#the main character is aroace and it is a big plot point

[historicallyinaccuratejomarch]

anyway read the bone people

does aroace literary fiction exist?

[olderthannetfic]

I don't get my fandom. They want more queer rep. The main cast is a bisexual femme woman with a preference for women, an aroace gender-indifferent AMAB man, a genderfluid all-pronouns using AMAB person with a beard who wears a dress, and a biromantic asexual bigender AMAB man who is agender + male. The supporting cast has a lesbian girl, a middle-aged ace het woman living semi-romantically with another woman who is the main cast's (emotional) adoptive mom, and a ambiguously queer character whose gender is never really confirmed or discussed.

A big criticism I also see is "the writing team is all cishet". One, we don't know that, someone could be closeted. Two, why is that a problem? I think it's great that they went, "this makes sense for who this character is. We don't have to force them to be cishetallo just because that's what you normally see in animation. Web animation can be different. This is who this person is and that's fine."

I'm 19. I talked to my half brother, who is 38, about this and he actually choked on his coffee. He said when he was my age, nothing like this was easily accessible for him. It would have been jaw-dropping representation for him. I asked about the writers being cishetallo and he said, "who fucking cares? I would've moved Heaven and Earth to see these characters hanging out and just fucking existing back then!"

I know you get a metric fuckton of asks, but I'd love to hear your take on this. You've been in the queer community way longer than I have (I've barely started interacting with queer people IRL; I grew up in rural Wyoming) and I do wonder what this debacle looks like to people in other age groups. I'd also be curious to know what older people would've thought if they'd seen this friend group in media when they were younger. I know it means a lot to me. But I feel like I don't get what it would have meant back then.

--

Well, written up like this, it might get an eye-roll for sounding like Captain Planet casting. (You know "One of A and one of B and one of C" in a way that feels kind of forced.)

But yes, I think most older queer people when looking at the actual canon would be like "Sweet! A cast full of queer characters!"

I grew up somewhere shockingly liberal for the 90s next door to some old, married lesbians (who still live there, as it happens). It still sucked for teenagers. I had an okay time, but I was always hearing about other teens having an awful time even as the adults in the same communities did okay. And that's a very, very good version of what it was like in the 90s.

I did have access to queer media, vastly more access than most teens had. It was still mostly art films, boring coming out memoir, and The Pain of Being a Minority serious literature. What I wanted was genre fiction with a romance b-plot between queer characters I found hot. There was a bit of that, but not much.

I don't know that I personally would have killed for the exact set of queer rep in a modern show, but that makes sense. There are plenty of identities that present about the same but where people have internal reasons for choosing one or another. There are different forces making one queer identity or another more embattled at a given point in time. So while broadly similar queer people have always existed, there actually are fads in identity to an extent. (This is different from "wharrgarbl, the blue hairs with their pronouns!!!", which is just people being ahistorical assholes.) Modern media does and should reflect these differences. It might be for me, but it's going to be for 40-something me, not teenage me if it's coming out right now. If it's for current teens, it's not for teen me.

But yeah, in a general sense, I agree with your brother: "Damn, we have so much today! That's cool!"

The kvetching is usually people being angry that it's not representing their exact slice of queerness instead of someone else's. Or, let's be honest, a lot of it is "You didn't make my ship happen! How dare?!" dressed up as activism.

...

One thing I will say is that teenagers were extremely dramatic in my day too, and black-and-white thinking was just as common. Looking a gift horse in the mouth is not new. Yes, your fandom is full of idiots, but I wouldn't read too much into it.

[drinkyourvillainjuice]

not the male ro anon (obv), but it feels always kind of strange to me when people ask for more or like even gender distribution in ro? like ik its bcs im a funky aroace, but first of all, the romance is a feauture not the main selling point. if there's no ro that appeals to you, the story (should) and their friendships can. like yeah, i also scroll down to the ro list and check everyone out, but if no ones my personal taste, im still playing the game if the premise and plot sound cool. like your writing is more than just the romance points. (maybe im a bit bitter on this topic bcs i deal/t with romance being the main and only point in every media ever, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.)

and you also dont have to stick to your taste. am i into women? no but i can make a character who is and i can still enjoy the romance of it. ik customization is a really massive part of if games, but it also offers the means to explore outside of your own identity. i think thats a big part of flavor texts too, seeing the small differences and how it changes the experience between different types of people.

and speaking from a coders perspective, maybe im just lazy (laziness is a lie and doesnt exist), but having to code the different pronouns and maybe even gender specific flavour text for gender selectable RO can be kinda annoying at times ngl. and i can absolutely understand why writers dont want to add gender selectable ro options because theres a lot of important differences in how people are brought up as, and the amount it could change someones character can be massive, we're talking like straight up two (or more) different people, just for one selection in an RO. and sometimes offering gender selection just doesnt make sense for the romance or the plot. not only does teddys sexuality but also gender play into his romance and character. it would not have the same meaning if we were allowed to change his gender.

and thats just like 3 points i personally can think of. and personally, genuinely, obviously no hate to the anon, i understand if its just a frustration of an perceived "imbalance" in ro, but authors have many reasons why they chose to offer the ro that they do, to make them gender selectable or not. and speaking from a readers perspective, sometimes we do feel entitled to ro, options and flavor, that the author knows wont happen. that doesnt make us bad readers, or authors bad writers and coders, its just something we have to remind ourselves of. "theres probably a reason for it".

I spent a bit of time considering which ROs could even have been switchable and I ultimately came up with Wil, Alistair, and CG. And with CG that would mean changing some of her background and tbh I kind of like Alistair being a guy and a more 'nurturing' type of character.

So yeah. idk. With Wil I felt like the opportunity was there to make them switchable and I decided to give it a shot since it'd be something I hadn't tried before (and let me include a character who potentially has neopronouns. but M!Wil was always gonna be a thing.

and agree that pronoun code is a pain in the butt.

[pineconnie]

BIG OC POST keeping most of it under a cut so i can rant without feeling bad but here’s all of them before the rant :3

ok hello probably moots i do have like a plot and lore and everything but i haven’t organised it into one post but the basic idea is a nuclear reactor-type thing goes off near a small town in australia and traps it in a slowly expanding apocalypse, as it spreads to the whole world it changes it to a more fantasy-type world based on the mythology from each area around the world :33 so any fantasy stuff for THESE guys is based on indigenous australia stuff bc it’s super awesum 😋

THERES 6 MAJOR CHARACTERS first ones are the odyssey duo coded ones (nova and audrey)

they’re childhood bsfs and about a year into the apocalypse go on their own side quest trying to find survivors (nova gets side tracked with a killing spree tho, i wanna make a seperate post bc that’s the most thought out part of the story) and become VERY codependent, theyre also qpr!! NOT romantic nova is aroace but they do blur the lines sometimes

DOOMED TRIO!!!! daisy, koa and indigo!! my babies!! the apocalypse started when they were 13/14 (audrey was 17, it started ON novas 18th)

koa and daisy are twins, i haven’t really done much w koa in a while but they’re super duper close and love each other always 😁😁 DAISY AND INDIGO dated from like 12-13 and had a weird situationship until they were 18, it was very unhealthy the whole time!!! (indigo has the ‘everyone wants me dead bc i’m weird’ mindset and randomly isolated herself, daisy loves like a dog and has almost no constants in her life so she clings onto her toxic situationship with a death grip) <- she DIES bc of this!!! when the fantasy stuff starts happening the wounds and scars on her body start becoming overgrown with flowers bc she loses herself so bad to trying to find love!! when she starts getting REALLY bad (like in this \/) she goes back to her old house without telling anyone so she can die like a house pet 😋 (indigo also took her fucking arm off when they were 15/16 too, they’re in love though trust me)

CLOVE :33 not in the main thing at the top but they’re 18 and use they/them, uu moots they have the ‘grew up in a lab and experimented on’ lore slightly similar to clonefies (im pitching these guys to you like im selling them)

their parents migrated to australia and couldn’t afford childcare at ALL, so they handed their firstborn (clove) to a lab that CLAIMED to be doing psych experiments on child development so they could have enough money. THEY WERE NOT DOING PSYCH EXPERIMENTS!!!! they were genetically modifying children to try an help the military be better!!! (basically trying to make irl potions of strength and speed and stuff like that LMAO) and clove had a LOT of the experiments done on them fail they were fucking MUTILATED (pretend they look like that in the art )

the thing that caused the apocalypse was a revolution from the people in their, and clove was used as a martyr/symbol for it !! my tumblr is lagging so bad rn so i can’t rant about it but they just get used as a weapon and a tool for like 3 years of their life post-apocalypse (also nova almost kills them at one point before realisising that they’re a child which is what brings her out of her murder spree rage)

RANT OVER for now :33 if anyone fully reads this ilysm

[yonemurishiroku]

How do you feel about Will as bi rep (a major issue for me, a bi dude), is it okay or is it kind of the same as the rest of the book?

First, just let me apologize for the agonizing waiting time. This ask is from May 2nd. In my defense, it took me just that exact time to ruminate for the best answer and still I barely have any clue what I'm talking about. I'm not good at this. I'm really not.

Anyway. Back to the point.

At first glance, I think there's another thing we need to address before going into the details of Will as a bisexual. And that is the definition of what, exactly, is considered representation.

Because Idk about you but I have some criterias when it comes to representation.

Sometimes people just write/ draw/ talk/ etc... about something because they want to or they like, you know? It doesn't have to be representation all the time just because they mention it. They don't want to represent, they just want to... express themselves, so to speak.

Imo, if something wants to represent a concept, a community, whatever, it needs 1/ to be done with a certain level of dedication, knowledge, and awareness, 2/ have some focus on their distinctive traits, and 3/ leave a memorable impression on their consumers/ audience. As the main purpose of representation is to include and to show, you should definitely make your appearance count.

Now, do I consider Will's bisexuality representation?

Eh. I don't know.

Tbh I don't have much of an impression of that... I mean. I'm aware. And it's great that Bisexual Will is finally canon after so many headcanons. And that's all. The weigh of the fact is, well, that of a fact. It doesn't leave an imprint on me.

I, personally, don't have a problem with that. As in: I would understand if Rick just want to include a bisexual character (demigod. Bc we all know Apollo and the Greeks is the whole LGBT spectrum). It doesn't have to be something big all the time, really - Kinda like the way Malcomn Pace's, Paulo Montes's, or Jake Mason's sexuality is left up to interpretation.

So, let's just assume that Will is a bi rep. What do I have to say about this?

I'm assuming you're asking specifically about that part of Will and Persephone (since I don't recall anything else...), so I'm gonna follow that path. I just want to make it clear that:

-Whilst slightly baffled, I have nothing against Will being attracted to Persephone.

-I don't consider it a good choice as bisexual representation.

The first point I have explained in another ask that: as long as it makes sense and fits into the plot - as in, plot-wise, logically - I don't have problem with it, and Will's attraction to life as a whole isn't something new. The principle of what it means, however, is another matter which depends on how the events themselves progress.

The second point: I just... don't think being interested in your boyfriend's step-mother is a good choice for bisexual rep, you know...? Like. I mean. Gods this is hard. I mean you have to admit it's a little weird, to some extent. I have seen weird stuff my whole fandom life but even I were like. "Okayyyy hold up a little---" It's kinda funny, yeah.

Not mentioning blatantly admitting it to your boyfriend's face. And no, Nico's "bisexual chaos" does not help.

Of all the famales in a series and Rick chose Will's boyfriend's step-mother. Bold, really. I'd give him that.

In conclusion: I have to say that I'm not good at this, and I'm at no position to speak for the bisexual community. Though since you ask, I'd say that I, as a AroAce still trying to figure out myself, can't be happy with canon Will as a bisexual representation, and neither do I hold it against the author(s).

[thediamondarcher]

have you read loveless? what are your thoughts on it?

I have read it! i have the book in spanish so the translation might not be perfect and i should read it in english

I liked it, i have a love-hate with the situation of the main character's sexuality being the main plot; I love the aroace representation, but it makes a big contrast with the other books from the osemanverse. I think it's great that aromantism is being treated with the same importance as romance would treat itself in a book about romance. I think we really needed this book but, yeah i just think it's not really Osemanverse material (because there's representation in every book but it's never really the main point, there are a lot of things happening and Alice's books tend to be like rolla coasters, which i love)

(it's not necessarily a bad thing for the book to be this different to the rest of Alice's books)

[miracleandplagueau]

Is there any intent to have the romance angle of the original ML present in this rewrite or have an actual big role?

This is actually a very good and important question.

In the original, the romance plots were everywhere and were made out to be integral to the story. For example, Marinette and Adrien, Chat Noir's crush on Ladybug, Marinette's """crush""" on Adrien, Luka and Marinette, Kagami and Adrien, blah blah blah and so on. I get it, they're all teenagers, but at this point in time It's gotten severely out of hand imo. I mean look at the hexagon memes, honestly.

There are going to be romance plots in Miracle and Plague, but they're going to be present for development of side characters or to show their progression while off-screen. Nino and Alya, Rose and Juleka, etc.

But then there's the question - what about Adrinette? You know, the plot that made Marinette the way she is, the one that was finally somewhat resolved after 10 years of production? I was going to say it in a separate post at some point, but might as well answer it right now :)

It will not be happening.

For reasons why I'm removing Jiayi and Adrien's romantic feelings for each other are easy! First of all, I've come to hate the constant romance that got in the way of the heroes PARTNERS' relationship and trust. It was infuriating how Chat kept asking Ladybug about the state of their relationship or Ladybug suddenly doing a switcheroo and attempting to flirt with Chat in the MIDDLE OF THE BATTLE Its been a displeasure watching those awkward ass scenes. Second reason, currently the most leading factor is that Jiayi is an aroace lesbian. This is her coming out.

But then, what is to become of the nuianced story of Marichatadrienbug 🥺 what will replace it?

The answer is simple.

Sibling dynamic.

Or platonic friendship.

No I will not be accepting complaints or returns.

To fully answer your question though, no, the romance plot will not be the main focus of the story. I personally think that If you're writing something, first write the BASE and then think about strong relationships (unless the story is a romance plot or the relationship is crucial to the plot itself. In Miraculous, It is absolutely not.)

Anyway, thanks for asking! 🐞✨🐈‍⬛

[ilovebeingaturtle]

I love your fanfic!!! I love how soft and cute the 1897 gang are!!!!!! Aksbaksbakaksmsksksns 🥺💕

What are some plans you have for the fic? Will there be any lgbt or neurodiverse headcanons in the fic?

AWEE YAY THANK YOU!! 💕💕 This means so much I got so happy seeing this notification aaa!! I’m glad you love the 87 boys,,

Also aa thank you for asking! (this. Turned into such a long answer I’m so sorry for rambling AHA)

One big plan I feel comfortable talking about is that I am going to send the remaining 2012 boys to Rise soon! I feel like that’s not too spoilery, both because it’s something that will happen soon and something that was kind of inevitable pfft. I have some cute moments for them to all get to bond, I have a big overarching plot and stakes I want to introduce? But I also really just want to have a ton of fun moments and focus on everyone getting to know each other. I want to try write interactions or dynamics I haven’t seen been done much yet, so hopefully I deliver! (I actually scripted out a 12!Raph and Rise!Leo scene for in future this morning pfft)

Another thing I guess there’s no harm in saying is that I want 87!Shredder and 87!Krang to really play a main part in this! They’re the versions of those characters I find the most fun/easy to write, so at least for the beginning stages they’re going to be focused on antagonistic forces. I just think they’re so goofy I love their dynamic sooooo much, and they fit my writing style perfectly! So expect them in future eheh

That’s not to say Rise and 2012 villains won’t get a centre focus at any point though! Rise has such a fun rogues gallery and with 2012, I really want to play with the domino affect, I mean taking the turtles out of the picture right before so many major things has gotta have some consequences~ (they don’t even know April’s part Krang yet…)

When it comes to LGBT headcanons, I do definitely have some! Technically?? I think I’ve already said that everyone is somewhere on the aroace spectrum (especially the Rise turtles) I also find the idea of 2012!Donnie and 2012!Leo being nonbinary in some form sweet, so I will probably have little moments about that scattered through the fic! (Also I think it would be really funny if 2012 Leo and Dee both went to other universes and then when they finally reunite they’re both not cis anymore. Spider-man pointing meme the dimensional radiation took their fucking gender-) I typically don’t think too much about this kind of thing though, I’m someone who’s LGBT+ that doesn’t bother too much with labels for themself so it’s honestly kind of hard for me to put fictional characters in a box too-but everyone definitely is in someway! That’s the best I can answer that probably

TLDR: They’re all loser teenagers who haven’t realllyyy figured themselves out yet, but they’re all pretty comfortable with whatever their identities might be, so for now they’re just gonna focus on saving the world HA

As for the neurodivergent side of things, again the whole main cast definitely is!! We all knew that though ♥️ AHSAJHA I can find traits from my own diagnosis in basically all of them, so they’re all on the spectrum! Sobs sorry this is another pretty broad answer-so to list someeeee?

I’m definitely writing all four 87 turtles and 2012!April and 2012!Raph with being autistic in mind! 2012!Donnie as well, but also apparently he does canonically has OCD?? I don’t 100% know if that’s canon, but I will be keeping that in mind while writing him as someone who also has it. 2012!Leo I headcanon along those lines too-it-see this is why it’s hard for me to answer none of these kids are neurotypical in my mind-

Sorry these were such non answers AHA, I guess the easiest answer is yes there is? But I’m genuinely happy with them all being up for interpretation! I won’t be enforcing many of my headcanons on the story really, just writing what feels natural, so you guys can interpret them however you want from there! I don’t really want to lock anyone in because I don’t want to stop people from being able to see them in ways that make them happy same as they can for the original shows

[encrucijada]

for the ask game <3

10 . WHEEL OF FORTUNE: A TURNING POINT (What was the turning point in your writing career?)

52. THREE OF PENTACLES: TEAM WORK (Who will you thank in your acknowledgments?)

53. FOUR OF PENTACLES: FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE (Do you or would you write full time?)

54. ACE OF WANDS: NEW GROWTH (How do you grow the seed of an idea into a full story?)

10. WHEEL OF FORTUNE: A TURNING POINT (what was the turning point in your writing career?)

i do not have a writing career because no one has ever professionally read my writing. the turning point in my writing journey? probably having the revolutionary realisation that i could write small scale stories. big plots always stopped me before the story could even get started, now i write character-driven low fantasy plots about small casts of characters and i'm so happy as a writer for it.

52. THREE OF PENTACLES: TEAM WORK (who will you thank in your acknowledgments?)

@rxinbowbright and @chaoticdecember, without them half of my stories wouldn't even exist. they are getting dedications in more than one of my books. would also thank my best friend for letting me read my stories out loud to hear her opinion. and my sister! just because. i am dedicating evergreen lung to him because we both really needed an aroace coming-of-age story but never had one.

53. FOUR OF PENTACLES: FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE (do you or would you write full time?)

no! my brain and creativity reservoirs cannot handle it. i do want to publish my books but i do not want to make it my full-time job. my real aspiration as far as professional career goes is to be a museum curator.

64. ACE OF WANDS: NEW GROWTH (how do you grow the seed of an idea into a full story?)

imagery is my main driving force. i usually always start from an aesthetic or atmosphere or a collection of images. then i try to build something around it that would excuse it. haze dogs, for example, came to me entirely through imagery. disasters to sleep through as well. then what i do is sit down and... start writing. because of the way my writing works, with long-winded explanations and specificity, i slowly start to form something out of nothing. scrolling through pinterest helps a lot too for the same reasons, imagery. there is also the simple practice of just putting everything you like into the bowl and see what sticks. it's how i brought ángel into haze dogs which helped the story a lot because his family is what sprung the idea of cults. it's how we got the eldritch critters in disasters to sleep through, they were inspired by philip pullman's dæmons except make them a little horror.

[indoorscreamingvoice]

please PLEASE tell me literally anything about your ocs im so insane about them. please i want the infodump.../nf

ohoh oh oh im. i am Very Very So Excited that someone cares about my little guys!! m thinking of making a blog specifically for them cos theres WAYYY too much to put in one post [and i have no fucking clue where to start-]

i also just realized ive been working on this story [on and off] for literally over half my life.

i really really have. no idea where to start so ill just introduce the main(??) character [also the one i project onto the most B)]!! (and some stuff about what the story Means to me cos. i think. a lot.)

this is sage!! they/she [and also it/its at a later point] pronouns, THE hopeless romantic aroace Ever, autistic with plant and art spinterests, and Very Very lonely. they spent a large amount of their adolescence isolated due to fucked up world stuff, basically all human contact being from her brother nathaniel (he/him), who was very focused on researching the Monsters [a whole other big thing ill talk about in a different post] and didnt pay attention to her. this lead to very intense people pleasing tendencies and thinking of love as something that has to be earned. when they finally make a friend (oliver (he/they)), the relationship is strained due to both their traumas, the strangeness of their environment as a whole, and, yknow, the fact oliver is actively turning into a Monster and Will Die. and he does die, but not in the expected way ;)) [nate straight up murders him!!]. sage is infected with the same [disease??] that turns people into Monsters, and runs away. andd then the plot gets blurry and i dont. quite know Whats Happening :,)

the story as a whole is very focused on the Monsters and the process of people turning into them [a very direct allegory to (my) trauma/disability], and exploring [my relationship with] the concept of Humanity and how [my] queerness, trauma, and autism affect it. lot of body horror and generally shitty people B)

Wasnt getting the Special Interest Chemicals for this story for a bit but now it’s back full force and it. genuinely means the world to me that someone else cares about these ocs rhrhrhrhrhnvjdh <3 <3 <3

[s0lar-ch3ri]

let me add some more into the mix:

gravity falls, a beloved childhood show, where they allowed:

a room of decapitated animals to have blood flow out the eyes and mouths of each animal, filling the room to where only the characters heads stuck out.

monsters that were basically nightmare fuel putting it as light as possible.

an episode where the main character is kicked out his body and watches as the demon possessing him continuously injuries him (smashing his hand in a drawer, throwing him down a flight of stairs, etc).

the main villain, bill cypher.

the petrifying of hundreds of adults and using their bodies to create a throne.

side mc a gets threatened by his brother, side mc b, with a fucking crossbow.

the hot air balloon scene (look it up if curious).

giffany. just giffany.

pretty telling showings of serious topics (bad relationships with family, isolation and desperation, how younger kids can have crushes on older girls, stuff like that).

several adult jokes (mentioned for "family-friendly" content).

one of the main characters having lots and lots of crushes on boys and the other having to come to terms with how his crush on side mc c (an adult woman) would never work out.

the line "ive got some kids to turn into corpses."

many, MANY zombies.

implied character death and several near-death experiences.

these and more, but didnt allow...

(ill just use names now, sorry for spoilers) dipper to be ftm trans.

the love god to wear a rainbow flag on his necklace.

2 random old women to be shipped together (no plot relevance, they were nameless side characters).

actually confirming the relationship between a sherrif and his deputy (both men, implied at the end of the show).

AND PROBABLY OTHER STUFF TOO! while i do hate twitter, it does actually hold a treasure: actual corrections disney wanted to gravity falls, and alex hershe's (creator and voice actor of like half the show) real time responses! (i wont put a link simply because twitter, but ill try to find a way to just download the vid and put it here later)

thats just the tip of the iceburg, lets go onto the owl house.

it had basically all gravity falls had (minus children having crushes on adults, specific scenes/characters/events/lines i pointed out (ie. giffany or bill), zombies, major boy obsessions [mabel level], and they have possession but not like how bill did to dipper) and more!

several fight scenes, having characters transform into monsters, showings of abusive behavior and its effects, and other things. so why was such a successful show cut down to 3 seasons? because luz was confirmed to like amity. disney couldnt handle that shit, and shot it down (it also probably HATED that raine was non-binary, lilith was aroace, willow was pan with 2 dads, hunter was bi, and luz was bi, plus any other confirmed things i never knew). if the "violence" in the battles was what got rid of it, then it would have went sooner. NOT JUST THAT, BUT TO JUSTIFY THEIR SHUTTING DOWN, THEY PROCEEDED TO POST SPOILERS FOR THE FINAL TO GET LESS WATCHING! why? so they didnt seem homophobic and they could go "oh look it has less traction now! see, thats why its gone!" (this i cannot find for sure information, i heard it from a very trusted friend who was/is also a big fan of the show) in the end.

not enough to convince you? lets talk about the "same sex" kiss in buzzlight year. while, yes, im glad for the representation, it was really only added AFTER disney was called out for only showing pride support during pride month. and who could forget the headlines? they fucking supported the "dont say gay" bill, then acted like it was some fucking accident. "maybe they didnt know what it was about?" the name itself was pretty fucking obvious.

also, there is gay erasure too! for a while, i solely believed it to just be suggested by past stories that the little mermaid was a gay love story, but with a quick search, several articles confirm it. the thing that really ticked me off? the name "ariel" is a unisex name (or it works for any gender), but the more feminine way is spelled "arielle" while the masculine way is "ariel", which got me thinking and surely enough, the author was gay, having written the story the same year his male crush was engaged with a woman. the story (as well as others hes written) have tones of unrequited longing love from what my research has told me. and yes, i did find an online copy of the original story by hans christian andersen, enjoy it!

theres probably other things i didnt cover, but disney has faked playing both sides for too long, when they always have stood on one with a fishing pole and a cardboard cutout of that rat on the hook, tossing it over here whenever they felt like it.

spread it out, disney is not our ally.

reminder that corporations don't care about you and they never will

[karkkidoeswriting]

Bear Castle Cycle 2.0

(actually there has been at least 4 different versions but let's not go there...)

I have officially un-shelved BCC after almost 2 years of hiatus. At the time I was very frustrated with it and felt like I didn't know anymore what I wanted and what was it's point. Now I have rediscovered a passion for it. With more distance to the story, I can more easily see the darlings that need to be killed and where I want to take this story. I will be rewriting some of the worldbuilding and restructuring the plot. Hopefully I get back to drafting it soon.

I drew some of the most central characters as I was thinking about the fashion. There's no big departures from my previous ideas, but I have much clearer image about the fashion in my mind now, so mission succeeded. I will use this as an opportunity to do a little re-intro to the characters. There is some changes to them, some older (which I never publicly introduced) some I have done since I un-shelved this WIP.

Valeri cor Mantgamia (left)

he/him

Second youngest main sibling (25)

Accidentally becomes a spy but oops is the worst liar on the planet

Biromantic demisexual

Is in cavalry and there has all the homoromantic tension a man could ask for but is unfortunately the most repressed man

Is in for an existential crisis and unreasonable amounts of maiming (because he's my poor little meow meow)

Fiolev cor Mantgamia (right)

he/they

Youngest main sibling (19)

So in a much earlier iteration of the story he was a girl, but the character wasn't working out and I kinda made a whole different character, a boy, but I've still struggled figuring him out. You could say I transed his gender, so now he is transmasc

Valeri made him dress as a boy when they were kids and homeless, and while he doesn't see himself as a boy, he definitely doesn't see himself as a girl either and rather presents as a boy

Uses his ability to turn into a girl to con people though

Accidentally cons his way to being possessed by a demon and being part of a plot to start a civil war

Aroace

Faerathos cor Mantgamia (bottom)

he/him

Oldest main sibling (28)

He was supposed to be the one tragically cishet sibling... They were all cishet at first....

He is bi of course he is bi I'm incapable of not making my characters bi

Accidentally commits high treason by (accidentally of course) having an affair with the empress

Also commits high bi disaster by accidentally having a thing with the emperor too, his long time homoerotic friend

Agrippa noé Moireau (top left)

she/her

Tragically straight

Groomed to be The Long Lost Rightful Heir and The Chosen One

Is actually a tool of imperial control

Valeri's love interest

Cassia cor Mantgamia (top right)

she/her

Second oldest main sibling (27)

Plotting murder literally every waking moment

Spying for the enemy with the goal of overthrowing the government and murdering the imperial family

Targets Julie, who is partroned by an imperial prince, but accidentally catches feelings but oops she is bad at feelings (the whole family is very accident-prone)

Collected on the outside, disaster bi on the inside

Julie noé Maupin (bottom left)

she/her

Opera singer master duelist lesbian casanova occasional novelist

Has a dark secret

Does NOT want to get involved with any political shenanigas (gets involved with political shenanigans)

Cateline (bottom right)

she/her

Assassin to a criminal organization Fiolew gets entangled with

One-sidedly in love with their leader who has ambitions of power

Mute and communicates with writing

Bi

Marcus K'irhinzaham (left)

he/him

The commander of Mantgamia house guard, which now only consists of him, and (according to popular (and his) knowledge) Faerathos is the only one left to guard anyway

Widely recognized as the greatest swordsman of his time

Short king (169 cm)

Bi

Cúén "Fechín" cor Faélci (right)

he/him

Previously named Conan cor Faélin, the last name changed a bit because I did some changes to his language and his first name didn't really fit the language either

Known in the army as Fechín, because he is imposing as his dead cousin to spy for the Cabalusian independence army

Gay trans man (which makes his cover solid, people think there's only daughter his age in his aristocratic family)

An asshole especially to Valeri but oops they have to secretly work together now

Gid'alon Child of Stars (bottom)

they/any

Vašáin, Ahinian third gender, in their case it means they are intersex and non-binary

In exile after doing a little bit of heresy

Just wants to do their research on the spiritrealm but oops one of the demons they studied possessed Fiolew

It's been such a long time since I used the tag list, so if you were tagged, let me know if you want to be continued to be tagged and I'll add you to the new tag list! If you weren't tagged, but would liked to be in future, also let me know! Tag list under the cut.

bcc tag list: @lady-redshield-writes @worldbuildng @siarven @hell-yeah-fantasy @heniareth @wilde-writing @contes-de-rheio @kainablue @lillayalightfoot @teacupwriter @sancta-seraphina @writingnosefreak @dotr-rose-love @writingwithhotchocolate @dove-actually @kathritana @ettawritesnstudies @the-ichor-of-ruination

(I forgot to add the taglist at first, I hope it still works even if I edited it in)

[auxiliarydetective]

Why you should watch "Die Rosenheim-Cops"

As described in English even though the show is German because I want to reach all of my mutuals. Language shall not be a barrier. Also, I feel like I can convey this stuff better in English. If you like stuff like Midsomer Murders, this is for you. I started making this post during summer break but never got to finish it. Well, now I finally did.

The Formula

The structure of the story is mostly the same for every episode. Someone finds a body, we switch to the office where the call is taken, the inspectors are informed and at least one always arrives late. Then the forensics expert gives some basic info and interrogations start. Usually, there's a more comedic or lighthearted B-plot to the main murder plot. Sometimes, it's more relevant and focused on, sometimes it's just there to make everything feel less stiff and repetitive. Then, both plots work towards conclusion, the murder plot with lots of zigzags and twists and turns as more and more is uncovered. Each episode ends with the culprit being found and a final fun banter freezeframe.

The Characters

Aka the main reason for watching the show, all pictures are from s08e15

Korbinian Hofer

One of the core three that have been with the show from the very beginning

Has a farm that he works at on top of investigating

Bickers with his sister a lot

Sassy

The more serious one, but just because he's more experienced

Doesn't take shit from anyone

Pretty stereotypical Bavarian, think Schultz from Hogan’s Heroes but smart

Aroace vibes

Older brother of the entire homicide squad

Sven Hansen

This isn't actually from the episode but I found this picture and thought it captured his essence well

One of my favourites

Originally from Hamburg

Regularly struggles with the Bavarian dialect and culture

The good-looking gentleman bastard

Did I mention good-looking? He wears a suit 99% of the time and has an expensive taste. Sadly doesn't have a bloody suit moment yet though. He's the Sanji/Face/Hogan/Hugenay of the show

Second-oldest brother

Loves to go sailing (and apparently becomes a bit feral when competing in races)

Sir, you’re bi

Best friends with the owner of the fancy bar/restaurant in town and regular customer there. Like, can he even make breakfast for himself?

Ladies' man

Gets really, really sassy, snarky and passive-aggressive if you annoy him

Miriam Stockl

Sassy secretary

Secretly the inofficial boss of the homicide squad because if she refuses to do her job, everything comes to a stop

Absolutely LOVES gossip

In charge of the coffee machine and cookie jar. Also has tea and even hot chocolate

Sucks up juicy details and drama like a sponge and then redistributes it, usually wildly over-interpreting it

Really kind if you don’t annoy her

The Bob Andrews of the show, does 90% of the research

Big sister of the squad

Girlboss

Michael "Michi" Mohr

Golden Retriever vibes

Literally so wholesome

Always all over the vibes

Smart but also really dumb

Huge dork

Always doing his best

Gets super excited if he finds out some important info and has the inspectors basically beg for him to reveal it to him

Stockl's gossip buddy

Little brother of the group

Definitely not straight

Peter Shaw of the show, as in points listed above and the occasional "den schnapp ich mir!" Has a slightly higher success rate though

Gert Achtziger

The de-facto boss of the entire station and all its departments

Dad of the squad, as in he has to put up with their nonsense but also switches between scolding them and pretending to scold them like a metronome, tolerating or sometimes even supporting the nonsense

Serious but can also be goofy

Constantly stressing about either his boss or the music academy

Sometimes also investigates because he misses it

Friends with Hofer's sister

Marie Hofer

Korbinian's sister

Really nice, generous

Bickers with her brother

Hardworking both on the farm and in local politics

Becomes part of the city council, responsible for the music academy

Besties with Stockl

Ties to the city's high society, regularly has important information for the case

Girlboss

Patrizia Ortmann

Honestly a bit of a bitch. Or a lot.

In charge of the finances and absolutely done with everyone's nonsense

Hates Hansen but they also have a romance storyline??? I remember I shipped them the first time watching the show, but now I'm just... no??? She has to get her attitude checked first

Literally so petty, but get her on your side and whoever you're up against has already lost

Queen of Sass

Probably has the most braincells out of the cast

Has to do most of the paperwork, including Hansen's "business expenses" which... I can’t imagine how frustrating that has to be

Ingnaz "Jo" Kaspar

Owner of the local fancy restaurant/bar called Times Square

Honestly kind of pathetic

Always manages to somehow get in trouble

Involved with most big events in or around the city because he's doing the catering, providing the drinks, helping out as a waiter...

Shit goes down in Times Square. Whether it's drama or interrogations or just Jo overhearing important stuff or having the main subject sit in his restaurant, there's always something going on

Can't keep a girlfriend for more than 10 days and falls in love in a heartbeat

Knows every customer by name, the girls usually by first name

The Scenery

The whole show plays in the city of Rosenheim and its surroundings. So, if you like older buildings, mountains, lakes, you'll like the aesthetic too

There's just one issue:

The show is in German only. I haven't found a source for English subtitles yet either. BUT if you understand German, I'd definitely recommend you watch it. Additionally, if you don't and you ask me nicely, I might even be able to dig up my old hyperfixation energy and write subtitles/a translated script for one of my favourite episodes. Or one of the best-rated ones. The show is on IMDb after all, so you could browse and see which one you like. Third of all, I might also translate my fanfic to English, who knows.

Anyways, self-ad over, essay over, have a great day!

[tiktaaliker]

MORE AUDIOBOOK THOUGHTS:

The Magicians: ok. you KNOW im a big fan of this book. but man. the narration was kinda dull? like it was fine for a shift but i wasnt all that interested. got through like half before dropping it (specifically i got right up to the end of the breakbills south. THAT part was fun just because of myakovsky but it wasnt enough to make me want to continue.)

Murderbot Diaries books 1+2: Honestly, im not typically a huuuuge fan of Kevin R Free as an audiobook narrator most of the time, but honestly? He pulls off this series really well. Most of what i DONT like about his reading actually work here. It also helps that the murderbot diaries are just REALLY good.

The Raven Cycle books 1-4: HOLLLY FUCKING SHIT. MAN. i grabbed the raven boys on a whim because i had the 3rd murderbot diaries book on hold, and i remember liking it when i was younger. and HOLY FUCKING SHIT. these were the best fucking audiobooks ive gone through so far. Will Patton is fucking PHENOMENAL. Not ONLY are all the character voices distinct and clear, but the fucking NARRATION has a different tone depending on the POV character (to the point where i could IMMEDIATELY tell which POV it was based entirely on the voice), and he ALSO pulls off characters changing accents/tones of voice (which happens pretty often and is relevanr for character development and occasionally plot). Story itself was also even better than I remembered. This is now one of my favorite book series of all time without exaggerating. I already want to go back and listen to these again. Thats how good it was. If my talking here convinces you to listen to any of these, make it the raven cycle. Its really fucking good

The Dreamer Trilogy book 1 + half of book 2: Also narrated by Will Patton (sequel series to the raven cycle), so still has fucking PHENOMENAL voices and narration and all that. I want to like the dreamer trilogy sooo bad but i just cannot fucking STAND Bryde. Ill probably finish the trilogy i just need a break for a while. This is, after all, the longest ive stuck to a single series without anything in between. Call down the hawk was REALLY good, which i think is partially because Bryde doesnt become a major character until Mister Impossible lol

The house in the cerulean sea: It was.... alright. Narration was a bit weird at points (ie a few moments where i was thrown off because the inflection just didnt fit the context) but it was overall passable. Distinctive character voices, which was always a plus. Story itself was fine- some points were trying a bit too hard to be funny, but it wasnt too insufferable once i got used to the vibe. Lots of therapy speak from small children felt kind of unnatural and got a bit annoying at points, but i think the way it was read managed to at least somewhat pull it off, especially since all the kids had funny voices (REALLY hard to take all the emotional stuff seriously because of that, which was a good thing.) Magic system was kinda weird? But eh, it was fine. Cute story.

In the lives of puppets: DOGSHIT. did not make it past chapter 1. Prologue was mildly interesting, but the tone was immediately brought out back and given the ol yeller trilogy. Made me realize that T J Klune (same author of house in the cerulean sea) only has 2 jokes: kid/creature/innocent making extreme threats of violence, and just the most unfunny sex jokes in existence. Same narrator as house in the cerulean sea, but i dont think any narrator couldve saved this one.

Dear Wendy: picked this one up after scrolling thru available books, synopsis seemed mildly interesting? Stopped almost immediately once realizing that this is way too gen z for me. Specifically i mean that its like very social media focused and i also couldnt get past the fact that its focsed on like. Instagram dating advice. Like the whole pitch for this book is that the main characters are both aroace thats why i grabbed it in the first place. i dont give a shit about instagram drama. idk for all i know this book is perfectly fine it just managed to immediately lose my interest lol

Murderbot book 3: FINALLY OFF HOLD THANK FUCK. A FRESH WATER POND RECOVERED IN MY MAYONAISE LAKE OASIS

my thoughts on the stuff ive listened to during work; note that im not basing my reviews on how good the actual book is, its based on how my personal experience was to listen to the audiobook while working in the lab

Animorphs books 1-3: i read this series as a kid but only once, so i was familiar with the story enough to not get distracted but i had forgotten enough of the details to be kept engaged. Voice acting was fine, tolerable to listen to, character voices distinct enough to differentiate without being annoying (albiet with at least one exception). Biggest issue is length- since my shifts are 8 hours, i got through the first 3 books in a single shift, and the specific version i was listening to was split up into a handful of short parts each book so i kept having to switch to the next video, which was way too much of a momentum-stopper (and work interruption) to stick with this series specifically.

The Witcher books 1+2: eh. was fine enough. once again this was something i was familiar enough with to follow without having to worry too much about missing details, while also being somewhat entertaining. i think i liked it a lot better to read than to listen to. voice acting was fine. biggest issue was that i had finally gotten used to the narrator pronouncing dandelion as dan-DIL-leon for the first book but in the second book he switched to pronouncing it as DAN-dee-lion and i had to stop partway through because of it

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: i remember enjoying reading it a lot more than listening. Ill be the first to admit that im kind of picky about audiobook narration and this one just didnt hit right, but was overall a good experience. Voice acting was fine, and the actual story was very entertaining as expected. Perfectly acceptable.

Discworld books 1-2: extremely good listens. Voice acting was great, character voices were fun and fit the characters really well, only skirted the line of being annoying. fantastic story, but not too complicated or unfamiliar, so i could still follow and be entertained while still focusing on work. Will probably continue the series at some point, but giving myself a buffer period before i start up again to avoid series burnout

Malevolent parts 41-44 (catching up with the podcast lol): man. theres just something about listening to a guy getting gutted and filled with maggots while working in the lab of a hospital. like broooo you are going to get sepsis!!! Very good listen, as expected, just kinda funny trying to keep a straight face while talking to coworkers and simultaneously listening to arthur's no good very bad day

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell: probably the best one so far for what im using these for. The length meant i was able to spend like 4 whole shifts on the one audiobook. Footnotes were incorporated fantastically, narrator and voice acting was phenomenal, and its also pretty much my favorite book of all time. Ive read this SEVERAL times, but because of how fucking huge this thing is theres a lot of details i forgot about or misremembered. Only issue is that it was split up into several audio tracks, so i had to switch to the next one a few times per shift. They were each around 2 hours long however, so it wasnt too inconvenient. Also at one point i fucked up and accidentally skipped like 8 whole hours without realizing until after an hour in where they referenced an event i KNEW i hadnt gotten to yet lol

Catch-22: man they really went all fucking OUT on the voice acting here. All characters are EXTREMELY distinct, so im very easily able to tell who's talking even without speaking tags. One of my pet peeves in audiobooks is when the narrator whisper-yells when a character is meant to be screaming. That does not happen here. Narrator fucking COMMITS. Yelling, sobbing, laughing, all of it. Fucking fantastic. Phenomenal as an audiobook, i think i mightve even enjoyed it even better than actually reading it.

Slaughterhouse-five: man. this one is ALSO an audiobook that is fucking PHENOMENAL. biggest problem is that i got WAYYY too into it. I really needed to just sit down and soak it in, which was not very condusive to a workplace environment. I now have a self-imposed limit where im not going to be listening to any more vonnegut books from now on because i KNOW itll have a similar affect

His majesty's dragon: this one couldve been good, but the recording i found was not. The guy reading it did a big spiel at the beginning of each chapter and kept adding unneeded commentary like it was a middle school read along. Im going to be getting a library card today so i can use libby, so i might come back to this once i get access to an actual official audiobook lol

murder on the orient express: nope. barely lasted three minutes into this one

percy jackson and the lightning thief: see this is an example of something ive actually read too many times as a kid so i know the book too well for an audiobook to be entertaining. Dropped it after less than a chapter.

the kane chronicles: had potential, i remember liking the story a lot as a kid but i hadnt read it nearly as much as the pjo series, and i think it wouldve been at least vaguely entertaining. However, half the book has one of the narrator sdoing a really bad british accent for his sister's voicelines and i just couldnt do it. i didnt have the strength. Dropped after maybe 4 chapters.

Camp Damascus: the only audiobook of the lot that i actually bought, and the first one i got through that i hadnt read the physical book before. Interesting story, ok voice acting. Solid choice to listen to. Not quite what i was expecting, but pretty good story! Had some EXTREMELY gnarly descriptions of body horror thrown in at like. two points of the story maybe. Didnt really affect me personally but kinda threw me off in a 'this feels like a different story entirely' sort of way. Dont have much else to say here since these reviews are more talking about my experience with these as audiobooks specifically, and i havent read the book itself to be able to compare this one.

[mostlikelytofangirl]

The relationship between WWX and JC really is fresh, isn't it? These are incredibly nuanced, human characters with a platonic relationship on par with the main romantic relationship (at least narratively). I'm hardly aromantic but I really do get sick of stories presenting romantic relationships as the only ones that can hold such importance. So refreshing.

OMG it is!

Full disclosure tho, I am an aroace, but the fact that that has never stopped from squealing and combusting at a good fluffy fic, I'm gonna say that it has no impact in my opinion XD.

Back to the subject, yes! While I can think of several examples where a brother-like relationship was very relavant to the plot, if not the main focus, it rarelly is portrayed as nuanced and changing, with two parties that had both their share of the blame, and whose circumstances were this extreme. Their relationship is one of the most complicated and influencial throughout the entire plot.

And I totally feel you. Neither am I a big fan of romance as a genre. I rarely like romantic subplots, and you'll never catch me going out of my way to consume romance media. It's just not my cup of tea to have the narrative tell me who I should ship, I decide that by myself with my heart and pussy after getting familiar with the characters first and foremost :P.

But more importantly, you are absolutely right. It gets tiring to have romantic love exalted like the ultimate form of love that you must have in your life in order to be happy, no matter what other kinds of love you lost or even sacrifice to get it. As long as you get yourself a partner, nothing else matters...

I personally have to roll my eyes at that. WWX and JC's tragedy is so big bc of all the emotions, feelings and love that was there at some point. I love to see that being such a powerful aspect of the entire story.

So I'm always celebrating media that presents platonic, familiar and other kinds of love as just as important and fulfilling, if not more. And that's also why I feel much more connected and invested on a non-romantic relationship that is extremely strong but also extremely complex, and that doesn't even have a happy ending (which is another thing Western media —especially certain mouse—, has forced as The Ultimate Ending even if narratively makes no sense).

Idk man, I just really enjoy their mess :'D

[celiabowens]

underrated SFF books (YA and Adult)

So uhm, since I keep seeing the same books on my dash all the time (and I like them too, just...there’s more! to read!) here’s a list of less popular SFF books, divided into YA and Adult. I’ve tried to mention when there is lgbt rep and the trigger warnings. Also, books written by poc will be in bold. Please point out any typo or mistake or if I’ve forgotten specific rep/tw mentions.

All of these are books that I’ve read and enjoyed (by enjoyed I mean anything from 3 stars and above), but if anyone wants to add titles please feel free to do so!!

YA:

The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi: beautifully written, fairytale-like story rich in mythology (inspired by several Hindu myths. There’s a full list on goodreads indicated by the author herself). Roshani’s prose is gorgeous.

A Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi: it’s a companion novel to The Star-Touched Queen, but both can be read as a standalone. I liked this one more than its companion and I particularly loved how the romance was written (slow burn, but specifically, the author really highlights the mutual respect between the characters, we love to see it).

The Young Elites by Marie Lu: fantasy trilogy set in a world inspired by Renaissance Italy, in which children who survived a mysterious and deadly illness ended up with strange and dangerous powers. Secret societies and a female villain!

The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu: historical fantasy following Mozart’s sister, Nannerl, a girl as talented as her brother, but afraid of being forgotten because of the lack of opportunities she has to be seen and heard. Nuanced sibling relationship, no romance.  

The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski: fantasy f/f romance! Both a coming of age story set in a society with a rigid class system and a slow burn f/f romance with a lot of banter. TW: abuse.

The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore: magical realism. The book follows two families of traveling performers that have been locked in a feud for over a generation. This was the author’s debut and I remember getting an arc of it and being impressed by both the prose and how the forbidden love trope was handled.

When the Moon was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore: another magical realism novel. One of the main characters is a trans boy and the book focuses on issues of racism and gender. One of my favorite YA!

Strange Grace by Tessa Gratton: fantasy romance set in a village that periodically sacrifices a young man in order to keep a deal with the devil that ensures their prosperity. Also, polyamorous and non-binary rep.

The Rise of Kyoshi by F.C. Yee: first book in a duology following avatar Kyoshi’s life. It explores the political and cultural aspect of the Earth Kingdom and Kyoshi’s past. Bisexual rep.

Descendant of the Crane by Joan He: sort of a murder mystery fantasy, as the main character finds herself suddenly thrust into power once her father has been murdered. The story has a slow build up to a last part full of twists and machinations and it features lots of court intrigue. Warning: the ending is quite open and afaik there isn’t a sequel planned as of now.

The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones: a quite unique take on zombies influenced by Welsh mythology (it’s super cool). The novel follows Ryn and their siblings, as they try to get by after their parents’ death by working as gravediggers. Only well, the dead don’t always stay dead. The characters read a bit younger than they are imo. There is chronic pain rep.

The Magnolia Sword by Sherry Thomas: retelling of the original ballad of Mulan. The book follows Mulan, who’s trained her whole life to win a duel for a priceless heirloom, as she joins the army. There’s a lot of political and historical details, which I really appreciated. Do not go into it expecting a fun adventure though. The descriptions of war aren’t extremely graphic, but be aware of the fact that most of the book is set during a conflict.

The Candle and The Flame by Nafiza Azad: standalone fantasy set in a city on the Silk Road! It’s a quite slow-paced tale about love, family and politics. It has lush descriptions of landscapes and cultures (and FOOD, there are some really great descriptions of food). It’s a very atmospheric book and while I struggled a bit with the pace I’d still recommend it.

Forest of a Thousand Lanters by Julie C. Dao: sort of an East Asian inspired retelling of Snow White, but following the Evil Queen before she became Snow White’s stepmother. I honestly haven’t read its sequel (which should focus on Snow White herself), but I do think this can be read and enjoyed as a standalone too.

The Queen’s Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner: it’s hard to point out exactly what this series is about because it has evolved so much with time. It starts out as classic quest/adventure series with The Thief (which may seem a classic and simple book, but is actually full of foreshadowing and has a really clever set up), but develops into a complex and intriguing political fantasy in The Queen of Attolia and The King of Attolia (and then goes back to the quest theme in book 5, Thick as Thieves).

Adult:

A Fist of Permutations in Lightning and Wildflowers by Alyssa Wong: I’m cheating with this one because it’s technically a short story but I love Alyssa Wong’s stories so I’m putting it here anyway. It can be read for free and you should just...read it.

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang: grimdark fantasy (TW: abuse, self harm, rape, drug abuse), inspired by Chinese history. It’s adult, but follows younger MCs and the unique blend of different historical periods/inspirations makes it extremely interesting. The characters are extremely fucked up in the best possible way, plus the use of shamanism is awesome. Please make sure you check all the TW before reading.

The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang: a Japanese-inspired militaristic fantasy, with elemental magic, a badass housewife dealing with her past and hiding a sword in her kitchen’s floor. It has interesting and nuanced family dynamics and a great reflection on propaganda and the use of narratives.

Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri: first book in an epic fantasy duology inspired by Mughal India (TW: abuse, slavery). I really liked both Empire of Sand and its companion and I find them pretty underrated. Both books have great slow burn romance (with a focus on mutual trust and respect) and focus on culture, religion, self acceptance and politics.

Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia: a fantasy bildungsroman set in Mexico during the Jazz age. It’s a great approach to adult SFF as it follows a young girl on a life changing adventure. It features Mayan mythology and a god slowly becoming human (this trope is everything!).

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden: a coming of age story inspired by Russian folklore. The trilogy as a whole has one of the best arcs I’ve ever seen: each book is perfectly self-contained and has its own arc, but also fits perfectly in the bigger picture of the trilogy. The atmosphere is amazing, the cast of characters is extremely well developed. Also frost demons are better than men.

The Binding by Bridget Collins: historical fantasy, but with very minimal fantasy elements. It’s set in a world vaguely reminiscent of 19th century England. I’d say this book is about humans and self discovery. It’s about cowardice and the lies we tell ourselves and those we wish we could tell ourselves. Gay rep. (TW: abuse, sexual assault, pretty graphic suicide scene).

The Divine Cities trilogy by Robert Jackson Bennett: starting with City of Stairs, it follows a female diplomat and spymaster(!!). The whole trilogy features an interesting discussion about godhood, religion, fanatism, politics, without ever being boring or preachy. It has complex and rich world building and a pretty compelling mystery.

Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett: heist fantasy following a thief as she’s hired to steal a powerful artifact that may change magical technology as she knows it. Set in a Venice-like merchant city. Also, slow burn f/f romance.

Jade City by Fonda Lee: sort of a gangster urban fantasy, heavily inspired by wuxia and set in an Asian-inspired metropolis. It follows a pretty big cast of characters, each with their own journey and development. It features nuanced family dynamics and a lot of political and economical subplots. Not extremely prominent, but book 2 features m/m side rep.

Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse: inspired by Native American culture and specifically by the idea of subsequent worlds. It has a kickass MC and a good mix of original elements and typical UF tropes. TW: the book isn’t extremely violent but there is death and some gore.

A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine: space opera inspired by the Mexica and middle period Byzantium. It focuses on topics like colonialism and the power of narratives and language. It has one of the best descriptions of what it’s like to live in between spaces I’ve ever read. Also very interesting political intrigue and has a slow burn f/f romance (and a poly relationship recalled through flashbacks). I ranted a lot about it already.

Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee: a Korean-inspired space opera with a magic system based on math. It’s honestly quite convoluted and difficult to follow, but it also features some of the best political intrigue I’ve ever read. Plenty of lying, backstabbing and mind games. It also features lesbian and bisexual rep and an aroace side character (TW: mass shooting, sexual assault, abuse). I also really recommend Yoon Ha Lee’s short-story collection Conservation of Shadows.

The long way to a small angry planet by Becky Chambers: character driven space opera featuring a found family journeying through space. A fun read, that also deals with topics such as sexuality and race. Quite easy to go through, as the world building and plot aren’t particularly complex themselves. f/f romance.  

The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo: an Asian-inspired fantasy novella that gives a voice to people usually silenced by history. It follows a cleric (non binary rep) as they chronicle the story of the late empress, retold through objects that she used in her life. It focuses on bonds between women and the power that lies in being unnoticed. f/f side rep.

The Black God’s Drums by P. Djèlí Clark: an urban fantasy novella, based on Orisha mythology and set in an alternate, sort of steampunk, New Orleans. I really like how creative Clark’s worlds are and how good he is at writing female characters (which rarely happens with male authors).

The haunting of tram car 015 by P. Djèlí Clark: novella set in an alternate steampunk Cairo populated by supernatural entities. It’s set in the same world of a Dead Djinn in Cairo, which is a short story you can read for free.

This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone: epistolary novella set during a time-travel war. It has gorgeous writing and an amazing f/f romance. As a novella, it’s quite short but it’s beautifully crafted and so complex for such a short book!

The Citadel of Weeping Pearls by Aliette de Bodard: a novella set in the Xuya universe (a series of novellas/short stories set in a timeline where Asia became dominant, and where the space age has empires of Vietnamese and Chinese inspiration), but can be read as a standalone. It’s a space opera featuring a disappeared citadel and the complex relationship between the empress and her daughter as war threatens her empire.

One for My Enemy by Olivie Blake: self-published urban fantasy following two rival families in New York. Sort of a Romeo and Juliette retelling but with gangster families and magic. Honestly recommend all of her books, I love how Olivie writes and especially how she writes female characters.