#thread: j. matthews.

[doomdays]

@lingeringscars said, "when we get home, I just want to be happy."

was she happy back at home?   sometimes,  it might have been easy to pretend.   she could lose herself in the ridiculous drama of high school and gossip,   frustrating but at least 'normal.'   but then she thought about her home life,  how her parents' relationship was so strained after they lost thomas,   how she and her brother were always left wondering,  given no answers.  she can still feel that strain between them here,  but it's different,  too —   like they've come together in a way they couldn't have possibly done before,  maybe they even learned to forgive each other.   julie doesn't actually know what to make of that,   she just knows that if anything,  this place bought them more time to be a family.  but she's still not sure where she fits,  finding more comfort in spending her time with fatima and ellis, feeling some sort of independence that she longed for when she felt so lost at home.

it still feels right,  no matter how badly her parents may wish she had chosen differently.  it's what julie needed to do for herself.

but there's still so much about herself that she can't figure out,  so much of her that she doesn't have the chance to figure out when she's been ripped away from home,  from her life.   it feels like she's losing time,  and that's terrifying—   like she needs to hurry up and be the adult she's been trying to prove to her parents she is,  yet she doesn't want to lose her youth,  all the time she should be spending figuring out who she wants to be.

❝  this place has its moments,  right?  ❞    she says,  almost hopeful.   ❝  I mean—   I guess,  sometimes it's nice,  being here,  and .  .  .  not being there. ❞   in the daylight,  anyway,  when danger doesn't lurk outside their windows,  taunting them.   ❝ I try not to think about what's waiting at home.  if anything's waiting,  ❞    she adds, furrowing her brows because it's something she tries not to think about, too.   ❝  do you think it'll be easy?  just—    being happy after all this?  ❞   it's a genuine question;   she wants to believe it.  but they've also experienced it,  so what happens then?   how do they forget—   and how do they hold onto the things she doesn't want to forget.

[piningpercussionist]

Tumblr fucking Ate this post so I have to retype shit shckfhsjdhf

Anyway I am posting this (ever expanding) friendship portion of the chart because I need everyone to look at my Envy and Mobile friendship line and start ascribing to it. Why? Uhhh it's Extremely Funny and also Envy and Wallace would HATE IT.

(Also, from the discord: Kim has all those arrows around her because she's Toronto's Weed Dealer /hj but possibly not)

[nerds-yearbook]

Weird War #93, cover date November 1980, introduced The Creature Commandos (Project M), Matthew Shrieve, Elliot "Lucky" Taylor, Vincent Velcro, and Warren Griffith. They were created by J. M. DeMatteis and Pat Broderick. The Creature Commandos faught the Nazis in the Spring of 1942 in France. ("The Creature Commandos", "Ultimate Weapon', "Rising Sun", "Life Hangs by a Thread", Weird War #93, DC Comic Event)

[richincolor]

Book Review: When We Become Ours: A YA Adoptee Anthology edited by Shannon Gibney & Nicole Chung

Summary: There is no universal adoption experience, and no two adoptees have the same story. This anthology for teens edited by Shannon Gibney and Nicole Chung contains a wide range of powerful, poignant, and evocative stories in a variety of genres.

These tales from fifteen bestselling, acclaimed, and emerging adoptee authors genuinely and authentically reflect the complexity, breadth, and depth of adoptee experiences.

This groundbreaking collection centers what it’s like growing up as an adoptee. These are stories by adoptees, for adoptees, reclaiming their own narratives.

With stories by: Kelley Baker, Nicole Chung, Shannon Gibney, Mark Oshiro, MeMe Collier, Susan Harness, Meredith Ireland, Mariama J. Lockington, Lisa Nopachai, Stefany Valentine, Matthew Salesses, Lisa Wool-Rim Sjöblom, Eric Smith, Jenny Heijun Wills, Sun Yung Shin, Foreword by Rebecca Carroll, Afterword by JaeRan Kim, MSW, PhD

My Thoughts: This is a much needed collection that provides an excellent collections of stories representing the adoptee experience. There are so few adopted characters in YA literature and of those few, rarely are those stories told by adoptees. I first heard about this book through Dr. Sarah Park Dahlen, who is an adoption studies scholar and was happy to finally get to read it this week.

In some of these stories adoption is a huge focus, but in some, while the main character is an adoptee, that isn’t really a major part of the plot. It’s a strength that there are such a variety of ways that the adoptees are portrayed. There is a poet, a relative of a queen, a road tripper, a person learning indigenous ways, two people on farms, someone who speaks to ghosts, and many more characters. The majority of the tales are contemporary realistic fiction, but one is sci-fi, one happens in a mythical queendom and two might be described as speculative fiction. One also has a comic format.

Each story feels distinct and unique, but there are common threads of identity, belonging, questioning, loss, anger, love, pain, and healing. Who am I? Where and who do I come from? Am I enough? Where do I fit? and so many other questions are asked and sometimes answered in these narratives. Like anyone coming of age, these teens are wondering so much about themselves, but living as adoptees adds another layer as they navigate the world and their place in it.

Recommendation: Get it now! This is a fantastic collection that many readers will connect with in many ways. It’s an excellent way for adoptees to possibly see some of their experiences on the page of a book and for others, this will be a way to possible see things from that perspective. Shannon Gibney & Nicole Chung have gathered together a talented group of authors and we’re fortunate to have this anthology in the world.

Publisher: HarperCollins Pages: 352 Availability: On shelves now Review Copy: Digital ARC

[koolkat9]

Royal Red Bros Week 2024 - Day3

@royalredbrosweek

Prompt: Day 3: Spirits/Ghosts || Secrets

Rating: T

Relationship: England + Canada

Word Count: 841

Read on AO3

Bumps in the Night

It was an old house. There were bound to be creaks and thumps from old plumbing or animals that had made a home in its walls. But the longer he stayed there, and the more he listened, he started to hear laughter along with what sounded like a child running.

Arthur was freaked out at first. As much as he had an interest in the occult and supernatural, actually experiencing it made him tremble. But he didn’t have the funds to move, and it wasn’t like it ever went beyond sounds. So Arthur stayed put and eventually got used to the strangeness.

But still, curiosity remained.

“Hello?” Arthur called out one night, just before going to bed. The spirits seemed most active in the night. “I know you’re there. We’re going to be stuck together for a little while it seems, and well…I figured we should know each other a bit.”

There was no reply. After a few more tries, he went to bed. There was no thumping or laughing that night.

Weeks went by, and each night, he called out to the spirits only to get no answers and a quiet night. He was about to give up when his last call was answered by his closet door swinging open.

Arthur jumped. Cautiously, he rose from his bed and made his way over. In the closet, on the top shelf, an old rag doll with sandy yellow yarn for hair and blue button eyes sat. How had he not noticed it before?

The poor thing was worn, dirty, one of its legs barely hanging on by a thread. Having always had a soft spot for dolls, Arthur decided to fix it up. Perhaps it could be a peace offering for the spirit or spirits in the house.

His next few days off were spent working on this doll, giving it a wash, replacing its split yarn hair, making it a new outfit, and most importantly stitching that leg back up. It almost looked good as new when he was done.

Having worked late into the night on the finishing touches of his project, Arthur started to node off at this desk, body too heavy to drag to bed.

“Um…S-Sir…?” a voice called. The voice of a child.

Arthur groaned, burying his face into his arm.

“Sir. You should get to bed.”

Arthur bolted up, his sleepy brain remembering that he was supposedly living alone. “Wha–Where?”

“Sorry…S-Sorry,” the voice whimpered.

“It’s alright,” Arthur drawled out, looking around groggily. “I assume you’re one of my surprise roommates.”

“Uh…I-I guess?”

“Can you show yourself or…”

“I’m down here.”

Arthur quirked a brow, looking around once more until his eyes landed on the doll.

A whisper came from the doll: “My name is Matthew.”

Arthur blinked. He shouldn’t have been so shocked considering he had been aware of the spirits for over a month now.

“Wh-What’s yours?” Matthew continued.

“Uh…Arthur.”

The two stared at each other in silence. Or at least, Arthur thought Matthew was staring. Though the boy’s voice emanated from the doll, it remained in a slouch position, mouth still drawn in its stitched smile.

“I-I’ll try to get my siblings to quiet down for you,” Matthew finally said. “S-S-So you don’t have to leave or anything. It will be like we aren’t even here–”

“Slow down lad.”

“Sorry…I’m sorry…”

Arthur smiled softly. “There is nothing to be sorry for. You can just relax. I’m not mad at you or your siblings. I have just been curious about what exactly has been going on. How many of you are there?”

Matthew hesitated for a moment. “Four of us. Including me.”

“I see. Brothers, sisters?”

“J-Just brothers. I-I don’t know if I should be speaking about this.”

“Why not?”

“I…I-I…”

“If you don’t want to tell me, that’s okay," Arthur sighed, rising to his feet. "Well anyway. I should get to bed.”

“Oh…right…”

“Don’t sound so down. You can always talk to me whenever I’m around. I’ve always wanted to meet some ghosts actually.”

“Really?”

“Mhm.” Arthur collapsed onto his bed. “Now I don’t know if ghosts need sleep, but I do, so you should rest a bit too.”

“O-Okay…I don’t have to go back into the closet do I?”

“Not if you don’t want to.”

Silence rested over them once more. Arthur continued to watch the doll, and though it did not move and its expression never changed, it was as if he could feel the sadness of the boy possessing it. He got up and picked up the doll, laying it on the other side of the bed.

“There,” Arthur gave a triumphant huff, “I’m sure that’s far more comfortable than a hard desk.”

“Really, I’m fine. It was far more comfortable than the–”

“Shhh. Rest. Now that I’m here, I’m going to make sure you're comfortable. Spirit or not, everyone deserves that.”

Arthur tucked Matthew in.

“Goodnight Matthew,” he murmured.

“Goodnight…”

There was no more argument from the little doll.

[ostianshadow]

TOA Anniversary Munday!

Celebrating TOA and the people who contribute to make our group what it is.

Repost, don't reblog. Only fill in what you feel comfortable sharing!

Happy anniversary, TOA! Here's to many more years spent together.

Name: vicky (aka key or wkey)

Pronouns: she/her

Birthday (no year): jan 6

Where are you from? What is your time zone? french canadian. west coast best coast. pst.

Roleplay experience: idk since i was like 7? running around the neighbourhood w the boyz and gming our own little world of makebelieve… writing/online-wise, since around the age of 10-11 when we got a puter in the living room.

Got any pets? black kitty called cabbage i fostered and then adopted. she's no thoughts head empty and that's why she won over my other 16 foster cats. /hj

Favorite time of year: autumn-ish or spring. don't do well in the heat but sad makes winter bad.

Some interests and things you like: comics&webtoons, puzzle games (picross, sudoku, etc), ultimate frisbee, tennis, hiking, traveling

Some funfacts & trivia about you:

-prefer crepes to pancakes

-don't leave me alone with a box of ice cream sandwiches for the love of-

-past key has cumulatively drawn 500+ comic pages over the years (and misses it dearly)

-used to play ice hockey, played for bout 12 years. stopped due to injuries.

What non-Fire Emblem games do you play? ffxiv, zelda, tales of, undertale

Favorite Pokemon type & Pokemon: ghost, haunter

How did you get into Fire Emblem? smash bros /j i think my bro acquired a copy of fe7 and the rest is history

What Fire Emblem games have you played? 6 through current

First Fire Emblem game: 7

Favorite Fire Emblem game: hrkkk probably 7 but super fond of sacred stones n path of radiance too

Any Fire Emblem crushes? 😳

lmao

If you’ve played the following games, who was your first S support? Who would you S support nowadays?

- Awakening: mightve been chrom by accident n woulda been pissed about it. henry & gaius beloveds

- Fates: conquest- niles, birthright- azama, revelations- kaze

- Three Houses: was it claude or felix? idk but claude is def why i started w deer haha

- Engage: louis and lapis i married both that's my story and im sticking to it

Favorite Fire Emblem class: thief or mage

If you were a Fire Emblem character, what would be your class? probably an archer, or mage. miss me w close combat

If you were a Three Houses character, what would be your affiliation? hmm… i wanna say deer but probably beagles

If you were an Engage character, which Emblem would you Engage with? lyn. long distance pew pew goes brrrrr

How did you find TOA? kept seeing it on twitter from ol ferp mutuals and eventually caved

Current TOA muses: hector, matthew, azama

Who was your first TOA muse? If you don’t have them anymore, could you see yourself picking them up again? ewan. some days i think i could.

Have you had any other TOA muses? florina, henry

Do you think you have a type of character you gravitate towards? prickly, maybe. in general muses that allow me to explore… ewan is more outgoing than i will ever be, but lets himself feel petty or jealous. hector is brash, but struggling with an uncomfortable and unexpected weight on his shoulders. azama invites conflict like he needs it to breathe, while ive typically been averse to conflict. florina is timid but trying to grow stronger for her friends (and herself, she comes to realize). henry is… an oddball, idk how to describe what draws me to writing him. change of pace maybe? requires thinking outside the box with his unique worldview. i dont tend toward angst but matthew is a good output for it if im feelin it haha.

What do you believe you enjoy writing the most? i think i like. when threads start to come together. yknow in stories when you can start referring to things that have happened? and you're like "woah wait i know what that's referring to!!"

when you manage to reach a shared history ig? i know im p slow re. writing but i cherish the bonds and overarching/intertwined stories my muses wind up with. people you meet touch your life in ways you might not immediately fathom…

Favorite TOA-related memory: lots of lock & key justice shenanigans… bunker … enjoyed unscripted a whole heck of a lot as well

How do you pronounce TOA? 🤔 T-O-A. sounds fancier to spell it out haha

Got any delusions that didn’t see the light of day that you’d like to share? 😉 felix, ike, kaze, serra, sain, naesala, ingrid, eldigan, bramimond, lethe, shinon, kliff… not so much delusions as "might be fun to explore…" – and i wouldn't trade our current reps of the above for the world ✌️

[phantom-le6]

Ramble of the month February 2024: 90’s MCU phase 5 – transitioning from Secret Wars to Infinity Wars

Having spent much of last month and a fair bit of this one working on submissions to literary agencies for my autism book, this month’s ramble and the one for next month took a bit of a back seat, and as such I’ve still not been able to vary myself away from delving further into my hypothetical Marvel and DC film universes.  Apologies to anyone who, like me, were hoping to vary things more.  However, hopefully what we cover in this ramble and the next will make up for it, and as April will be Autism Awareness time, I can guarantee something different for then.

By this point, I’m sure readers don’t need as much of a recap on what these posts to do with my 90’s-based MCU are about.  Long story short, I’ve done what the meme makers don’t; looked at the comic book and real-world history of Marvel from that era to create an actual 90’s based MCU instead of putting 90’s actors into a present-day MCU.  However, as we’re into a fifth phase and well past the 1990’s, we should at least quickly review phases 1-4 first.

Phase 1:

1992: Fantastic Four, Hulk, Iron Man

1993: Thor, Spider-Man, Ant-Man & The Wasp

1994: Captain America: Fantastic Four 2, Iron Man 2

1995: X-Men, Avengers, Daredevil

Phase 2:

1996: Spider-Man 2, Thor: Land of Enchantment, Silver Surfer

1997: Hulk vs Wolverine, Fantastic Four: Doomsday, Iron Man 3

1998: Captain America: Society of Serpents, Daredevil 2, X-Men 2

1999: Avenger 2, Spider-Man 3, Doctor Strange

Phase 3:

2000: Fantastic Four: World War III, Thor: Ragnarök, Daredevil 3

2001: Hulk: Rise of the Leader, X-Men: Fall of the Mutants, Avengers: Under Siege

2002: Doctor Strange 2, The Captain, Spider-Man 4

2003: Captain Britain, Fantastic Four: Enter the Negative Zone, Ghost Rider

Phase 4:

2004: Black Panther, Captain Marvel, Secret Wars: Part I

2005: Excalibur, Defenders, Ghost Rider 2

2006: X-Factor, Secret Wars: Part II, Heroes For Hire

2007: Namor the Submariner, Doctor Strange 3, Iron Man: Enter The Mandarin

As discussed in previous rambles, phase 1 was all about establishing the MCU and its characters, phase 2 was about the expansion and development of the continuity, while phase 3 was mostly about many characters and teams losing, being put on the back foot and so on.  Phase 4 then covered Secret Wars, which temporarily deprived Earth of some major MCU heroes to put them through a real alien war, and in the process also allowed some other heroes to come to the fore.  Phase 5 then becomes about following on from some of those plot threads while beginning the set-up for this MCU’s version of the Infinity War.  So, let’s quickly show you the phase 5 slate and then get right into the details of these would-be films.

Phase 5:

2008: Spider-Man 5, Fantastic Four: Unthinkable, Ms Marvel

2009: Elektra, Black Panther 2, Defenders 2

2010: X-Men: Proteus, Spider-Man 6, Ant-Man 2

2011: Silver Surfer 2, Avengers vs X-Men, Ghost Rider 3

Spider-Man 5 (2008) Directed by Matthew Vaughan

Peter Parker/Spider-Man = Wil Weaton

May Parker = Marg Helgenberger

Flash Thompson = Ben Affleck

J. Jonah Jameson = J.K. Simmons

Joseph "Robbie" Robertson = Denzel Washington

Betty Brant = Parker Posey

Ned Leeds = John Barrowman

Eddie Brock = Wentworth Miller

Randy Robertson = Taye Diggs

Harry Osborn = Ryan Phillipe

Mary-Jane Watson = Alison Hannigan

Herman Schultz/Shocker = Patrick Muldoon

Felicia Hardy/The Black Cat = Elisha Cuthbert

Roderick Kingsley/Hobgoblin = Michael Keaton

Quentin Beck/Mysterio = Nathan Fillion

Captain Jean DeWolff = Jessica Biel

Detective Stanley Carter/”Sin Eater” = James Marsden

In the first three Spider-Man films, we built up to Peter befriending the Osborns and dating Gwen, only for the Green Goblin/Death of Gwen story arcs to play out in Spider-Man 3.  The fourth film then gave Peter a clash with the Sinister Six as he struggles to come to terms with Gwen’s death.  Following Secret Wars, Peter now has the alien costume, and so film 5 is basically the alien costume story arc.  Sounding a little too much like the Raimi/Maguire Spider-Man 3?  Trust me, it’s not like that and for two key reasons.  Firstly, I’m not trying to shoe-horn Venom in for the third act, just set him up for another film.  Second, I’ve chosen Wentworth Miller of Prison Break and The Flash fame to play Eddie Brock, and that’s far from being our only change.

In this film, Peter’s occupied trying to stop a series of illusion thefts being committed on behalf of a new “kingpin”, who turns out to be the Hobgoblin, while also having to track down a notorious serial killer called the “Sin Eater”.  As the alien costume influences Peter ever more, the question becomes less will he stop all the criminals, but rather will he become one.  Matters are further complicated when costume thief Black Cat begins seducing Spider-Man and the alien costume pushes Peter to accept this despite his relationship with Mary-Jane.  The film culminates with a chance clash with the Shocker revealing the alien nature of Peter’s costume, forcing him to finally fight it off.  Eddie Brock gaining the symbiote is then handled in a credit’s scene.

Direction-wise, I picked Matthew Vaughan as he’s a proven superhero film director due to his work on X-Men: First Class.  He’s the fourth director to take a hand on Spider-Man solo film in this hypothetical MCU, with John Hughes having directed the first two, and 3 and 4 being handled by Frank Darabont and Martin Campbell, respectively.

Fantastic Four: Unthinkable (2008) Directed by Roland Emmerich

Reed Richards/Mr Fantastic = Tom Hanks

Susan Storm (Richards)/Invisible Woman = Meg Ryan

Johnny Storm/Human Torch = David Spade

Ben Grimm/Thing = Bryan Cranston

Alicia Masters = Heather Graham

Agatha Harkness = Angela Lansbury

Victor Von Doom/Doctor Doom = Goran Višnjić

Hauptmann = Ronald Guttman

Nick Fury = Tommy Lee Jones

Black Bolt = Pierce Brosnan

Medusa = Elizabeth Hurley

Crystal = Dina Meyer

Gorgon = J.G. Hertzler

Karnak = Alexander Siddig

Triton = Orlando Bloom

T'Challa/Black Panther = Chadwick Boseman

Namor McKenzie/The Submariner = Christian Bale

Barbara "Bobbi" Morse/Mockingbird = Rebecca Romijn-Stamos

Jericho Drumm/Brother Voodoo = Doug E. Doug

Having had the Fantastic Four directed by Leonard Nemoy (films 1-2), Steven Spielberg (films 3-4) and Ridley Scott (film 5), this MCU closes out their share of films under the stewardship of Roland Emmerich, notable for such films as Independence Day, White House Down and Midway.  This film adapts the events of the storylines ‘Unthinkable’ and ‘Authoritative Action’, but leaves the events of ‘Hereafter’ to the comics and begins introducing the Infinity Stones.  Since non-comics fans and fans who haven’t read those stories won’t get those references, let’s do a quick summary.

In the comics, Doctor Doom turned to magic for an attack on the Fantastic Four, which resulted in Reed and Sue’s son Franklin being taken to hell, and the team having to storm Latveria to get him back.  During the incident, Doom scarred Reed before being dragged into hell.  Afterwards, Reed seized control of Latveria to dismantle Doom’s arsenal and craft a permanent prison for Doom, one in which Reed would serve as warden.  However, when the rest of the team tried to stop Reed, Doom somehow began to possess each in turn, ultimately forcing Reed to kill Ben Grimm just to stop Doom.  The events of the Hereafter arc involved a trip into the afterlife to bring Ben back, in the process healing Reed’s scars.

In this film, Franklin is kidnapped and taken to a demon dimension, and Sue leads a rescue team comprised of her, Ben Grimm, Brother Voodoo and the Black Panther to save Franklin while Reed and Johnny attack Doom, aided by the Inhumans and Namor the Submariner.  The attack seemingly defeats Doom, after which Reed leads the F4 to Latveria, seizing control of the nation.  Fearing Doom is somehow influencing Reed, Nick Fury of SHIELD intervenes along with Mockingbird, Voodoo, Namor and T’Challa, only for the seemingly captured Doom to begin telepathically controlling the other F4 members.  Ultimately, Reed manages to force a feedback that wipes Doom’s mind, but in the process, Ben Grimm dies as he does in the comics.  With Ben’s death, the Fantastic Four decide to step back from hero work, becoming a think tank called the Future Foundation.

The bulk of the film’s cast is from past films, with the only new addition being mystical nanny Agatha Harkness, played by Angela Lansbury in better keeping with the comics version of the character.  As for the Infinity Stone I mentioned, that would be the mind stone, which Doom uses to control the various F4 members until Reed works out Doom is channelling the stone’s power and creates the feedback.

Ms Marvel (2008) Directed by Gates McFadden

Carol Danvers/Ms Marvel = Melissa Joan Hart

Michael Barnett = Brian Krause

J. Jonah Jameson = J.K. Simmons

Frank Gianelli = Rory Cochrane

Tracey Burke = Kate Mulgrew

Tabitha Townsend = Kyla Pratt

Lynn Andersen = Amanda Seyfried

Mystique/Raven Darkholme = Connie Nielsen

Rogue = Anna Paquin

Avalanche = Alessandro Gassmann

Fred J Dukes/Blob = Vince Vaughan

Pyro = Hugh Jackman

Irene Adler/Destiny = Sally Field

When it comes to trying to tackle Carol Danvers in films, one story that’s yet to hit the big screen is the story of her downfall against the X-Man Rogue back when Rogue was part of Mystique’s Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.  Indeed, the 90’s animated series of the X-Men is the only adaptation to handle this, and they did it by neatly sidestepping some disturbing backstory.  Long story short, there was a story arc in the Avengers comics around the late 70’s/early 80’s where Carol (then codenamed Ms Marvel) was mind-controlled and raped by an extra-dimensional being so he could be reborn in a body compatible with Earth, then after fast-growing to adulthood, his presence caused a bunch of time disruptions.  When Carol then agreed to go with this being, the Avengers made no effort to prevent this.

When Chris Claremont wrote Rogue into Avengers Annual 10 and showed Rogue rocking Carol’s powers, the question that came to be asked was why Carol hadn’t sought out the Avengers upon returning to Earth, and the answer was made clear.  The team hadn’t shown any real concern for Carol during her strange accelerated pregnancy, and then let her go off with a blatantly mind-controlling rapist from another dimension.  As such, telling the story of Carol clashing with Rogue and the Brotherhood should never be an exact re-telling.  Claremont’s story in Avengers Annual 10 was as much about correcting what the writer of the main comics at that time had written, and with film adaptations, you’re better off just taking a different path entirely.

In this case, we’re showing Carol working as an investigative journalist for a Daily Bugle-owned women’s magazine, who uses the Ms Marvel identity to tackle crime where needed.  This is based on her original run in the comics, so we have Jameson borrowed from the Spider-Man films while using the magazine staff from the comics for supporting roles.  As for the villains, roles from past films like Mystique and Pyro are combined with newly cast actors to give us our second MCU Brotherhood.  The film draws in a mix of acting talent, with Melissa Joan Hart reprising the role of Carol Danvers, and Trek alumni Gates McFadden directing the film.  McFadden has played the mutant Plague/Pestilence for three X-films before this and has some directing experience, making her a good choice for this project.

Elektra (2009) Directed by Roxann Dawson

Elektra Natchios = Leonor Varela

Stick = Scott Glenn

Stone = Sigourney Weaver

Kirigi = Daniel Henney

Frank Simpson/Nuke = John Cena

Matsu'o Tsurayaba = Hiroyuki Sanada

Kwannon = Kelly Hu

Turk Barrett = Gary Dourdan

The story of Elektra following her death in Daredevil is one Fox didn’t quite get right, in large part because they tried to incorporate plot elements and tropes that didn’t tonally fit with the character.  Having used two Daredevil films to set her up before giving the character a one-shot solo film, I think the best thing is taking those bits out.  Instead, we get the Hand going after the Chaste with Elektra in the middle, and when Elektra proves more than they can handle, they bring in the pill-popping assassin known as Nuke.  It’s a straight-up martial arts action film initially, but then becomes a more Punisher-like action film when Nuke comes on the scene.

Trek alumni Roxann Dawson takes the helm because she’s one of the few women I know of that would be directing anything back around this time.  Considering that films with female leads are often better handled by female directors, it makes sense to try and make this the case wherever possible.  The cast is either retained from past films of picked to be more comic-accurate.  Case-in-point, picking American actor Scott Glenn to play Stick rather than English actor Terrence Stamp.

Black Panther 2 (2009) Directed by Tim Burton

T'Challa/Black Panther = Chadwick Boseman

Shuri = Tatyana Ali

Ramonda = Alfre Woodard

T'Chaka = Courtney B. Vance

W'Kabi = Chiwetel Ejiofor

Okoye = Nia Long

Zuri = Joseph Marcell

M'Baku = Idris Elba

Nakia = Lupita Nyong'o

Monica Lynne = Kerry Washington

Baron Macabre = Sterling K Brown

Jerome Beechman/Mandrill = Joaquin Phoenix

Nekra Sinclair = Toks Olagundoye

Kevin Plundarr/Ka-Zar = Chris Hemsworth

Shanna O'Hara = Scarlett Johansson

Zaladane = Jolene Blalock

Everett Ross = Martin Freeman

In Black Panther 2, T’Challa becomes allied with Ka-Zar of the Savage Land when it turns out his hidden jungle in Antarctica houses a cache of Vibranium to rival Wakanda’s.  Most would-be Vibranium hunters baulk at trying to gain the Antarctic variety due to the dinosaurs, but soon both nations are threatened when the woman-controlling mutant Mandrill, his adoptive sister Nekra, the Savage Land priestess Zaladane and Wakandan criminal Baron Macabre team up.  Due to the inclusion of some of these villains, I opted to switch from Tim Story to Tim Burton from a directing stand-point.  This film also features a change of role for a couple of real-world MCU alumni.

Defenders 2 (2009) Directed by Stephen Sommers

Dr Stephen Strange = Johnny Depp

Namor McKenzie/The Submariner = Christian Bale

Bruce Banner/Hulk = John Cusack

Silver Surfer = David Wenham

Valkyrie = Diane Kruger

Kyle Richmond/Nighthawk = Josh Duhamel

Patsy Walker/Hellcat = Mena Suvari

Wong = Will Yun Lee

Clea = Keira Knightley

Jericho Drumm/Brother Voodoo = Doug E. Doug

Dr Anthony Druid = Mark Strong

Daimon Hellstrom = James Van Der Beek

Dr Tania Belinsky (Belinskaya)/Red Guardian = Beatrice Rosen

Dr Arthur Nagan = Julian McMahon

Dr Jerold "Jerry" Morgan = Stellan Skarsgård

Ruby Thursday = Alyssa Milano

Harvey Schlemerman/Chondu the Mystic = Stanley Tucci

Shuma-Gorath = Geoffrey Rush

The Defenders, Marvel’s superhero non-team, return for a second instalment at this point, and I’ve picked Stephen Sommers as director based on him directing a live-action GI Joe film around the same time.  In this film, the few routinely active Defenders learn via immigrant Russian doctor and superhero Red Guardian that a team of scientists called the Headmen have stolen the Reality Stone from AIM in an effort to seize world power for themselves.  Allying with Namor the Sub-Mariner, the Defenders seek to stop the Headmen while Clea joins with Brother Voodoo, Dr Druid and Daimon Hellstrom to try and bring back Doctor Strange from the extra-dimensional limbo he sacrificed himself to in Doctor Strange 3.  At the same time, the Silver Surfer seeks the Hulk.  The whole team then comes together when the Headmen open a portal for Shuma-Gorath, in the process transforming into their strange comic-style appearances.

Everyone from Dr Druid on down in the cast list is new.  As for why we’re skipping over the original male Red Guardian and focusing on the second female iteration for this MCU, there’s two reasons.  First, the second female iteration served as a Defender in the original comics, and second, these MCU rambles are focused on the main film continuity, which in this version of the MCU is strictly cinematic.  TV shows, while allowed as tie-ins, are optional content, and while I’d happily allow a TV show to dive in on Black Widow and some other characters, I think a film was and is a bit much for a character with so little solo comics content.

X-Men: Proteus (2010) Directed by LeVar Burton

Storm/Ororo Monroe = Halle Berry

Polaris/Lorna Dane = Jeri Ryan

Wolverine/Logan = Tom Cruise

Peter Rasputin/Colossus = Henry Cavill

Remi LeBeau/Gambit = Zachary Levi

Cyclops/Scott Summers = Patrick Swayze

Jean Grey = Milla Jovovich

Warren Worthington III/Archangel = Neil Patrick Harris

Beast/Hank McCoy = Alec Baldwin

Robert Drake/Iceman = Michael Weatherley

Banshee/Sean Cassidy = Liam Neeson

Dr Moira Mactaggert = Olivia Williams

Mystique/Raven Darkholme = Connie Nielsen

Rogue = Anna Paquin

Avalanche = Alessandro Gassmann

Fred J Dukes/Blob = Vince Vaughan

Pyro = Hugh Jackman

Irene Adler/Destiny = Sally Field

Professor Charles Xavier = Patrick Stewart

Kevin Mactaggert/Proteus = Iain De Caestecker

Joseph Mactaggert = John Hannah

Rahne Sinclair/Wolfsbane = Bonnie Wright

Danielle Moonstar = Selena Gomez

Jubilee = Chloe Bennett

Everett Thomas/Synch = Christopher Massey

Douglas Ramsey/Cypher = Devon Bostick

With the third X-Men film Fall of the Mutants having split the X-Men up, and a combination of the Secret Wars duology, Excalibur and X-Factor films following events for the divided team, this fourth X-Men film is intended to reunite some of the scattered team into a new whole.  It also gives Rogue her defection from the Brotherhood following the events of Ms Marvel.  In this film, Moira Mactaggert’s son Proteus emerges as a dangerous mutant and begins a rampage across to Scotland.  With Excalibur unavailable, X-Factor is summoned while the X-Men pursue Mystique’s Brotherhood to Scotland.  The two teams meet up and reunite when they find Professor X is also with Moira, having been recuperating on Muir Island since being released from a SHIELD hospital (this is set-up over end-credit scenes for Fall of the Mutants and X-Factor).

Direction-wise, the X-Men have been handled initially by Jonathan Demme and then Jonathan Frakes in films bearing their team’s name, while Excalibur was helmed by Christopher Nolan and X-Factor by LeVar Burton.  For this film, I’ve put Burton back in the director’s chair.  Casting-wise, I imagine same fans will be perplexed by my choice of Chloe Bennett for Jubilee.  This is because Bennett is of a mixed ancestry that includes having a Chinese mother, and while the ideal is always to try for exact representation from the comics, there aren’t many actresses active in Hollywood around the time of this film with even one parent of Chinese descent, let alone two.

As such, the question becomes which do you compromise; Jubilee’s racial background or her nationality?  My choice, compromise slightly on racial background and bring in some plot threads relating to prejudice against people of mixed race.  Quite honestly, characters of mixed race are among those groups under-represented in film and TV, so if I have to compromise, let me at least try and do so in a positive way.

Spider-Man 6 (2010) Directed by Matthew Vaughan

Peter Parker/Spider-Man = Wil Weaton

May Parker = Marg Helgenberger

J. Jonah Jameson = J.K. Simmons

Joseph "Robbie" Robertson = Denzel Washington

Betty Brant = Parker Posey

Ned Leeds = John Barrowman

Eddie Brock/Venom = Wentworth Miller

Randy Robertson = Taye Diggs

Mary-Jane Watson-Parker = Alison Hannigan

Flash Thompson = Ben Affleck

Felicia Hardy/The Black Cat = Elisha Cuthbert

Sha Shan Nguyen = Grace Park

Captain Jean DeWolff = Jessica Biel

Anne Weying = Michelle Williams

Principal Harrington = Viggo Mortensen

Lance Bannon = Hayden Christensen

Gloria "Glory" Grant = Candice Patton

In the sixth of our Spider-Man films, and the last to both start and end with Peter Parker wearing the webs, we showcase Peter and MJ preparing for their upcoming wedding, but the pair are stalked by Eddie Brock, who has now joined with the Venom symbiote and seeks to make Peter’s life hell.  He attempts to manipulate the Black Cat into being his co-conspirator as well, preying on her jealousy after the symbiote-free Spider-Man resists her seduction.  The story ultimately culminates in Venom trying to force Peter into a no-win situation where he has to choose who to save; Mary-Jane or Felicia.  Matthew Vaughan returns to direct, and we get a few extra supporting cast members in lieu of the various villains of Spider-Man 5.

Ant-Man 2 (2010) Directed by Peyton Reed

Hank Pym/Ant-Man = Michael Douglas

Scott Lang/Ant-Man II = Paul Rudd

Maggie Lang = Judy Greer

Cassie Lang = Joey King

William Cross/Crossfire = Ethan Hawke

Taskmaster = Jeffrey Dean Morgan

Alex Gentry/Porcupine = Nick Offerman

Janice Lincoln/Beetle = Naya Rivera

Having left Ant-Man alone in terms of solo films since phase 1, phase 2 marks a return for Hank Pym, who by this point has been out of action since a mental break-down forced him to retire.  Now of sound mind again, he tries to deal with tech thief Crossfire, who steals the prototype for a new, more aggressive variant of the Ant-Man suit, the Yellowjacket.  However, Hank’s old suit is not safe to use as it clashes with his neuro-chemistry, risking more mental break-down.  Even worse, it’s been stolen.  In tracking down the Ant-Man suit, Hank encounters desperate divorced father Scott Lang, who stole the suit to get money to cover his daughter’s medical treatment.

With this film, the aim is to pass the mantle of Ant-Man to Scott Lang in a more comics-accurate manner, while at the same time preserving certain casting that the MCU got right, hence why Pym, Scott and Maggie are all retained from the real MCU.  In terms of Cassie, I switched to Joey King as she’s had a remarkably steady record of employment for a non-Disney child actress, and I think she’s a great choice to take up this role for the remainder of this hypothetical MCU.  Direction-wise, I figured it best to stick with the choices of the real MCU and go for Peyton Reed, having had to go with Sam Raimi on the 90’s-made first Ant-Man of this MCU.

Silver Surfer 2 (2011) Directed by JJ Abrams

Silver Surfer = David Wenham

Thanos = Josh Brolin

Mentor = Michael McKean

Eros/Starfox = Joel McHale

Gamora = Zoe Saldana

Drax the Destroyer = Dean Cain

Adam Warlock = Chris Pine

Pip the Troll = Peter Dinklage

Nebula = Emma Stone

Mar-Vell/Captain Marvel = Jude Law

Following the events of Defenders 2, the Silver Surfer finds himself drawn into yet more Infinity Stone adventures when Kree hero Captain Marvel and the android Drax the Destroyer come to Earth with Adam Warlock, keeper of the Soul Gem.  Hot on their heels are Thanos and Nebula, each of whom has begun to seek the Infinity Stones.  Worse still, Mar-Vell is dying of cancer.  The film is meant to advance the Infinity Stones plot while also adapting the death of Mar-Vell from the comics, not to mention setting up for the Guardians of the Galaxy to appear in the next phase.

For direction, I’ve picked JJ Abrams based on his Star Trek and Star Wars work making him a decent choice for a space-based hero like the Silver Surfer.  In terms of casting, we have a few reprises from past films in this 90’s MCU and from the real MCU.  However, some shifts have also occurred, most notably with Drax due to wanting to use his original comics origins over the revised MCU/later comics version.  The would-be autistic representation of Bautista and Gunn’s Drax quickly become so much farce, so as an autistic person, I’d just as soon avoid that and go down the android route, thanks very much.

Avengers vs X-Men (2011) Directed by Jonathan Frakes

Cyclops/Scott Summers = Patrick Swayze

Jean Grey = Milla Jovovich

Storm/Ororo Monroe = Halle Berry

Wolverine/Logan = Tom Cruise

Peter Rasputin/Colossus = Henry Cavill

Remi LeBeau/Gambit = Zachary Levi

Warren Worthington III/Archangel = Neil Patrick Harris

Rogue = Anna Paquin

Steve Rogers/Captain America = Brad Pitt

Thor = Dolph Lundgren

Janet Van Dyne/Wasp = Catherine Zeta Jones

Iron Man/Tony Stark = Tom Selleck

Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk = Lucy Lawless

T'Challa/Black Panther = Chadwick Boseman

Sam Wilson/Falcon = Will Smith

Peter Parker/Spider-Man = Wil Weaton

Professor Charles Xavier = Patrick Stewart

Carol Danvers = Melissa Joan Hart

Mystique/Raven Darkholme = Connie Nielsen

Avalanche = Alessandro Gassmann

Fred J Dukes/Blob = Vince Vaughan

Pyro = Hugh Jackman

Irene Adler/Destiny = Sally Field

Frank Bohannan/Crimson Commando = Harrison Ford

Louis Hamilton/Stonewall = James Brolin

Martin Fletcher/Super-Sabre = Peter Fonda

Dr Valerie Cooper = Malin Åkerman

Sebastian Gilbreti/Bastion = Bruce Greenwood

Congressman Rev. William Stryker = Eric Roberts

Forge = Jimmy Smits

There have been two occasions in Marvel comics where the X-Men and Avengers have been drawn into direct conflict, at least using multiple issues of a comic and to my knowledge.  The first is the 1980’s mini-series X-Men versus Avengers, where the Avengers attempted to arrest Magneto to resume his trial before the world court, while the Soviet Super-Soldiers sought to arrest Magneto for his actions in X-Men #150.  As Magneto was part of the X-Men at the time, this naturally put all three teams at odds with each other.  The second occasion was the AvX storyline in which Cyclops, Emma Frost, Namor, Colossus and Magik became possessed by the Phoenix Force, something the Avengers tried to prevent and later combat.

While this film draws on the basic concept of both series, that something sets the Avengers and the X-Men at odds with each other, it’s not about arresting Magneto or issues with the Phoenix force.  Instead, the issue is Rogue; her status as a mutant terrorist is used to convince the Avengers to apprehend the X-Men.  This is bad timing, as the X-Men are working with Rogue to help restore the mind of Carol Danvers.  The masterminds of the plot are rabid anti-mutant politician William Stryker and government advisor Sebastian, who in reality is a new form of sentinel in disguise.  Luckily, government advisor and secret mutant Forge is suspicious of Bastion and convinces NSA director Dr Valerie Cooper to set up a contingency plan.

As a result, the film builds to a climax where, after the intervention of Spider-Man ends a major fight between the two teams, Bastion unleashes his prime sentinels.  Enter Mystique’s expanded Brotherhood in their guise as community service government heroes Freedom Force, and the stage is set for a truly epic battle.  Direction-wise, I opted for Jonathan Frakes to helm this entry, and while many actors are reprising roles from past films, everyone from Crimson Commando on down is new to the MCU as of this film.

Ghost Rider 3 (2011) Directed by Mark Steven Johnson

Johnny Blaze/Ghost Rider = Connor Trinneer

Roxanne Simpson = Jessica Alba

Eric Brooks/Blade = Jamie Foxx

Rachel Van Helsing = Cote De Pablo

Daimon Hellstrom = James Van Der Beek

Vlad Tepish/Dracula = Mads Mikkelsen

Lilith = Felicity Jones

Mephistopheles = Jeffery Combs

Phase 5 of our 90’s MCU closes out by bringing Johnny Blaze’s time as Ghost Rider to its conclusion, in a story where Johnny teams up with Blade, Rachel Van Helsing and Daimon Hellstrom against Dracula and his daughter Lilith, who are secretly in league with Mephistopheles.  The film is partly an original plot and partly an adaptation of the end of the original Ghost Rider run of comics, though it’s far from being the last Ghost Rider film of this MCU.  Just as the comics would have others take up the Ghost Rider curse after Blaze, so too will this MCU move onto those later riders in turn.  Having used Tim Burton on the first two Ghost Rider films in this MCU, I’ve picked Mark Steven Johnson who handled the 2007 Nicholas Cage Ghost Rider film to take on this third instalment of 90’s MCU Ghost Rider.

This wraps up our look into phase 5 of this 90’s-based MCU; next month, we’ll cover phase 5 of our alternate DC movie universe.  Until then, ta-ta for now.

[denimbex1986]

'Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer will gratefully come to theaters despite two major strikes going on in Hollywood. However, while Nolan’s magnum-Oppen-opus is already being hailed as a masterpiece by those who’ve seen it, the name of the group chat of its cast might be an even more flawless gem.

The plot of Oppenheimer, which stars Cillian Murphy as the physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, centers around the creation of the first atomic bomb during World War II in which an international team of scientists, led by the titular protagonist, engage in top-secret laboratory experiments in New Mexico called the Manhattan Project.

The historical event itself represented the coming together of a jaw-dropping list of rockstar scientists at the time such as Enrico Fermi, Edward Teller, and Niels Bohr, among many others. Even Albert Einstein himself provided the letter to Franklin Delano Roosevelt that convinced the president to develop the weapon in the first place, though the general relativity theory discoverer was not part of the nuclear bomb’s creation thereafter. It’s no wonder that the cast of the Oppenheimer film also represents an ensemble of some of Hollywood’s biggest stars.

Other than Murphy, the film also stars Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, Bennie Safdie, Kenneth Branagh, Matthew Modine, Gary Oldman, and Josh Hartnett, among many others. However, what is arguably more extraordinary than the cast itself is the name of their collective group chat. All of the aforementioned actors are on one giant WhatsApp thread titled “Oppenhomies,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Remarking on Oppenheimer’s unprecedented ensemble, Downey Jr. said: “It was the cast of Ben-Hur […] Everybody would have their moments. There were no small scenes.”

It’s a good thing Oppenheimer is coming out when it is because it seems to have narrowly dodged any kind of consequence from the dual strikes occurring with the Writers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild. As a testament to this close call, Murphy, Damon, and Blunt had to abruptly exit the red carpet premiere of Oppenheimer when the SAG strike commenced Thursday...'

[scrutonworld]

The barbaric impulse to unthink lurks in all of us - take the easy way out. As Adolf Eichmann of the Nazi dystopian state proclaimed in so many words -- I was just following orders.

Matthew J. Frank writes “Burgess’s novel got me thinking that a thread running through all dystopias is the totalitarian state’s invasion of every kind of human love (all four loves, as C. S. Lewis might remark). This is true of friendship (philia), familial affection (storgē), and of course charity (agapē), but especially of eros, the love that is fruitful and multiplies …

“The Bookshelf: Eros and Dystopia.” By Matthew J. Frank. From Public Discourse. https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/author/mfranck/

[writer59january13]

How to attach a shower curtain...

I revisit rather than write from scratch a poem crafted May twenty third two thousand and twenty since the following words apropos and amply serve a duplicate purpose of aforementioned title, when yours truly enlisted (before any consideration arose to object threading shower rings thru scissor made cuts)

of makeshift shower curtain -

actually repurposed invisibility cloak then yesterday March 24th, 2024, therefore husbandly duty found me swallowing my pride and prejudice with sense and sensibility

suffering permanent anatomical disfigurement, nonetheless

maintaining marital bliss at steep price despite more or less

musculoskeletal dislocation, I eagerly, readily willingly confess.

Ideal for someone whose height trends toward above average

unless you don't object tilting head back in an effort to gauge

keeping noggin cocked at ninety degree angle tempering rage.

Yours truly gifted with absolute zero vertical advantage, hence

mine neck craned back imposing unpleasant strain forcing gent's

head apropos regarding yours truly futile attempt present instance.

Carotid arteries perfectly positioned awaiting Jack Ripper's (imposter) knife

thus mine noodle (property Matthew Scott) induced physical strife

discomfort courtesy directly linkedin viz the ole hen pecking wife.

Without complaint, I dutifully accepted challenge to affix curtain

(essentially meant to keep shower water splashing bathroom floor)

unbeknownst that threading a camel thru eye of needle sewing pin

Would be a cinch, but such blessed lesson acquired thru hindsight

initial task assigned me appeared straight forward until I saw light

bulbs blind me myopic orbs, thus in addition to afore stated plight...

Husband material (me) sorely tested to the max, no matter chore

hardly commenced, which spurred mental note to refrain pointing

at cumulative mold accretion heavily visible and unsightly eye sore.

Arch disadvantage, yours truly not being impressive or particularly tall

and thought not to retrieve sturdy furniture to boost reach heavenly pole

which plastic hooks suspended plastic shower curtain over long haul.

Upon figuring out how drape like appurtenance got held in place crick

would necessitate chiropractor to realign permanently bent poise kick

started when initially troubleshooting deceptively easy task, no quick

assignment, though obviously fashioning plastic hook thru pre cut slot

became clear at expense unintentionally breaking off "J" portion not

possible to avoid subsequently uselessly rendered hook even if robot

programmed to complete mission, yet all told poetically smarts & moxie I got.

Please accept lame attempt (minus obvious sensibility) to comprehend

anybody who reads previous literary endeavors considered virtual friend

unconditionally accepts trademark swiftly tailored harried style I extend

utilizing all manner of quirkiness, which moost likely spells mein legend

after I pass from temporal plain, a posthumous johnny come lately bend

ding formalities of English language writing, yet wondering what strictures

disallow experimenting with poetic genre, though methinks literature intend

did (art in general) to eternally evolve without deliberate intention to offend

any die hard who might call upon men in white suits and briskly recommend

to the funny farm, where life made more beautiful perchance receiving stipend.

[ajsbookreviews]

Star Splitter Book Review

Star Splitter

Author: Matthew J. Kirby

Description: Crash-landed on a desolate planet lightyears from Earth, sixteen-year-old Jessica Mathers must unravel the mystery of the destruction all around her--and the questionable intentions of a familiar stranger.

For Jessica Mathers, teleportation and planetary colonization in deep space aren't just hypotheticals--they're real. They're also the very real reason her scientist parents left her behind six years ago. Now she is about to be reunited with them, forced to leave behind everyone she knows and loves, to join their research assignment on Carver 1061c, a desolate, post-extinction planet almost 14 lightyears from Earth.

Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆

Review: Star Splitter is the book to read if you’re easing your way into the sci-fi genre.

Matthew J. Kirby’s writing is fantastic, bringing forth a level of vividness that reads like a movie — words blossoming into images on their own. It’s not convoluted scientific jargon, and neither is it dumbed-down explanations. It’s the sweet spot right between the two. Especially taken into account the visionary storyline and its genre, it’s utterly gratifying to read. The mere interpolation of the second point of view into the story, and how well executed the idea was, brings me awe and admiration for Kirby’s ingeniousness. 

However, though the book was filled with intriguing secondary plot-lines and strange incidents, not enough of them were expanded on. It’s a dreadful miss to leave so many hanging threads laying around, with no explanation nor pay-off. 

Additionally, though this is more of a personal preference, another downside was the small amount of spotlight given to Duncan. The character brought forth so much charm and dimension to contrast with Jessica. It made the dialogue entertaining, and it gave a different perspective to the events that neither Jessica could provide. It’s a shame the character was under-utilised. 

For all it’s worth, Star Splitter reads as a stand-alone, but I would be lying if I wasn’t desperate for a sequel. 

[doomdays]

@manslaught [ from ]   ━ ❝ you got the love of your life in the middle of your worst fucking nightmare. that has to count for something.  ❞

[botchedandecstatic]

Books Read/Reread, September/October 2023

Samatha Hunt, The Unwritten Book: An Investigation Kaori Fujino, Nails and Eyes Mitch Horowitz, Modern Occultism: History, Theory, and Practice Teju Cole, Tremor J. M. Coetzee, The Pole Ken Hollings, Inferno: A Genealogy of 1960s Trash Culture Nathaniel Lachenmeyer, 13: The Story of the World's Most Popular Superstition* Stephen King, The Shining* Kevin Young, Bunk: The Rise of Hoaxes, Humbug, Plagiarists, Phonies, Post-Facts, and Fake News* Matthew Bowman, The Abduction of Betty and Barney Hill: Alien Encounters, Civil Rights, and the New Age in America Mark O'Connell, A Thread of Violence: A Story of Truth, Invention, and Murder Patrick Boyton, Snallygaster: The Lost Legend of Frederick County Sam Anderson, Boom Town: The Fantastical Saga of Oklahoma City, Its Chaotic Founding, Its Apocalyptic Weather, Its Purloined Basketball Team, and the Dream of Becoming a World-Class Metropolis Margot and Rudolf Wittkower, Born Under Saturn: The Character and Conduct of Artists, A Documented History from Antiquity to the French Revolution* Hermione Lee, Virginia Woolf's Nose: Essays on Biography* Virginia Woolf, To the Lighthouse* Rachel Cantor, Half-Life of a Stolen Sister Diane Johnson, The True History of the First Mrs. Meredith, and Other Lesser Lives Hannah Arendt, On Lying and Politics Gladys-Marie Fry, Night Riders in Black Folk History* Sara Gran, Come Closer T Fleischmann, Syzygy, Beauty: An Essay Tiya Miles, Wild Girls: How the Outdoors Shaped the Women Who Challenged a Nation Carol Mayor, Blue Mythologies: Reflections on a Colour Jade E. Davis, The Other Side of Empathy * = reread

[tipsycad147]

The Herbs + Astrology of Samhain (Celebrating Lunar Samhain)

Alexis J. Cunningfolk

I am the hallow-tide of all souls passing, I am the bright releaser of all pain, I am the quickener of the fallen seed-case, I am the glance of snow, the strike of rain, I am the hollow of the winter twilight, I am the hearth-fire and the welcome bread, I am the curtained awning of the pillow, I am the unending wisdom's golden thread.

Song of Samhain from Celtic Devotional: Daily Prayers and Blessings by Caitlin Matthews

I love Samhain. I love the season of growing dark and increase of candle light. I love the thinning of the veil which helps each of us to travel between the worlds with greater ease. I love the possibilities of the future showing up in our dreams. I love the opportunity to set out a feast for the living and the dead. I love the smell of mulling spices and black candles burning. And I love the break from the busy outgoing energy of the bright half of the year to the welcome retreat of the dark. And I love Lunar Samhain, too!View fullsize

Of course, Samhain is only one holy day within the modern Pagan calendar (blessed be the Pagan love of celebrating the ongoing revelation of the sacred through all parts of the year). Within the modern Pagan wheel of the year there are eight major sabbats and each are tied not only the the earthly cycle of harvest and the mythological cycle of the God/dess/es (if that is your cup of tea), but the astrological wheel of stars. The eight sabbats are separated into two primary groups: the quarter sabbats and the cross-quarter sabbats. View fullsize

The quarter sabbats are the four equinoxes and solstices of the Spring Equinox, Summer Solstice, Autumn Equinox, and Winter Solstice.View fullsize

The cross-quarter holidays (also known as the fire festivals) fall between the quarter sabbats and include the festivals of Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh, and Samhain. While most folks are familiar with the fact the the quarter sabbats are observed when specific astrological markers occur, not everyone knows that the same happens for the cross-quarter sabbats as well. The cross-quarter sabbats are generally celebrated on fixed dates. Samhain, for example, is celebrated on October 31 each year. But, there is an astrological measurement for Samhain, too!

Samhain falls in the season of Scorpio. Scorpio is a fixed water sign which means it has a steady elemental energy that acts more like a place of energy than the passing of energy like at the quarter sabbats (which take place in the seasons of cardinal signs of beginning). The mysterious scorpion is a sign that is interested in the depths of any given matter, especially if it involves secrets, mysteries, and serious contemplation. When the Sun moves into 15 degrees of Scorpio or the mid-point of the sign, astrological Samhain occurs.  15 degrees Scorpio is the exact midpoint between 0 degrees Libra (aka the Autumn Equinox) and 0 degrees Capricorn (aka the Winter Solstice). Don’t you feel a bit more clever and magickally sophisticated understanding the astrological measurements to determine the dates of our beloved sabbats? 

In 2016, astrological Samhain is on October 30 which is delightfully close to the modern celebration of Samhain on the 31st. You should make sure to read up on the astroherbology profile of Scorpio to get a more in-depth understanding of the sign, season, and sabbat.

But there is even more fun to be had!

In college I was introduced to the celebration of Lunar Samhain and my Moon-centered heart was delighted. I was already excited to learn that I could extend the celebrations of my favorite sabbat to its traditional astrological date (which can be as far into the first week or so of November), but there was also a lunar celebration!

So when is Lunar Samhain?

I have seen Lunar Samhain calculated in two ways. The first is by finding the New Moon closest to the October 31 celebration of Samhain. The second way is by finding the New Moon in the sign of Scorpio which will be closer to the Sun’s position at 15 degrees of Scorpio. Using the latter calculation, in 2016, we’ll have a real treat, in that the New Moon closest to the Sun entering 15 degrees Scorpio will happen on October 30. Next year, Lunar Samhain could be as early as October 19 (using the first method) or as late as the New Moon in Scorpio on November 18 (which is my preferred calculation). 

Samhain is the traditional celebration of the New Year within Celtic culture and since the Celts considered both solar and lunar signs for their calendar, the New Moon at Samhain marked the true beginning of the New Year. 

I’ve celebrated the dual holidays of Halloween and Samhain for years. Halloween is a cultural celebration with fun community celebrations and I love dressing up on the 31st as well as getting together with my extended family of Pagan kin for spiritual celebrations. Lunar Samhain is when I celebrate with my smaller community of Pagan family to mark the new year, share stories of our ancestors, and cast divinations for the year ahead. Both celebrations feature a variety of herbs chosen for their magickal and ancestral significance. I've listed some of my favorites below.

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)

Rosemary for remembrance goes the old saying and so it is a useful herb for remembering and connecting to our ancestors. Magickally, Rosemary is a wonderful smudge for protection and clearing space for magick. Burn to bring good health for the new year and invite in vitality. Create a rosemary charm bundle to attract the Good Folk to you and mix with Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) to be able to see them. It is also a traditional incense to burn at funerary rights to honor the dying and the power of death as the great renewer of life. Rosemary, as with Mugwort discussed below, has an association with womyn’s culture. It is said that it grows in front of the house where womyn are in charge - I make sure to always have Rosemary growing in my front yard for that reason. A bath of Rosemary is an excellent way to prepare the temple of the body for a Samhain rite and help to awaken the long dormant memory to lost rituals of magick.

Blessed Thistle (Cnicus benedictus)

Blessed Thistle is an herb of Scorpio and a very protective herb one at that! The herb can be used in all sorts of charms and rituals for protection, warding, and making safe people and places. It is an herb of manifesting dreams into reality by creating firm boundaries and has an affinity for students both for its medicinal use for clearing brain fog and its magickal properties in awakening the inner spark of inspiration. Plant in gardens and keep in the home to protect against thievery, unkind spirits, and hexes. Use Blessed Thistle in rituals assisting spirits to move on from our realm into the next. It is an excellent uncrossing and hex-breaking herb. Blessed Thistle also bestows blessings as its name implies and can be used in healing work. In his Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs Scott Cunningham recommends the following ritual to call spirits: 

…place some thistle in boiling water. Remove from heat and lie or sit beside it. As the steam rises call the spirits and listen carefully; they may answer your questions.

Mugwort (Artemisia spp.)

As a profoundly magickal herb, you find Mugwort showing up again and again at sabbat celebrations. As a magickal herb, Mugwort brings on visionary states whether through dream or trance. Use it in dream sachets and visionary teas. The herb has a special affinity to womyn and womyn’s rituals and communities, especially in rites of Artemis. Use in charms to bring those who have acted violently towards womyn to justice and offer healing to those harmed. Remember, too, that Mugwort is an herb freed from the confines of womyn as gender making it delightfully disruptive to the gender binary. Wash your scrying mirrors and crystal balls with a strong infusion of Mugwort and Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) for consecration and blessing. Add it to traveling charms (including trance traveling charms) and use it in your shoes to protect against weariness. Burn as an incense when your home is threatened by impending danger or simply needs to have its wards reinforced.

Ancestral Herbs

What herbs these might be depend on your ancestral and cultural lineage. Rue, for example, is a sacred plant for Italian witches as well as Mexican curanderas. Elder is the Goddess embodied in Northern European myth. Kava is a powerfully sacred plant in many Polynesian cultures. Take some time to learn about the ancestral plants of your lineage. Decorating your altar with ancestral plants and consuming them in brews can be a powerful way to connect with those who have gone before. Working with plants at Samhain can be especially powerful when there has been ancestral trauma due to separation or forced migration - the names and stories that we might have forgotten or never known are never forgotten by the plants. 

Make sure to read the Scorpio Astroherbology Profile for even more inspiration for working with herbs and healing during the season of the scorpion. Cast some cards with the Samhain tarot spread and get settled in to the season of spooky. Wherever your revelries take you, I hope that you find yourself in midst of enchantment and wonder as the dark calls the song from your starry-hearted spirit.

[larkaloke]

Books I've Been Reading

I've been thinking about posting some kind of short "books I read last year" list for a while (since the end of last year, in fact), so I'm just going to go ahead and do it now. This should be from 2020 through to 2022, but a couple from 2019 might have snuck in there as well, mostly in non-fiction. I'm more sure of the fiction.

FICTION

Elatsoe (Darcy Little Badger)

The House of Shattered Wings (Aliette de Bodard)

The House of Binding Thorns (Aliette de Bodard)

The House of Sundering Flames (Aliette de Bodard)

Of Dragons, Feasts, and Murders (Aliette de Bodard)

Of Charms, Ghosts, and Grievances (Aliette de Bodard)

* The Killing Moon (N.K. Jemisin)

* The Shadowed Sun (N.K. Jemisin)

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (N.K. Jemisin)

The Broken Kingdoms (N.K. Jemisin)

The Kingdom of Gods (N.K. Jemisin)

The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps (Kai Ashante Wilson)

Witchmark (C.L. Polk)

Stormsong (C.L. Polk)

Soulstar (C.L. Polk)

Conspirator (C.J. Cherryh)

Deceiver (C.J. Cherryh)

Betrayer (C.J. Cherryh)

Intruder (C.J. Cherryh)

Protector (C.J. Cherryh)

Peacemaker (C.J. Cherryh)

Red Mars (Kim Stanley Robinson)

Green Mars (Kim Stanley Robinson)

Blue Mars (Kim Stanley Robinson)

Gideon the Ninth (Tamsyn Muir)

Harrow the Ninth (Tamsyn Muir)

Nona the Ninth (Tamsyn Muir)

* Ancillary Justice (Ann Leckie)

* Ancillary Sword (Ann Leckie)

* Ancillary Mercy (Ann Leckie)

Hermetica (Alan Lea)

Binti Trilogy (Nnedi Okorafor)

The Black Tides of Heaven (Neon Yang)

The Red Threads of Fortune (Neon Yang)

The Descent of Monsters (Neon Yang)

The Ascent to Godhood (Neon Yang)

If you got the idea that I tend to read series, yeah, that's true.

NON-FICTION

* Dinosaurs Rediscovered (Michael J. Benson)

The World of Dinosaurs (Mark A. Norell)

The Paleo Art of Julius Csotonyi (Julius Csotonyi and Steve White)

Dinosaur Art (edited by Steve White)

Dinosaur: Facts and Figures: the Therapods (Molina-Perez and Larramendi)

Dinosaur: Facts and Figures: the Sauropods (Molina-Perez and Larramendi)

Astrophysics For People In A Hurry (Neil de Grasse Tyson)

* The End of Everything (Katie Mack)

* The Disordered Cosmos (Chanda Prescod-Weinstein)

How Steam Locomotives Really Work (Semmens and Goldfinch)

Non-binary: Memoirs of Gender and Identity (Rajunov and Duane)

Stage Combat: Swordplay From Shakespeare to the Present (John Lennox)

Combat Theory: The Foundations of the Fight (John Lennox)

Ghosting the News (Margaret Sullivan)

The Bright Ages (Matthew Gabriele and David M. Perry)

In Emergency, Break Glass (Nate Anderson)

* Learn How to Master the Art of Kart Driving (Terence Dove)

I was going to do some sort of ratings or something, but I'll save that for a more in-depth post somewhere else.

I was going to do some sort of ratings, but in lieu of that I just marked with a * books that ended up as new favorites (for fiction) or were particularly interesting or useful (for non-fiction). Not to imply that I disliked the others, of course. Something I actually disliked would probably not have been finished.

[arcticdementor]

I know @jack & @Twitter don’t care when people they disagree w/politically are threatened, but here’s a pleasant Berkeley PhD/@berggrueninst thinktank VP declaring that my friend & colleague Michael Anton deserves to be *executed*. Lib Privilege. Rest of us wld be fired & banned.

…

How many privileged elites now spew hate-filled and increasingly violent rhetoric with impunity, even as their soldiers in the streets increasingly get violent and threatening for real, while the rest of us get banned for saying things like "men can't be women"?

How long will we all put up with this? Is my friend and colleague going to need private security? Will I? These bitter ideologues are whipping themselves up into a crazed frenzy that is hard for the rest of us to even imagine. But make no mistake: their words are dangerous.

If you can't do anything about language like this, @jack and @berggrueninst, which is justifying the execution by firing squad of those who disagree with you, then we have to assume you support it. And that's sick and evil. 

…

So the response of @nils_gilman and the rest of the TIP crew when what they are up to is pointed out and called a potential coup is to call their opponents racists and say they should be executed by firing squad for intellectual crimes...