#sci fi monk

[madcat-world]

One of the Ones vol. 1 (4 of 14) - Christian Benavides

[soyboyanarchy]

I need someone with drawing talent to draw what the full wagon from “a psalm for the wild built” looks like. I yearn to see it

[haaaaaaaaaaaave-you-met-ted]

Star Wars Topps Digital - B'omarr Monk by Balance Sheet

[rootsinthefuture]

[nerds-yearbook]

In 1879, The time traveling alien known as the Doctor (Doctor 10) and his companion Rose travelled back to Scotland where they found themselves helping Lord Robert defend Queen Victoria at his Torchwood Manor against heretic monks who had turned to following an alien race that caused a condition resembling a werewolf. While the Doctor and his allies saved the Queen, he apparently did not present himself well to her majesty so she decided to start the Torchwood Group (this is the first version, before the smaller version run by Captain Jack). The Doctor was both knighted and banished in the same day. ("Tooth and Claw", Doctor Who, vlm 3 TV)

[talefoundryshow]

NEW VIDEO!

Looking for a cozy vision of the post-apocalypse? A Psalm for the Wild-Built may be exactly what you need!

[haikulibrary]

Non-binary monk Befriends a zen-like robot: Truly comforting.

Title: Pslam for the Wild-Built Author: Becky Chambers Published: 2021 Read: June 2023 Rating: 5/5

[lizardinkart]

Me over-rendering my art with fun light fx is a feature not a bug actually

Anyway hope you enjoy the climactic moment of the last leg of our D&D campaign: boy stabs puppetted body of his evil father figure who is on his way to start the apocalypse :,)

The apocalypse started because Evil Not-Elias did have like 1 hp left and was able to Kill God but Mateo did his best <3 He’s gonna have no trauma about this whatsoever.

[lilareviewsbooks]

More Short SFF Books!

Guys! Thank you so much for the love on my post on short SFF books! It was a lot for a tiny little blog like me lmao, and it made me feel very appreciated - thank you, again! 

I thought that because of all that love, this deserved a second edition. So, since short SFF is definitely my specialty, and I won't stop reading these novellas any time soon, here's some other SFF short books I think might be worth your time!

Also, check out part one of this list if you’d like some more books in this vein :)

The Monk and Robot Duology, starting with A Psalm For The Wild-Built, by Becky Chambers

152 to 160 pages

duology (so far!! I'm hoping and praying, Ms. Chambers!)

queer rep of all kinds, but our protagonist is non-binary! 

If you know me, then it's a surprise this didn't make it into the first edition of this list. I love Monk and Robot! They're My Favorite Books, so rest assured that they come very highly recommended!

This one follows Sibling Dex, a disciple of Allae, the god of small comforts, as they decide to change the course of their professional life and become a travelling tea monk. Along the way, they meet Mosscap, a very friendly robot, with one question - "what do humans need?" There's just one problem: robots have been living in the wild for generations, and they haven't interacted with humans since they gained consciousness. Can Sibling Dex handle this responsibility?

I hardly have the words to describe this one. This is a sci-fi, I guess, but it feels like a fantasy -- it's just so atmospheric and draws you into this utopian and equitable world full of nature and community. Monk and Robot really emphasizes the best parts of life, the best parts of humanity. It will warm your heart because you will see your life in it - in all it's smallness and its gorgeousness. It's perfect if you want something that's short, sweet, and with a conflict that doesn't span the whole entire world, but is focused instead on two people - or, I guess, on one person and a robot. 

Mandatory reading for everyone! Get your hands on a copy, you won't regret it!

Our Lady of Endless Worlds Duology, starting with Sisters of the Vast Black, by Lina Rather

176 to 192 pages

duology

sapphic rep

We're staying on theme here, with another religious-y pick. I give you: Sisters of the Vast Black! This one is about nuns! In space!

Some time into the future, the Catholic Church is alive and well. The sisters of the Order of Saint Rita live on their (get this) living ship, a gigantic animal they use to navigate between space stations and planets. I think this one is worth it just for that concept, I fell in love with it!

This book follows the Sisters as they receive a distress call from a colony, and find out that the Church's means might be more nefarious than they seem. But, mostly, it's about the sisters themselves, as they grapple with their faith, the ever-changing universe and the questionable morality of the Church. 

I loved this one! Not only are the characters very compelling, the setting is just so cool. This concept of the living space ship is so fucking neat, and the duology gets down to the nitty-gritty of it. Not to mention, the idea of religion, and contemporary religion in particular, surviving mostly unchanged into the future is so interesting! I don't know if it's me being nerdy, but I just found the concept here so, so compelling, I couldn't resist bringing these books home with me!

The Seventh Perfection, by Daniel Polansky

176 pages

standalone

I don't remember it being queer, but I could be wrong??

I guess this is also kind of religious in a way lmao. The Seventh Perfection follows Manet as she searches for someone for the God-King, who runs the kingdom she lives in, using her perfect dominion over the seven perfections to help her.

The unique thing about this book, though, is how the story is told. Instead of following Manet's perspective as she goes through her city, interviewing people, we only see one side of her dialogue. As Manet speaks to a shopkeeper, for example, we are only treated to his answers. In this manner, its up to the reader to put some pieces together.

Although it is nothing too complicated, - especially for veterans of books such as The Locked Tomb or fantasy behemoths like A Song of Ice and Fire, with their crazy amount of characters - the structure is pretty unique. Like Esme N pointed out in her Good Reads review of this one, it kind of reads as if you're a POV character in a videogame, going NPC to NPC. I'd say this one is for the anyone who likes different approaches to stories in SFF, and enjoys being a little bit confused!

Elder Race, by Adrian Tchaikovsky 

201 pages

standalone

no queer rep that I remember, either

Elder Race is an interesting one, as well. This one is definitely for fans of books with almost anthropological approaches to culture, such as The Left Hand of Darkness and A Memory Called Empire. Elder Nyr is a scientist, sent to another planet in order to explore it, who lives in his space ship. Except that, for the locals, that space ship is a giant tower, and Nyr is its mysterious sorceror of legend. Now, Lynesse comes to search for him so that he can help her deal with the threat of demon.

The result of the interaction between Lynesse and Nyr, and the fact that each of them have POV chapters, means that this reads as almost two separate books. One of them is a sci-fi, and that's Nyr's perspective, who is from a society with very high-end technology, and sees all problems as matters of science. Meanwhile, Lynesse sees everything as magical, so hers reads almost like a fantasy. It makes for such an interesting experience!

I think about this book constantly, and have been wanting to reread it for ages. I quite liked this particular approach, not to mention the concept! Plus, I love books that go deep into culture like this one. And, of course, it's from prolific and famous author Adrian Tchaikovsky, who wrote the Children of Time series, and although I haven't read the rest of his work, I've heard this is a good starting off point in case you want to get into his other books.

Princess Floralinda And The Forty-Flight Tower, by Tasmyn Muir

146 pages

standalone

non-binary rep

I'm always singing Ms. Muir praise, and that's for a reason! This one follows Princess Floralinda, who is locked up in a (guess!) forty-flight tower by an evil witch. She has placed one monster at every floor, and no prince has managed to get through the first one, let alone trudge up the stairs to rescue Floralinda.

With impeccable sense of humor, which is a trademark of Ms. Muir's fiction, we follow Floralinda's plight as she waits for someone to come rescue her - and then eventually notices no-one might be coming, after all. Her character development is astounding, and it's so satisfying to follow her. It's also just so impressive that so much can be packed into so little pages when it comes to her arc. 

And I forgot to mention - there's a fun fairy character who will help Floralinda on her way! I think it's worth reading just for that!

[lasaraconor]

[demonheartsworld]

Hearts of the Stars: A Sci-Fi Romance Pt.5

As she held her shoulder, there were so many questions in Liora’s mind. Who were these people? They are attuned to the Force and yet we have almost no knowledge that this planet is inhabited. It’s no surprise that they reacted to me thus, since we are the ones who appear to be trespassing on their territory. She winced a little at the pain, but she could sense that the bleeding was beginning to stop. She was not aware of how the poison was affecting her, but her heart had unknowingly begun to react physiologically to the foreign substance.

Still crouched in the dark cave, Liora kept herself a good distance away from his plasma staff, observing his stance. At this point, she also glanced curiously at the stranger’s face, illuminated with the light emanating from his eye. His eyes were.... not fully human, and the one that was blue seemed to be scanning her. I wonder what happened to him, he has scars that suggest an injury... Liora felt rather exposed under his gaze, and stared back whilst raising her eyebrows.

Her eyes shifted as he took out the oval instrument and blew on it. The music was oddly calming, and she was filled with curiosity about this race. So they use music as a method of communication. He has not spoken a word and I do wonder if their main methods of communication are mind to mind. Maybe that’s why I could sense them so strongly... Liora tilted her head as the notes stopped, surmising that it was a signal to summon more of his brethren.

She delved into the force once more, connecting her mind with Master Valin. Master, I have made contact with the inhabitants of this planet. Preliminary communication suggests that they are an advanced race, wary of us and prone to defending themselves by attack. I would urge extreme caution to the others.

Before she could send more information about her location to Master Valin, several female monks arrived as if by command and Liora looked cautiously at them. As two of them approached her, she held her right hand up. “Wait- I have thus far not drawn my weapon as a gesture of good faith. Before you come any closer, I would ask the same of you  - show me that you are not carrying any weapons.”

She was surprised when he spoke and assured her she would not be harmed further. His voice sounded stern and commanding. He must be ranked highly to be so respected by the others. Yet, he spoke her language well, albeit with a foreign accent. “I am glad to hear that I won’t be killed immediately. My name is Liora. And what is yours?”

As the monks guided her towards the stranger, she spotted another small group of veiled monks standing guard, and she noticed that the caves were becoming more well lit. Ah, it must almost be daybreak. From what little I can see of his maroon robes, I cannot guess what discipline he is from. I would dearly love to ask all sorts of curious questions, but perhaps at a later time when enough trust has been built between our people.

[madcat-world]

Amitabha City 2088 (1 of 9) - Christian Benavides

[wysteir]

If you'd like Homework to do to gain Further Insight as to why I'm Like This then here's a list for you:

Imperial Radch Trilogy (Ancillary Justice/Sword/Mercy)

Murderbot Series (All Of Them. Read All Of Them)

Monk & Robot Duology (A Psalm for the Wilds Built, A Prayer for the Crown Shy)

Then play Armored Core 6, which solidified my brainrot into a dense sphere that now holds a gravitational pull in my skull

[maumoraart]

Here's the pulp inspired cover I did for @omorales81 's OGN Major Thomás!! It is a lovely sci-fi story with lots of heart and created by an awesome team of creators

@SergAcuna Raúl Angulo @TaylorEspo @porrafabizinha and myself! With an cool logo by Tim Daniel!

[rootsinthefuture]

[mismess]

Question. What book did The Monk appear in when he traveled?

And what book did Adrian throw up and have to be sent to the hospital to calm down?

Mr. Monk goes to Hawaii, which is the second book in the series, has the return of The Monk(sadly no kissies are actually involved). and Mr. Monk and the blue flu, which is the third book, has the other scene.

The order of the books isn't super duper important most of the time but they do sometimes make references to things or mention characters from previous books if that matters to you.

I also believe he might take that medication for travel in later books so The Monk might also return later, but I've only gotten halfway through the fifth book so far so I can't report on that till later, Ambrose is in the fifth one tho so thats cool :)