#one for the Susanna Clarke fans

[penbeatssword]

It's very fitting that I finally found a copy of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell in a little secondhand bookshop after a lengthy search, and that my copy of Piranesi has survived water damage

[the-forest-library]

October 2024 Reads

The Rom-Commers - Katherine Center

The Ex Vows - Jessica Joyce

How to Hide in Plain Sight - Emma Noyes

Triple Sec - T.J. Alexander

The Merriest Misters - Timothy Janovsky

Most Wonderful - Georgia Clark

The Situationship - Abby Jimenez

Straight - Chuck Tingle

Sorcery and Small Magics - Maiga Doocy

Lake of Souls - Ann Leckie

The Wood at Midwinter - Susanna Clarke

The Agency for Scandal - Laura Wood

Knight Owl and Early Bird - Christopher Denise

The Bakery Dragon - Devin Elle Kurtz

The Millicent Quibb School for Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science - Kate McKinnon

Bye Forever, I Guess - Jodi Meadows

Mabel Wants a Friend - Ariel Bernstein

Into the Uncut Grass - Trevor Noah

Scaredy Squirrel - Melanie Watt

Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend - Melanie Watt

Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach - Melanie Watt

Scaredy Squirrel at Night - Melanie Watt

Scaredy Squirrel Has a Birthday Party - Melanie Watt

Scaredy Squirrel Goes Camping - Melanie Watt

CatStronauts: Moon Mission - Drew Brockington

Fangirl, Vol 4 - Rainbow Rowell, Gabi Nam

An Age of License - Lucy Knisley

Going Into Town - Roz Chast

You Can Only Yell at Me for One Thing at a Time - Row Chast

Impossible People - Julia Wertz

Cattitude - Katie Abey

oh no - Alex Norris

Milk & Mocha - Melani Sie

Lovely One - Ketanji Brown Jackson

It Gets Better...Except When It Gets Worse - Nicole Maines

What in the World?! - Leanne Morgan

Democracy in Retrograde - Sami Sage & Emily Amick

Abortion - Jessica Valenti

Anxiety Rx - Russell Kennedy

Still Distracted After All These Years - Kathleen G. Nadeau

You Deserve Good Gelato - Kacie Rose

Big Vegan Flavor - Nisha Vora

Bold = Highly Recommend

Italics = Worth It

Crossed Out = Nope

Thoughts: The Rom-Commers is a standout contemporary romance - really fun. I think Emily Henry fans would like it. I also really enjoyed Bye Forever, I Guess - a middle school You've Got Mail.

Goodreads Goal: 369/400 

2017 Reads | 2018 Reads | 2019 Reads | 2020 Reads | 2021 Reads| 2022 Reads | 2023 Reads | 2024 Reads

[seraphtrevs]

Since I’m a huge fan of your writing, I’m curious: who are some your favorite writers and what are some of your favorite books or short stories??

Oh man, I've done so much reading over my life that it's hard to narrow down. Like I'm for sure going to leave people out.

For fiction: some of my favorite authors are the Bronte sisters (slight preference for Charlotte - Jane Eyre was one of my first loves and hugely shaped me as a reader and a writer), Daphne du Maurier (favorite of her books - Rebecca), Sarah Waters (can't decide between Fingersmith and The Paying Guests), Angela Carter (The Bloody Chamber), Susanna Clarke (Jonathon Strange and Mr Norell), Toni Morrison (Beloved), Robin Hobb (the Farseer trilogy and Fitz's further adventures, but I've heard good things about the Liveship Trader books!), Terry Pratchett (the Tiffany Aching books are particular favorites), and Anne Rice (well, depending on the book tbh, she's not very consistent lol - the first three Vampire Chronicle books are my favs from her), with special shout-outs to Robin McKinley (Beauty), Avi (The True Confession of Charlotte Doyle), LM Montgomery (Anne of Green Gables), Frank L Baum (I have read every single Oz book - there are a ton of them!) and Madeleine L'Engle (A Wrinkle in Time), who were my favs when I was a kid (along with the Babysitter's Club book lol - but they're mostly ghostwritten so I'm not sure who to credit!)

Right now, I'm re-reading (for the millionth time) The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter, which is a collection of fairy tale retellings - but that feels like a really inadequate way to describe it. It's very visceral, primal, and poetic. My favorite story from the collection is "The Bloody Chamber," which is a Bluebeard retelling. Bluebeard is one of my favorite fairy tales, but it understandably doesn't get a lot of adaptation. (I'm very curious what Disney's Bluebeard would look like lmao)

I'm also listening to the audiobook of The Vampire Lestat, which is the reason that Anne Rice is on that list. She really lost me with her later books, but listening to TVL reminded me that actually, she can be very good! She really excels at evocative descriptions and conveying emotion - she's very shameless, in a good way. A woman who always writes with her entire pussy, whatever else you might say about her.

But I actually read more nonfiction than fiction. I'm a big fan of memoirs - not celebrity memoirs (although Jennette McCurdy's I'm Glad My Mom Died was probably my favorite book I've read this year), but memoirs that are more about someone grappling with the human experience - like, sometimes the author has been through something horrible and they've done a lot of mediation on what they've been through, or sometimes the author is just a very astute and entertaining observer of their own (and other people's) ridiculousness. Some of my favorites are Mary Karr, Caroline Knapp, David Sedaris, Cheryl Strayed, Jeanette Walls, Tara Westover, and Allie Brosh.

If I had to pick one to recommend - all of David Sedaris's books are extremely funny. He writes humorous personal essays, so I guess his books aren't really memoirs exactly (google says he's a humorist), but he usually writes about himself so I'm lumping him in this category lol. Me Talk Pretty One Day is a good place to start with his stuff - you will cry laughing.

I also love pop science and pop history - Mary Roach is a super approachable science writer with a quirky sense of humor. Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers is so funny and candid - she asks every question you've ever had about dead bodies and then some. I also love Bill Bryson - another very accessible and funny writer - I really loved his A Short History of Nearly Everything, which covers exactly what it says. I ADORE Oliver Sacks - he was a neurologist who wrote so movingly about what it means to be human through the experiences of his patients - The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat reads more like a book of short stories, and I weep like a baby every time I read it (I actually started tearing up thinking of a few cases.) (Btw he's also written beautiful memoirs but I like his science writing best so I'm putting him here. Bill Bryson has written memoir too.) Carl Sagan is also approachable and humane - This Demon Haunted World is my favorite of his. Andrew Solomon's The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression is required reading for anyone who's dealt with mental illness, although it's difficult and painful at times (his Far From the Tree: Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity is also really good, but also difficult and painful - but worth it!)Diane Ackerman's A Natural History of the Senses has gorgeous prose and is a great book for artists and writers imo - it gets you thinking deeply about how we interact with the world.

For history, I am obsessed with this book called "The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity by David Graeber and David Wengrow - it will completely upend everything you think you know about the history of homo sapians. Mike Duncan got his start podcasting - his series Revolutions is about major world revolutions and is essentially like listening to an audiobook, so it's not a surprise his books are pretty fun too. Sarah Vowell has some really fun books about quirky historical topics - her Assassination Vacation is great (she goes on a roadtrip to visit locations in America where famous assassinations took place).

And here are a few other miscellaneous non-fiction writers I enjoy - Sebastian Junger (just finished his In My Time of Dying about his near death experience - super thought-provoking - but it was A Perfect Storm that made me love him), Hunter S. Thompson (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas), Jon Krakauer (Into the Wild), Jon Ronson (The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry)

This was a fun question to think about! I hadn't realized I had such a strong preference for female writers until I actually listed all my favs out, which is an interesting thing to know about myself, so thanks for asking!

[stardew-victoria]

More Stoned Obey Me Headcannons

One of Satan’s favorite fiction books from the human world is Piranesi by Susanna Clark

Obviously he is also a huge fan of Lord of the Rings

Mammon has a belly button piercing

All of the brothers find body piercings hot no doubt about it

Mammon makes you carry his bags if you guys go shopping until you complain about it and he berates you for not telling him earlier

Nobody understands them like I do

They ALL enjoy watching the live action Scooby Doo’s with who woman who plays Buffy even if they say they dont.

Mammon loves Madagascar <3 he likes to move it move it

Solomon w i l l wear matching earrings with you. No matter how silly they are. Babies with knives earrings for sure.

Mammon says he can relate to Fred from Scooby Doo

Leviathan secretly wishes he could turn into the Hulk

Mammon is surprisingly good at doing other peoples hair.

Belphagor would play dnd for sure. And Levi too but that kinda goes without saying methonks

Beelzebub and Belphagor wear a fuck ton of rings.

Asmodeus cries during sex

This is weird but I feel like Asmodeus smells like cheesecake. Genuinely dont know why.

Asmodeus listens to Melanie Martinez for sure. The new album is his favorite no doubt.

If you show literally any music to Mammon itll be all he listens to

Diavolo loves watching sunsets

Barbatos is probably better at doing makeup than Asmo

Simeon is an Axolotl lover

Luke is one of those bitches who say they dont listen to music. D o n o t t r u s t

If you showed Luke Gravity Falls he would love it

This post is too long goodbye

Sorry I dont mean to be the funniest person in the world

[ask-a-bot]

That might be a bit tricky. I know Megs can be…..and I say this in the most respectful and loving way possible……..stubborn, but even though it’s for his own good, I can sympathize with Megs’ feelings. So how does one convince him to stay in berth?

Well, my first thought is asking if Dorthy can convince him, but what about giving him a new book series (preferably a very long series) to read while in berth? Maybe find some audio books he can listen to and relax. Those can be a great mental distraction from being berth-ridden.

Do you know if he’s interested in documentaries? If he has some sort of screen in his berthroom, Megs could watch some of those.

He's maddeningly stubborn! That's part of the reason he's in this state in the first place.

Oh! Yes, he likes reading. A new book series would be a great idea, but what might he like? I know he's a fan of Shakespeare, Dickens and Pratchett. I also know he's read North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell. Do you think he might like a Susanna Clarke story?

He does like documentaries, but his optics are pretty sore. I think that'll be a thing for a little later. He likes period dramas and musicals too. He loves Oliver.

[omens-for-ophelia]

For the ask game: 21, 26, 27 :)

hello dear! thank you 🌻

21. how was your day today?

a little tricky, really! had a therapy session that was good but exhausting, and the brainfog has been pretty intense all day - part of the reason i am doing the ask game! trying to perk up a little 🩷

26. some childish things i like?

see previous ask for more, but i am also a fan of theme parks and rollercoasters - my work means i am at disney world fairly frequently and as much as they are not perfect as a company, i am always a giant kid when i am there

27. favourite book?

oh my goodness so difficult to pick! i re-read lord of the rings quite regularly. good omens goes without saying too, i cannot count how often i have read it!

piranesi by susanna clarke is one of my most recent all-time-faves, and i also love the discworld series, particularly going postal, though i also love guards guards and lords & ladies 🩷

[jotun-philosopher]

What might evil!Aziraphale be like?

My first meta! Woo! Mostly just trying to articulate some of my brain's particularly weird recent wiggles, but still!

So I was re-reading Neverwhere recently, and something about the way the Angel Islington is portrayed reminded me of That Smile In The Credits and got me wondering... What might Aziraphale be like if he turned evil? (I do mean legitimately *evil* -- Falling in the GO verse has nothing to do with the subject's morality)

I know, Crowley, it's a scary and depressing thought! It's also never going to happen -- I feel quite confident about that -- but exploring counterfactual scenarios can help get a different perspective on things, maybe even illuminate what's likely to happen in the future! (as well as being dang interesting in their own right)

So, then, on with the motley! (caution: big ol' spoilers for both Neverwhere and Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell below the cut)

Now, it's always possible to turn 'good' characters 'evil' by having them act out a set of generically 'evil' traits, but that'd be boring and liable to be out of character. A more interesting route would be to simply turn up the dial(s) on one or more of a character's traits (especially their flaws) and see what happens!

Even the most die-hard Aziraphale fan has got to admit that our favourite fluffy bookseller has a bit of a problem with self-righteousness, so that seems like a good place to start. Notch the dial up to max, and what do we get?

Very likely, something similar to this:

(Peter Capaldi as the Angel Islington, Neverwhere, 1996)

The Angel Islington! Unshakably self-righteous to the point of insanity? Oh yes -- to the point of justifying committing genocide by screaming that "THEY DESERVED IT!!!" for not providing the proper worship, and generally so being utterly convinced of its own rightness that traditional morality is discarded as irrelevant (quoth Mr Croup, "He's travelled so far beyond right and wrong he couldn't see them with a telescope on a nice clear night.").

There're other parallels between Islington and Aziraphale, too -- primarily the proliferation of light/pale colours in their costuming and having a mild, kindly, soft-spoken manner (genuine with Aziraphale, a mere veneer with Islington) but also their (planning to) return to Heaven. In Islington's case, it was cast out as punishment for annihilating Atlantis and seeks to return and enact a hostile takeover and become a new God; in Azzy's case, of course, he was railroaded into returning against his will (and may or may not be plotting Undercover Shenanigans to Save The World, but that's a bit beyond the scope of this meta). Nevertheless, the parallels are there, noticeable enough to make me think that Islington represents what Aziraphale might become in the worst of all possible worst-case scenarios (especially where his religious trauma and Heaven's fanaticism and propaganda are concerned).

(As a side note, this whole idea of (self-)righteousness leading to great evil is also reminiscent of why Gandalf flatly refused to take custody of the One Ring -- fear of doing great evil while attempting to enact great good.)

So that's the self-righteousness angle, but maybe there're other angles -- perhaps we could leave the SR dial alone and instead see what happens if we dial Azzy's hedonistic tendencies and one or two others up to eleven!

I hear pipes and drums and dancing, endless faerie balls within the brugh...

(Marc Warren as The Gentleman With Thistledown Hair, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, 2015 (BBC adaptation))

Behold, the ruler of Lost-hope, this faerie gentleman with hair the colour of thistle-down! He's the most significant antagonistic force in Susanna Clarke's 2005 novel Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, and has a few interesting parallels with Aziraphale.

First and most obviously, there's the hair colour! Secondly, we have the fact that they're incalculably old immortal beings with considerable magical/mystical power, as well as notions of morality, ethics etc that are to some degree orthogonal to human understanding of such matters. There's also the hedonistic tendencies -- Aziraphale's are comparatively subtle, mainly revolving around appreciating Earthly pleasures like food, drink and music, but if exaggerated could easily end up like the Gentleman's tendency to focus on his own fun/amusement, regardless of the cost to others.

Which ties in to one of the most noticeable parallels, something that you might have worked out already if you've come this far and/or are already familiar with JS&MN -- the Gentleman spends a good amount of time abducting or planning to abduct beautiful humans to be enchanted to dance forever in endless balls within his kingdom of Lost-hope. Doesn't that sound uncomfortably similar to the Shopkeepers' Association Ball in S2E5? The parallel certainly gave me a moment of the shivering heebie-jeebies when I spotted it -- regardless of Aziraphale's motivation there, he absolutely comes off almost like one of the Fair Folk (likely even in-universe!); it's very easy to imagine that he could get like the Gentleman if he 'takes the brakes off', so to speak.

So there we have it -- an evil!Aziraphale would likely be similar to the Angel Islington, the Gentleman With Thistledown Hair or possibly some terrifying and unholy hybrid of the two.

Or something else entirely that I can't find adequate words for!

Now, I must emphasise that just because I've put a good deal of thought into exploring the 'evil!Aziraphale' idea, it doesn't mean I think it'll happen; on the contrary, I'm convinced that it never will. For one thing, regardless of the parallels noted above, Aziraphale is far more fundamentally benevolent than either Islington or the Gentleman. Despite his flaws, he is at heart a genuinely good, kind, decent, compassionate person. Some folks, the Metatron among them, are going to interpret this as weakness or stupidity, which is wholly incorrect -- Azzy is very intelligent (while also being a bit of a dumbass, granted -- the two are not mutually exclusive) and has a steel core of courage, protectiveness and badassery (comparisons to Magrat Garlick would be entirely valid here). He understands the concept of 'guardian angel' better, I'd wager, than the whole of the rest of the Heavenly Host (or at least the leadership thereof). And in underestimating him, railroading him back to Heaven and trying to force him to actively plan the destruction of everything he holds dear (sheer sadism probably being at least part of the MT's motivation there), the Metatron has (on a silver platter) handed our adorable fluffy little tartan murder hornet the means, motive and opportunity to Seriously Fuck Shit Up for Heaven >:D

Plus, we were promised a South Downs cottage. SOUTH DOWNS COTTAGE!!! THE SETS ARE STILL STANDING IN BATHGATE!!!!!

*ahem*

As a palate cleanser, a bit of food for thought: given that demons tend to have animal motifs, in the unlikely event of Azzy capital-F Falling, would he be an angora rabbit or a big fluffy cat?

[kelinswriter]

Vibes

Yeah, they were vibing all right. (Also LOL at Chyler wanting to know the ship name so she could stalk the tag.)

I appreciate that the show didn't try to pretend this was something it wasn't. They know they have a lot of lesbians watching, and it means something for them to recognize that it would be unfair to go too far with a pairing that has no chance at endgame. That said, this story is one of the gayest things I've ever seen on TV, even if the word "lesbian" was never uttered. Susanna made fan art, ffs.

Hope we get more of their "friendship" next season.

[nonexistentbooks]

random rec list :)

These are various things that I have enjoyed a lot over the years. Check under the cut for more thorough notes/warnings, because some of these are really built for specific audiences. Linked to book titles is the storygraph page, where you can also find TWs. Link to poetry are the poems themselves.

books

House of Leaves, Mark Z. Danielewski

Piranesi, Susanna Clarke

The Trial, Franz Kafka. (I don't have access to my copy anymore, so I don't know the translator of my edition, unfortunately)

The Brothers Karamazov, Fyodor Dostoevsky. I have read both the Pevear & Volokhonsky translation and the David McDuff translation. Don't have a preference between the two, I think.

An Iliad, Lisa Peterson and Denis O'Hare.

Beloved, Toni Morrison

poetry

If You Call a Wolf a Wolf, Kaveh Akbar

Hanif Abdurraqib's writing, particularly They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us and A Little Devil in America.

"Miss You. Would like to take a walk with you." Gabrielle Calvocoressi

"I Didn't Apologize to the Well," Mahmoud Darwish, tr. Fady Joudah

"Angels," Russell Edson

"On the Death of Friends in Childhood," Donald Justice

"Chou Nu Er: Composed on Wall at Mount Bo on Way," 辛弃疾 Xin Qiji, tr. unknown.

Poem 66 in Hidden Music, Rumi, tr. Maryam Mafi and Azima Melita Kolin.

manga/comics/etc.

The following works by Nihei Tsutomu: BLAME!, NOiSE, Abara, Biomega, tr. include: Melissa Tanaka, Stephen Paul, Sheldon Drzka, John Werry.

Mushishi, Urushibara Yuki, tr. William Flanagan

Witch Hat Atelier, Shirahama Kamome, tr. Stephen Kohler

Uzumaki, Ito Junji, tr. Yuji Oniki

Mob Psycho 100, ONE, tr. Kumar Sivasubramanian (might not be the only translator, but I'm not looking through all the volumes)

shows/movies + one podcast:

Revolutionary Girl Utena, dir. Ikuhara Kunihiko

Angel's Egg, dir. Oshii Mamoru (in collaboration with Amano Yoshitaka)

Cowboy Bebop, dir. Watanabe Shinichiro

A Writer's Odyssey, dir. Lu Yang

Wolf 359, produced by Kinda Evil Genius Productions, LLC

notes on book selections: For HoL, TBK, and Beloved, I'd recommend checking out the trigger warnings. None of these books are especially light, and definitely with HoL, Piranesi and a bit with The Trial as well, you don't know a lot going on. So you have to be okay with putting in the effort to understand these stories and going along with the ride. The Trial was technically unfinished, so after a point, it's the chapters we have from Kafka and in kind of out of order.

notes on poetry: I know some people may not like Hanif Abdurraqib's style, but I personally adore it. I have not read all of his works either, but he is a very solid poet and writer for me.

notes on manga and such: The thing you have to understand about Nihei's works (those that are listed) is that there aren't clear answers for a lot. Especially BLAME!, where there's very minimal dialogue. You won't understand everything on the first on the first read for BLAME! and that's good! NOiSE also doesn't answer a lot and Abara, for some, may seem like it ends on a cliffhanger. Biomega is the iffiest one here because the ending is really rushed. There was clearly meant to be more, but there just wasn't the space to take care of it before it had to end. In all his works listed, there is a lot of violence. WHA is in progress and I haven't caught up in ages, but it's a really solid story so far. Uzumaki is horror, so check out the warnings for that before going into it, if needed. MP100 is also pretty solid. Not without some faults, of course, but I greatly enjoy it and also have a fond spot for the REIGEN spinoff in my heart.

notes on shows and the rest: Ok. So. RGU. really look at the tws for this. The more comprehensive post I can't find, but this is a good summary. Definitely would not recommend it to everyone and there are aspects I am not a fan of (to say the least) but it is a very impactful story and means a lot. Angel's Egg is also not for everyone, but more so because it's a very silent movie and you will not get answers. It's a movie where you craft your own meaning and enjoy the experience. It can also feel very slow. Cowboy Bebop my beloved. That is all I will say. It can also feel slow to some people, but the ending. omg. A Writer's Odyssey may not be the most put together narrative-wise BUT I watched it when sick and fatigued out of my mind, so it takes a place here for being a movie I still remember pretty well. A father will do anything to find his daughter again, even if it means killing this random guy who only seems to be a novelist... except, isn't it strange how his story seems to impact reality as well? Wolf 359 is a podcast but MY GOD is it good. Listen to it. please.

[persephonelovesbooks]

"About the Blogger" meme

It's been ages since I've done one of these. Thanks a lot, Curry! @currymanganese for the shout-out!! here we go 🤠

Star Signs: Cancer Sun, Aquarius moon, Libra rising

Favourite Holiday : Christmas is my no .1 fav. There are so many great memories associated with the Holiday season. The lights, the presents,and of course, the FOOD!! Onam is a close second with its vibrancy and the spirit of togetherness !

Last meal: PB&J

Current favourite musician: I'm a Hoe for Hozier. Always playing him on loop. Also recently I've been obsessed with Mitski also. She's divine!!!! Other Favs include Florence Welsh, Paris Paloma, Pink Floyd, Lana Del Rey, Arctic Monkeys, Phoebe Bridgers, Radiohead and also been listening to songs by REM( thanks to The Bear)

Last music listened to : Chemtrails over the country club by Lana. Her voice! 😫♥️

Last movie watched : May December . Brilliant!!! Natalie Portman knocked it out of the park!

Last TV watched : Derry Girls . Excellent writing and performance. Watching also Abbott Elementary cuz I heard Ayo is in it! That too is a laugh fest.

Last book finished : Piranesi by Susanna Clarke. Clarke is a gifted wordsmith.

Last book abandoned : oh lawwdd there's so many. I've been an ardent practitioner of tsundoku lately.

Currently reading: A lot of The Bear fanfics, hell yeah!! Absolutely a fan of Curry's fic Why Can't We Be Friends . Yo when's the next update tho!!

Last thing researched for art/writing : The Scream by Edvard Munch to take a class on it.

Fav online fandom memory: oh gosh, I've been here on Tumblr since 2012 or so and I've been pretty seriously involved in fandom stuff. I guess my fav memory would be the bonding we all had ,the really interesting convos, the delectable meta and ultimately the joy of sharing a common interest and making a bunch of amazing friends ❤️

My case with fandoms is that I've got seasonal obsessions. Right now it's Sydcarmy from The Bear. I wasn't part of any fandoms for a long time because of academics , job hunting and everything. So SydCarmy feels pretty special. It just brought me straight back to my old glory days. I'm constantly blown away by the fire ass meta and the analyses here . Cannot wait for S3.

Woohoooo, this was fun ✨️🥳

I'm tagging everyone who wants to do this

Thanks for reading, lovelies 💖

[late-to-the-fandom]

which obscure Media would u recommend to another empty fandom collector such as yourself?

You ask an intriguing question! I mean, there is so just so much to choose from and I have no idea where your interests lie to guide you better. So here are all the tiny fandoms I am proud to have been too late to join or remain the only member of (in a variety of media):

-The Engineer Trilogy is a book series by KJ Parker that has, as far I know, no fandom at all. It’s just me and a thousand fic ideas I will never really finish because no one will ever read them. Which is a shame because the series really lends itself to fanfiction (literally every single character is a poor little meow meow). But despite having no fandom, these books are probably objectively some of the best, most ambitious books ever written and the reason I maintain that the best books are never appreciated in their time.

-Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke is the other best book of all time that I can’t get anyone to read because they’re just not ready. It at least has a small fandom because they made a BBC miniseries of it a few years ago that was actually quite decent and had the added benefit of casting some very attractive actors. Definitely worth a watch and if you like it, 100% worth the read (this book is my Bible)

-Laurie R. King, the Patron Saint of fanfiction, whose Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell series survived the great Mary Sue hate of the late 90s early 00s, and who is actually a wonderful author in her own right. She used to have her own very small fandom site where people posted fanfiction and art but not nearly enough and it’s not active (at least that I can tell; I came in - you guessed it - late)

-Deadwood, that will always be one million times better than Game of Thrones to me, never had the fandom Ian McShane it deserved. Again, late so idk if there was a lot going on for it at the time but it certainly didn’t leave behind much fanfic for us stragglers

-Labyrinth, which I hesitate to include here because its not obscure and truly does have an insane amount of fanfiction but its fandom is mostly old (like me) and inactive (tell me I’m wrong and point me in the right direction!). Probably because the movie isn’t very popular anymore. However, it’s a great example of a tiny half-dead fandom with more fanfiction than it knows what to do with (even I haven’t read through it all).

-Watchmen (the graphic novel, NOT the new series). This did get a nice little surge of fans with the movie that came out and was probably the only time in my life I was there waiting for it. Ah the glory days of soaking up Rorschach/Night Owl fanfics on the ground as they came out… but it’s dead now, the book very close to cancelled and the fans mostly in hiding. There’s still a good bit of great fic out there if you love angsty slash pairings

-and last but not least, if you’re interested in random fandom-light video games, I can recommend several World of Warcraft fanfics that are absolutely lovely (and only some of them are mine 😅). I write for one minor-ish character in a now out-of-date expansion, as do @shipping-through-eternity and @mousterian-writes and @mysdrym to name a few. But all of it is lovely in their own different styles and genres, so if you have need of a dying video game fandom in your life I highly recommend!

Let me know if any of that helps, or if you have any recommendations of your own!

[thelanguageofbirdsrp]

you had me at the jonathan strange & mr. norrell quotes <3

When he awoke it was dawn. Or something like dawn. The light was watery, dim and incomparably sad. Vast, grey, gloomy hills rose up all around them and in between the hills there was a wide expanse of black bog. Stephen had never seen a landscape so calculated to reduce the onlooker to utter despair in an instant. "This is one of your kingdoms, I suppose, sir?" he said. "My kingdoms?" exclaimed the gentleman in surprise. "Oh, no! This is Scotland!”

We have pulled heavily from Susanna Clarke's novel Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. Always glad to find another fan! The historical fantasy setting is very similar to it, with additional elements pulled from classic literature (Jane Austen works, for example) and fantasy adventure dramas (The Mummy, The Librarians, Stardust) - think Regency Era customs with Victorian Age intrigue and a society that aligns magic with science and theology.

[paandaan]

11 and 16!

11. What was your favorite book that has been out for a while, but you just now read?

most of the books i read this year was stuff from the late twentieth century, but recent books (from the past five years) i read just this year and loved were tender is the flesh by agustina bazterrica and piranesi by susanna clarke

16. What is the most over-hyped book you read this year?

hm hamnet by maggie o'farrell and the xenogenesis series by octavia butler definitely - the former was hyped for its prose which i didn't really find all that splendid, mediocre at best, i mostly only liked the chapters from the kid's pov, i had a hard time getting myself used to the other povs (plus i am not really into reading about white motherhood); for the latter, it has been hyped by science fiction fans a lot and i decided to give it a try but a) i left the book not knowing what the central thesis of the book was, i found the concepts interesting but the way they were executed really all over the place b) the series left me in one of my worst reading slumps ... i have read butler's other works and didn't ever feel as disengaged as i did with this series ...

[missglass]

2022, the year of great books

i had a fantastic reading year in 2022. these were some highlights in no particular order:

Susanna Clarke, Piranesi. What a peculiar little book. A man lives in a gigantic ruinous house - a kind of castle with grand halls and statues - where life is dominated by the tides of an ocean in the lower levels of the building. The protagonist is a kind man with almost child-like curiosity, he seems like a monk living with the utmost worship for this strange place. Like the house, the story unfolds like a labyrinth and as a reader you only slowly discover what exactly is going on. Best read in January by the sea.

Jonathan Franzen, Crossroads. I mean, yes, guys like Franzen rewrite the same kind of book again and again, but man, are they good at it. I'm a sucker for the same story told from multiple perspectives, and who doesn't love to think about God and a complicated relationship with faith through the eyes of one of the most pathetic protagonists I have read about in the past years, a housewife with the most unhinged backstory, and a bunch of unnecessarily dramatic children.

Kamila Shamsie, Home Fire. One of my absolute favourites. A retelling of Antigone set in modern Great Britain about three siblings - a set of twins and their older sister - whose father was a jihadist. I found the classic themes of Antigone - struggles with family, duty, sacrifice - really well updated to reflect more contemporary struggles with identity, faith, as well as political issues like immigration and the toll it can take to be pulled into two different directions: tradition/modernity, fitting in/staying connected to your roots, conforming/preserving some form of inherited cultural identity.

And yes, you obviously know how the story ends from the start, but the ending is still so heartwrenching. As we know from Fleabag, the greatest love stories are still between siblings ("the only person i'd run through an airport for is you" and such).

Ali Smith, Autumn and Summer. I have been a fan of Smith since reading "How to Be Both" and I am now three quarters through her beautiful Seasonal Quartet. I hardly know another author who writes about our contemporary times with such ease. i love how art is always present in her works and how her prose is playing sly tricks on the reader. she is sometimes so literal in her imagery that you can only think something is meant poetically or metaphorically, only to find out two sentences later how it was indeed meant literally.

Rachel Cusk, Transit and Kudos. One of my favourite discoveries of 2022. I loved reading about Faye's encounters and her conversations with friends and strangers alike. It reminds me a bit of Salinger's "Nine Stories" in the best way, enough love and squalor to please Esmé. Especially Transit was so full of great stories; Cusk really is able to capture that uncomfortable, liminal space in between two situations, to describe what it means to go through upheaval, to not know how something will turn out. To know something old - a relationship, a flat, a homecountry - was not the right fit, but not knowing at all that what will come will be any better.

Maggie O'Farrell, Hamnet and The Marriage Portrait. "Hamnet" is a fictional account of Shakespeare's youngest (real) children - insightful, inutitive twins Hamnet and Judith - as well as of their mother, Agnes (the secret protagonist). O'Farrell's descriptions of grief and quiet domesticity are very lovely. The scenery is a bit mystic or unsettling at times, especially chapters about Agnes' life, and I found the novel generally beautifully written. (As the Guardian put's it: "read it and weep").

The Marriage Portrait takes place in Renaissance Florence and also features a very insightful, inutitive child, Lucretia de' Medici, the smart and rebellious daughter of the Duke of Florence. This story is about her arranged marriage at 15 to the Duke of Ferrara, and - as stated on the first page of the book - about the rumour that her husband killed her less than a year after their wedding.

I found the book quite suspenseful, but also very tender, poetic and loving. Also, I love books about artists and seeing through their eyes how they approach their art, which was a big part of TMP.

Honorable mentions:

Stine Pilgaard, Meter pro Sekunde - features my personal favourite, most fun protagonist of 2022.

Katja Oskamp, Marzahn Mon Amour - tales of a pedicurist/podiatrist and her clients.

[space-blue]

okay first of all how does anyone bear to do asks i need to keep switching between two tabs trying to figure out what questions i'm trying to ask, there's got to be an easier way-- BUT right, Behind the Scenes asks: 1, 5, 12, 18 PLEASE, and 23. (PS am i supposed to ask so many? prob not. screw it, i'm greedy (PPS am i supposed to be anon rn idk if that's correct etiquette)) THANKS!

I jot the numbers down somewhere if I'm getting overwhelmed. You did great though! And no, there is no etiquette on how many to ask, don't worry. If there's a double I'll just send you to the other ask. More means I get to talk about fic more, which is great! :3

What was the first fandom and/or pairing that you wrote fic for?

Star Wars, Thrawn x OC. I was pretty sauced. I think I have some great moments in there, and I was free to create all the banter I wanted, etc. But it suffers a LOT from me being completely new to multi chapter work. I go into meandering tengeants and don't know when to stop on the world building. It had its fans and really dragged me into the whole fanfic universe though. Maybe one day I'll finish it, but I had no idea which way to go. I feel like I wrote myself in a corner, somewhat haha

5. What is the perfect environment for you to write in?

I don't mind loud spaces like cafes or pubs, so long as the music isn't obnoxious and I can hear my own. I just like places where nobody is going to come to me to interrupt me. Sadly I live and work in a backpacker hostel, meaning I have 50 odd housemates at any given time, without counting the 250 guests. I get interrupted a LOT. So right now, hidden in my bed or hunkering down at my fav cafe, would be my answer.

12. Is there a trope you haven’t written yet but really want to?

Yes! There's this Tarkin & Ahsoka fic I mentioned in this ask. It focuses on the amnesia trope. I really, really like to write sort of mind fucky things from character PoV. So Tarkin struggling with shattered memories and having to rebuild himself while trusting this total stranger… Hard. Especially when WE all know she's lying to him to try and use him for her side, because the rebellion just needs the help that badly. I do need to make better research on real amnesia before I apply scifi logic to it... And I need to not be hyperfixation on Quaritch's blue ass. His own trope scratches a similar itch, since he's a clone with implanted memories. So identity crisis as well...

18. What is a line/scene you’re really proud of? Give us the DVD commentary for that scene.

OK ok I have this entry from my Hannibal ficlets that focuses on a secret inside the "mind palace" Hannibal Lecter has. I've read all three relevant Hannibal books, watched the films, all TV series… And then I read the book Piranesi by Susanna Clarke. It's excellent and I recommend it. It focuses on a man living inside an enormous house that has three levels going in all directions, with clouds in the top level and a sea with rushing tides in the bottom. There are statues everywhere… And birds… And it's very WTF and it takes you a long time to understand what's going on. It's in this man's pov too which thickens the mystery.

I love the works of Piranesi. He's an italian architect and archaelogist who once got sick. 22 yo and delirious with fever, he sketched a series of 'infinite prisons' which you can see here!

So I'm writing this tiny daily ficlet, trying to stick as close to 200 words as I can, and I was folding myself into a piranesian pretzel trying to FIT THE DAMN EXPRESSION in. Making Hannibal's mind palace into a piranesian thing.

There is a corner of his mind always plagued by snow. It is a torturous journey there, through labyrinthine passages, down echoing stairwells and across bridges arcing over the piranesian landscape of his palace. It is easy to lose one's way, to be distracted by the vaulted ceilings of a chapel, the confines of well used hideouts, or the familiar outlines of his Baltimore office. But if he keeps walking, fingers brushing against all the door-frames of all the halls of his mind, eventually they alight on damp wood, cold and brittle. 

[he's off to visit his baby sister, who he keeps in there. He was forced to eat her by soldiers as a child, yeah it's dark]

23. If you had to remix one of your own fics, which would it be and how would you remix it?

I'm not super hung up on this idea. I write and move on. I have 151 works currently and I've been on ao3 for not even 3 years. So as you can imagine I have a tendency to create a new work rather than worry about remixing.

This being said I'd probably completely retool my very first fic, as per answer 1. I'd change the OC, shorten the plot by A LOT, get the action started sooner, completely drop a lot of worldbuilding… It's a slog, which can be very sweet in a fanfic when you're enjoying the slog content, but dear lord, it makes for awkward re-reading. I'd make the OC an alien instead of a human raised by aliens. Too much going on.

[jasongrace07]

Well, this was quite the experience. For starters, I went into this book completely blind, and to say that I was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement. But before the house messes with absolutes and I lauch into the obvious praises, a few words on Piranesi.

The book starts off slow, well, really slow, to the point that you might almost be tempted to skip over the first seventy pages or so, but don't. Just bear with it, it gets better. The amount of time Susanna Clarke dedicates into the setting up of the house feels paradoxically unimportant yet integral, and if you're a fan of copious descriptions and painstakingly minute detailings, the first few pages are going to be a treat. The surrealist imagery of infinitism and abundance that Clarke creates, atleast for the house is both frightening and awe inspiring, with Piranesi meticulously detailing every minotaur statue, tide times and the almost indeterminable floors and halls. It almost represents the primitive man, for who the world consists of only himself and the 'Other', in perfect harmony with his surroundings.

But things change, and when they do, they change fast. And therefore within no time, the idyllic setup has abruptly withered into a chasm of identity crisis, the deified house turning into the desecrating malevolent establishment and perhaps the cause of all callousness through retrograde amnesia at the very least. Clarke creates a predominant setting that distinctly reminds one of the House of Mysteries in the DC Multiverse, only that this time the house probably is unconscious rather than subconscious. The house is not the active deterrent, and the plot itself, in first person narrative, make Piranesi the almost simplistic presenter, a deep believer whatever he pens down. Written in the epistolary format of journal entries, on many grounds you could even read it as some sort of a post-colonial representation perhaps?! And at this point there are prehaps too many interpretatios possible. A detective story perhaps? Or maybe a quest for identity? And one question for Piranesi to top it all:

"Are you Matthew Rose Sorensen?"