#it's probably fair because it includes all the short novels and the main ones are published with their respective drafts and notes

[ginkovskij]

my favourite edition of dostoevskij's entire work is on sale but! at what cost

[nesisamess]

i am GUESSING that one of the points of the drdt mv was to overload us with so much information that it is hard to pick out what is important and what is inconsequential… that being said, here are a few things i noticed/am hypothesizing (also this will contain spoilers for the mv AND for chapter 2, plus fair warning that most of this may be nonsensical if you haven’t watched the video <3)

first off: the wingding translations at 0:36

so i translated it and… it’s just a rickroll. that’s it. huge L moment for me when i realized

next: the girl at 1:05

her hair is too different to be Mai and she doesn’t look like any of the female students, so I ruled that out. My first thought was that she was David’s sister, Diana, but i’m a little unsure of this theory because I’m not even sure Diana is real (this relates to note #11, since the amount of spaces match up with Diana’s name, but i’m not sure since i couldn’t find the 11 in the mv itself)

the crossword puzzle at 1:22 aka #1 in the description notes.

(note: sorry for my very crappy drawing lmao)

you can see that if you adhere to the note in the description and use their proper first names, it fills in perfectly. However, instead of having David’s name anywhere in the crossword, instead we have Mai. The description says to “exclude our protagonist” (in this case that would be David) so this makes sense.

I honestly know next to nothing about Mai (i’m unsure if information about her is out there and if so where to find it), so the importance of her being included might be lost on me.

Also: Each of the characters has a roman numeral attached to them so this might relate the roman numerals that pop up throughout the video? Idk, just something to think about.

at 2:02 it shows the same sort of voting thing that we saw at the end of chapter 2, however this time all 16 votes are voted towards one person. we know this couldn’t be possible for any future case as too many people are dead, so I wonder if this is just representative and doesn’t actually reference any real game event? this also relates to #12 in the description. it was at this point when i realized they were out of order, since I saw 15 and 17 beforehand

at 2:23 Xander shows up, along with the lyrics “if something is important, then it’ll break and disappear” which makes me heavily question how David actually feels about him. Beforehand, I figured that David was lying about looking up to Xander and was just saying that as a part of his whole fake persona, but I’m starting to question if he was telling the truth even maybe a little bit. this could be talking about something else, though, like Xander’s importance to figuring out the mastermind or something like that.

at 2:40 it shows this string of letters and numbers along with ‘correct’ at the top and ‘incorrect’ at the bottom. the note it relates to, 13, has a character that also means correct/positive

Throughout, there are many references to literature and the such, but one of the few that I recognized which was mentioned a few times: No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai (Speaking of, it’s an intensely interesting novel and I highly recommend checking it out and also researching some of the history behind the author)

Now, in the novel, the main character seems handsome and charismatic to others, but both he and the narrator of the beginning and end book describe him as inhuman, troubled, and disturbed. He is able to keep a facade when underneath, he feels intensely alienated from society and others. It does, honestly, remind me of David in some ways—people want to follow him because of his charisma, but in reality he is not who they think he is. I should probably leave this part short, since I could most likely write a whole thesis about No Longer Human, but there are a ton of parallels between Ōba Yōzō and David if you want to do more research into No Longer Human.

A few miscellaneous thoughts:

I have absolutely no clue what the various items at 2:56 relate to. My first idea was that certain items related to certain characters (Ex: the broken clock is eden’s, the hair clips, megaphone, and fan letters are David’s, and the portraits for the corresponding people) but I also think these items could all just relate to David in some way (If so, I find the materials for a noose and the serpent incredibly interesting)

It’s weird that Hu was included in the credits along with the other characters we might expect. I didn’t think David held much stock in their ‘friendship’ at all, but maybe it was more important than I originally thought?

I decided to not try and dissect the lyrics as I believe that would be better done by someone who has a better understanding of Japanese than I do

In total, I could find the pieces that relate to 1, 2, 7, 9, 12, and 15-21. I considered that the roman numerals could be the numbers in the description also, especially since note 10 mentions roman numerals, but I doubt it since there are numbers which double up as both normal and as roman numerals.

and last but not least, the morse code at the very end. It translates to:

“You still believed in me despite everything I’ve done. But that’s just fantasy, isn’t it? I simply chose to believe that you did. After all, I’m incapable of being someone without you.��

this took an hour to translate only for me to scroll down the comment section and see someone already had translated it :,)

ANYways this is really really interesting, even though it is very ambiguous. Is the speaker David? If so, who is he speaking to? If it is David, this leads me to believe that his “breakdown” might also be an act, and he might still truly care what other people think of him. It also brings up a lot of questions, like who is he speaking to??? fr i want to know. I just know this boy has Trauma and I want to Know It.

if you saw anything I missed or I made a mistake somewhere please tell me!! I wrote this from 1 to 4 am because Hyperfocus and i watched the video probably 5x over on .25 speed (not including repeating certain sections). I know there’s a lot of stuff I didn’t include, I probably didn’t because I wasn’t sure of the importance or I didn’t want to make this too long (failed on that goal but oh well), but if you have another perspective please share!

[thezanyarthropleura]

Sneaky Dinotopia Posting

I still have the first three of the original books (never did get Journey to Chandara) as well as VHS tapings of the first airings of the miniseries (or, ‘Television’s first Mega-Series’ as is billed during the event itself). I remember not getting to watch it live the first night because I was with family at a horse race, however there were small TVs at the venue that were meant to be tuned in to the race, and we snuck a quick change of the channel to catch the very end (the scene with the mosasaurs and the temple). I also managed to catch at least one episode of the 13-episode followup series (Contact, IMO the best one) and I know I read Windchaser at one point, but remember nothing from it. Never knew about the other novels or the games, but I do distinctly remember attending a James Gurney signing, where he had an easel set up and did live drawings. This was after at least the miniseries had aired, as he drew Zippo (from the letters Z and O, although I can’t quite remember how he managed that).

I spotted Quest for the Ruby Sunstone and the live-action series, including unaired episodes, at a rental place once many years ago, but we were there to find a movie to watch with the family, so I didn’t get to see them then. But over the last few days I got out those old VHS’s to watch the miniseries, and found the series on Youtube, and I greatly enjoyed them both (although you kind of have to accept that the series is its own thing, not quite the same as the miniseries and even less like the books). Also watched Quest, and it’s an interesting blend of elements from the miniseries and books into a Land-Before-Time-esque story that happens to also have humans. I found it overall enjoyable even though there are some very strange moments (I think they named a character a slur?!?). Very cool to see the original strutters referenced heavily in an action sequence.

It seems like, to most fans of the franchise, the 13-episode series is either just a footnote or a blanket “it’s bad, don’t watch,” and well, that’s fair, it’s a lot of steps removed from the books to the point it’s hardly recognizable at times. But I still wish more people would talk about it, so here are my favorite parts of the series:

Le Sage. My feelings on the overall concept of the outsiders set aside, she’s an intriguing personality and voice to add into the Dinotopia setting, someone who doesn’t mesh well with the way of things because realistically, there are going to be people who don’t, and not all of them should be unsympathetically so. She’s the definition of a big fish in a small pond, and it can be scary to watch her live on the edge and continue to long for the outside despite what we, the audience, all know is the potential for hurt and danger therein, but mostly I just blame the show’s take on Dinotopia for being overtly traditional and stuck in the past to the point that despite all its positives, apparently some people still don’t feel content, accepted, or taken care of there (which reflects a lot of my personal conflicted feelings on the setting as a whole). I love the way she eventually just inserts herself into the main cast’s adventures as if it’s a way to deal with boredom, and her arc during the two-part The Cure arc becomes legitimately heart-wrenching. If there’s any benefit to the series ending at 13 episodes, it’s that we didn’t have to watch her inevitable Hallmark-style ‘redemption’ where she loses all personality and quietly settles down with someone, probably Frank. Instead, she stays the same free-spirit throughout, with no solid romantic interest that goes anywhere (and, if one reads into things, particularly some overt lines the final episode, maybe a long-lost lesbian love for Rosemary?), and her decision to return to Dinotopia, rather than live out her otherwise-short life seeing as much of the outside world as she can, seems to be a platonic one, with her realizing after sharing an awkward hug with David that these people have become her family.

26. Just seeing her first in the miniseries made an impact. From then on, 26 has always been my favorite number, appearing occasionally at the end of usernames and such. But now I get to discover more than two decades later that she also has some more time to shine in the show, maybe never being in the direct spotlight like in Quest but I was expecting a bit more sidelining in the interest of saving the CGI budget. She has a few important roles in episodes, and the part in The Cure where she escapes and is shown racing toward David and the portal was probably the most genuinely excited I’ve been watching the series, about on par with seeing interaction with the outside world itself.

Zippo/Zipeau. There are a few points, particularly in the early episodes, where his voice is noticeably ‘off’ compared to the miniseries, and while it’s never quite the same, later appearances are significantly better and he does feel mostly like the same character. There’s a humorous arc (in an otherwise strange episode with a questionable Aesop and a vague, off-brand nod to Poseidon of all things) where he runs for mayor on the platform that there should be a bigger library (He got 9 votes I’m SO PROUD OF HIM). To circle back around to Le Sage, as well, some of the later episodes have the two of them begin to tolerate each other (Le Sage being a known dinosaur-hater) and they even get a small moment in The Cure where they save each other’s lives and Le Sage expresses reluctant gratitude. If there’s one downside to the series ending at 13 episodes, it’s that I would’ve liked to see more of these two becoming friends.

Contact. The only episode I recognized as having seen before, so if I saw any others, this was the only one that stuck with me. Probably the most grounded use of the Dinotopia setting (compared to time loops and youth potions and pulling an island-wide ‘It’s a Wonderful Life/Christmas Carol’ ruse…), and it feels like the most real episode of the bunch. Karl finds a radio and wants to use it to get off the island, but instead finds a scenario where he needs to act as a third party directing a rescue ship to survivors stranded on a raft, before they’re caught in the storms surrounding Dinotopia. Tensions are extremely high throughout, especially because Karl has tried so many times no one will ever believe he’s doing anything other than trying to escape.

The Dinosaurs, in general. There are a lot of episodes where it’s clear they were rationing the budget, telling stories that take the focus away from needing to use CGI, but there are just as many episodes where they still decided to go crazy and show dinosaurs just casually existing everywhere. And while I prefer the herbivores any day (Ankylosaurus FTW), and the live-action takes’ portrayals of the carnivores leave a lot to be desired, the T. Rex is still a good example of a dino that only got one scene early on in the miniseries, but features prominently in many episodes of the series. Parasaurolophus is also everywhere, both as guards and overlanders. While sadly there don’t seem to be any new dinosaurs, we do get to see a little bit more of just about every kind from the miniseries.

[miistical]

week seven - japan

Took a week for the midterms, but now we’re on to the latter half of the semester! I’m a big fan of Japanese media (I’m currently working my way through a Haruki Murakami novel as we speak, who just so happens to be on this week’s list), so I was definitely interested in what some of these other writers have to say.

This week’s stories were: Yasunari Kawabata’s “One Arm” Yukio Mishima’s “Patriotism” Haruki Murakami’s “UFO in Kushiro” Seirai Yūichi’s “Insects”

As I stated in the beginning, I am already aware of Haruki Murakami and his work. While reading, I did my best to divorce my existing opinion of Murakami’s controversial writing proclivities (how he writes his female character is down-right criminal). Did I achieve that? Well... this week’s main theme is about how each of these authors write about the narrators’ relationships with the women in their life.

So, uh, no. Probably not.

The first story in Yasunari Kawabata’s “One Arm”, a very descriptive and surreal piece that fits nicely with the rest of Kawabata’s artistic endeavors. It also includes one of the creepiest narrators in this batch of stories. All of the woman in “One Arm” are tainted in some way according to the narrator. This alone is not noteworthy until you incorporate his reaction to the girl he gets the arm from as well as the arm itself. He treats the girl as if she’s a perfect specimen, soon to be “tainted” just like the other women in his life (whether or not they actually exist or if they’re all in his mind). It is not the girl that keeps him company, that he wants as a part of himself, but rather only the “best” part of her; he doesn’t really see her or any other woman as a whole person, but rather as parts with some more desirable than others. They are people, but only in a distant, alien way.

Thankfully, the next story is Yukio Mishima’s “Patriotism”. For a man described as being obsessed with beauty, eroticism, and death, he really does knock it out of the park here. The title is in reference to both the husband’s (Shinji) loyalty to the Imperial family and his wife’s (Reiko) loyalty to him. The language in the story backs this up and even though this is a translation, Mishima’s mastery over words is obvious. Shinji is constantly referred to as “the lieutenant” in his narration, showing that he feels his truest self to be his military rank—the very reason he is ceremonially killing himself. This honor follows Reiko as well. Unlike the women in “One Arm”, Reiko has all the agency in the world. She follows her husband in death because it is what she believes is right and Shinji trusts her with this decision; it goes beyond, even, when he wants her to die after him. This works as him not wanting to be in a world without her and trusting she won’t go back on her word to join him in death. There really is love here, in life and death.

Sadly the love in “Patriotism” does not extend to “UFO in Kushino” by Haruki Murakami. To be fair to this story, I don’t think Murakami has ever written a woman normally. At least in this story I can blame it all on the narrator. Komura is either completely blind or utterly ignorant of the fact that women are people who have extensive lives outside of how they look of their relationship with him. However, when you’re able to look past Komura’s general unpleasantness, there is a sense of something softer than unease, but more brutal than confusion. The main brunt of the story revolves around Komura’s wife, who might be gone at her family’s home or dead. As a reader, it’s impossible to tell which is real—did she leave abruptly because she was unhappy with their marriage, or did Komura convince himself that that is the case? Are the women he meets at the airport actually real or is he imposing his grief onto them? It’s all very ambiguous—another thing Murakami is known for.

Lastly is “Insects” by Seirai Yūichi, an award winning novelist for books with far more important messages than this little short story. While “Patriotism” had great narration, I appreciated the narrator of “Insects” due to how much character she has. Jealousy isn’t a good look on anyone, but I love someone who is deeply petty. In this story, the narrator is a woman recalling the life she had while pining for a taken man for years. The man, Sasaki, only shows up in flashbacks as the woman and Sasaki’s wife are planning his funeral. The narrator goes back and forth on which woman truly knew him: his years-long wife or his one-time mistress? It’s an interesting claim to make as the narrator does know a side to Sasaki that his wife never knew existed; that a part of him would always be outside of her. Who are either of these women outside of Sasaki? Who would they be without his influence on their lives? What parts of themselves did they tear away for a man that didn’t show who he really was to either of them?

Only one of the women this week really knew who she was or what she wanted from the man in her life; “Patriotism’s” Reiko knew what she was going to do with her husband and then did it confidently and thoughtfully. “One Arm” focuses solely on how the narrator picks and chooses what parts of women he wants while completely disregarding the woman as a whole. Both the women in “UFO in Kushino” and “Insects” are forever tied to the man in their life—we will only ever know of Komura’s wife through his eyes, of what she was to him rather than who she was to her, and both the mistress and the wife will never get over Sasaki and who was most important to him. For the women in “Insects”, Sasaki will never die because they have carved so much of him into themselves. It’s a lot to think about, how people’s perception can change the way they view the entire world - and how those perceptions can ruin them, again and again.

[copperbadge]

Think of England by KJ Charles

Logging my reading...

So, I didn’t technically finish Think Of England, which is a hilarious thing to say about a romance novel, because they tend to be very easy reads. But I skimmed the second half, just to kind of see where it was going, and...IDK, a lot of times romance novels will have a large cast but it’ll be manageable, most of the people are peripheral, but every so often you run into a story where it’s like oh no...all of these people matter and their relationships are extremely complex. I couldn’t track everyone and I wasn’t super inclined to try, so I skimmed and then put it aside.

It’s a shame because I think it’s probably a really good book, just not one I was prepared to read right now. I might come back to it later. It’s set in the very early 20th century, and the crux of it is that a veteran, wounded in a weapons malfunction, is trying to determine if the malfunction was due to deliberate malfeasance, and can really only do so by spying; he ends up working with his love interest to try and gain access to some classified documents that the love interest wants because he’s also a spy and (insert reason I genuinely do not remember). 

I do like that there’s a certain tension within the book because the main POV character is a fairly masculine former soldier and he’s not super stoked to be working with an extremely effete man (who also happens to be Jewish; Charles includes a lot of Jewish characters, which I do enjoy, although this one also contained a certain amount of period racism, including slurs, though the only ones I clocked were anti-Italian rather than antisemitic). There’s a nice resolution to that where the main character basically realizes that he’s bought into an extremely fucked up way of seeing sexuality, and stops being a dickhead about it. 

That said, there’s also a fair amount of what I’d consider somewhat dubious consent -- everyone’s enjoying themselves at all times, but their first sexual encounter is a fuck-or-die scenario and for a short period after their second one, one of them thinks he’s basically forced the other one (there is a pretty great line about “You think I’m a spy and not an invert, but the truth is I’m a spy AND an invert!” which I did enjoy). So, read with care.

Anyway, I’m onwards to an attempt (I think this is #3) at reading The Kosher Capones, we’ll see how well I do with Jewish gangsters this time around.

[fixyourwritinghabits]

Hi, I’m currently trying to plot out/write a novelization fanfic of the mmorpg, Wizard101. Any advice on how I can convert mmo quests into a written format that doesn’t make readers want to gouge their eyes out with the nearest available piece of silverware? Also advice in general about adapting a video game to a written story format?

Well you can read a Halo novelization and uh well okay maybe don't do that.*

For real, the first thing to think about is both the limitations and opportunities of transcribing a flexible visual medium into a a novelized format. The video game has the advantage of letting you enter a scene, see and interact with things. It also has the advantage of multiple dialogue options. You, on the other hand, with have to select a path and stick with it, but what that gives you in return is more power over the experience you want your readers to have.

Description is important - but be selective.

You shouldn't rely on your reader's to know what Baldur's Room** looks like, but you also can't spend three pages describing it. What gives us the most telling view? The worn out furniture, the sword hanging near the door? What do we need to know about Baldur and the future plot from it - and is there something in the room you need to describe for plot importance later?

A dragon flying overhead may be super cool in a video game, but if your character looks up and shrugs at it, you only have to mention it once or twice (unless we fight that dragon later - then be sure it's in the background as a lead-up to that fight). "The sun is green in this world" is a neat factoid - but we don't need to see it more than once if it's not plot relevant.

Pick the most effective path with character interactions.

In the game, your quests probably have a number of dialogue choices - but a lot of those choices may be fake, because the game needs to make you take a certain path. You don't have to bother with those false conversations - the most effective interactions will reveal both plot and character, so focus on the strongest options for conversations.

On that note, some interactions may not be worth the effort they take. If there are twenty townsfolk to talk to, and only five of them will give you information to continue the quest, you may need to regulate those other fifteen to very short interactions or background characters. There's no harm in engaging with those characters, especially for fellow fans, but don't let them yank you off course from telling a story.

Detail is good, but you can't include it all.

You may need to collect, uh, twenty toadstools to obtain a key in the game (again I'm making this up, I'm bad at video games). Do you need to cover this (and other) side-quests while writing up the main quest? Well... eh? You may feel it's an important part of the game to capture, and that's fair. But if it repeats twenty times with only slight variation, you may be better served by only including one or two instances, and summarizing (or skipping) the rest.

The main thing to remember is in writing down these quests, you are trying to tell their story. Some aspects of the freedom of video games will have to be discarded for the sake of a better story. However, you will get a more engaging and readable story out of it, and if your intent is to preserve these quests in writing, that will better serve your goal. Good luck!

*I have never read a Halo novelization, so this is entirely an unsubstantiated and likely unfair statement. Apologies, Halo novelization authors.

**I'm just making this up. Wikipedia is not helping me figure out Wizard101.

[duckprintspress]

How to Edit an Over-Length Story Down to a Specific Word Count

One of the most wonderful things about writing as a hobby is that you never have to worry about the length of your story. You can be as self-indulgent as you want, make your prose the royalist of purples, include every single side story and extra thought that strikes your fancy. It’s your story, with no limits, and you can proceed with it as you wish.

When transitioning from casual writing to a more professional writing milieu, this changes. If you want to publish, odds are, you’ll need to write to a word count. If a flash fiction serial says, “1,000 words or less,” your story can’t be 1,025 and still qualify. If a website says, “we accept novellas ranging from 20,000 to 40,000 words,” your story will need to fall into that window. Even when you consider novel-length works, stories are expected to be a certain word count to fit neatly into specific genres - romance is usually around 80,000 words, young adult usually 50,000 to 80,000, debut novels usually have to be 100,000 words or less regardless of genre, etc. If you self-publish or work with a small press, you may be able to get away with breaking these “rules,” but it’s still worthwhile to learn to read your own writing critically with length in mind and learn to recognize what you do and do not need to make your story work - and then, if length isn’t an issue in your publishing setting, you can always decide after figuring out what’s non-essential to just keep everything anyway.

If you’re writing for fun? You literally never have to worry about your word count (well, except for sometimes in specific challenges that have minimum and/or maximum word counts), and as such, this post is probably not for you.

But, if you’re used to writing in the “throw in everything and the kitchen sink” way that’s common in fandom fanfiction circles, and you’re trying to transition only to be suddenly confronted with the reality that you’ve written 6,000 words for a short story project with a maximum word count of 5,000...well, we at Duck Prints Press have been there, we are in fact there right now, as we finish our stories for our upcoming anthology Add Magic to Taste and many of us wrote first drafts that were well over the maximum word count.

So, based on our experiences, here are our suggestions on approaches to help your story shorter...without losing the story you wanted to tell!

Cut weasel words (we wrote a whole post to help you learn how to do that!) such as unnecessary adverbs and adjectives, the “was ~ing” sentence structure, redundant time words such as “a moment later,” and many others.

When reviewing dialog, keep an eye out for “uh,” “er,” “I mean,” “well,” and other casual extra words. A small amount of that kind of language usage can make dialog more realistic, but a little goes a long way, and often a fair number of words can be removed by cutting these words, without negatively impacting your story at all.

Active voice almost always uses fewer words than passive voice, so try to use active voice more (but don’t forget that passive voice is important for varying up your sentence structures and keeping your story interesting, so don’t only write in active voice!).

Look for places where you can replace phrases with single words that mean the same thing. You can often save a lot of words by switching out phrases like “come back” for “return” and seeking out other places where one word can do the work of many.

Cut sentences that add atmosphere but don't forward the plot or grow your characters. (Obviously, use your judgement. Don't cut ALL the flavor, but start by going - I’ve got two sentences that are mostly flavor text - which adds more? And then delete the other, or combine them into one shorter sentence.)

Remove superfluous dialog tags. If it’s clear who’s talking, especially if it’s a conversation between only two people, you can cut all the he saids, she saids.

Look for places where you've written repetitively - at the most basic level, “ ‘hahaha,’ he laughed,” is an example, but repetition is often more subtle, like instances where you give information in once sentence, and then rephrase part or all of that sentence in the next one - it’s better to poke at the two sentences until you think of an effective, and more concise, way to make them into only one sentence. This also goes for scenes - if you’ve got two scenes that tend towards accomplishing the same plot-related goal, consider combining them into one scene.

Have a reason for every sentence, and even every sentence clause (as in, every comma insertion, every part of the sentence, every em dashed inclusion, that kind of thing). Ask yourself - what function does this serve? Have I met that function somewhere else? If it serves no function, or if it’s duplicative, consider cutting it. Or, the answer may be “none,” and you may choose to save it anyway - because it adds flavor, or is very in character for your PoV person, or any of a number of reasons. But if you’re saving it, make sure you’ve done so intentionally. It's important to be aware of what you're trying to do with your words, or else how can you recognize what to cut, and what not to cut?

Likewise, have a reason for every scene. They should all move the story along - whatever the story is, it doesn’t have to be “the end of the world,” your story can be simple and straightforward and sequential...but if you’re working to a word count, your scenes should still forward the story toward that end point. If the scene doesn’t contribute...you may not need them, or you may be able to fold it in with another scene, as suggested in item 6.

Review the worldbuilding you’ve included, and consider what you’re trying to accomplish with your story. A bit of worldbuilding outside of the bare essentials makes a story feel fleshed out, but again, a little can go a long way. If you’ve got lots of “fun” worldbuilding bits that don’t actually forward your plot and aren’t relevant to your characters, cut them. You can always put them as extras in your blog later, but they’ll just make your story clunky if you have a lot of them.

Beware of info-dumps. Often finding a more natural way to integrate that information - showing instead of telling in bits throughout the story - can help reduce word count.

Alternatively - if you over-show, and never tell, this will vastly increase your word count, so consider if there are any places in your story where you can gloss over the details in favor of a shorter more “tell-y” description. You don’t need to go into a minute description of every smile and laugh - sometimes it’s fine to just say, “she was happy” or “she frowned” without going into a long description of their reaction that makes the reader infer that they were happy. (Anyone who unconditionally says “show, don’t tell,” is giving you bad writing advice. It’s much more important to learn to recognize when showing is more appropriate, and when telling is more appropriate, because no story will function as a cohesive whole if it’s all one or all the other.)

If you’ve got long paragraphs, they’re often prime places to look for entire sentences to cut. Read them critically and consider what’s actually helping your story instead of just adding word count chonk.

Try reading some or all of the dialog out loud; if it gets boring, repetitive, or unnecessary, end your scene wherever you start to lose interest, and cut the dialog that came after. If necessary, add a sentence or two of description at the end to make sure the transition is abrupt, but honestly, you often won’t even need to do so - scenes that end at the final punchy point in a discussion often work very well.

Create a specific goal for a scene or chapter. Maybe it’s revealing a specific piece of information, or having a character discover a specific thing, or having a specific unexpected event occur, but, whatever it is, make sure you can say, “this scene/chapter is supposed to accomplish this.” Once you know what you’re trying to do, check if the scene met that goal, make any necessary changes to ensure it does, and cut things that don’t help the scene meet that goal.

Building on the previous one, you can do the same thing, but for your entire story. Starting from the beginning, re-outline the story scene-by-scene and/or chapter-by-chapter, picking out what the main “beats” and most important themes are, and then re-read your draft and make sure you’re hitting those clearly. Consider cutting out the pieces of your story that don’t contribute to those, and definitely cut the pieces that distract from those key moments (unless, of course, the distraction is the point.)

Re-read a section you think could be cut and see if any sentences snag your attention. Poke at that bit until you figure out why - often, it’s because the sentence is unnecessary, poorly worded, unclear, or otherwise superfluous. You can often rewrite the sentence to be clearer, or cut the sentence completely without negatively impacting your work.

Be prepared to cut your darlings; even if you love a sentence or dialog exchange or paragraph, if you are working to a strict word count and it doesn't add anything, it may have to go, and that's okay...even though yes, it will hurt, always, no matter how experienced a writer you are. (Tip? Save your original draft, and/or make a new word doc where you safely tuck your darlings in for the future. Second tip? If you really, really love it...find a way to save it, but understand that to do so, you’ll have to cut something else. It’s often wise to pick one or two favorites and sacrifice the rest to save the best ones. We are not saying “always cut your darlings.” That is terrible writing advice. Don’t always cut your darlings. Writing, and reading your own writing, should bring you joy, even when you’re doing it professionally.)

If you’re having trouble recognizing what in your own work CAN be cut, try implementing the above strategies in different places - cut things, and then re-read, and see how it works, and if it works at all. Sometimes, you’ll realize...you didn’t need any of what you cut. Other times, you’ll realize...it no longer feels like the story you were trying to tell. Fiddle with it until you figure out what you need for it to still feel like your story, and practice that kind of cutting until you get better at recognizing what can and can’t go without having to do as much tweaking.

Lastly...along the lines of the previous...understand that sometimes, cutting your story down to a certain word count will just be impossible. Some stories simply can’t be made very short, and others simply can’t be told at length. If you’re really struggling, it’s important to consider that your story just...isn’t going to work at that word count. And that’s okay. Go back to the drawing board, and try again - you’ll also get better at learning what stories you can tell, in your style, using your own writing voice, at different word counts. It’s not something you’ll just know how to do - that kind of estimating is a skill, just like all other writing abilities.

As with all our writing advice - there’s no one way to tackle cutting stories for length, and also, which of these strategies is most appropriate will depend on what kind of story you’re writing, how much over-length it is, what your target market is, your characters, and your personal writing style. Try different ones, and see which work for you - the most important aspect is to learn to read your own writing critically enough that you are able to recognize what you can cut, and then from that standpoint, use your expertise to decide what you should cut, which is definitely not always the same thing. Lots of details can be cut - but a story with all of the flavor and individuality removed should never be your goal.

Contributions to this post were made by @unforth, @jhoomwrites, @alecjmarsh, @shealynn88, @foxymoley, @willablythe, and @owlishintergalactic, and their input has been used with their knowledge and explicit permission. Thanks, everyone, for helping us consider different ways to shorten stories!

[nikadoesanart]

My predictions on BSD getting animated going forward

I’ll be taking a look at the novel page counts (Japanese and English) and comparing them to the screen time they’ve gotten so far and then using this to predict how long the remaining light novel adaptations will be (approximately). At the end will also be my rough prediction/hopes for the order of some of these being adapted. I say some because I have yet to read what there is so far of the gaiden novel translations, the main story manga has essentially still been on the DOA arc almost since where the anime left off, and I personally think that it’s currently too soon for Storm Bringer (aside from money purposes).

Note, most of this was written well before the anime 5th anniversary livestream but the announcements wound up not affecting it. I then of course made adjustments as needed account for the novel content we do have so far, both in Japanese and in English (officially).

Page to Episode Count

Not counting the afterward, ads, etc for the English/US copy, Japanese is including it

Also all eng page counts are using the Yen Press release and jp page counts are taken from the fandom wiki

*148 is purely counting the Untold Origins portion of the novel. If we also count the A Day at the Agency short story that’s included before it (56 pages), then we get the full 203

Also the English page count for BEAST was noted before the English release date but after page counts have been posted by affiliated retailers, so subtract a couple pages from the written count of 176 for the time being to account for the afterward and possible character sheets being included

Now that we have our page to episode counts (as of April 5th, 2021), let’s find the actual content run time of what we do have animated so far.

Seasons 1-3 and the OVA all have the same episode length/duration. Each episode is 23 minutes, and we can subtract 3 minutes on average from that to account for the OP and ED being played. This leaves us with an average of 20 minutes of BSD story content per episode. So on average, each of the first 3 seasons contain 240 minutes, or 4 hours, worth of story content.

Dead Apple’s total run time is 91 minutes, with the OP and ED making up 9 of those minutes. However, we do have a bit of the story content being played while the ED is playing (as sometimes happens in the anime as well). To keep the math simple, I’ll be approximating story content time at 82 minutes.

Apply these numbers to the novels that have been animated so far and this is (approximately) what we get:

Now let’s use these numbers to predict the screen time needed for the other novels

Note that we can’t really use Entrance Exam as a fair measure because of how much got cut out (just compare the run time of it to Dark Era and it speaks for itself). However, the numbers for Dark Era and Dead Apple are the best ones to use, as they both have minimal changes between anime and novel and both have official English translations currently available. Take out the approximate time taken up by OP/ED and and the numbers pretty much match up.

So with that being said, we can estimate Untold Origins (only) at approximately 3 eps/60 min and 55 Minutes at 1h 40-55min/100-115 min or 5-6 eps if it doesn’t get a movie. We can also estimate the A Day at the Detective Agency short story at the beginning of Untold Origins to take up about 1 ep, probably even a bit less.

1+ 3 + 5-6 = 9-10 episodes which isn’t enough for a full single cour season unless they all get put into one big OVA season, but also 10-11 eps (or less) seasons are a thing (ie. Fugou Keiji: Balance Unlimited, Blood Lad, Black Butler: Book of Circus, The Seven Deadly Sins: Signs of a Holy War, FLCL)

My personal predictions/hopes for the anime adaptation timeline going forward

This is considering the manga content, current “pausing/stopping points” what wouldn’t be too awkward, each of the novels relevancy/necessity to the main story manga, and assuming we continue with single cour (12-13 ep) seasons

Hopefully/ideally a 55 Minutes movie

S4: ch 54-70

Early S5 (preferably) or end of S4: Untold Origins or A Day at the Agency

S5: ch 71-88/around where we are now?

A Day at the Agency can, in my opinion at least, be chucked in at any point either as a single episode OVA or as the light novel content for s4 (maybe not even taking a full episode and then starting ch 54 in the last few minutes for example). Keep in mind that the current DOA arc is a long one and has plenty to it, so personally I think it may even be better to not include a novel adaptation in a future S4, as it would likely already be a right squeeze content wise. Remember, we also have a few XX.5 chapters that are continuations of the chapter directly before them.

I still need to read what’s currently available of the gaiden novel fan translations but it can probably be adapted at any point as well. I’m estimating approximately 5-6 eps as an OVA series. I don’t really think it would get a movie, partially because you can make it only so long, especially since it’s an anime movie and unlike Storm Bringer, it doesn’t have Chuuya to practically guarantee the profit.

BEAST also doesn’t directly impact the main story and can be adapted at virtually any point. However, seeing as we do have a live action confirmed for it and it’s page count lines up very closely with Dark Era, it can be either 4 eps or (more likely in my opinion) a movie, as it can be considered almost stand alone content.

Personally, I believe it is currently way too soon to animate Storm Bringer as it came out only a little over a month ago (as of writing this) and has minimal plot necessity as of ch 91, but I do believe it should be either split into 2 movies (a part 1 and part 2) or it would need 8 episodes, likely as an OVA season. If it were to get animated sooner than 55 Minutes or Untold Origins, which I believe to be very unlikely, I feel that it would almost certainly be driven by the financial gains of Chuuya being included, and his popularity alone. Reminder, SB is about Chuuya and not SKK. Dazai’s appearance in SB is proportionally a very small percentage and he’s not even mentioned in the official plot summary.

However, you can argue that SB is starting to have some relevance now, with the recent mention of the Order of the Clock Tower in ch 90 and the increased relevance of sealed ability weapons in ch 91. However, I really do believe that you can’t adapt Storm Bringer before 55 Minutes because of Standard Island and its treaty, it also talks about sealed ability weapons, knowing who Wells is, and 55 Minutes canonically takes place during the “downtime” portion of S3. In fact, here’s Asagiri’s words directly from the Afterward (translation by Yen Press):

“this volume didn’t take place in the past, but rather sometime after the tenth volume of the manga. In other words, it’s a tale about the ‘usual’ detective agency in novel format.” (55 minutes, p 237)

Untold Origins also should be adapted sooner rather than later (at least compared to SB in my opinion) because it’s about Ranpo and Fukuzawa’s shared past, which becomes increasingly relevant ch 70 onwards, as well as the need for the ADA being founded (which ties in with Yosano’s backstory in ch 65-66).

In regards to whether I think each of these would be better suited to a movie adaptation or as multiple regular length anime episodes, it’s mainly due to page count and partly due to the budget difference between the two, as well as how difficult I think it would be to animate each of these based on what needs to be drawn. The anime industry isn’t the fastest to switch to newer technology, hence why we see issues with 3D blending sometimes. I really do think that at the very least, 55 Minutes deserves the movie budget because of how detailed and complex the architecture of Standard Island is described as, as well all the mechanical parts needed for the final battle of the novel. Hate the lizard mouths introduced in Dead Apple all you want, but you can’t deny that the 3D cgi was blended very smoothly. For any of the other novels to be movies, it’s more so because gaiden and BEAST can be considered their own stand alone stories that don’t rely too heavily on the main story in terms of when they take place and get adapted. I feel that SB is more likely to get its own season or an OVA season more so due to its length, but multiple part anime movies have also been done before (ie. the Fate/Stay Night: Heaven’s Feel movies), so it’s not entirely impossible. Especially considering that merely having any Chuuya screen time means that you can expect the profit and popularity to really go up, especially with SKK being on screen together (regardless of whether you love or hate how the fandom tends to push a shipping POV on them).

These are all of course just my hopes and predictions and estimates based on information currently available, so take them with some salt. I’d love to hear opinions on how, when, and why each of the currently non animated novels should be adapted going forward. Also please stop begging the relevant BSD official Twitter pages for SB to be animated next and go read the other light novels you Chuuya simp

[agentaletha]

Raybearer

Tarisai has always longed for the warmth of a family. She was raised in isolation by a mysterious, often absent mother known only as The Lady. The Lady sends her to the capital of the global empire of Aritsar to compete with other children to be chosen as one of the Crown Prince’s Council of 11. If she’s picked, she’ll be joined with the other Council members through the Ray, a bond deeper than blood. That closeness is irresistible to Tarisai, who has always wanted to belong somewhere. But The Lady has other ideas, including a magical wish that Tarisai is compelled to obey: Kill the Crown Prince once she gains his trust. Tarisai won’t stand by and become someone’s pawn—but is she strong enough to choose a different path for herself? - Goodreads

Raybearer by Jordan Ifeuko, 2020 Amulet Books

Raybearer is a lovely young adult fantasy novel, the first in a two book series. I read a fair amount of YA, and a good amount of speculative fiction and still Raybearer felt new and exciting. In fact I’d say it’s probably my favorite YA I’ve read so far this year. The world building is unique with a wide variety of cultures (obviously influenced by certain real world countries but with enough departure to not feel just relabeled with fantasy names), interesting magic abilities, a sense of history, and an unusual system of government.

While stories of youths rebelling against oppressive regimes are YA’s bread and butter, this takes a deeper look at justice and inequality. I love that Tarisai’s goal for most of this first book is just to protect her friends and chosen family. There are so many that we don't really get to know all of them, but the ones we do know are perfect. While Tarisai has a strong sense of right and wrong (literally, she gets physical symptoms from injustice) the entire time, the book covers her journey from ignoring it, then trying to save individuals, to trying to affect the whole empire. But even when her purpose is to protect, she still sees systemic injustices and comes up with systemic solutions, wanting to fulfill her role as more than keeper of the status quo. This is a story that questions why things are the way they are and how the status quo is maintained, but also looks seriously at what can be done better in the future. The problem isn’t one bad person abusing their power, the problem is the system that supports and maintains inequalities. I appreciated that there are no scenery chewing villains here - everyone has understandable motives, from lashing out to hurt because they were hurt, to fear, and to how easy it is to dismiss injustices that happen to other people, in other places and justify that that’s just how it is, no point in trying to make a difference. Everyone is treated with compassion, even when they make bad decisions or react from their emotions, which they sometimes do.

I’m really looking forward to the second book! In the words of George Washington from Hamilton,”Winning is easy young man, governing’s harder.” I love seeing what happens next and I’m going to leave it there to not give any more away.

Spoilers ahead as I talk about representation

As for LGBTQIA representation, it’s there but fairly background. Same sex relationships aren’t stigmatized and it seems there’s a bit of an “everyone is bi” default, although all the main on-page romantic relationships are male/female. Gender roles vary by culture but don’t seem to be strictly delineated in the palace although gender does seem to be considered strictly binary. One of the 11 is gay and fairly flamboyant about it - he’s described as a “bleeding-heart poet” dreaming of handsome swains, but that’s about it. However, there is an asexual character and while he’s not the protagonist, he is one of the key players. A little less than halfway through the book, when she is an anointed member of his council, Tarisai asks the Prince to meet her privately at a known lovers’ meeting spot. He’s afraid she has the wrong idea and this is what he tells her:

 “There’s something I should tell you. I don’t...I don’t think I want sex. Ever. And I don’t mean with you, I mean - with anyone. Girls, boys. Anyone.” He stared at the leaves on the ground, smooth brow furrowing. “I mean, I’ve had crushes before. On you, on Jeet, and some of the others. I’ve just … never been interested in the sex part. Sometimes I wonder if I’m broken.”

You aren’t broken, protested the voice inside me. You’re the kindest, most loving person I know. Run. Live.

“But I’m crown prince,” he continued, grimacing, “and I have to have heirs someday, so… I guess - if I could choose anyone-”

The conversation ends there because Tarisai stabs him.

Ekundayo, or Dayo for short, is described as happy, naive, trusting, and having a “big fragile heart”. He is the Crown Prince, but he believes in the best of everyone. He’s well meaning but doesn’t always get it. They don’t have a word for asexual, but the author makes it clear by indicating that it’s all genders he’s not interested in and that he’s not aromantic as well. And the author includes the classic, “I wonder if I’m broken.” On the one hand, broken would go on my ace characters bingo sheet, but on the other, it’s a classic for a reason. Asexuality is already so much more visible than when I finally encountered it over ten years ago that maybe in another ten private wonderings about our brokenness will no longer resonate with the younger generations. I hope so. In the meantime, I already liked him as the soft-hearted prince and this made my heart go out to him. I love that Tarisai’s immediate reaction is “you’re not broken” although she doesn’t get the chance to say that out loud or even finish the conversation. I assume it will come up again in the next and final book. I really don’t know what’s going to happen next and I love that.

In summary, I loved Raybearer and I think it’s a good representation of an ace character that doesn’t fall prey to stereotypes (although I am keeping an eye on how often naive tends to show up) and I highly recommend it as a diverse thoughtful YA fantasy.

[tundrainafrica]

So I see your a LeviHan shipper!! I enjoy the ship a lot too!! But are there any specific reason that their your favorite?? Maybe you could explain that a little through a list? But anyways I hope your week has been good so far, Sav. Have a good day/night!!!! - Signed by Your Secret Santa 🎄

Hello! Thank you for asking about my week (and my ship). 

I enjoy the ship a lot too!! But are there any specific reason that their your favorite? 

To answer that first question...

You’re in for a long rollercoaster ride of a rant because I don’t think I’m the type of person to ship anything to the point of writing domestic fluff fics unless the I felt really really drawn to the ship. 

Anyway, (slight) spoilers abound! Will keep manga spoilers subtle, mostly Levihan scenes.

Disclaimer: I do not want to start shipping wars. I specifically avoided the words like should or best because I recognize that shipping is generally based on preferences. I respect everyone’s preferences on what they want out of a ship or even a relationship and through this, I just hope to express my own preferences and maybe even gush with people who agree.

1. The ship did not move the plot. The plot moved the ship.

Attack on Titan is not a romance or a shojo, if it’s not fairly obvious from any chapter you would randomly read. As a reader, I would have expected it to fall short with pairings. Most shows which are not romance based tend to have a few pairings which just suddenly end up together towards the end of the manga because “What’s a happy ending without marriage and kids?” There is usually a trend of just pairing of the extras and sometimes, or maybe even more often than not, it just seems to come out of nowhere (ehem... Naruto.). Maybe the relationship worked off screen but I dunno. Like no shipping war here but the only pairing I had full support for was Shikatema. 

In stories classified as romances, there is enough of a spotlight on the sexual tension and mutual pining of specific characters for the romance to be considered reasonable. In my opinion, some authors tend to sacrifice really good world building for a good romance. Objectively twilight for example had some crazy good world building but it just kinda focused a little too much on emo Bella and emo Edward for the world building to actually be appreciated by the casual reader. Tbh though, this is not necessarily bad because people get into stuff for reasons, sometimes, I just wanna read a good fantasy, sometimes I just wanna read a good romance.

Romances though as a main driving point for narratives, require some convenient serendipity moments and sexual tension which can be written well but as a reader, I prefer to see more natural relationships born out of necessity (Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata is a good example of what I’m talking about in a romance novel.)

Attack on Titan through its narrative actually made Levihan seem VERY VERY possible. If I had to compare the presentation of this ship in canon to at least one relationship in other anime, I would compare it to Royai from FMA. 

Like, if Attack on Titan didn’t give us random subtle hints about romantic or just platonic relationships between the two or even about anyone, even if Levi and Hange did get together in the end, it would have been one of the pairings, I probably wouldn’t have raised an eyebrow at. 

But they could be just friends? Which brings me to my next point.

2. Their current situation makes it so it’s only natural that at the least, they considered it. 

Yes. Friends is a valid interpretation for anything. I mean, given our hook up culture, people can fuck as friends too. People probably have made out drunk as friends too. Like I have seen my fair share of this type of bullshit in high school and college and I would say, we do not need a kiss or a fucking session to recognize that something can be a good relationship or to recognize that they have probably thought about it. 

A relationship requires a commitment (conscious or unconscious) to caring for the other, keeping the other safe, recognizing their flaws and thinking about them regularly (Call me scott peck or marriage counselor but like I honestly think the world would be a better place once people recognize that quality romantic relationships are worked for).

Mind you, Levi and Hange lost everything.They literally lost everything from their old life, all their friends, all their loved ones and all they have is each other and they’re forced to take care of a bunch of kids.

There are people who have said before, no one gets very close with someone without ever considering a romantic relationship with them. Or even if they never considered it romantic, they could consider at least “living with them their whole life,” or “supporting them through thick and thin.” The things is, towards the end, they were constantly together and what drove them to that situation is that both of them are aware of what the other had lost. They understood each other more than anyone else and they recognized that they were the only ones left in their own circle and I personally think that is more than enough for a relationship to naturally bloom between them.

3. The relationship and the signs are subtle and it works.

I personally probably would not have enjoyed it if canon showed a romantic relationship of the two after Erwin died. It’s a valid interpretation to consider that it could have happened, based on my explanation for number 2 but Hange is commander, Levi is captain. They have a professional relationship and they have goals and obligations which take precedence over personal desires. They are in the middle of a war and the most which probably could have happened was a secret mutual pining between the two and I think Isayama has injected the most subtle hints which are the most that could have been appropriately put into canon without seeming too OOC. Hange and Levi are not selfish people. They have promises, dreams and obligations which they respect and have committed themselves to already. It has also been shown at earlier points of the manga that they do put their survey corps duties on top of everything so acting on a romantic attraction at that point in time would have definitely been inappropriate. 

I personally think, the scenes of Hange going out of her way to save Levi as commander, killing her other soldiers to save both their asses, suggesting in the forest that they live together instead of go back to the war and not leaving an injured Levi until she had no choice were more powerful than a lot of romantic scenes where people actually fuck and kiss. Kissing and fucking are easy. Leaving the duties and responsibilities they have worked for for five years to keep the person they love alive hits way harder. 

Call it platonic. Call it romantic. But no one like Hange would have deserted her post as commander for a few chapters to take care of a sick comrade and kill her subordinates to save their asses if there wasn’t anything between them. 

4. It gives a great example what healthy relationships can come from. 

I grew up reading sweet valley and chick lits cause I was a basic bitch and I kinda grew up with a somehow unrealistic idea of where relationships come from. Call me a late bloomer but I only actually figured out where the romance and the happiness of a relationship was when I got into one with my best friend for five years. 

It’s the sexual tension and the “will they wont they?” push and pull which can lead to satisfying sex or a happy ending in romance novels. I think in a way, media kinda overglorifies it which kinda gives a lot of young people the wrong idea about why they getting into a relationship is fun in the first place.  Because after the satisfying sex and the kids, what’s next for the relationship?

Years of utility bills, diapers, chores, schedules, parent teacher conferences and compromises until someone gives up or dies. And what kind of relationships can actually thrive through all these? 

Those that have mastered the underrated parts of relationships. These include conflict resolutions, compromises and open communication. I think we have seen enough of those two, even before season 3 that have shown that they know each other very well and they have shown to at least have a relatively equal power dynamic which is a foundation for open communication and mutual trust in relationships even beyond the fucking and marriage stage 

5. They have a great foundation of character development for both parties.

As I mentioned above, they have a relatively equal power dynamic. I love Royai from FMA and I have compared Royai to this multiple times. I would say though I prefer Levihan over Royai because I felt that Royai had more unequal power dynamics? (Though I still think Royai is a top tier ship ). Also, they have shown to tell off the other when they don’t like what the other is doing. They are complete opposites but here is the magical thing. They talk everything out. They’re generally open people to each other and they know each other way too well as hinted in scenes before and opposites work as long as the others are willing to compromise. I think (especially in season 3 and season 4) that they have done enough for each other and have compromised enough for each other in the survey corps that these skills could easily be brought with them even after the war.

That open communication is just what makes them maintaining a relationship while being complete opposites very OC and realistic. Eventually, they did probably did make compromises, which most likely softened or moderated the crazy parts of their personalities which is just a really fun part of their relationship to explore. 

6. It could realistically last so maybe ...

7. A good foundation for happy children?

Maybe it’s how it is written because of the actual story and why would Yams write a romantic drama in a story about genocide and war. Tbh, I would attribute it more to Levi and Hange’s personalities though because Mikasa and Eren have their fair share of drama, mostly one sided though coz Mikasa. This relationship has no drama, no misunderstandings which just further supports my point that they have a relationship that thrives on open communication and mutual trust. Drama is fun like when we’re the ones on the sidelines eating the popcorn but I have third wheeled enough people in my life to realize that I will not support a relationship where both parties are just not ready to be mature about it, in real life and in fiction. 

My favorite couples, in real life and in fiction, are definitely those who keep conflict among themselves and maybe among trusted people. I think one sign of a healthy relationship is one where problems don’t become public through social media or through like 20 people. One important yet underrated part of relationships is the atmosphere of comfort and freedom which encourages both parties to be able to directly approach one another before tensions and uncertainties get out of hand.  

And a life free of dramas at least in the early stages of life just kinda shows at least that both parties are ready to bring a new life to the world? Because like immature parents with shitty conflict resolution skills really fuck kids up man and I passionately believe the world would really be a better place if babies were born out of trust, mutual understanding and open communication instead of sex but yeah, make sex fun to keep our race alive.

So anyway, I guess, I just finished explaining why I love this ship so much while also disclosing my preferences for relationships. 

As mentioned above...

Disclaimer: I do not want to start shipping wars. I specifically avoided the words like should or best because I recognize that shipping is generally based on preferences. I respect everyone’s preferences on what they want out of a ship or even a relationship and through this, I just hope to express my own preferences and maybe even gush with people who agree.

Other pairings which I support for those curious: Shikatema, Royai, Victuuri, Percabeth etc.

Also... To answer your second question... 

My week has been great, some pretty solid life developments but US elections wise, not so great... (WHY IS THE ELECTION RACE SO CLOSE?)

[theanimeview]

My Nitpick Issue with Sherlock in Moriarty the Patriot

By: Peggy Sue Wood | @pswediting​

It may surprise some of you to know that I have degrees in book reading and writing. While earning those degrees I studied one specific time period more than the others--that being British Literature from late-17th/18th century through the early 20th century. This is to say that it is a time period I know a little more about than you might think. And early 1900s is probably my favorite period out of that timeline, particularly England under Victoria’s rule. 

And, perhaps, because of this strange obsession I have with the period, I presently have a small bone to pick over Moriarty the Patriot. 

It’s not the minor inaccuracies of the clothes, nor the adaptation of character designs. It’s not even the adjustment to social tendencies depicted that are more Japanese than British-English of any period thus far either--because those kinds of things happen frequently in adaptations. And it's not Moriarty or his backstory too! Because, again, this is an adaptation, and liberties will be taken to fit the new story (besides, even in the original works by Doyle the man’s backstory was inconsistent). 

My issue is with the character of Sherlock and his supposed “deductions.” Well, maybe more accurately it's with the writing of Sherlock. 

You see, Sherlock is almost always introduced the same way in an adaptation. He makes a judgment about someone (usually about Watson or the Watson stand-in) and then proves it using his observational skills. This introduction is important because it clarifies that the world of the characters is one based on where common sense and science not only work but make sense. His deductions are logical and based on some semblance of rationality. Here is an excerpt from the original novel: 

“I knew you came from Afghanistan. From long habit the train of thoughts ran so swiftly through my mind, that I arrived at the conclusion without being conscious of intermediate steps. There were such steps, however. The train of reasoning ran, `Here is a gentleman of a medical type, but with the air of a military man. Clearly an army doctor, then. He has just come from the tropics, for his face is dark, and that is not the natural tint of his skin, for his wrists are fair. He has undergone hardship and sickness, as his haggard face says clearly. His left arm has been injured. He holds it in a stiff and unnatural manner. Where in the tropics could an English army doctor have seen much hardship and got his arm wounded? Clearly in Afghanistan.' 

How does this prove we are in a world where common sense and logic works? Well, because he didn’t pull any of these deductions from thin air. He just used his eyes and common knowledge to make a quick judgment. 

In the example above, everything that Sherlock assumes is true and based on reasonable assumptions about the time period and about what he can observe of the person before him. 

The tan of Watson’s skin is something he notes because London is usually dark and wet around this season, so you’re unlikely to get a tan. The way the man walks and stands is also a thing he can observe, and fresh military men walk very differently from the average citizen or gentleman. These two observations, coupled with noticeable injury and limp could lead one to think that maybe he has just come back from the current war (the First Anglo-Afghan War). Of course, maybe he wasn’t injured in the war at all--maybe something else happened; however, you can make a pretty good guess that an abled bodied soldier would not be home and looking for a room in the middle of war-times if something hadn’t happened to him on the battlefield.

My point is that all of Sherlock’s deductions come from observing details, paying attention to the basics of the world (such as the ongoing war or understanding rigor mortis), and using your senses. Sure, there may be a few things the average person doesn’t know that Sherlock does, but that’s because Sherlock has studied different things and to a more serious degree. The level of understanding is different, but not impossible to achieve in one’s own time or effort. And, as another note, Sherlock is not perfectly observant all of the time. There are plenty of examples of him needing to take breaks, of him closing his eyes to block out distractions so he can better focus on what someone is saying, and of him smoking to zone out for a bit so that he can come back to a problem with fresh eyes at a later time. 

It’s absolutely vital to Sherlock’s character, and the original story, that all of the deductions are based on the “possible,” which is why the introduction of Sherlock in Episode 6 of this adaptation immediately irritated me. Here is the scene:

Side note:  I’m sorry it’s shown as a poorly made gif--I literally could not find a copy of the clip with English subtitles on YouTube so I could not include it as a video. If you want to look at it in the episode itself, it starts at about the 13:00 minute mark. EPISODE LINK)

Here is what bothers me so much. Why would a mathematician be checking to see if the staircase on a ship fits the golden ratio? More importantly, why would that in any way matter to Moriarty as a character? Based on what we’ve seen so far of this character, and we’ve had 6 and 1/2 episodes to define him so far, none of Sherlock’s statement makes sense here. 

Like, at all. (And I know that this also happens in the manga--doesn’t make sense there either.)

You know what would make sense though? For the time period and the character development we’ve seen of Moriarty thus far? A pause to consider-- and maybe even compare--staircases on the ship between the main steps for passengers and the steps for commoners or staff. 

Why would that make sense? Oh, thank you so much for asking. Time to get real nerdy here for a minute: 

Class issues were a serious problem in Victorian England (as they are now, though in a different way). These issues were not necessarily the same as depicted in the show but it was still consistently present throughout the society as a whole. (A good, short read on the subject can be found here for those of you interested: Social Life in Victorian England.)

One way that this issue came out was in the very architecture of homes. In Victorian England, nobleman homes and estates were built with main staircases, where the residents and guests walked, and servent staircases, where the staff and other temporary employees walked. The difference in these stairs was huge, as the servant staircases were basically death traps. 

In the late 1800s, a mathematician (and architect) named Peter Nickolson figured out the exact measurements that would generally ensure a comfortable and easy walk upstairs: 

BTW: Here is a great video on the subject and how they were death traps: Staircases in Victorian England

However, Nickolson’s math and designs were not used regularly in the design of houses for years to come. 

By the setting of the story, and given Moriarty’s interest in maths, his understanding of class issues, and beyond--this kind of knowledge would make far more sense than searching for the golden ratio in a man-made set of stairs. 

Moreover, the golden ratio is generally interesting to mathematicians (to my understanding) because it can be seen in nature frequently. It is a pattern found everywhere, from the way that petals grow on flowers, to how seashells form, to freaking hurricane formations! So why on Earth would Moriarty be interested in an architect's choice to use such a ration when planning a staircase? 

He wouldn’t, I believe. Nor would Sherlock generally be able to make that assumption based on his time gazing at the staircase, distance from said staircase, nor angle. 

So what can he deduce, if not that? Well, he may be able to deduce that Moriarty is a nobleman based on his attire. He may also be able to deduce that the man is a student based on age, as in an earlier episode we were told he’s quite young to be teaching in university and appears close in age to his students. Maybe he’s a student of architecture? But, if he’s a nobleman--as we suspect he is based on his attire--then it's unlikely he works a labor-intensive job or one close to it. So, he must be in academia for academic reasons such as mathematics. Physics during that time, as an academic subject, focused more on lighting, heat, electricity, magnetism, and such. And, Sherlock notes that Moriarty is specifically looking at the stairs, not the lights of the ship. 

So, BAM! I’ve deduced Moriarty is a young nobleman who is likely a student of mathematics. Perhaps he’s recently had a lesson on staircases or another algebraic concept that’s caused him to pause with momentary interest. 

It makes a heck of a lot more sense than finding a “golden ratio” in a man-planned and man-made staircase... don’t you think? And, maybe, we can even deduce that rather than a student he’s a professor who has just thought up an interesting lesson--though that would be a BIG jump from the data we’ve been provided here. 

Deductions that come from major leaps in logic make it seem like Sherlock is doing magic... and he is--because it is magical that people find it impressive or believable. It’s not. And I would argue that the original character would find it insulting based on his comments to Watson regarding being compared to other fictional detectives.

Pay in mind, I have this feeling about several adaptations, so my judgment on Moriarty the Patriot isn’t technically exclusive. It just hit me so hard in my first viewing that I felt I needed to share because generally, this issue of deductions becoming magic rather than stemming from logic doesn’t happen in the first two minutes of meeting Sherlock Holmes.

So... yeah. Thanks for coming to my absurd history/lit lesson through Moriarty the Patriot. I appreciate you sticking with me to the end and hope it was enjoyable.

You can watch the series on Funimation.com right now at: https://www.funimation.com/shows/moriarty-the-patriot 

Overall, it’s a pretty good series; although there was a lot more child-murder than I expected...

[ouyangzizhensdad]

On the importance of MianMian: musings on the differences between the novel and CQL (PART 2/2)

If you haven’t already, please read through part one first, otherwise this will probably not be very cohesive or comprehensible. There is also some bonus meta because I keep having thoughts about MianMian. 

In part one, I contrasted MianMian’s first appearance in the novel and the web series in order to show how MianMian’s characterisation and position within her society were established quite differently in both works. In this post, I will explore the domino effect of those adaptation choices, as well as consider how the two subsequent appearances of MianMian in the novel got translated into a visual format in CQL. Through this exercise, my goal is not only to illuminate the depth and significance of this minor character in the novel, but also to argue that the way her scenes were adapted in CQL ultimately reduced the impact of the character and excised many of the nuances put into her portrayal despite increasing her presence in the work. 

(although kudos to CQL for casting Ann Wang because I do not get tired of looking at her face: look at that smile 😳) 

The Servant’s Daughter Valued Jin Cultivator Standing up to a Room of Powerful Cultivators

In the novel, we meet MianMian for a second time after the Sunshot campaign has ended. Cultivators from the main sects and allied sects (including some who used to be loyal to the Wens!) are discussing at Jinlintai Wei Wuxian’s actions after he protected the Wens and set up residence on Mass Grave Hill. By that time, it appears her position in her sect, and even her sect’s position, has grown. We can speculate as to why (my personal take is that MianMian proved herself during the war and that her sect is one of the sect who pledged loyalty to the Jin and gained influence as a result). What is important is that she goes from someone who is so inconsequential she might have not even have been a disciple yet when we met her to someone who stands next to a sect leader (who we can safely assume in this context to be her sect leader). A lot is hinted about her character and what she experienced since we last saw her through that small and innocuous detail. 

Suddenly, a careful voice interjected, “It’s not killing indiscriminately, is it?”

Lan Wangji seemed to have entered a realm of zen that blocked all of his senses. Hearing this, however, he moved, looking over. The one who spoke was a young woman with a fair face, standing beside one of the sect leaders.     

I will not repeat here the entirety of her speech, which highlights the hypocrisy and the bad faith of the sects, and particularly the Jin sect’s unwillingness to shoulder any blame for their deplorable treatment of the Wens. Instead, I find important to highlight how the other cultivators present react to MianMian based on her positionality. 

First, MianMian’s opinions are undercut by the people present due to the fact that she is a woman. Her motivations for speaking out are reduced to the irrational ramblings of a maiden in love.

“You can stop arguing,” someone sneered suddenly. “We don’t want to hear the comments of someone who has other motives.”

The woman’s face flushed. 

“Explain things,” she said, raising her voice. “What do you mean, that I have other motives?”

“There’s no need for me to say anything. You know deep down and we know too. You fell for him back in the cave of the Xuanwu just because he flirted with you? You’re still arguing for him, calling white black no matter how irrational it is. Ha, women will always be women.”

The incident of Wei Wuxian saving a damsel in distress in the cave of the Xuanwu was indeed once a topic of conversation. Thus, many people realized immediately that this young woman was ‘MianMian’.

At once, somebody murmured, “So that’s why. Explains how she’s so desperate as to speak up for Wei Wuxian…”

“Irrational?” she fumed. “Calling white black? I’m just being considerate as it stands. What does it have to do with the fact that I’m a woman? You can’t be rational with me so you’re attacking me with other things?”

Then, when members of her own sect disparage her for speaking up, they suggest that her place in the discussion, in this palace of gilded power and privilege, is ultimately illegitimate or at the very least incredibly easy to render illegitimate.

“Stop wasting your time on her. That this kind of person actually belongs to our sect, that she was even able to find her way into the Golden Pavilion; I feel ashamed standing alongside her.

Many of those who spoke against her were from the same sect.

In this situation, not even her fellow sect members are willing to come to her defense or to give her the benefit of the doubt; she is to be shamed and separated from them, lest her actions reflect badly on their own standing. 

MianMian’s choice to leave her sect behind is meaningful because she is not privileged. She does not have anyone powerful in her corner to back her up. She does not have many options; people act like she should be glad to even have made it this far, and we can infer that she only achieved her current position due to her skills and hard work. It is also meaningful because she is making that choice while knowing that she’s giving up on the privileges of the social position that she has worked to achieve. The fact that she is giving up on something big is highlighted by the reactions of many cultivators after her departure, who think she will come crawling back to find once more the security and privilege of the position she left behind.

Saying nothing, MianMian turned around and left. A while later, someone laughed. “If you’re taking it off, then don’t put it on again, if you’re so capable!”

“Who does she think she is… leaving as she pleases? Who cares? What is she trying to prove?”

Soon, some began to agree, “Women will always be women. They quit just after you say a few harsh words. She’ll definitely come back on her own, a couple of days later.”

“There’s no doubt. After all, she finally managed to turn from the daughter of a servant to a disciple, haha…”

Beyond what it means for her characterisation and the themes explored in the novel, this moment is significant because there are clear parallels between how she is treated in that moment and how WWX is talked about for protecting the Wen remnants and, later, for ‘deserting’ the Jiang sect. In fact, just before MianMian speaks out, sect leaders call WWX a “servant” and the “son of a servant” when underlying the ‘nerve’ of his ‘arrogance’ toward the sects with his actions. 

One of the sect leaders added, “To be honest, I’ve wanted to say this since a long time ago. Although Wei Wuxian did a few things during the Sunshot Campaign, there are many guest cultivators who did more than him. I’ve never seen anyone as full of themselves as him. Excuse my bluntness, but he’s the son of a servant. How could the son of a servant be so arrogant?”

These passages are also reminiscent of the way WWX is discussed by cultivators celebrating his death in the prologue:

“That’s right, good riddance! If the YunmengJiang sect had not adopted him, educated him—this Wei Ying would have been a mediocre scoundrel all his life, nothing but riffraff…… what else could he be! The former head of the Jiang clan treated him as his own son, but what a son! [...]”

“I can’t believe Jiang Cheng really let this arrogant manservant live for so long. If it were me, when this Wei first defected, I wouldn’t have just stabbed him; I’d have cleaned house straight away. Then he wouldn’t have had the opportunity to commit all those deranged acts later. When it comes to these sorts of people, how can you even take sentiments like ‘same clan’, ‘same sect’, or ‘childhood loyalty’ into consideration?”

Due to the circumstances of their birth, even people who manage to achieve a higher position in society hold a tenuous grasp on the power and respect they have gained: their legitimacy is fraught. And even if they play the game right, the lines of legitimate belonging are always ready to be renegotiated by those in power. Despite the “few things” he did during the Sunshot Campaign that aligned with the interest of the sects, and despite being raised among the gentry in the Jiang sect and being perceived as a gongzi, WWX remains in the imaginary of the cultivators who see themselves as the legitimate holders of power as someone who needs to “remember his place”, someone who should be grateful and loyal as he has been “allowed” to raise in influence and be treated well in society despite being the son of a servant. And so when he stands against the interests of the sects, he’s not just betraying them: he betraying the social order which gives them legitimacy. This is directly tied to MianMian’s treatment in this scene. In the novel, MianMian is not only shamed and dismissed because she speaks out against the sects: it is also, if not primarily, because she did not, in the process, “remember her place”.

The scene as it is presented in the novel thus goes out of its way to set up a clear parallel between WWX and MianMian, not only in regards to their righteousness, but also in regards to how they are perceived and treated for being the children of servants. It also takes pain to underline the unfair treatment of women in that society. Moreover, if we’re only considering MianMian’s characterisation, it says a lot to see her have reached this level of importance in her sect despite her circumstances and then for her to let it all go. 

In CQL? You’ve probably guessed it; all of these nuances are evacuated from the text. On top of the fact that MianMian continues to be established as a valued member of the Jin sect, the scene is cut short and a lot of the censure sent her way is excised. There are no mentions of her ‘having made her way’ into the room of powerful people who are allowed have an opinion on the state of the world. No mentions of her low social background and no mocking that she will crawl back to her sect after realising she can’t make it into the world without their influence and support. No dismissal of her based on the fact that she is a woman, or suggestions that she is standing up for the YLLZ only because she is enamoured with him. The scene is turned into a pale shadow of its original.

Instead of these elements, we do get a gasp from JZX (which becomes a dangling plot thread because he does not stand up for her nor does he reach out for her even though she’s supposed to be his good friend, nor do we see him being conflicted about being unable to beyond his gasp) and MianMian telling JGS that she is leaving his sect, which I’ll admit is pretty baller. But it does not even come close to having the significance and thematic implications of the scene as presented in the novel. CQL!MianMian stands up against the organized smear campaign against WWX and the sects’ unwillingness to accept their faults, and is only disregarded for having spoken against them: not because of who she was while she was raising doubts about their evaluation of the right and wrong. And that is significant, because it undercuts the discussions the novel explores through so many other characters about the impacts of being considered inferior by others. 

The Travelling Rogue Cultivator who Stayed Home

Finally, in the novel, we meet MianMian once more when her daughter, Xiao MianMian, stumbles upon something she should not have seen while accompanying her parents on a night-hunt. The reason their paths cross is that, just like Wangxian, MianMian feels compelled to pursue night-hunts other cultivators disregard for their lack of glory in order to help the common people. This is her life mission as a travelling rogue cultivator: differently put, she goes where the chaos is. This set-up serves to highlight that MianMian and Wangxian are like-minded and share the same definition of what it means to be ‘Righteous’. 

He asked, “Did you come here to night-hunt as well?”

Luo Qingyang nodded, “Yes. I heard spirits are haunting a nameless graveyard on this mountain, disturbing the lives of the people here, so I came to see if there’s any way I could help. Have you two cleaned it up already?”

The night-hunt also serves to reintroduce the theme of deception and rumours, and the ways in which MianMian is a character who is not swayed by public opinions but knows how easily others may be.

Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji exchanged a glance. “This was a lie too. No lives were lost. We looked it up. Only a few villagers who robbed the graves were bedridden for a while after being scared by the ghosts, and another broke his own leg when running away. Apart from these, there were no casualties. All those lives were made up for dramatic purposes.”

“So this was what happened?” interjected Luo Qingyang’s husband. “That’s absolutely shameless!”

“Oh, these people…” sighed Luo Qingyang. She seemed as if she remembered something, shaking her head, “They’re the same everywhere.”

This is because in the novel MianMian is tied to many themes, and always in a positive manner. Like WWX, she represents the good that is stifled by an unjust  social order. She also represents the people who choose to defy and deviate from this social order to pursue a righteous life rather than trying to find vindication and power within that very social order (ie JGY or XY). Like the juniors, MianMian is a character that represents hope for the cultivation world, the potential for small but significant change. Like WWX and LWJ, she represents integrity in the face of the corrupting influences of power and politics, as well as the desire to protect the common people. Like Cangse Sanren, she represents the courage to make her own path in the world, and to marry for love with no considerations for social status or conventions, and the decision to becoming a travelling rogue cultivator. 

On top of all these great things this scene accomplish, it is also just incredibly cute. After their talk, their parting is described like such: “Soon, the group had gone down the mountain, and Wei Wuxian could only say goodbye to them with some regret, continuing on another path alongside Lan Wangji.”  Honestly, my ‘WWX and LWJ become Xiao MianMian’s shushus’ agenda is alive and well and I will not accept anything else.

In CQL, however, the reunion happens by pure coincidence. The scene is in actuality a mash-up between the reunion we have in the novel and another scene that takes place earlier, in which fugitives WWX and LWJ enter the home of strangers as they are looking for some water (and end up frolicking in hay). 

Simply by changing the circumstances and the setting of the reunion, something is lost of the thematic connection between WWX/Wangxian and MianMian, even though viewers still get told that MianMian is someone who night-hunts. Without entering into the specific debate of whether show don’t tell is the only acceptable storytelling strategy, I think it’s fair to say that it is more effective to run into MianMian as she is night hunting based on the same rumours of hauntings as Wangxian instead of seeing her get home, pull a sword willy-nilly after hearing something suspicious in her backyard and finally getting told that she was out night hunting. 

Moreover, having to recreate most of the beats of MianMian’s last appearance into this new context seems to have been quite confusing to the CQL production team, and seems to have breed, as a result, a lack of internal coherence to the scene (cut between the end of ep 43 and the beginning of ep 44), regardless of any of its other pitfalls as an adaptation. 

In the CQL version, when we meet the family on their way back to their home, Xiao MianMian had been running around and her father chastises her by telling her something along the lines of “Don’t run around, what if you had gotten caught by the YLLZ?”, thereby suggesting that MianMian’s husband believes what is said about WWX. To this, Xiao MianMian replies But Mom Says he’s a Good Guy Though. Obviously, the intent of the writers was to show that MianMian had never bought into the rumours about WWX. However, this exchange makes seemingly no sense if one thinks about it for longer than a second. It suggests that MianMian had never talked about this topic with her husband or that he had never heard her talk about the YLLZ with their daughter. Considering how dangerous the YLLZ is said to be, and that they were night-hunting while he was a fugitive, I don’t see how that would have not come up even if for some unlikely reason she had until then only talked about the YLLZ with her daughter. Of course, one could suggest that MianMian’s husband says this to tease their daughter, fully aware that the YLLZ’s reputation of swallowing children is a tall tale, but the tone is not quite right? And it does not jive with the fact that MianMian is not on board with defaming people: I don’t think she’d be okay with her husband knowingly using the myth of the YLLZ to scare their kid into obedience because it’s convenient to do so? A miss.

To make matters worse, when WWX later asks MianMian is she’s back from night-hunting, Xiao MianMian says that they are back from searching for the YLLZ. First, there is a clear lack of coherence with the previous exchange between Xiao MianMian and her father. And again, it’s hard to get to the meaning of that exchange: is it implying that MianMian was looking for WWX to offer him her help? She certainly doesn’t once she does meet him, so that appears unlikely or at least it’s a plothole/dangling plot thread. But why be looking for him, if she knows he’s not the monster the rumours make him out to be? Clearly, the writers wanted to tell the viewers that MianMian is a rogue cultivator, and figured that having her back from a night-hunt would be enough: but why this line by Xiao MianMian about searching for the YLLZ? Is it just the fancy of a kid, who makes up her own stories while her parents pursue other cases (especially since MianMian says she was looking for puppets)? But then Xiao MianMian does say that ‘we’ were searching for him...

I can’t figure it out. I find it even weirder that, when WWX asks Xiao MianMian whether she is scared of the scary YLLZ (although she’s literally just said moments before that she was not scared of him in her exchange with her father that WWX certainly heard), Xiao MianMian starts replying that she is not scared and MianMian cuts her, apologizing to WWX that he daughter is too young and naive. What is she apologizing for? How is her daughter naive for not being scared of the YLLZ? Or is she apologizing for her daughter suggesting they were searching for the YLLZ? If so, why cut her now and not when she suggested that they were searching for him? 

What’s happening in this scene?!

Also, even an attempt to keep lines as close to what they were in the novel ends up backfiring with the new context. In the novel, out night-hunting, MianMian asks “ 什么人” when she sees WWX come out from the direction of a graveyard (she has not seen LWJ yet). Knowing that she might suspect him of being a corpse or a spirit considering that it is night and that he is leaving a graveyard said to be haunted, WWX responds  “不管是什么人，总归是人，不是别的东西 “ (No matter who I am, I’m a person after all, and not something else). In CQL, when MianMian hears a sound in her backyard, she asks  “ 什么人” and, after LWJ comes out and is recognized by MianMian, WWX still responds (??) with a similar yet slightly different sentence: “ 不管是谁，反正是个人，不是东西 “ (No matter who I am, anyway I am a person, not a thing). This exchange in the context of the scene in CQL baffles me because: why would there be then an expectation that they would not be a person in this situation? Why would he say that after MianMian has seen and recognized LWJ, thus knowing full well that it is a person and not a spirit or a corpse? As well, why change “ 别的东西 “ (something else/different thing) for “ 东西 “ (thing) since MianMian’s question does not imply by itself that she thinks they are not people since she asks "什么人” (literally: what person?), making WWX’s statement that he is “not a thing”  completely come out of nowhere? And it’s so much more perplexing than his original statement that he is not “something else” from a human. 

I’m spending time on these two lines because I find them to be a sort of microcosm of some of the questionable adaptation choices made in CQL: at times the web series chooses to keep things from the novel even after changing the context in which these elements unfold without understanding how these no longer work within their new context. Yet, at the same time, it feels comfortable making what appear on the surface to be minute changes without thinking through the implications of them, and thus changing the point of these elements through these minute modifications. 

Aside from these elements which prevent this moment in CQL to give us a scene that is internally coherent, let’s further interrogate some of the adaptational changes made between the novel and the web series, and their impact on the themes and characterisation. 

One change that conflicts with the characterisation and the thematic discussion regards WWX inquiring about MianMian’s husband. Unlike in the novel, where WWX engages him in a little bit of chitchat and then feels forced by conventions to ask to which sect he belongs, CQL makes it seem as if it is an information WWX wants to ask because it’s literally the first thing he says to him, not even after a salutation or a “well met” (I will be magnanimous and believe that that choice to do so was for the sake of brevity and not because the preceding dialogue had not been written in the novel and the CQL writers couldn’t be bothered to come up with something). This, however, makes it look like WWX puts a lot of importance in knowing someone’s allegiance to a sect, which is the exact opposite of how he feels about it. 

She pulled the man up, “This is my husband.”

Noticing that they held no malicious intent, the man softened visibly. After some chatter, Wei Wuxian asked out of convenience, “Which sect do you belong to and which kind of cultivation do you practice?”

The man answered frankly, “None of them.”

Luo Qingyang gazed at her husband, smiling, “My husband isn’t of the cultivating world. He used to be a merchant. But, he’s willing to go night-hunting with me…”

It was both rare and admirable that an ordinary person, and a man at that, would be willing to give up his originally stable life and dare travel the world with his wife, unafraid of danger and wander. Wei Wuxian could not help feeling respect for him.

Of course, without WWX’s thought process provided to us in the narration, the implications of MianMian’s husband being originally a merchant are a little bit lost in CQL, even if CQL!MianMian provides that piece of information. Of course, CQL could have chosen to include WWX’s musings, since it does include in this very scene some voice-over thoughts earlier. It is a shame though, that it does not, since MianMian and her husband are clear parallels for WWX’s parents in that regard: his father also left a stable life to travel the world with his wife.

Although, to be fair, CQL!MianMian is no longer a rogue cultivator who travels the world, so it is not like her husband made the decision to travel the world with her. Indeed, by frankensteining the two scenes from the novel, MianMian is by default no longer a rogue cultivator who travels the world: she is a rogue cultivator, sure, in that she does not belong to a sect, but she is a rogue cultivator with a home she clearly needs to inhabit during the day, what with the fact that they raise animals (we see little chicks in the background and there are piles of hay), and who night-hunts close enough to her home to be able to come back home in the morning. Moreover, without the context of meeting MianMian at the same glory-less night-hunt as Wangxian, it is harder to express the idea that MianMian is someone who chooses, like them, to do so for the common good and not for any prestige or rewards. MianMian is no longer another cultivator who goes ‘where the chaos is’ and, in terms of positive female representation, it is truly a shame. After all, the novel frames this as a positive and admirable trait which we see in our two main (male) protagonists: to have a woman follow, independently, the same path as them is meaningful. 

Finally, instead of the scene closing with a regretful parting that hints at the sense of kinship between MianMian’s family and Wangxian, we get a truly (imo) patronizing ending. In CQL, their conversation is disrupted by threatening sounds. LWJ then instructs MianMian to stay in her home and protect Xiao MianMian while LWJ and WWX take care of things. So feminism..... such empowerment... To be honest, if CQL meant to change things and put MianMian in scenes where she wasn’t originally, why not have her go with Wangxian? Why not have her be there for the Mass Grave Hill Siege? Why not have her leave her daughter with her husband and let her be a badass? Instead, they conveniently check her out of the action after putting her directly in the middle of it. Instead of having MianMian be away from the sects and doing her own rogue cultivator thing as the events of the novels unfolded in WWX’s second life, explaining her absence, CQL reintroduces her just before an important moment but chooses to send her away once more, to stay home and protect her daughter, probably because they did not want to take the time and energy to figure out how and where she would fit into these scenes in which she had not be written in the novel. This is the kind of adaptational choice that makes me question why people consider CQL a more progressive work of fiction with regards to its treatment of female characters. 

Final Musings: sometimes, less is more

Does an increase to the number of appearances of a character shape their impact on the audience? Or, conversely, does it dilute their meaning within and their impact on the text? There is not a simple answer to that question. Certainly, repetition is in itself a literary device, and many readers need salient and blunt reminders to get a message across, the likes of: the important characters are the ones you see the most often. Likewise, having a character feature more often in a work can provide the necessary breathing space to explore more and in more depth their psychology, motivations, past, actions, etc. However, the simple act of increasing the presence of a character does not inherently increase their impact on a work of fiction nor does it increase the nuances and depths of that character. 

It is possible to adhere to a cynical or optimistic perspective regarding CQL’s decision to feature MDZS’ female characters more prominently. It is not hard to divine why the decision could have been made solely for the financial incentive of “pandering” to a female audience who dares to want to see themselves on  screen. Conversely, one can imagine a production team animated by good intentions, who simply want to give more limelight to these female characters. Whether purely motivated by a profit-based logic or solely well-intentioned, or at a vector of both motives, it is clear that the CQL production did not increase the screen presence of MDZS’s female characters out of a desire to tell a stronger, more effective version of the original story they were working with. And that is why the urge to quantify good representation will always end up failing us in my opinion.

While it can be productive to consider trends, it does not give us a better media landscape or better individual works of fiction; it does not necessarily give us more impactful or better written female characters. This type of analysis urges us to see female characters as female first, without truly attempting to understand their purpose and treatment within the story. While MDZS has fewer female characters, these characters showcase different personalities and occupy different positions within the social world of the novel; they have arcs and thematic resonance and they cannot be simply replaced by a “sexy lamp” without disrupting the plot completely. They are also often given a surprising amount of depth, if readers are willing to pay attention to all that is found in the text and in the subtext.

For such a long novel, MDZS is able to remonstrate a certain amount of restraint wrt its storytelling. The timespan it wants to cover is expansive, its cast of characters not insignificant, and the story it aims to tell is ambitious. It is easy to imagine a meandering version of MDZS where many more characters are present, including many more female characters, or where the existing female characters get an extended presence within the narrative. But would those female characters have been more impactful? Would the story told have been a better one? The way the CQL production team chose to adapt MianMian hints that this is not a done conclusion. 

(+ bonus MianMian meta)

[love-little-lotte]

Ranking the Bridgerton Books

I know I should write this in my book blog, but frankly, I have no idea how to make another section for it, and I'm too lazy to research. So, I'm writing here. Please bear with me.

Recently, I read the Bridgerton books by Julia Quinn. You might be familiar with the first book since it was adapted into a popular Netflix series by Shonda Rhimes. I binge-watched it back in December, and I have to say... not a fan. I guess I just find it too cheesy and annoying. Plus, the actors who portrayed Daphne and Simon had no romantic chemistry whatsoever.

But I'm not here to talk about the TV show. I'm here to talk about the novels! This is actually not my first time reading the books. Well, not exactly. I've read six out of the eight novels when I was in high school, I believe. I found the books when I was in high school as it was in the library (please don't ask me why my high school library has smutty novels in it, I have no idea who's in charge - they had Fifty Shades of Grey for a week but they eventually removed it from the catalog when they learned what's it about, but I digress). As a fifteen-year-old girl, the series hooked me.

If you're not familiar with the books or the Netflix series, here's a short synopsis: Set in the Regency era, the Bridgertons are one of the most influential families of the ton. The books follow the love stories of the eight Bridgerton siblings, alphabetically named Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory, and Hyacinth.

I didn't read it in chronological order back then, though. I just borrowed any available Bridgerton book in the library if there's one. You might think I was too young to read a romantic novel like that, but I guess I was mature enough to understand it.

Rereading it now that I'm twenty-two (cue Taylor Swift!), my heart's not in the same place. I was more skeptical with the writing, the story, and, most especially, the characters. But, really, I'm not that heartless, so I will cut the author some slack. Quinn wrote this at a different time for a different audience. It's not that long ago, but you'd be surprised how fast things change.

However, even though I have major criticisms, I cannot stop reading them. There's something about the novels that put me in a chokehold. Despite everything, I was able to enjoy it overall. This series is the definition of "guilty pleasure."

Anyway, here's my ranking of the Bridgerton books! I only read the eight main ones, which means I didn't include novellas of any kind. Also, as a fair warning, I might discuss spoilers and whatnot, so please beware. And do keep in mind that I'm writing my opinion, so if you don't agree, well... tough. I'd like to hear your comments, though, if you have any.

#8 - An Offer From A Gentleman (Book 3)

Honestly, this was probably one of my favorite Bridgerton books when I was younger. A Cinderella retelling? Come on! As someone who loves fairytales and forbidden romances, this was supposed to be heaven. However... it was not.

Benedict may be my least favorite Bridgerton brother. No, scratch that - he is my least favorite Bridgerton out of all of them. He's whiny and creepy and I was plainly annoyed with how he keeps asking Sophie to be his mistress in the novel. This was not the gentleman I imagined when I was younger. I might have liked him more in the first few parts, but as the story progressed, he became too childish and obsessive. Sophie, on the other hand, was all right. She's definitely one of my favorite Bridgerton heroines. She was tough but kind in her own way. I wish she had a better partner than Benedict, but I guess they suit each other in the end.

I just detest the climax and the ending of this book. It was too comical - and not in a hilarious way. I guess the same could be said for the entire novel. This was so, so different from the rest, to be honest.

Overall Rating: 3/10

#7 - On The Way To The Wedding (Book 8)

Fun fact: this is the first Bridgerton novel I read. And even then, I wasn't a huge fan of it. Just like An Offer From A Gentleman, the climax was a bit silly but more in a soap opera level than comical.

The biggest factor why I didn't like this was the characters. They were all so bland. Especially our hero and heroine. Gregory is the least featured Bridgerton in the novel, so I don't really know what to make of him at the beginning of the novel. In his book, I learned that he was a good guy - and that's all. Maybe he's too young and naive when it comes to romance (which is endearing, I have to admit), but he has no interesting personality whatsoever. Lucy, the heroine in this novel, was the same. She was described as pragmatic and sensible, which perfectly sums her up. Also, she's a great friend to Hermione (whose last name is Watson, by the way, and you can't tell me otherwise that this isn't a Harry Potter reference - Hermione Granger and Emma Watson? If that's not a reference, well, that's a very crazy coincidence, but I digress again). Gregory and Lucy's story was average - not bad, not good, just so incredibly dull.

The fun parts started way too early. It was difficult to find intrigue in the middle and end bits. The second main conflict, which happened near the end of the book, was truthfully not that good and was just obviously a ploy to keep things longer. You'd think that the Bridgerton novels would end the series with a bang. Alas, it did not.

Overall Rating: 4/10

#6 - To Sir Phillip, With Love (Book 5)

Eloise finally gets her turn in her own love story. She used to be one of my favorite Bridgertons, but when she got her own story, she was reduced into a plain girl. Gone was the feisty and outspoken Eloise we knew from the previous books.

Maybe it's because she's paired up with one of the most insufferable Bridgerton heroes, Sir Phillip. Just an inch away from Benedict, Sir Phillip maybe my next least favorite character. And it annoys me so much that Eloise gets to fall in love with someone like him.

It actually started pretty well. Before the events in the book started, Eloise and Phillip had already been corresponding for a year through letters. Phillip was on the lookout for - not a wife - but a mother for his two unruly children, and he thought Eloise was perfect for the role. He's a terrible father, but the book tries to convince us that it's not his fault because he had a bad upbringing by his own father (a recurring theme in the Bridgerton books - four heroes are plagued with different daddy issues). Eloise tried her best to turn things around, and of course, she eventually did, but I just really hate Phillip's initial intentions for seeking out a wife. He gets better in the end, sure, but I still really don't like him. At least the book wasn't short of excitement, else it would've been rated a bit lower.

Obviously, my favorite part in this book was when the Bridgerton brothers stormed into Phillip's house. He got what he deserved, truly.

Overall Rating: 4/10

#5 - The Duke and I (Book 1)

Now, this is the most well-known story in the Bridgerton literary universe, thanks to the Netflix series. I know I've said that I wasn't a fan of the series, but really, the Netflix writers and producers deserve all the gold in the world because they managed to transform this novel into something exciting.

Daphne and Simon had their moments, that's for sure, but as a couple, they were just so... meh. I liked their relationship at the start when they were still pretending to be courting. But as soon as they got married, everything interesting about the two of them sizzled out. And please don't get me started with how Daphne "took advantage" of drunk Simon. Thank God the show fixed that.

Despite my mixed feelings, this was a decent start to the Bridgerton books. There's really nothing majorly wrong about this novel (except for the aforementioned "taking advantage.") It laid out the future characters well. Lady Whistledown was also great. Thinking about her made me miss her because she wasn't featured in the later novels (you'll soon find out why).

Overall Rating: 5/10

#4 - It's In His Kiss (Book 7)

Since Eloise was stripped away from her feistiness when she got her own love story, I was obviously worried for Hyacinth. Thankfully, she didn't change! She was still the same tactless girl in the previous books. And for that, she gets to be my champion as my favorite Bridgerton.

This is the first time I've read this book, and oh, I'm surprised with how exciting it was. Hyacinth's hero, Gareth, perfectly suited her. Gareth was able to tame her impulsiveness, while also proving to be a good romantic partner for her. I loved that he could match her intellectually, too. It was never a bore whenever they have one of their silly banters. Lady Danbury was also featured more in this novel. She's one of my favorite side characters. As Gareth's grandmother, she was determined to bring him and Hyacinth together.

Maybe the only criticism I have in this novel is Gareth's issues with his father. I find it really weird that most of the heroes' problems are with their fathers. It just seemed lazy writing, in my opinion. But oh well, Gareth was interesting in his own way and that's perfectly fine.

Overall Rating: 6/10

#3 - Romancing Mister Bridgerton (Book 4)

I have a feeling that this is Quinn's favorite Bridgerton book. In this book, it's Colin's turn to find love. Colin is featured in several of his siblings' stories - in fact, in almost all of the books, he had an important role to play.

I love Colin and Penelope's story. Long before this book, they already knew each other. Penelope was Eloise's best friend, and she's almost always in the Bridgerton household. Colin has been forced by his mother for God knows how long to dance with Penelope every time there's a party. But it was only now that they became closer. Unbeknownst to Colin, Penelope had been in love with him for half her life, even though he didn't particularly care for her. Penelope speaks for all of us who know about unrequited love all too well.

Furthermore, this is the novel where they finally reveal who was behind the Lady Whistledown column. Yes, viewers of the Netflix series who are not familiar with the books. This is the part - and not in the first book! I'm so mad that they revealed Penelope as Lady Whistledown in the first season of the series, when in fact it's much later than that.

However, that's also one of the lowest points of this novel for me. Lady Whistledown's identity reveal was a bit anti-climactic. A little bit laughable, even. Also, also, also: I hated Colin's reaction to Penelope's secret. He didn't have to be angry and jealous of her, but ah well, whatever makes for conflict. Nevertheless, I love both Colin and Penelope because they had so much character and depth. Quinn was certainly biased when she wrote this.

Overall Rating: 8/10

#2 - The Viscount Who Loved Me (Book 2)

Remember earlier when I said that I cannot stop reading the books because even though I knew it wasn't that good, it was still highly enjoyable? Well, I'm really talking more about this book, to be specific. I think I've read it in less than 24 hours because of how much I love it. And yes, Anthony and Kate had their obvious flaws, but oh God, they were so perfect together. I can't help but imagine Jonathan Bailey from the Netflix series as Anthony when I was reading it. I swoon, all the time.

This used to be my favorite Bridgerton novel, but that's only because I haven't read my new favorite until recently. Anthony and Kate's story was just oh-so good and intimate and romantic. Kate's also my favorite heroine in the entire Bridgerton literary universe. She was headstrong and loving. She's unafraid to put the happiness of her family first.

In so many ways, Anthony was the same. He assumed the role of Viscount Bridgerton when he was only eighteen when his father unexpectedly died. Since then, he overlooks the family's estates and well-being. Yes, this is one of those "daddy issues" stories I mentioned earlier, but this one was kind of done tastefully. He didn't wish to fall in love but everything changed when he encountered Kate. He didn't mean to be attracted to her, but here we are.

Anthony and Kate had so much understanding between them. I agree Anthony was a bit of a dick when Kate asked if they could have one week to get to know each other before consummating the marriage (worse things have been said by Benedict and Phillip, though), but in the end, I can't deny that I truly love them together.

Overall Rating: 8/10

#1 - When He Was Wicked (Book 6)

*blushing furiously* So what if I put the smuttiest and steamiest novel as my top choice?! What about it? Oh, but really, though, I can't stop reading this. Francesca is one of the least known Bridgertons in the books, just like Gregory. I didn't know anything about her, except that she's quieter than most of her siblings. It was also first mentioned in Romancing Mister Bridgerton that she had already married but was sadly widowed after two years.

Michael was Francesca's late husband's cousin and best friend, which makes him her best friend, too. He has been secretly in love with Francesca since the first moment he laid eyes on her but was unable to pursue her because she's with his cousin John. In addition, I'd like to say that Michael is my favorite hero in the Bridgerton books. He's very charming and wicked, and really, my knees buckle at the thought of him.

Long after John passed away, Francesca and Michael reunited. Francesca was looking for a new husband because she desperately wants a family, while Michael... well, Michael was still in love with her. There was undeniable passion and intimacy between them, and it was hard to stay away from each other. I seriously have a thing for men secretly pining over women they love. That's got to be one of my favorite tropes.

However, the book itself was a bit longer than necessary. While I understand Francesca's hesitations in marrying Michael, it could've been shortened because it felt draggy by the end. Her constant changing of minds was a bit annoying, and yeah, it was probably a ploy to lengthen the novel.

Additionally, I was a bit skeptical at first of how they're going to treat their relationship, especially since Francesca was truly in love with her first husband. But it was done so nicely. Francesca and Michael never forget about John, even in the end. I loved what John's mother said to Michael in a letter at the end, "Thank you, Michael, for letting my son love her first."

I guess I love their story more than the other couples because both were already mature and experienced. Just like everyone else in this romantic series, Francesca and Michael belonged together. The entirety of Chapter 19 is proof of that.

Overall Rating: 9/10

***

Overall, the Bridgerton books are quite entertaining, despite being a cheesy and sappy series. I admit that I feel quite lonely and bored now that I've finished all eight of them. Ah well, there's always the possibility of rereading them!

[allhailthemightyquattro]

Laura’s Deckerstar Fic Recs (Part 1)

So I finally finished bookmarking all my favourite Deckerstar fics and ended up with 99 bookmarks (and that was after trimming back a little). So now I am going to start a fic rec series where I share five of them at a time. All of the fics contain Deckerstar, but not all of them are Deckerstar centric. The list contains a wide variety of tropes and ratings, and even a couple of crossovers and AUs. It contains both one-shots and multicapter fics. Most are completed works but there are some WIPs, a few of which have not been updated in a while, so fair warning.

Disclaimer: These recs have no real ranking and are simply being shared in the order in which I bookmarked them. And just because I say more about some than I do others, does not mean that those fics are “better” or that I like them more.

You can find the complete list at my Ao3 Bookmark page.

Anyways, on with Part 1 of Laura’s Deckerstar Fic Recs! (I’ll think of a better name for it later)

Detour (with Jigsaw Puzzles) by HiroMyStory

Rating: Mature Status: Complete Word Count: 17210 (3 chapters) Author’s Summary:  An accident leaves Chloe and Lucifer snowed in.

Rec Notes: A great Christmas themed story filled with plenty of post-Devil face reveal angst and a happy ending (written before Season 4, so no Eve or Father Kinley or trips to Rome). Tropes include: snowed in together (obviously) and bed sharing.

Serpent Delivery by Dacelin (Good Omens crossover)

Rating: Teen Status: Complete Word Count: 120355 (69 chapters - Lucifer would approve) Author’s Summary: When Lucifer orders the demons back to Hell, he sends ALL the demons back. And a certain Serpent of Eden would really just like to get back to his love and life in Soho. But Lucifer has other plans for the demon who botched the apocalypse. Set immediately following the finale of season 4 of Lucifer, and twenty years after the book version of Good Omens.

Rec Notes: I’m not normally one for crossovers, but these two fandoms just work so well together. And the best part about this particular series is that it’s hard to pick just which fandom is the “main” focus. The writing itself is fantastic and the characterisation is pretty spot on for all the characters up to and including Crowley’s plants. I also love how both this and its sequel have a good amount of humour worked into the writing style without it becoming a crackfic or taking anything away from the serious points of the story.

P.S. Don’t worry if you haven’t read the novel and are only familiar with Good Omens as a TV show; the plot is still easy to follow.

Beginning of Eternity by Dacelin (Good Omens crossover)

Rating: Teen Status: Complete Word Count: 123,755 (65 chapters) Author’s Summary: Peace between Heaven and Hell is a lofty goal, but not everyone is onboard. With threats of invasion whispering through Hell, it's really a terrible time to plan a wedding - except no one has told Lucifer what's going on. The council is desperate to halt the danger, even if it means making a deal with the Endless. Crowley's really regretting ever agreeing to making deliveries.

Rec Notes: If you liked my previous rec, then great news! Because this is its sequel! The balance of fandoms is even more even in this instalment, but it does go a bit more in-depth on both sides. For instance, Gabriel from the Good Omens TV show is a major player, so book knowledge alone may not be enough, and there are characters and concepts from The Sandman comic series, which is what the Lucifer TV series is based on. But if you aren’t familiar with these, don’t worry, the author has got your back! As the third instalment of the series, they have made a Characters and Information Sheet! I reckon you could muddle through without it, but I highly recommend giving it a quick glance over if you need to.

P.S. Look out for all the subtle (and not so subtle) references to The Good Place.

Castaway by ariaadagio

Rating: Mature Status: Complete Word Count: 131015 (26 chapters) Author’s Summary: The Devil is real. A sentence Chloe Decker never believed until Lucifer Morningstar burned out her skepticism with his hellfire eyes. It's a "Hell" of a reality shift, but Chloe realizes she may not have time for gradual acceptance when she discovers that one of the bodies in her most recent murder investigation isn't human. Worse still, the next target might be Lucifer. A story that begs the question: who prays for Satan?  [Post-S3 finale continuation. Deckerstar.]

Rec Notes: I’m sure you all saw this one coming. There is a reason why this fic is so popular and that reason is because it is brilliant! It is set post-Series 3 finale but written before Series 4 so, once again, no Rome or Father Kinley, just Chloe trying to cope with her new knowledge of Devils and Demons. The one thing I will warn people about is that it starts with a brief description of Lucifer’s fall, but don’t let that dissuade you if you are not into that sort of story (you can even skip it if you really want as it serves more as foreshadowing than anything else). The fic may delve into Lucifer’s past, but it is very much plot-focused on the now.

The Night Before by FearTheSpork

Rating: Explicit Status: Complete Word Count: 6947 (1 chapter) Author’s Summary: A smutty oneshot in which we see Chloe bite off more than she can chew when babysitting Lucifer. Also smut.

Rec Notes: This is a great smutfic set somewhere around Season 1, so Chloe is still heavily in denial, and Lucifer is bringing his annoyingly confident flirting A-game. It’s a highly entertaining read. There is also a really cute, albeit short, morning after scene, which is probably the thing that makes this fic so memorable for me.

[thefolioarchives]

Reading of 2021, Part V

26. City of Saints and Madmen by Jeff Vandermeer

Vandermeer is one of my favourite authors and his Southern Reach trilogy was my main reason for going back to uni to do my master's. This short story collection was published long before SR, so it's daft that I didn’t read it for my dissertation and throughout reading it I felt like I was being smacked in the face with that realisation, again and again. Kind of torturous for a person who still has panic attacks about small stuff she said on the phone to a stranger, let alone big life stuff like your master's degree. Hahahahaha. *Goes and cries for a bit*

Moving on, this collection brings into focus the fictional, terrifying and crazy city that is Ambergris. From the perspective of returning missionaries, a historical pamphlet for tourists and nightmarish narratives of the lives of lowly artists. I'm a big fan of this as a concept and I feel like Vandermeer has managed to make Ambergris come alive through the various accounts of the characters we meet and its old and creepy history. It didn't GRIP me, however, not like Annihilation did all those years ago and it did not make me immediately want to read Shriek and Finch: an Afterword (novels that are included in this edition as well). The writing style is quite different from his other works that I've read, a bit old-timey as we like to say in the business, which made it hard for me to thoroughly immerse myself in it.

27. Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Macado

Another short story collection! This one was marketed to me as some brilliant reinvention of SFF. I hate when they try to do that as it sets the bar so incredibly high and I can't help but be swept away in the assumptions and reviews. What kind of expectations can a person who loves genre literature expect after reading something like that? Well, I was expecting the high heavens and sadly it didn't live up to its marketing. To be honest, there isn't a lot of science fiction or fantasy in these stories and if I was to describe it I'd maybe call it contemporary fiction with a dash of magical realism and the uncanny. I'm not saying all genre literature has smack me in the face with dragons and photon torpedoes, but sure, I was expecting more. That being said, I loved some of the stories a lot and I appreciate Macado's creativity in presenting her stories and characters. I especially liked "Inventory" (a woman recounts her sexual history while awaiting the end of the world), "Mothers" (a jump in time story about a woman and her ex, their life and journey towards motherhood), "Especially Heinous" (this one was probably my favourite: each little snippet is a take on a Law and Order: SVU episode (I have never seen the show), as Benson and Stabler struggle with mental issues, doppelgangers, criminals and relationships) and the "Resident" (an author arrives at an artistic retreat and weird things start to happen).

28. The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham

I have a lot of feelings about this book. It tells the story of 4 men who grew up on a reservation in the American Midwest and how one stupid mistake, can lead to… bad things, basically. The narrative is tense with the potential of violence throughout, no one is safe as reckonings must be made. What I really loved about this story is how the Native American culture is represented. The cultural references felt completely unique and for someone who's never read a book where the majority of the characters ( here mostly all) are Native American, it's powerful to read how much of that original culture has been retained throughout years of blood, slaughter and violent oppression. And yet there's this friction between the old and the new that I enjoy as well. How one of the main characters is in school and they're told to create a mural. She wants to create one that's dedicated to basketball because basketball is her passion but her teacher is all "but what about your heritage?". Is that what all native American identities boil down to? Heritage? Either way, it brought up a lot of interesting questions and themes that I'm keen to explore in more literature like this.

29. A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine.

I think I bought this book on sale a long time ago after reading how it had been nominated or won a lot of SFF awards, but I didn't pick it up until going on holiday in late June. This is essentially political fantasy intrigue dressed up as science fiction. A space station needs a new ambassador in the capital of a massive galactic empire because the other one died under mysterious circumstances and drama ensues! The "science" part of this book is so vague and it kind of bothers me. Here are some of my questions:

How has the empire managed to expand so much? How does space travel aka the jump gates work? Did the empire create them? What's the difference between humans and whatever the galactic empire's main "race" is? Did the humans come from earth, originally? How does it work that an entire planet is a city? WHAT THE HELL DOES EVERYONE DO FOR WORK?

I like the main characters (and the relationship that develop between "newbie in town" and "established authority trying to teach newbie the ways" is well done) but the city gave me a distinct Hunger Games Capitol vibe (without the excessive decadence) which in turn took me out of the story a little bit. Maybe it's an issue when creating a supposedly sprawling metropolis. Some of the finer details get glossed over, its history is never fully established and you only really get to see a small portion of it. I'm a big fan of fictional cities and I like to be able to almost smell them off the page, if that makes sense. However, this book never stops going and it's, overall, a very exciting read. The ending sets up a nice story for the second book which, to be fair, sounds like it might answer some of my space-related questions so I might be picking that one up at some point.

[pocketreads]

To Keep It Short: This will probably be a story that a lot of readers love... unfortunately, I am not that reader (A TL;DR can be found at the bottom of this review!)

Summary: Jake Livingston is one of the only Black kids at St. Clair Prep. It’s hard enough fitting in but to make matters worse and definitely more complicated, Jake can see the dead. In fact, he sees the dead around him all the time. Most are harmless. Stuck in their death loops as they relive their deaths over and over again, they don’t interact often with people.

But then Jake meets Sawyer. A troubled teen who shot and killed six kids at a local high school last year before taking his own life. Now a powerful, vengeful ghost, he has plans for his afterlife–plans that include Jake. Suddenly, everything Jake knows about ghosts and the rules to life itself go out the window as Sawyer begins haunting him and bodies turn up in his neighborhood.

High school soon becomes a survival game–one Jake is not sure he’s going to win.

THE BOOK:

CWs: graphic imagery; death/murder; suicidal ideation and attempts; mass shootings/gun violence; child abuse, mental and physical; attempted sexual assault; racism, bullying, and homophobia Release date: 7/13/2021 Publisher: Putnam (Penguin Teen) Page Count: 308 Genre: YA Paranormal horror Is It Queer: Yep! Main MLM romance

THE REVIEW:

I had really high hopes for this one. I love a classic paranormal slice-of-life novel, and all the better when it's starring a queer Black boy. Unfortunately, this book just... wasn't great. The Taking of Jake Livingston follows Jake as he navigates being not only gay and one of the only Black kids at his private school, but also being a medium. The ability to see the souls in the After isn't new for him, but he's always tried to ignore it up until now. Suddenly, Jake's already stressful life is made worse when he finds himself haunted by the ghost of Sawyer Doon--the boy who shot up his high school before taking his own life. Now, it's not just Jake's life on the line, but his friends, his families, his crush--and even the ghosts of the kids whose lives Sawyer took in the shooting. Some positives! The main plot was pretty fast-paced and therefore did a pretty good job of keeping you engaged. The ghost-world was unique and intriguing, and I enjoyed the concept of using "ecto-mist" as a weapon. There were some fantastically gory and creepy imagery, some undeniably spooky, hair-raising scenes, and the author certainly succeeds at unsettling the reader, especially within Sawyer's (the shooter) scenes. Like, objectively, this is a fun book. Unfortunately, these things couldn't really compete with the fact that this book reads much like low-budget teen superhero movie. There are so many strange lines, metaphors, and similes thrown into intense life-or-death scenes that gave me straight up whiplash (I will never forget "my neck cracked like a crisp lobster"). The dialogue typically felt distant and unnatural, and the pace at which relationships developed was much the same. Perhaps the biggest issue to be raised is that this plot and its characters are just seriously lacking in foundation. The characters, although they definitely stand apart from one another, are notably underdeveloped and flat, including Jake. Each character felt like they were made of one (1) character trait. For Jake's friend group, for example: the anxious one, the confident one, and the adventurous one. You never really learn anything about any of their hopes, their dreams, how they feel about... anything. The scenes felt slapped on top of one another with flimsy bridges to connect them. Often, emotional repercussions didn't seem to carry over--Jake has his life threatened by a ghost, he runs downstairs to witness a school fight, and he isn't even shaken by the former. The plot twists were unpredictable not because they were clever, but because they were almost completely baseless and a little unhinged. Most plot points occurred because they could, not because they made sense. Like, suddenly, Jake can merge with another ghost to become more powerful (similarly to Sawyer), I guess? And to be fair, this is a super cool idea--it just needed more of an explanatory build-up to it. Why can he do this? Can all mediums do this? How did he do it without even knowing it was possible? There are a lot of other questions I have for this world pertaining to just about everything--some of which aren't necessarily questions that need to be answered, but I felt should have at least been offered. The romance was pretty cute, and although a little cringe-worthy at times (as high school romances oft tend to be), it definitely made me smile. It's also just nice to see a queer romance between Black boys in YA for once. In the end, this just wasn't my cup of tea, but it does have its moments. I can easily see this appealing more to a different audience, so if it sounds like something you might enjoy, or if you're just looking for a fun, fast-paced read without any life-changing revelations, consider checking it out!

★★✭✰✰/5 STARS (2.5)

TOO LONG; DIDN’T READ:

Pros: A cute romance, fast-paced, unique and intriguing, gory, and all around just an objectively fun time

Cons: Flat, one dimensional characters, baseless plot twists ("I can so I will"), reads like a low-budget superhero film, etc, etc.