#the frances hardinge fandom

[andytheoverthinker]

i am in desperate need of a frances hardinge fandom, please more people need to read those books

[liesmyth]

Any fiction recommendations? I’ve repeatedly read Locked Tomb, natch. I’d love something similarly brainwork inducing but maybe a touch lighter. Also not fantasy or sci fi…I need something to listen to while I do a ton of chores, and those can be hard (for me) because the unfamiliar proper nouns get confusing. :/

anon!! I'm terrible at reccing anything based on “if you liked TLT” because TLT is like five different genres in a trench coat, but I TRIED (⭐) Here are some brainworm-y recs that aren't sff — where by brainworm-y I mean that they stayed with me for a while after I finished them, but aren't overly confusing. (most of them are books, but available on audio)

Podcasts: a tumblr pal recced me the deviser based on me liking the eldritch elements of tlt; it's short and horror-y, and I really enjoyed it.

I haven't checked out the new TMA yet but I see many TLT peeps who are enjoying it (or S1 of the original The Magnus Archives could be a good entry point if you haven't ever listened to it)

TV: Unfortunately I hardly ever watch live action stuff BUT if you haven't seen either IWTV (the series not the film) or Yellowjackets, I do rec those! There's a lot of overlap between these fans and TLT fandom on my dash. His Dark Materials also goes hard and you might enjoy it (dysfunctional characters! worldbuilding! religious weirdness!) but it has more sff elements than other stuff I've recced. Oddball out of nowhere but The Great is a fun show if you enjoy the meme moments of TLT + people being gleefully horrible + having feelings despite your best intentions

Animanga: Utena (!!!!!) also Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, which occupies a very similar space to TLT in my brain

Books!

✧ I went through my “women unhinged” goodreads shelf and found some books that are avaliable in audio format, and might appeal. These are wildly varied in scope and ngl the criterion was just “at least one person (besides myself) who enjoyed tlt also this book” and the similarities stop there. It's all vibes baby! Still, I tried

my heart is a chainsaw by stephen graham jones (horror, slasher), bunny by mona awad (horror, wildly unhinged), the witching hour by anne rice (horror, gothic)

matrix by lauren groff (historical, lesbian nuns), anything by sarah waters (historical fiction + lesbians), rebecca by daphne du maurier (historical, gothic)

the plot by jean hanff korelitz (litfic, thriller), sadie by courtney summers (thriller, coming of age). anything by gillian flynn (thrillers with terrible women).

✧ I really enjoy Tana French thrillers for the strong sense of place, great prose, and the complete emotional turmoil of her character-centric narratives. If anything sounds up your alley, I enjoyed the witch's elm + dublin murder squad series. They're murder mystery procedural but the messy characters really elevate the novels. Available in audiobook also

✧ American Elsewhere, technically scifi but set in New Mexico. Somehow, cosmic horrors who have taken over a quaint little town and worse! They are enforcing HETERONORMATIVITY upon it! They also have tentacles. The main character rocks

✧ Sundial by Catriona Ward: insane, gripping psychological horror. A mother and her unsettling daughter take a trip to the isolate desert ranch where the main chracter grew up. Surrounded by unsettling science experiments

✧ A Touch of Jen by Beth Morgan: when the parasocial relationship is so strong, it accidentally summons a hellmonster from another dimension

✧ SFF adjacent, sorry, but set in the real world (historical, tho) — Cuckoo Song by Frances Hardinge, a middle grade novel with fairytale elements that gave me more brainworms than any kids book ought to, mostly because I LOVED the main character. She occupies a very similar place in my brain as Gideon does. This is actually the only book on the list that I'm not sure is available in audio format, but if you get a chance and it's up your alley, I'd check it out

I hope there's at least ONE thing you'll like in here! lmk (also. lmk if you don't have access to a way to borrow audiobooks but would like to)

[i-want-my-chirfugging-goose-back]

hey would anyone like to join a frances hardinge fandom server? if anyone would want to then i can create one <33

[tea-cake-and-sarcasm]

Ok I've been reading unraveller (Frances hardinge) and it's so good? Why have I never heard of her before??? It has great queer rep and I mean the whole murderous bog witch that will respect your pronouns and then drown you regardless (she only drowns men but that does include trans men) and its written so well with (get this) male and female protagonists who don't fall in love and just idk look after eachother it's absolutely wonderful

I am crying because there is no fandom but if anyone is out there hello I am racing to finish it (I've found like two semi related blogs and that's all ;-;)

[jeonghoneyss]

hi honey! i hope the end of the year is treating you well! 4, 5, 23, and 30 for the fic writer's ask game! <3

hi morgan! i've got my exams coming up in early-mid january, so right now i'm just spending a lot of time on maths! i hope to take a brief break afterwards, though. i hope the end of the year is treating you well, too. thanks for the ask! <3

4: What piece of media inspired you the most?

Well! This is a fun question. I'm going to say Disney's Descendants (I don't know if you've watched it?). Completely out of the blue earlier this year, I was struck with an intense bout of love for Descendants that reminded me that I am absolutely obsessed with Descendants, so I then wrote a small fic and rewatched the first move and spent two months being absolutely insane (and also had COVID at the same time). Looking back I think this was brought on by my May-Jun exams, because the same thing is happening now as my Jan exams approach. Such is life, alas.

I'm going to cheat and give you two more answers, too - in the summer, I read Frances Hardinge's Deeplight (an absolutely fantastic book, I definitely recommend it) and then wrote my junhao fic. I also read Garth Nix's Frogkisser! (another brilliant book) and have since been thinking very deeply about my batkisser wip.

5: What fandom(s) did you write for this year?

So! This year I actually wrote for quite a few fandoms! I had to go back and check, but it's actually been quite a good year of writing, and I've managed to post fics for four fandoms in total: I wrote three fics for Stray Kids (one of which Versity and I wrote together), one fic for Miraculous Ladybug, one for Descendants and (finally, as I've been meaning to finish a wip since 2018) one fic for SEVENTEEN.

23: Share the final version of a sentence or paragraph you struggled with. What about it was challenging? Are you happy with how it turned out?

Since I'm in a Descendants mood, I'll share a bit from my Carlos fic - while I was writing this fic, I discovered that all my previous kiss scenes have had a pattern of not saying much about the actual physical kiss itself - it's all stuff like people discovering what other people's smiles feel like against their mouths, which is all well and good, but I wanted to work on that. Originally, this kiss scene was just going to be 'And Carlos discovered that he hadn't read it wrong at all,' which was perfectly serviceable (in fact, I kept it in the fic, in the paragraph right above the following one), but I wanted to write something that wasn't just "and then they maybe kissed." This might be a good time to mention I've never kissed anyone on the lips. Anyway. This paragraph was a bit of a struggle, but I think I did well enough in the end! It was definitely a good start, in any case.

Jay’s fingers find their way into his hair — gently, far more gentle than Carlos thought was possible — and Jay’s tongue is trying to find its way into his mouth, hot and persistent against his lips (it’s a bit much for this kiss, Carlos’ first kiss with asking and explanations and kissing-just-for-kissing, so he keeps his mouth firmly shut until Jay gets the hint, but it’s exhilarating all the same), and Jay’s other hand finds its way from his shoulder to the notch at his waist, and Evil, this might be the best thing to ever happen to him.

30: What's something you want to write in 2024?

Oh, what a question. I'd like to say Every WIP I Have, but I'll start with some of my most recent ones: the junhao batkisser one, the hyunho owls one, the hyunho catboys catfight one, the jeongho mommy issues one, the soonhoon fairies one (and the likely junhao sequel), the junhao where jun keeps leaving and also there's magic and baby seungkwan, the hyunho camera one and, finally, i'd like to iron out the details and actually star my junhao call off your dog one. Gosh. What a long list. Good luck to me. Oh! And the fic I'm writing with Versity, which we have both abandoned for the time being as, unfortunately, we are both very busy.

[sawthefaeriequeen]

Your 10 Most Read Authors

tagged by @queenofattolia

What are your ten most Most Read Authors? And how many books have you read by them? Also tag someone who you would like to do this! (Original Instructions (this option wasn't available for me): Scroll to the bottom of your shelves and most read authors is listed underneath. What I did: Exported my Goodreads library and did some Excel magic.)

What I did: reevaluated a lot of childhood faves and then looked at my physical shelves at who was taking up the most space.

1. It’s probably cheating but: Ann M. Martin and her cadre of BSC ghostwriters, all who probably wrote 30 BSC books apiece AND some of them wrote for Sweet Valley (which didn't list its ghostwriters) so I’ve probably read more of them than I realized. I read them all as a child of course. About 5 years ago, I participated in a fandom reread of the series!

2. More cheating? Katherine Applegate (and Michael Grant). 30-ish books. Mainlined Animorphs when I was in college.

3. Beverly Cleary, 19 books. My mom! I read the bulk of her books as a child, but I kept collecting Beverly Cleary books well into college.

4. Madeleine L’Engle, 18 books. The formative books were all read in my teens, but I really got into her fiction and had to get my hands on all of them in college. I still have so much of her nonfiction to read.

5. LM Montgomery, 18 books. Her prose was just what I needed when I was in college and floundering and feeling a real creative drought. I sometimes wish I’d read them as a child, but I was glad they were there for me when I needed them.

6. Judy Blume, 15 books. My other mom! I grew up with her; her books raised me. Read from childhood to adolescence.

7. Robin McKinley, 13 books. I finally got into her in my late twenties. Everyone was right.

8. Frances Hardinge, 10 books. An auto-buy. I discovered her books in my late twenties. She singlehandedly reignited my faith in the ability of middle-grade books to still have complex themes and be extremely freaking good.

9. Diane Duane, 10 books. Got super into her books in college. Another author who was there when I really needed it. Young Wizards speaks directly to my worldview. They are the only books of hers I have ever read so far, but wow she’s prolific.

10. Melina Marchetta, 8 books. My favorite living author, possibly? I have never not loved a book of hers. Discovered her right as I was on the cusp of graduating from college, and thank God for that.

tagging @dreamingthroughthenoise @disbear @pathless-wood @natural-blue-26 @youandthemountains

[godswood-girl]

9 Fandom Peeps to Get to Know Better

thanks for the tag @emilykaldwen and @acrossthesestars!

3 ships you like: NedCat, Rhaenicent, Sansaery

First ship ever: Hiccup and Astrid from the How To Train You Dragon movies

Last song that you heard: The Horror and The Wild - The Amazing Devil

Favourite childhood book: A Face Like Glass by Frances Hardinge

Currently Reading: The Land of Painted Caves by Jean M Auel

Currently Watching: I'm watching Borgias for the first time and having a lot of fun with it

Currently consuming: Salt and Vinegar Pringles

Currently craving: A nap

no pressure tags: @selfproclaimedunicorn, @rainwingmarvel7, @murmel-malt, and anyone else who'd like to!

[givereadersahug]

ten books to get to know me

Thanks for the tag @danpuff-ao3

tagging - @yletylyf @liladiurne @aquaflora17 @maraudersaffair @anti-bright-places@consistentsquash...sorry if you been tagged/done this before. I lost track on who have done this. 😂 And as a bookworm, I must know your picks. *sips tea* And anyone who is reading this! I want to know! My TBR pile is never too long!

Harry Potter

I mean, this has to be first on the list, right? Even before I got into the fandom back in 2018, this book series was my life. And, no, not because of JKR. I don’t associate the book series with her. I associate this book series with my step-father. He just randomly saw the first book at the airport gift shop, bought it, and read it to me on the flight home. The proceeding years as each book got released, we would dress up and attend the book launch parties. He let kid!me indulge in my passion and let me rave about my favorite characters and potential outcomes on how Harry might defeat Lord Voldemort. (Fun Fact! I knew since book three that Severus Snape was more than he let on and I knew in my heart that he would help Harry defeat the Dark Lord. Idk why my seven-years old self thought that, but I held on! And I was vindicated! lol)  He passed away a few years after the last book came out and I couldn’t bring myself to read the series for a long while. I’m glad I made my way back to Harry Potter, though. I finally got the courage to step into the fandom space (which was so intimidating to me back when I was a kid) and I met so many great, loving, wholesome people here who also love the books and the characters as much as I do. 

"Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light."

Phantom Tollbooth 

This is a fucking classic. The wordplay, the adventure, the illustrations. Did I mention the wordplay? 

“Just because you have a choice, it doesn’t mean that any of them has to be right.”

Mushishi 

Not a book, but a manga series. It is ethereal and thought provoking and simplistic and imaginative. In a society where things go lightning fast, this story asks you to slow down, take a look around, and appreciate what you have. It’s melancholy and not every story has a happy ending. The pull and push of us living alongside nature and us manipulating it and nature having the last laugh. Our relationship with our friends and our families and with others. It’s just *chef’s kiss* a great manga series to absorb yourself into. Don’t forget to check out the anime! 

Chime 

This Franny Billingsley book came onto my radar cause of a mix-up with another book for some award. (They had to ask the other author to voluntarily pull her book, because the rules didn’t allow the committee to do it themselves. Which sucks for both authors involved, imo.) It’s basically a story of the aftermath of the wicked step-mother’s evil doings. And, wow. The narrative structure of this book, the twists and turns, the exploration of themes, the undercurrent of feminist progressive charge, and the ending! I re-read this book each year. I love it to bits. 

“If you say a word, it leaps out and becomes the truth. I love you. I believe it. I believe I am loveable. How can something as fragile as a word build a whole world?"

The Lie Tree

FRANCES HARDINGE! She’s my inspiration. Have you read her books???? They are dark and twisted and unexpected and go to places you don’t expect them to go. I don’t even know why her books are classified as children's literature. It is so much more than children lit. They elevated the genre. The books are surreal, and expansive and strange and wholly, unequivocally original. The Lie Tree is the first book I read from her, and I wasn’t even sure why I picked it up. But I am so glad I did. 

“Large people tend to have large heads. Men are no cleverer than we are, Miss Sunderly. Just taller.”

Ghostwritten 

Okay, I don’t need to explain who David Mitchell is, right? Writer of Cloud Atlas? The Bone Clocks? The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet? I remember picking up Ghostwritten when I was way too young to be reading Ghostwritten and way too young to understand the nuances. But! His writing style! It was unlike anything I read at the time. (And still is.) He’s not afraid to step out of the box – narratively and structurally - and I can only dream of writing something as complex and unique and weird like his stories. 

“I added 'writers' to my list of people not to trust. They make everything up.”

The Tightrope Walkers 

I have no words. Just go read it. I just know that when I first read it, I could not read a single thing for months afterwards. This book *stayed* with me. It was raw and beautiful and heartbreaking. 

An Invisible Sign of My Own

I’m a sucker for magical realism and this book hit all the right spots. Aimee Bender’s use of language – the fluidity, the simplicity, the sharpness – it drew me in. The story is like a fairy tale for adults, if I have to describe the vibe of it. The film adaptation did not do the book justice. Give it a try. 

“It is all about numbers. It is all about sequence. It's the mathematical logic of being alive. If everything kept to its normal progression, we would live with the sadness--cry and then walk--but what really breaks us cleanest are the losses that happen out of order.”

Saffy’s Angel

This is the first book of Hilary McKay’s Casson Family series. The whole series is a comfort read. One I re-read often as a child. The family is so eccentric and loving and chaotic. And Hilary explored dark themes in this children series – bullying, infidelity, disability. But it is also hilarious and fun and compelling. I wish I owned all the books, but sadly they are out of print at the moment. 

What Did You Eat Yesterday? 

Another manga series! This is about two middle-aged Japanese gay men living in Tokyo. That’s it. It’s a slice of life series and *actually* explores how queer couples live in Japan. Don’t go into this expecting all the BL tropes. Other than them being gay, it’s just them being them and how they navigate being a couple heading into their senior years and worrying about taking care of their aging parents, about saving money, about keeping up with their friends. It’s just wholesome and real.

[purimgifts]

Purimgifts: Offers with no Requests, Podfic

The following list is of fandoms for which podfic is offered on Purimgifts, which presently have no matching requests. Is this your lucky day? Click the cut and find out!

  "Agatha Christies Poirot (TV)"

"Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams"

A Charm of Magpies Series - K. J. Charles

Amphibia (Cartoon)

Animorphs - Katherine A. Applegate

Avatar: The Last Airbender

Batman - All Media Types

Clueless (1995)

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (TV)

Critical Role (Web Series)

Cuckoo Song - Frances Hardinge

Cyberpunk 2077 (Video Game)

Deltarune (Video Game)

Discworld - Terry Pratchett

Doctor Who

Doctor Who (1963)

Doctor Who (2005)

Encanto (2021)

Escape from Witch Mountain - Alexander Key

Fallout: New Vegas

Fantastic Four

Genghis Khan - Miike Snow (Music Video)

Gunnerkrigg Court

Hallelujah - Leonard Cohen (Song)

Hamster Princess Series - Ursula Vernon

His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman

Howl Series - Diana Wynne Jones

Janus Descending (Podcast)

Knives Out (2019)

Labyrinth (1986)

Les Misérables - All Media Types

Limetown (Podcast)

Little Witch Academia

Megillat Ester | Book of Esther

Merlin (TV)

Metal Gear

Portal (Video Game)

Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

Spider-Man - All Media Types

Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

Spinning Silver - Naomi Novik

SPY x FAMILY (Anime)

Star Trek

Star Wars Original Trilogy

Star Wars Prequel Trilogy

Stardew Valley (Video Game)

Superman - All Media Types

Ted Lasso (TV)

Temeraire - Naomi Novik

The Amazing Spider-Man (Movies - Webb)

The Baby-Sitters Club (TV 2020)

The Grisha Trilogy - Leigh Bardugo

The Laundry Files - Charles Stross

The Magnus Archives (Podcast)

The Secret Garden (1993)

The Sims (Video Games)

The Sound of Music - Rodgers/Hammerstein/Lindsay & Crouse

The Strange Case of Starship Iris (Podcast)

The Tiffany Aching Series - Terry Pratchett

The Wicked Years Series - Gregory Maguire

The Witcher (TV)

Tomb Raider (Video Games)

Undertale (Video Game)

Uprooted - Naomi Novik

Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold

WandaVision (TV)

West Coast Avengers

What We Do in the Shadows (2014)

Wiedźmin | The Witcher Series - Andrzej Sapkowski

Wolf 359 (Radio)

ねこあつめ | Neko Atsume: Kitty Collector

逆転裁判 | Gyakuten Saiban | Ace Attorney

[andytheoverthinker]

Intro

hello there! my name’s Andy and my pronouns are he/him (but it/its and any neopronouns are fine as well)

18 :))

my current location is ZZ9PluralZAlpha

i speak english, polish, a little bit of french and i’m currently trying to learn icelandic and spanish

i like talking to new people so feel free to reach out if you wanna be friends :]

more about me

labels: queer, aromantic, asexual, ambiamorous, transgender, genderqueer

fandoms: grishaverse, pjo, the cruel prince, the hunger games, the maze runner, marvel, marauders, the penumbra podcast, wtnv, alice oseman books, frances hardinge books, hhgttg, probably more but i don’t remember them atm

music 🎶: the amazing devil, taylor swift, maisie peters, madilyn mei, the crane wives, rabbitology, cosmo sheldrake, musicals (into the woods, hamilton, epic)

fave movies/series: nimona, everything everywhere all at once, encanto, the good place, shadow and bone, loki, the umbrella academy

Other

my sideblogs:

me fangirling over my favourite author: @i-want-my-chirfugging-goose-back

a sideblog for my marauders hyperfixation: @regulus-black-is-me

regulus black rp: @regulus-iliveforthedrama-black

fun stuff:

hogwarts house: huffelpuff

grisha order: fabrikator (alkemi)

faction: erudite born -> amity

!!!free palestine 🍉

[thewatercolours]

Aww man I kinda want a full essay of like, every answer for the meme ask. I suppose I should be more specific. Let's go with 2, 15, 18 (published authors perhaps), 29, 35. I held myself back to just five!

2. How do you come up with your plot ideas?

Search me! Often it starts with a desire to write a fic, and that desire has to stew for a few days before something pops out of nowhere. I don't usually remember the moment an idea occurred to me. Sometimes I get it from a moment in someone else's fic. And I know I've had at least one occasion where an image popped into my head fully formed (Graham sitting on top of an elevator trying to ignore one of his hands because it wasn't human. And that, dear friends, is why he had an elevator. No rational explanation - my brain was on shuffle mode when it came up with that one.)

15. Do you plan your fics or prefer to let the story unfold as you write?

A mix? i often know the big beats in advance and have to connect them up as I go.

18. Are there any (published) authors that have been particularly influential or inspiring to you?

Hard to separate who influenced what in my writing - it's a leafmeal at this point! But let's focus more on the inspiration side. If I could steal the skills of some published authors who I think would specifically help me write better KQ fic:

I'd want Frances Hardinge's imagination and lyrical prose style. Her books always make me wish I had written them, and I think her whimsical, floral, and yet oddly grounded style would mesh well with KQ.

I would want Vivian Van de Velde's ability to notice the holes in a well known story that give room to craft a story just to fill in the missing elements. (admittedly, the only book I ever read by her was The Rumpelstiltskin Problem, but in that book she's doing what I often try to do with KQ.)

I wish I could write banter and rapid fire dialogue like George Bernard Shaw. Yes, he's a classic author, but the sheer facility for incredible wit and rapport is incredible, and adaptable, and yes, yes, I want it.

I really look up to G. K. Chesterton's ability to write the most crazy, farcical situations and add this layer of depth and reflection to them without spoiling the fun.

If I could write like Peter S. Beagle... gosh. What do I say. I just wish I could steal everything from him. I don't even have an idea of how I'd apply it to KQ. I just wish I could get away with doing what he does.

I think each of these in their own ways might have influenced some of what I'm going for in my fics, though I'm nowhere near on their level. Tolkien's probably somewhere in the background, drumming in my head about hope and love and what makes things meaningful.

29. Are there any characters, relationships, or general character dynamics you've never written about but would like to try?

Hm, I'd love to play around with Valanice interacting with the townsfolk. Also - I don't know if I've ever written Roberta outside of @captmickey's Immortal Guards continuity, so I am looking forward to her appearance in an upcoming chapter. I need to have some fun writing her and Graham in a scene together. I also have a partly written scene that's been in my drafts forever where Graham lost the tournament and seeks out his sister Anisette and hopes she'll take him on as a member of her crew - should return to that sometime.

35. What do you enjoy most about being a fic writer?

Those rare moments when I get in a flow state, and the story is just rushing out like the river after the ents destroy the dam, and writing it feels almost like reading someone else's story. That doesn't occur very often, but when it does - oooh. I also love when it's coming slowly, and something shifts, and the solution is right there, already set up in the story, as though I had known I was going to use it. I also love the community aspect of fic writing. Brainstorming with my brother, trading author highs and lows with the others in this tiny little fandom, and yes, the thrill of reading a comment for the very first time (for it is never the last time.)

[morwennastower]

Voting for the Hugo Awards

I've been voting for the Hugo Awards, the Oscars of the SF world. I can do this as a member of Glasgow 2024, A Worldcon For Our Futures.

The voter's packet is very generous - it includes entire novels, short stories, graphic novels, zines and art. So I sat down to get an overview of the shortlists this afternoon, with a note to go back to read the novels and stories that looked most interesting to me.

In the novel category, that would be The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty, and Translation State by Ann Leckie (I love her Imperial Raadch series).

Another favourite author, Aliette de Bodard, is up for best series award for her Xuya series, basically a Vietnamese Empire in Space, and a short story, The Mausoleum's Children.

One of the finalists in the graphic novel section is The Witches of World War Two, featuring famous real life occultists Aleister Crowley, Dion Fortune, Gerald Gardner, Doreen Valiente and Prince Rollo Ahmed playing a dangerous game of double cross with the Nazis. The most stunning artwork, however, was in the Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons, so I was torn between Paul Cornell's work, and Kelly Sue DeConnick (the artists were Phil Jimenez, Gene Ha and Nicola Scott).

I was very pleased to see The Sinister Booksellers of Bath by Garth Nix in the Lodestar Award section - this is the Young Adult award. But it was very hard to choose between them as the standard was so high this year. Charlie Jane Anders is also in the running with Promises Stronger than Darkness, Frances Hardinge is there with Unraveller, and there's a very interesting looking newcomer Moniquill Blackgoose with To Shape a Dragon's Breath.

In the podcast section, I listen to Octothorpe regularly for news of SF fandom, so that got my vote, as well as Hugos There and Worldbuilding for Masochists, and in the fanzine section there was the Unofficial Hugo Book Club Blog, Black Nerd Problems, and one I hadn't heard of before - Idea, which contains several writers I'm familiar with, like Sandra Bond.

And one of the fan writers, Paul Weimer, had a review of a book that I wish had been on the ballot - The Water Outlaws by SL Huang, which is a gender bent version of the Chinese classic The Water Margin (I had rather a crush on the Japanese actor who played Lin Chung in the 1970s TV series!)

I think the award ceremony this year will be very interesting indeed!

[apparitional-lesbian]

dear yuletide letter 2023.

First of all, thanks for offering one of my fandoms! I mostly said what I wanted to say about the specific fandoms in my optional details, so the goal of this letter is to build on the initial vibe for your consideration.

General Likes

stories about complicated relationships. I love stories that explore messy relationships, including (especially) platonic relationships. I love when authors explore the place where intent fails to connect with action. I like stories that examine codependent relationships, toxic relationships, deeply flawed relationships.*

genfic. I've enjoyed plenty of romantic fiction, but my favourite relationships to read about are complicated guardian-child relationships and friendships.

Sad or Manic Failures. Think Harrowhark in Harrow the Ninth, Spamton G. Spamton from Deltarune, Adachi from Person 4, Beanix in Apollo Justice. The desperation, the futility of life, the unrelenting temptation to give into despair, mhuh! It's exquisite.

people caught up in Authoritarian/Religious systems. If we matched on Deeplight, you're probably already acquainted with Frances Hardinge's masterful explorations of this theme. (And if you are not, I highly recommend checking out Frances Hardinge's novels.) Regardless, we're talking doubt. We're talking desire for control. We're talking distorted thinking and self-serving thinking and delusion. We're talking justifying the unjustifiable. We're talking devastated self worth. We're talking feeling out of step with everyone around you. You get it.

characters who refuse to give up their integrity. I love characters who struggle with temptation and ultimately give in, but I also love characters who struggle with temptation but ultimately stand firm. Also, characters who have given in to the easy thing, but then resolve to do the right thing---especially when the motivation for doing the easy thing is the desire to be loved.

strong worldbuilding/atmosphere. I like stories to have a plot, but a well-developed atmosphere/sense of place is essential as far as I'm concerned. I have enjoyed the most pointless, meandering stories on the strength of the atmosphere/worldbuilding. I love stories that have a fairytale-type atmosphere, or a haunting, surreal atmosphere (think anything by Patricia McKillip, much of Gothic literature, some of Frances Hardinge's novels e.g., Cuckoo Song and Unraveller).

*Important caveat: I enjoy fictional explorations of messed up people and how being victimized can mess you up and messed up relationships in general; that doesn't mean I'm signing off on the idea that you can rape someone and still be said to love them. There might be some idea of comfort in familiarity (the devil you know), but let's not retreat into outright abuse apologia.

General Dislikes

I'm not a big fan of fluff. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I don't hate it, but I don't love it either.

I'm also not a fan of modern AUs. Typically, the worldbuilding is a big part of my interest in a particular work of fiction, and modern AUs tend to render that a moot point.

Jenny LeClue: Detectivu

I already said this in my optional details, but it's worth saying again: Jenny LeClue is an awesome game. It has a great sorta-spooky atmosphere, gorgeous graphics, shocking revelations, clever puzzles, and funny, sympathetic characters. I love Jenny's reluctant friendship with CJ. I love how dedicated Jenny is to helping her mom and discovering the truth, and I love how she learns to be a better friend to Keith and Suzie.

If you do like to write fluff, this would be my preferred fandom for it. (But, of course, you are free to do what you want.) A slice of life fic about Jenny and her friends solving a mystery would be fun. I think there's a lot of potential in exploring the fallout of the game while Jenny is forced to cool her heels after her mom/the Dean disappears. She's found out so much, but doesn't have a lot of room to act, which would be very frustrating for her.

The Lion In Winter (1968)

Watching The Lion In Winter for the first time is such a crazy experience because the film creates such a strong illusion of shit happening. Characters deliver ultimatums, overhear incriminating accusations, and threaten to kill each other, but then the film ends and you realize that nothing has fundamentally changed. It's like they're trapped in purgatory, incapable of moving on or changing in any significant way.

I don't have a lot to add to my optional details here, but I do find the idea of some sort of future fic interesting since a) my understanding is that in history Eleanor outlives Richard and b) the characters in the film seem to have no future; instead, they are doomed to play out the same roles and actions for the rest of existence.

Deeplight (Frances Hardinge)

Frances Hardinge is my favourite author, and Deeplight is yet more evidence of how great she is. I love the worldbuilding in Deeplight: the mysterious Cataclysm, and the creepy Lovecraftian gods, and the even creepier priesthood, and the sea-kissed, and the tension between the Myriad and the continent, and the godware contraptions.

I also love the characters. Hark's realization that he doesn't owe Jelt his life is so !!! I also enjoyed the mad scientist aspect of Dr. Vyne. Plus, Selphin's determination was very cool.

I'm super intrigued by the former religion of the Myriad. The idea that priests were specifically tasked with keeping the people afraid is such a crazy reveal, but so on-brand for Frances Hardinge. And then you find out about the origin of the gods and it's like... wtf??!!!

There were no nominated characters for this one, so you'll have a lot of freedom if you write for this fandom. And you know, if you want to write a worldbuilding fic with original characters, I'd be cool with that. I really like the characters in Deeplight, so I'll miss them, but the world is just so cool here, so feel free to explore that if you want. I have faith in you. I think the priesthood and their role in placating the gods in particular would be very interesting to explore.

Once again, thanks for offering these fandoms. I have faith that whatever you'll write, I'll love it (or at least like it). 👍

[exhaustedwerewolf]

by the way now that it’s out and I can talk about it please read Deeplight by Frances Hardinge,,, not only is it a stunning fantasy novel with incredible worldbuilding and great Deaf rep with clear research and respect of the culture behind it, it’s the only book I’ve ever seen that’s portrayed an abusive friendship with the same kind of gravity as an abusive romantic relationship.

[ah0yh0y]

My On My Shelf Books (but its chaotic)

- the weight of your sky - Hanna Alkaf I CRED I TELL YOU SO HARD WE STAN LITERALLY ANYTHING BY HANNA ALKAF IS GOOD IF SHE WROTE LIKE 3 WORDS I WOULD BE AMAZED MASHAALLAH - a heartwarming and heartbrekaing look at racial tensions on the brink - feels especially true

Queen of Tiles - Hanna Alkaf , murder mystery grief and literally so good. much better than YA murder grounded and heartbreakign and im a sucer for the scenes like the ending would look beautiful on my shelf as well

a language of thorns - Leigh Bardugo - i have read this book time and time agian i have my problems wiht the rest of Leigh’s work but this, this will foverever remain untouched  ON MY SHELF AND IN HARDCOVER TOO

Once upon a Eid - anthology literally the best muslim rep I have come across like i cannot tell you how big of a content and slightly weepy sigh my hearttook wiht this.

the ballad of Mulan - Sherry Thomas - actually shipped the main two SO GOOD- hISTORICAL FICTIONNNNN beautifully done ALSO THE COVER??

nevermoor !!!!! - home grown aussie magic mog DRAgon cant wait for silver born. THE WRITING IS SO GOOD FOR THIS unparalleled . also the people in this fandom are really nice ON MY SHELF WOO

Sal and Gabi break the universe + Sal and Gabi Fix the Universe - RR PRESNETS SO GOOD FOUND FAMILY- creative funny and poignant  and took my inner “i want to be in the arts!!” self and jjust gave it all i want 

bone witch trilogy!!!! rin chupeco can have my soul i have read this series so many times and i never do that. - i am trying to describe this but like its so good i cant

Airman - Eion Colfer guys its eion colfer what do i even have to say

Deeplight & A Skinful of Shadows & Cukoo Song - Frances Hardinge - no words except i want to write like this

The Anne of Green Gables Series- friendship and love and forevermore

The Secret Garden on my shelf!!!!

Murder most Unladylike series - specifically mistletoe and Murder and arsenic for tea at the mo cause BERTIEEEEEE WELLLS -- aside form that one of the best middle grade book series i have  ever read mysterious are complex and leaveyou on the edge  of your seat and a series to binge when you feel like coffee and pistachios 

ILLUMINAE FILES- HOW COULD I FORGET THE BOOKS SERIES THAT CHANGED ME AAAAAAA- sci  fi opera mixed media told by chats and ship logs and literally took my heart and forged it into a new being

Trials of Apollo THE META FOR THIS SERIES I SWEAR- honeslty ricks best work AMAZING character development 1/5 on my shelf

Enchanted Emporiun- literally magical will fight  you all if you dont like it/j

A Wish in the Dark - TEH VIBES Thai inspired fantasy friendship and coconut made me feel at home def reccoment

A Place to hang the Moon    - wooooo found family very Blyton-esque whihc makes it no suprise that i enjoyed this eimmesly

Middlegame - god this books is so good 500 hundred games wish a thousand times i could read it again

Spinning Silver - Naomi Novik - the fairytale inspired book of my dream rich a nd deep and oh my god i ship these people moment

The VAlley and the Flood - loss grief ptsd beutifal writing eerie enought to seem real . grounded and omg it is now a comfort read. radio waves in sea glass green 

the scholomance trilogy POWER OF FRIENDSHIP AND DARK MAGIC AND LIKE ACTUAL INTERESTING LORE AND THE THIRD BOOK MADE ME CRYYY AHHHH ITS GONNA EMPTY MY POCKETS ON MY SHELF YEAHHHH

Berrybrook Middle School  - graphic novel series SO GOOD                        aaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAH

Glorious Wrestling Alliance, Ultimate Championship Edition :  go read this graphic novel its vey good idk how to describe it just do it

Red White and Whole - made cry best rep of a south asian mother and daughter relationship i think i can see also good at describing the relationship between the parents (spoiler: they love each other)

The Carpet Merchant of Konstantiniyya VOL 1 & 2 - such great grpahic novel the muslim rep immaculate THE STORY???? immacualte the characters????? IMMMACULATE

A Bit of Earth - its a south asian muslim retelling of the secret garden what more can i ask for it made me cry

Discworld - havent read many but ive been love with every single book carrot is the only character ever 

Tress of the Emerald Sea - AAAA found family pirates cutest couple ever cool sea spores and worldbuilding and the plot twist the power of love and friendship and CUPS tress the woman of my heart we would be besties