Not sure this was quite such a new departure....
May. 19th, 2026 03:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
oursinQueer Non-Monogamy in Edwardian London.
Author of article does point out that this is happening among people with huge amounts of privilege and possibilities of discretion:
[I]t is certainly easy to romanticise the traditions of lavender marriages and queer non-monogamy that were so prevalent in the London arts scene during the Belle Epoch. However, to over-simplify the past in this way would be to overlook the many tensions that existed between queer couples, as well as the growing interest in alternative relationship structures within heterosexual participants in this scene. Most importantly, however, it would be a failure not to take into consideration the considerable inequalities that allowed the rich and the powerful to live by a double-standard of sexual propriety. Provided they avoided relationships that troubled other structures like class and race, this group remained free from the expected social and legal repercussions of queer sex in the early twentieth century.
Ahem ahem.
Does he not realise quite how much This Sort of Thing - negotiating the boundaries of marriages that were made for various reasons of status, money, and politics, to accommodate other relationships - had been going on For A Very Long Time, and has he not seen that movie about the Duchess of Devonshire in the late C18th? (Which included sapphic dalliance.)
Will concede (she concedes) that a) Lords Strachan and Warwick did not seem on-board with their Ladies' sapphic dalliance (see icon), though the issue there does seem to have been they had not been sufficiently Pas Devant the wrong kind of people who would gossip and go away to make satirical prints sold in Piccadilly and b) the whole thing probably got even more discreet in the Victorian era, though when one considers Edward the Caresser's set, did it do so by very much?
I once, in fact, I think, put forward an argument that Bertrand Russell, e.g., in his arguments for free love, was proposing to democratise a way of life his family had been practising for generations.
Tags:
Book Review: The Mauritius Command
May. 19th, 2026 08:43 amosprey_archerWe sail onward with Patrick O’Brian’s The Mauritius Command! Before we get to the actual book, a brief pause to note that O’Brian dedicated this book to Mary Renault, in Greek, which (according to littlerhymes and Google translate) means “Glaucus in Athens.” Still not sure what this means but love this further confirmation that Mary Renault loved this series. I presume she was reading it with her slash goggles firmly attached.
After a brief interval at home (Jack has acquired twin baby girls and lost all his money again), Jack is appointed commodore, which means he is a captain in charge of other captains, a big rise in responsibility with no corresponding rise in pay! (Some things never change.) He is going to direct the conquest of Mauritius, an island off the coast of Africa currently in the hands of the French.
This of course leads to many exciting sea battles, etc. etc., but what most captured my attention was Captain Clonfert. When Jack and Clonfert were both lieutenants, Clonfert hung back during an action where Jack’s command took heavy losses, then took all the credit for himself in dispatches. Either out of a guilt or gay crush (por que no los dos?, asks O’Brian), Clonfert has been obsessed with Jack’s career ever since.
He is also obsessed with proving his bravery. The rest of the world (except Jack and Clonfert himself) has long since bought that Clonfert is the Most Dashing Captain to Ever Dash, but unfortunately those exceptions are the people Clonfert really wishes to convince, so he continues to make extremely gallant, dashing, strategically disastrous choices, for which Jack is forced to very, very gentle suggest a reproof to him. But no reproof is so gentle that it cannot cast Clonfert into the depths of despair.
In general, Clonfert can’t stand any kind of judgment from Jack, negative or positive. Reproof crushes him, but so do praise/promotions/benefits of any kind, presumably because Clonfert experiences any kindness from Jack as heaping coals of fire on his head for previous misdeeds. (Jack, a simple soul, is just trying to let bygones be bygones.) If Clonfert could make a clean breast of it to Jack and apologize, it might make a world of difference. But also, Clonfert would rather die.
Clonfert also doesn’t get along well with other captains, presumably because the society of equals challenges his meager store of self-confidence. Jack is constantly trying to manage around him.
In some ways it would be easier if Clonfert were simply an all-around bad captain, but awkwardly for Jack, Clonfert in his attempts to prove his bravery really has made himself into a dashingly heroic captain beloved of his crew. His men simply adore him. His officers are aware of his foibles, particularly his pleasure in praise from people who are not Jack, but this awareness is affectionate and admiring: they see his faults and would still follow him into hell. So he could be a tremendous asset, if only Jack could figure out how to manage him - or if only he were being managed by someone other than Jack.
A fascinating character study. ( spoilers )
littlerhymes and Google translate) means “Glaucus in Athens.” Still not sure what this means but love this further confirmation that Mary Renault loved this series. I presume she was reading it with her slash goggles firmly attached. After a brief interval at home (Jack has acquired twin baby girls and lost all his money again), Jack is appointed commodore, which means he is a captain in charge of other captains, a big rise in responsibility with no corresponding rise in pay! (Some things never change.) He is going to direct the conquest of Mauritius, an island off the coast of Africa currently in the hands of the French.
This of course leads to many exciting sea battles, etc. etc., but what most captured my attention was Captain Clonfert. When Jack and Clonfert were both lieutenants, Clonfert hung back during an action where Jack’s command took heavy losses, then took all the credit for himself in dispatches. Either out of a guilt or gay crush (por que no los dos?, asks O’Brian), Clonfert has been obsessed with Jack’s career ever since.
He is also obsessed with proving his bravery. The rest of the world (except Jack and Clonfert himself) has long since bought that Clonfert is the Most Dashing Captain to Ever Dash, but unfortunately those exceptions are the people Clonfert really wishes to convince, so he continues to make extremely gallant, dashing, strategically disastrous choices, for which Jack is forced to very, very gentle suggest a reproof to him. But no reproof is so gentle that it cannot cast Clonfert into the depths of despair.
In general, Clonfert can’t stand any kind of judgment from Jack, negative or positive. Reproof crushes him, but so do praise/promotions/benefits of any kind, presumably because Clonfert experiences any kindness from Jack as heaping coals of fire on his head for previous misdeeds. (Jack, a simple soul, is just trying to let bygones be bygones.) If Clonfert could make a clean breast of it to Jack and apologize, it might make a world of difference. But also, Clonfert would rather die.
Clonfert also doesn’t get along well with other captains, presumably because the society of equals challenges his meager store of self-confidence. Jack is constantly trying to manage around him.
In some ways it would be easier if Clonfert were simply an all-around bad captain, but awkwardly for Jack, Clonfert in his attempts to prove his bravery really has made himself into a dashingly heroic captain beloved of his crew. His men simply adore him. His officers are aware of his foibles, particularly his pleasure in praise from people who are not Jack, but this awareness is affectionate and admiring: they see his faults and would still follow him into hell. So he could be a tremendous asset, if only Jack could figure out how to manage him - or if only he were being managed by someone other than Jack.
A fascinating character study. ( spoilers )
What are the negative of effects of not going outside for 5 years?
May. 19th, 2026 12:35 amdrfizzsmedicalkit posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
little_detailsHeya ! God it's been a WHILE since I've posted here LOL ! But I've been thinking on something I haven't gotten a straight answer for :
I have an OC , and a part of their backstory involves pretty much being locked inside their house for 4 years at 17 by their dad at an attempt to keep them away from publicity after their mother killed someone .
To be more specific on their conditions :
- They're not allowed outside unless it's absolutely necessary (example , to see a doctor)
- They have one specific friend who is allowed to come over at any time , and they do message on social media via an anonymous account.
- They do home schooling , to explain education stuff .
They finally move out and go outside more when they're 22 , aka 5 years later .
I know that a (likely permanent) damaged immune system would be one of the negative effects due to lack of vitamin D and exercise , but what else could be a side effect , physically , socially AND mentally ? And how could it be for them when actually going outside for the first time again ? I haven't gotten lots of resources for it ..
Edit : Ok so I learned I'm likely wrong on the immune system , but theres lots of traits I considered that I never considered could've been caused by this trauma ..
Also ! It's worth noting that the character would overall lack motivation to do . Anything for that matter , so exercising is kinda off the table and they lack a lot of basic self-care .
I have an OC , and a part of their backstory involves pretty much being locked inside their house for 4 years at 17 by their dad at an attempt to keep them away from publicity after their mother killed someone .
To be more specific on their conditions :
- They're not allowed outside unless it's absolutely necessary (example , to see a doctor)
- They have one specific friend who is allowed to come over at any time , and they do message on social media via an anonymous account.
- They do home schooling , to explain education stuff .
They finally move out and go outside more when they're 22 , aka 5 years later .
I know that a (likely permanent) damaged immune system would be one of the negative effects due to lack of vitamin D and exercise , but what else could be a side effect , physically , socially AND mentally ? And how could it be for them when actually going outside for the first time again ? I haven't gotten lots of resources for it ..
Edit : Ok so I learned I'm likely wrong on the immune system , but theres lots of traits I considered that I never considered could've been caused by this trauma ..
Also ! It's worth noting that the character would overall lack motivation to do . Anything for that matter , so exercising is kinda off the table and they lack a lot of basic self-care .
Now I know how Joan of Arc felt
May. 18th, 2026 07:56 pmgwynYou know what isn't fun? Finding out you have a gas leak in your furnace. I had the plumber come out last week to look at a drain in my utility sink, which is next to the gas furnace and under the gas tankless water heater. Fortunately no drain problem (I was worried because it seemed to not be draining and I need to clean up all the cat stuff--and dog stuff, which I've held on to for too long when I should have donated it long ago), but the guy said as he was leaving that he smelled gas, but it had disappeared so he wasn't certain. I stuck my head back there and also had a brief whiff of it, so I called the gas company.
I guess they treat everything like that as an emergency even if you say you can't always smell it, so they sent someone out right away and he said as soon as he walked in the door "oh yeah, I smell gas." He was funny--very blasé about it all, but he worked on it for some time (while his meter beeped frantically and loudly the whole time OMG) and found that the threads were stripped on an elbow joint, which means it's been like that since October when it was installed.
Talk about nerve-wracking. I'm amazed that somehow my house hasn't exploded. This is the second time in the past few months that something could have burned down my house. Did you know that GFI electric outlets have a finite lifespan? I did not either! I found this out when I heard some racket from a GFI outlet in my kitchen and then this loud, terrifying pop. I had to replace four other outlets that were put in at the same time, at a fair cost, to avoid something like that happening again. Not that all GFIs fail as spectacularly, but they do fail I guess and it'd be great to not have your house burn down when they do—but apparently no guarantees! I'm also seriously side-eyeing the city inspector who signed off on the new furnace. I called the furnace folks and I was hoping they might call me back--I told someone what happened, but I would love to talk to the higher-ups more about it. I don't want to bust anyone's balls, but man, I think this is pretty important.
So that was fun. I've been trying to keep it together the past few weeks and mostly failing miserably--a lot of this stressful stuff might have been easier to handle if I didn't burst into tears on a constant basis. I just miss Blues so much. I keep finding myself starting to talk to him, and I tend to sleep really late because there's no need to get up and feed a cat. It feels weird to eat (especially a turkey sandwich, because he adored deli turkey and ham) without him pestering me endlessly to share. I'm barely going through my usual amount of milk and half and half because I'm not sharing it with him.
I missed the deadline again this year for signups for Into a Bar. I'm annoyed with myself, since I really wanted to do it this year so that I could get back into writing mode--it's a light challenge, low stakes, and so much fun that I felt it might really help. I owe two Fandom trumps Hate stories and I really want to start them, but I feel...shaky, I guess. It would be horrible to disappoint my bidders.
The reason I missed the deadline though is...maybe good? I don't know. I was heavily on the fence about whether I should get another pet what with my health issues. People are living up to 17 years or so with myeloma now, but the *average* life expectancy is still around 5 years, and often when it comes back (it does always come back after a remission), it comes back hard. But of course, Saturday night I drifted over to Petfinder...
I've always wanted a dilute calico (or tortoiseshell) and that was one of the types I am always looking at, but I figured the likelihood of finding a senior one was low since they are rare (I've looked at Petfinder sometimes and you don't see one anywhere at any age). But of course this exact time, there was a lovely senior dilute gal listed with a rescue way down near Chehalis, and the local gang, on our Sunday zoom calls, was like "do it do it do it" and saying it would be a mitzvah since she's 12, and next thing I know I'm trying to put in an inquiry. Petfinder just wouldn't work for me so I ended up using good old-fashioned email from their website and they got back to me last night. We set a time for a meet and greet for Wednesday, and it turns out this little gal is in Gig Harbor, actually, so since I live next to the ferry terminal, I can take the ferry over there.
I will let you know how it goes. I'm a nervous wreck about taking the ferry (it's the only ferry in a residential area and it's really stupid and challenging to get queued up for it) and I've never driven over there, only been a passenger. But it just doesn't make sense to drive over an hour south and then another hour north when I'm literally blocks away from the ferry. I still feel like I'm doing the wrong thing, I worry I could take a turn for the worse, etc. etc. But they say she's a total sweetheart and she's so pretty in her pictures. And I'm lonely.
Okay back to trying to de-doggify and de-cattify the house so she won't be overwhelmed if she does come home with me.
I guess they treat everything like that as an emergency even if you say you can't always smell it, so they sent someone out right away and he said as soon as he walked in the door "oh yeah, I smell gas." He was funny--very blasé about it all, but he worked on it for some time (while his meter beeped frantically and loudly the whole time OMG) and found that the threads were stripped on an elbow joint, which means it's been like that since October when it was installed.
Talk about nerve-wracking. I'm amazed that somehow my house hasn't exploded. This is the second time in the past few months that something could have burned down my house. Did you know that GFI electric outlets have a finite lifespan? I did not either! I found this out when I heard some racket from a GFI outlet in my kitchen and then this loud, terrifying pop. I had to replace four other outlets that were put in at the same time, at a fair cost, to avoid something like that happening again. Not that all GFIs fail as spectacularly, but they do fail I guess and it'd be great to not have your house burn down when they do—but apparently no guarantees! I'm also seriously side-eyeing the city inspector who signed off on the new furnace. I called the furnace folks and I was hoping they might call me back--I told someone what happened, but I would love to talk to the higher-ups more about it. I don't want to bust anyone's balls, but man, I think this is pretty important.
So that was fun. I've been trying to keep it together the past few weeks and mostly failing miserably--a lot of this stressful stuff might have been easier to handle if I didn't burst into tears on a constant basis. I just miss Blues so much. I keep finding myself starting to talk to him, and I tend to sleep really late because there's no need to get up and feed a cat. It feels weird to eat (especially a turkey sandwich, because he adored deli turkey and ham) without him pestering me endlessly to share. I'm barely going through my usual amount of milk and half and half because I'm not sharing it with him.
I missed the deadline again this year for signups for Into a Bar. I'm annoyed with myself, since I really wanted to do it this year so that I could get back into writing mode--it's a light challenge, low stakes, and so much fun that I felt it might really help. I owe two Fandom trumps Hate stories and I really want to start them, but I feel...shaky, I guess. It would be horrible to disappoint my bidders.
The reason I missed the deadline though is...maybe good? I don't know. I was heavily on the fence about whether I should get another pet what with my health issues. People are living up to 17 years or so with myeloma now, but the *average* life expectancy is still around 5 years, and often when it comes back (it does always come back after a remission), it comes back hard. But of course, Saturday night I drifted over to Petfinder...
I've always wanted a dilute calico (or tortoiseshell) and that was one of the types I am always looking at, but I figured the likelihood of finding a senior one was low since they are rare (I've looked at Petfinder sometimes and you don't see one anywhere at any age). But of course this exact time, there was a lovely senior dilute gal listed with a rescue way down near Chehalis, and the local gang, on our Sunday zoom calls, was like "do it do it do it" and saying it would be a mitzvah since she's 12, and next thing I know I'm trying to put in an inquiry. Petfinder just wouldn't work for me so I ended up using good old-fashioned email from their website and they got back to me last night. We set a time for a meet and greet for Wednesday, and it turns out this little gal is in Gig Harbor, actually, so since I live next to the ferry terminal, I can take the ferry over there.
I will let you know how it goes. I'm a nervous wreck about taking the ferry (it's the only ferry in a residential area and it's really stupid and challenging to get queued up for it) and I've never driven over there, only been a passenger. But it just doesn't make sense to drive over an hour south and then another hour north when I'm literally blocks away from the ferry. I still feel like I'm doing the wrong thing, I worry I could take a turn for the worse, etc. etc. But they say she's a total sweetheart and she's so pretty in her pictures. And I'm lonely.
Okay back to trying to de-doggify and de-cattify the house so she won't be overwhelmed if she does come home with me.
put it in the books!
May. 18th, 2026 11:44 pmmusesfoolwhat a fucking wild night of sports. the Mets scored TEN RUNS in the TWELFTH INNING and the Nats brought in a position player to pitch, and the umpires had to call the replay officials to find out if that was allowed! Spoiler: It was, because it was after the 10th inning? Or something? If you're within a regular 9-inning game, I think you have to be losing by 8 or winning by 10 before it's allowed, but apparently the rules change in extra innings. who knew? #LFGM
ANYWAY. It was bonkers, and then I turned away just in time to see the Canadiens score the winning goal in OT in Game 7!!! I would have been okay with either team winning, and now I just need them to beat Carolina and whoever comes out of the West to win it all and lift the Cup!
And tomorrow, the Knicks are back in action and will hopefully do well and go to the finals! #go ny go ny go
*
ANYWAY. It was bonkers, and then I turned away just in time to see the Canadiens score the winning goal in OT in Game 7!!! I would have been okay with either team winning, and now I just need them to beat Carolina and whoever comes out of the West to win it all and lift the Cup!
And tomorrow, the Knicks are back in action and will hopefully do well and go to the finals! #go ny go ny go
*
Sign my name.
May. 18th, 2026 09:27 pmhannahIt took two needles, but the second one worked, and I got to give blood today. I always think of it like that these days, getting to give blood. It's a privilege to be able to do it, and I don't take that lightly.
My iron was 14, my blood pressure 110/70, I was told my blood is also Code 96, and probably because my veins weren't cooperating it took over six minutes thirty seconds to fill a bag. If I could figure out a good hydration and exercise schedule for the days leading up to a donation, I might be able to manage another rapid tap. I scheduled my next session for July before I left, eight weeks to the day, so I'll take those early July days to try increasing my liquid intake even more. It should give the nurses more volume to work with.
I haven't done many other things today, and having done this one important thing is carrying me forward.
My iron was 14, my blood pressure 110/70, I was told my blood is also Code 96, and probably because my veins weren't cooperating it took over six minutes thirty seconds to fill a bag. If I could figure out a good hydration and exercise schedule for the days leading up to a donation, I might be able to manage another rapid tap. I scheduled my next session for July before I left, eight weeks to the day, so I'll take those early July days to try increasing my liquid intake even more. It should give the nurses more volume to work with.
I haven't done many other things today, and having done this one important thing is carrying me forward.
hail mary
May. 18th, 2026 09:05 pmmelannenI went to see Project Hail Mary over the weekend, because I was already pretty deep in the fanfic, and space pretty so it seemed worth catching on the big screen. (I can't remember the last time I went to see a new release on the big screen, but it's been A While.)
It was very pretty! It was very good! I love all the characters! It was exactly the movie I (and based on the reception) a lot of the world needed right now. What if our big problems were things that weren't our fault. But what if we could fix them anyway, just by taking a leap of faith. What if we were strong enough to do what we need to do. What if it was okay that we aren't usually very strong. What if we were so so so so loved loved loved and the power of friendship saved the galaxyand romance never came into it.
I have written a ficlet:
Not All Earth Humans Dumb (just this one) (632 words) by melannen
Fandom: Project Hail Mary (2026)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Ryland Grace & Rocky
Characters: Ryland Grace, Rocky (Project Hail Mary)
Additional Tags: Missing Scene, Fix-It of Sorts, First Contact, The Hail Mary (ship), Humor
Summary:
I want to write more fanfiction but I am currently getting tripped up on the fact that - other than the characters and space being pretty - what I like most about it is the space travel stuff, the hard SF that I was so ready for, the centrifugal gravity and exobiology based on real known planets and all that stuff - but the plot does not. Sustain that. The plot is pure full-on fairy tale logic that falls apart the moment you try to put any pressure on it from another direction. (...so is a lot of the "hard SF" science.) And this is not necessarily a weak point! The fairy tale plot is why it was the movie I needed right now. And it's not like "nothing hangs together if you think too hard" is that rare in classic hard SF either tbh. But augh. What I want to do about this movie right now is think too hard about it constantly :P
Possibly the book fills in some of the gaps in the movie, though I have a vague recollection that part of why I didn't read it before now is reviews talking about how it doesn't hold together real well either, so I am not counting on it. Also I currently have fifteen library books checked out, including one about the importance of sunlight, one about how animals perceive sound and communicate with it, one about the inner lives of octopi, one about the ecologies of viruses and one about life in the deep sea, and I should probably read at least some of them first. Instead of more PHM fic. :P
But this does feel like the first time in a while a fandom has grabbed me hard enough to be one that really sticks, and also has enough fic already to sustain that, and it *is* about time for that - it's been four years since MCYT. I am trying to be Smart this time and keep track of fics I like while I read them instead of assuming I will come back around and remember, but, uh, we'll see how that goes.
It was very pretty! It was very good! I love all the characters! It was exactly the movie I (and based on the reception) a lot of the world needed right now. What if our big problems were things that weren't our fault. But what if we could fix them anyway, just by taking a leap of faith. What if we were strong enough to do what we need to do. What if it was okay that we aren't usually very strong. What if we were so so so so loved loved loved and the power of friendship saved the galaxy
I have written a ficlet:
Not All Earth Humans Dumb (just this one) (632 words) by melannen
Fandom: Project Hail Mary (2026)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Ryland Grace & Rocky
Characters: Ryland Grace, Rocky (Project Hail Mary)
Additional Tags: Missing Scene, Fix-It of Sorts, First Contact, The Hail Mary (ship), Humor
Summary:
Rocky's second, slightly calmer tour of the Hail Mary paused for a moment, and for only a bare moment longer Grace was thankful for the chance to catch up. Then the regret started.
I want to write more fanfiction but I am currently getting tripped up on the fact that - other than the characters and space being pretty - what I like most about it is the space travel stuff, the hard SF that I was so ready for, the centrifugal gravity and exobiology based on real known planets and all that stuff - but the plot does not. Sustain that. The plot is pure full-on fairy tale logic that falls apart the moment you try to put any pressure on it from another direction. (...so is a lot of the "hard SF" science.) And this is not necessarily a weak point! The fairy tale plot is why it was the movie I needed right now. And it's not like "nothing hangs together if you think too hard" is that rare in classic hard SF either tbh. But augh. What I want to do about this movie right now is think too hard about it constantly :P
Possibly the book fills in some of the gaps in the movie, though I have a vague recollection that part of why I didn't read it before now is reviews talking about how it doesn't hold together real well either, so I am not counting on it. Also I currently have fifteen library books checked out, including one about the importance of sunlight, one about how animals perceive sound and communicate with it, one about the inner lives of octopi, one about the ecologies of viruses and one about life in the deep sea, and I should probably read at least some of them first. Instead of more PHM fic. :P
But this does feel like the first time in a while a fandom has grabbed me hard enough to be one that really sticks, and also has enough fic already to sustain that, and it *is* about time for that - it's been four years since MCYT. I am trying to be Smart this time and keep track of fics I like while I read them instead of assuming I will come back around and remember, but, uh, we'll see how that goes.
[ SECRET POST #7073 ]
May. 18th, 2026 04:18 pmcase posting in fandomsecrets⌈ Secret Post #7073 ⌋
Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.
01.
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Notes:
Secrets Left to Post: 02 pages, 28 secrets from Secret Submission Post #1010.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.
Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman
May. 18th, 2026 04:29 pmlightreadsOperation Bounce House
3/5. Standalone scifi about a twenty-something loser dude on a colony planet who has to face off against mechs piloted by privileged Earth kids who have been duped into wiping out his population.
In a stroke of bad luck, my library hold for this came in at the same time as I was reading his latest Dungeon Crawler book. Comparing the two is unfortunate. They are interested in a lot of the same things – AI as menace and companion, the little guy fighting back against corporatized violence as entertainment, communities working together. But this standalone lacks the depth and complexity his series has accumulated, to say nothing of the charm. I mean, let’s be real here, Carl is not my favorite protagonist. But compared to our narrator here, he is a work of Joycean complexity. Our narrator here has a terminal case of get out of the way so the far more interesting women around you can make this story go. At one point, he’s moaning about how he just can’t commit to his girlfriend, and he’s like “maybe it’s because she’s too good for me.” Buddy. That’s the first insightful thing you’ve said in 50,000 words.
Anyway, I could also complain about how this book doesn’t manage that tricky swing from comedy to war violence, or how it doesn’t know how to land this story that is kind of about chickens and pigs and kind of about social media and kind of about a terrible band, oh and also about how to turn a bunch of nice colony farm kids into terrorists.
Look, it’s entertaining enough, but read Dungeon Crawler instead.
Content notes: Violence, massacres.
3/5. Standalone scifi about a twenty-something loser dude on a colony planet who has to face off against mechs piloted by privileged Earth kids who have been duped into wiping out his population.
In a stroke of bad luck, my library hold for this came in at the same time as I was reading his latest Dungeon Crawler book. Comparing the two is unfortunate. They are interested in a lot of the same things – AI as menace and companion, the little guy fighting back against corporatized violence as entertainment, communities working together. But this standalone lacks the depth and complexity his series has accumulated, to say nothing of the charm. I mean, let’s be real here, Carl is not my favorite protagonist. But compared to our narrator here, he is a work of Joycean complexity. Our narrator here has a terminal case of get out of the way so the far more interesting women around you can make this story go. At one point, he’s moaning about how he just can’t commit to his girlfriend, and he’s like “maybe it’s because she’s too good for me.” Buddy. That’s the first insightful thing you’ve said in 50,000 words.
Anyway, I could also complain about how this book doesn’t manage that tricky swing from comedy to war violence, or how it doesn’t know how to land this story that is kind of about chickens and pigs and kind of about social media and kind of about a terrible band, oh and also about how to turn a bunch of nice colony farm kids into terrorists.
Look, it’s entertaining enough, but read Dungeon Crawler instead.
Content notes: Violence, massacres.
Nomination Clarifications #1
May. 18th, 2026 03:41 pmsummerofhorrorexchangeNomination reminders
- We DO NOT accept nominations with "/" ships. All character groupings must be nominated with "&". For example, we will not accept "Timon/Pumbaa (The Lion King 1994)"; please nominate "Timon & Pumbaa (The Lion King 1994)" instead. If you have nominated a "/" ship, please edit it to have "&". (You can still request ships as part of the optional details of your request.)
- Please disambiguate your nominations. This means putting the fandom after your nomination in parentheses, as in the example above.
- If your nominations are lingering, you should also doublecheck the nomination guidelines to be sure you're using the correct format.
Nomination queries
- Yellowjackets: Nominator(s), is there a more specific label you could use for The Team? And can you confirm whether The Wilderness is a character or a form of relationship?
- Any nominations for the following fandoms: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy XII, Hollow Knight: Silksong, and The Shadow Over Innsmouth. Nominator(s), if your tags haven't been approved, please edit to specify whether you mean any group of characters (Any & Any) or Solo: Any. If your tags have already been approved, please let us know here, and we can make the change for you to make these either Any & Any or Solo: Any Character.
- Carrier Wave - Solo: Infected (Carrier Wave): Nominator(s), is this Any Infected Character, or is it a group nomination?
- Left 4 Dead - Solo: Special Infected (Left 4 Dead): Nominator(s), is this Any Special Infected Infected Character, or is it a group nomination?
- Are You Afraid of the Dark? - Solo: Monster of the Week: Nominator, just to check, is this Any Monster of the Week, or is there a specific character known as Monster of the Week?
- Five Nights at Freddy's - Solo: Possessed Animatronics: Nominator, do you want this as a group relationship tag or a solo character nom for Any Possessed Animatronic?
Book meme (not for 3W4DW), from coffeeandink
May. 18th, 2026 07:48 pmoursinTake five books off your bookshelf: I took 5 fairly random books from the various piles around the room I am in.
First sentence from Book no 1: 'Two women had arranged to have tea together, in the flat of one of them which was in a rather distant and not so fashionable quarter of the Left Bank'.
Last sentence from page 50 of Book no 2 -- last sentence on page fifty: 'Eleanor wrote that their great difficulty would be in managing their first break with their friends'.
Second sentence on page 100 of Book no 3: 'Canfield was polite, softening his rejection by saying if Sybille were to write a full-length novel one day he would be pleased to read it'.
Next to the last sentence on p 150 of book no 4: 'Because it's true, you know--he's not like any of them, he's completely alien to that whole bright, corrupt court'.
Final sentence of book 5: 'We have many more evenings before us if we want them'.
Make these sentences into a paragraph:
Two women had arranged to have tea together, in the flat of one of them which was in a rather distant and not so fashionable quarter of the Left Bank. Eleanor wrote that their great difficulty would be in managing their first break with their friends. Canfield was polite, softening his rejection by saying if Sybille were to write a full-length novel one day he would be pleased to read it. Because it's true, you know--he's not like any of them, he's completely alien to that whole bright, corrupt court. We have many more evenings before us if we want them.
I don't think any rearrangement would make that make any more sense
1: Beyond This Limit: Selected Shorter Fiction of Naomi Mitchison (I skipped the editorial introduction.)
2. Mary Gordon, Chase of the Wild Goose (about the Ladies of Llangollen).
3. Selina Hastings, Sybille Bedford: an appetite for life
4. Pamela Dean, Tam Lin
4. Barbara Pym, Jane and Prudence.
Check-In Post - May 18th 2026
May. 18th, 2026 07:23 pmbadly_knitted posting in get_knittedHello to all members, passers-by, curious onlookers, and shy lurkers, and welcome to our regular daily check-in post. Just leave a comment below to let us know how your current projects are progressing, or even if they're not.
Checking in is NOT compulsory, check in as often or as seldom as you want, this community isn't about pressure it's about encouragement, motivation, and support. Crafting is meant to be fun, and what's more fun than sharing achievements and seeing the wonderful things everyone else is creating?
There may also occasionally be questions, but again you don't have to answer them, they're just a way of getting to know each other a bit better.
This Week's Question: What do you wish you could get right first time, every time?
If anyone has any questions of their own about the community, or suggestions for tags, questions to be asked on the check-in posts, or if anyone is interested in playing check-in host for a week here on the community, which would entail putting up the daily check-in posts and responding to comments, go to the Questions & Suggestions post and leave a comment.
I now declare this Check-In OPEN!
