#Alternative titles include: | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

that-storming-writer · 2 years

Text

Music Box Mayhem

Thief had waited all night for this moment. Hours of servicing the entitled elite, trying to avoid the watchful gaze of Supervillain's henchmen was finally paying off. The bejeweled lid of the Ophidian Music Box glistened in the pale moonlight, peering through the thick curtains. It sat on a red velvet pillow--which complimented its beauty--in the display closest to the office desk. This would likely be their most successful heist; assuming, of course, they could make it off the grounds of Supervillain's manor. Between security, the guests, and Supervillain themself, it wouldn't be an easy escape. They could worry about that later. Thief reached for the box--

The door handle jiggled. Thief dove behind the desk, shrinking into a tight ball as warm light bathed the room. The door quickly shut with a soft click--only one person had entered. The newcomer shuffled through the room as Thief crawled to the other side of the desk. As long as it wasn't Supervillain or their right hand, they would be easy to take out. Thief peeked from their hiding spot and... Came face-to-face with Hero?

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Hero froze, hands hovering over the sides of the box as he looked down at Thief.

"What am I doing here? What are you doing here?"

"I'm getting the Ophidian Music Box, obviously. Why else would I be here?"

"I should've known," he said with a disapproving shake of his head. "Of course you want to get your grubby little paws on the music box. I imagine you're going to sell it off instead--"

"Oh shut it with your self-righteous garbage. I'm going to sell it because I like money. And a good reputation. And stealing is fun. Now if you excuse me, I'm just gonna grab it and be on my way." Thief stepped forward, reaching for the music box. Hero sprung between the artifact and the thief, earning a glare from the criminal. "I was here first, so I get to keep it."

"That's not how it works! It should be returned to the museum for everyone to see--not locked away in some rich guy's vault!"

"Okay? How does that effect me? Honestly, I'm impressed your girlfriend tolerates you. You're such a nag. And you're dull."

"Girlfriend?"

"Uh yeah, Villain obviously."

"I'm not a dull nag," Hero grumbled as his ears reddened. "And-and Villain isn't my girlfriend! She's my enemy."

Thief snorted, giving him a pat on the arm. "Sure, buddy."

"Why do you insist on provoking me? All I want to do is return the music box to its rightful place." Hero sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I don't want to fight with you, Thief. If we set aside our differences and take the music box back together, we can both get what we want: your reputation as a good thief and the artifact in its rightful place." Hero offered his hand. "What do you say?"

Thief blinked at Hero, looking from his hand to the music box and back again. "You really think--"

The door handle twisted.

"Hide," Thief hissed. Hero pounced behind the desk as Thief sandwiched themself flat between a couch and coffee table. It wasn't the best hiding place in the world, but it was better than being in the open. Thief heard a single pair of footsteps stride through the room, pausing near the desk. How to get the music box and escape? The thief considered their options.

They could draw attention to the desk and slip behind the newcomer, grabbing the Ophidian Music Box. Hero would be stuck dealing with them, the other person would be distracted, and Thief could flee with their prize. It was risky--especially if the newcomer had powers--but with Hero there, perhaps that wasn't too much of a concern. He had powers and was harebrained enough to protect them.

Thief snaked forward to get a better look at who they were dealing with. They chanced a look over the table... And found Villain standing before the artifact.

"Seriously?! You're here too?!" Villain twirled around, her dress flowing with the movement. Just like every other outfit at the party, it was gaudy and flamboyant, impractical for a heist. Thief jumped to their feet and glared at the villain. She offered a genuine smile. The audacity.

"My dear, Thief! I didn't expect to see you here tonight. Though now that I have, I should've expected someone with your ambitions to be lurking around."

"What are you doing here?"

"You're always a nosey one," Villain hummed. "If you must know, this fine box will look great in my bedroom. I need something new to hold all my jewelry, and what better thing than the Ophidian Music Box? Now I'm tempted to ask you the same question, but I'm more interested to know who's hiding in here with you." Hero sheepishly emerged from behind the desk, blushing more than before.

"H-hey, Villain." Villain looked Hero up and down. He blushed harder.

"Hello, darling Hero. I didn't expect you here, either. I'm not one to complain though, you certainly clean up nicely," she purred. The hero-in-denial swallowed thickly while Thief gagged.

"First you ruin my plans, and now you're subjecting me to your flirting? At least be decent enough to wait until I'm out of the room."

"Don't be so grumpy. I haven't seen my lovely Hero in a while, and I should be allowed to chat with him. However, I am curious about these plans of yours. They don't have anything to do with my box, do they?"

"My plans are called none of your business. Now if you excuse me, I would like to get what I came here for and be on my way." Thief reached for the box again only for Villain to slap their hand away.

"The box needs to go back to the museum." Hero finally regained his voice. Both criminals stared at him. "Please, let me take it back where it belongs." Villain pouted and walked up to the hero, leaving Thief to roll their eyes. Of all the heroes and villains in the city, why did they have to get stuck with these two?

"But Hero, don't you think it'd look great in my room?"

"I-I don't know, I've nev-never seen your room."

"Oh right, that's truly a shame. Perhaps we should fix that." Villain punctuated her point with a wink. That was all it took to reduce Hero into a blushing mess and leave Thief to bury their face in their hands.

"You two are so embarrassing. How can you say the things you say and still show your faces in public? Actually, I don't care. I came here for the box, not to watch the two of you do...whatever this is." They gestured vaguely to the pair as they stalked to their prize.

"Not so fast," Villain tsked. An invisible force pushed against the thief. Not hard enough to knock them over, but enough to keep them away from reaching their goal. Again. "Who said you get to have the music box? Why do you think you deserve it more than myself, or even Hero?"

Thief glared. "I can give you an alphabetical list of reasons why I--"

The door handle turned.

"Hide." Villain pulled Hero behind the curtains as Thief ducked around a neighboring display. Just as before, only a single person entered the room. Dressed in a security guard uniform, they headed straight for the Ophidian Music Box. Thief studied the newcomer. They should be easy to take out as a low-level security guard who was probably sent to... It was Vigilante. Because of course it was Vigilante!

"You have got to be kidding me. At this rate, I'm going to throw myself out the window." Vigilante jumped as the criminal emerged from the darkness, muttering a string of swears under their breath. "I can't have nice things, can I? You people are just determined to ruin my night!"

"It's good to see you too, Thief," Vigilante said flatly.

"Save your pleasantries. I'm not in the mood for idle chitchat."

"You're never in the mood for idle chitchat."

"Who asked you anyway?" They grumbled, turning to the window. "You two can come out now. Unless you're being weird, in which case spare us and stay behind the curtains." The pair came shuffling out a moment later, Villain smiling and Hero hopelessly red. Throwing themself out the window was becoming more desirable by the second. It was almost worth leaving the box behind. Almost.

"Why are you here, Vigilante?" Villain asked, sitting herself on Supervillain's desk.

"I have a feeling I'm here for the same reason as the rest of you. Does the Ophidian Music Box ring a bell?"

Thief groaned, dramatically throwing back their head. "Of course your here for the box. Why wouldn't you be here for it?"

"What do you plan on doing with it?" Hero asked.

"I'm giving it to the museum. But only if they pay me, otherwise I'll keep it."

"You're ransoming it to the museum?!"

"When you put it that way, it sounds bad."

"That's because it is bad. You can't ransom the box to the museum, it belongs to them!"

Vigilante shrugged. "It's no different than what you're doing. I'm just getting money for it."

"Now Vigilante," Villain interjected, "I can appreciate a good hustle. You're plan actually isn't bad, but I think you should sit this one out. There's already three of us who want the box, adding you into the mix makes it more complicated."

"I hate to agree with her, but she's right," Thief mumbled. "I already have to deal with these two, I do not need to deal with you too."

Vigilante gasped, slapping a hand over their chest in mock offense. "That really hurts, Thief. I thought we were friends. I mean, we're not so different you and I."

"And that is exactly why we're not friends. You go around saying things like that."

"Come on now, you know I'm not--"

"Alright, that's enough." Hero stepped between the pair, and made an effort to look at everyone. Despite his best attempt to mask his feelings, Thief noticed a hint of irritation in his eyes. Mr. Goodytwoshoes could get annoyed if they pressed hard enough. "Clearly we're getting nowhere by arguing about the Ophidian Music Box. We all want it for one reason or another, but no one is going to get it if we continue to bicker. So, let's talk this out. We'll each present a case for why we want the music box, and then we can decide who gets it."

"I can see what you're trying to do, darling, but diplomacy isn't going to get us far. We all came for the music box, and I doubt any of us are willing to leave without it," Villain pointed out.

"I have to agree with Villain," Vigilante hummed, "which is exactly why I'll just take the music box off your hands. You can thank me later." Before Thief could protest, Hero put himself between the artifact and Vigilante. They eyed each other, waiting for the other to make the first move. Villain rolled her eyes with a scoff, slipping off the desk and prowling toward the bickering crime-stoppers.

"Like he said, we're getting nowhere like this. Just let me take it and we can all go home for the night. Except for you, Hero. You can come home with me, if you'd like." That earned yet another blush from the hero and a long sigh from Thief.

"Great. He's definiently going to side with you on the matter because of your manipulation."

"She-she's not manipulating me!"

"I'm not manipulating him," Villain echoed. "Though I'm curious to know why you're trying to turn us against each other. It does conviently work in your favor if the two of us fight."

"Oh no, you don't get to accuse me of manipulating him."

The three of them were arguing. Well, it was more like Villain and Vigilante were arguing while Hero tried to keep the already shaky peace. Thief tuned them out. The others left Thief forgotten and the box open for the taking. They had one shot to claim their prize and make a run for it. They would make it good.

Thief snatched the music box and made a break for the door, failing to notice the handle fidgeting again.

Supervillain entered their office, taking a step back as they took in the sight. They looked from Villain to Hero to Vigilante before their eyes finally settled on Thief and the Ophidian Music Box. Shutting the door behind them, they leaned against it and smiled.

"Now what do we have here?"

-0-0-0-0-

This thing is 2125 words long. I thought it would maybe be around 1500 words, but apparently not. I'm never writing again. I'm kidding, but wow this is the longest snippet I've written. And I've only written five. Anyway, there's probably some mistakes. I wrote and finished this all on my phone, so I might go and edit it when I have access to a computer. Hope you enjoy.

#thief #hero x villain #heroes and villains #heroes and villains community #I've been rewatching Leverage #One of my favorite episodes is The Rashomon Job so if you've seen that episode #you can tell this snippet is inspired (arguably heavily) by that #poor thief #they can't catch a break #all they wanted was to get money #instead they're stuck with three people after the same thing they are #Also I didn't intend for the hero x villain stuff to be so overt #I wanted to simply imply it #but that clearly didn't go as planned #Alternative titles include: The Turning of the Handle #Thief Can't Catch a Break #and The Music Box Job

60 notes · View notes

mathemon · 21 days

Text

We should call it when there's confusion due to several terms share the same abbreviations/acronyms the VFD factor, because A Series of Unfortunate Events had at least one new meaning of it in each book that it actually gave the translators issues, and honestly, the series could have been called "A Volley of Forlorn Developments" because then it would be abbreviated as VFD

#I just thought of that alternative title #also predictive text was acting up for some reason when I was typing this #a series of unfortunate events #asoue #also other examples include #ca for California and Canada #ftm for female to male and first time mother #and the seven c's system of measurements

3 notes · View notes

thedevilsrain · 1 year

Text

guts wearing casca's armor

commissions (so that i can keep drawing guts wearing cascas armor)

#alternative title: butts #i have nothing else to say... i spent m'entire evening drawing this 'as a joke'#berserk #guts #casca #sry casca fans. myself included #me art #suggestive #i guess man...

27 notes · View notes

katiekat-draws · 1 year

Text

This comic is about the first 4 minutes of Ancient Magus Bride S1E8, and all of The Last of Us. Just all of it.

#comicart #comics #the last of us hbo #ancient magus bride #let sleeping dogs lie #im not kidding #this was my genuine reaction #if you know you KNOW #alternate titles include #when your favorite character dies #when your favorite anime gets a live action adaptation #when your favorite show ends on a cliffhanger #and then gets cancelled #when you fail the saving throw #when your rent goes up #when the shiny runs away from you #when you loose power during the climax #when you watch the news #when your cat chews up your stylus

12 notes · View notes

she-toadmask · 1 year

Text

I am not one to be negative about Pokemon but Scarlet/Violet is the second worst main game on Switch (BDSP is the worst mostly for being a disappointment)

Legends has better shiny hunting

Sword/Shield had better raids

I didn't play Let's Go as much as the others but it is polished and an enjoyable experience

All three run better than SV and have fewer glitches

#fortunately my 3ds should get finished with repairs this month so i can do some sos chaining instead #i have bank and transporter on it if they didnt fuck it up #it sucks i find sv hunting so frustrating because there are a bunch of pokemon where that's the only way on switch to hunt them #like i would love to get a shiny scatterbug but to hunt it on 3ds i would need to do a new playthrough because my files are weird #(i bought a powersaves and tried to do multiple files and switching computers made it a mess so i just need to play again)#and then i need to get some help somewhere to complete the ENTIRE nat dex to get the shiny charm #because i balk at the idea of not using shiny charm #and even then i have to do random encounters because i dont want to do masuda method #i'll have to do the same with oras but at least dexnav provides an alternative #it will be nice to replay those games properly #fun fact i have done rng manipulation hunting in bw2 #got a shiny latias 2/3 of the lake trio (got a full odds uxie in bdsp so ive got the whole gang) and an absol for a friend #bdsp despite my low playtime i got 3 shinies #the aformentioned uxie a quagsire in the marsh and a random tentacruel. no idea how or why #i intended to finish the dex in bdsp for the shiny charm even though it helped like two things but i didnt vibe with the game enough #ds rng manip is cool if you have not a 3ds and a computer look into it. did gen 5 for specific mons and got cute charm glitch on hgss #there is also rng manip for 3ds titles but i didnt find out until the charging stopped working right so i havent been able to try it #(i removed the battery to charge it so the date reset regularly)#also id you have a 3ds. hack it. do it. 3ds.hacks.guide it's very well-written and lets you do cool shit #including piracy

2 notes · View notes

nellasbookplanet · 3 months

Text

Book recs: black science fiction

As february and black history month nears its end, if you're a reader let's not forget to read and appreciate books by black authors the rest of the year as well! If you're a sci-fi fan like me, perhaps this list can help find some good books to sink your teeth into.

Bleak dystopias, high tech space adventures, alien monsters, alternate dimensions, mash-ups of sci-fi and fantasy - this list features a little bit of everything for genre fiction fans!

For more details on the books, continue under the readmore. Titles marked with * are my personal favorites. And as always, feel free to share your own recs in the notes!

If you want more book recs, check out my masterpost of rec lists!

Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor

Something massive and alien crashes into the ocean off the coast of Nigeria. Three people, a marine biologist, a rapper, and a soldier, find themselves at the center of this presence, attempting to shepherd an alien ambassador as chaos spreads in the city. A strange novel that mixes the supernatural with the alien, shifts between many different POVs, and gives a one of a kind look at a possible first contact.

Nubia: The Awakening (Nubia series) by Omar Epps & Clarence A. Hayes

Young adult. Three teens living in the slums of an enviromentally ravaged New York find that something powerful is awakening within them. They’re all children of refugees of Nubia, a utopian African island nation that sank as the climate worsened, and realize now that their parents have been hiding aspects of their heritage from them. But as they come into their own, someone seeks to use their abilities to his own ends, against their own people.

The Scourge Between Stars by Ness Brown

Novella. After having failed at establishing a new colony, starship Calypso fights to make it back to Earth. Acting captain Jacklyn Albright is already struggling against the threats of interstellar space and impending starvation when the ship throws her a new danger: something is hiding on the ship, picking off her crew one by one in bloody, gruesome ways. A quick, excellent read if you want some good Alien vibes.

Dawn (Xenogenesis trilogy) by Octavia E. Butler*

After a devestating war leaves humanity on the brink of extinction, survivor Lilith finds herself waking up naked and alone in a strange room. She’s been rescued by the Oankali, who have arrived just in time to save the human race. But there’s a price to survival, and it might be humanity itself. Absolutely fucked up I love it I once had to drop the book mid read to stare at the ceiling and exclaim in horror at what was going on. Includes darker examinations of agency and consent, so enter with caution.

Midnight Robber by Nalo Hopkinson*

Utterly unique in world-building, story, and prose, Midnight Robber follows young Tan-Tan and her father, inhabitants of the Carribean-colonized planet of Toussaint. When her father commits a terrible crime, he’s exiled to a parallel version of the same planet, home to strange aliens and other human exiles. Tan-Tan, not wanting to lose her father, follows with him. Trapped on this new planet, he becomes her worst nightmare. Enter this book with caution, as it contains graphic child sexual abuse.

Rosewater (The Wormwood trilogy) by Tade Thompson

In Nigeria lies Rosewater, a city bordering on a strange, alien biodome. Its motives are unknown, but it’s having an undeniable effect on the surrounding life. Kaaro, former criminal and current psychic agent for the government, is one of the people changed by it. When other psychics like him begin getting killed, Kaaro must take it upon himself to find out the truth about the biodome and its intentions.

Do You Dream of Terra-Two? by Temi Oh

Young adult. A century ago, an astronomer discovered a possibly Earth-like planet. Now, a team of veteran astronauts and carefully chosen teenagers are preparing to embark on a twenty-three year trip to get there. But space is dangerous, and the team has no one to rely on but each other if - or when - something goes wrong. An introspective slowburn of a story, this focuses more on character work than action.

The Best of All Possible Worlds by Karen Lord

After the planet Sadira is left uninhabitable, its few survivors are forced to move to a new world. On Cygnus Beta, they work to rebuild their society alongside their distant relatives of the planet, while trying to preserve what remains of their culture. Focused less on hard science or action, The Best of All Possible Worlds is more about culture, romance and the ethics and practicalities of telepathy.

Mirage (Mirage duology) by Somaiya Daud

Young adult. Eighteen-year-old Amani lives on an isolated moon under the oppressive occupation of the Valthek empire. When Amani is abducted, she finds herself someplace wholly unexpected: the royal palace. As it turns out, she's nearly identical to the half-Valthek, and widely hated, princess Maram, who is in need of a body double. If Amani ever wants to make it back home or see her people freed from oppression, she will have to play her role as princess perfectly. While sci-fi, this one more has the vibe of a fantasy.

An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon

Life on the lower decks of the generation ship HSS Matilda is hard for Aster, an outcast even among outcasts, trying to survive in a system not dissimilar to the old antebellum South. The ship’s leaders have imposed harsh restrictions on their darker skinned people, using them as an oppressed work force as they travel toward their supposed Promised Land. But as Aster finds a link between the death of the ship’s sovereign and the suicide of her own mother, she realizes there may be a way off the ship.

Where It Rains in Color by Denise Crittendon

The planet Swazembi is a utopia of color and beauty, the most beautiful of all its citizens being the Rare Indigo. Lileala was just named Rare Indigo, but her strict yet pampered life gets upended when her beautiful skin is struck by a mysterious sickness, leaving it covered in scars and scabs. Meanwhile, voices start to whisper in Lileala's mind, bringing to the surface a past long forgotten involving her entire society.

Eacaping Exodus (Escaping Exodus duology) by Nicky Drayden

Seske is the heir to the leader of a clan living inside a gigantic, spacefaring beast, of which they frequently need to catch a new one to reside in as their presence slowly kills the beast from the inside. While I found the ending rushed with regards to plot and character, the worldbuilding is very fresh and the overall plot of survival and class struggle an interesting one. It’s also sapphic!

Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah*

In a near future America, inmates on death row or with life sentences in private prisons can choose to participate in death matches for entertainment. If they survive long enough - a rare case indeed - they regain their freedom. Among these prisoners are Loretta Thurwar and Hamara "Hurricane Staxxx" Stacker, partners behind the scenes and close to the deadline of a possible release - if only they can survive for long enough. As the game continues to be stacked against them and protests mount outside, two women fight for love, freedom, and their own humanity. Chain-Gang All-Stars is bleak and unflinching as well as genuinely hopeful in its portrayal of a dark but all to real possible future.

Parable of the Sower (Earthseed duology) by Octavia E. Butler*

In a bleak future, Lauren Olamina lives with her family in a gated community, one of few still safe places in a time of chaos. When her community falls, Lauren is forced on the run. As she makes her way toward possible safety, she picks up a following of other refugees, and sows the seeds of a new ideology which may one day be the saviour of mankind. Very bleak and scarily realistic, Parable of the Sower will make you both fear for mankind and regain your hope for humanity.

Binti (Binti trilogy) by Nnedi Okorafor

Young adult novella. Binti is the first of the Himba people to be accepted into the prestigious Oomza University, the finest place of higher learning in all the galaxy. But as she embarks on her interstellar journey, the unthinkable happens: her ship is attacked by the terrifying Meduse, an alien race at war with Oomza University.

War Girls (War Girls duology) by Tochi Onyebuchi

In an enviromentally fraught future, the Nigerian civil war has flared back up, utilizing cybernetics and mechs to enhance its soldiers. Two sisters, by bond if not by blood, are separated and end up on differing sides of the struggle. Brutal and dark, with themes of dehumanization of soldiers through cybernetics that turn them into weapons, and the effect and trauma this has on them.

The Space Between Worlds (The Space Between Worlds duology) by Micaiah Johnson

Multiverse travel is finally possible, but there’s a catch: No one can visit a world where their counterpart is still alive. Enter Cara, whose parallel selves happen to be exceptionally good at dying. As such she has a very special job in traveling to these worlds, hoping to keep her position long enough to gain citizenship in the walled-off Wiley City, away from the wastes where she grew up. But her job is dangerous, especially when she gets on the tracks of a secret that threatens the entire multiverse. Really cool worldbuilding and characters, also featuring a sapphic lead!

The Fifth Season (The Broken Eart trilogy) by N.K. Jemisin*

In a world regularly torn apart by natural disasters, a big one finally strikes and society as we know it falls, leaving people floundering to survive in a post apocalyptic world, its secrets and past to be slowly revealed. We get to follow a mother as she races through this world to find and save her missing daughter. While mostly fantasy in genre, this series does have some sci-fi flavor, and is genuinely some of the best books I've ever read, please read them.

The Women Could Fly by Megan Giddings*

In an alternate version of our present, the witch hunt never ended. Women are constantly watched and expected to marry young so their husbands can keep an eye on them. When she was fourteen, Josephine's mother disappeared, leveling suspicions at both mother and daughter of possible witchcraft. Now, nearly a decade and a half later, Jo, in trying to finally accept her missing mother as dead, decides to follow up on a set of seemingly nonsensical instructions left in her will. Features a bisexual lead!

The Prey of Gods by Nicky Drayden

South African-set scifi featuring gods ancient and new, robots finding sentience, dik-diks, and a gay teen with mind control abilities. An ancient goddess seeks to return to her true power no matter how many humans she has to sacrifice to get there. A little bit all over the place but very creative and fresh.

The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson*

Young adult. Young artist June Costa lives in Palmares Tres, a beautiful, matriarchal city relying heavily on tradition, one of which is the Summer King. The most recent Summer King is Enki, a bold boy and fellow artist. With him at her side, June seeks to finally find fame and recognition through her art, breaking through the generational divide of her home. But growing close to Enki is dangerous, because he, like all Summer Kings, is destined to die.

The Blood Trials (The Blood Gifted duology) by N.E. Davenport

After Ikenna's grandfather is assasinated, she is convinced that only a member of the Praetorian guard, elite soldiers, could’ve killed him. Seeking to uncover his killer, Ikenna enrolls in a dangerous trial to join the Praetorians which only a quarter of applicants survive. For Ikenna, the stakes are even higher, as she's hiding forbidden blood magic which could cost her her life. Mix of fantasy and sci-fi. While I didn’t super vibe with this one, I suspect fans of action packed romantasy will enjoy it.

Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delany

1960s classic. Rydra Wong is a space captain, linguist and poet who is set on learning to understand Babel-17, a language which is humanity's only clue at the enemy in an interstaller war. But Babel-17 is more than just a language, and studying it may change Rydra forever.

Pet (Pet duology) by Akwaeke Emezi

Young adult novella. Jam lives in a utopian future that has been freed of monsters and the systems which created and upheld them. But then she meets Pet, a dangerous creature claiming to be hunting a monster still among them, prepared to stop at nothing to find them. While I personally found the word-building in Pet lacking, it deftly handles dark subjects of what makes a human a monster.

Bonus AKA I haven’t read these yet but they seem really cool

Lion's Blood by Steven Barnes

Alternate history in which Africans colonized South America while vikings colonized the North. The vikings sell abducted Celts and Franks as slaves to the South, one of which is eleven-years-old Irish boy Aidan O'Dere, who was just bought by a Southern plantation owner.

The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow

Young adult dystopia. Ellie lives in a future where humanity is under the control of the alien Ilori. All art is forbidden, but Ellie keeps a secret library; when one of her books disappears, she fears discovery and execution. M0Rr1S, born in a lab and raised to be emotionless, finds her library, and though he should deliver her for execution, he finds himself obsessed with human music. Together the two embark on a roadtrip which may save humanity.

Womb City by Tlotlo Tsamaase

Lelah lives in future Botswana, but despite money and fame she finds herself in an unhappy marriage, her body controlled via microchip by her husband. After burying the body of an accidental hit and run, Lelah's life gets worse when the ghost of her victim returns to enact bloody vengeance.

Orleans by Sherri L. Smith

Young adult. Fen de la Guerre, living in a quarantined Gulf Coast left devestated by storms and sickness, is forced on the run with a newborn after her tribe is attacked. Hoping to get the child to safety, Fen seeks to get to the other side of the wall, she teams up with a scientist from the outside the quarantine zone.

Everfair by Nisi Shawl

A neo-victorian alternate history, in which a part of Congo was kept safe from colonisation, becoming Everfair, a safe haven for both the people of Congo and former slaves returning from America. Here they must struggle to keep this home safe for them all.

The Splinter in the Sky by Kemi Ashing-Giwa

Space opera. Enitan just wants to live a quiet life in the aftermath of a failed war of conquest, but when her lover is killed and her sister kidnapped, she's forced to leave her plans behind to save her sister.

Honorary mentions AKA these didn't really work for me but maybe you guys will like them: The City We Became (Great Cities duology) by N.K. Jemisin, The Lesson by Cadwell Turnbull, The A.I. Who Loved Me by Alyssa Cole

4K notes · View notes

painlandpalace · 17 days

Text

dead boy detectives reading list

with the show finally out i figured it was a great time to share my reading list again! check it out below the cut 👻☠️🔎

⏳ the sandman #25 (1991)

this is their first appearance!

🐇 the children's crusade (1993)/free country: a tale of the children's crusade (2015)

1. the children's crusade #1

(2. black orchid annual #1

4. animal man annual #1

5. swamp thing annual #7

6. doom patrol annual #2

7. arcana annual #1)

8. the children's crusade #2

alternatively you can just read free country. whether or not you read the annuals i recommend reading free country's middle chapter

!!! in place of the annuals there is an additional middle chapter that was created for the book "free country: a tale of the children's crusade" where it is placed between the two children's crusade issues. the boys don't actually appear in most of the annuals (they are in two panels of swamp thing and appear in doom patrol) and reading them isn't necessary but i figured i would include them as they are part of the story.

❄️ winter's edge #3 (2000)

this is an anthology. their part is the 'books of magic: waiting for good dough' story starting on page 19

🐦‍⬛ the sandman presents: the dead boy detectives (2001, 4 issues)

i believe the tv show's esther finch was partially based on this run's villain.

(they do have a part in 'death: at death's door' from 2003. it's short and really just a retelling of events from sandman #25 with some minor changes. the entirety of their appearance in death: at death's door is included at the end of the next comic im listing so i am not really adding the death: at death's door book to the list)

☠️ the dead boy detectives (2005, one-shot)

this book was made by jill thompson in a very cute manga-esque style

👻 ghosts (2012), time warp (2013), the witching hour (2013)

these three are anthologies. the story 'the dead boy detectives in: run ragged' runs through all of them. 'run ragged' kicks off the next run.

🔮 from the pages of the sandman: dead boy detectives (2013, 12 issues)

this is the comic where crystal is introduced! a book collecting all 12 issues titled 'dead boy detectives by toby litt & mark buckingham' was released in 2023

🔎the sandman universe: dead boy detectives (2022, 6 issues)

the most recent run, centered around some really interesting thai mythology and featuring multiple edwin moments that i am sure you will love

and that's everything! i also recommend buying the omnibus if you can. it includes everything minus the 2022 run plus some additional bonus content!

i hope this is helpful! feel free to ask me any questions you may have about the comics. dead boy detectives is my number one interest so i should be able to answer

have fun reading! 👻

#dead boy detectives #the sandman #the sandman universe #comics #reading list #edwin paine #edwin payne #charles rowland #crystal palace #crystal palace surname von hoverkraft #painland #paynland #i really hope i didnt mess up while making this post fjdkfkjdkf

2K notes · View notes