#female fantasy characters experience so much sexism in their actual worlds and from fans themselves

[fantasymindpalace]

i feel like misogyny and sexism in the fantasy genre has really always been there because fantasy does draw inspiration from and reflect upon certain times in actual human history. i just wish there were some good fantasy books that created universes where there was just no concept of gender discrimination. in fantasy we pick and choose which world aspects are inspired from our own history and which ones are completely fantastical and fictional. if dragons and magic can be real, would it be so hard to imagine a truly egalitarian society in terms of sex and gender?

but i understand that misogyny will be reflected in art simply because art draws from reality and its part of our reality and has been forever. but like idk it would just be cool to see

[tcm]

Reframing Films of the Past: An Interview with TCM Writers

All month long in March, TCM will be taking a look at a number of beloved classic films that have stood the test of time, but when viewed by contemporary standards, certain aspects of these films are troubling and problematic. During TCM’s Reframed: Classics in the Rearview Mirror programming, all five TCM hosts will appear on the network to discuss these issues, their historical and cultural context and how we can keep the legacy of great films alive for future generations.

Also joining in on this conversation are four TCM writers who were open enough to share their thoughts on their love of classic movies and watching troubling images of the past. Special thanks to Theresa Brown, Constance Cherise, Susan King and Kim Luperi for taking part in this conversation. Continue the conversation over on TCM’s Twitter.

What do you say to people who don’t like classics because they’re racist and sexist? 

KL: There are positive representations in classic Hollywood that I think would blow some peoples’ minds. I always love introducing people to new titles that challenge expectations. 

That said, anyone who broadly slaps a sexist or racist label on a large part of the medium’s history does a disservice to cinema and themselves. That mindset keeps them ignorant not only of some excellent movies and groundbreaking innovation but history itself. 

I think people need to remember that movies are a product of their time and they can reflect the society they were made into a variety of degrees - good, bad, politically, culturally, socially. That’s not to excuse racism or sexism; it needs to be recognized and called out as such for us to contend with it today. But it’s important for people who say they don’t like classics for those reasons to understand the historical context. In particular, we need to acknowledge that society has evolved - and what was deemed socially acceptable at times has, too, even if sexism and racism are always wrong - and we are applying a modern lens to these films that come with the benefit of decades worth of activism, growth and education.

SK: I totally agree K.L. For years I have been encouraging people to watch vintage movies who keep proclaiming they don’t like black-and-white films or silent films. For every Birth of a Nation (1915) there are beautiful dramas, wonderful comedies and delicious mysteries and film noirs. 

 These films that have racist and sexist elements shouldn’t be collectively swept under the rug, because as K.L. stated they shine a light on what society was like – both good and bad. 

CC: First off, fellow writers may I say, I think your work is amazing. I'm continually learning from the talent that is here, and I am humbled to be a part of this particular company. Similar to the prior answers, for every racist/sexist film the opposite exists. Personally, classic musicals attracted me due to their visual assault, creativity and their unmistakable triple-threat performances. While we cannot ignore racist stereotypes and sexism, there are films that simply are "fantasies of art." There is also a review of evolution. In 20 years, what we now deem as acceptable behavior/conversation will be thought of as outdated and will also require being put into "historical context."  What we collectively said/thought/did 20 years ago, we are currently either re-adjusting or reckoning with now, and that is a truth of life that will never change. We will always evolve.

TB: I would say to them they should consider the times the movie was made in. It was a whole different mindset back then. 

Are there movies that you love but are hesitant to recommend to others because of problematic elements in them? If so, which movies? 

TB: Yes, there are movies I’m hesitant to recommend. The big one, off the top of my head, would be Gone With the Wind (1939). The whole slavery thing is a bit of a sticky wicket for people, especially Black folks. Me, I love the movie. It is truly a monumental feat of filmmaking for 1939. I’m not saying I’m happy with the depiction of African Americans in that film. I recognize the issues. But when I look at a classic film, I suppose I find I have to compartmentalize things. I tend to gravitate on the humanity of a character I can relate to. 

KL: Synthetic Sin (1929), a long thought lost film, was found in the 2010s, and I saw it at Cinecon a few years ago. As a Colleen Moore fan, I thoroughly enjoyed most of it, but it contains a scene of her performing in blackface that doesn’t add anything to the plot. That decision brings the movie down in my memory, which is why I have trouble recommending it.

Also Smarty (1934), starring Warren William and Joan Blondell, is another movie I don’t recommend because it’s basically about spousal abuse played for comedy, and it did not age well for that reason.

SK: Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961): Audrey Hepburn is my favorite actress and I love her Oscar-nominated performance as Holly. I adore Orangy as Cat, as well as George Peppard and Buddy Ebsen, who is wonderfully endearing. And of course, “Moon River” makes me cry whenever I hear it. But then I cringe and am practically nauseous every time Mickey Rooney pops up on screen with his disgusting stereotypical performance as Holly’s Japanese landlord Mr. Yunioshi. What was director Blake Edwards thinking casting him in this part? Perhaps because he’s such a caricature no Japanese actor wanted to play him, so he cast Rooney with whom he had worked within the 1950s. 

CC: I cannot necessarily state that I am in "love," but, a film that comes to mind would be Anna and the King of Siam (1946). It is an absolutely beautiful visual film. However, Rex Harrison as King Mongkut requires some explanation. 

Holiday Inn (1942), and the Abraham number...why??? Might I also add, there were many jaw-dropping, racist cartoons.

How did you learn to deal with the negative images of the past? 

KL: I often look at it as a learning experience. Negative images can provoke much-needed conversation (internally or with others) and for me, they often prompt my education in an area that I wasn’t well versed in. For instance, blackface is featured in some classic films, and its history is something I never knew much about. That said, seeing its use in movies prompted me to do some research, which led me first to TCM’s short documentary about blackface and Hollywood. I love how TCM strives to provide context and seeks to educate viewers on uncomfortable, contentious subjects so we can appreciate classic films while still acknowledging and understanding the history and the harmful stereotypes some perpetuated.

SK: It’s also been a learning experience for me. Though I started watching movies as a little girl in the late 1950s, thanks to TCM and Warner Archive I realized that a lot of films were taken out of circulation because of racist elements. TCM has not only screened a lot of these films but they have accompanied the movies with conversations exploring the stereotypes in the films.  

CC: As a Black woman, negative images of the past continue to be a lesson on how Blacks, as well as other minorities, were seen (and in some cases still are seen) through an accepted mainstream American lens. On one hand, it's true, during the depiction of these films the majority of Black Americans were truly relegated to servant roles, so it stands to reason that depictions of Black America would be within the same vein. What is triggering to me, are demeaning roles, and the constant exaggeration of the slow-minded stereotype, blackface. When you look at the glass ceiling that minority performers faced from those in power, the need for suppression and domination is transparent because art can be a powerful agent of change. I dealt with the negative images of the past by knowing and understanding that the depiction being given to me was someone else's narrative, of who they thought I was, not who I actually am.

TB: I’m not sure HOW I learned to deal with negative images. Again, I think it might go back to me compartmentalizing.

I don’t know if this is right or wrong…but I’ve always found myself identifying with the leads and their struggles. As a human being, I can certainly identify with losing a romantic partner, money troubles, losing a job…no matter the ethnicity.

In what ways have we evolved from the movies of the classic era?

KL: I think we are more socially and culturally conscious now when it comes to stories, diversity and representation on screen and behind the scenes, which is a step forward. That said, while there's been growth, there's still much work to be done.

SK: I think this year’s crop of awards contenders show how things have evolved with Da 5 Bloods, Soul, One Night in Miami, Minari, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, The United States Vs. Billie Holiday, Judas and the Black Messiah and MLK/FBI. 

But we still have a long way to go. I’d love to see more Native American representation in feature films; more Asian-American and Latino stories. 

CC: There are minority artists, writers, producers, directors, actors with the increasing capacity to create through their own authentic voice, thereby affecting the world, and a measurable amount of them are women! Generally speaking, filmmakers (usually male) have held the voice of the minority narrative as well as the female narrative. I agree with both writers above in the thought that it is progress, and I also agree, more stories of diversified races are needed. 

TB: One important way we've evolved from the movies made in the classic era by being more inclusive in casting. 

Are there any deal-breakers for you when watching a movie, regardless of the era, that make it hard to watch? 

KL: Physical violence in romantic relationships that's played as comedy is pretty much a dealbreaker for me. I mentioned above that I don't recommend Smarty (1934) to people, because when I finally watched it recently, it. was. tough. The way their abuse was painted as part of their relationship just didn’t sit well with me.

SK: Extreme racist elements and just as KL states physical violence. 

Regarding extreme racist elements, D.W. Griffith’s Birth of a Nation (1915) is just too horrific to watch. I was sickened when I saw it when I was in grad school at USC 44 years ago and it’s only gotten worse. And then there’s also Wonder Bar (1934), the pre-code Al Jolson movie that features the Busby Berkeley black minstrel number “Goin’ to Heaven on a Mule.” Disgusting.

I also agree with KL about physical violence in comedies and even dramas. I recently revisited Private Lives (1931) with Norma Shearer and Robert Montgomery based on Noel Coward’s hit play. I have fond memories of seeing Maggie Smith in person in the play when I was 20 in the play and less than fond memories of watching Joan Collins destroying Coward’s bon mots.  

But watching the movie again, you realized just how physically violent Amanda and Elyot’s relationship is-they are always talking about committing physical violence-”we were like two violent acids bubbling about in a nasty little matrimonial battle”; “certain women should be struck regularly, like gongs”-or constantly screaming and throwing things.  

There is nothing funny or romantic about this.

KL: I try to put Birth of a Nation out of my mind, but S.K. did remind me of it again, and movies featuring extreme racism at their core like that are also dealbreakers; I totally agree with her assessment. I understand the technological achievements, but I think in the long run, especially in how it helped revive the KKK, the social harm that film brought about outdoes its cinematic innovations.

CC: Like S.K., Wonder Bar immediately came to mind. Excessive acts of violence, such as in the film Natural Born Killers (1994). I walked out of the theatre while the film was still playing. I expected violence, but the gratuitousness was just too much for me. I also have an issue with physical abuse, towards women and children. This is not to say I would not feel the same way about a man. However, when males are involved, it tends to be a fight, an exchange of physical energy, generally speaking, when we see physical abuse it is perpetuated towards women and children.

TB: I have a couple of moments that pinch my heart when I watch a movie. It doesn’t mean I won’t watch the movie. It just means I roll my eyes…verrrrry hard.

-Blackface…that’s a little rough; especially when the time period OF the movie is the ‘30s or ‘40s film.

-Not giving the Black actors a real name to be called by in the film (Snowflake…Belvedere…Lightnin’). I mean, can’t they have a regular name like Debbie or Bob?

-When the actor can’t do the simplest of tasks, i.e. Butterfly McQueen answering the phone in Mildred Pierce (1945) and not knowing which end to speak into. What up with that?

Are there elements they got right that we still haven’t caught up to? 

KL: I don't know if the pre-Code era got sex right (and sensationalism was definitely something studios were going for) but in some ways, I feel that subject was treated as somewhat more accepted and natural back then. Of course, what was shown onscreen in the classic era was nowhere near the extent it is today, but the way the Production Code put a lid on sex (in addition to many other factors) once again made it into more of a taboo topic than it is or should be.

One thing I particularly hate in modern movies is gratuitous violence, and it perplexes and angers me how America weighs violence vs. sex in general through the modern ratings system: films are more likely to get a pass with violence, mostly landing in PG-13 territory and thus making them more socially acceptable, while sex, something natural, is shunned with strictly R ratings. Obviously, there are limits for both, but I think the general thinking there is backwards today.

CC: The elegance, the sophistication, the precision, the dialogue, the intelligence, the wit. The fashion! The layering of craftsmanship. We aren't fans of these films for fleeting reasons, we are fans because of their timeless qualities.

I'm going to sound like a sentimental sap here, ladies get ready. I think they got the institution of family right. Yes, I do lean towards MGM films, so I am coloring my opinion from that perspective. Even if a person hasn't experienced what would have been considered a "traditional family" there is something to be said about witnessing that example. Perhaps not so much of a father and a mother, but to witness a balanced, functioning, loving relationship. What it "looks like" when a father/mother/brother/sister etc. genuinely loves another family member.

I was part of the latch-key generation, and although my parents remained together, many of my friends' parents were divorced. Most won't admit it, but by the reaction to the documentary [Won't You Be My Neighbor?, 2018], the bulk of them went home, sat in front of the TV and watched Mr. Rogers tell them how special they were because their parents certainly were not. We don't know what can "be" unless we see it.

[idreamtofmanderleyagain]

Morality-Focused Frameworks Of Discussion As Acts of Control

This is a post in response to a larger conversation I’ve been having with @eshusplayground. I have a perspective that I think would be really relevant to the conversation but I also don’t want to derail the specific focus of the following posts she’s been making recently.

(Trigger Warning For Abuse Discussion and Brief Mentions of Rape)

---

So I’m in the Hellraiser fandom. More specifically, I’m a Pinhead/Kirsty shipper.

For those of you that don’t know, Pinhead is a demonic torturer from hell who’s design is inspired by the BDSM community. Characters who open a magical puzzle box have unknowingly given themselves away to his violent underworld community of eternal torment and depravity. Hellraiser is a film about romantic and sexual horror, and there’s quite a lot in there about abuse and trauma. Kirsty is a traumatized person, and in my personal opinion, very likely a CSA victim.

And I ship these two characters together.

So the subject matter of my particular fandom is extremely intense and niche and complicated to navigate, although YMMV (I have no trouble with this franchise, but I cannot really handle GOT or American Horror Story, for example). After I grew interested in Hellraiser and integrated into it’s fandom, my perspectives about the way we have conversations about villainous characters started to have a major shift.

I often see people have these intense conversations (and arguments) about where a particular character exists on a moral scale, with the subtext (or outright text) that if they tip too far one way or another, they can be rendered unworthy of their own subgroup of fans within their own fandom. People who love those characters or find them shippable are then subject to moral judgements.

So how does one apply such logic to a psychosexual torture demon?

The answer is you can’t.

The frameworks people online use to have these discussions do not make any sense when talking about my fandom. Hellraiser is a dark horror fairytale presenting disturbing, surreal images and behaviors in order to discuss complex and difficult experiences and perspectives. The monsters within it, like Pinhead, are more metaphor than anything.

Now, my follower count is too low and my fandom is too niche for me to really be on the receiving end of a lot of the cruelty that manifests online about the moral validity of the fiction I enjoy. That said, between the anti-kink TERFS and the younger folks involved in purity culture on this site, I can imagine exactly what it would look like. You know what they would look like.

“You’re an Abuse Apologist!”

“You’re an Abuse Fetishist!”

“You’re reinforcing sexism!”

“he’s an irredeemable torturer, you’re probably okay with literal real world rape lmao uwu”

“This is bad kink representation and you’re complicit in the abuse real men do to women because you like this!”

Now, setting aside the fact that the canon lore context of Pinhead involves him having a human soul brainwashed by a monster god to become what he is, and is also in a roundabout sense “redeemed” in canon, I think most people utilizing this kind of framework would assume that I believe Pinhead can be redeemed in the way online Discourse (tm) means it, because that’s how we talk in fandom about the villains we really like.

I do not want to redeem Pinhead. I don’t think he even needs redeeming. I don’t even see value in that conversation at all. Redemption is not a concept that makes sense for what he is, or what he could become as a character. The framework of Pinhead as a Real-World-Equivalent Human Male Abuser who Cannot Be Redeemed From His Actions would inevitably dominate all conversation, regardless of the fact that it is inherently incorrect and detrimental to real, robust literary analysis of the narrative he exists within and how brilliantly it actually interacts with male on female abuse as a subject. By nature of it’s gross oversimplification and misrepresentation, It ruins the potential for greater, more nuanced and complex conversations.

And that’s the thing: my engagement with this particular story and it’s characters has a lot to do with the potential in the narrative to examine how trauma interacts with love, desire and gender politics. Hellraiser has a very unique way of exploring that kind of subject through a storytelling aesthetic that appeals to me (horror/fairytale, gothic romance, etc).

This is about to get personal, so strap the fuck in.

I am the victim of gendered abuse, in that I had an emotionally abusive step father and sexism was absolutely a factor in why that manifested the way it did. I am also a second hand victim of gendered abuse, in that my biological father was a serial stalker and rapist, and other male abusers (or just self-centered family members) caused severe emotional destabilization in my childhood. I grew up viewing adult men as unstable, selfish children. My family endured a lot, and I came to resent the men in my mother’ life for not taking on the role of protector and nurturer when she needed them most. I had discovered the great lie of traditional masculinity: in the face of real crisis, grown men were not protectors. They did not hold together the domestic space. They abused or faltered and abandoned us. This was a repeated pattern among several men in different roles. I was often left picking up all the pieces, taking on roles as a child that these men could not. I had to have strength they did not.

My experience of desire for romantic intimacy with men and men in roles of stable, nurturing authority now inherently involves a jumbled emotional soup of fear, pain, and a deep longing that comes from a place of feminine vulnerability, a desire to be taken care of instead of being the caretaker.

The narrative of Hellraiser pushes a lot of buttons for me. It speaks to my own trauma experiences in a very specific way. In an effort to further that conversation, I’m trying to create a piece of art (a fic) inspired by the deeply personal feelings this film gives me.

For me, Pinhead represents the Jungian shadow masculine, a simultaneous mix of fear and desire, the potential for suffering and pleasure, and everything in between. These experiences are inherently intertwined for me. And Kirsty’s experiences mirror many of my own.

In other words, in order for me to get out of Hellraiser what I get out of Hellraiser, Pinhead has to be exactly what he is, and everything that he is. Which includes monstrosity. Which includes the potential for change. His place in the narrative must fully, truly embody this conversation I need to have with masculinity, which inherently involves painful, scary things.

Anybody demanding that I either denounce my interest in him as morally offensive because he’s a monster in the full sense of the word (and not just the aesthetic one like what is currently trending in Monster Boyfriend fandom), or force a traditional redemption arc upon him as if he were a real life human person who must repent for his real life sins, are essentially saying that I am not allowed to engage with this work of fiction in a way that is transformative for me. And that’s very unfortunate, because honestly, I think my perspective is so much more dynamic and has so much more to offer.

This is not just about basic catharsis. This is not even a power fantasy about emotionally transforming a powerful (white) dude, or “bad boy” fantasies, both standard arguments for villain stanning that feels like it has never truly represented me or the complexity of my experiences and interests. This is a full-on conversation and act of self expression I want to have through art about the experience of fear and trauma when dealing with men as a woman who desires men.

And I don’t think a person has to be traumatized in order to want to engage with this type of fiction. I want to be clear that my experience is not a justification for my interest (I do not need to justify myself), it is an example of a perspective that gets erased by the framework of these conversations.

To me, the framework of moral validity for enjoying fictional villains and monsters and whatever you please feels incredibly stifling to the complex, dynamic ideas and analysis that I want to engage in, because I, and many people I know, are consistently pressured to structure their thoughts with this framework as the only acceptable baseline of discussion. This is so ubiquitous that when people I’ve known have tried to engage in ways that diverge from that framework, the responses they get are outright confused or direct the conversation right back to the original framework they tried to avoid. Complex conversation gets steamrolled.

Somewhere in the conversation we were all having about acknowledging and discussing abuse and oppression, and acknowledging troubling patterns in media which reinforce the normalization of abuse and opression, some people decided that there was a very serious moral discussion to be had regarding the mere act of liking things which involve dark subject matter and complex, or even monstrous characters. They now argue that there are very clear cut, simple moral frameworks for A) telling stories and B) enjoying stories, and most importantly, that this moral framework is a valid justification for the social treatment and silencing of certain people.

A framework, by the way, which I think is actually not functionally a framework, because like the toxic American fundamentalist christian groups it’s thinking is structured from, it does not account for the vastly diverse moral landscape within it’s own space. There is no objectively consistent body of knowledge anybody is working from, because morals are derived from the human experience, which is inherently subjective.

Interestingly, no where does this have more of an impact than with marginalized people, and people like me, who want to express something deeper and more meaningful in the conversation about abuse and oppression than what this framework really offers us. To be honest, The more I see this kind of conversation making the rounds, the clearer it becomes that it’s a means of control and power game playing. It’s not about morality, but about how morality can be leveraged in order to silence truly diverse and nuanced perspectives and uphold people’s sense of self-comfort. It is a means of supplanting more convenient and easily digestible understandings of these highly complex subjects that require more intensive, thoughtful engagement, especially when it gets challenging. This kind of rhetoric absolves people of making room for complex and diverse experiences, and reinforces an (at face-value) easy to follow set of moral rules of how we are all allowed to think and feel.

The implication of all of this is that if we all adhere to the One True (alleged) Moral Framework of Fandom Engagement, then we will somehow come out on the other side with all the Good People having a Great Time having Squeaky Clean Fun. And I don’t think I should have to tell you at this point how stifling and disturbing the implications of that kind of mentality really are.

 Quite frankly, I think a lot of us are very tired of constantly speaking on other people’s terms.

[the-everqueen]

why i disliked “the traitor baru cormorant”

so...recently i read Seth Dickinson’s The Traitor Baru Cormorant. i bought it thinking, Cool, an insightful fantasy series for me to get into while i wait to hear whether i passed my qualifying exams! i have some time before the semester starts! 

and then i absolutely hated it and spent every minute cataloguing what i thought Dickinson got wrong.

...uh, if you want to get the tl;dr of the liveblog i gave the gf, here’s the top three reasons i disliked this book:

1) not a fan of the “strong female character” trope

yes, Baru doesn’t sling around a sword or shoot arrows better than Anyone In The Whole World. but Dickinson IMMEDIATELY tells us (not shows, tells) that she’s good at math, she’s clever at picking apart strategic scenarios, she’s a savant. (tbh, i don’t love how he shows this, either, with the standard child-prodigy-who-catches-the-attention-of-a-powerful-adult trope.) in Dickinson’s crafted world, her math skills aren’t entirely unusual: women (for...some reason?) are stereotyped as being good at calculations, despite also being aligned with hysteria and too many emotions. this bothers me more than it’s probably supposed to, because the sexism in this novel doesn’t really seem to follow an internal logic. i guess it’s so we can have a woman as the protagonist? also...hoo boy...her “savant” characterization bothers me because...she’s heavily coded as South East Asian (...maaaybe Philippines or Native Hawaii, but as i’ll get to later, Dickinson doesn’t make a huge distinction). uh...model minority stereotypes anyone? yes, within the text, plenty of people associated with the Empire comment that it’s impressive someone of her background got into a position of power so young. at the same time, i’m sure that sounds familiar to so many Asian-identified people! the constant tightrope of being expected to perform to a certain (white, Western) standard while also being Othered. mostly this bothers me because Baru is also characterized as...a sellout for the Empire. sure, her stated goal is to undo the Empire from within, but [MAJOR SPOILERS] in the end it appears that her actual goal was to attain enough power that the Empire would let her be a benevolent dictator over her home island? and it’s only after a major PERSONAL betrayal that she revises this plan? [END SPOILERS] Baru also assimilates without much pain or sacrifice. she hardly ever thinks about her parents or her childhood home. she willingly strips herself of cultural signifiers and adapts to Empire norms (apart from being a closeted lesbian, which...yeah, i’ll get to that, too). and it’s not that Dickinson doesn’t TRY to make her a nuanced character, but...to me, it feels so painfully obvious that this is not his experience. it feels almost...voyeuristic. 

...much like his descriptions of wlw desire!

2) we get it, you read Foucault

the categories of sexual deviance are based entirely on a Western Victorian-era medical discourse around non-heterosexual forms of desire, but Dickinson ignores the network of sociocultural, religious, and historical contexts that contributed to that specific kind of discourse. he uses the terms “tribadism” and “sodomy” but those ideas CANNOT EXIST outside a Euro-American Christian context. yes, a huge part of the 19th century involved the pathologization of sexual and romantic desire (or lack thereof). but that in turn goes back to a history of medicine that relied on the “scientific method” as a means of studying and dissecting the human body--and that method in itself is a product of Enlightenment thinking. Theorist Sylvia Wynter (whomst everyone should read, imho) discusses how the Enlightenment attempted to make the Human (represented by a cisgender, heteronormative, white man) an agent of the State economy. every categorization of so-called deviance goes back to white supremacist attempts to define themselves as ‘human’ against a nonwhite, non-Christian Other. and IN TURN that was ultimately founded on anti-Black, anti-Indigenous racism. at this point it’s a meme in academic circles to mention Foucault, because so many scholars don’t go any further in engaging with his ideas or acknowledge their limits. but SERIOUSLY. Dickinson crafts the Masquerade as this psuedo-scientific empire that’s furthering erasure of native cultures, but...where did these ideas come from? who created them? what was the justification that gave them power? [MINOR SPOILER] blaming the Empire’s ideology on a handful of people behind the Mask who crafted this entire system makes me...uncomfortable, to say the least. part of what gives imperialism its power is that a lot of ordinary people buy in to its ideas, because it aligns with dominant belief systems or gives them some sense of advantage. 

also speaking of cultural erasure...

3) culture is more than set dressing

again, to reiterate: Baru does NOT think back to her childhood home for longer than a couple passing sentences at various points in the narrative. but even though the early chapters literally take place on her home island, i don’t get a sense of...lived experience. this is true of ALL of the fantasy analogues Dickinson has created in his Empire. i felt uncomfortably aware of the real world counterparts that Dickinson was drawing inspiration from. at the same time...there are basically no details to really breathe life into these various fantasy cultures. i HATE the trope of “fantasy Asia” or “fantasy Africa” or “fantasy Middle East” that’s rampant among white male sff writers. Dickinson does not get points from me for basically just expanding that to “fantasy South East Asia,” “fantasy Mongolia,” “fantasy South America,” and... “fantasy Africa,” plus some European cultures crammed in there. he’s VERY OBVIOUSLY drawing on those languages for names, but otherwise there’s no real sense of their religious practices, the nuances of their cultures, the differences between those cultures (besides physiological, which...oh god). part of that is probably supposed to be justified by “well, the Empire just erased it!!!” but that’s not an excuse imho. 

also...in making the Empire the ultimate signifier of the evils of imperialism...Dickinson kind of leans into the “noble savage” stereotype. Baru’s home island is portrayed as this idyllic environment where no one is shamed for who they love and gender doesn’t determine destiny and there are no major conflicts. (there is a minor nod to some infighting, but this is mostly a “weakness” that the Masquerade uses as an excuse to obliterate a whole tribe.) Dickinson justifies young Baru’s immediate assimilation as her attempt to figure out the Masquerade’s power from within, but given that the Masquerade presumably killed one of her dads and her mom maybe advocates a guerilla resistance...it’s weird that Baru basically abandons her family without a second thought. yeah, i get that she’s a kid when the Masquerade takes over the island, but...that’s still a hugely traumatic experience! the layers of trauma and conditioning and violence that go into this level of colonization are almost entirely externalized. 

(later it’s implied that Baru might qualify as a psychopath, and tbh that feels like an excuse for why we haven’t gotten any sense of her inner world, not to mention kind of offensive.) 

this isn’t exhaustive but...

it’s not that i don’t think white people shouldn’t ever address POC experiences in their books. just...if your entire trilogy is going to revolve around IMPERIALISM IS BAD, ACTUALLY, maybe you should contribute to the discourse that Black, Brown, and Indigenous authors have already done. reading this book made me so, so angry. i did not feel represented! i felt like i was being talked down to, both on a critical theory level AND on a craft level. there are SO MANY books by actual BIPOC and minority authors that have done this better. N.K. Jemisin’s Broken Earth Trilogy and her current Cities series. Nnedi Okorafor’s Binti trilogy. Leigh Bardugo’s Ninth House remains one of the more powerful novels i’ve read on how The System Is Out To Destroy You, That Is The Point. (Bardugo is non-practicing Spanish and Moroccan Jewish on one side of her family, and her character Alex is mixed and comes from a Jewish background!) 

...

there’s not really a point to this. i get a lot of people have raved about this book. good for them. if that’s you, no judgment. i’m not trying to argue IF YOU LIKED THIS YOU ARE PROBLEMATIC. i’m just kind of enraged that a white dude wrote about a Brown lesbian under a colonial empire and that THIS Brown lesbian under a colonial empire couldn’t even get behind the representation. also kind of annoyed that it’s the Empire of Masks and Dickinson either hasn’t read Fanon or didn’t see fit to slip in a Fanon reference, which like. missed opportunity. 

[randomnumbers751650]

So, I'm writing this because I'm trying to understand psychological horror, focusing on two animes from last year: Angels of Death and Happy Sugar Life. I wanted to write this because I got inspired by discussions on the Netflix's Ted Bundy show, Explanation Point's video on HSL (which made me watch it), and because I made the mistake of reading AoD's prequel manga Episode 0. Spoilers abound.

Due to way I was raised, I have difficulty in understanding stories that villains are the protagonists. Why would anyone cheer for them? Sure, there are many logical arguments, like the attempt to understand how his mind works and the cathartic feeling of being able to do feelings you know you'd be wrong. I have a RP blog and I once talked to with a friend on trying to understand how musing an utterly despicable muse could be so cathartic and she wondered if it's because it allows her to vent her stress and negative feelings on fictional characters, instead of real people. Logically, it makes sense, but I still feel odd about it.

I first watched Angels of Death because I really enjoyed the portrayal one of my best friends in the RPC had of the protagonist, Rachel Gardner. I honestly think it was a well-written anime, Rachel telling Zack that they weren't tools and the climax with the building on fire were my favorite moments. AoD also had a great advantage because it was self-aware, the banter between Rachel and Zack was pretty hilarious, and Cathy and Danny were also evilly funny. I always wondered how AoD managed to get to be an anime and Ib not...

Also, another thing that AoD makes sure to show is that every single named member of the cast is a murderer, and the man behind everything judges himself God for the sake of an experiment. It shows Zack murdering people in flashbacks and enjoying every single minute of it. In fact, the biggest plot twist is that the apparently innocent Rachel is probably the most dangerous murderer of them, the moment when she tries to kill Zack in her floor was a moment that actually got me on the edge of my seat (said event was properly foreshadowed).

When I say all characters of AoD are well-written, I say this in a "technical" sense - given their backstories, they act in a way consistent to what they are. Zack had a really crappy childhood and turned into a murderer; Danny was bullied and indirectly caused his mother's suicide; Cathy is subconsciously guided by a desire to punish sinners that caused her parents' death; Eddie was rejected so hard that he saw killing what he liked as the only way to preserve; and Rachel also had a crappy childhood, but parents who hated each other and killing her father in self-defense just broke her, her emotionless insanity is what guides her death wish (funnily enough, it doesn't seem that Gray has anything but a god complex). In other words, while they might be nearly a caricature, they still show to act on motives that make sense for them.

The question that guides the series is "what does it mean to be human?" In the end, we all want to avoid loneliness, as Gray says to Danny while the building explodes. Danny had a really pathetic death - he was a "love to hate" villain, even if he had a childhood excuse, nowhere implies that we should sympathize with him, on the contrary, he's one of the creepiest waste of air type of characters - if we showed his portrait in the game, one could put a sub "Most Likely to be a Pedophile").

But then I decided to read the prequel manga. I hated it. A lot. The characters are nothing but violent dicks to each other, in a grand scheme to get the role of "angel" in Gray's experiment (I used to muse Dr. Danny in my RP blog, it was fun to protray him as a pathetic peepermaniac, but I lost my drive after it). It doesn't try to be nuanced or anything else, but I guess if the objective was to remind us that the characters were murderous scum, it succeeded. The effect was so bad on me, that made me question the entire point of AoD itself.

I thought about this for a while. In Aod, we're basically siding with two murderers and Zack's popularity is immense, he's a Chad of murderers. The question is why?

It would be easy to dismiss his popularity as an example of the "bad boy fantasy", mostly associated with women who latches on a "bad boy" type in hopes of "fixing him", but that alone is insufficient to explain (and although it's usually recognized as a 'feminine fantasy', I want to avoid any implication of sexism, even though I don’t doubt this has been discussed in woman’s studies).

At point a friend of mine linked me Explanation Point's video on Happy Sugar Life. Why is Satou, a murderer and near pedophile (near pedophile because she doesn't engage in actual sexual activities with Shio, but it's not less disturbing), a sympathetic character? I won't recap the entire video here, but Satou is sympathetic because of many factors, such as the fact almost everyone around her is worse (arrogant rapist manager, sadomasochist actual ebebophile Danny's long lost brother, lolicon, an actual succubus in human form, obssessed copycat stalker, mad artist - the only developed characters that save themselves are Shoko and Asahi (and not 100% in his case, his determination was his downfall) - I honestly dislike Shio because she's annoying), had a crappy childhood, and that she seems sincere in her feelings for Shio.

The issue, in the end, it's about the way it's framed. Lindsay Ellis has a pretty good video on framing, on explaining how Mikaela actually had potential to be a well-written character in the first Michael Bay’s Transformers movie, but it was ruined by the way she was framed - as mere fanservice, instead of a strong character. The same principle applies to Happy Sugar Life, just pay attention to the way Satou is framed, as a strong character, in “pure” love, flowers appears on the screen when she’s thinking of Shio.

Framing is one reason why HSL failed or, at least, lost a part of its power as a cautionary tale. In the last episode, the way her imagination exploded with images of what her happy life with Shio could be, sprinkled by sappy imagery. Even if Satou killed herself to save Shio as a way to defy her aunt, it still gives a mixed message.

If we apply EP’s argument on Satou to Zack, I think we have even better “case” for Zack. Let’s count the reasons why one should sympathize with Zack:

Antagonists (Danny and Cathy) are worse people

Strong and powerful, to the point of turning into a shonen protagonist when cutting rocks in the last episode

Has a code of honor, only kills people who are laughing

Has standards, refuses to accept godhood from Rachel

Enjoys what he does, he’s probably the most sincere character of the cast

Has a twisted sense of humor

Has a sad backstory, that offered the chance of following another path (but the old man died)

Recognizes he’s messed up

Ridiculously loyal to Ray in the end

We never get to see the PoV of his victims and when we do, the frame actually makes Zack sympathetic - for example, the woman in his flashback, we see her lying to him and him killing her for it - it’s a bad thing, but the scene is framed in a way that Zack is the offended party (it was his PoV anyway)

He’s hot - granted this only works for the anime, because in the game he was some sort of tall mummy gremlin

As another friend of mine said, when I brought this to her, in the end you’re kind of cheering for them to escape police and continue murdering others. And, in the end, they do get away - Zack (and Ray, to some extent) is never punished for his crimes, even though the ending is ambiguous most people believe they escaped anyway.

In HSL we have a similar situation: even though Satou killed herself, Shio is still irreparably damaged, preferring to live her “happy sugar life” in her head than the real world. In fact, HSL’s ending is one of the most hopeless that I’ve ever seen recently, that the entire surviving cast is apparently beyond repair (as worse as Shio worse is Taiyo - it’s quite rare to portray female on male abuse on such a realistic way, any other anime would make a semi-hentai scenario on him, but here, I wouldn’t be surprise if he died starving himself to death in his room). HSL’s ending managed to be much more hopeless than AoD’s ending.

But, returning to Zack, the way his story is framed makes him a sympathetic character. However, while I argue that Zack is a well-written character, he’s not a very realistic one for one simple reason: he’s too conspicuous to be a successful serial killer, he’s too loud and messy; actual serial killers are methodic people, they plan a lot to not leave clues. Meanwhile, Zack is dumb as a rock, which might add him being an escapist character another trait of him.

And that’s where the comparison with Ted Bundy enters. It might be a stretch comparing a fictional character with a real person, but I still think it has some merit. While I haven’t seen the Netflix series, I read the debate on whether it glorifies Bundy or not. Basically the way the series frames Bundy is an argument for the glorification, but the interview with the victims who escaped him and loved ones of his victims is an argument against it. But the fact remains that both have their fans.

If we criticize Bundy’s fans for not noticing how much of a pathetic and deranged person he actually was, why can’t we do the same for Zack’s fans? Well the fact that one is real and the other fictional might be one reason, and being fictional he acts as an outlet for our own frustrations and tendencies just as I discussed with my friend above, but I feel that alone is insufficient, there must be a further reason... but I can’t think of anything else. Otherwise an argument has the danger of turning into the fallacy “videogames make kids violent” sort of thing.

One thing that has to consider is that both AoD and HSL are psychological thriller/horror series. If Zack, Ray and Satou got caught, the shows would be lesser works of art, because one function of psychological horror is to challenge our perceptions of justice.

Horror challenges our perceptions of safety and we are used to the bad guys being punished in the end, it’s a safe assumption. Instead, in horror, the bad guys get away and might be sympathetic, making us sympathetic to their getaway. It’s horror in the sense our own safe perceptions of morality and justice are twisted upside down.

I could go on and approach the thorny question of whether AoD glorifies murderers and HSL glorifies yanderes with children, but this essay is already getting too big, so I leave it for another occasion.

[femnet]

Where I live, you can often hear married women being referred to as Mrs. of “Husband’s Last Name”. Invitations and other circumstances that require talking about the whole family unit address it as The “Husband’s Last Name”. However, where I live women don’t legally change their names to their husbands’.

Joining fandom communities online has been as much fun as a headache and a learning experience for me. One of the things I learned is that wives do actually change their last names once they get married in some parts of the world and that American women, in particular, are very defensive of the tradition. How do these two things relate? In the past years, the creators of two of my f/m OTPs decided that the female character of the pair would keep her last name after marriage. This has caused quite a lot of tension and disagreement amongst fans because, clearly, the wife not taking her husband’s name meant that the people behind these characters were throwing dirt at the ship. The implication was that she was not really committed to him, that they were not going to last, that their fairytale happily ever after was ruined.

What surprised me is that the female characters of these particular ships are generally praised for being feminist icons (Hermione Granger and Princess Leia, no less!), for being strong and badass, for being equals with their male counterparts. The women who are fans of them and the canon ships they’re in tend to consider themselves feminists or at the very least liberal-leaning. And yet, in discussions with those women I have heard statements like these:

- As a woman, it’s my duty to change my last name to my husband’s to keep the family unit. What kind of mother would I be if I didn’t have the same last name as my children?

- My last name isn’t really “my” last name anyway, it’s my father’s, so why shouldn’t I change it to my husband’s?

- You’re not really committed to the relationship if you don’t intend to take your husband’s name.

- Refusing to change your name and/or pointing out that the tradition is patriarchal is misandry.

- I chose to change my name to my husband’s because I love him (implying that other women are free not to, but heads up, maybe they don’t love their husbands as much).

More times than I can remember, I’ve argued against these notions. It’s INSANE to me the level of denial/conditioning/internalized sexism that pervade American women and the resistance to reflect on it! (I know it’s not all American women and that it’s likely other cultures share these beliefs, but this is the demographic I’ve been in closer contact with---or maybe the louder about this topic---which clashes with my own Latin American culture.)

Now, my main and stronger arguments are:

- Legally changing your name to your husband’s is not a universal practice.

- The “tradition” of the wife taking her husband’s name comes from a time when the man owned his wife. She was something that now belonged to him and needed his mark. You know “The Handmaid’s Tale”, Offred, Of Fred? Yeah, that’s not a fantasy. That’s literally what taking your husband’s name means, from a historical standpoint.

- Sure, many women have their father’s last name, because sadly our parents don’t think of making up a new last name that is all our own. And yet for the years you’ve lived as an unmarried woman, let’s say hopefully over 20, it’s been your name. It’s as much of your identity as your first name. Besides... that’s the case for men, too? I mean, they too have their father’s name. If your father’s name isn’t really yours, how is your husband’s father’s name really his and more important preserving?

- Why, exactly, is it the mother’s duty to keep the family united by giving up part of her identity? It’d make more sense that the wife and husband mashed their last names, effectively becoming a unit that is the sum of their parts, if we really cared about being a unit.

- According to a survey from 2015, men think it’d be emasculating to change their last names to that of their wives’, that it’d take away one of the few remaining incentives for men to get legally shackled (blegh, straight men really are something), that it would be like calling attention to themselves and trying to make a statement, that the family is the man’s domain and so it should perpetuate his name, that it’s a tradition that comes with marriage and equal rights shouldn’t upend that. So, women, tell me again how this isn’t about sexism?

To be clear, I’m not saying you’re less feminist if you chose or will choose to take your husband’s name. Feminism is about choice and respecting women’s choices, after all, and traditions are part of one’s culture. But I’m sick of reading opinions like the ones I listed that directly or indirectly disrespect other possible choices and points of view, when they’re actually the norm in many cultures. We need to understand that some if not all of our choices are rooted somewhere, and that somewhere isn’t always comfortable to face but it’s still there. Sometimes, our choices are not as free as we’d like to believe.

If you’re married or hope to be one day, did you ever consider not taking your husband’s name? Would it be a deal-breaker if you didn’t want to and your partner insisted on it? If you’re not from the US, is this a thing where you live? Comment below!

[lambroseforlife]

Sir Rob Information Master Post

This is a post long overdue that many of you wanted from my link compilation post a while back so here it is! A master post that compiles information from the interviews/informative pages that Sir Rob has done in the past about himself and his works. It took me much longer to make than I expected because I stumbled upon more links that revealed more information about him and I wanted to include those to be as thorough as possible. Plus, this was a lot of information to sift through, type up and organize.

Disclaimer: A few of these interviews are from as early as 4-7 years ago so some of the information may be outdated and not completely accurate. Regardless, hopefully our rather elusive and seemingly mysterious author seems LESS elusive and more familiar to you all after reading this post.

NOTE: This post will be updated everytime more information is revealed. If you find any interviews that are not included on here, PM them to me and I will add the information here.

NOTE: (#) = correlates to the number of the source listed on the Link Compilation post

Quick Facts:

Name: Robert Thier (Thier is pronounced as ‘tear’, like the one that runs down your face when you cry) (20)

Birthdate: August 13, 1988 (Age: 29 -when this post was made) (21)

Height: 6′2 (1.88m) (4)

Hair color: Blond (4, 15)

Location: Waldstetten (in between the Drei Kaiserberge), Baden-Württemberg, Southern Germany (20, 27)

Education: Gmünder Parler-Gymnasium, Open University in Milton Keynes, Northern England for History (BA) and English Literature (PhD) (14, 28, 30)

Hobbies: Writing, listening to music (especially classical) or audiobooks, taking long walks in the country, painting, composing music, doing historical research, playing videogames, etc (1, 7, 8, 11, 12)

Skills: Writing cliffhangers (and writing in general), having a wicked sense of humor, fast typing, artist, composer, computer programming, etc (7, 14, 15, 28, 30)

Favorite…

food: German dishes such as Maultaschen and Spätzle (12)

book: Jingo by Terry Pratchett (1)

authors: Terry Pratchett, Roald Dahl, Meg Cabot (2)

genre: humor, fantasy, historical fiction (4)

Least Favorite…

food: cucumber salad or cucumbers (he described it as the most disgusting thing he’s ever eaten) (13, 16)

genre: horror (for both writing and reading since he said it doesn’t manage to make him scared) (4)

Sir Rob on himself:

A picture of Sir Rob above, back in 2011, displaying one of his German novels, Dämonenturm (English translation: Demon Tower). (30)

Sir Rob said that he has a short beard that he forgets to shave when he’s busy writing and that he wears a helmet to protect his skull since he was born with a bone missing from his head. He described himself as a cheerful person personality-wise but when he is writing, he warns people to not approach him “with a ten foot pole” (basically, stay away!) He said he loves classical music from composers like Beethoven and more obscure ones such as Alkan and Scharwenka. When going for long walks in the countryside, he mentioned that he gets stared at by other people because of his helmet and because he wildly gestures while imagining scenes to write for his stories. He stated that his greatest strength is his brain that is crazily stuffed with much information and that his greatest weakness is his memory for everyday events which apparently “has more holes than a Swiss cheese.” (4)

Sir Rob on growing up:

Favorite books growing up: He said there’s too many to name and the names would probably not say much since they’re all in German. (8)

Books that have influenced him the most: His schoolbooks in elementary school since he learned how to read from them. (8)

Dream job when he was a kid: He changed his mind once a week. (8)

When he first became interested in history: “History lessons in school, actually. I must have been the only kid in school who wasn’t snoring during the lesson :-)”  Also, he would listen to audio documentaries as a kid and became fascinated by how people made history come alive as a story. (13, 14)

Educational experience: Sir Rob said that for his primary education, he attended the Parler-Gymnasium in the town of Schwäbisch Gmünd until he was in middle school. However, due to various health problems (including the reason he has to wear a helmet), he was not allowed to attend school for secondary education. Thus, he chose to study history and literature at the Open University in Milton Keynes, Northern England, a public distance university that does not require a high school diploma. (30)

Sir Rob on how he got his nickname:

When he was writing one of his novels The Robber Knight, one of his readers mistook the title as ‘The Robert Knight’ and started addressing him as “Sir Rob.” The nickname grew in popularity and ever since then, Sir Rob graciously accepted the title that his fans are quite familiar with from reading his works. (20)

Sir Rob on writing:

The when: Sir Rob started writing when he was really young, around 10 or 11 years old, after reading a poorly written story and decided that he could do it better. He explained that he tried and the attempt didn’t go so well, but ever since then he has kept practicing and says that he’s now “a bit better at writing.” (4, 11, 12)

The why: He decided to start writing after he kept getting pelted with ideas in his head which wouldn’t go away until he put them down on paper. (3, 8)

The how: In preparation for writing, he has mountains of disorganized notes that he uses. Sir Rob said that he writes using both logic and intuition, using intuition first then checking for logic in his work. When writing every chapter, he goes with the flow but overall for the story, he usually has a general outline of the plot. However if he gets sudden inspiration, he’s also open to making changes. (3, 8, 13)

The what (inspires him to write): He said he doesn’t really need an inspiration since he’s always had a need to express himself be it through drawing, composing music or writing. Nowadays, he focuses mostly on writing but his drive has never gone away. (7)

The where: His ideas for his stories come to him out of nowhere and he has no idea why they keep popping up in his brain. (1)

Favorite place to write: In his writing dungeon aka the cellar, a cool place for him so his brain won’t overheat. (12)

What he loves the most about writing and what made him fall in love with it: Being able to play around with crazy ideas. (11)

Authors that have influenced Sir Rob’s writing style: He listed the top four as Terry Pratchett, Meg Cabot, Roald Dahl and Jane Austen. Even though it’s a varied collection of works, the one thing that they all have in common is humor, something he has tried to incorporate into his own writing. (24)

Easiest part of writing a book: Getting an idea for the story. (8)

Hardest part of writing a book: Having the stamina needed to finish it since he gets new ideas trying to distract him. (8)

Hardest part to write in a book: Lengthy descriptions since it is difficult for him to keep them from getting boring. (9)

The first story he’s ever written: He couldn’t remember the name since it was many years ago but did remember that it was inspired by Ralf Isau’s Neschan-Trilogy. (11)

What he learned from writing books: How to type faster. He said he taught himself how to type with 10 fingers in order to write his stories quicker. (8)

How much he feels he has improved on his writing: Immensely, especially after starting out on Wattpad due to the feedback he has received on his works. (11)

When asked what caused him to switch from writing books in German to English and whether he intends to ever write in German again: He said he switched languages since Wattpad was primarily an English-speaking platform back then. He always had a liking for English so he thought to himself “Why not try to write a book in English?” It worked out very well for him and currently, he has no plans to switch back to writing in German. (7)

How being a historian affects the way Sir Rob writes his stories: He said that it has made him a stickler for accuracy and that he does a lot of research for his stories even if they are contemporary ones. He wants to make sure that his characters behave realistically and he added that the research makes writing even more interesting because of learning new things. (24)

Whether it’s easier for him to write from a historical POV or a different time period: He said he finds it the easiest to write fantasy, science fiction or dystopian stories where he can make up everything and that he doesn’t feel a difference between historical and contemporary stories since they’re both from the real world, just set at different times. (13)

Writing from a female character’s POV: At first it was hard for him but after reading many stories from a female’s perspective, he said it became much easier for him. (3)

Why he tends to write from female characters POVs: “I like to write about underdog characters who have to prove themselves and struggle against difficult circumstances, and during most of history, with sexism rife everywhere, women were definitely in such a position. That’s why they hold such an attraction for me as main characters. Plus, playing with the differences between the male and female psyche is great fun! :)” (14)

Strong female character role models: Granny Weatherwax from Terry Pratchett’s Discworld book series, Keladry of Mindelan from Tamora Pierce’s Protector of the Small book series. (3)

On creating romance interests: He said he finds it easy to make them interesting but difficult to make them different from each other. (4)

When asked if he’s ever been afflicted with “Mary Sue Syndrome” (creating an idealized and seemingly perfect fictional character): He stated that he doesn’t think he’s ever had that problem. (4)

How he incorporates humor smoothly into his more serious works without disrupting the stories’ flow: He said he doesn’t do it consciously and that it most likely developed naturally from his reading habits since he’s only been able to stand books that have a pinch of humor in them and from that, it influenced his writing style. (7)

How he chooses names for his characters: Depends on the genre. When writing historical or contemporary stories where the names have to be real, he shared that he picks them out of name databases. For fantasy or science fiction stories, he lets his imagination run very, very, very wild. (11)

Whether he considers the meaning of the name when naming characters:He stated that he considers the way the name sounds more than the meaning. He says the name aloud while imagining the name of the character in his head and if it fits, he takes the name. (8)

When asked if he hides any secrets in his books that only a few people will find: “Not yet. But I plan to put some in the not-too-distant future. Happy searching! :)” (NOTE: This is from an interview that took place sometime during Silence is Golden was being written) (10)

When asked if he tries to be more original or deliver to readers what they want: He explained that he tries to start out with something people want in order to catch their attention then develops it into something new and unexpected. In his opinion, that’s the best of both worlds. (10)

If he could be the original author of any book, what it would be and why: Maybe the author of one or two of the worst books so he could write parodies about them without being sued. As to what those books are, he said he would keep their titles a secret. (10)

Most fun book to write so far: (NOTE: His answer changed over time) While writing Storm and Silence: Whatever book he is writing at the moment. While writing Silence is Golden: Warning! Fairy Tales since every chapter has had brand new ideas. (2, 9)

Funniest scenes that he considers himself to have written: The robbery scene in The Robber Knight, the bathroom scene from Storm and Silence and the torture scene in Chapter 21 of Silence is Golden. (7, 11)

Whether the funny scenes in his stories are made up or come from personal experience: “I make it up. I make it all up, absolutely. My life is not that funny ;)” (7)

Funniest character ever written: A lot to choose from for him, but ultimately it’s a tie between Fye, a little girl from The Robber Knight series and Coal Black, from WARNING! Fairy Tales. (7)

Favorite book genre and how it was developed: Comical fantasy closely followed by historical fiction. In the recent years, he’s concentrated on writing historical fiction and put the most effort into trying to make the genre more accessible to the general audience of readers. He said that since most people think of historical fiction as “stuffy, old-fashioned stories”, he wanted to make the genre more open to younger readers by making it more fun. He added that history gives an unlimited supply of interesting, crazy and funny ideas. (9, 25)

Favorite book he has written: He stated he has the disposition that whichever book he is currently writing is his favorite. (9)

Favorite character from his books: (NOTE: His answer changed over time in different interviews) While writing Storm and Silence: Lilly Linton from Storm and Silence –he said he has a thing for “underdogs with a bite”. While writing Silence is Golden: A tie between Fye from The Robber Knight and Coal Black from WARNING! Fairy Tales since he says he thinks bloodthirsty little girls are cool. (10, 11)

Which character he’s written resembles him the most (NOTE: okay, this one was a bit confusing for me to figure out): In one interview he said none of them since most of his main characters are females and he doesn’t imagine himself as a girl (contrary to what people may think). He also added that most of his characters are influenced by his sense of humor but other than that, they dont resemble him. However, on multiple occasions from other interviews, he said that he resembles his villains  (NOTE: I’m guessing that this is a half-joking, half-serious answer?) (4, 8, 25)

On any rough patches experienced while writing: Said he can’t remember any rough patches. He added he has never suffered from writer’s block either and he hopes that it stays that way. (7, 8)

Who makes Sir Rob’s book covers and what programs are used: He makes them himself and says he uses all kinds of programs such as Bryce, paint.net, Gimp, Photoshop. (8)

Whether Sir Rob has an editor: Yes. (6)

Whether publishing his first book changed his process of writing: He said not really. (10)

Opinion on self-publishing: Has the advantage of more freedom but the disadvantages of less exposure and more work. (3)

eBooks vs printed books: Both have valid places for readers.  (3)

Best accomplishment: His latest book, every time he finishes writing one. (3)

Most shocking achievement: Being able to turn his writing professional. Sir Rob didn’t think it was possible for him to do so before discovering Wattpad. (7)

Whether he has ideas for other books: “Ideas? Oh yes, I have those! In fact, I have way too many. I’ve got so many book ideas stored away in notebooks and folders spread in a creative chaos all over my desk that I could probably write for ten years non-stop without having to come up with a single new idea.” (13)

Advice to new writers: To start writing and to write about something that they love so that they wont give up. Also, write about what they love in a way that so people will find it interesting. He said that’s what he tried with history and it worked for him. (2, 7, 8)

Advice to writers that want to write storylines as interesting as the ones that Sir Rob writes: “Create characters that make you laugh, cry or faint just at the idea of locking them into a fictional room together. If you manage to do that, odds are you have a good recipe for a story.” (23)

Desired impact on readers: Sir Rob aims to write stories that will make people laugh and reread many times. He said he loves when people tell him that his stories have helped them through tough times as his favorite books have done the same for him. He also wants to encourage his readers to think for themselves and be strong through his stories. (3, 4)

Whether he reads his books reviews and how he deals with the good/bad ones: He said he does and that for the bad ones, if they make valid points he tries to implement the constructive criticism in future books and if they don’t, then he ignores them. (10)

When asked if it amazes him how dedicated and engaged his readers are with his words and if there’s anything he would like to say to them (Note: this is a list of quotes): “Yes, definitely. I regularly read the comments of my readers to get feedback on my stories, and it is spiffing how I get new information on improved translations, local history, and many other subjects that help me improve my books. Also, some of the comments are nearly more funny than my own writing. So thank you all for your wonderful support! :)” (7) “You’re awesome! Your feedback and support have helped me to improve enormously as a writer. Thank you! :)” (8) “Thank you so much for your unerring support! You’re awesome! :)” (11)

Sir Rob on Wattpad:

Why Wattpad: Sir Rob chose Wattpad as his writing platform after trying other ways to get his work out: self publishing and sending manuscripts to publishers only to be turned down. Then he found Wattpad after a Google search and chose it as his main writing platform to publish his stories. (2)

Favorite authors on Wattpad: ironkite, Maya_2011 (4, 9)

A name for readers/fans: He usually addresses them as “my dear Lords, Ladies and Gentleman.” (4)

What it’s like being on Wattpad, where the majority of readers are teenagers or kids: An interesting experience for him, especially trying to get people’s attention. (4)

When asked what he would like to say to give a speech for his fans and all of the Wattpad community: “ ‘That I’m really, really, really not good at giving speeches. So I’ll just continue writing and hope you enjoy it.’ **bows, and hurries off the podium blushing**” (4)

When asked about his plans after winning the Wattys: Continuing to write more books since it’s his favorite hobby and dream job. (5)

Proudest moment on Wattpad: Winning the People’s Choice Award and Story of the Year award for Storm and Silence all thanks to his fans. (2)

On his success on Wattpad: Definitely unexpected on his part and he still is dumbfounded sometimes as to how many people like his stories. Every time he sees how many readers and fans he has, he thinks “Oh my God, did that really happen?” He found it hard to get recognition as a writer outside of Wattpad but because of the platform, it made it possible for him.  (7, 12)

On whether he considers himself a Wattpad celebrity: “No I wouldn’t really describe myself as a celebrity. After all, no one has really tried stalking me yet ;-)” (8)

The best things about Wattpad: His awesome fans, the support of his awesome fans, the awesome community that helps out when he needs it, the fact that Wattpad is free and anyone can read and write on there as much as they want to and “…well, just damn everything! :-)” (4)

The worst things about Wattpad: Spam from sites trying to sell medical equipment and the occasions when Wattpad goes offline. (4)

Any bumps on Wattpad: None really except for the one time when he went on Wattpad and saw he had suddenly lost all of his followers which caused him to panic. However, it turned out to be a small bug in the system and was fixed the next day. (7)

Advice to aspiring fans that are writing their own books on Wattpad and wish to be as successful in the future: “Don’t give up! Patience is definitely a virtue on Wattpad. It took me nearly two years to get a breakthrough, so keep hanging in there and don’t give up on your dreams!” (7)

Sir Rob on his works:

Storm and Silence Saga:

Inspiration for Storm and Silence: Sir Rob said it was hard for him to pinpoint exactly when he got the idea but believes it began sometime during his university studies of Imperialism and Suffragism. During one of his courses, he had to read about Victorian era adventure novels as well as the Suffragist and Chartist movement in the 19th century. The Chartists were a movement during the Victorian Era that fought for better conditions for factory workers and voting rights. During one of their demonstrations, over 300 people were killed by the police. Sir Rob thought, “God, if this is what happened to men who were fighting for their right to vote, how much worse must it have been for women?” During that time, there were no feminist organizations fighting for women’s rights and it was up to brave individuals. It was this type of scenario where a lone underdog fights for her freedom that inspired him to write Storm and Silence. He then added as an afterthought, “Thus I was convinced that school is good for something after all ;-)” (7, 13, 23)

Inspiration for Lillian Linton: In one of the interviews, he stated, “I don’t really know where she came from. She just- Wham!- appeared out of nothing and threatened to hit me with her parasol if I didn’t write a book about her.” In another interview, he elaborated that she developed as a mix of his favorite female fictional characters and a few historical leading feminists and suffragists. (13, 24)

Inspiration for Rikkard Ambrose: He was partly inspired by fictional characters such as Mr Darcy, Ebenezer Scrooge (from Charles Dickens) and Uncle Scrooge (from Carl Barks/ Don Rosa), partly by different historical figures such as Victorian entrepreneurs and adventurers from the British Empire, and partly by Sir Rob’s imagination. (10, 13, 23)

If both main characters were inspired from anyone Sir Rob knows personally: No, he said he has never taken inspiration or characters from people that he knows. Most of the people that he does know in real life are much more harmless and he added that he also doesn’t personally know anyone to be as rich and arrogant as Mr Ambrose is. (13, 19, 23)

Why he chose to write Lilly as a Victorian feminist and Mr Ambrose as someone that opposes it entirely: During the Victorian age, feminism wasn’t as widespread but it was when the suffragist movement began. The era was known to be a time of both social upheaval and social rigidity simultaneously. Sir Rob said he likes underdog characters, so writing about a girl rebelling during those restrictive circumstances appealed to him and thus, Lilly was created. As for Mr Ambrose, he’s supposed to represent the prevalent position during the 19th century. Sir Rob explained that he found many historical novels depict their characters with more modernized attitudes than the time period that they are in, so he wanted to avoid that in order to make a more believable story. In addition, having the two main characters have opposing attitudes allows more opportunities for sparks between them, something Sir Rob said that he enjoys to no end. A “hero” that’s a ruthless, chauvinistic, stingy Victorian industrialist-financier contrasted well enough to his strong, determined and quirky heroine. (17, 23, 24)

What drew Sir Rob to write about the period of the suffragist movement:It was the first historically accurate time period that a female feminist character could be depicted as fighting for her rights. Yes, there were singular female figures earlier such as Joan of Arc, but many famous women tended to be distinguished in fields associated with the stereotypical gender role. Sir Rob said that what fascinated him about the Victorian Era was that it was an era of great change, as women began to speak out against their injustices in bigger numbers for the first time. (24)

The amount of research done for Storm and Silence: A lot. An example includes the numbers and letters on the files that Lilly had to fetch at work refer to real historical events and technological inventions that took place during the Victorian era. (13)

How he was able to create an atmospheric and detailed London setting: Mostly through much long and boring research in older books and archives with occasionally checking the internet. (17)

Where Sir Rob learned Victorian English: From reading lots of Sherlock Holmes, Charles Dickens and Rudyard Kipling. (14)

Some of the challenges faced while writing Storm and Silence: Getting the two stubborn main leads to comply and grow closer to each other. He also said that doing a subject on English history while being Germany made it tough to give historically accurate descriptions of some of the areas in 19thcentury London, but ultimately, it was worth it. (24)

A reason for the first person narrative from Lilly in the Storm and Silence series: One of the most intriguing things about the story and Mr Ambrose is his stubborn silence. (23)

How the plot for Storm and Silence transpired mentally and why post it on Wattpad: The same way it transpired on paper and he chose Wattpad since he already posted other books there prior to Storm and Silence. (7)

If the storm was planned from the start in Storm and Silence? “Yes, indeed. That was part of the reason I chose the title.” (9)

When asked about his reaction and thoughts to Storm and Silencewinning Story of the Year back in 2015: “Yess! Yes, yes, yes, yes!!!!”, so definitely unexpected on his part. (7)

What Lilly did with the wedding ring from In the Eye of the Storm: Sir Rob said that he didn’t think about it too much at the time and then added that Mr Ambrose, being Mr Ambrose, probably demanded it back and pawned it. (19)

What was the process of development of the main characters for Silence is Golden: There wasn’t really one as he explained that he just gets an idea and starts writing. “You can call it randomness or literary genius, depending on how generous you feel ;)” (10)

What is Mr Ambrose’s age: Early to mid 20s. (14)

Whether Mr Ambrose would prefer savoury or sweet food to eat: Neither, he would rather have something cheap, nourishing and hard to chew. (14)

Whether Mr Ambrose’s personality was always the way that it currently is or if something caused him to turn out like that: “I don’t think anyone could be like this from birth – or his parents would probably strangle him before his second birthday. ;) No, there are very good reasons why Mr. Ambrose grew up to be the man he is…” (19)

When asked if Sir Rob himself would rather work for Mr Ambrose for a week or be shouted at by Patsy for two weeks: The latter since he could stuff his fingers in his ears. (13)

If Wattpad will receive more of Mr Ambrose’s POV chapters in the near future: Sir Rob said that he doesn’t plan to publish any more of his POVS on there at the moment. (10)

How many chapters are planned for the entire series: In regards to the complete number of chapters of all books in the series, he doesn’t know. (10)

The Robber Knight Saga:

A reason for the narrative in third person and switches between the two main characters, Reuben and Ayla, in The Robber Knight series: Unlike the main male protagonist from Storm and Silence, the most interesting aspect about Reuben is “the mischievous, evil ideas sprouting in his head.” (23)

Advice from fans: Sir Rob explained that he used fan feedback when writing some of the scenes in the story. An equine expert told him what horse hoof trails could tell and for one of the battle scenes, a Canadian reader advised him that the characters should dip the arrows in pork fat as it would make them burn better as fire arrows, something that the reader herself had experimented. (29)

Inspiration for The Robber Knight’s Love: Too many to count. They range from Sir Walter Scott’s novel Ivanhoe to historical non-fiction books to Goethe’s German play Götz von Berlichingen. (6)

Whether Sir Rob made the book cover for The Robber Knight’s Love:Yes. (6)

If he could be any character in The Robber Knight’s Love , who would he choose to be: One of the villains since he feels like “they always get to do the fun stuff. ;)” (6)

Why he chose to create a Historical Fiction book: Sir Rob said that he has always been interested in history. To him, it’s the ideal material for stories since he sees history as the combination of funny, interesting and crazy things that humans have done. (6)

If there was anything he could have changed about the The Robber Knight’s Love, what would it have been and why: He said he doesn’t want to change anything and if he did, he already would have changed it. (6)

Black Diaries:

What kind of book is Black Diaries: A mystery-romance-action-satire that deals with both martial and marital arts, assassinations, dark humor and steamy scenes. (18)

The inspiration behind it: Sir Rob wasn’t too sure of it himself. He said the original inspiration was Jane Austen’s “A Letter from a Young Lady” but in addition lists classical British comedy, hot romance novels and dark mysteries as other sources. (18)

Sir Rob on Miscellaneous Topics:

A picture above of Sir Rob posing with his frequently mentioned helmet. (29)

Whether he has to wear his helmet for the rest of his life: Yes, unless he has an operation. (14)

Any musical instruments he plays: The piano a bit and the guitar. (14)

If he ever plans to share his music or paintings: “I’m keeping them back for an occasion. Who knows, maybe I’ll one day provide the music to my own movie ;-)” (14)

If Sir Rob could have a movie deal for his works, who he would want in his cast: “Ghosts, mostly. I’m a huge fan of old movies, and most of my favorite actors are long dead ;) But if I had to choose a few living ones, I’d say Rowan Atkinson, John Cleese and David Suchet.” (25)

If he has seen his fans in real life: Not yet. (12)

When asked if he will ever do a signing event and if he ever plans to travel to see them: He said he hopes to but says his health problems prevent him from traveling far which makes it difficult to see fans who live far away from Germany. (10)

Where he would want to travel: Anywhere that has many medieval and antique ruins. (14)

When asked if he would prefer to live during the Medieval Times: No, he would feel lost since there were no typewriters or computers back then. (3)

When asked by multiple people if he was single and if they would marry him: He said he was and “as to the marriage proposal- I’m afraid I’ll have to decline. I’m already hopelessly in love with various of my fictional characters ;)” (10, 19)    

Sir Rob’s opinion on Feminism and the male perspective on it: “If by Feminism you mean women’s fight for gender equality, I’m 100% for it. Everyone should have the same chances, regardless of sex, ethnicity, or, as in my own particular case, disability. And I also think all men should be 100% behind gender equality: just imagine that you’re on a sinking ship—if there’s no gender equality, the women can get off first, and all the silly, gentlemanly males will drown ;-)” (23)

When asked if he believes in witchcraft and other supernatural creatures: He said definitely not. While he believes that they make for interesting stories, he identifies as a naturalist from a philosphical perspective. (NOTE: Naturalism is the belief that only natural forces/laws exist in the world and that supernatural and spiritual forces do not.) He said that he believes in only what can be proven and that everyone should think for themselves. He recommended looking at the writings of Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris or Christopher Hitchens for arguments against supernatural sources. (4)

The most pressing issue of his generation: The decreased influence of naturalism. (4)

Favorite under-appreciated novel: The Squire’s Tale by Gerald Morris which retells the Arthurian Saga in a humorous manner. (10)

The most complicated character he has seen: Lu-Tze from Terry Pratchett’s Thief of Time. (4)

If given the power to create a new species, how would they be like: A lot nicer than human beings, a lot more logical and without an appendix. (4)

If he could time travel: He would travel back in time to some primitive time period so he could conquer the world. (4)

If he could switch bodies with someone: “Then I would probably look a lot more handsome. ;-)” (4)

If he could eat or destroy anything: He would eat Beethoven’s 9th symphony since he’s always wondered what music would taste like. (4)

What he likes the most about his homeland, Germany: The food. (9)

Five characters he would switch bodies with: Marvin the Paranoid Android (from The Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy), Sir Gawain (from the Arthurian legends), the Borg (from Star Trek), Batman and Lex Luthor (both from DC Comics). (4)

Yes/no to Hawaiian pizza/pineapple on pizza: Yes but only with tuna fish. (13)

If he could be anyone in the world for one day (past or present), who he would be: A billionaire on his deathbed so he could leave the money to his real self that he would revert back to the next day. (13)

If he would rather have the power to turn everything into pizza or have every song he listens to be the Macarena: The former as long as he could choose the type of pizza. (13)

If the world was ending and he could only save one animal species (excluding humans) which one he would save: Worms, since he has heard that they are very important for agriculture from informed sources. (13)

Video Interview Transcript (where Sir Rob answers questions from Twitter) (16):

Daniel E Dalgliesh: Am I going to die?

Sir Rob: “Well, you do not need to fear for your life quite yet, Your Lordship. As the main villain, you are a central figure to the story. And if you should perish in the end, it will be [waves hands] in a gloriously dramatic manner which will immortalize you forever in the annals of literature.”

Fan: Have you ever been in love?

Sir Rob: [grins] “You mean besides with my own writing? No seriously, there may have been a crush or two back in school but the last few years of my life, I’ve more or less spent in a hermit cell working to improve my literary skills. There hasn’t been really anybody to fall in love with.”

Fan: Have you ever gotten recognized in public by a fan? If so, what was it like?

Sir Rob: “Not yet I’m afraid. It’s not really surprising considering that most of my fans are native English speakers and I live in Germany, where native English speakers are rather scarce.”

Uncle Bufford: Will Edmund ever grow a pair and ask me for Ella’s hand in marriage rather than continue with their illicit meetings in the garden?

Sir Rob: [nods and clicks tongue] “Yes, I think one day he will, unless of course Lilly beats him to it. She can be quite forthright as we all know.”

Fan: What’s the craziest DM you’ve ever received from a fan?

Sir Rob: [sighs] “Hmm, I think the award for craziest fan message- or messages really, will have to go to the three dozen or so messages I received, not counting comments and notes on my message board which ask whether I was really a girl and my name was Roberta despite the beard [rubs beard and smiles] I wear on most of my profile pictures. Apparently, [gestures with hands] male writers are so rare these days that we have become a sort of supernatural species that we just don’t really believe in.”

Any message for your fans?

Sir Rob: “Thanks so much to everyone for tweeting their questions. I’ve really enjoyed this opportunity of getting in touch with you. You are the best fandom any writer could want. [waves] Bye!”

Sources:

ALL of the information in this post comes from the Compilation Links post I made a few months back. The direct link for that is provided at the bottom of this post, below this paragraph at the “Source: lambroseforlife” (right above the tags), just click/tap on it to open that post. I made this post with the purpose of it serving as a cohesive picture of how Sir Rob is like as a person since the information from these interviews was disorganized and scattered all over the place. Most of the content in this post is paraphrased for efficiency and there is a bunch of extra information from the links not included on here. Therefore, I HIGHLY recommend you check the Compilation Links post out and read the sources provided yourself.  Plus, I personally believe it’s better to directly read what Sir Rob has said. Kudos to you if you made it all the way here to the end, I hope you enjoyed reading this post!