#on account of the epic quest

[tanoraqui]

In Which Space Orcs are Men

[AO3] A "what if humans are space orcs" take on Dagor Dagorath. (Aka the prophecied apocalypse of Middle Earth. Scifi story accessible to non-LotR nerds!)

Elves weren't really supposed to leave Earth. That's what they told us—the Elves, that is, told people thousands of years ago, when Elves could still be found here and there. When I was born, elves were nearly as much a fairy tale as they’d been on Ancient Earth.

Elves weren't supposed to leave Earth, the Elves said in the fairy tales, and in a few old scraps of records scattered around known space. They literally weren't made for it. They could only do it if they brought Earth with them—Arda they called it, leaves or dirt, water or a rare bubble of air, perfectly preserved in a white crystal. There are tons of tales about Elves losing their lifeline jewels—their hearts, their silimirs—and roping people into epic quests to get them back before they—the Elf—faded to nothingness. 

Even the jewels weren't enough, though. That's why there are also stories about Elves who fell in love with a person or a place and stayed there until they faded, or Elves who charmed someone into following them back to Fairyland on Earth...because whatever they said, Elves didn't really live on Earth. Humans have maintained their home planet as a monitored nature reserve since like the 40th century, open only to vetted research teams and serious Human religious pilgrimages. The most confirmed accounts of Elves that exist are of their ships appearing out of nowhere, with no trace of any tech that would enable it, at random, always-changing points within 100 miles or so of Earth.

Nobody ever came back from trying to follow Elves home. Mostly Elves tried to dissuade people from trying. But there are always crazy and curious people—and Elves usually attracted those, because any Elf who left the home they were "made" for was usually crazy and curious themselves. 

Those were the stories I grew up with. There was a cave near the orphans' creche which was supposed to be haunted by a faded Elf. I didn't really believe it—like I said, the last confirmed Elf was last seen like 5,000 years ago, and not even on my planet. People have met two dozen new sentient races since then. We've discovered that reincarnation is probably real (just functionally untrackable), prompting the Pan-Religious Reform Wars. The last person to see a live Elf was still traveling via natural wormholes—they literally didn't know that you could loop pi.

.

When the Human natal sun started to turn really red, it wasn’t that big a deal at first. It’s a very important, very sad event for any species, but it happens to everyone eventually. It happened to the Hectort just after we invented interstellar flight. There were some unusual gravatic waves around Earth’s Sol, but nothing worth noting to anyone who didn’t already care for personal reasons.

Then the Elves sent us a message.

The local Parks Service picked it up, of course. I bet the Humans meant to hush it up at first—though the Centaurian government still won’t admit anything—but someone leaked it immediately on the intergalactic net. It should’ve only been famous as a joke of a hoax, but…

It was basically just a metal box with rudimentary fire-thrusters soldered on the sides. It contained two things. The first was a recording/replaying device so antiquated that the only way they got it working is that it was already playing on loop, and didn’t stop until someone disconnected it from its power source.

The message was in Ancient Bouban, which some folklorist soon announced is the latest language an Elf could know, since the last known Elf went back to “Arda.” The voice somehow sounded melodic to every species with a concept of music, from the screeching Vesarians to the deep-sea sub-sonic Thinkers, even when translated through cheap, staticky speakers. And to most species, the speaker was audibly distraught.

They said,

This is the final message from the Firstborn of Eru to the Secondborn, and everyone else. The Battle of Battles has come, and we…are losing. If there are any who remember the ancient love and loyalty which bound our peoples, if there are any heirs remaining of Thargalax the Magnificent, of Nine-Fingered Frodo, of the noble Houses of Haleth, Hador and Beor—

The speaker drew a sharp breath, there.

—by great oaths and greater friendship I bid you now to raise your swords and ride to our aid. Ride as swiftly as you can!

We will hold for another year. We will, they said determinedly. After that, it is unlikely that…

Another, shakier breath. A smile forced into a voice which would rather weep.

Fëanáro and Nienna believe there is a way to destroy the Straight Road. If we must, if it comes to it, we will do so, and trap the First Enemy here in this dying world with us. Though I don’t know about—

Hair-aristocrat! a more distant, slightly less perfectly melodious voice called, in a language so dead that they needed computers to decode it. The walls are falling, we need to go!

If you never hear from us again, and no sudden discord arises among you, you will know we succeeded, the first speaker said quickly. If otherwise…I am sorry. Either way, I bid you all only, remember us! Oh beautiful flames, remember us, as we have ever remembered y— 

There was a sudden screech of tearing metal, a defiant, musical battle-cry, and a jarring silence. Then the message restarted.

And that wasn’t even the strangest thing in the box. The strangest thing was the recorder’s power source, which was powering the whole tiny rocket mechanism as well. It was an Elf-jewel right out of a fairy tale, a fist-sized, translucent not-quite-diamond—but instead of rock or water or a much-loved scrap of plant, the only thing it held was light.

...Kind of. It isn’t normal light. It arguably isn’t light at all, as we know it—scientists now think it’s technically some sort of plasmoid aether, except it only acts like a plasmoid aether about half the time. 

It has no detectable source within the jewel. It fully illuminates whatever space it’s in, no matter how big. Its visible radiation is a frequency, the scientists say, that matches a hyper-accelerated version of what the universe must’ve sounded like in the split second after the Big Bang.

It makes people remember things, when they see it in person or sometimes even across a holo. Some remember a similar light in a strange traveler’s eyes. Others, dreamily enchanted valleys where spring never faded, or tall castles, bright swords, and stern and glorious lords and ladies. And some of us got hit with a whole lifetime of memories in one go: an identical gem on the brow of a sober forest king, friends who slipped through trees like shadows save for their merry laughter, an impossibly beautiful gold-haired maiden dancing in a glittering cavern...

(And all the pain and loss that came with them.)

And some people just remember the sight of a distant star—in another world, in another lifetime.

Reincarnation was provable but untraceable…until now. 

The Thinker ambassador on Astrolax Station 5 was the first to kick up a fuss. Most Thinkers never leave their home planet, they're too huge and aquatic. But like I said, there's always crazy and curious people. The ambassador started bellowing the second che heard the message, without even seeing the light, because, "I know him! My Wisdom! We must send aid!" That made some news, and random other people shared their own, less dramatic revelations, and soon a compilation swept the net with timestamps showing that most of them were organically independent, not just jumping on the bandwagon….

Even that might've gotten written off intergalactically. The Thinkers are big in reincarnationist circles, on account of how they claim that deep in their planetary ocean they can hear echoes of their past lives. But being mostly planet-bound means they're not really influential on a big political level. Or it would've sparked another surge of the Reform Wars, and everybody would've remembered the rock, but not the recording. Or there would’ve been a fight over this potentially infinite energy source (though that is so last giga-annum)….

But first it was shown in person to the current Director of the Admiralty of the Astral Alliance, President of the X-ee Empire and Matron of the House of S,sh, Ch’ees/i’i S,sh. I was actually there—I was Captain of her ceremonial Alliance guards, in a last-ditch attempt to salvage my career after Zanzibus. Very ceremonial, considering the X-eee have laser-proof shells and pincers and I have, what, opposable thumbs? Vestigial tusks?

I wasn’t paying attention at first, too busy being suddenly assaulted by all my own memories. So I missed the President freezing mid-step and gasping (in X-eee), “Mother.” I also missed her rising alarm call of an attempt to speak Ancient Elvish without an Elvish tongue or lips.

I sure didn’t miss her snap back to X-eee for a sharp call to attention, and everything that followed: the call to arms! The rousing of the Alliance! A tour of the galaxy, to find anyone and everyone else in whom the Light could awaken ancient memories! And for the love of X'eeh, why had nobody figured out how to get back to Fairyland with this thing yet, and every warship in the quadrant?!

If I believed in the One Behind, or in any other creator god or gods—I'm not saying I do, but if I did, if there really is something out there all-powerful and all-kind—then it'd be because out of every soul in the entire universe, the probably one in the best position to act on the Elves' message turned out to have, from a past life, two parents and a much-loved twin still in Fairyland. Like, that's insane, right?

I stayed with the Director's ceremonial guards for the whole tour, actually more than ceremonial for once—it was the weirdest mission of my life, and I've been on a lot of weird missions. Or supposedly routine missions that got weird (and usually disastrous). My friends joke that I'm cursed. S,sh requisitioned an Inquiry-class ship, so the science boffins could study the Light and jewel along the way, and we started wormholing at weft speed, hitting a new planet every week. Sometimes every day. In each major spaceport and ground-city, S,sh stood with the jewel on the highest available point and gave a recruitment speech for going to save the Elves and fight the oldest enemy of all reality. 

Honestly, it seemed a little redundant? The Astral Alliance was made for this sort of rescue mission (and for escorting trade convoys). But I was...if not happy, then sure as hell more self-certain with my ancient memories restored, and most people who joined up seemed to agree. It was mostly people who remembered, when exposed to the Light, who joined—so before long, we had a whole tag-along trail of mostly civilian ships, trying to get up to Alliance Fleet standard on the road in less than a year.

Three different religious sects tried to kill S,sh for "profaning the mysteries." Five others tried to steal the jewel because we were apparently appropriating a holy object. The boffins announced that, bar the can't-prove-a-negative possibility, the evidently sourceless Light should be counted as an infinite energy source, and at least seven different groups, ruthless financiers and sustainability idealists, immediately tried to steal it for that. And I still don't know what the rival thief-queens of Likkiliani were about, except that I got tied up upside-down from a palmdar tree for two hours trying to stop one, the other paid me 700 cron then threw me off a cliff, and in the end they recognized each other from past lives and just made out on worldwide live-holo before joining our growing fleet. 

It turned out they were the Director's past life's great-grandparents, and a Canid pop princess was her niece. The Thinker ambassador was some sort of ancestor, too. Crazy extended family. 

Most people who remember just remember the sight of a star in the sky. A buddy of mine from Fleet Academy remembered looking up at it as a Human sailor. The historians—and you’d better bet we picked up some Earther historians on this mission as well!—say this jewel or one like it was probably astrologically conflated with the planet Venus by early Humans.

(The more time I spent around the jewel, the Silmaril, the more I remembered, of my first life and more. Lifetime after lifetime with bad luck dogging my steps, killing loved ones in my arms, destroying cities I was supposed to save… One restless, haunted night, I met a Rigilic in the cafeteria who’d been awake with some of the same nightmares, who’d been my dead older sister once.)

The tour was cut short when word came from the Earth system that there was a black hole growing in the center of their reddening sun. 

No, the sun wasn’t compressing into a black hole millennia ahead of schedule—one had just spontaneously manifested within it, like it’d teleported in. No, not literally—that was impossible. We were pretty sure. No, the sun wasn’t falling into it…somehow. Yet. The black hole was only 17 quectometers wide, but it was growing at an erratic but unceasing rate. If their best estimation of the pattern held, it would consume the sun 2 months before the Elves’ deadline, and the Earth 4 to 950 minutes later.

We pulled back to Earth—well, to the dwarf planet Eros, on the edges of Earth’s star system. That’s where the nearest shipyard of any note was, and we were gathering the whole Astral Alliance. This is exactly the sort of thing the Alliance is for. 

I was released back to ship duty. Zanzibus was still a black mark on my record, as was Jorab, and really everything on the AAS Endeavor…and that thing in third year of Fleet Academy… But no matter how bad my curse, I was an experienced captain and one of the best pilots in the Alliance. For this, we needed all the best.

The boffins had pretty quickly mastered limited manipulation of the Light, using modified aetheric resonators, and every day they came up with something new for us to test. They focused the Light into a laser cannon like no one has seen before. They laced it through plasma shields until a fully shielded ship glowed like a distant star. They managed to nearly replicate the Silmaril’s crystalline structure, so they could make “copies” that shone like the original for first a few hours; then, with refinement, a full week…

The one thing they couldn’t pin down with any real confidence was how to get to Fairyland. The frequency of the Light resonated with large bodies of Earther saltwater in a particular way, and models suggested that if the Light source moved horizontally along the water within a certain range of distance and velocity, the resonance would create a wormhole-like ripple in space—but wormhole-like, was the key word, and models suggested. The closest anyone had seen to that spatial distortion was in a logbook of dubious veracity from the Delta Quadrant, four hundred years ago. Alteia, my Academy buddy who’d been a Human sailor, took the Silmaril in an M-wing on a series of highly monitored test flights above the Atlantic Ocean, and space did repeatedly start to hollow in front of bom—so bo had to stop every time, rather than risk vanishing with our single, maybe-one-way ticket.

Then Earth’s moon stopped shining in the sky. Its albedo just dropped nearly to zero, from one night to the next. There was nothing wrong that anyone could figure out—nothing with the orbit, nothing with the surface rock, nothing with the artificial atmosphere. Inhabitants reported feeling colder by several degrees, but no measuring equipment recorded anything.

The black hole slightly off-center in the middle of Sol was now 844.9 zeptometers, and growing more steadily.

We didn’t have time to keep testing. We needed to raise our swords and make our ride, even if we only got one shot at it.

I was given command, for seniority, skill, and because I was the one who managed to talk S,sh out of leading the fleet herself. (If my lives had taught me anything, it was the importance of having someone, anyone, ready to be emergency backup.) Ironically, I was back on the Endeavor, with most of my old crew—though we got permission to rename the ship, in honor of the mission. A lot of people did. Alteia was now commanding the AAS Elendil on my right flank, star-friend in Ancient Elvish. That Canid pop princess had taken over a hospital ship and renamed it Rivendell. An Earth Park Ranger, of all things, remembered being my dad—briefly—and he was leading the Rangers plus my Rigilic drinking buddy on the EPSS Elfsheen. 

We weren’t sure if any ship but the one with the Silmaril would get through. The fleet numbered in the hundreds in battleships alone, not counting scouts and scuttlers. Twelve races had sent ships on top of their typical Alliance Fleet tithe, and S,sh had brought about half the full force of the X-ee Empire. We all just locked tractor beams and hoped. 

I was piloting as well as captaining, with the Silmaril between my forehorns. It was held in place by about a dozen wires and other connectors to the ship, like an old-timey pilot’s headset. We took off in orbit around Earth, as close as possible to the surface—not very close, in warships of Class S and higher, but within range of the oceanic resonance. A Likkilianian thief-queen stood at my shoulder, ready to advise if anything “Musical” started to happen.

Think about what you’re trying to get to, and why, the boffins had advised, so I did—bright-eyed kings and dancing maidens; lost friends, families, cities, planets and all. The jewel got warmer against my skin and shone brighter with every pulse of the engine, brighter than we should’ve been able to see through.

The silver-gold Light twisted and diffused as space did around us. But there was no familiar rippling wormhole boundary—instead, spacetime thinned to a curtain like driving rain, like Vesarian silver-glass.

A ghost appeared next to me. She looked like the oldest, grumpiest writing teacher at the crèche, though I knew that was only in my head.

“There you are,” she said, impatient and relieved like I’d been hiding in the sandbox again, rather than coming to class on time. Her sewing scissors went snip snip snip as she darted them around my body—and a chain on my soul faded into guiding threads.

Before she’d even disappeared again, I punched the engine and blasted through the silver-glass curtain.

Fairy tales said there’d be a peerlessly beautiful land on the other side, green with eternal spring, full of endless light and laughter. They said there’d be sunlit shores and shimmering waves, with welcoming docks for sea-ships, sky-ships and space-ships all…

We flew into the worst battlefield I’d ever seen, in any lifetime. It was more desperately vicious than Jerusalem V at the height of the Reform Wars, more ruined than Glaurung’s wake, more desolate than Zanzibus after the nuclears fell.

Either a massive supercontinent or a small moon had been shattered, leaving nothing but a roiling debris field. The brand-new meteoroids ranged from pebbles to rocks the size of a small space station, and included space-frozen corpses, forests, and what might have once been city blocks.

I gave the helm back to my Pilot Officer—zer had, I can admit, slightly better reflexes for dodging debris—and focused on captaining.

Most of the life signs were clinging to the larger rocks. There shouldn’t have been atmosphere for them, but walls of thunderstorm wrapped around every shard with even a single life sign—wind and water desperately hand in hand to safeguard the last of the Elves. The only thing visible through the impossible storms was the Light of a second Silmaril, on a meteoroid shaped like half a broken eggshell.

A corpse lay at the epicenter of the explosion—what might’ve been a corpse, if it wasn’t also shattered. The broken pieces of a massive stone humanoid, taller than my ship if it’d stood beside her, still bleeding lava so hot that it burned even in frozen space. Another titan knelt at the shards of its head, a figure of towering bark and leaves, wailing with grief even worse than the end of the world. 

A slimmer tree-woman stood with one hand on her shoulder, comforting, and the other wielding a skyscraper-sized club spiked with incandescent wildflowers. Guarding her sister’s heartbreak, she fended off a swarm of bat-sized monsters with wings of darkness and whips of flame. 

Bat-sized relative to the gods of Elves and ancient Humans. About the size of an M-wing, in flight.

Countless more of the bat-things flung themselves at the storm-bubbles, like carnivores chasing the prey hidden inside. They were fended off by an equal army of creatures with wings of light and swords of lightning, led by a towering figure who seemed to dance from one bloody battle to the next.

The biggest battle by far was the farthest away, over where the sun had been. In this dimension of stories over science, Sol was another woman-shape, smaller than the others but burning just as brightly as her star. Also just as blood-red. The light was centered on a fist she kept clenched at her chest, and instead of containing the black hole, the unseeable thing that it was here surrounded her, striking at her with a thousand hungry jaws and grasping legs, and she had only a one-handed whip of a solar flare to fend it off—

But she didn’t fight alone. A warrior tore at the Darkness’s spidery limbs with his fists, image on the cameras flickering impossibly between every hero I’d ever heard of. A snarling figure bit at it with jagged teeth, gored it with horns, shredded it with claws and talons, and generally made every ancient prey-instinct in me scream. And a queen with a crown of stars, a shield like the night sky and a sword like a streaking comet, stood dauntlessly at the sun-holder’s side. 

With all that, and with the speed of even her most exhausted strikes, I thought the sun-holder could probably have gotten away if she’d tried. But I knew how a person fought when they weren’t willing to leave a friend, and a smaller, silver figure lay at her feet, unmoving and drained of light.

But even the battle for the sun wasn’t what grabbed my eye. No—all my attention, all my guiding threads of fate and the quick temper that always used to get me in trouble, before (and sometimes after) I learned to leash it in an Alliance uniform— All of that took me straight to the fight happening orthogonal to the stone giant’s corpse.

It was another one-versus-many. Morgoth, the First Enemy of Elves and Men— Master of Lies, Maker of Chains, Sonofabitch Curser of Bloodlines—towered over even his fellow gods. His shape changed constantly, sickeningly, but it was always black-armored with eyes like dying stars that hated you personally. His maul dripped with lava and every other kind of blood.

He fought against three great gray figures who moved as one. The tallest wielded a star-studded scythe with swift, efficient strokes, and wore the dark gray of corpse-shrouds. The shortest shimmered with more colors than even a Stamotapadon could dream of, and his weapon shifted likewise. The third was the clear, clean gray of skies after rain or tears run dry, and fought with only a shield—and hit harder with it than either of her brothers.

Around their heads darted the only Elves on the battlefield, in small fliers more like sea-ships than aircraft. But they moved fluidly, pestering the Dark Lord like flies, pricking his skin and threatening his burning eyes.

Until Morgoth swung his maul with a roar of fury that traveled even though soundless space. My ship and heart both shuddered. The gray gods all staggered back, and the Elves fell from the no-longer-sky—all but their leader, more fire than flesh, who wore the third Silmaril. Morgoth caught him in one massive black hand and with sharp claws plucked the jewel away, as easily as a ripe berry from a tree—

“All power to fore-cannon and fire,” I ordered—and the jewel on my brow shone bright again as several stored months’ worth of infinite Silmaril-Light slammed into Morgoth’s chest with all the force that the best scientists in the Astral Alliance could engineer. 

He stumbled. He dropped both the jewel and the elf-king (who’d been trying to bite him). The Lady of Mercy tossed her shield to catch them, staying low and out of sight—though she needn’t have bothered. The so-called “Lord of All” had already found his next enemy.

“All ships, move forward and join shields,” I ordered, and met his burning stare though the viewscreen. “Then broadcast me on all external frequencies.”

The wires on my forehead shimmered as we shifted Light-flow to the shields—and to my right, so did the Elendil, and to my left, the Cosmian Blade, and all around us the Minas Tirith, the Elfsheen, the Muse, the Rivendell, the Heart of Zanzi, the Longbottom Leaf… They were still soaring out of the silvery distortion behind me, tractor- and Silmaril-towed: sleek Rigilic eels-of-prey and Centaurian cruisers full of Humans eager to fight for their homeworld, Betan mine-ships and Canid X-M-wings and my own Hectoan starlighters, a full third of the X-ee navy with their X-eee–shaped six-engine dreadnoughts, and hundreds more. 

“This is Captain Pel Cinia, once Túrin Turambar, of the Astral Alliance ship Gurthang,” I said. My words were broadcast from every ship on every frequency in every language that the people of Arda might know, as the Fleet assembled from forty-plus different worlds flew into position. Our Light-infused shields blazed and locked together, until we formed a seamless wall right in the Enemy’s face, with the Elves and their other allies safely behind us.

I’ve never felt more proud to recite the most cliché line in the Fleet:

“We got your distress call. We’re here to help.”

[jesslovesboats]

BECAUSE YOU DEMANDED IT, I'm back with more Sad Boat Books for Sad Boat People! But first, some words.

I never dreamed that a silly little graphic I made for some friends would generate this much response on twitter and here, but I'm overjoyed that it resonated with so many of you! I read every single comment and tag, and by far my favorites are all of the people who say some variation of "I thought I was the only one who loved these books." We are NOT alone, there are literally thousands of people who reblogged or retweeted this list-- people of all ages and backgrounds and gender identities. Sad Boat isn't just for old white men! I was also delighted to hear from other librarians who are using this in displays and for reader's advisory. PLEASE go forth and do so with my blessing, nothing would make me happier! I was recently laid off from my librarian job as part of a restructuring under new management (don't worry about me, it sucks right now but I'm gonna be fine), so I would love to think that I'm still contributing to the library ecosystem while I'm out of commission. I would also love to keep making these lists (including one that deals with Sad Boat fiction and one with recommendations for other types of media), and I've never had more time to do it, so if you have suggestions, please drop them in my inbox!

Anyway, enough of that-- here are more books! I've either read all of these, or the recommendation came from someone I trust, so read with confidence!

First Hand Accounts

The Quiet Land: The Antarctic Diaries of Frank Debenham edited by June Debenham Back

The Voyage of the Discovery by Robert Falcon Scott

Farthest North by Fridtjof Nansen

Endurance by F.A. Worsley

Boats boats boats!

Franklin's Lost Ship: The Historic Discovery of HMS Erebus by Alanna Mitchell and John Geiger

The Voyages of the Discovery: The Illustrated History of Scott's Ship by Ann Savours

HMS Terror: The Design, Fitting, and Voyages of a Polar Discovery Ship by Matthew Betts

The SS Terra Nova (1884-1943): Whaler, Sealer, and Polar Exploration Ship by Michael C. Tarver

You'll learn about the Ross Sea Party and you'll like it

Shackleton's Heroes by Wilson McOrist

Shackleton’s Forgotten Men: The Untold Tragedy of the Endurance Epic by Lennard Bickel

The Ross Sea Shore Party 1914-1917 by R.W. Richards

The Lost Men by Kelly Tyler-Lewis*

Polar Castaways by Richard McElrea and David Harrowfield*

*These were on my other list, but this is my graphic and I'll do what I want

Sad Airships and Planes

From Pole to Pole: Roald Amundsen's Journey in Flight by Garth James Cameron

N-4 Down: The Hunt for the Arctic Airship Italia by Mark Piesing

Antarctica's Lost Aviator by Jeff Maynard

Disaster at the Pole: The Tragedy of the Airship Italia and the 1928 Nobile Expedition to the North Pole by Wilbur Cross

More Shackleton Content

Shackleton: A Life in Poetry by Jim Mayer

Shackleton's Last Voyage by Frank Wild

The Quest Chronicle: The Story of the Shackleton-Rowett Expedition by Jan Chojecki

Shackleton's Forgotten Expedition: The Voyage of the Nimrod by Beau Riffenburgh

Polar Partners

Snow Widows by Katherine MacInnes

Polar Wives: The Remarkable Women Behind the World's Most Daring Explorers by Kari Herbert

Widows of the Ice by Anne Fletcher

Sad Boat Graphic Novels

Shackleton: Antarctic Odyssey by Nick Bertozzi

The Worst Journey in the World- The Graphic Novel Volume 1: Making Our Easting Down adapted by Sarah Airriess from the book by Apsley Cherry-Garrard*

How To Survive in the North by Luke Healy

*This was also on my other list, but this is my graphic and I'll do what I want

Biographies

Scott of the Antarctic by David Crane

Ice Captain: The Life of J.R. Stenhouse by Stephen Haddelsey

Cherry: A Life of Apsley Cherry-Garrard by Sara Wheeler

Birdie Bowers: Captain Scott's Marvel by Anne Strathie

Roald Amundsen by Tor Bomann-Larsen

Miscellaneous sad boat books that are well worth your time

I May Be Some Time: Ice and the English Imagination by Francis Spufford

Fatal North: Adventure and Survival Aboard USS Polaris, The First US Expedition to the North Pole by Bruce Henderson

Barrow's Boys: A Stirring Story of Daring, Fortitude, and Outright Lunacy by Fergus Fleming

Pilgrims on the Ice by T.H. Baughman

The Coldest Crucible: Arctic Exploration and American Culture by Michael F. Robinson

Ghosts of Cape Sabine by Leonard F. Guttridge

Icebound: Shipwrecked at the Edge of the World by Andrea Pitzer

If you read and enjoy any of these, please let me know!

EDITED TO ADD: OG Sad Boat Books post here!

[sleepyowlet]

Discord Hack PSA

So, my Discord account of over a decade was hacked yesterday.

The account has been suspended and can't do any damage any more, but not after hours of my reporting the hack. Just in case the hacker can get to you via other hacked accounts, here's their MO:

They will greet you via PM (this will be someone you had friended in the past or at least talked to) if you've got a Nitro subscription - probably with "heyhey".

Then they will ask you to partner with you in a game because they need help with a quest. I actually did ask them why the game is not on Steam because this seemed fishy to me - but I thought I knew this person! So I did as they asked and went to the page soulsthief dot com. No warning from my browser, and the site looks professional and legit. I downloaded the "game", and my antivirus did not wig out until I actually started the exe.

Now, I didn't have 2FA activated for my account - it's so old, it just slipped my mind. That is on me.

Within seconds I was locked out of my account, and the hacker enabled 2FA for it so I couldn't just go and change the password.

So I immediately sent a report to Discord support - but...nothing happened. Nothing. Only after the hacker bought a Nitro gift, my account was finally suspended. But not before hours had passed and the hacker already tried to impersonate me to get to several of my friends! One almost lost her account too but her active 2FA saved her.

So if you are a Discord Nitro user, please beware of any of your friends and contacts asking you to install a game that is not on Steam, Epic, or any other reputable platform! And please activate 2FA.

Support is a complete shitshow and won't do shit if you get hacked.

You might also want to think really well if you wanna give your banking data to a company that won't protect your information in case something happens.

[book--brackets]

Summaries under the cut

The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander

Taran wanted to be a hero, and looking after a pig wasn't exactly heroic, even though Hen Wen was an oracular pig. But the day that Hen Wen vanished, Taran was led into an enchanting and perilous world. With his band of followers, he confronted the Horned King and his terrible Cauldron-Born. These were the forces of evil, and only Hen Wen knew the secret of keeping the kingdom of Prydain safe from them. But who would find her first?

The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White

Louie is very popular. Who wouldn't love a swan who can read, write, and play the trumpet? When Louie goes to camp, he meets a boy named A.G. who doesn't like birds, and since Louie is a bird, that means he doesn't like Louie. When A.G. pulls a dangerous stunt out on the lake, he realizes that Louie is a hero, after all.

My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George

Every kid thinks about running away at one point or another; few get farther than the end of the block. Young Sam Gribley gets to the end of the block and keeps going--all the way to the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York. There he sets up house in a huge hollowed-out tree, with a falcon and a weasel for companions and his wits as his tool for survival. In a spellbinding, touching, funny account, Sam learns to live off the land, and grows up a little in the process. Blizzards, hunters, loneliness, and fear all battle to drive Sam back to city life. But his desire for freedom, independence, and adventure is stronger. No reader will be immune to the compulsion to go right out and start whittling fishhooks and befriending raccoons.

The Black Stallion by Walter Farley

Alec Ramsay is the sole human survivor of a devastating shipwreck. Trapped on a deserted island, Alec finds his only companion is a horse, beautiful, unbroken, and savage . . . a horse whose beauty matches his wild spirit.

The Magisterium by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare

All his life, Call has been warned by his father to stay away from magic. To succeed at the Iron Trial and be admitted into the vaunted Magisterium school would bring bad things. But he fails at failing. Only hard work, loyal friends, danger, and a puppy await.

The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine

Twelve-year-old Addie admires her older sister Meryl, who aspires to rid the kingdom of Bamarre of gryphons, specters, and ogres. Addie, on the other hand, is fearful even of spiders and depends on Meryl for courage and protection. Waving her sword Bloodbiter, the older girl declaims in the garden from the heroic epic of Drualt to a thrilled audience of Addie, their governess, and the young sorcerer Rhys.

But when Meryl falls ill with the dreaded Gray Death, Addie must gather her courage and set off alone on a quest to find the cure and save her beloved sister. Addie takes the seven-league boots and magic spyglass left to her by her mother and the enchanted tablecloth and cloak given to her by Rhys - along with a shy declaration of his love. She prevails in encounters with tricky specters (spiders too) and outwits a wickedly personable dragon in adventures touched with romance and a bittersweet ending.

Bunnicula by Deborah and James Howe

Before it's too late, Harold the dog and Chester the cat must find out the truth about the newest pet in the Monroe household -- a suspicious-looking bunny with unusual habits... and fangs!

Beka Cooper by Tamora Pierce

Beka Cooper is a rookie with the law-enforcing Provost's Guard, commonly known as "the Provost's Dogs," in Corus, the capital city of Tortall. To the surprise of both the veteran "Dogs" and her fellow "puppies," Beka requests duty in the Lower City. The Lower City is a tough beat. But it's also where Beka was born, and she's comfortable there.

Beka gets her wish. She's assigned to work with Mattes and Clary, famed veterans among the Provost's Dogs. They're tough, they're capable, and they're none too happy about the indignity of being saddled with a puppy for the first time in years. What they don't know is that Beka has something unique to offer. Never much of a talker, Beka is a good listener. So good, in fact, that she hears things that Mattes and Clary never could - information that is passed in murmurs when flocks of pigeons gather ... murmurs that are the words of the dead.

In this way, Beka learns of someone in the Lower City who has overturned the power structure of the underworld and is terrorizing its citizens into submission and silence. Beka's magical listening talent is the only way for the Provost's Dogs to find out the identity of this brutal new underlord, for the dead are beyond fear. And the ranks of the dead will be growing if the Dogs can't stop a crime wave the likes of which has never been seen. Luckily for the people of the Lower City, the new puppy is a true terrier!

Fairest by Gail Carson Levine

In the kingdom of Ayortha, who is the fairest of them all? Certainly not Aza. She is thoroughly convinced that she is ugly. What she may lack in looks, though, she makes up for with a kind heart, and with something no one else has-a magical voice. Her vocal talents captivate all who hear them, and in Ontio Castle they attract the attention of a handsome prince - and a dangerous new queen.

Trickster's Duology by Tamora Pierce

Alianne is the teenage daughter of the famed Alanna, the first lady knight in Tortall. Young Aly follows in the quieter footsteps of her father, however, delighting in the art of spying. When she is captured and sold as a slave to an exiled royal family in the faraway Copper Islands, it is this skill that makes a difference in a world filled with political intrigue, murderous conspiracy, and warring gods.

[innbetween]

Question more so for Hannah than Tessa but who knows, maybe podcasts exist in the dnd world.

wanted to know if you had any queer fantasy and/or sci-fi audio drama recommendations. I’ve listened to and loved Welcome To NightVale, Jar Of Rebuke, Absolutely No Adventures, Zoo, The Bright Sessions, and of course, Inn Between. Thanks regardless :]

DO I

Yeah I definitely do. I'm actually one of those cishets myself, so just to be absolutely clear, i'm going to include only shows with at least one main character who's not like. You know. One of me. I'm also looking at your selections and noting a sort of steady pacing, respect for exploration, and character focus, so I'll be leaning toward those.

FANTASY

Dragon's Rest is a sitcom in the vein of ANA and Inn Between--a fantasy inn, a grumpy owner, her hapless hero hopeful busboy, the local lush, a bard who, and I cannot stress this enough, is too dumb to read. It's delightful, honestly.

Eeler's Choice is a strange and beautiful oceanic adventure about magic, siblings, and giant eels. The music slaps also.

Electromancy: imagine if Harry Potter was a) not written by a freakin transphobe, and b) actually asked hard questions about imperialism. Like hey, should we be doing imperialism?

The Kingmaker Histories is hard to describe. I can say "steampunk," and "magic" and "magical politics" and "Collette's got a jewel stuck in her head that explodes people sometimes" but that's not even the half of it.

Sidequesting is like, best friends with ANA. Rion, a brave hero, is given a magic sword for an epic quest...and promptly goes and does literally everything else. It's so nice.

Starfall hey what's up Starfall I love you Starfall, Starfall's about a magic theater troupe and definitely not also about how imperialism is bad, actually. Fel and Leona own my whole heart. Friends.

Sci-Fi

Ask Your Father is one of those shows that hits you in the teeth. When an accident sends an astronaut and his AI bestie way off course, he finds himself lost in space, answering questions from his kids and husband that will absolutely break your heart. I cried. A lot.

Gastronaut is near-future sci-fi about a bougie foodie who goes on a journey to discover the food of the Asian diaspora throughout the solar system. And things go...very bad. This show loves food so much and it loves the characters even more.

Midnight Burger is...everything. How do you even describe it. It's hard sci-fi dressed up in a found family package and served with fries. Or maybe beans and rice, if Gloria's cooking. It is a deeply cynical show that nevertheless insists that the universe is worth fighting for, with everything you've got.

The Pasithea Powder is explicitly written for people who like a gritty, uncomfortable, messy romance. Like, did you like Stucky fanfic? So do the writers and it's amazing. The tagline is that a retired fighter pilot/war hero and a disgraced scientist/war criminal used to be best friends. They still might be, if the other one will pick up the phone.

Second Star to the Left is about colonization and xenobiology and the kinds of connections you can make light years away from each other. It's about rules and when it's okay to break them. It's beautiful.

Startripper!! is also very ANA and Inn Between--an accountant decides to ditch his day job, buy the far-future equivalent of a Millennium Falcon replica, and travel the universe for the rest of his life. It's so fun.

The Strange Case of the Starship Iris is like, if Firefly had real Asians in it. It's about a group of space smugglers turned galaxy heroes, and it's absolutely incredible.

Travelling Light is another travelogue, but this one features a person doing archival work for their community and meeting amazing people and hearing amazing stories while they do it. It's so gentle and wonderful.

World Gone Wrong is a chat podcast between two separated roommates who are trying to make sense of the end of the world. Like what do you do with that extra hour in the day now? Is my community going to lose its mind because some of the trees look like women? How can I throw a poetry jam that's inclusive for my werewolf friends? It's so well crafted and well acted. I think about it every day.

Wow this ended up long. There's a few to get you started!

[adickaboutspoons]

When a Steard is not a Beard

I want to talk about the significance of Stede's beard in the opening dream sequence of s2e1, and how we know from Lucius in the first season that "not every beard is a beard". Of course SOME beards are just beards - most of the Revenge and QA crew sport face fuzz of some sort or another, and it's just How They Look. But, narratively speaking, when attention is called to facial hair in this show, it's all about deception and hiding one's true self.

We have Blackbeard, who has built his brand around his eponymous facial fur, but feels stifled by the way the success of said brand has left him bored out of his skull, and frustrated by the way his reputation has been co-opted and twisted into something inhuman. (And by poor Taika's accounts, the beard itself was literally stifling; unbearably hot to wear, and how he could hardly move the bottom half of his face lest the glue start peeling off). It's only when Ed shaves it off at the academy that he's able to start really approaching the question of what it means to be Just Ed. And, of course, we have the way he smeared kohl across his mouth and jaw in a frightful simulacrum of a beard as part of his Kraken transformation at the end of season 1.

We have Jim, who uses a fake beard to conceal their identity while on the run after having killed Alfeo de la Vaca. Only once that beard is discarded are they able to really think about who they are and how that doesn't fit in the narrow parameters of a gender binary. We see them go back into the beard when they re-commit themself to the vengeance quest, posing as a bearded priest in order to capture Geraldo, but, again divested of the beard, Jim is able to consider whether completing the vengeance quest and allowing their life to be consumed with a family that is dead and gone is something they want, or if they might be happier committing themself to a different path, and finding a family that will give them the love and support their own no longer can. And then, of course, the way Jim paints on a simulacrum beard when they are forced into a life of violence as part of Kraken!Ed’s crew.

We have Heartbroken Voyeur Stede’s comment about how Calico Jack had nice hair, but “his moustache is weird.” Shortly after, we learn that CJ has been a duplicitous, manipulative asshole the entire time, his only goal to lure Ed away from the Revenge before the British came to kill Stede.

So what does it say that Stede is dreaming about himself with a full beard? To have Dream!Ed specifically comment on it? Because they’re calling attention to it, so, hey, hi, how are you? You have my attention!

I think it’s not JUST that Stede is casting himself in the role of the dashing hero with all the trappings thereof, indulging in a fantasy about a joyous, romantic reunion with his beloved. Because this fantasy has some MUCH darker connotations than the sun-drenched beach would suggest. This Dashing Hero™ persona isn’t Stede’s idealized self. It’s the culmination of all his insecurities about not being the kind of person who is worthy of the attention and love of someone as impossibly cool as Blackbeard.

(Incidentally, I think it significant that Ed, in the dream, ALSO has his full beard. This more than anything is what clues me into the fact that Stede is still trying to measure up to the Legendary Pirate Blackbeard - not Just Ed with his soft, beautiful clean-shaven face, nor even a more realistic version with a beard that’s coming in quite nicely, but isn’t anywhere near the epic proportions that it once was, as we see with the scenes of real Kraken!Ed)

We learn later in the episode that Stede has been dragging his feet about setting out to reunite with Ed in spite of the all the money he and the crew have managed to scrape together working for Jackie, and the true reason behind his reticence is that he is still genuinely convinced that Ed is better off and happier without him. Even when reunited with Lucius in episode 2 and Lucius suggests that Ed’s time with Stede was “as good as it’s going to get for [Ed]”, Stede’s response is that he’s “not ready to believe that.” Stede really just is incapable of conceptualizing a reality in which Just Stede could ever be enough.

(And don’t get me started on Lucius’ beard! Lucius who was the emotional intelligence of the crew in the first season, and is now a guarded, brittle, traumatized shell of who he was. He’s 100% for sure not hiding behind a façade of butched-up toughness. Nope. Not. At. All.)

So in Stede's dreams, he’s the epitome of the kind of guy that WOULD be good enough. The kind of guy who has a beard and wears leather pants (hello queer urge to become the person that you sexually desire, how are you?). The kind of guy with neat, tidy, barely even wavy hair instead of perfectly coifed cherub curls. The kind of guy who, if he wears a fine fabric at all, it’s wrapped around his waist where it can be mostly concealed by a thick, macho belt, and trailing in front of his crotch like a fabric phallus (and, say, if Ed feels like touching it, maybe there’s something else in the vicinity that he might also be interested in touching?). The kind of guy who is tough and competent and can kill without remorse or pity.

[fictionadventurer]

thoughts on Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games (2008) actually being a rip-off, or at the very least a semi rip-off, of Koushun Takami’s Battle Royale (1999) and therefore not truly deserving of being credited for creating a new sub genre

The accusation is complete and utter garbage, and after more than four years of tags, that's one of the takes I'm most tired of seeing. "Middle schoolers chosen to fight to the death on television as societal punishment for juvenile delinquency" is a completely different story than "post-apocalyptic society selects 12-to-18-year-old children to fight to the death on television as retribution for a war." These are completely different stories involving entirely different themes, and one is in no way a copy of the other just because they both happened to combine the idea of reality television with gladiator fights and star child characters.

Everything Suzanne Collins has cited as inspiration for her series--Greek myths, Roman history, an American map puzzle she had as a child, news coverage of war, reality television, her experience in the television industry, Enlightenment philosophy--accounts for everything that is included in her stories, and is much more likely to have served as inspiration for someone critiquing Western society than a cult classic Japanese novel and film would be. Unless Battle Royale is also a metaphorical exploration of Just War Theory--which it's not--there's zero reason to suspect any connection between it and The Hunger Games.

As far as "starting a new subgenre", I've already addressed this. The Hunger Games did not invent YA dystopia or even "televised fights to the death between children". The subgenre it started was "books that are similar to The Hunger Games". It started a publishing phenomenon of authors rushing to copy the very specific tropes and tone and style and atmosphere of this specific work, making a new subgenre--the same way that there were fantasies before The Lord of the Rings, but that series sparked a subgenre of epic fantasy involving elves and dwarves and quests.

The thing is that people writing in this new Hunger-Games-like subgenre only understood the surface trappings of The Hunger Games and didn't understand the deeper themes and message underneath. These are the type of people who think that The Hunger Games and Battle Royale are the same story, and that extremely superficial read of the series is why their takes are so vastly inferior.

[sillypuppetmeister]

HEYA!

It’s me, the great Antinous (and future king) of Ithaca!! (and the only person on this island that matters >:) )

AND this is my sick ass blog

Age: 20-28

Pronouns- Any (too busy being awesome and winning over Penelope to care so use whatever)

Family- My father is.. (sighs) Eupeithes. My sister is the VERY AWESOME @little-birdie-cass If you hurt her I will pummel you.

@lizzzzzzzzzzzzzz---lol is my adopted little sister. Don’t even think about hurting either of them. Our pets are Pythia, Lycan, Phobos and many many many other creatures.

Appearance: hot and gorgeous and amazing.

sighs. he has dark curly hair tied in a ribbon. combination of designs. wears an eyepatch after the.. incident.. with Penelope. Wears bracelets and jewellery, lots of furs and cloaks and gold.

Death count: NONE!! because i’m awesome. Okay… except for… the siren. @totally-penelope-and-not-a-siren

.. okay. twice.

…. three times. courtesy of @odysseus-of-ithaca-is-lost

He’s died four times, but he’s stopped counting now. thank you @im-not-getting-paid-for-this (and for the fifth time, @the-prettiest-flower too)

IIIII.

Six times??? I think we’ve all lost track.

And…

Eye count: … 1, thanks to @penelope-is-waiting.

But ALAS! I will continue in my GRAND QUEST! For her lovely hand in marriage.

White/Default colour text- OOC! Person behind this silly little guy. I’m 18+ y/o and I also use any pronouns (with a preference for it/itself). My main account is @captain-will where I share art and general silliness.

Both accounts share some suggestive/nsfw stuff so viewer discretion advised👍

Nothing explicit on this account, no imagery but keep it in mind. Also both me and Antinous swear like sailors.

If you’re uncomfortable with anything I post or say, tell me and poof! it will be gone.

Red- Antinous! A 20-28 year old suitor of Penelope from The Odyssey (Specifically my version of him, based on the original epic and my own headcanons, with references to Epic the Musical but he is NOT the epic the musical version. as my friend once put it about a different character, “he is a scumbag not a monster”).

Son of Eupeithes. Has some very.. complex.. emotional ties with his father (hates him).

Sometimes his posts will also come with this symbol🐺. Doesn’t mean anything, it’s just cool.

i don’t have a boyfriend but if i did his name would be eurymachus of ithaca son of polybus ( @eurymachus-of-ithaca) and our many boyfriends

i don’t habe another boyfriend named @aris-not-ares he gets all of the kisses

no i don’t have a crush on telemachus i just. i

And I’m fucking PUMPED to be here 🐺🐺🐺🔥🔥🔥

#antin’s antics -> In character posts >:)

#eury yaps -> Antin’s lover / QPR

#leodes prays -> priest suitor

#ctessipus chats -> Ctesippus of Same, 19, another suitor

#amp’s tunes -> Amphimedon, another suitor

#Pei heals -> Peisander, doctor friend of the suitors

#antin sillies -> In or out of character depending, sometimes just answering asks as moi.

#rb -> Out of character reblogs

#me-> it’s a me

[nuclearplutonium]

Dividers

Ello! I’m Charlie (#1 Chief fan and #2 Ann fan) buuut you can also call me Orion or Rory! :D

more info about me: https://en.pronouns.page/@CH4R71Z4VRVZ

🇷🇺🇺🇸 (born and raised to drink vodka and dance with bears 💪💪)

Cracklin, Chief, Mr. R, Sketchpad, Airy, Gerbo, Thomas Flyswatter, Exclamation Mark, Doorstopper, Clock, Fridge DJ, WWF Tile, Printer, Season17, Lightbulb, Taco, Bot, Cabby, Fan, Yoshka, Yulka, Zara, Cheppy, Socka, Charmy, Edgar, Fossil, Mushroom, Wagyu, Minty, Razor, and Orange Herald are all of my favorite characters/kins :3 (OUTDATED)

I am Homoflexible, Transgender, Agender, and Greysexual ^u^

Alterhuman therian and fictionkin, my theriotypes are black wolf, snow husky, and a T-Rex <33

I’m an artist and a little bit of a violinist (I mainly speak English but I also speak Russian!)

I am a MINOR!!! I am ok if adults (NOT THE FUCKING SEX BOTS) interact with my blog or me in general just don’t be creepy or kinky about it please.. (read dni list for specifics)

My blog is not meant for younger audiences, therefore I am telling you all that this is a 13+ BLOG. mainly because I’ll post art with mildly suggestive themes in it or reblog something weird.. whatever it may be, I just want to protect the little itty bitty babies that happen to stumble upon this beautiful yet horrifying tumblr blog .-.

currently locked in @thesillygoober7’s basement

old acc is @charlibugg T_T

Here’s most of the stuff I like ! Purple = ION💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚

Blue = VERY VEEERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VEEERRYRYYY HYPERFIXATED

Green = LOVE ITTT

Orange = Cool cool I like it

Red = Eh… I mean it’s fine.. II/III, I.O.N/И.О.Н, TNM, TPOT, EEE/THREEEE, BURNER, 5SOS, ONE, CFMOT/ИНМТ, Objectified, TDOS, LoTS, Animatic Battle, Bugbo, Dreamophrenia, Sprunki, Max Design Pro, Warrior Cats, Smiling Friends, ATHF, Gravity Falls, Villainous, Countryhumans, DHMIS, Electric Dreams (1984), Ride the Cyclone, JSAB/Pink Corruption, Regretevator, Mouthwashing, Homestuck

besides fandoms I hyperfixate on time to time… I also LOVE nuclear reactors, dinosaurs, cats, epic guitar solos in music, whatever the hell plutonium jazz is, and I just genuinely love learning ANYTHING about nuclear physics and energy :3 (oh and lollipops, I love lollipops)

Some games I really like (not Roblox games) are In Stars and Time, Fallout 4/Fallout: New Vegas (IM SORRY FALLOUT 76 IS SO BORING AND BUGGY AAAAA), Omori, Sims 2-4, Tomodachi Life, Miitopia, Cardpocalypse, Wobbledogs, Pikuniku, Ooblets, Splatoon 2-3, Dragon Quest: Builders 1-2, Minecraft, Wandersong, JSAB, and AC:NH :3

and most of the bands/artists I listen to (current hyperfix band will be written in bold) are MSI, sElf, WW/WWATT, The Scary Jokes, Sodikken, MOTHH, Lemon Demon, Tally Hall, Bondage Fairies, And One, STOMACH BOOK, Ken Ashcorp, KSB Muzic, LiteralHat, YFM, Limp Bizkit, Insane Clown Posse, Gorillaz, System Of A Down, Foo Fighters, Dream Puzzles, That Handsome Devil, Sacri, They Might Be Giants, Oingo Boingo, Weird Al, Jhariah, Lenin Was A Zombie, and Drive45!

I have Autism, ADHD, (I have some sort of Anxiety disorder too, forgot what it was called though) and Depression.. so sorry if I don’t talk/respond to asks or dms quick enough or I don’t answer them properly… I’m a very shy person. So please text me first if you want to dm me, if you’re a mutual I’d love to talk to you! ^_^

ask box will close down sometimes, it is not a mistake usually, I just don’t feel like taking asks (or I’m being swarmed by donation asks and I feel overwhelmed) :3

DNI - uhhhh this (carrd not mine) ..also I will check your account once you follow me usually to see if you aren’t a weirdo, I block who I choose to block

Places I inhabit:

YouTube: Charlizardsb - CharlieSB

Spotify: Tonsillitis

Pinterest: LIZARDWAZAZOMBIE - charred corpse

Instagram: Charlizardsb

Wattpad: spagheetee

Discord: (please DM me if you want my username)

TikTok: lizzardz.0n.steroidz

(Created: 1/15/24)

(Last updated: 10/13/24)

I reblog WAYY too much posts so if you’re willing to find my art search #bugs goof art

#Charlizard’s rabble ransoms - for random posts that are just filler or me going on a whole rant (will also be tagged for long posts too sometimes)

[evolvingmonkey]

Shikhandi: The Gender-Defying Hero of the Mahabharata

Hindu philosophy holds a simple yet profound belief: within each person resides an everlasting atman (spirit or soul) that exists independently from the physical body, surpassing characteristics such as race, gender, and sexual orientation. Stemming from a common divine origin, every atman forms a spiritual kinship, deserving of love, reverence, and fair treatment.

In the epic Mahabharata, there is a captivating tale that revolves around Bhishma's commitment to celibacy, which leads to a grand swayamvara (a ceremony or event where a bride chooses her husband from a gathering of suitors). This ceremony is where Amba, Ambika, and Ambalika are given the opportunity to choose their life partners. However, Bhishma's interference in Amba's love life sets off a series of events that ultimately culminate in her tragic destiny.

Amba's heartbreak is twofold - first, her intended husband Shalva rejects her, and then Bhishma, bound by his vow of celibacy, refuses to marry her. This leaves Amba in a state of despair, fueling her desire for revenge against Bhishma. Determined to seek justice, she pleads to the mighty god Shiva for assistance in her quest to end Bhishma's life. Miraculously, Shiva grants her wish, but tragically, Amba chooses to take her own life to expedite her ultimate goal.

There are various versions of the next part of the tale. According to certain narratives, Amba is born as the daughter of King Drupada. Upon learning from Shiva that she will eventually undergo a transformation into a man, Drupada names her Shikhandi and raises her as a boy. In this particular version, a formidable entity residing in the forest indeed bestows upon her the transformation into a man. However, in alternative accounts, Shikhandi is born as a male but develops a trans-identity due to Shiva granting them the ability to recollect their previous life.

As the Mahabharata unfolds, Shikhandi emerges as a formidable warrior who defies societal expectations of gender. Their participation in the battle of Kurukshetra serves as a powerful symbol of authenticity, challenging the conventional gender roles imposed on individuals. Shikhandi's strength goes beyond mere physical abilities; it stands as a testament to the immense power that comes from embracing one's true identity.

Shikhandi's character is truly captivating because of their personal quest for self-discovery. They challenge societal expectations of gender and proudly embrace a non-binary identity. This exploration of identity is a key theme, showcasing the intricate and ever-changing nature of being human.

As we come to the end of our journey through Shikhandi's story in the Mahabharata, we honor a figure whose legacy surpasses time, defies conventions, and forever marks the intricate fabric of mythology. Shikhandi, the ageless fighter, still instills bravery and self-exploration in the souls of those who come across their legend.

[beevean]

M2 Castlevania

Seeing M2’s positive track record with Classicvanias, pleasing with The Adventure ReBirth back in 2009 (re-release it please, Konami!), and now Haunted Castle Revisited, I can only imagine what they could do with a fresh, unique premise.

If there was one more old game they could totally make killer with their remake treatment, it’d be Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse. It may not need one, since it’s already a good game (if highly frustrating, whether it’s the Japanese or North American version), but the fork-in-the-road level progression and multiple player characters with their own weapons and powers are the things that’d be the most interesting to expand upon. There’d also be the opportunity to build on the storyline, giving it more cinema-level presentation and show everyone’s journey outside Trevor’s through mini-chapters. That “ Evil God”, the giant man-bird thing, could even be explained and cleared up (Hector and Isaac making pre-Curse of Darkness cameos in high-quality sprite form would be a nice bonus, too).

Also, we could really use the whole Castlevania III soundtrack, from the epic prologue theme to the triumphant credits track, rearranged and remixed with modern sound tools and, ideally, in multiple genres.

Lastly, what this would do is give the world that knows Castlevania best today as those Netflix cartoons a reminder of what that pair of animated productions owe their conception to: the real, original legend of the Belmont clan’s first victory over Count Dracula (but in high definition).

Reply: On one hand, I prefer when obscure/maligned games get another chance. CV3 is already a solid game if you’re into that genre, while The Adventure and Haunted Castle definitely needed more love. While I understand why many say they’d like Legends to get the same treatment, Simon’s Quest would also be a good candidate, since I can tell by SoTN and HoD that IGA appreciated its ideas.

That being said, by now CV3 is the richest game in lore, with all the additions brought by SoTN, CoD and its prequels. A full remake that takes everything into account, adds more dialogue and easter eggs would absolutely slap. I wonder if it could be made into a 3D game, while still keeping the forked progression! The technology is definitely here now lol. But a 2D game in TAB and HCR style would be perfect too!

(now I’m picturing Isaac as a miniboss sometime later in the game but the fight gets “interrupted” because he spots Hector in the distance lol)

[joeylivesinspace]

i hope isaccs plotline next season is an unrelated epic side quest where he decides to put his love of books to good use and become a writer. the way he chooses to go about this is opening an ao3 account, and every time he gets focus, he’s just writing random whimsical fanfic for some obscure fandom. before he knows it, he’s ao3 famous and is suddenly feeling the pressures of niche online fame. he doesn’t tell anyone about this (because it just doesn’t occur to him) until one night everyone’s airing their frustrations and nick is like “what about you isaac? do you have anything going on?” and hes like “oh just the pressures of fame” and everyone just sits there utterly bewildered

[comparativetarot]

The Hermit. Art by Rubi Do Trinh, from the Star of Inanna Tarot.

𒑆 The Hermit 𒍪 The stories reflected in these cards are some of the oldest stories ever told. The story behind this card might sound familiar. In this card, we see Utnapishtim, a character from the Mesopotamian Epic of Gilgamesh. He was a mortal who has been granted immortality by the Gods because he saved animals and humanity when he built a large boat in order to save them from a devastating global flood sent by the Gods. He was then taken by the Gods to live alone at Dilmun, a remote and solitary place where the sun rises and creation occurs. In the Epic, Gilgamesh is seeking the secret to eternal life. In his quest, he is told of Utnapishtim, who has learned that wisdom, because it was given to him by the Gods. Gilgamesh’s quest for wisdom from Utnapishtim reflects the archetype of the wise Hermit figure. We see Gilgamesh approaching on the boat in the card. There is also an older Sumerian version of this tale that exists. In that one, Utnapishtim is called Ziusudra. There, he also builds a boat and saves the “seed of humanity”. He is then granted immortality and is taken to live solitarily in a land called Dilmun. Here we see the value placed on the concept of the “seed” by mesopotamians. To tie this story and characters to the deck, it’s important to point out that in both accounts, Inanna laments for the destruction of humans by the flood. The stories we share in this deck often tie together aspects from the different cultures within the Mesopotamian timeline. The Cuneiform is: 𒍪 dili - “alone, unique”

[shioritsumi]

Mo Tuxuan is a character I haven't figured out as much on, but I have decided him literally being Mobei-jun reincarnated is funny so i'm rolling with it.

He was set up in a cold and distant home to be reborn in, professional, educated, powerful....kind of like being the royal family, but not quite. He was basically predestined to be the head of North Kingdom industries from the start and his entire life has been rearranged to that end. He's a little disappointed, his second life is almost the same as his first...but he's not technically royalty, and he's not a demon. Very little else has changed.

And then he's at a meeting with the CEO of another company and he encounters an account manager by the name of Shang Qingshui who seems off put by him but not....scared. Well, yes, scared, but not in the feeble sheep-like way most office workers are. He's carried his demon king aura and attitude with him, and it intimidates almost everyone he encounters. Qingshui immediately recognizes the aura and bristles bc there's NO WAY Mobei-jun is here, he CAN'T be this unlucky he'll just do his job and get out of the CEO's hair and maybe if he stonewalls the man he won't try to pull him back in.

Except Mo Tuxuan is so amazed there's a human who can stand up to him and casually disregard him he's actually kind of obsessed now. He needs to talk to that man more. He looks at Tuxuan like he's a WORM. No one else does that, no one else even dares to look at him like that. Everyone else looks up at him and cowers, Shang Qingshui looks up at him and narrows his eyes and digs in his heels.

Meanwhile on Qingshui's end, after his very first interaction with the man he sincerely hopes is not actually Mobei-jun because if he was that would be really fucked up right, he receives a message from the System announcing that he's just gained 1000 B Points! Quest line unlocked- North Kingdom Industries! What even, how did this happen. He was hoping being rude would make him not want to interact with him ever again. Instead, every time he does business with their company he insists that he be assisted by Shang Qingshui.

"Are you sure, sir? He's...just an accounts manager, not an assistant or anything." "Which accounts does he handle?" ".....payroll...." "I am interested in acquiring accounts from your company, I'll need to see how the payroll will function. I will require his help."

Shen Tianyu watching the whole thing playing out: "I think he's smitten with you something fierce. Remember how I looked back when Lianhua started coming around back in college?" "Or how Binghe looks at you...all the time?" "Yeah. That's how he looks at you." "....I am actively trying to bully him into leaving me alone." "I guess that's his kink." "Gross." "You're into it, though, I know you are."

Meanwhile Mo Tuxuan doesn't know why he can't stop thinking about the tiny human manager who reminds him a little of someone he knew in his previous life and who takes charge over him and is a wizard with paperwork and accounts payable and every part of him absolutely fills him with desire. The fact that they're both clearly aware how easily he could crush Qingshui and the fact that Qingshui still pushes back against him just makes Tuxuan's crush worse. He finds Shang Qingshui pathetic, not in a sad hamster way like Airplane, but in the epic boyfail way that he acts like he's hardcore and makes way too many unnecessary risks while trying to make himself seem unlikable and accidentally making himself into the cold-blooded rebel punk instead. It's even worse since Qingshui is educated and experienced enough by now that he should totally know better.

New Moshang after the identity reveal like "You killed me!" "And you killed me....." Shang Qingshui just sort of gives him a light backhand "don't say that in such a reverent tone like it's a marriage proposal, sir" But the blush increases bc that backtalk just makes Qingshui HOTTER.

[steve-smackdown]

THE MATCHUPS HAVE ARRIVED!!!

There are six brackets of 16, meaning that there are 96 participants in total. Brackets 1 and 2 will come out tomorrow, with brackets 3 and 4 Friday and brackets 5 and 6 on Saturday. Here are the matchups, under the cut:

Bracket 1:

Steve the Chameleon (Phineas and Ferb) VS. The Steve Convention (Phineas and Ferb)

Stephanie Meanswell (LazyTown) VS. Stefan Karl Stefansson (Real Life)

Steve Jobs (Real Life) VS. Steve Cobs (Inanimate Insanity)

Steve “Patch” Johnson (Days of Our Lives) VS. Stefano DiMera (Days of Our Lives)

Steve Rogers (Marvel) VS. Steven Grant (Marvel)

“Stone Cold” Steve Austin (WWE) VS. Steve Austin (The Six Million Dollar Man)

Steve (Wii Sports) VS. Steven (Wii Sports Club)

Steph (Wii Sports) VS. Stéphanie (Wii Sports Resort)

Bracket 2

Steve McQueen (House MD) VS. Steve the Monkey (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs)

Steve the Vehicon (Transformers) VS. Steve from Accounting (Transformers: Botbots)

Steven Stevenson (Dayshift at Freddy’s) VS. Steve Stevens (Even Stevens)

Uncle Steve (Regular Show) VS. Pizza Steve (Uncle Grandpa)

Steven Moffat (Real Life) VS. Steven Taylor (Doctor Who)

Steve (You, Me, and Steve by Garfunkel and Oats) VS. Steve (Epic Rap Battles of History)

Steve Palchuk (Tales of Arcadia) VS. Steven Universe (Steven Universe)

Steve Trevor (Wonder Woman) VS. Stephanie Brown (DC Comics)

Bracket 3:

Steve Burnsides (Resident Evil) VS. Stefano Valentini (Evil Within 2)

Steve Urkel (Family Matters) VS. Steven Keaton (Family Ties)

Steven the Bus Stop (Milo Murphy’s Law) VS. Steel Vengeance [aka SteVe] (Cedar Point)

Steven (Papa Louie) VS. Steve Smith (American Dad)

Eh! Steve! (Homestar Runner) VS. Steve (Tankman)

Steve the Hedge (Over the Hedge) VS. Steve the Red Pikmin (Chuggaconroy)

Stefan Domaschke (Die Wilden Hühner) VS. Steven von Namtzen (Lord John)

Steve Hardy (General Hospital) VS. Stephen Strange (Marvel)

Bracket 4:

The Steve Army (Yu-Gi-Oh: The Abridged Series) VS. Steven Steel (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure)

Stevie Nichols (Wizards of Waverly Place) VS. Stevie Nicks (Real Life)

Steve Haines (Grand Theft Auto 5) VS. Steve Hale (Full House)

Ninja Steve (WarioWare: Gold) VS. Steve (NES Open Tournament Golf)

Stephen King (Real Life) VS. Steve (Book Scavenger)

Stevens (Emma: A Victorian Romance) VS. Steeve (Deep Rock Galactic)

Steve McCroskey (Airplane!) VS. Steve McGarrett (Hawaii 5-O)

Steven Armstrong (Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance) VS. Stefan (Fire Emblem)

Bracket 5:

Steve (The Owl House) VS. Steve (Bigtop Burger)

Steve (Minecraft) VS. Steve Carlsberg (Welcome to Night Vale)

Steve Harrington (Stranger Things) VS. Steve (She Kills Monsters)

Steven Carter (Torchwood) VS. Stefan Salvatore (The Vampire Diaries)

Steve (Blue’s Clues) VS. Steven Spielberg (Real Life)

Steven Franklin (Babylon 5) VS. Steve Jinks (Warehouse 13)

Stephen Bonnet (Outlander) VS. Steve Randle (The Outsiders)

Steve (hi, i’m steve) VS. Stefon Meyers (Saturday Night Live)

Bracket 6:

Steve Stronghold (Sky High) VS. Steven Stone (Pokémon)

Steve (Cucumber Quest) VS. Steve Irwin (Real Life)

Stephen Hawking (Real Life) VS. Steve Harvey (Real Life)

Stevie Wonder (Real Life) VS. Steve Taylor (Coupling)

Stephano (The Tempest) VS. Stephen (Shin Megami Tensei)

Stephen Gevanni (Death Note) VS. Steven Crain (The Haunting of Hill House)

Stephen Stills (Scott Pilgrim) VS. Stephen Sondheim (The Unsleeping City)

Steph (Pride) VS. Steve (Dark Cloud)

quick side note: every matchup from round 4 to round 6 was randomly decided, as i had ran out of connections to make. no matchups were created with the intention to get rid of a character.

[adarkrainbow]

Lost media quest: H&G Epic Tales (part 4)

After introducing the topic and compiling all the information I could find, I want to share here more visual elements and concept art I managed to collect throughout my (I hoped thorough) researches.

Last time, I stopped while exploring the Muchtar Productions website. As I said, David Muchtar posted on his website an important set of concept art for the character design. Here they are:

I linked in my previous post the Anikey Animation official page for Hansel and Gretel - Epic Tales. It contains a lot of beautiful screenshots preserved from the lost storybook - plus one concept art.

Now, while the Anikey animation website is the one that pops up first in research, Anikey Studios also had a blogspot in which they posted quite a LOT of visual files for the interactive storybook!

For example this post was a collection of backgrounds created by two of the team's artists: Paco Vink for the lay-outs and rough colors, Sjan Weijers for the "final color rendering".

There is also this post which was a "sneak-peak" of the upcoming Epic Tales product, and which contains not only some rare shots but also an unseen concept art for Silvertongue the dwarf!

Another interesting post is this one, that shares concept art for what was then an "unnamed fantasy project" - but in truth was the "Hansel and Gretel" prototype. (Each concept is respectively named Troll - Kids - Dwarf)

Finally, the blog contains a post about the release of the app's trailer - and it lists the various blogspots of the five main people who worked on the piece: David Muchtar (now it isn't a blogspot but a Vimeo account), Jelle Brunt (jellebrunt.blogspot.com), Sjan Weijers (amphibiousrodent.blogspot.com), Ruban Zaalberg (urbyz.blogspot.com), and Paul (the link actually only brings back to the Epic Tales website). Adding Paco Vink's blog listed previous (pacovink.blogspot.com) it makes six links in total. Most if not all of them being dead...

I still had them undergo the Wayback Machine treatment, but I could bring nothing new.

Next part in my quest: all the answers I received to my mails! Or... the absence of them in the worst case scenario...