manic-intent

[manic-intent]

Hi there! About five years ago, you provided reading recommendations for me in the “weird western” genre. It took me on a journey that exposed me to many incredible, diverse authors and reignited my love of reading. Would you be willing to share some more book recommendations? Doesn’t have to be weird western - I like your taste and am always happy to expand my horizons.

Thank you so much for your time and I hope you’re doing well!

Hello!

I haven't been reading that many English novels lately... I fell into the hole of reading Chinese danmei novels and with all its popcorn bloody drama it's been hard to turn back. If you're willing to try danmei, I rec:

Qiang Jin Jiu (officially licensed, or you can look up the English fan translation). Probably my fave danmei of all time and my fave book of the year from a couple of years back. Incredible read. Alt history novel.

Scum Villain's Self Saving System (same as above)

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (same as above). Has been adapted into an animation and a tv show that is on Netflix (The Untamed).

Devil Venerable Also Wants to Know (x)

The Demon Venerable's Wistful Desire (x)

Peerless (x)

Books by priest (Guardian, Mo Du, etc). For priest if you're unfamiliar with her work I rec starting with the tv adaptation of Tian Ya Ke (Word of Honour) that is on Netflix

For English/English Translated novels, I've always loved:

Jin Yong (The Legend of the Condor Heroes is deservedly one of the most-read books in the world. I grew up with this, as did many people across the Chinese diaspora. On the official translation it's billed as the "Chinese Lord of the Rings", but it's nothing like Lord of the Rings--it's wuxia. Hell, it's probably more read than Lord of the Rings by sheer reader volume. tbh the official English translation annoys me because of the random name translations, so I rec the fan translation here)

NK Jemisin (Fifth Season series etc, incredible books, fantasy)

Liu Cixin (Three Body Problem etc: now adapted into several tv shows, including one on Netflix. I haven't watched any of them yet but you can try those first if you don't want to commit to the books)

Claire G Coleman (Terra Nullius, The Old Lie)

Saad Z Hossain (The Gurkha and the Lord of Tuesday etc)

Nnedi Okorafor (Akata Witch etc)

Yoon Ha Lee (Ninefox Gambit etc)

Nahoko Uehashi (Moribito, Beast Player etc)

SA Chakraborty (City of Brass etc)

Stephen Graham Jones (The Only Good Indians etc)

... and more :) Hope that helps as a starting point!

[manic-intent]

"Do you want to.....try...."

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Patreon | Ko-Fi

#geraskier #the witcher

[manic-intent]

fic: Foxfire fandom: Onmyouji anime (2023) pairing: Seimei x Hiromasa rating: E a/n: arranged marriage AU excerpt:

The sparse waiting room, devoid of heating charms, was crowded today with robed retainers and armed guards. Seimei frowned. He picked out the boy he was meant to meet at a glance–Minamoto no Hiromasa’s portrait had been sent to him along with the decree of marriage. Seimei’s impression then and now were the same. A soft child removed early from Imperial succession, earning himself both the ‘Minamoto’ surname and the right to live. Hiromasa might be the grandson of the Emperor, but the Emperor had many grandchildren, several of whom Seimei had already met. Colder, harder, and hungry for power, those who dared retain the title of Prince and the Imperial surname often reminded Seimei of snakes and wolves. Hiromasa made him think of a rabbit. Seimei pressed his tongue against the insides of his teeth, tipped against a sharp canine. 

He’d expected the rabbit to shrink back at the sight of his gold-streaked hair and cold eyes. Hide behind one of the armed guards, perhaps, or shakily start throwing his weight around to assert himself. Instead, the rabbit turned calmly to his retainers. “Leave us,” Hiromasa said. His tone was gentle but firm. Despite being three years younger than Seimei, he looked slighter, swallowed in his robes.

As the adults filed out, Seimei approached and bowed. “Hiromasa-dono. I am Abe no Seimei.”

Hiromasa blushed. “No need to be so formal. Sit, have tea. I brought some snacks.” 

#onmyoji #onmyouji #hiromasa x seimei

[manic-intent]

Losing it at this

#bg3 #wyll

[manic-intent]

Strange Way of Life got me thinking about Arthur/John again and it got me rereading all of your amazing rdr2 fics 🥺

Can I ask what specifically attracted you to the ship in the first place? Is it the older younger dynamic or maybe its just Arthur being hot

I loved RDR1 -- it was one of my favourite games on the ps3, so I was already pre-invested in John by the time I played RDR2. Otherwise that kind of ship usually wouldn't be my thing since John is married with a kid in the game. But yes, it's also because Arthur is hot :)

[manic-intent]

Hello manic! Do you have a Bookmark collection or a list of fic recs? I've checked your AO3 profile and this blog, but haven't managed to find anything. I've been reading your stuff for ages across various fandoms and really quite liked it, so would love to find more stuff that you'd recommend. Thanks for your time, Uxbridge English Dictionary

Hi! Sorry, I don't have fic recs, only book recs :) Thanks for your support though!

Edit: It occurs to me that I should explain in case this seemed very abrupt. Between writing and being a video games addict, my free time to read is limited, so I used to just read published books by diverse authors to try and expand my writing horizons. A few years ago I started reading danmei, and those books are often written in a way where you really can't put them down, it's just one entertaining faceslapping plot after another. I'm reading one right now, in fact, in between writing this comment.

So when I do read fanfic, which is rare, it's often just short smutty PWPs, which is probably not what you're looking for, and which I don't really remember much of after I finish reading it. If you're looking for book recs though, I'm happy to help! Especially if you might be interested in danmei :D

[manic-intent]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. spread the self-love ❤

Thanks for tagging me!! :) 

Sacred Treasures (Cyberpunk 2077) Takemura x V, E-Rated, Postcanon (Arasaka ending). V doesn’t take getting stashed into Mikoshi lying down, and Takemura returns to Night City to deal with it. 

The Tiger and its Skin (Word of Honor) ZZH x WKX, E-Rated, Transmigration AU where ZZH isekais into an alternative universe where he’s a prince of another surname. 

The Dragon Gate (Ghost of Tsushima), Ryuzo x Jin, E-Rated, Postcanon Fix-it AU (Ghost ending). Years after the events of Ghost of Tsushima, the Mongols gear up for a second invasion of the island. Jin and Ryuzo have to deal with facing off against an even more overwhelming force -- while trying to bury some old grudges. 

American Outlaws (RDR2) Arthur x John, E-Rated, Postcanon Fix-it AU (Arthur survives). Sadie attempts to take care of a recovering Arthur while picking up bounties. Their latest bounty is for a certain “Jim Milton”, wanted dead or alive.

Petrichor (Star Wars) Poe x Finn, E-Rated, Postcanon after TFA, fix-it. Han Solo finds himself not dead after all, Poe and Finn navigate an increasingly awkward relationship, while Rey realises finding Han Solo is only the beginning of all her problems. 

Not sure which authors I know are still on this thing and want to do this, but if you see this, feel free to consider yourself tagged. 

[manic-intent]

Hi! Do you still doing prompts?

Yes :) The policy and readme for it is at manicintent.carrd.co. However I have one in queue right now and I’m less free than I used to be, so it might take longer than before for me to write it (maybe a few weeks, depending). 

[manic-intent]

Are you still in the John Wick fandom? Asking with hopeful eyes.

I watched the latest film, but nope, not in the fandom any longer :) 

[manic-intent]

Are you still in the Ghost of Tsushima fandom? (Currently replaying this fantastic game and stumbled upon your Art^^)

Sadly no, that was a while ago ^^ I also have fic up on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/users/manic_intent/works?fandom_id=44774119 if you need more content though! Thanks for your interest :) 

[manic-intent]

Frankly it’s because I wrote fanfiction for 20+ years (since I was 15, whew!) that I ever honed my craft, discipline, and confidence enough to get published. I have an agent, 2 novels, 1 novella, and over 30+ short stories out today, been shortlisted for awards, and had short stories in Year’s Best Fantasy etc anthologies because of writing fanfiction and the fans who read and commented on my work. Seriously, without the community, I’d personally never have even gotten far enough to be confident to try. 

But even if getting published is not your end point, even if all you want to do is have a bit of fun, the act of writing is still valuable. So just keep at it. 

And you’re never too old to publish. 

saw this on twitter rn, if you ever feel discouraged about writing fanfiction, read this again

#on writing #fanfiction #fandom

[manic-intent]

My favourite thing about the D&D movie is it never stops trying to be a D&D movie even down to the most minute, unsung details. There's initiative order gags (I'll go last!) there's rolling a 1 gags (setting off the trap on the bridge by inexplicably just walking up to it) there's stat gags (nobody had high enough Intelligence to be in danger from the Intellect Devourers). Almost every spell is identifiable, from Xenk using smite to Sofina whipping out Finger of Death. Simon's character arc is about his self-confidence being tied to his mastery of magic because Charisma is the spellcasting stat for sorcerers. The era of movies based on games being afraid of their source material is over.

#D&D is a great film #Dungeons and Dragons: honor among thieves #D&D

[manic-intent]

#like a dragon: ishin!

[manic-intent]

I want everybody who’s calling Ken a Trophy Husband to know that he’s actually a Trophy Boyfriend, because when Ruth Handler invented Ken in the 1960s, she was adamant that he would never marry her and instead be her “handsome steady”, so that Barbie remained a figure of independence for the little girls and was never put in the position of housewife.

Her house is hers. She bought it and furnished it with money she made in her own job. In STEM, in politics, in healthcare, in fashion, in academy, in customer service. Her credit card is in her name (women in the US couldn’t have their own regardless of marital status until 1974). And it’s all pink and fashionable because femininity and badassness aren’t mutually exclusive. No matter who you are, you can be anything.

That’s why Barbie’s slogan is “you can be anything”. Teaching these ideals to little girls is why Barbie was created. Empowering women and empowering femininity is the original meaning of the Barbie doll. It’s not that you have to be all this to be a woman, but if you are all or some of this, you too are awesome.

And somehow pop culture deliberately changed that narrative. Sexualised, bimbofied, and villainised her, when she actually isn’t responsible for the impossible beauty standards — people are, she’s just a stylised, not-to-scale toy like most others.

Men are frothing because he’s just Ken and I guess they were expecting her to be just Barbie, but that’s exactly what Ken is. Canonically. A badass woman’s himbo boyfriend.

This movie has the potential to change the way we collectively see Barbie radically into what Ruth Handler’s intended, I’m so very excited

#well I learnt a little more today #barbie

[manic-intent]

A good dog asks,

“How are you today, John Wick?”

#john wick

[manic-intent]

Michelle Yeoh for GQ

#michelle yeoh

[manic-intent]

In times like these, what good would a conscience do me? Or anyone? Traitors forfeit their lives. It’s a cruel law but it binds us together in this cruel world. And it works.

#todo heisuke #like a dragon: ishin!