#neil gaimen i’m disappointed

[godsmus3]

as someone who used to be a very proud and avid reader of Neil Gaimen i must say one thing on this topic:

i’m not surprised…

although i wouldn’t expect him to be of this level (as in being a rapist), but it’s pretty clear in his writing he’s not particularly ‘vanilla’. I’m not phased by his tendency for rough and degrading sex, i don’t have an issue with that -as long as everyone wants that duh -

this is in no way to say that those two things can match directly , but often people with kinks similar to his would enjoy non-consensual behaviour yk.

[bluecatears]

TUMBLR UNIVERSITY

So I went to C2E2 awhile ago and it got me nostalgic for a convention I wasn’t able to attend cause I was a child. I’m of corse talking about DASHCON ! Taking place during the golden age of fandom culture that side of the 2000s It was terribly disappointing and scammed a bunch of people and not what it was hyped up to be. But what if we were to do it over again the way it was supposed to be but bigger and better? The theme can be TUMBLR UNIVERSITY

- Your hotel room is your dorm

- You can get tumblr university uniforms and merch or VIP swag (A little pricey but good enough quality)

- you can get a student ID picture taken! (Pay the price to laminate it right there or pay a smaller fee to have the Picture and or ID emailed to you)

- HAVE A GIANT BALLPIT

- Fanartist and Regular artists in artist alley

- The map of the con and the schedule can be layed out like a school map and schedule

10am : LARP Battle on the quad

11am: TOH Club meetup

Idk if you should be able to pick what you want to do first before you go like a real school so like that it’s a pre planed sort of but probably just keeping it normal like c2e2 would be fine too

Weather we like it or not Harry Potter is a staple of fandom culture. So I was thinking having a PARODY of the sorting hat. It will be a funny puppet that will sort you into your tumblr houses “I don’t want to get sued so you’ll be sorted into Fugglepuff” and the participants can have special merch to represent their house lol

Okay we all know that Celebrities have no business being in the depths of fandom but there are some celebrities that actually embrace their fandom and are active members with the fans. However I’m only saying this because I’m thinking of the fans and celebrities when I say there should be no meet and greets. I know I Know! Cons are a chance to meet your favorite celebrity but I know what cramming a full fun day of a con experience is like when you can only go one day. It’s all you can afford or all you have time for. Plus celebrities are expensive, even just inviting them is a lot then there is accommodations and security and green rooms oof. Just for them to sit at a table all day from morning to evening doing nothing not fun for them. Then the fans spend all day waiting in line missing out on the other experiences and they paid a lot for the meet and greet only to be told they are on break come back later and blah blah blah 😒 meet and greets are nice but not a high priority and not very fun if your only going one day.

The compromise is maybe just inviting them and they can just show up free for fun. (It could happen maybe lol) or we could pay 4 ONLY 4 celebrities to be “Teachers” and they teach a class and the papers you turn in are “Graded” by them but really it’s a signed autograph ✍️

Still the same what we would pay for a meet and greet but the interactive experience is much more fun and worth it for both parties 🤩 it could give even celebrities who are actually passionate about a subject a chance to give a small lecture about it. Or if they don’t know much about math or something then they can just have fun with the role of being a teacher like improv theater they don’t have to be professional who’s gonna criticize their lesson plan? They could be the fun substitute teacher types.

And for us how many times have we fantasized or wished that Tom Huddleston would be our theater teacher, or Pedro Pascal teaching science or turning in an essay to Neil gaimen? Each session would be 30 min (THIS IS NOT A Q&A it’s basically role play NOT LIKE That) throughout the day so everyone can get a turn and in between classes they go to the “Teachers lounge” for a break frequently. And it can even be streamed at home so that people from him can attend class. 🥹 (Paywall or no paywall is the question. Probably paywall because the people in person also have to pay)

Oh my god can you imagine the kahoot games can be the Panels?? “Yay the green team won the prize is … A peice of my hair. LOL no no here is a teddy bear.”

Then there can be cover bands or real bands Maybe 🤔 teaching music or just playing some songs.

These are just some ideas feel free to elaborate on them.

[wutheringmights]

The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins is an overall disappointing read. Do I think it’s clever and humorous? Yes. Is it also drowning in squandered potential? Double yes. (And will I be using this review as an opportunity to procrastinate on my writing? Triple yes.)

I first heard of this book through a booktuber, who pitched it as “Nona the Ninth, but better.” I haven’t read Nona the Ninth, but I was markedly disappointed by my reading of Gideon the Ninth a few months ago. I thought a book that had similar ideas but better execution would be a perfect fit for me. 

I never actually wrote a full ramble about Gideon the Ninth, and I really am regretting it now. I really wish I could just post a link to that review for context and then move on. But I didn’t, so here’s a brief summary of the relevant stuff. 

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir has a really fascinating world and the hints of an intriguing plot that is bogged down by poor execution. The plot never gained real momentum or stakes, and every instance of humor broke my suspension of disbelief. The book is also extremely opaque, to the point where it’s actively hostile to new readers. There’s a difference between throwing readers into the middle of the world and telling them to figure it out, and making it so confusing on purpose that you have to reread the book. Some readers can like or excuse that; I can’t. 

To some extent, The Library at Mount Char has better execution, if only because it is not determined to be indecipherable to the casual reader. Not every question it raises gets answered, but it knows how to meter out information effectively so that you’re never truly lost. It also has a better sense of humor (to an extent). All of its jokes are rooted in making fun of pop-culture, but because the story takes place in America, it never takes me out of the moment. It also never relies on referential humor. I will spare you my full-length rant. Just know that jokes that I have beef with humor that boils down to just making references to other jokes. 

Despite all that, Gideon the Ninth is still the better novel, if only because it takes full advantage of its conceit. On one hand, The Library at Mount Char has a fascinating idea at its core. The man our main character calls god has a library filled with all knowledge, which is broken up into twelve catalogs. Each catalog is mastered by one of his twelve apprentices. When god disappears, the apprentices now have to fight for who has control of the library, and therefore the universe. 

Cool stuff, right?

The story’s not really about that. None of the apprentices fight each other, and our main character, Carolyn, isn’t really our main character. Most of the apprentices are barely mentioned by name and they (spoiler) mostly die two-thirds of the way through. Our real main character is Steve, who is just Some Guy being dragged along by an extraordinary woman. It’s so standard, and none of the weird set-dressings can disguise it. We’ve read this story before (much in the same way Gideon the Ninth is a stock-standard vaguely-important-people-compete-in-deadly-game-for-more-power plotline, a la Lightlark). 

Gideon the Ninth isn’t really the best comparison to make. Muir and Hawkins may have crept onto similar ideas here and there, but their inspiration comes from elsewhere. Muir was obviously inspired by Homestuck and anime. Hawkins so obviously admires the works of Neil Gaimen. 

Fun fact: I am a long time Neil Gaimen hater. I have never mentioned this before, as up until very recently this was the Neil Gaimen loving website. But I am well-known in real life for not liking his novels. Gaimen is an author who has really cool ideas, and no ability to effectively execute on them. American Gods, Good Omens, Caroline, Stardust: all of them have deeply disappointed me in numerous ways. Despite giving him four tries, I always get harassed about how I’m just reading the wrong work. I won’t get Gaimen until I read the Sandman comics, Graveyard Boys, or that one with the London subway system. To that, I say no. I’m not doing it. I’ve given him enough chances. I’m not going to waste my time any longer. 

A lot of my least favorite Gaimen-isms creep their way into The Library at Mount Char, such as the clunky way he handles writing women. Women are cool and competent, but he never finds them to be as compelling as men. His concern for women’s issues always circle back to sexual assault. Carolyn should be a fantastic character, but the narrative is never concerned about her. She’s a machination for the plot, and nothing more. 

Hawkins also follows Gaimen’s path of having a weird hang-up on some sex thing, but instead of being overtly dedicated to informing the reader how much and what kind of sex every woman in the story wants, Hawkins is very concerned with anal sex. There are constant jokes about men putting things up their butt, and none of them are particularly original or in good taste. A prison rape joke stands out in my mind. Another is how the backstory of a character’s estranged relationship with her son being boiled down to her seeing him, verbatim, take something up his ass (this is part of a trend I find in male writers where their attempts to include topics not about straight men becomes weirdly othering; see aforementioned sexual assault). 

Then, after a hundred pages of this joke, Just Some Guy Steve has to shove some medicine up his butt, and bam. Joke over. We never hear about it again. What a weird set-up and pay off. 

I’ve spent so long talking about Gaimen and Muir’s works because, by itself, The Library at Mount Char doesn’t leave much to talk about. If I disengage from what I thought the plot was going to be about and only focus on what it is there, it’s fine. Underwhelming, but fine. I really like the dialogue. There are multi-page streaks of characters just dialogue that never feels stale or sparse because the dialogue is that vivid. 

Besides that? Eh. It’s truly just okay. It’s not as weird as what the reviews will tell you, nor as gruesome. It’s a middling fantasy story in the style of American Gods. The novel ends on a note that heavily implies a possible sequel. If it happens, I’ll have to pass. One was enough for me. 

--

The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins

Rating: 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐

[nookisms]

You know that thing people do where they try to sum up a random despite not participating in it? Okay I'm going to do that right now with Good Omens

There's the demon who's David Tennant and his name is Crowley

I think that's a funny name because crows are black and his wings are black

He's a snake with spooky snake eyes

Part of the gay snakes trio

He fell in love with the angel dude when they first met

The angel has a long name that starts with A and has a Z in it I think it's something like Aziraphel but I could be wrong

His wings are white like a swan and I'm disappointed his name doesn't match like Crowley's

He likes ducks

He has something to do with tartan bit can't remember what

He gave the flaming sword to Adam and Eve and that's why Crowley fell in love with him

This was a one time glimpse but I think Adam and Eve were black

God is a woman which I think is pretty neat

Earth is like 6000 years old

Crowley is a girl sometimes

Angels and demons don't follow the human gender binary and attraction

They say AAA rights: Agender aromantic asexual

Az has no gender and Crowley has all the genders

One of the demons is Beelzebub but it's a girl with a fly themed outfit

Michael or Gabriel is a jerk

There's a kid named Adam who's the Antichrist

They're either supposed to be starting or stopping the apocalypse but I'm not sure

Az is in charge of a bookshop

There's a fire at one point and Crowley thinks Az is dead I think

They switch bodies at some point but I'm not sure how or why

Crowley sits in a bathtub with socks for some reason

I think the Antichrist Adam has some friends but I don't know anything about them

There might be the four horsemen of the apocalypse

Everything has a meaning Neil Gaimen said so

It's like Supernatural but wholesome

That's all I've got

Edit: Wait they're called ineffable husbands but I don't know what ineffable means

[thiswaycomessomethingwicked]

I love Jemison’s Broken Earth trilogy, and the killing moon duo. That’s why I’ve been a bit disappointed with The City We Became as it doesn’t seem to be on the same caliber as her other works. Granted, I think it’s new territory for her as it’s an urban fantasy set in our world as opposed to an entirely new world she’s created, which is what she’s so amazing at.

Ooh Agatha Raisin! I’ve only watched the show, I didn’t realize it’s a book series. I’ll definitely check it out because the show is so fun, I’m sure the book series will be just as delightful.

I will add the Ocean at the end of the Lane to the list. I generally like Neil Gaimen so I’m sure it’ll be a good read. It’s very much the season for dark fantasy.

Ah! I have read the Natural History of Dragons. It wasn’t my cup of tea, personally - like I really wanted to be into it but it just didn’t do it for me. But! That said, I know a lot of people who loved it and I hope you enjoy it 😊

Thank you!! 💜

Ok so anyone have any good book recommendations? I’m in the mood for fantasy Murder mystery sort of vibe. I mad women and ugly women. Spooks and creepiness always a plus but not a requirement. Historical settings are always fun, naturally.

I’ve tried getting into The City We Became, which is none of the above aside from fantasy, but it’s really not Jemison’s best. I also tried getting into Jo Walton’s Lent, but I don’t know. It’s not grabbed me. I’m going to give it another few chapters before I give up on it though.

[almondcrayon]

I very sadly only read two books this month and that really sucks. I’ve been incredibly busy and I know next month may have the same outcome when it comes to a number of books I get to read. I am going to set my May tbr to only a few books so I’m not as disappointed if I cannot get to them all.

But I’ve taken my first AP exam for the year and the next one is in about a week so I finally have some down time to read! I will have a review up for Strange the Dreamer on Thursday and should have reviews up weekly from now on!

April Wrap Up!

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaimen and Strange the Dreamer by Lani Taylor

I’m not going to say too much about this book because I have a review posted for it. You can go to the review by clicking here.

May TBR!

Since I read so few books in April I hope I am able to read more in May, which is why I’ve set a high goal for myself.

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas !!!!!!!

A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro

The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell (which I’m already about 100 pages into!)

Vassa in the Night by Sarah Porter

Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare

I’m really excited to read these books and I hope that after my exams I will have more time to just read!

  April Wrap Up and May TBR I very sadly only read two books this month and that really sucks. I've been incredibly busy and I know next month may have the same outcome when it comes to a number of books I get to read.