR PRAYERS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED!

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preserving-ferretbrain · 6 years ago

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Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows: Afterword

by Dan H

Friday, 10 August 2007Dan concludes his series of articles and his Ferretbrain coup.~Having just dedicated the best part of a fortnight to producing a chapter-by-chapter review of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, I thought it best to conclude with an overview of the series, highlighting some of the things I found most discomforting about Rowling's Opus.

This is going to be in three sections, so bear with me.

Chekhov's Guns: Rowling and Style

Commendation has, of course, been heaped upon Rowling from all corners for her epic septology, and one of the most common articles of praise is her supposed mastery of something that the internet likes to call "Chekhov's Gun".

This is the thing JK uses all the time, where something gets mentioned in passing in book X, only to become a crucial plot point in book X+1. See, for example, Harry's ability to speak to snakes, the diary from book 2 turning out to be a Horcrux in book 6, or the diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw showing up in the Room of Lost Things as a random piece of junk.

Rowling's fans view this sort of trick as the Height of Good Writing, and they frequently cite Anton Chekov in support of this.

The actual line they are referencing (or, as I hope I am about to demonstrate, mis-referencing) is the following:

One must not put a loaded rifle on stage if no-one is thinking of firing it

It is sometimes also couched in the following terms:

If in the first act you have hung a pistol on the wall, in the following one it should be fired. Otherwise do not put it there.

There are two crucial things about Chekhov's guns which The Internet At Large fails to notice.

The first is that in both cases, Chekhov is talking about the stage. Small details matter a lot more on stage than in a book, because novelists are expected to describe their locations in greater detail than playwrights are.

The second, and significantly more important thing which people seem to get wrong about this Chekhov quote is that they seem to mentally reverse the word order. In particular, people seem to read it as:

If in the second act, you intend for a pistol to be fired, you must have hung it on the wall in the first act.

The difference here is important. The first (original, correct) sentence is an admonition. It's basically saying (and I take some license with this, I admit) "do not introduce details into your text which do not serve to drive the narrative forwards." People usually take "Chekov's Gun" to be something implied more strongly by the second sentence, very roughly: "if something is important to your narrative, it should be introduced well in advance." Or, to put it in the most condescending way possible "it is desirable to introduce seemingly pointless details, so that you will look clever when they become important later on."

"But Dan," I can hear at least one person shouting from the electronic wilderness. "Why does it matter what Chekhov might or might not have originally said, and what he might or might not have meant by it? If people enjoy the way that Rowling introduces seemingly irrelevant detail, only to have it become important later on, isn't that good enough?"

Well no. It isn't.

Chekhov's Guns are an example demonstrating the importance of placing the focus on the story you are trying to tell. You don't put a gun on stage unless somebody is intending to fire it. You don't give the hero's mentor a Dark Past unless it is going to be somehow important.

Rowling's "Guns" are the exact opposite. They represent the primacy of world over narrative. The difference here is subtle but vital. Chekhov's Gun is a setting detail which drives the story. Rowling's Guns are story details which drive the setting.

Take the Dumbledore backstory. In Book 1 we read, on a chocolate frog card, that Dumbledore defeated the Dark Wizard Grindelwald. In Book Seven we learn that in fact he and Grindelwald were close friends, and plotted to take over the world together. But neither of these revelations drive the story. They are both equally unimportant, and Anton Chekhov would, I am certain, have considered both of them to be an unfired gun.

"But Dan," the guy from before is still saying "some people clearly liked the Dumbledore backplot, so why does it matter what you think Chekhov would have thought of it?"

And here, frankly, I'm going to get snarky.

By using Chekov's Gun to validate the fact that the pointless crap in the previous books gets revealed to be bigger but equally pointless crap in the final book, people are claiming that a cheap trick has literary merit. They are equating the fannish desire to be rewarded for obsession with detail with the creation of a strong, tautly plotted story.

The Invisible Man: Rowling and Virtue

JK Rowling has stated on a number of occasions that, if she were to join Hogwarts, she would want to be sorted into Gryffindor, because she values bravery above all things.

I genuinely believe this. I also believe that JK Rowling has a really messed up definition of "bravery".

In the final book of the series it is revealed that the Invisibility Cloak, which Harry has carried around since book one, is in fact the greatest of the Deathly Hallows. Its true glory, Dumbledore explains in the final chapter, is that it can "protect others as well as the wearer." Why that is more true of the Cloak than the Wand (which can presumably be used for shield charms as well as killing curses) I will never know.

I do, however, think it is very telling that JK Rowling's great hero possesses, as his defining quality, invisibility.

The original invisible man is driven slowly mad by his condition. Of course it's a slightly different situation, since Griffin's condition is irreversible, whereas Harry can put the cloak on or take it off as he pleases. However, the central point of the original Invisible Man story is that to be invisible is to lose all sense of identity, all contact with the world, and all need to face the consequences of your actions. This image (or perhaps non-image) resonates throughout fiction. The invisible man is no man at all.

Yet for Rowling, invisibility is a hero's virtue. This becomes even more interesting when we realise that as well as having the power to become physically invisible, Harry is "invisible" in many other ways as well. His very lack of personality, of drive or motivation, is held as his greatest and most admirable virtue.

This strange situation goes right back to the first book. In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Quirrel is unable to find the stone, because when he looks into the Mirror of Erised, all he sees is himself handing the stone over to Voldemort. The mirror spies into his mind, and determines his true motivation for wanting the stone, and finds him lacking. Harry, however, looks into the mirror, and sees himself finding the stone. Dumbledore later explains that "only one who wished only to find the stone, find it and not use it" would be able to pass that particular test.

Now by itself, there's nothing wrong with that. It's a standard children's fantasy setup: the magical doohickey looks into your heart and sees that you are Good and True and Pure, and you win. In the context of the wider series, however, it sets a strange precedent. Harry is able to find the Philosopher's Stone because he has no motivation for looking for it in the first place, and this continues throughout the series, and is singled out as the quality which makes Harry a "better man" than the other characters.

Throughout the series, the most noble reason for any course of action is no reason at all. Harry seeks the Deathly Hallows because he thinks it might maybe be what Dumbledore was expecting him to do. And according to Dumbledore, had he sought them for any other reason, he would not have been worthy to find them. When Dumbledore tried to unite the Hallows, he was actually trying to achieve something, and therefore proved himself unworthy.

Harry spends seven years doing what he thinks other people might expect him to. He's utterly passive. The piece de resistance in this directionless saga is, of course, Harry's "sacrifice" at the "climax" of the seventh book. Having seen in the pensieve that Dumbledore intended for him to be killed by Voldemort, he immediately decides to lay down and die. Rowling, apparently, views this as the height of courage. The act of a True Gryffindor. I view it as utterly craven.

JK Rowling seems to view "courage" as the quality which allows you to accept the world as you find it. Now if we were talking about things which genuinely were beyond your control, that would be one thing, but Potter is a hero, and the protagonist of the stories. He is supposed to be changing the world (and according to Rowling's later interviews, he totally does, after the books end).

Harry goes willingly to his death, not to protect anybody, not to save the world, not to destroy Voldemort, but because somebody tells him he's meant to. It's pathetic. But in the afterlife, Dumbledore heaps praise upon him, and tells him that he has become the true "Master of Death" because he killed himself on instruction.

The flip-side to Harry's passive Gryffindor "courage" is of course the "ambition" of House Slytherin. Many fans were deeply upset that the Slytherins all abandoned Hogwarts in the final fight: "they were supposed to be ambitious, not evil" is a common complaint. To Rowling, however, ambition is evil in and of itself. Actual desires, actual motivations, are reprehensible things. No action is pure unless it is motivated by a nonspecific sense of duty.

I'm currently reading Robin Hobb's Farseer trilogy (the ones about the assassin). It's interesting to compare Fitz unwavering loyalty to the Farseer line, and Harry's unwavering loyalty to Dumbledore. Fitz's absolute loyalty is presented as much as a failing as a virtue. While laudable, his utter devotion to a single master gets in the way of his developing real human relationships. In many ways, Fitz is prevented from becoming a complete human being by his dedication to his master.

Harry, on the other hand, shows a similar blind loyalty, not only to Dumbledore, but increasingly to a spurious and nebulous sense of "should be" and this is what makes him a "better man" than Dumbledore. JK Rowling glorifies her hero for having no personality, and tells us that his blind following of the plot makes him a great man.

Like fuck.

Dulce et Decorum Est: Rowling on Death

This is where I go from being a bitter ex-fan, to being genuinely angry. JK Rowling's attitude to death in the books is trite, patronising and offensive.

In the penultimate chapter of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Harry becomes the "Master of Death." He does this by willingly sacrificing his life to Voldemort, and by "understanding that there far worse things in the living world than dying."

I'm onside with the idea that there are worse things than death. It is most certainly better to die than to - say - slaughter hundreds of innocent people in a misguided attempt to divide your soul into seven pieces and attain immortality. I might even go so far as to accept that it's better to die than to betray your friend, his wife, and his infant son to a murderous psychopath.

However Harry does not go to his death for any of these reasons. Harry goes to his death because Dumbledore told him to.

Now before you all start writing in, I get the whole "Harry was a Horcrux" deal. I understand that Voldemort couldn't die while Harry was alive. I get the prophecy. I understand why Dumbledore told Harry to go and kill himself. But it's not the issue. The issue is that nobody tried to find a solution to the problem that did not involve Harry sacrificing himself. Harry's death is considered to be a desirable end in and of itself.

And this is what gets me. It is not courage which Rowling praises, it is not struggling, or striving, or fighting. It is not defiance in the face of evi. It is the very act of dying which she glorifies.

As I pointed out in my earlier article, every single man, woman and child who stayed to fight the Battle of Hogwarts was willing to die to protect something or somebody. But because they fought, because they tried to stay alive, because they tried to solve their problems by confronting them head on, their struggle is considered somehow less noble than Harry's ritual suicide.

Perhaps I would find Rowling's portrayal of death less offensive if I didn't know she took such pride in it. She talks about how being a children's writer means being a "cold, callous killer."

Then there's

this

interview with msnbc, in which she tells us, with reference to the death of Lupin and Tonks:

"I think one of the most devastating things about war is the children left behind. As happened in the first war when Harry's left behind, I wanted us to see another child left behind. And it made it very poignant that it was their newborn son."

Except that we don't see the child until the epilogue, and when we do, we don't see any sign that he has been affected in any way by the death of his parents. Harry expresses no sense of obligation towards his orphaned godson, no sense of responsibility. Harry's words of wisdom are to his natural son Albus Severus, not to fellow war-orphan Teddy Lupin.

And of course, Teddy Lupin was only orphaned at all because Remus and Nymphadora chose to fight at Hogwarts. They clearly felt not only that there were worse things in the living world than dying, but that parenthood was one of them.

Of course, the Lupins aren't the only couple to completely reject their parental duties the moment they get the whiff of an opportunity for heroism. The late James and Lily Potter make an all-singing all-dancing cameo as the Super Suicide Cheerleader Squad, when they appear before Harry and tell him that they are "very proud" that he is marching blindly to his death and that it "won't be long now" and that dying is "quicker and easier than falling asleep."

I said it before, and I'll say it again. That is fucking fucked up. He is their fucking son for fuck's sake. I don't care how evil Voldemort is. I don't care how cool your afterlife is. Did Lily Potter really stand in front of a Killing Curse for Harry just so that he could go and stand in front of another one sixteen years later?

As I think I have already said, the message of the Harry Potter books is supposed to be "there are far worse things than death." Now to be honest, I don't think that's a massively controversial statement. But she takes it way too far. She spends so much time talking about how it's okay to be dead, so much time telling us that Harry's decision to die is Brave and Right and Honourable, and so much time talking about dead characters, that it seems like in the Potterverse, life is just an unfortunate preamble to the main event.

Interestingly, this is exactly the same attitude which C.S. Lewis is routinely lambasted for presenting. The difference is that Lewis presented it deliberately, and it was founded in a devout Christian faith. Rowling's freaky death-cult is the accidental result of a bad writer cramming one too many sentimental cliches into a badly thought-out treatise on bereavement.

I think the basic problem is that JK herself doesn't know what she thinks about death. She just knows that it's Very Very Important and that she wants to say something about it. She knows that when people die it is very sad, but wants to reassure her readers (and dare I suggest, herself) that ultimately death is a perfectly natural part of life. The problem is that all of these conflicting motivations spill out into a terrible jumble on the page. So sometimes we're told how terrible death is ("the suddenness and completeness of death was with them like a presence" and of course murder is the "supreme act of evil") but at the same time we are told that actually dying and being dead are perfectly fine. Even if you're only seventeen, or have a new-born child to bring up.

I'm going to get into some slightly murky water now, and play the "what I think a complete stranger's life is like" card.

It's fairly well publicised that, around the time Harry Potter was first getting going, JK's mother died. She apparently had MS and the last six months of her life were hellish. This being the case, I can well see that you would develop an idea of death as something tragic but ultimately merciful. But what is a welcome release to an old woman with a terminal illness is just a senseless waste for a young couple with children, or a seventeen year old boy.

Rowling tries to confront the horror of death and the futility of war, but because she is unwilling to present any of the characters who die as anything but heroic (if they are good) or irredeemable (if they are evil), she manages only to glorify it. Sweet and honourable it is to die for Hogwarts.

And indeed, Owen says it better than I can, so I'll leave you with him. If you're reading JK, I'd take some notes.

If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs, Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud Of vile incurable sores on innocent tongues, My friend you would not tell with such high zest To children ardent for some desperate glory, The old Lie; Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori.

Themes:

J.K. Rowling

Books

Young Adult / Children

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Wardog

at 15:41 on 2007-08-10I think you're being a little harsh on the Chekov's Gun (aka Puzzlebox) style of book. I'm not say it's great literature and I'm not actually sure who is claiming its great literature but one of the few things that DH Appreciators can actually sell me on is how fun it is to see the books fitting together. David, for example, loves that sort of thing. And apparently if you read back it's very rewarding. I'm just saying.

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Dan H

at 16:02 on 2007-08-10I'm totally fine with the Puzzlebox style. I just find it annoying that people confuse it with literary merit (which I think they do).

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Mystiquefire

at 18:05 on 2007-08-11I read all your DH reviews and I couldn't stop laughing. I agree with every single word. As much I used to love HP, I completely hate DH. I honestly think you're a 100 times better writer than JKR.

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Dan H

at 21:46 on 2007-08-11That's very kind of you.

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Wardog

at 21:53 on 2007-08-11Hehe, that's not saying much - a large portion of her fan community are better writers than JK ;)

My jumping off point was definitely the 5th book ... retrospectively I'm a bit peeved with the 4th but I remember just being hungry for more Potter at the time and not minding the length much beyond thinking "well, this is a wee bit indulgent."

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Arthur B

at 01:18 on 2007-08-12I think the reason I tend to hold the 4th book in higher esteem than, say, the 5th is that a) something actually happens in it, and it is actually - while flabby - much leaner than book 5, and b) when blokey dies at the end it's genuinely striking and powerful, because none of the good guys have ever actually died in a HP book so far, so you had a sense that a line had been crossed.

The problem is, with the exception of Dumbledore, Voldemort and (arguably) Sirius and Hedwig, every death after that has been of a less important character, rather than a more important character.

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http://lunabell14.livejournal.com/

at 04:56 on 2010-01-06I hadn't thought about a lot of these points until I had read your reviews, and even then I was unwilling to completely side with your point of view. I did notice I didn't like the characters as much once it hit Half-Blood Prince, but I've also been reading the series since I was 8, and I'm currently 19, so I really, really wanted to continue loving the series. But I must admit, you are pretty much completely correct about Harry Potter, particularly Deathly Hallows.

The only disagreement I have is about the suicide cult. They truly, honest-to-God, believed that the only way to destroy Voldemort and save the Wizarding World was for him to sacrifice himself. They were proud of him for doing the right thing and making an ultimate sacrifice. I can see why you do think the mauraders and Lily encouraging his walk to death was creepy, though.

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Dan H

at 11:22 on 2010-01-08I think the issue here is that I tend to engage with texts on a more (for want of a better term) "meta" level. Yes in the text Harry sacrificing himself is the only way to defeat Voldemort, but the reason it's the only way to defeat Voldemort is that Rowling chose to *make* it the only way to defeat Voldemort.

This is partially a personal, political preference, but I have real issues with the fetishisation of martyrdom, particularly when the martyrs are children. "Killing yourself in order to kill your enemies" isn't noble, it's suicide bombing.

There's also the simple fact that there was no actual reason to *kill* Voldemort other than the (again rather dubious) notion that it is desirable to slay one's enemies. His Horcruxes didn't make Voldemort all-powerful, or even indestructible. They didn't stop anybody from putting him in prison or even from simply taking his wand away (which would have rendered him entirely powerless). As I think I point out in the reviews, Harry's sacrifice very specifically *isn't* about saving anybody, it's about killing somebody.

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Frank

at 16:45 on 2010-01-08

"Killing yourself in order to kill your enemies" isn't noble, it's suicide bombing.

It isn't suicide bombing. It's just suicide, and Harry's attempt at it killed no one.

taking his wand away (which would have rendered him entirely powerless).

As for being wandless, Quirrel and the kids at the orphanage didn't find him lacking power.

Harry's sacrifice very specifically *isn't* about saving anybody, it's about killing somebody.

I agree. More specifically, it's about making someone killable. This would be cool if Rowling did more with it, making him more human, having Harry forgive Voldemort who would then experience different sort of love magic.

But alas, she limp-dicked it, made it an action movie lacking thought, heart or potency.

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Shim

at 17:09 on 2010-01-08Sorry Frank, I have to go with Dan on this one. On a pedantic level (my usual level) it's not strictly actual suicide bombing, but I think it's a reasonable comparison.

On the other hand, I seem to remember people casting spells without a wand, so I'm with you there.

On a third, mutant hand, I'm not sure about the forgiveness bit - it's been done and is typically a bit nauseating and unlikely (especially given Harry isn't exactly the pure noble benevolent type who usually gets taht role). But taking away his power and locking him up, or indeed going through some kind of Due Process and executing him (the wizarding world being fairly brutal) - that'd work.

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Sister Magpie

at 20:01 on 2010-01-08That makes me think of the mixed fan reaction to the finale of Avatar (the Last Airbender series, not the James Cameron film!).

Spoiler alert:

Ozai, the villain, is stripped of his powers and put in jail--this after the main conflict for the hero is how to succeed without killing, because he comes from a pacifist society (that was wiped out by these bad guys). A lot of people just couldn't accept at all that this was a victory because Ozai would still be a threat as long as he was alive.

Myself, I thought it worked. A guy without powers was neutralized and wouldn't get out of prison--and if somebody wanted to write him doing that in a fanfic that's fine, but it wasn't really a problem. But it just struck me how people didn't see "strip him of his magic powers and put him in prison" was a viable option.

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Dan H

at 01:46 on 2010-01-10I suspect that part of this is just narrative neatness. If the villain doesn't die, then there's a lot of awkward questions to ask about what actually *does* happen to them. It's often the same with ex-lovers - better for them to die than for them to be hanging around spoiling the ending. Heck it's the same with mentors.

On the other hand, there's something more than a bit iffy about a mentality that says "no, just stopping them from hurting anybody ever again isn't enough, we need to kill them in public."

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Robinson L

at 15:00 on 2010-01-15

I'm not sure about the forgiveness bit - it's been done and is typically a bit nauseating and unlikely

Well, that's not to say it can't be pulled off, even in fiction (as my father is pointing out, there's a lot of stuff you can get away with in nonfiction that would be infinitely less credible in fiction). I do agree, however, that Harry was probably not the best candidate for that role.

I suspect that part of this is just narrative neatness. If the villain doesn't die, then there's a lot of awkward questions to ask about what actually *does* happen to them.

You're more forgiving than I am, Dan. I consider it lazy, often as not. Many times, I'll grant you, killing off the villain (as opposed to merely neutralizing them) is integral to the plot - but I've seen loads of other examples where the only reason for killing off the villain seems to be that it's the cultural default. (While killing off the mentor is even more cliche, it, at least, can often serve to advance the plot.)

On the other hand, there's something more than a bit iffy about a mentality that says "no, just stopping them from hurting anybody ever again isn't enough, we need to kill them in public."

I don't know about "in public," but yes, I am painfully aware of said mentality (it's practically a staple here in the US) and it's very, very disturbing.

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Robinson L

at 00:00 on 2010-01-20Bugger! I forgot to point out that while an “all as forgiven” ending (as written by Rowling) would undoubtedly have been nauseating and unlikely, I question whether it would've been actively

worse

than the epic anticlimax she actually delivered.

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http://deralte.livejournal.com/

at 07:04 on 2011-06-04*wandering by very late after the fact* Thank you for these reviews. I was surrounded by Rowling fans after I read the book and never really had the chance to rant properly about the book so reading this was cathartic.

I think you missed out on a point that drove me insane about Rowling from Book 5 onwards. Namely, she started requiring Harry et al to be stupid for her plot to work. That was hard to forgive after she plotted her third book so well.

That and the fact that in each book, Harry acted exactly as a kid/teen at that exact age is supposed to act (in Rowling's mind at least) and never seemed to have a personality beyond that (capslock!Harry is a good example), were the two things that really drove me insane, up until the final book when interminable camping trips and illogical mcguffins were added to the list. I also like your three points above;)

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Ashimbabbar

at 20:02 on 2016-05-19Just happened on this on

http://listverse.com/2013/01/14/deleted-book-chapters/

"J.K. Rowling considered two possible endings for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows. In the end she chose the version we all know: Voldemort dies and Harry saves everyone. The alternative ending was not so happy. Instead it is implied that Voldemort may have lived on as a statue in the grounds of Hogwarts.

Furthermore, Harry, now the headmaster of Hogwarts and an old man, wipes everyone’s memories of Voldemort and it is implied that Harry’s own great-grandson is to be the next great dark wizard. Rowling never intended for this to become public knowledge but her friend (the only one who knew about it) leaked it to the Internet."

Sounds way better to me…

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Robinson L

at 06:30 on 2016-05-21

Ashimbabar: Sounds way better to me…

Can't say I concur, on the face of it.

I mean, it sounds like it could be better, if it were handled with sensitivity and subtlety. It also sounds like it could as easily be as melodramatic and sloppy as the ending we actually got if mishandled. If, for instance, it was done in the spirit of "Look at me and how Dark and Grim I'm being here," I think it would be about equally aggravating - and given how much Rowling indulged in that kind of thing already with all the Serious and Important Points she was Making about Serious Issues like Death and Intolerance and such, it's no more than I would expect.

In general, I don't think sad or ambiguous endings are any better (or worse) than upbeat endings: it all depends upon how well the author handles them, and there's nothing in the two paragraphs you quoted which sounds to me any more intrinsically meritorious than the ending we actually got in its broad outlines.

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Ichneumon

at 07:33 on 2016-05-22As usual, I'm going to be the one who goes, "I don't think it was really that bad, guys," but I'll refrain from the apologist route here and say that such an ending could only have gone well if Rowling had returned to the tone of the early books, which seems unlikely given where her writing has gone in general. The offhand mix of the whimsical and sardonic that marks the first few chapters of The Philosopher's Stone would be perfect, but the moodier, more involved style of the later books could make things excessively grim. And mind you, some of the best bits in the sixth book are in the flashbacks, which are consistently ominous, but it just wouldn't jibe with that sort of conclusion.

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Arthur B

at 12:04 on 2016-05-22I am not sure how you spin "Harry's descendant becomes the next dark lord" in a way which is whimsical and sardonic rather than just grim, particularly when - as you point out - it comes at the end of the most densely grim books of the series.

It just kind of sounds... fanficcy, to me. Like it's an ending which in principle matches the facts but is entirely wrong for the tone and narrative arc.

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Melanie

at 20:50 on 2016-05-22

I am not sure how you spin "Harry's descendant becomes the next dark lord" in a way which is whimsical and sardonic rather than just grim

Yeah, that might've been why she didn't go with that ending.

Honestly, I don't find the-ending-that-could-have-been and similar things that significant. Any first draft or early outline might have all kinds of things the author later thought better of for whatever reason.

It feels more relevant if it's, say, a movie or tv show or video game and it's something like "we wanted to do x but we ran out of budget/couldn't make the effects work/something happened to an actor partway through and we had to work around it".

Though tbh you usually don't actually

get

the alternate ending to compare it directly (including whatever flaws it might have had if it'd actually been made) so even then it tends to just be relevant for purposes of critiquing the writing. E.g. it's a little unfair to criticize the fact that they killed off a character abruptly and offscreen if the reason was that the

actor

died--a factor they had no control over whatsoever.

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Arthur B

at 22:09 on 2016-05-22Yeah, sometimes you have situations where an entirely alternate ending was filmed or something (

First Blood

is a classic example of this), but "We/I considered doing this but then thought better of it" by itself isn't very interesting.

I'm sure Rowling must have at least given a brief bit of thought to embracing the "Dumbledore is Ron from the future" theory, but that doesn't mean there was ever any serious prospect of it actually making it into print.

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Sister Magpie

at 21:02 on 2016-05-24FWIW, you could totally read the ending of the book now and decide Voldemort lives on and Harry's descendant could be the next dark lord.

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Janne Kirjasniemi

at 09:20 on 2016-05-26

am not sure how you spin "Harry's descendant becomes the next dark lord" in a way which is whimsical and sardonic rather than just grim

Perhaps "the dark lord" part is a aesthetic and he is actually just a really fun guy. Then the sardonic part could be how a more capable candidate for the position of the Minister of Magic loses, because the Dark Lord is just so much more popular and wins every debate with well timed magical guitar shredding (he has put his wand into the guitar). A kind of a Salieri-Mozart dynamic. The whimsical part could do with grandpa Harry's disapproval of his descendants shenanigans, until he is able to remember a part of his rotten childhood, that actually brings back good memories and has something to do with muggle rock music he heard when he was a child. In a whimsical way.

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Ichneumon

at 12:54 on 2016-05-26

I am not sure how you spin "Harry's descendant becomes the next dark lord" in a way which is whimsical and sardonic rather than just grim, particularly when - as you point out - it comes at the end of the most densely grim books of the series.

I was thinking more of the other details, with that particular element being more of a sour, unsettling kick at the end. Which, again, wouldn't be entirely out of keeping with some of Rowling's earlier stuff: Consider how the first chapter of the first book begins with rather on-the-nose social satire and ends somewhere entirely different, all the while keeping roughly the same atmosphere. I feel like a sort of warped reprise of that same mode of writing would have been interesting, at the very least, but pulling off that sort of intentional tonal dissonance is quite the balancing act, and the last book makes a lot of... *odd* choices to begin with.

#Ferretbrain #Harry Potter #Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows #J.K. Rowling #Dan H

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