#realistic fiction winner

[americanrecord]

changed my book title and now have to change my tag :|

[desdasiwrites]

– Junauda Petrus, The Stars and the Blackness Between Them

[northern-passage]

Here are our contributors for the Interactive Fiction Raffle for Palestine!

Over 50 artists and authors from the IF community here on tumblr have joined together to run a donation drive this month! The raffle will be running from June 7th - June 21st. A separate post will be made with more information, including the rules and ticket submission form, once we're ready to launch.

Our goal is to raise as much money as possible for five specific fundraisers; we hope with us focusing our efforts we'll be able to make a tangible impact for these families. Tickets will be the equivalent of the minimum GoFundMe donation ($5USD/€5), and you will be donating directly to the families and then providing us proof of donation in exchange for your ticket(s).

We plan to raffle off all prizes. Below the cut is the list of contributors for both prize tiers, along with the prize they'll be offering. (Beware, this is a long post.)

While this drive is aimed at the Interactive Fiction community, a lot of the artists have offered to take requests from winners that include non-IF characters. These are specified with "non-IF characters included."

@beezhive

One half body couple “clean” sketch with flat color, non-IF characters included.

@depressed-sock

Half body to full body, single or couple, fully rendered in my style. Non-IF characters included.

@dast4rd

A painted single character portrait. Non-IF characters included (Any other media except for live action characters).

@fat-rolls-frictions

Halfbody of single character in SuperGiant Hades' style, less details, simple grey/no background, non-IF characters included.

@greypetrel

A painted single character portrait, non-IF characters included. (Bioware characters, Tolkien universe, Star Wars, the Arcana, DnD/Pathfinder/roleplaying fantasy games)

@hadrassians

One painted semi-realistic bust OR one half body couple sketch, non-IF characters included.

@harumeau

A full color single character bust portrait. Non-IF characters included (FFXIV, Baldur's Gate, Dragon Age)

@jdstrations

Single character, bust or half-body. Fully rendered or sketchy. Can be MCs, or a favourite character (IF or Non-IF included).

@matrinki

One painted single character portrait, IF exclusive only.

@merry-harlowe

Fully rendered full body single character with a simple background!

@moonless-if

One full-body character, coloured and rendered, IF characters exclusive only.

@morticrows

One full-body character in a chibi style, non-IF characters included.

@pdrrook

Portrait/bust, semi-realism, non-IF characters included.

@rab-bitly

Half body character in an illustrative style, non-IF characters included.

@swimmingrat

A character portrait (OC, IF, non-IF characters included) in watercolour, ink or mixed media.

@trashy-corvian

Half body couple/single, fully rendered. Non-IF characters included.

@vakarians-babe

Half body couple, flat colors (monochrome or full) with finished lines. IF and non-IF characters accepted.

@cowboyhell

Painted one character with background scene, OR one custom chibi keychain charm. Non-IF characters included.

@violetaristea

A fully rendered bust or half body of one character with a simple background, non-IF characters included.

@atheone

Fully rendered single character bust, non-IF characters included.

@harbingersecho

Painted single character or couple portraits (bust or half-body) with a simple/non-detailed background, non-IF characters included.

@i-am-gogo-btw

Offering half body couple, full color, finished lines, simple background, no furry, no mecha, no gore, no nsfw and no complicated stuff (like armor), OR a full body, full color, finished lines drawing of a single character (same restrictions). Non-IF characters included.

@doctormortum

Winners choice between A) one full body drawing, lined/coloured, of one character OR B) one ~waist up drawing, lined/coloured, of two characters interacting (romantic, platonic, anything goes!) original characters or fanart, IF or non-IF, all OK! SFW only.

@cryptidling

One or two character, half or full body painted/rendered drawing, minimal background, non-IF characters included, open to nsfw.

@ligiawrites

Rendered portrait of one or two characters with a transparent background. Non-IF characters included.

@night-triumphantt

Half body couple fully rendered with simple background, or full body single character full render, non-IF characters included.

@silkhorse

Half body couple/single semi-rendered, non-IF characters included.

@neloangelo0

Rendered half body, will do couples, simple backgrounds, non-IF characters included.

@artist-faur

A single character half-body with simple background, either rendered (with ink wash or pen shading techniques,) as lineart, or in a sketch style - all using ink and pencil. Characters are from both IF and non-IF (preferably from small, obscure fandoms and media) are included.

@phanosis

A single character portrait in a painted sketch style, non-IF characters included. Monochromatic background.

@kithj

One custom, but in-character & non-spoiler, scene based on the winner's prompt with their MC and one LI of their choosing from either The Northern Passage or Blood Choke. Explicit prompts included.

@damnation-if

A 1k~ non-spoiler, in-character snippet featuring the winner's MC and a character of their choice from Damnation and Buggery. Fluffy, angst, etc and explicit prompts included.

@of-crowns-and-echoes

A 1k non-explicit, non-spoiler snippet including characters from Of Crowns and Echoes. Could be MC + RO interacting, could be just ROs interacting with each other, or a snippet with some side characters. No gore or explicit stuff.

@attollogame

A 1k non-explicit, non-spoiler snippet including characters from Attollo. Could be MC + RO interacting, could be just ROs interacting with each other, or a snippet with some side characters. 

@burning-academia-if

A 1k~ prompt featuring your MC and chosen RO/poly from Burning Academia. Both Explicit and Non-Explicit prompts are fine! The prompt cannot include spoilers.

@hpowellsmith

An interactive playable date scene with an RO or polyamorous duo of your choice from one of my released games or WIP. Non-explicit - please specify if you'd like a kiss and/or fade-to-black included in the scene.

@nyehilismwriting

A ~500-1000 word snippet ft winner's MC and their RO of choice from Project Hadea doing activities as requested by the winner, so long as it is a) in character and b) non-spoiler related.

@mayhem-writes

A 1k non-explicit, non-spoiler snippet including characters from Sanctuary. Could be MC + RO interacting, could be just ROs interacting with each other, or a snippet with some side characters.

@devilishmango

A 1k snippet including an MC + RO from either Kenneski or The Story of Sin, based off a prompt from the winner. Can be explicit!

@gamesbyalbie

A ~1,000 word, non-spoiler, in-character snippet featuring characters from Zorlok, Mousetrap, Creating Goncharov, or System Processing. Could be a scene focused on the winner's MC interacting with one character, a scene focused on two characters interacting with one another, or a scene with the winner's MC and/or multiple characters present. Fluff, angst, spice, etc. are all possibilities as long as the scene is non-explicit.

@thecottageworkshop

500-1k word snippet with winner's MC + RO from Simple Moments or a general description of preferred favorite RO type (with the creation being at writer's discretion) with MC; fluffy or angst prompts included (could do monster ROs)

@tosahobi-if

A ~500-1000 word snippet with the winner's MC and their RO of choice from Tosahobi so long as it is in character and non-spoiler related. Any type of prompts including explicit are ok!

@if-mirrormine

A snippet between 500-1000 words featuring the winner's MC and RO of their choice from Mirror Mine. The theme (fluff/angst) and prompt is up to the winner as well.

@heart-forge

A ~500-1000 word snippet featuring winner's choice from Manor Hill, Bad Ritual, or Hybrid IFs. Can feature winner's MC, NSFW/angst/hurt & comfort/AU on offer as well as regular fluff, domesticity, etc. Winner may specify what they want to be happening, or let me choose.

@chthonicchromestudio

500-1k word snippet with winner's MC + any character from FFS, Another Northern Duke?! or a general description of preferred favorite RO type (with the creation being at writer's discretion) with MC; fluffy or angst prompts included (could do monster ROs)

@fiddles-ifs

A custom, non-spoiler, in-character snippet featuring the winner’s MC and a character of their choice from Greenwarden. Fluffy, angst, etc. and explicit prompt included. AUs also included.

@springsaladgaming

A 1k~ non-spoiler, non-explicit, in-character snippet, featuring the winner's MC and an RO of their choice from either Ninelives or Valiant. Prompts may be fluffy, angsty, etc.

@oblivious-melodies

One custom, in-character 500-2000 word snippet set within the world of Oblivious Melodies. It may include characters already in the IF or an original character within the world, designed to fit the winner's specifications. Snippets may include adult themes, but will not be fully explicit.

@chrysanthemumgames

A snippet of ~500-1000 words featuring the characters of the winner's choice from Fields of Asphodel (including the winner's PC if desired). Topic can be anything from platonic interaction to a lightly-spicy romance scene, subject to character and setting constraints.

@yuveim

A romance scene featuring the winner's MC on one of six romance routes, or a character-centred scene for one of five main characters in The Spirited: Origins.

@blood-teeth

A ~500-1000 word snippet of the winner's MC and their select RO from The Mouths of Elysium from a requested prompt from the winner. This snippet will not include spoilers.

@oscarwrites

A 500 to 1000 words snippet featuring the MC and/or any characters from the games The Eight Years Revolution, Gonzague or Better Off. Explicit prompts included.

@thelonelyshore-if

A 500-2k~ custom, non-spoilery snippet featuring the winner's MC and RO (or polyship or other character) from The Lonely Shore. Fluff, angst, non-explicit romance (kissing, fade-to-black, etc.) are all welcome.

[veliseraptor]

July Reading Recap

A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge. I can see why people said this one had Adrian Tchaikovsky vibes because in terms of the worldbuilding and the alien species involved it absolutely did. I was not super enamored of the part of the plot that wasn't on the Tines' world (which was...an important part of the plot), but my investment in the politics of the Tines and the worldbuilding around them made up for it. I'm curious about the apparent sequel and whether it's worth reading - does anybody know?

Thousand Autumns: vol. 5 by Meng Xi Shi. I have finished Thousand Autumns and my verdict on it mostly hasn't changed from what it's been throughout: enjoyable but not really fully clicking for me. I liked it! But I didn't love it, and I don't know that it'll stick with me the way other books have, or compel me to do a reread.

A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum: Murder in Ancient Rome by Emma Southon. Maybe I just don't have a sense of humor, but I felt like this book was trying too hard to be funny/clever and it landed wrong for me. It was interesting, certainly! And I learned some new things from it, and probably will go on to read the author's other book (about women in Ancient Rome), but this one tonally was not a winner, for me personally.

Ballad of Sword and Wine: vol. 1 by Tang Jiu Qing. Rereading this one (Qiang Jin Jiu, they're really going off in their own direction title translation-wise there) with the official published translation even though I am also binding it, because I can, I guess. And I still deeply appreciate how unhinged Shen Zechuan is, but in, like, mostly a way where it's not obvious to most people until they've known him for a little while. Also the sheer amount of politics, which I'm following better on this second readthrough. I think it'll be rewarding to reread.

The Pomegranate Gate by Ariel Kaplan. One of two Jewish fantasy books I read this month, just by chance (I wasn't intending on a theme, they'd both been on my to-read list for a while). I liked it a lot! I thought it was going to be a stand alone and feel a little funny about it being a series (I'm always looking for more stand alones), but I am also looking forward to more of it.

The Devil & Sherlock Holmes: Tales of Murder, Madness, and Obsession by David Grann. I've really enjoyed the other David Grann books I've read/listened to (The Lost City of Z, Killers of the Flower Moon) but found myself fairly underwhelmed by most of the essays here. It's not that they weren't good (they were) or interesting (most of them were), it just didn't feel like they were that good or that interesting. Maybe I just like his full-length books better.

Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland. It was fine? Not as good as I'd hoped. I called the twist which was satisfying for me personally. I don't know if I'm going to be reading the sequel. Most of the POV characters I liked fairly well, which is the main thing this book had going for it, but one of them bored me to tears and that inflected my enjoyment of the book as a whole.

The Vanished Birds by Simon Jimenez. This book earned its five stars by making me cry in the last 20%. Overall a beautiful book, though, relatively quiet; I wasn't sure about it early on but then it hit a turn that really got me. Makes me want to read his other book. The summary on the back really does not do the book justice but I don't actually know how I would explain it better, and I recognize that makes it a difficult recommendation.

When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb. This one was really good and a lot of fun. Very Jewish, too, which was enjoyable and not something I run into all that often in fantasy books. Just...very charming, entertaining, a joy to read.

I'm currently reading Godkiller by Hannah Kaner though I should be reading Edenville since I have it checked out from the library (I'll get to it!). I keep meaning to get back to reading more nonfiction (or realistic fiction) and then getting distracted. My plan for upcoming books, though, includes The Ratline, To Shape a Dragon's Breath, and (after years of having it sit on my shelf) Beauty Is a Wound. We'll see how on task I stay or if I end up wandering off to other stuff.

I'm currently looking for horror and mystery/thriller recommendations, though, so if anyone has any of those I will take them.

[kpopsexstories]

FINALLY! I'm announcing the next "Most Memorable Sexual Experiences of..." k-pop group next week!

Yes! It's finally time! 😁 I've spent the last six+ months writing a new "Most Memorable Sexual Experiences of..." series.

Most Memorable Sexual Experiences of NCT is what kicked this blog off. I published 21 stories, one per member of NCT and WayV, telling of their most memorable sexual experiences. The goal of the series was to write realistic sex stories/smut that is fiction but reads as though they could actually have happened to our favorite (obviously sexually active) idols.

If you're here and following this blog, it's probably because you're an NCT and/or WayV fan interested in sex stories about your favorite k-pop idols.

For months now, I've teased the fact that there will be a new series in the same gist as the original. It will be about a completely different group, maybe a little more out there for some stories, telling of the most memorable sexual experiences each member in that group has had.

Now, the question is: which group will the new series be about?

This week I'll be dropping hints! The first hint comes tomorrow at 16:00 (Central European Time). Until then, which group do you HOPE it will be?

Tomorrow, Tuesday at 16:00 Central European Time, you'll get the first hint.

WAIT, WHAT ABOUT YOUR OTHER STORIES & SERIES?

Don't worry! The (gay) NCT Dream Dating Ban series will continue until I've covered all 7 members, but there's no fixed schedule for this. The previous/already published stories are:

#4: Mark

#3: Haechan

#2: Jisung Pt. 2

#1: Jisung Pt. 1

The current Quick Fix season will continue every Wednesday and ends on September 18:

Jul 31, 2024 – #17 NCT Mark asks if Jisung can touch your boob.

Aug 07, 2024 – #18 BTS Jin gets you pregnant.

Aug 14, 2024 – #19 NCT Haechan does push-ups over you.

Aug 21, 2024 – #20 TXT Taehyun plays with your nipples.

Aug 28, 2024 – #21 NCT Taeyong fucks you while Yuta jerks off.

Sep 04, 2024 – #22 NCT Jeno fucks you missionary style.

Sep 11, 2024 – #23 NCT Chenle doing the seashell.

Sep 18, 2024 – #24 NCT Johnny is pinned against the wall.

And finally, I've been posting more Mixed One-shots than usual in July-August. There won't be as many going forward, with the other series' and all, but I do have several requests lined up that I'm working on. In case you've missed anything, here are the recent one-off stories from the Mixed One-shots series:

Backstage sex with Leondre Devries (Bars & Melody)

Vanilla sex with Xiaojun (WayV, requested)

Jealous girlfriend with Ten (WayV, requested)

Jisung with an older woman (NCT Dream, requested)

Jeno with an older woman (NCT Dream, requested)

Camping with Romeo Beckham (son of David Beckham)

[sassytail]

lovely turn around time between "I think my overall relationship psychology was permanently altered by a piece of fiction" and "I forgot how to communicate the concept of queer platonic relationships". maybe commit to a thought once in a while

Maybe both can be true at once anon? Those thoughts don’t exactly contradict each other you know?

Perhaps it was permanently altered, and perhaps it wasn’t, and I simply came across my peers in that community and we bonded over a shared term that was slightly to the left of a real documented relationship that people outside the fandom also experience, and after posting, through the replies of my wonderful friends and followers, was reminded that those words for my experiences also exist and, realistically as an adult, how I got to that point matters less in the long run.

Maybe the original fear that sparked that post-that I was some kind of unlovable freak bc I read a comic as a teenager-was an irrational fear borne of anxiety that the girl I was kind of asking out was going to say no bc she made fun of me for a webcomic I felt really impacted my life at a formative age. And mayyyyyyyyybe, holy shit??? I realized that when I calmed down and put aside the idea.

And maybe I’ve been posting through surgery recovery, and not every thought is a winner right now. More so than usual.

Who knows! Certainly not you, a guy taking time out of their day to send really just unnecessarily rude messages to a stranger on the internet abt how wrong I am about homestuck relationships.

[sterlingarcher23]

They are winners...Elumax

1st place... MadMax ranking 1st (I have an idea what the number might be about - it's probably math based. 751.300...)

And these two wake up, greeted in a similar way and... They are winners?

(*)

Notice how Lucas is in the physical world and El in a memory.

Yeah, they'll win.

The two lovers. They fought for her, Lucas in the physical world and El in the mind, and they'll win. (Or technically have even if it doesn't look like it) - in this scene only El is a "ghost", it's her mind avatar (she had blood stains her physical self doesn't on her shirt) while the Lucas & Max we see are a physical representation of them.

Incidentally the differences in appearance is also very much like in Matrix with Neo and others do look different in the real world and in the virtual reality.

But nonetheless... We have two winners here.

Elumax.

And the fact that Lucas is in the physical world and El in the mind, these paralleled scenes in daylight and in darkness, kinda tell you who is the lover in which realm. Both come with a catch. But they...won't be unhappy.

...........................

I know, you don't believe me but for those who do:

Lumax's love language is vision (which according to the established rules can be absorbed from others) and ElMax is touch - that Max won't directly see Lucas, yet through someone else, she will and not be able to touch El physically but only in the mind are the probably the downsides of their relationships.

It's quite obvious that putting a character in this kind of situation in a supernatural show, is meant to be resolved in a way that is in line with the genre rules. This isn't a realistic drama show but one which uses supernatural elements as metaphors. And if harming a character in a supernatural way is possible, the reverse is within the actual rules of that particular universe and the genre...besides: It's fiction. Especially the movie date is foreshadowing which leads to the question: How? Not if.

Besides: Elumax would have an insane amount of representation. A biracial hetero-relationship, a poly, a homosexual relationship, a disabled girl that is also healed through queer love (blind and not blind at the same time bc of DID which did truly happen, a woman misdiagnosed with brain damage because after an accident she was blind but it turned out that she has multiple personality disorder), a positive representation of DID through this, Max being trans coded..... I think it speaks for itself.

PS: *I think Herobylers noticed these scenes but I'm not sure.

[jeanne-darc-tournament]

Welcome to the Jeanne d'Arc Tournament!

Joan of Arc, a figure in the history of France, has many fictional depictions. But which one will be Tumblr favorite? This bracket attempts to figure that out!

Any depiction is fair game! Be it medieval, modern; accurate, inaccurate; realistic, fantasy; painting, book, movie, game, anything else, any country at all! The only Jeanne that will NOT be accepted is the real life Jeanne d'Arc, since she herself is not fictional.

You may submit your Jeanne via my Tumblr inbox, or this Google form: https://forms.gle/Q6G49xwxE8afXqwM6

Submissions are now closed.

You can see what media were submitted so far here.

Tags under the cut!

@tournamentofvisualart @who-do-i-know-this-man @fuckingstupidbracket @tournament-winners-tournament @tournamentdirectory @columbidaecontest @catholic-saint-tournament @christian-heresies-tournament

[jesperweidemann]

r/CreativeWriting on Reddit Writing Contest

(Copy/Pasted from the Reddit post)

As we continue to foster community interaction and encourage a regular writing habit, we're excited to unveil this month's theme:

This Month’s Prompt is: Scary Stories

Unleash your darkest fears and wildest imaginations. Whether it’s a haunted house, a ghostly encounter, or a psychological thriller, we want to be terrified by your tales. This prompt is open to any scary or horror story of any genre. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Realistic Horror: Stories that could happen in real life, making them all the more terrifying.

Psychological Thrillers: Tales that delve into the human mind, exploring fear, paranoia, and the unknown.

Supernatural Encounters: Ghosts, spirits, and otherworldly beings that haunt the living.

Fake True Stories: Craft a story that feels like it could be a true account, blurring the lines between reality and fiction.

Urban Legends: Modern myths that are passed down through generations, often with a chilling twist.

Classic Horror: Vampires, werewolves, and other traditional horror elements reimagined in new ways.

The only restriction this month is that they MUST be a short story (fits in a single post which is 40k characters or roughly 8k words).

How Does This Work?

Starting on the first Sunday of every month (delayed this month, sorry), we invite you to interoperate our given prompt into stories, poems, essays, or any form of creative writing that sparks your imagination. Remember to use the 'Monthly Prompt' flair when you post your submission.

At the end of the month, we'll highlight the three submissions that resonated most with our community (based on upvotes). The creators of these pieces will have the opportunity to share a link to an external site that promotes their work. This is your chance to showcase where your writing can be purchased, a rare exception to our usual guidelines.

We are excited to announce a new reward for the top posts! The winners of our monthly prompts will be featured in a video compilation. In this video, their entries will be read aloud and accompanied by simple artwork inspired by either the entry or the prompt. These videos will be uploaded to both Reddit and YouTube, providing a broader platform for showcasing your incredible work. Additionally, the videos will include information about the authors and any adverts they wish to include.

Winners will also receive their standalone segment, which they can upload to their own channels or platforms. If a drawing is created specifically for their story, they will receive the files and be free to use the art as they wish, provided proper attribution is given.

We are exploring collaborations with voice actors and narrators to bring your stories to life. Narrations will be done by BowtieMaddness and art will be done by our moderator JestJesper.

[desdasiwrites]

– Bill Konigsberg, Openly Straight

[richincolor]

New Releases for the Week of May 22, 2023

We have a nice collection of books to look forward to this week with a few contemporary realistic fiction novels, one fantasy anthology, and a story with a bit of a mystery. 

If You Still Recognize Me by Cynthia So Harperteen

Elsie has a crush on Ada, the only person in the world who truly understands her. Unfortunately, they’ve never met in real life and Ada lives an ocean away. But Elsie has decided it’s now or never to tell Ada how she feels. That is, until her long-lost best friend Joan walks back into her life.

In a summer of repairing broken connections and building surprising new ones, Elsie realises that she isn’t nearly as alone as she thought. But now she has a choice to make… — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

Magic Has No Borders edited by Sona Charaipotra and Samira Ahmed HarperTeen

A pair of star-crossed lovers search for a way back to one another against all odds…

A girl fights for her life against a malignant, generations-old evil…

A peri seeks to reclaim her lost powers…

A warrior rebels against her foretold destiny…

From chudails and peris to jinn and goddesses, this lush collection of South Asian folklore, legends, and epics reimagines stories of old for a modern audience. This fantasy and science fiction teen anthology edited by Samira Ahmed and Sona Charaipotra contains a wide range of stories from fourteen bestselling, award-winning, and emerging writers from the South Asian diaspora that will surprise, delight, and move you. So read on, for after all, magic has no borders.

With stories by: ▪Sabaa Tahir, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Ember in the Ashes series, and winner of the National Book Award and Printz Award for All My Rage ▪Sayantani DasGupta, New York Times bestselling author of the Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond series ▪Preeti Chhibber, author of Spider-Man’s Social Dilemma ▪Sona Charaipotra, author of Symptoms of a Heartbreak and How Maya Got Fierce, and coauthor of The Rumor Game and Tiny Pretty Things, now a Netflix original series. ▪Tanaz Bhathena, award-winning author of Hunted by the Sky and Of Light and Shadow ▪Sangu Mandanna, bestselling author of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches and the Celestial Trilogy ▪Olivia Chadha, author of Rise of the Red Hand ▪Nafiza Azad, author of William C. Morris Award nominee, The Candle and the Flame ▪Tracey Baptiste, New York Times bestselling author of The Jumbies series and Minecraft: The Crash ▪Naz Kutub, author of The Loophole ▪Nikita Gill, bestselling author of Wild Embers and Fierce Fairytales ▪Swati Teerdhala, author of the Tiger at Midnight trilogy ▪Shreya Ila Anasuya, New Voices selection ▪Tahir Abrar, New Voices selection — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

The Luis Ortega Survival Club by Sonora Reyes Balzer & Bray/Harperteen

Ariana Ruiz wants to be noticed. But as an autistic girl who never talks, she goes largely ignored by her peers, despite her bold fashion choices. So when cute, popular Luis starts to pay attention to her, Ari finally feels seen.

Luis’s attention soon turns to something more, and they have sex at a party—while Ari didn’t say no, she definitely didn’t say yes. Before she has a chance to process what happened and decide if she even has the right to be mad at Luis, the rumor mill begins churning—thanks, she’s sure, to Luis’s ex-girlfriend, Shawni. Boys at school now see Ari as an easy target, someone who won’t say no.

Then Ari finds a mysterious note in her locker that eventually leads her to a group of students determined to expose Luis for the predator he is. To her surprise, she finds genuine friendship among the group, including her growing feelings for the very last girl she expected to fall for. But in order to take Luis down, she’ll have to come to terms with the truth of what he did to her that night—and risk everything to see justice done. — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

Forever is Now by Mariama J. Lockington Farrar, Straus and Giroux (Byr)

I’m safe here.

That’s how Sadie feels, on a perfect summer day, wrapped in her girlfriend’s arms. School is out, and even though she’s been struggling to manage her chronic anxiety, Sadie is hopeful better times are ahead. Or at least, she thought she was safe. When her girlfriend reveals some unexpected news and the two witness a violent incident of police brutality unfold before them, Sadie’s whole world is upended in an instant.

I’m not safe anywhere.

That’s how Sadie feels every day after–vulnerable, uprooted. She retreats inside as the weeks slip by and relies on her phone to stay connected to the outside world. When Sadie’s therapist gives her a diagnosis for her debilitating panic–agoraphobia–she starts on a path of acceptance and healing. Meanwhile, Sadie’s best friend, Evan, updates her on the protests taking place in their city. Sadie wants to be a part of it, to use her voice and affect change. But how do you show up for your community when you can’t even leave your house?

I can build a safe place inside myself.

That’s what Sadie learns over the course of one life-changing summer, with some help from her family, her best friend, an online platform for activists, and a magnetic crush she develops for the new boy next door. — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

[gardenofbookworms]

week #14 recommendation: bee

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

▪︎ realistic fiction ▪︎

in a hockey town, the most you can do is just survive. but to truly live, you’ve gotta make it big. because beartown favors winners. it won't matter what you've done—usually—because beartown forgives winners. and that's why some people can't afford to lose.

all parents want is the best for their children. to protect them, to give them the chance to grow. for them to find someone they can't lie to. for them to do the right thing. and in beartown, that means winning. when a whole town’s future, its fate, relies on the junior hockey team, losing isn't an option to consider. so that's what they don't do. they win the second-most-important match of their lives. and you can bet everything you have that there’ll be one hell of a celebration afterwards. and so, beartown forgives winners. the ones in their rooms, in the dark, red stripes on their necks. forgiven.

▪︎

*inhales* fuuuuuuck. seriously. it's the Relationships again THEY GOT ME. kira and what she does for the people she loves. what hockey parents, all parents, do for their children. what benji would do for his sisters, his best friend, and what they do for him in return. what amat would do for his mom. what ana and maya would do for each other. those, and the team mentality, and the hard truths and names called and understandings made, have me sobbing in bed every time i read this book (read: i’ll be sleeping on the highway after this). it says so many things that everyone’s afraid to say, doesn’t sugarcoat or skirt around, just throws the world’s ugly core in your hands and dares you to be uncomfortable. the stories you hear in the news while sighing in relief you're not involved. hands down one of my favorite books. (*dangles it in front of you* ooooh you wanna read beartown so bad…)

[thebookofm]

Recommended Reading

Here is a list of books, both prose and graphic, that I think are worth checking out. All of these books are speculative fiction (science fiction, fantasy, alternate reality, et cetera), since that’s essentially the only genre I read. Entries followed by a ♥ are my extra-special favorites. The ones marked with an H won at least one Hugo Award. Those marked with a Q contain prominent LGBTQ+ characters or issues.

Lighter Science Fiction

Douglas Adams: The Hitchhicker's Guide to the Galaxy and its first two sequels, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, and Life, the Universe and Everything. The Hitchhiker’s Guide is a landmark work in SF comedy and is a must-read. If you are an audio listener, then I suggest starting with the 1978 BBC radio play, which was the original version of this story. (If you like THHGTTG, then check out Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency and its sequel.) ♥

John Scalzi: Any of his SF, especially the Old Man's War series and the Interdependency series (The Collapsing Empire and its sequels). Scalzi’s work, with few exceptions, is not only very funny, but also includes some good science-fiction-y “big ideas.” If you are a fan of Star Trek, then his novel Redshirts, which won a Hugo, will be of particular interest. Interestingly in some of Scalzi’s recent work, such as Kaiju Preservation Society and the Lock In series, he never revels the gender of the main character. Almost all of Scalzi’s audiobooks are read by Wil Wheaton. Wheaton does a great job, but his voice does tend to make the listener imagine the main character as a man, even when there’s no textual evidence to support that imagining. ♥H

Martha Wells: The Murderbot Diaries (All Systems Red and sequels), winner of the 2021 Hugo Award for best series. Despite the name, this series of five novellas and one novel follows a human-bot hybrid (not a robot) security unit (SecUnit) as it struggles to protect its stupid humans while coping with social anxiety and finding time to watch soap operas. Plus, it doesn’t really murder all that often. The series is very funny, but it is also a surprisingly serious and insightful examination of sentience, autonomy, and living with neuroses. Wells, who identifies as neurodivergent, will write three more Muderbot books, beginning in November 2023, as part of her six-volume deal with Tor. I particularly enjoy Kevin R. Free’s narration of the audiobooks. I’m counting these books for LGBTQ+ representation because Murderbot is nonbinary and asexual, but since it isn’t human (and doesn’t want to be), nonbinary and/or ace readers (whom I assume to be human) may not find themselves reflected in Murderbot’s experience. ♥HQ

Scott Meyer: The Authorities series (The Authorities and Destructive Reasoning), Master of Formalities, and Grand Theft Astro. Meyer’s books are all hilarious, fun adventures. The Authorities books follow a privately funded taskforce created to investigate crimes that the police cannot solve. Megan Sloan is one of my favorite detectives in fiction. Master of Formalities follows a protocol expert in a far-future monarchy. My favorite gag in this book occurs when someone becomes his own uncle. Grand Theft Astro is a heist story with Meyer’s trademark humor. If you enjoy these books, check out his Magic 2.0 series, which is described in the Lighter Fantasy/SF Mashups section. Luke Daniels, who narrates all of Meyer’s audiobooks, does an excellent job with these stories. ♥

Ernest Cline: Ready Player One. This book is great fun, especially for those that remember the ‘80s or enjoy the popular culture of that era. The audiobook is narrated, very appropriately, by nerd icon Wil Wheaton.

Andy Weir: The Martian and Project Hail Mary. The Martian is the basis of the very faithful film adaption (which I also recommend), and it is super-realistic science fiction with a lot of jokes. Project Hail Mary feels much like The Martian (though far more speculative) at first, but a third of the way in, a major plot development shakes up the story for the better. ♥

Dennis E. Taylor: We are Legion (We are Bob) and sequels (the Bobiverse series). This series begins with the dark premise of the protagonist being uploaded into a von Neumann probe and launched into deep space, but it’s actually very funny. Ray Porter does a great job narrating the audiobooks.

More Serious Science Fiction

David Brin: Startide Rising and The Uplift War. In this universe, sentient species modify or “uplift” presentients to help them bridge the gap to sentence, after which the “client” species is indentured to its “patron” for 100,000 years. Humans, once discovered by the Five Galaxies civilization, only escape indenture because they have already uplifted chimpanzees and dolphins, making humans the lowest-ranking and most hated patron species in the known universe. These books have great worldbuilding and aliens that are very well developed in terms of both biology and culture. The other Uplift books are also good, but these two, which each won a Hugo, are my favorites. ♥H

David Brin: Glory Season. This novel is an amazing extrapolation of an agrarian society built on parthenogenesis. The main character is a rare “variant,” a person who wasn’t cloned but was instead conceived sexually via one of the tiny number of men on the planet. She and her twin must find roles in society without the benefit of membership in a clan of genetically identical women occupying an established niche. Plus, there are fun puzzles and Conway’s Game of Life. ♥

Vernor Venge: A Fire Upon the Deep and A Deepness in the Sky. In this universe, the laws of physics vary with the average density in the galactic “neighborhood.” Thus, while the Earth lies at a point where only sublight speeds and human-level intelligence are possible, farther out in the plane of the galaxy and especially off the plane, superluminal speeds and superhuman intelligence can be achieved. Also, on one planet in the “Slow Zone,” there is a race of wolf-like beings who are not individually sentient but who achieve sentience (via ultrasonic communication) in groups of four to six. These books have spectacular worldbuilding, well conceived aliens, and some very compelling science-fictional “big ideas.” Can be read in either order, but publishing order (as listed above) is likely best. Each novel won a Hugo. ♥H

Vernor Venge: Across Realtime. This volume is a compilation of the novels The Peace War and Marooned in Realtime as well as the novella The Ungoverned. These stories revolve around an interesting technology for altering how time passes.

James S. A. Corey: The Expanse series (Leviathan's Wake, eight sequel novels and several shorter works). Fairly hard science fiction based on a politically strained three-way balance of power in a solar system that is confronted with terrifying alien technology. This series is the basis for The Expanse TV/web series, which I also recommend. The Expanse won the 2020 Hugo for best series. ♥H

Ann Leckie: Ancillary Justice and sequels (The Imperial Radch series). A far-future story in which a sentient ship formerly controlling and inhabiting many human bodies is now confined to a single human body (and with its ship self destroyed). These books attracted a lot of attention because the Radchaai language only uses female pronouns, and thus the gender of many of the characters is never revealed, but there's a lot more to this story than that. Ancillary Justice won basically all the awards offered in 2013. Leckie’s novel Provenance and her upcoming Translation State take place in the same universe but follow new characters. ♥HQ

Arkady Martine: A Memory Called Empire and A Desolation Called Peace. A new ambassador (with the old ambassador’s memories shoved into her brain) is appointed to represent a “barbarian” space station to the “civilized” Teixcalaanli Empire, where she becomes embroiled in a succession crisis and meets people with names like Three Seagrass (my favorite character) and Eight Antidote. Eventually, she must also negotiate first contact with sentient aliens. These books are an interesting examination of imperialism and language. Both novels won the Hugo Award. HQ

Becky Chambers: The Wayfarers series (The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet and sequels). This anthology series explores different cultures and locations in a well developed galactic civilization. Wayfarers won the 2019 Hugo Award for best series. HQ

Lighter Fantasy/SF Mashups

Scott Meyer: Off to Be the Wizard and its sequels (the Magic 2.0 series). These books are science fiction disguised as fantasy. An amateur hacker discovers a computer file that can be edited to change the real world. Within 24 hours, everything goes wrong, and he flees from the FBI to medieval England, planning to set himself up as a wizard using his new capabilities. That plan doesn’t go well, either. These books are laugh-out-loud funny and may be of particular interest to computer scientists. The audiobooks’ narrator, Luke Daniels hilariously brings the text to life. ♥

More Serious Fantasy/SF Mashups

Tamsyn Muir: The Locked Tomb series (Gideon the Ninth, Harrow the Ninth, Nona the Ninth, and Alecto the Ninth [not yet published]). Charles Stross described the first novel as “Lesbian necromancers explore a haunted gothic palace in space!” Honestly, I’m not sure whether to put this series under the “Lighter” or “More Serious” heading. There is a lot of humor, especially in the first book, but there is also quite a lot of horror and sadness. The second novel will absolutely gaslight you, forcing you to question your own sanity, but you’ll be glad you trusted Muir before you reach the end of the book. I can’t imagine anyone other than the excellent Moira Quirk narrating these books. ♥Q

John Scalzi: The God Engines. This novella, in which humans use enslaved gods (defeated enemies of their own god) to power their starships, is almost the only Scalzi work without a large dose of humor. It’s very good, though.

Anne McCaffrey: The first six Dragonriders of Pern books. (I've only read the first six.) These are science fiction disguised as fantasy and are classics in the genre. Far in the future, on an agrarian planet that has forgotten its history, humans ride sentient, telepathic dragons into battle against deadly spores that fall from the sky when another planet in an extremely eccentric orbit comes close.

Lighter Fantasy

Nicholas Eames: The Band series (Kings of the Wyld, Bloody Rose, and Outlaw Empire [not yet published]). Mercenary bands are the rock stars of the fantasy world in which these novels take place, attracting rabid fans and touring huge arenas. These books certainly have strong elements of humor, much of which is focused on the central conceit, but there is also a lot of action and pathos to be had. Both published books a great fun to read, and I’m looking forward to reading the third.

Tamsyn Muir: Princess Floralinda and the Forty Flight Tower. This novella subverts fairytale tropes and comments on gender roles while delivering an outsized dose of Muir’s trademark dry humor. Moira Quirk is hilarious as the audiobook narrator. I’m counting this book for LGBTQ+ because one of the characters doesn’t identify with any gender and because the story examines gender roles. ♥Q

Travis Baldree: Legends and Lattes. A female orc warrior retires from adventuring to open a coffee shop. "What's coffee?" everyone asks. This novel is well crafted, full of interesting characters, and very cute. My friend @novelconcepts aptly described it as “a beautiful warm hug of a book.” There's even a tiny touch of WLW romance, if you’re into that. Baldree is writing a prequel. Q

More Serious Fantasy

Brandon Sanderson: All of the series and standalone books that are set in the Cosmere (rather than on some alternate Earth). Mistborn: The Final Empire is probably a good place to start. The Stormlight Archive (The Way of Kings and sequels) is my favorite series of Sanderson’s, but each of those books is >1300 pages or >45 hours in audio form, so it may not be the best place to start. Era 2 of the Mistborn series (set 300 years after the Era 1) is probably the most fun. Sanderson also has many books not set in the Cosmere that are more than worth reading. His method of taking a break from writing is to write on a different series, so, every year, he puts out ~400,000 words worth of material (3-4 normal novels or a single Stormlight book). If you listen to the audiobooks of the Stormlight Archive, I recommend getting the hardcopy as well, since the art included really helps bring the world of Roshar to life. ♥

Scott Lynch: The Lies of Locke Lamora and sequels (The Gentleman Bastard series). Great worldbuilding of an original fantasy world with dark humor. Lynch finally completed his first draft of Book 4 (of 7 planned) in May 2019 after a 4-year delay, so I’m hoping it will be available eventually. I’m starting to give up hope, though.

China Miéville: Perdido Street Station. Very rich worldbuilding. Very, very dark. Don’t read this book if you aren’t interested in depressing storylines. Miéville’s other work is just as inventive and, in his word, “weird” as this one.

N. K. Jemison: The Broken Earth trilogy (The Fifth Season and its sequels). These books have an intriguing premise, extensive worldbuilding, and an interesting writing style. These novels won the best-novel Hugo for three consecutive years, which no author had done before. HQ

Alternate Reality (Including Alternate History and Steampunk)

Elizabeth Bear: Karen Memory. This novel follows a lesbian prostitute as she teams up with a lawman in a steampunk version of a Seattle-like city in the Pacific Northwest. I also enjoyed Bear’s space opera series, White Space (Night and Machine). Q

Cherie Priest: Boneshaker and its sequels (The Clockwork Century series). Steampunk + zombies = fun. This story begins with a plague of zombification erupting out of Seattle, and it finally provides a reason for Steampunks to wear goggles. ♥

Ian Tregillis: The Mechanical and its sequels (The Alchemy Wars series). Alchemy + steampunk robots + a little philosophy.

China Miéville: The City and the City. See the Detective Stories section of this document. ♥

Felix Gilman: The Half-Made World. Steampunk mixed with fantasy. Also, sentient, demon-possessed firearms.

Mary Robinette Kowal; The Lady Astronaut series (The Calculating Stars and sequels). This universe is an extremely hard-science-fiction alternate history in which a catastrophic event dramatically accelerates the space program. The Lady Astronaut of Mars, a short story, is chronologically last but was written first. There’s also a short story called “We Interrupt this Broadcast” that comes chronologically first but isn’t closely connected to the rest. Kowal’s second job is audiobook narrator—she narrates Seanan McGuire’s October Daye series, for example—and she narrates all these books herself. Interestingly, Kowal’s third job is puppeteer, so she’s pretty busy.

Scott Westerfeld: The Leviathan series, as described in the young-adult section of this list. ♥

Detective Stories in Speculative-Fictional Settings

Scott Meyer: The Authorities and Destructive Reasoning. See the Lighter Science Fiction section. ♥

John Scalzi: Lock In and its sequel, Head On. This series of detective stories takes place in a world where a disease has left millions of people “locked into” paralyzed bodies and forced to use remotely operated mecha to interact with the world. Scalzi never reveals the gender of the main character, leaving it up to the reader’s imagination.

John Scalzi: The Dispatcher series. As of a few years ago, if someone is intentionally killed, they stand a 99.9% chance of recovering with their body reset to a few hours earlier, which makes murder more difficult, but not impossible. Dispatchers are licensed to kill—I mean dispatch—people before they can die from injuries or illnesses, thus giving them a second chance. One such service provider gets caught up in illegal dispatches and a series of mysteries.  

Brandon Sanderson: Snapshot. Two detectives are sent into a snapshot, a detailed simulation of an entire city and its millions of inhabitants on a specific day, to investigate a crime.

China Miéville: The City and the City. This book is amazingly thorough exploration of a ridiculous premise: two cities occupying the same space. This novel is probably my favorite of Miéville’s books. ♥

Richard K. Morgan: Altered Carbon. A murder mystery with an SF “big idea” at its core. The basis for a Netflix series that I haven’t seen.

Superheroes and Supervillains in Prose

Brandon Sanderson: Steelheart and sequels (The Reckoners series). This is a young-adult series in which all super-powered people, called Epics, eventually turn evil.

Seanan McGuire: The Velveteen series. This series is McGuire’s funniest work and is available for free here, but I recommend buying the books to support the author. McGuire also has a number of other fantasy series under her own name as well as some SF/horror series under the pen name Mira Grant.

Comics and Graphic Novels

Brian K. Vaughan, Cliff Chiang, and Matt Wilson: Paper Girls. This 30-issue comic follows four newspaper-delivery girls who get swept up in a temporal war on Hell Day, 1988. They travel to the ancient past and the far future, meet their adult selves, and learn a lot about themselves in the process. The comic was adapted into an excellent Amazon Prime series, which is a bit more character-focused than the plot-driven comic. Both comic and show are recommended. ♥Q

Ryan North: The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl. This comic was my favorite ongoing superhero series until its recent ending. Firstly, it’s hilarious. Secondly, since Doreen Green (Squirrel Girl’s alter ego) is a computer-science student, there are a number of gags about coding and math. Thirdly, the heroine usually solves her problem not by beating up the villains, but by empathizing with them, understanding their problems, and helping them find nonviolent solutions. Since the series ended with Issue 50, it’s quite possible to read it all. ♥

N. D. Stevenson: Nimona. This mash-up of fantasy and science fiction is not only filled with humor but also includes a surprising amount of sweetness. Q

Various authors: Lumberjanes. This young-adult comic series follows a group of cabin-mates at a summer camp for girls—excuse me, “hard-core lady-types”—as they encounter a surprisingly high frequency of supernatural phenomena over one time-dilated summer. This comic wrapped up its run after 75 issues. Q

Alan Moore: Watchman. There’s a reason many people point to this graphic novel as an exceptional example of the genre. Honestly the way the story is told is more interesting than the story itself, but the storytelling is well worth the price of admission.

Short Stories in Speculative-Fiction Settings

Various authors: Metatropolis and its sequels. This series of anthologies is a near-future look at how cities (and green spaces) might evolve.

John Scalzi: Shadow War of the Night Dragons, Book One: The Dead City: Prologue. Trust me, read this hilarious fantasy parody for free here.

John Scalzi: Miniatures. A collection of very short science-fiction stories.

Young-Adult Speculative Fiction

Brandon Sanderson: The Rithmatist. In an alternate United States (so not in the Cosmere), geometric drawings are used to defend the world against an onslaught of 2D creatures. If you listen to the audiobook, I strongly suggest buying the hardcopy as well, since the drawings included play such as strong role in the story. I also suggest the Reckoners series, listed above, but The Rithmatist is my favorite non-adult story from Sanderson. ♥

Scott Westerfeld: Leviathan, Behemoth, and Goliath. This series takes place in an alternate-history WWI, where one side uses steampunk mecha, and the other relies on genetically engineered animals. There’s a bonus epilogue online, for those how can’t get enough. The hardcopy contains some very nice illustrations. The companion Manual of Aeronautics provides much additional (full-color) artwork, though the character descriptions in the last few pages contain major spoilers. ♥

Mark Lawrence: The Book of the Ancestor trilogy (Red Sister, Grey Sister, and Holy Sister). On a world being buried under ice, an orphan with magical powers joins others like her training to become warrior nuns. Q

Myke Cole: The Sacred Throne series (The Armored Saint and sequels). In a land ruled by a religious tyrant who claims to have defeated devils from another plane, a teenage girl must fight to protect those she loves when the emperor’s vicious zealots arrive at her tiny village. Plus, there’s a steampunk mecha suit. The age of the protagonist points toward a young-adult audience, but this book has far more violence than is typical of YA novels. Q

T. Kingfisher: A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking. “T. Kingfisher” is a pseudonym used by Ursula Vernon for young-adult and adult titles. This book follows a very minor wizard whose magic only works on dough. The story is full of humor and heart, and there’s more than a little (bread-based) action as well.

Anne McCaffrey: The Harper Hall Trilogy: Dragonsong, Dragonsinger, and Dragondrums. These books are a subset of McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern series, which is discussed eleshere.

Suzanne Collins: The Hunger Games series. These books are the basis for the kids-killing-kids battle royale film series.

Children’s and Middle-Grade Speculative Fiction

Lemony Snicket: A Series of Unfortunate Events. Very well done, but also very dark. The Netflix series based on the books is also quite good.

Ursula Vernon: Castle Hangnail. This adorable story follows a would-be wicked witch who applies to fill a vacancy at the titular castle.

Brandon Sanderson: The Alcatraz series (beginning with Alcatraz vs. The Evil Librarians). These books take place on an alternate Earth (thus not in the Cosmere) where most of the world is run by a cabal of evil librarians. There’s a ton of fun adventure and silly humor, which my son loved when I read them to him as an 8- to 9-year-old. Be sure to get the later printings with art by Hayley Lazo; her work is great.

Kazu Kibuishi: The Amulet series (beginning with The Stonekeeper). A portal-fantasy graphic novel with beautiful art and an interesting, magical setting.

[princess-of-the-corner]

On Cedric, I like him as a Kahedrinn because it explains why the ones we see are all in royal service and why he's so loyal to Phobos (and takes his betrayal so badly): the survivors were enslaved as per old human custom and their descendants indoctrinated, and Phobos turned this slave into a lord.

On the Escanor, we only have Vathek's tale for it, about 1500 years and change after the facts. While it's intended to be at least partly true (Kandrakar would have smashed the Escanors if they had been invaders, and the likely Kahedrinn just happen to be where they'd be if their ancestors had lost a war against the Escanors), it's likely the real thing had particulars he didn't know. Such as more humans wandering through portals to maintain a stable population, possibly a pre-existing human community, and maybe even a coup or a civil war where the winner took the name of the House of Escanor for legitimacy (happened often enough here on Earth). It certainly explains how Rascal the Whisperer was able to put together a largish band of Galhot that openly resent the Escanor and not just Phobos. You can keep the Escanor tale as more or less true and then add particulars to make it less perfect.

For Phobos... Does one exclude the other? Nerissa's conspiracy could easily happen, only for her to realize too late she just served Meridian to the oldest evil in the universe.

Okay yeah them being enslaved and then Cedric being weirdly promoted to Lord for some reason absolutely vibes with what I know about the comics continuity. (The Cartoon doesn't really explain any of this!).

I go back and forth on how much 'truth' there is to the Escanor tale.

On one hand, it'd be realistic to be imperfect. Vathek doesn't really strike me as a history expert, and even then between how long it's been and the idea of people in power changing the narrative, it makes sense that things would have been different to the tale he tells.

On the other hand, this is a work of fiction. If Vathek is the only source on this history, then it's something we must take as word-of-god face value as the Truth of the lore of the world.

[nadekofannumber1]

how do you think you would react if you were to meet Hitagi Senjougahara?

I’m not sure what I would even say to her. The parasociality of meeting a fictional character would be paralyzing psychologically, it’s not like I’m meeting someone with an overt public persona, I’m meeting someone who (as eccentric and interesting as she is) is a regular person who has a general low profile.

I could consider that like a lot of the cast, arc effects result. Though I’m pretty confident that outside of her crab era the worst result of this would probably be an insult. However any consequence is doubled is of I’m carrying anything monogatari related on my person and she can recognize it.

The most realistic end is some form of “dry humor off” where the winner gets to leave the conversation sooner. Not out of any malice but just an oddity of strange human interaction.

[okthatsenuf]

Are we surprised at The Oscars?

And Oscar does it again, and as highly disappointed that many of us are, are we really surprised?

Yes I’m talking about the blatant robbery for Angela Basset yet again. 30 years ago when she got robbed by the Academy when nominated for “What’s Love Got To Do With It” when they gave the award to Helen Hunt for “As Good As It Gets.”  We were mad and disappointed then because and we’re feeling the same now! WE as a culture see the depth of Basset’s talent but for some reason it’s not good enough or is it too much for the Oscar voters?  When I started off saying “are we really surprised?”  I mean that as much as we so very deeply wanted her to be rewarded for her exceptional and outstanding portrayal of a Queen in the film Wakanda Forever, once we started seeing rumblings of the “Everywhere” movie and cast, those of us who are realistic knew “and here goes the blockage for Angela.”  

As one of my friends have said “ only one minority at a time.”  And when it comes to OUR culture, only ONE of us at a time and if they happen to acknowledge more than one with the big awards, you best believe it will be decades before that EVER happens for us again.  Who remembers when Halle Berry, Denzel and Sidney all won big awards from the Oscars on the same night in 2002! I said then

“well it’ll be a long time before we see this scene again!” Enjoy it now!

Am I saying that others don’t deserve their awards, no I’m not but really Jamie Lee Curtis for that role wins an award? If that isn’t politics I don’t know what is, first we have a nepobaby and then if she was to be left out with all the Asians winning well now that wouldn’t have sat right with the powers that be.

I’d rather have seen her for winning for that never ending role that she plays in Halloween.

But Angela’s body of work and brilliance of what she brings to the screen and for audiences every time she hits the screen is nothing short of magnificent. As Queen Ramonda, you felt every muscle of her movements from verbal to her walk as she portrayed a leader of a nation. Yes it was fictional but

she brought it to life to make you feel Queen Ramonda and her nation as they fought for survival as we see other nations do in real life.  Wakanda Forever was just too much for this society to keep applauding, because Ryan Coogler should have been nominated as Best Director also! But you best believe if it had been Ron Howard creating something about space he would be on the list as he usually is.  This YOUNG black man brings to the industry, edge of your seat excitement and most of all he brings what Hollywood lives for and that is DOLLARS! But yet that wasn’t good enough.

Yes many say, “we don’t need their accolades.” I get that but no matter where you work, when you do your job and do it well and even above the rest, it is human nature to want to have that prize! If you worked for a company and every single person got a bonus and you only get your name mentioned,you would be pissed off also! So I don’t care that she didn’t do the jive grinning when the winner was announced and it wasn’t her.  For those who are calling Angela classless you WISH you could stand up to her even a 1/10th of who she is.  

The three black women that all should have been nominated were just too damn strong for them to stomach. Now if they had been portraying druggies, abused, broke azzes, you can bet there would be more for them but how dare the STRENGTH that they portrayed be applauded.

So for Viola Davis(Woman King) Danielle Deadwyler(Till) and for the nominated queen herself Angela Basset, WE see you, WE applaud you, WE love you!