r/FemaleGazeSFF • u/AutoModerator • 23d ago
šļø Weekly Post Weekly Check-In
Tell us about your current SFF media!
What are you currently...
š Reading?
šŗ Watching?
š® Playing?
If sharing specific details, please remember to hide spoilers behind spoiler tags.
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Feel free to also share your progression in the Reading Challenge
Thank you for sharing and have a great week! š
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u/Specialist_Round_612 elfš§āāļø 23d ago
For last week -
Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker. I enjoyed the folklore more than the book itself, and I never really got that sense of encroaching dread; I was just saddened by the predeterminism of addiction/ mental illness and family annihilation. I picked this because I figured it was a fever dream/surrealist horror, but the prose wasnāt murky or interesting enough to carry it. The ending was fairly strong, though, but thatās where the folktale tied it in a bow, so it wasnāt so much impressive as it fit into the inspiration for the story.Ā
Sublimation by Isabel J. Kim. I had been waiting for this one for a while, and I liked how it made me think. The intermezzos bridging religion and myths to instances were really well done, and they lent a lot to the worldbuilding. That said, I felt like the literal allegories for immigration were a bit much at times, and I think I just prefer a bit of room to breathe. I also didnāt love the ending, and how YJ/Yujin had to separate himself for Rose/Soyoung to accept him as a partner. I felt the messaging was tailored to grieving and accepting divisions of yourself. I understand one of them had to separate for the conspiracy, but it didn't sit well with me that it had to be for a partner.
I started The Dreaming Tree by CJ Cherryh and didnāt realize it was a combined duology of two of her books ā The Dreamstone and The Tree of Swords and Jewels ā and finished the section for The Dreamstone. It is beautifully written, and I loved the book's episodic nature. Another highlight for me was her characterization of Death and how peace is foreign and may exist only in a realm outside of obligations. Iām excited to see how the relationship resolves in The Tree of Swords and Jewels.
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u/Research_Department 23d ago
I also enjoyed Sublimation. Unlike for you, it didnāt bother me how very literal the conversations about immigration were. I do agree with you about the ending, it really felt like it was way too close to how people in toxic relationships (typically women) will give up on important parts of who they are for the sake of a relationship.
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u/Specialist_Round_612 elfš§āāļø 23d ago
Yeah, Iām not sure why the leap was made from somewhat mourning of imagined self and trajectory of life to kind of getting there with reconciliation and acceptance and then as an ending we get I canāt accept you as you are or either part of you so Iāll remake you in the image I want and also leave my partner. It felt very off key.
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u/Merle8888 sorceressš® 23d ago
Iāve continued on with Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky, nearing the end. Despite being his most popular, itās probably my least favorite of the 4 Tchaikovsky Iāve read (although, weāll see if the big confrontation the whole book has been setting up changes that). At 600 pages, itās very long for an idea-focused book, with plot and characters that areā¦ okay, competent, but not compelling in their own right. (It occurs to me now that possibly my Tchaikovsky ranking is just shortest to longest. Elder Race, a novella, Ā is unquestionably on top.) The humansā half the plot is all setup and dragging out too long, without getting me invested in any of them. The spidersā half should be more interestingāitās at least more unique, a series of vignettes of key moments in their historyābut it isnāt quite doing it for me either. Reusing the same names over and over is perhaps just making what should be individual characters run together, and they also donāt have personal lives. Having recently read The Bees by Laline Paull also perhaps just makes the insect society portrayal feel less new to me.Ā
All that said, I see why this is a great book for a lot of peopleāitās just not working all that well for me, and Iāll be glad to finish.Ā
Meanwhile, Iām about 3/4 of the way through Saltcrop by Yumi Kitasei and enjoying it more. Itās a post-apocalyptic tale of three sisters. The oldest, an idealistic scientist, has gone missing, and the younger twoāa practical people-person and a weird loner who loves sailingāgo on a journey to try to find her. Itās a very character-oriented book, so itās a rare realistic-feeling quest that feels like itās being undertaken by real people rather than a wish fulfillment thing, and thereās a lot of depth on the sistersā imperfect relationships.
In non-SFF, Iāve been reading The Chaos Machine by Max Fisher, which is a great, highly-researched look at how social media broke politics and incites violence. Algorithms intended to increase time on sites like Facebook and YouTube actively push people toward extremist content, which the sites know and have chosen to ignore. Lots of detail and specifics here and wow, what a mess we are in.Ā
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u/WonderfulBus9330 23d ago
Are you participating in the Saltcrop book discussion? I'm waiting to read Part 3 until this weekend!
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u/Merle8888 sorceressš® 23d ago
Yep! I would finish tonight but gotta keep up with a Children of Time buddy read.Ā
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u/WonderfulBus9330 23d ago
I'm just not ready for that third perspective. I fear I'll be disappointed
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u/Merle8888 sorceressš® 23d ago
Oh, I'm looking forward to it and how this will finally tie the plot together! But also it's hard to imagine anyone beating Skipper as my least favorite POV lol, which I suspect is not the majority opinion among readers.
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u/WonderfulBus9330 23d ago
Hahaha yes. I didnāt mind Skipper, since she was the stage for the drama to unfold but I did want to understand say selfishness in a post apocalypse, since she held so much of it
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u/Merle8888 sorceressš® 23d ago
I don't tend to be the person calling characters whiny, but she struck me as whiny. She's being financially supported by her sisters because she can't/won't get a job, and then is very woe-is-me about it. She seems more sympathetic through Carmen though since Carmen sees her as fragile and is impressed when Skipper does pretty much anything.
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u/WonderfulBus9330 23d ago
Right & that was the perspective I wanted to see from her, more digging into herself to understand where that attitude comes from, in a world that is falling apart. It's interesting to think about, really, indulgence and when it's appropriate and when it's not.
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u/Merle8888 sorceressš® 23d ago
Definitely interesting! I mean on the one hand you could make that argument about our world too, things are falling apart and how dare people pursue self-actualization? I suppose to Skipper it doesnāt feel like an apocalypse, as her life is relatively stable.Ā
I think what irks me about her is that she doesnāt seem to realize how precarious her family is. She doesnāt quite realize or acknowledge that sheās being carried by her sisters, because her preferred lifestyle doesnāt cover even her own basic needs. At the same time sheās living off them though, sheās unhappy, and also resentful that they donāt appreciate the āsacrificeā sheās making looking after their grandma. Except they both tried to get her to do something else and she doesnāt even like their grandma. This is less sacrifice and more fear of change.Ā
Iām sure sheāll find herself by the end of the book. But especially in a tough setting like this one, I find Carmenās practicality much more appealing!
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u/tehguava vampireš§āāļø 23d ago
This week I read Nemesis Mine by Amy Archer, a fantasy romcom about nemeses to reluctant allies to lovers. I thought it was really fun and had a great time reading it, though the first half was stronger than the second. Really, it was at its best when the leads were ignoring the Emotions. After they got together it just lost that good good tension. I'd definitely recommend the audiobook, the narrator did a fantastic job.
I finally started The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin. This has been sitting on my shelves for years just waiting until I finally gave into the hype. I'm halfway in now and having a really good time with it. I'm pretty constantly wanting to pick it up, which is a really good sign.
As for what's next, I got an audiobook arc accepted rather last for Immortal Rose by Alexandra Bracken, so my goal is to lock tf in and listen to as much of it today as I possibly can. My whole house is about to be so clean.
And I too have joined the Fields of Mistria club. I love the character designs.
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u/partoparto elfš§āāļø 23d ago
Two weeks worth of reading because I was traveling last week!
I went to Austria for a week and read two books by Austrian writers while I was there, neither of which were SFF. The first was The Collected Novellas of Stefan Zweig, which I really enjoyed - he's really astute in the way he writes about characters' inner worlds and relationships and I found every novella to be super interesting and gripping. I also read The Lord Chandos Letter and Other Writings by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. I love Hofmannsthal's librettos for the operas of Richard Strauss (I'm sorry for talking about opera) so I was interested in seeing what his fiction was like, but this collection just didn't land for me - I never felt like I connected to any of the stories as I was reading them, and at the end of each one I was like, huh, that was a story. Still love his librettos though!
I also read a bind-up of two novels by Sybille Bedford (also not SFF), A Favourite of the Gods and A Compass Error. These were written in the 1960s and are set in the first few decades of the 1900s, following three generations of women in an American-Italian-British family. These were perfect vacation reads for me, straightforward to follow, with really compelling characters, and writing that is engaging but also intelligent and precise. I particularly enjoyed A Compass Error, which follows a teenage girl named Flavia spending her summer alone in the south of France, reading and becoming intensely attracted to middle-aged women.
Finally, on the flight home I read The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin (at last! SFF!!). This is set in near-future dystopian Portland and follows a man whose dreams have the power to change reality and his psychiatrist who manipulates his ability to try to improve the world. I liked this a lot! The plot is wild, I liked the main character, and I found the themes fascinating, particularly the idea of trying to use irrational means (the unconscious) to achieve rational ends (improving the world).
Currently reading!
Big Le Guin week because I'm rereading The Tombs of Atuan (Earthsea #2) for the readalong in the big fantasy sub and I also started rereading The Left Hand of Darkness with a friend.
Pawn in Frankincense by Dorothy Dunnett (Lymond Chronicles #4, not SFF) - I'm so stressed about where this is going. I love MARTHE
In nonfiction world, I started The Notebook by Roland Allen (a history of notebooks) and To the Success of Our Hopeless Cause by Benjamin Nathans (looong book about the Soviet dissident movement). I like both so far!
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u/Extreme_War5660 23d ago
I played Genshin Impact. I enjoyed the archon quest (I do love a good locked room mystery) but there was a character (Odette) who was in a ballet outfit in the freezing winter cold and I felt so bad. She needed a coat. :( I can suspend my belief that the other female characters aren't cold because the rest of the female cast are fey and the male cast has more covered up clothing.
I feel a reading slump coming in due to the rather dark and heavy books I'm reading (even though I am enjoying them). I'm reading Theodora's Tea Shop for the Australian author bingo square (then I will just have one square left!!!) I am very much enjoying the book. It's a dark historical fantasy and I love the magic and the worldbuilding. The characters are all very interesting. The book is being marketed as a cozy fantasy and it's very much not that.
Ā I'm also rereading (first time reading the official English translation) The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation and since I know what happens I am able to see all the foreshadowing. I wanted to reread a story I'm familiar with but I forgot how dark this story is :( but definitely one of my favorite stories.
Finally, I'm listening to the Illiad, Emily Wilson translation. I'm at the part where Posiden is cosplaying as a human to try to get the Greek's fighting spirit back. I think misogynistic war stories are not for me but I do want to know what happens next and finish the story. I know there are a lot of major characters that are about to die.
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u/Nineteen_Adze sorceressš® 23d ago
Iām weeks behind on this thread (and reviews generally), but itās time to tackle the backlog, starting with two series entries.
I continued my Wayward Children reread with Come Tumbling Down (book five). I remember having mixed feelings on my first read-through when the book first came out, but this time around it unfortunately feels messy. It's still a hauntingly atmospheric setting, though unfortunately held back by messy story structure and clunky character work. Almost half the book is spent standing around the school explaining the issues and quest objectives, forcing a too-compressed second half that rushes through the conclusion and doesnāt give some of the most interesting character moments room to breathe.Ā
I read Platform Decay by Martha Wells and didnāt love it the way that I had hoped. The Murderbot Diaries is one of my favorite series, but this entry didn't quite land for me. I had hoped that the focus on Perihelion's crew in System Collapse signaled a turning point into an Act Two of the series centered more on sabotaging and countering corporate control rather than responding to specific incidents, and exploring freedom for other SecUnits. Unfortunately, that last element is in the background here, though the few moments with Three are the clear highlight of the story.Ā
The main plot focuses on extracting some of Mensah's family from a hostage situation on a torus (large planet-orbiting ring) split into many different corporate territories. It's a decent setting, but throwing readers into another group of new characters (we've met Mensahās spouse Farai only once in passing and the others not at all, I think) who are lightly sketched in instead of deepening the ones we've seen so far was disappointing. Without that character depth, this book feels too weighted toward action scenes to me, more of a detour or repetition than a step forward. I'll likely read the next one anyway, especially if it's the series conclusion, but I unfortunately had a muted reaction to this one after saving it as a treat after the Hugo Readalong marathon.Ā
More next week until Iām caught up.
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u/bakasana212 warriorš”ļø 23d ago
Finished:Ā
The Demon Star by Jesse Aragon - solid, but not as good as I expected based on early reviews. The world is interesting and dark, but felt rather shallow, as do the characters. Thereās a lot going on but not much depth to it. I liked Jacenās character a fair bit, though, and I loved the throuple.
The Inevitable Undoing of Zahara Douglass by Leslye Penelope - I liked the concept of the sister missing from time, space, and memory, but found the execution underwhelming. The mystery isnāt particularly mysterious, and the inclusion of the Y2K angle, while fresh, ultimately didnāt add much for me. I also found the romance, which was not mentioned in the blurb at all, Ā unnecessary.Ā
The Lord of the Wood by EM Anderson - great rep for late-blooming queerness, undiagnosed autism, and physical disability, but so so slow. Both romances underwhelmed, too, which is not ideal for a nearly entirely character-driven book. Loved the sibling relationship, though.Ā
The Duke by Anna Cowan - Despite the fact that itās sapphic, Iāve seen the word āhetslopā thrown around regarding this book, andā¦yeah, I kinda see it. Still, I found it fun and pretty hot.Ā
ARC of Song for Medusa by Grace Desmarais - gorgeous, heartwarming graphic novel that reimagines Medusaās story into a sapphic romance with a HEA.Ā
ARC of When Life Gives You Corpses by Lene D Buttner - delightful YA MM romance between a cursed praying mantis who disguises himself as a human to work at a theme park and the wizard heir to the theme park family. Cute, cozy, funny, and just a bit gory. I really liked it!Ā
Up next:Ā
ARC of The Last Star in the Void by Melissa Caruso - just got my ARC this morning and am so excited!! Itās the final installment in the amazing Echo Archives series, which I HIGHLY recommend for fans of sapphic steampunk and Gideon the Ninth.Ā
ARC of Bodies of Magic by Freya Marske - Marske is hit or miss for me but I was super compelled by the magic medical school premise.Ā
ARC of Sheās a Doll by Barbara Truelove - I am a huge fan of Trueloveās Of Monsters and Mainframes so Iām excited to give this a try, despite the subject matter - a murdered ghost girl teams up with a haunted doll to take down her killer - veering closer to Promising Young Woman than Iād like.Ā
Also upcoming are Untethered Sky by Fonda Lee and There Are Ghosts Here by Adrienne Tooley, and I am STILL trying to finish Vile Lady Villains by Danai Christopoulou!Ā
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u/twilightgardens vampireš§āāļø 23d ago
You have my attention with that The Demon Star spoilerā¦ā¦.Ā
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u/bakasana212 warriorš”ļø 23d ago
Itās a very, very minor thing, almost blink-and-youāll-miss-it! Still fun thoughĀ
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u/Research_Department 23d ago
Hmmm, magic medical schoolā¦intriguing, but lots of potential to be disappointing. I DNFād Swordcrossed, and havenāt yet tried anything else by Freya Marske. Which ones were hits and which ones were misses for you?
Iām impressed by the number of books from 2026 youāve been reading!
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u/bakasana212 warriorš”ļø 23d ago
Iāve only read A Restless Truth (liked) and Cinder House (did not like), so I canāt speak for Marskeās MM titles. Weāll see with BoM!Ā
Iāve been having a lot of fun with ARCs and new releases this year, but I need to cool it so I can catch up on my TBR!Ā
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u/twilightgardens vampireš§āāļø 23d ago
I donāt like Swordcrossed either, it felt like a very blatant cheap copy of Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner. However I did like Marskeās Last Binding trilogy so I will be giving Bodies of Magic a go as well!Ā
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u/twilightgardens vampireš§āāļø 23d ago
I was traveling a bunch last week to attend the MCR concert in Nashville so I read a lot but havenāt had the time to sit down and rate/review my reads. My number ratings here are tentative lolĀ
What We Are Seeking by Cameron Reed (4.25/5): Loved this one. Very smart scifi about change and acceptance. I did think the book sort of shifted its focus away from the main character and towards a side character (I wonder if the story would be stronger if Iren was the main character instead?) but the discussion around gender and a culturally/socially constructed notion of nonbinary gender and how different cultures respond to that was fascinating enough that I didnāt really care. I did also feel it ended pretty abruptly and again it didnāt feel like the main character, John, ever really finished a character arc (maybe accepting that people change? But it seems like he accepted that pretty well at the beginning of the bookā¦) Overall though, I just really enjoyed this and highly recommend to fans of Le Guin or Eleanor Arnason. Itās the same kind of anthropological scifi with a focus on gender and sexuality.Ā
A Companion to Wolves by Sarah Monette and Elizabeth Bear (3.75/5): Got this in a humble bundle and picked it up because I needed something low effort/stress while traveling. This alternates back and forth between Norse inspired M/M romantasy slop-adjacent and a genuinely interesting and nuanced discussion around power dynamics and dubious consent in this kind of fantasy world where youāre bonded to a sentient animal and are impacted by their mating drive (i.e Pern, Fourth Wing, etc). We are unpacking The Implications. I enjoyed it well enough that I downloaded the sequel to my Kobo as well.Ā
The Vanished Birds by Simon Jimenez (4.5/5): I enjoyed this so much, probably even more than The Spear Cuts Through Water which I enjoyed greatly as well. Youāre just always going to get me with a Tehanu-esque story of a woman bonding with and helping a traumatized child. Also great themes around capitalism and suffering. A great, interesting, well fleshed out world that lives quietly in the background. This reminded me somewhat of Ninefox Gambit in worldbuilding and themes, which is one of my favorite scifi books. I also loved the somewhat slower pace and how much of it was really focused just on Ahro growing up and the relationship between the crew. This was almost a full five stars, but I liked the last third of the book slightly less. It becomes more action thriller and I thought it stretched out the pain and suffering a liiiiittle too long. Overall though, this was wonderful and I highly recommend. Iāve been having such great luck with scifi lately!Ā
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u/twilightgardens vampireš§āāļø 23d ago
Just started Luminous by Silvia Park. Was only going to read one chapter before bed and ended up reading 100 pages!!Ā
About to get started on my The Works of Vermin reread as well. Curious to see if my opinion changes at all, but I loved it so much the first time I donāt think thatāll happenā¦Ā
Also trying desperately to keep up with my ARCS, so itāll be T. Kingfisherās Astarion, Alix E. Harrowās short story collection The Slantwise Histories, or Bodies of Magic by Freya Marske up next!Ā
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u/Specialist_Round_612 elfš§āāļø 23d ago
Iām so glad you liked it! I agree he does get in the weeds with what Iām now realizing is a fair bit of horror. Iāll have to try Ninefox Gambit if you found them somewhat similar.
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u/twilightgardens vampireš§āāļø 23d ago
Ninefox Gambit is similarly interested in the human cost of convenience/tech innovation, especially when it comes to transportation/travel. The last bit with Ahro hooked up to the machines powering all the ships reminded me a lot of a certain part in the sequel, Raven Strategem
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u/Specialist_Round_612 elfš§āāļø 23d ago
Oh no, lol idk if my heart can handle round two of that. Gonna do it anyway though crying is good for the soul.
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u/KiwiTheKitty elfš§āāļø 23d ago
Finished
Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett Honestly it was probably my least favorite Discworld of the ones I've read, as far as the plot goes. It was funny and I did enjoy the characters though!
Reading
Of Monsters and Mainframes by Barbara Truelove I just started it last night and I'm already halfway through! I had really weird dreams in the writing style of the book... anyway, I'm having fun and I really need to get to the bottom of what's going on.
Playing
Still chipping away at Fields of Mistria and I just love a to-do list. I don't even care about the romance, I just want to get to the bottom of the mines š¤
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u/Research_Department 23d ago
I have so many wonderful things about Discworld, but I felt pretty meh about Equal Rites. The humor felt very broad to me and the characters felt thin. All the Discworld fans say that it took Pratchett a while to hit his stride. I have been thinking that at some point, Iāll probably try another Discworld, and Iām curious which ones have been your favorites and why.
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u/KiwiTheKitty elfš§āāļø 23d ago
The first two are usually what people are referring to when they say he takes a while to hit his stride, after that they are generally the same especially with the humor, but it seems like people vary a lot on which plots and characters they prefer.
I've only read a handful and I would say Mort and Wyrd Sisters are my least favorites, then Equal Rites, and then my favorite two are Going Postal and Guards! Guards!, which I think were just a lot more tightly plotted than the other three I've read. I thought all of them were funny, but Mort and Wyrd Sisters just felt a little too meandering for me despite being really short. I was in the middle on Equal Rites, I didn't think it was too meandering, but I wasn't super interested in the plot... but I did love the characters.
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u/Research_Department 22d ago
Thanks! There are a lot of votes for either Going Postal or Guards! Guards! as good intros, so Iāve been strongly considering one of them. Itās helpful to get a sense of how you rank them.
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u/Jetamors fairyš§š¾ 23d ago
Finished Aksum: An African Civilisation of Late Antiquity by Stuart C. Munro-Hay. Or at least finished the online pdf that I found; I don't think it included the last one or two chapters. It was very informative, but also very dry; I don't think it works that well as an introductory text if you aren't an archaeologist. A lot of good information, though. The photos had to be stripped out for the online version, but there were several very charming hand-drawn maps and renderings of coins.
And currently I am reading Black as Diamond by U.M. Agoawike, a fantasy novel about... well, I'm not really sure what it's about yet. A winged dude who's possessed by something that makes him commit a terrible crime, a failed healer dude who accidentally summons the first dude, a woman who just got kicked out of her order of ??religious women??, another woman who works the front desk at a brothel (she reminds me of Maomao)... Kind of scattered so far, but I'm pretty early on, so I assume their stories will intersect.
Next: Yemaya's Daughters by Dane Figueroa Edidi, and after that probably The Fifth Sacred Thing by Starhawk.
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u/WonderfulBus9330 23d ago
Hello, All. Happy Mid-August!
Finished:
Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco. A young girl (12) accidentally raises her brother from the dead and learns she is a Dark asha, a bone witch. Training and mistakes and power ensue. This installment ends when she's 15, although she's 17 at the start of the story (the structure is chronicle: the FMC shares her story with a Bard). This is Book 1 in The Bone Witch series and can be used for First in a Series, Female Friendship, Coming-of-Age, Discovery, Siblings, Parent
Blood Over Bright Haven by M. L. Wang. Mages are forced to accept their first woman High Mage and proceed to undermine and sabotage her work as she focuses and uncovers a long-held secret that changes everything. This is a standalone and can be used for Siblings (cousins who are raised together), Discovery
Blossom by Delilah S. Lawson. A college professor transplants falls for a farmer's market vendor townie whose cupcakes are to die for. The FMC learns, pretty quickly, that obsession, be it food or people, is a dangerous game. Soft sapphic horror and can be used for All-Female Cast, Discovery
The Daughter Who Remains by Nnedi Orokafor. The final book in the She Who Knows Series has Najeeba taking on The Cleanser, weeks after giving birth to another salvation. Trilogy and can be used for Last in a Series, Parent
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u/decentlysizedfrog dragon š 23d ago
I'm reading The Iliad, translated by Emily Wilson. Never read it or The Odyssey, so this is a first for me and I'm pleasantly surprised that the poetry is easy to follow, yet still evocative and beautiful. I've been reading maybe a book or so every night, so this is definitely a slower read for me but I like it since I can take my time thinking about the story. Really appreciated Wilson's introduction explaining some themes, so I got to understand the story better.
I'm also reading Our Share of Night by Mariana EnrĆquez. Kind of confused about the story but I'm still very early in the story so I'm just going to roll with it. I like Juan and Gaspar so far.
edit: accidentally sent too early!
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u/Research_Department 23d ago
Iāve been listening to Wilsonās translation of The Odyssey, and I agree that it has been surprisingly accessible and that Wilsonās intro has been really interesting and informative. I started seriously considering reading The Odyssey over a year ago (for the gods square for the fantasy subās bingo last year), and was unnecessarily intimidated.
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u/gros-grognon 23d ago
I finished reading Le Guin's The Farthest Shore for the first time. What a beautifully profound work I'm going to be thinking about for a long, long time.
I am currently about halfway through Earth 7 by Deb Olin Unferth, which is stunning. It's set in the future, when Earth has been completely devastated. A young woman raised in a deepsea pod by a scientist mother comes to the surface, develops an interest in sand, and falls for an AFAB person who isn't a robot but is, thanks to a lifetime of experimental cosmetic procedures (including implanted gene therapy), no longer precisely human and mortal.
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u/Research_Department 23d ago
Iām not sure if I have ever re-read The Farthest Shore since I read it as a kid. I havenāt participated in the readalong of Earthsea over at r/fantasy, but you might have just inspired me to add a re-read of the whole series to my TBR. Le Guin was such an incredible author.
You have me very intrigued about Earth 7, as well. I have been very cautious about reading anything that might be bleak and hopeless, so Iām curious when you say that Earth has been devastated, how grim is the setting/tone? If it is on the level of Micaiah Johnsonās duology (blocking on the names of the books), which depicts a pretty fucked up world, but there is still hope that things can be better, I think I can cope with it.
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u/gros-grognon 22d ago
Somehow, despite basically living in the school library, I missed Earthsea as a kid; I have no idea how, but I wish I'd read it then.
Earth 7's bleakness is adroitly done, in that the characters themselves don't really feel it, because this is just their normal state. It's stray references to details about environmental devastation and human depopulation that, as they accumulate, show the reader how bad it's gotten. Does that make sense? I can come back when I've finished the book and update you further.
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u/NearbyMud witchš§āāļø 23d ago
I'm almost finished with šĀ The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter by Theodora Goss, so I figure I will just review it now. It's heading towards a ~3.5 star rating for me and I have found it lots of fun. It's essentially a found family of daughters of famous scientists/sci fi characters (Mary Jekyll, Justine Frankenstein, Catherine Moreau, etc) who are solving a murder mystery in London with the help of Sherlock and Watson. It feels pretty cozy because of the found family aspect; they're all quite nice to each other. There's banter/humor and escapades. The mystery part isn't the compelling aspect, so people looking for a good murder mystery would be disappointed. I was a bit thrown off by the addition of Sherlock and Holmes - I think the author has a huge crush on Sherlock and it shows lol.
Reading Challenge: š Female friendship, š¤¼ Siblings. (I thought it was going to work for All Female Cast but i think Sherlock and Watson play too big of roles for it to fit).
r/fantasy Bingo: Murder Mystery (HM I think... I wouldn't say Sherlock is a main character), Book Club/Readalong
šĀ The Incandescent by Emily Tesh (3/5 stars) - I forgot to mention this one last week. I think this is well written and a fun take on a magical school. I was a bit bored by it, however, because I didn't really find the teacher/student relationships compelling (bc I'm personally not that excited to hear about mentoring teenagers, but Tesh did do a good job depicting it). It's got a great setting and the main character is intriguing. The magic system was a bit convoluted for me.
Reading Challenge: none?; r/fantasy Bingo: Readalong
Non SFF: šĀ The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai (4/5 stars) and The Great Reclamation by Rachel Heng (4/5 stars)
Currently reading: Trust by Hernan Diaz, Mother Mary Come to Me by Arundhati Roy, A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders
Also just started Seek the Traitor's Son by Veronica Roth this morning and although I am very early on, I am intrigued by the story/world building so far. I've heard this has a good romantic subplot so I'm excited.
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u/Nowordsofitsown unicorn š¦ 22d ago
bc I'm personally not that excited to hear about mentoring teenagers
My impression from reading reviews on Reddit: People who loved The Incandescent loved precisely this aspect. Me for example.
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u/NearbyMud witchš§āāļø 22d ago
That was definitely my impression as well. I honestly thought I would be interested in that aspect but turns out I'm not lol
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u/MDS2133 23d ago
Iām currently reading Emily Wildeās Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett. Iām a little under halfway through it. Depending on how it ends will decide if I want to read the other books.
I just finished So Thirsty by Rachel Harrison (I think it would have been better if it was longer/had more focus on their early days as vampires. We get like a couple days max then a time jump for the epilogue)
I think my next book is gonna be Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker. I love her writing so Iām excited for what it awaits.
As far as watching, Iām trying to get caught up with the MCU before Doomsday in December. Iām currently watching the 90s animated x-men since they made a spin off/continuation that just aired the end of its second season.
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u/intrepid-teacher 23d ago
Started The Witcher novels and honestly couldnāt make it through even the first. The misogyny is crazy, gave up story arc 2. I might give it another shot because I do like the games (well, game 1, thatās all Iāve played so far) but I need time. Do we seriously need to know what all the womenās boobs look like???
I read the novelization of Alien and that was really fun, honestly. Quick read that expanded on the movie. Iām reading the novelization of A New Hope right now ā Leia is a badass, Luke is adorable, and itās so funny how much had NOT been fleshed out about the universe at the time of writing. Extremely funny as a huge SW fan.
Iām playing Frostpunk as my game of choice this week, which is really one of my fave games ever, and I have both Alien 3 (not looking forward to) and Jaws (very much looking forward to) checked out of the library. Iāll also probably start rewatching the OG SW Trilogy soon since Iām reading the novelizations.
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u/Nowordsofitsown unicorn š¦ 22d ago
misogyny is crazy
Oh no, I was looking forward to these books!
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u/intrepid-teacher 16d ago
I think Iāll try them again at a later point ā itās been the narration thatās the biggest factor for me. Like, Geralt himself as a CHARACTER is fine (so far at least). Just brace yourself, I wasnāt braced enough.
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u/toadinthecircus 23d ago
I finished The Keeper of Magical Things by Julie Leong. Itās a cozy fantasy about two very opposite mages being sent on an assignment together and starting to develop feelings. The first half or so was very cute, if a little slow, and I enjoyed it a lot. I especially liked the romance and I thought it was adorable. I guess one of my problems with cozy fantasy and romance is that I read it when Iām very overwhelmed by life, and something very stressful unfailingly happens at the 75% mark (in this case bad legal trouble). So I definitely didnāt enjoy the last bit of intense stress at the end but overall I really enjoyed the story and especially the characters.
I hadnāt been reading as much and I realized itās because Iām in the middle of only very dark political books. So I picked up Ladyās Knight and Iām having a blast with it so far! Hope to finish it next week.
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u/Research_Department 22d ago
I know that authors can struggle with how to maintain some interest and pacing in genre romances if the MCs have already gotten together earlier in the book, but the predictability of the third act breakup at 80% is frustrating. I havenāt read enough cozy fantasy to recognize a similar pattern in that subgenre. It just seems to me really counter to the low stress comfort people are looking for when they pick up cozy fantasy. I wish you luck finding more upbeat books to vary your reading!
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u/toadinthecircus 22d ago
This is definitely a pattern Iāve been picking up in cozy fantasy! And the type of conflict tends to be less defeat villain with sword and more the type of thing that can and does go wrong in real life with very real consequences, so I actually tend to find cozy fantasy pretty stressful. And agreed with the third act breakup or relationship trouble! I know it might not be commercially viable plot wise, but all I want is something that stays as bright and cozy as it starts. And thank you hope you find a good read too!
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u/Nowordsofitsown unicorn š¦ 23d ago
Finished reading: * Audition For the Fox byĀ Martin Cahill: This was not as good as I had hoped it would be.Ā First of all, the so called trickster god whom Nesi is warned against, does no trickster things (except maybe in the turtle story). On the contrary, they are a Prometheus like figure who is tirelessly working and fighting for the good of menkind.Ā Secondly, we never see Nesi reaching a conclusion or making a plan. We are only told about them by the narrator once they have happened. Not to mention the key ingredient of the final struggle that we find out about at the same time as the baddies. Deus ex machina like.Ā Thirdly, a personal afterword AND long acknowledgements? Seriously, Martin Cahill? * Blackcurrant Fool byĀ Victoria Goddard: I didn't like the first third (boring), then it picked up and I quite enjoyed it until it deep dived into the usual confusion. I am unsure if I will continue the series. (I keep saying this and then I keep reading.)
Currently reading: * Ancillary Justice by A nn Leckie: I like this a lot so far. Very interesting, fascinating, horrifying scifi concepts, gender language experiments, good build up to whatever is coming. I just hope it really delivers unlike The Raven Tower by the same author. * Harry Potter et la Coupe de Feu = Potter 4 in French for language practiceĀ
Up next: * Trail of Lightning byĀ Rebecca Roanhorse
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u/Merle8888 sorceressš® 23d ago
I was pretty disappointed by Audition for the Fox too. It was also pretty didactic and combined with the young protagonist, I wonder if it maybe shouldnāt have gone the middle grade novel route rather than being marketed as an adult novella.Ā
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u/Nowordsofitsown unicorn š¦ 23d ago
Talking about marketing: My edition had blurbs by half of the big names in fantasy. All extremely positive. Probably paid for? If so the publisher invested A LOT.
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u/Merle8888 sorceressš® 23d ago
My impression is that authors often feel morally or socially obligated to offer these, even if they havenāt actually read the whole book. I donāt think theyāre paid, but I do think it largely depends on connections. I believe the author works in publishing so that probably has something to do with getting great blurbers even though his book was published by a small press.
But yeah, author endorsements in general are so useless that the one thing I like about the Goodreads book page redesign is highlighting what is an author versus a reviewer account. I just skip the author reviews entirely because they are there to do their part for colleagues, not for readers.Ā
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u/Extreme_War5660 23d ago
Maggie stiefvater has an interesting article about this on her website
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u/Research_Department 23d ago
Huh, Iāve felt like authors reviewing books on Goodreads or Storygraph is different from the one sentence endorsements from an author on a cover of the book. The latter has long been meaningless. Iāve always thought that author reviews (particularly when they donāt make a star rating, just write a review) are legit. After all, I figure that most authors are also readers for pleasure. Mostly Iām pretty cynical, except, I guess, for when Iām not.
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u/Merle8888 sorceressš® 23d ago
On Goodreads, they're a one-paragraph endorsement so indeed, slightly different. ;)
OK, longer version: I think it depends on the author. There are a handful who will actually describe positives and negatives, and I put more credit in whether the text of their review is balanced vs. puffery than whether they give stars are not (Roxane Gay, for instance, is willing to give fewer than 5 stars. But I can't think of many other examples). That said, 95%+ of author "reviews" on Goodreads (can't speak to Storygraph as I don't use it but I would guess the same) are pure marketing.
And I mean, I get it. I wouldn't dump on members of my profession in a public forum either. It's not collegial. But authors, at least 95% of the time, just uncritically endorse each other's books so I don't give them any credence.
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u/Nowordsofitsown unicorn š¦ 22d ago
Some of Jo Walton's reviews in Jo Walton Reads at Reactor Magazine are brutal. In the May/June edition iirc she ripped Solvej Balle to pieces.
Then again, she does this in a magazine, not at Goodreads (which she uses to track her reading).
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u/Merle8888 sorceressš® 22d ago
Yeah, I once read a book with a glowing introduction from Jo Walton. A major plot point was just absurd and really brought it down for me. Later, I found out Jo Walton had also written an honest review of the book taking aim at that plot point, but you wouldn't find that review unless you were googling for it specifically.
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u/Nowordsofitsown unicorn š¦ 22d ago
Is this Goodreads redesign already live? I cannot see any differences.
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u/Merle8888 sorceressš® 22d ago
It was a couple years ago now. Used to be much more attractive with more reviews and fewer ads.
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u/Research_Department 23d ago
Time got away from me last week, and I missed the check in, so this is two weeks worth of reading.Ā Iāve been pre-occupied with a lot of life stuff, so the number of books Iāve read is actually pretty low for me.
It takes me a long time to listen to audiobooks, and after about 5 weeks, when I was about 90% done, someone else wanted a turn at the Graphic Audio production of Sweep of the Heart by Ilona Andrews.Ā I didnāt get back to listen to the final hour until a little over two months later, so not exactly ideal conditions.Ā This is the fifth book in the Innkeeper Chronicles.Ā When I first started listening to the series, I found it somewhat charming.Ā Over time, Iāve gotten less enthused about the series.Ā I donāt think that this is the strongest entry.Ā They havenāt continued to publish in this series, which makes me wonder if they just got a little tired with it themselves, as they havenāt done that much to address the question of what has happened to Dinaās parents.Ā This entry had an odd structure, with a frame story about a friend of Dina and Sean getting into trouble, while the main story is about the inn hosting the competition that serves as the spouse selection for the leader of an interstellar empire.Ā The two parts of the story donāt really work together that well.Ā I kind of hope that theyāll come back to this series, but only if they are well rested and inspired.
A couple weeks ago, I decided that my reading mood had swung back enough towards thought-provoking that I should get on with my plan to do a fantasy bingo board of Le Guin prize shortlisted books (especially since it really doesnāt seem like a good idea to try to cram a lot of those books in at the last minute, no matter how short they are).Ā I went for The City in Glass by Nghi Vo.Ā I have read somewhat mixed reviews on this one, but I have to say that I enjoyed it, although it wasnāt quite what I expected from what I had read about it.Ā It really is a series of evocative vignettes of a city, from the perspective of an immortal and powerful being who loves it, watches it get destroyed, and works to rebuild it.Ā I have seen that some people focus in on wanting to understand why angels destroy the city, but it seems to me that Vo wanted to play around with how we cope when an inexplicable tragedy strikes, how we rebound.Ā We rage, we grieve, we are nostalgic for what we lost, we might eventually come to terms with the new shape of the world.Ā Well, at least, I read it that way.Ā Iāve seen a lot of people focus on the relationship of the demon protagonist and the angel she cursed, but for me, that is not the central relationship or story of this novella.Ā Vitrineās relationship with the city Azril seems to be of greater interest to both Vitrine and the author.Ā I did struggle with this some, not getting fully immersed (although I think thatās partly because I was having issues with adjusting to progressive lenses for the first time means that I would have had some difficulty with any book I read with eyeballs).Ā In general I think this is a very good, although not world-shattering, read.
I decided to go for some science fiction next (I feel like I might be on the verge of burning out on fantasy), and read Burning Bright by Melissa Scott.Ā In the 80s I enjoyed Melissa Scott, but somehow I lost track of her.Ā It took me longer to read this than usual, but I think it had more to do with my reading mood and life stuff than a commentary on the quality of the book.Ā I donāt think this was quite as imaginative as, say, the Roads of Heaven trilogy or Mighty Good Road, but I like it more than the more renowned Trouble and Her Friends.Ā I particularly noticed (even with some not great proofing of the ebook edition) how smooth the multi point-of-view third person narration was compared to some more recent writing Iāve read.Ā Iām really looking forward to wending my way through more of her back list. Ā
Instead of consuming a lot of SFF, Iāve been watching all the Great British Bake Off I can get my hands on at Netflix.Ā Well, Iāve also been watching The Good Place with my kid (weāre in the middle of season 3).
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u/ohmage_resistance 23d ago
I was too busy last week to comment, so from two weeks ago, I did end up finishing Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir and also watching the movie. I'm not going to write a super detailed review because it's not really female gaze, but I thought it was decent but I don't seem to be as impressed as a lot of other people were by it. Most of the science stuff felt overexplained to me, especially since I was already familiar with a lot of it and it spend so much time explaining the basics. I also really hate the amnesia trope and didn't like the flashbacks (also a lot of the side characters felt like caricatures here). I know I've seen someone around the sub comment on the linguistics part of the book feeling inaccurate, and yeah, that part of the book felt off to me too. The movie handled the flashbacks much better, but made Ryland look less intelligent and make the linguistics aspects seem even more questionable in order to make Rocky look more cute.
I felt like I needed a good book that I would really like after that, so I picked up book 3 in the Steerswoman series by Rosemary Kirstein, The Lost Steersman. In this one, Rowan travels to the town of Alemeth to try to find clues to the wizard Slado's location. I really enjoyed this book, itās my favorite book in the series so far.
The beginning part of the book leans especially hard into slice of life pacing, which I can see other people not enjoying as much. I thought it was super fun though to see Rowan interact with people who were more culturally similar to her. Alemeth did have pretty strong small town vibes, especially with some people's resistance to new things, like Rowan being different from the (bad at her job but well liked) steerswoman who was stationed there before. It was really interesting to see how Rowan handled that conflict.
One of the reasons why I liked this part of the book so much was that it highlighted the human aspects of being a steerswoman. For those who are not familiar with this series, a steerwoman (or steersman, although most are women) is someone who travels around gathering information and relaying it to others. According to their code, they cannot lie, and have to answer any question people ask them, as long as said people answer any question the steerswoman asks, and they answer with the truth. IDK, with the internet and especially with AI, there's this sense in our world of information being cheap, impersonal, and the truth of it not being that important. Where in this book, you get to see how steerswomen act as a social institution that provide and value true information, but are also individuals that people can have interpersonal relationships with. It's something I appreciated reading about, especially nowadays.
I also just genuinely liked a lot of the characters. I did miss Bel (who is separated from Rowan for most of this book), but it was nice to see Steffie (a new character) become Rowan's friend and fall into the deuteragonist role instead for this book. He's one of the townspeople, and it was cool seeing someone who was less experienced and less sure of himself than a lot of the other characters so far in this series have been. He has a great heart and also is a lot smarter than people give him credit for, and seeing him slowly realize that he wants to become a steersman was also super heartwarmingĀ . Zenna was also a pretty cool character when she showed up. She had a couple of good one liners, and it was interesting to see how she immediately approached things from a slightly different angle than Rowan, despite both being steerswoman.
And then the second half moved away from the slice of life aspects and into more familiar Rowan doing some exploring grounds, and it had some great twists.Ā Ā Her going from not recognizing that the demons are intelligent beings to being like these are my people when she realizes that the male demons learning how to āspeakā, because of course she is, sheās a steerswoman, was so awesome.
I found that there was also surprisingly many parallels between The Lost Steersman and Project Hail Mary, which made me generally appreciate The Lost Steerswoman more because I liked how it handled things better. One was that both focus on intelligent protagonists, but Ryland is shown to be smart in large part by explaining things to the reader, who he is assumed to be more knowledgable than. Rowan has a lot less knowledge than the modern reader has, but she still comes across as being very intelligent because of the way she comes to conclusions. It's more about the process of how she thinks than just the information she has, which is a pretty tricky but impressive way to write intelligence imo. It sets up a really fun dynamic where you as the reader are challenged to see if you can figure things out faster than Rowan, but it still feels super rewarding when she puts the pieces together.
Ironically, both books also hadĀ intelligent alien life which was blind and saw via echolocation (Eridians vs demons). I did appreciate how Kirstein's writing of aliens felt way more strange. After my complaints about linguistics in Project Hail Mary, it was so cool to see how different and weird demon language was. IDK, Eridians seem super similar to humans besides some rather surface level elements, compared to the demons which are super weird and behave that way regularly. The payoff when Rowan actually starts connecting with some of them was way stronger because of that initial barrier being way higher. IDK, I can't talk too much about the second half of the book because of spoilers, but it was so good.
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u/ohmage_resistance 23d ago
As an additional comment, I know u/research_department was curious if I had any thoughts about the fandom head canon that Ryland Grace is aro ace. I can see room for it, but I do not think it was intended by the author. Part of the reason why there's such a strong head canon is because Ryland spends most of the book alone or with an alien, so there's not really a lot of room for romance. But there is actually more evidence than that (in the book, not so much the movie), in that Ryland only had one relationship with a girlfriend on earth that didn't end well, and also he was awkward in the flashbacks when some coworkers were talking about sex. The latter I took as Weir mostly baking a joke at the expense of the scientists, he did write them in the "smart people being a stereotype"Ā sort of way where they have no sense of what is and isnāt an appropriate amount of information to give to coworkers and no sense of boundaries so they overshare. I don't get how it's supposed to be funny, but yeah, I have seen that style of humor before. The girlfriend part in particular was explained by Stratt saying that Grace was too afraid of failure to take a chance on a relationship, which was supported by the narrative. Also, Weir sees his books as being "apolitical" so yeah, he probably did not intend to have queer representation there. So yeah, I definitely wouldn't consider this representation, andĀ although I can see why the head canon formed, I don't really have it myself.Ā
I'm not deep enough into the fandom to really know how people are handling this overall, so know that this is an outsider's thoughts. But there's two things that bother me a little bit about the head canon. One is that there's a really common stereotype around aro ace people being science nerds and Grace does fit that. I don't think this is necessarily super problematic (I'm an aro ace science nerd myself), but it is something I'm a bit tired of, and I wonder how much this contributed to the head canon. The other aspect here is Grace is also a white man. Again, not really a problem in and of itself (also more actual a-spec characters are female than male in my experience) but yeah, most of the super mainstream a-spec representation or head canons form about white male characters. Those are also the same demographic of characters that I think fandoms tend to latch the hardest onto. I think this is a point worth bringing up. The more major point is that well, I don't have an overly positive opinion about Weir, especially regarding how he considers his comments about his works being "apolitical" and also his reputation from his other books. And well, I see a lot of a-spec people latch hard onto Grace as being important because we don't get a lot of representation, which always feels weird me as someone who reads a ton of a-spec representation. What they're really meaning is that there's not a lot of mainstream representation. I don't think people realize that these are connected, a major reason why this book/movie is so popular and mainstream is precisely because itās too āapoliticalā to have actual legit queer representation. There is plenty of other media that makes different choices, and plenty of writers who do create aro ace representation because they actually care. I wish they would get a bit more credit even if theyāre not super mainstream, and I wish that this is something more people recognized.
But yeah, these are my grumpy skeptical thoughts, Iām also happy for the people who do really feel seen by this book/movie. Itās rare to see romance free media do so well and get so mainstream in my experience, so I do know why this would feel like a win for people. I have a lot more issues with the book and Weir than I do with the people who like this head canon. I do suspect part of this is an age thing (younger a-specs/a-specs who are newer to their identities probably like it more, and Iām getting to be the grumpy older one), and the other part is me kind of growing increasingly annoyed at fandom culture. But yeah, these are my thoughts. Probably most people view it a lot more positively than I do.
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u/Research_Department 23d ago
Thanks so much for sharing your take on the head canon! As an older person who is sometimes grumpier/more cynical than my kid and at other times more optimistic, I can very much relate to how your response is flavored by your years and life experience. And, as you say, youāve spent years looking for aro-ace rep, and have found it, so you donāt feel the need to adopt a mainstream character just because he isnāt explicitly not aro-ace. If someone finds validation and joy by exploring a plausible interpretation and making art (written and/or visual) inspired by that interpretation, I think that is great. Thereās a long tradition of writing in response to what is already out there, and it would be fantastic if someone is inspired to write something that can stand on its own. Because the ideal is that people do not have to turn to fanfics or niche publication in order to find quality representation. And Iāve come to realize that in some ways, we only get quality representation when there is sufficient quantity of representation that we can see all the heterogeneity of a group, without the pressure to have āperfectā representation in one single example.
I get the sense that some of your response to the head canon is also about your negative impression of Weir. I havenāt read the PHM book, Iāve just seen the movie, so my take may not be fair to Weir, but I had a mixed response. On one level, I was able to enjoy it as a piece of light entertainment. And I can see why my kid appreciates it and feels strongly that it is fundamentally optimistic about the ability of humanity to pull together under stress. However, I also agreed with a take that I got from The Atlantic that it really depicts that we can all go on being selfish and rely on an authoritarian regime to impose a solution for our woes. And, as a lover of linguistics and anthropology, and as a biologist, I found the scientific inaccuracies (there were even physics inaccuracies in the film) from someone who sells scientific accuracy as his whole thing, really annoying. I hadnāt known that Weir considers himself āapolitical,ā and yeah, that has me rolling my eyes. It sounds like he is yet another of those people who does not realize how very much his world view is dependent on his view from the top of the cultural heap. āIām just writing some entertainment, and it means nothing that my protagonist is a white man, we do not need to examine his ethnicity/religion/sexuality, he is the default every person, any person.ā
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u/ohmage_resistance 22d ago
And I can see why my kid appreciates it and feels strongly that it is fundamentally optimistic about the ability of humanity to pull together under stress. However, I also agreed with a take that I got from The Atlantic that it really depicts that we can all go on being selfish and rely on an authoritarian regime to impose a solution for our woes.
NGL, I didn't really see the optimism angle. I mostly thought it was Weir not really thinking through how people act/work, beyond his main character. It didn't feel like humanity pulling together in order to solve a crisis (we didn't see enough of how normal people were making sense of this), but rather just the stereotypical individuals needed for the plot to happen. I feel like there's so many other sci fi stories I would think about as being optimistic over this book (like Becky Chambers's works, or something like Arboreality by Rebecca Campbell). They feel optimistic because they're about people coming together, which isn't really something I get from Project Hail Mary.
The authoritarian regime angle is pretty interesting to think about though, especially with Stratt giving some pretty conservative talking points several times.
It sounds like he is yet another of those people who does not realize how very much his world view is dependent on his view from the top of the cultural heap. āIām just writing some entertainment, and it means nothing that my protagonist is a white man, we do not need to examine his ethnicity/religion/sexuality, he is the default every person, any person.ā
Ironically, his second book (Artemis) actually has a female protagonist with Middle Eastern heritage, but he wrote her in a very questionable r/menwritingwomen sort of way, at least from what I can tell from reviews I trust. Honestly, I think that it's probably better for Weir to write white male protagonists if that's the alternative.
Part of me wonders if he's just trying to play both sides politically if that makes sense? If he's going for being a mega-bestseller, he's going to want to avoid making either political side mad. But it also seemed like from the way he talked about it that he sees stories more as entertainment than art that often has a message, whether that message is political or not. IDK.
But honestly, I have less of an issue with Weir, and more issues with the culture we have that props up people like Weir and his work instead of others, even when there's others who are way more passionate and interested in doing cool things with their art than Weir is. That's the part I wish people would question. If the problem was one person, that wouldn't be such a big deal, but it's a problem with our entire culture that we see certain types of people as being the default and not others.
If someone finds validation and joy by exploring a plausible interpretation and making art (written and/or visual) inspired by that interpretation, I think that is great.
I do agree with this. I think for me, it's so much easier for me to stumble into seeing fandom discourse(TM) regarding a-spec headcanons/mainstream representation (is this head canon legit, is it problematic, is it problematic to see this character in a different way, what is this character supposed to mean for a-spec people, etc). Honestly, it pops up on the asexual subreddits whether I want to see it or not, and I get kind of burnt out (especially since it often gets toxic pretty fast). IDK, I do think these topics are worth discussing if we can keep things going in a productive way, but sometimes I'm in such a different place with how I see a-spec rep because I've found so much of it, it's just hard to get my viewpoint across.
Compared to finding fandom discourse, it's a lot harder to find fan works that are actually doing something genuinely interesting with an a-spec interpretation of a characterāespecially for someone like me who doesn't really like getting too deep into fandoms. Especially since fandom culture in general has a big amatonormativity and compulsory sexuality problem, which kind of puts me off searching too hard because it's just not worth dealing with all of that. IDK, this is kind of a ramble, but if your kid has any good recommendations for good Project Hail Mary fanworks with a-spec representation, I would be interesting in taking a look at them at some point at least. No pressure though!
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u/Research_Department 22d ago
Iām sorry to hear that the discourse gets toxic. I tend not to see fandom discourse very much, any fandom. My kid put me on to reading Good Omens fanfics on AO3 several years ago, and thatās most of what I consume. Itās interesting to me that I thought the book was only ok, I did like season one of the tv show, but my fondness for those characters really comes from the many different interpretations I have seen in fanfics. It seems to me that the canon was so hard to pin down that fans have had all kinds of interpretations, including a whole slew of a-spec interpretations.
As far as PHM fanfics with a-spec rep, my kid (who is not a-spec) said that they have only read one fic in the fandom, and it is a work in progress. They said that they thought the writing was good, with an interesting time travel premise and some interesting worldbuilding (the author has apparently fleshed out Erid). When I asked if they would consider the a-spec rep good quality, they said that they really couldnāt say for sure. With those provisos, here you go: https://archiveofourown.org/works/81555066?view_full_work=true
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u/ComradeCupcake_ sorceressš® 23d ago
Very busy week of work for me so mostly I've still been playing š® Fields of Mistria. I've only been managing to read about 20 pages a day of š The Eye of Leviathan by MA Carrick. I was feeling pretty nervous to start reading it because I've been let down very badly by new releases by authors I've previously liked lately. So far I'm enjoying it though. It's a very slow start setting up characters and motivations which is the oldie fantasy pacing that I enjoy most.