#Black SF authors

[gollancz]

The novel is described as “an optimistic, thoughtful SF in the vein of Ursula K Le Guin in which the world has changed, and humankind has changed with it. After the great floods, human civilization has adapted with domed retreats, artificial islands, and virtual reality environments that replicate a lost world.” Its synopsis goes on: “But now the world is about to change again. Earth has been observed from afar by other civilizations, and they are ready to make contact. And preparing for this world-shaking event are people who have already devoted their lives to creating new visions of the future. And then there’s Owen, a charismatic mega popstar, who has a secret behind his ability to connect with his adoring fans. Owen’s talent may be the key to uniting humanity as it looks towards the stars... and to its own hidden secrets."

We are so delighted to be welcoming the incomparable Dr Karen Lord to the Gollancz list! THE BLUE BEAUTIFUL WORLD is such a gorgeous sci-fi of humanity and first contact, and you're going to love it.

#Karen Lord #The Blue Beautiful World #Acquisition Announcement #Black SF authors #Women SF authors

[wearethekat]

Anticipated New Releases of 2024

**As anticipated by Me. Mostly SFF. Links are to goodreads because that's what I use, sorry. Anything marked "new to me" I haven't read anything by that author before and therefore can't vouch for the quality. I just think the premise is neat.**

Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands, Heather Fawcett (16 January)

Sequel to the charming novel about the fairy anthropologist.

Exordia, Seth Dickinson (23 January)

Well, it isn't a new Baru Cormorant, but this modern SF about first contact may be the next best thing.

City of Stardust, Georgia Summers (30 January)

New to me. A young woman descends into the underworld in order to break her family's fatal curse.

The Tainted Cup, Robert Jackson Bennett (6 February)

New to me. A sherlock holmes flavored duo solves the mystery of the murder of an imperial official in a labyrinthine fantasy realm.

What Feasts at Night, T Kingfisher (13 February)

The sequel to the mushroom horror book What Moves the Dead.

The Warm Hands of Ghosts, Katherine Arden (13 February)

A ghost story set in WW1 about a woman searching for her missing brother.

The Fox Wife, Yangsze Choo (13 February)

New to me. A detective in 1908 Manchuria investigates a young woman's death in an area full of mythical foxes.

Redsight, Meredith Mooring (27 February)

New to me. Unpowered priestess and Imperial pawn is set on a collision path with a pirate with a grudge for the Imperium (Gay romance).

Sunbringer, Hannah Kaner (12 March)

Sequel about the professional godkiller Kissen.

Jumpnauts, Hao Jingfang (12 March)

New to me. A SF novel in translation from Chinese, with three scientists joining forces to deal peacefully with a first contact situation.

The Woods All Black, Lee Mandelo (19 March)

I liked Mandelo's debut novel very much so I'm excited to read this queer horror novella set in 1920s Appalachia.

Floating Hotel, Grace Curtis (19 March)

New to me. A series of cozy character vignettes on a space cruise ship after a murder has occurred. One of the four (!) space hotel murder crimes books coming out this year.

The Emperor and the Endless Palace, Justinian Huang (26 March)

New to me. Reincarnation gay romance set in 4 BCE China, the 1740s, and modern-day LA.

Alien Clay, Adrian Tchaikovsky (28 March)

Far future space xenoarchaeology by a man trapped on a prison planet.

Someone You Can Build a Nest In, John Wiswell (2 April)

New to me. Bizarre lesbian cannibalism monster romance from the point of view of the monster.

The Familiar, Leigh Bardugo (9 April)

Glad to see Bardugo writing more adult fantasy, and this one is especially exciting because it's a fantasy set in early modern Spain with a Jewish main character. Fun to see a more original historical period.

A Sweet Sting of Salt, Rose Sutherland (9 April)

New to me. Lesbian selkie romance.

Death in the Spires, KJ Charles (11 April)

Charles branching out from romance into historical Oxford murder mystery about a group of friends with dark secrets.

Audrey Lane Stirs The Pot, Alexis Hall (22 April)

The new Hall thinly veiled british baking show romcom. Libby says it's releasing in April but I've heard nothing from the author so I think it may be Alecto'd (shifted to next year)

Necrobane, Daniel M Ford (23 April)

Sequel to the dungeons and dragons-esque low fantasy lesbian necromancy book.

A Letter to the Luminous Deep, Sylvie Cathrall (25 April)

New to me. Sweet underwater epistolary academic romance.

How To Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying, Django Wexler (21 May)

New to me. A young hero caught in a fantasy time loop gives up and tries being the villain in an attempt to escape.

Goddess of the River, Vaishnavi Patel (21 May)

Another woman-centered retelling of Hindu mythology, this time based on the river goddess Ganga.

Escape Velocity, Victor Manibo (21 May)

New to me. Evil and toxic private school alumni jockey for position in a space hotel event in an attempt to escape a dying Earth.

The Fireborne Blade, Charlotte Bond (28 May)

New to me. Gay dragon slaying knight novella.

Evocation, ST Gibson (28 May)

New to me but looks very cool. Attorney and medium David attempts to escape his deal with the devil with the help of his ex boyfriend and his ex boyfriend's wife (Poly romance).

Service Model, Adrian Tchaikovsky (4 June)

In an SF future, a robot kills its human owners and ventures out into a world where human supremacy is beginning to crumble.

Lady Eve's Last Con, Rebecca Fraimow (4 June)

New to me. A con artist seeks revenge on the man who hurt her sister, who's coincidentally also on a space cruise ship (Sapphic romance subplot).

Triple Sec, TJ Alexander (4 June)

An actual mainstream published poly romance (!!) by trans author Alexander.

Running Close to the Wind, Alexandra Rowland (11 June)

Gay! Pirates! Scheming! Alt fantasy world! Monks! I liked Taste of Gold and Iron a lot and I'm very excited for this one.

The Knife and the Serpent, Tim Pratt (11 June)

New to me. Space opera about an interdimensional organization. Also, there's a sentient starship.

The Witchstone, Henry Neff (18 June)

A childhood favorite of mine's adult debut, featuring a demon who suddenly has to shape up at his curse keeper job after eight hundred years of slacking.

Rakesfall, Vajra Chandrasekera (18 June)

VERY excited to read more weird queer sff from this author after a fantastic debut. Looks weird. I'm in.

Foul Days, Genoveva Dimova (25 June)

New to me. A witch in a Slavic fantasy inspired world flees her evil ex, the Tsar of Monsters. There's also a plague and a detective.

Saints of Storm and Sorrow, Gabriella Buba (25 June)

New to me. Filipino inspired anticolonialist fantasy novel about a nun who is secretly practicing the religion of her goddess.

The Duke at Hazard, KJ Charles (18 July)

A queer regency with an incognito duke by one of my particular favorite romance authors.

Long Live Evil, Sarah Rees Brennan (30 July)

!!! Very excited to see a new adult fantasy by Brennan. A reader is dragged into a fictional world and finds herself the villain.

A Sorceress Comes to Call, T Kingfisher (20 August)

A retelling of The Goose Girl from reliably good fairy tale stalwart Kingfisher.

Buried Deep and Other Stories, Naomi Novik (17 September)

Collection of Novik's short stories.

Swordcrossed, Freya Marske (8 October)

VERY excited to see a new book by talented writer Marske. A man falls in love with the duelist hired for his arranged wedding. MEANWHILE. details of the fantasy world wool industry.

Feast While You Can, Mikaella Clements and Onjuli Datta (29 October)

New to me. Small town queer cave horror.

The Last Hour Between Worlds, Melissa Caruso (19 November)

Multiple reality murder mystery spy vs spy type antics, with lesbians.

#book recommendations #on the tbr #now I would Like to put alecto the ninth on this but as we know. NO news (sobs) #long post #updated 3/8 with more books I've added since I posted this

[simdertalia]

🍫 Golden Black Cat Tarot Set 🍭

Happy Simblreen! Here is my second treat for weekend two! Make sure to check my page for October, I've posted lots and lots of fun and spooky CC!

Sims 4, Base game compatible | 9 items

📁 Download all or pick & choose (SFS, No Ads): HERE

📁 Alt Download (still no ads): HERE

Type “simblreen 2023" into the search query in build mode to find  quickly. You can always find items like this, just begin typing  the title and it will appear. Author: Helena Isabel Isidro de Almeida

Always suggested: bb.objects ON, it makes placing items much easier. For further placement tweaking, check out the TOOL mod.

Set contains: -Tarot Card Box - up | 1 swatch | 22 poly -Tarot Card Box - down | 1 swatch | 22 poly -Tarot Card Single | 11 swatches | 166 poly -Tarot Card Spread - 3 cards | 1 swatch | 478 poly -Tarot Card Spread - 5 cards | 1 swatch | 790 poly -Tarot Card Spread - Celtic Cross | 1 swatch | 1414 poly -Tarot Card Spread - Fan | 1 swatch | 790 poly -Tarot Card Spread - Horseshoe | 1 swatches | 1102 poly -Tarot Card Stack | 1 swatches | 166 poly

Happy Simblreen and Happy Spooky Season!

Thank you for reblogging ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

@sssvitlanz  @maxismatchccworld @mmoutfitters  @coffee-cc-finds  @itsjessicaccfinds  @gamommypeach  @stargazer-sims-finds  @khelga68  @suricringe  @vaporwavesims  @mystictrance15 @public-ccfinds @simblreenofficial

The rest of my CC

#s4cc #ts4cc #sims 4 simblreen #simblreen #simblreen 2023 #simblreen 2023 weekend two #simblreen 2023 weekend two day 2 #sims 4 tarot #sims 4 cats #sims 4 black cat #sims 4 divination #simdertalia #happy simblreen! #october 2023

[fernegirl]

larry johnson + being pretty headcanons

fluffy hcs about larry's appearence (ft. the sf gang) author's note: the larry simping is real and i will not apologize >:)

→ larry doesn't have bad self esteem, it's more that it's entirely neutral. he doesn't think of himself as attractive or unattractive, just not someone that people consider. no, those are never the words that comes to mind.

→ he's aware of the impression he makes on people, with his long hair, pierced face, and looming stature. he's seen the way that people's eyes will widen before they politely shy back.

→ larry johnson is scary, seems to be the consensus.

→ he can't help the dark circles though, they're genetic on Lisa's side, and even if he could change them he wouldn't. he's happy to look like her--she's never been short of beautiful to him. It's a badge of honor to look like his mother with her warm eyes and broad smile.

→ he could cut his hair, but he's always liked it. ever since his mom let it slip that his father had long hair before going bald, he's never thought twice about it. besides, what's the point in headbanging without hair, that's half the fun anyway. same with the grungy band shirts--they're a part of him now. his armor.

→ sure, the piercings didn't help but those match with sal and ash (hell, even todd got a cartilage so they'd all have something linking them). besides, larry's never been a fan of needles. it took a fair bit of nerve to get these ones and he doubts he'll have the stomach to get them re-pierced.

→ so in short, he's got no plans to change, despite the apparent discomfort of strangers.

→ it doesn't bother him most of the time. really.

→ except for occasionally, when he makes eye contact with a girl at a bar and she looks away like she's been spooked. or when the cashier at the grocery store seems to actively avoid his gaze. or when guys step between him and their girlfriends (as if larry even noticed them in the first place).

→ so sometimes it stings. not that he'll ever say anything. he knows how minor it is in comparison to the way sal and ash are treated for their appearances, positive or otherwise.

→ he can deal with scary. he gets used to it, like a lumpy mattress.

→ really though, there are so many other qualities about himself that he never even thinks to notice

→ long eyelashes, like seriously eyelashes for days. always gets asked if he's wearing mascara (he isn't, he tried it once but he rubs his eyes too much for it)

→ does wear waterproof eyeliner sometimes, when he goes to shows or out for the night

→ is a big fan of chapstick since he often gets chapped lips. his favorite ones are ones with weird flavors, like cinnamon bun or hot cocoa

→ he's been painting his nails black for as long has he can remember, but only starts trying other colors once he becomes closer with sal and ash

→ generally wears dark colors, mostly because paint and ink shows up on them less and he hates worrying about stains. accidentally results in him looking like he has legs for daysssssss

→ assumes that people are scared of him or find him intimidating (which is sometimes the case) but it never occurs to him it could be for any other reason

→ ash and sal try to hell him that sometimes people are just...shy but it never really sinks in

→ in short, larry johnson is one pretty motherfucker and everyone but him seems to know it

#sally face #sally face headcanons #sally face hcs #sally face fanfiction #larry johnson headcanons #larry johnson #fernefic

[sixofravens-reads]

re: 2023 new releases. hope you're ready for a long message because there were a lot.

hot new releases/things that were relatively popular

He Who Drowned The World, Shelley Parker Chan (Chinese mythological historical, very gay, very stabby a la Baru Cormorant. Book 2 of 2. A particular favorite of mine from this year)

Witch King, Martha Wells (New fantasy book by author of murderbot fame. I didn't actually click with this one but I'd be remiss to leave it off)

House With Good Bones, T Kingfisher (Southern gothic rose horror by the very talented Ursula Vernon)

Translation State, Ann Leckie (high sf alien horror regency romance. Wheeeeee. I had a lot of fun reading this. You can read it as a standalone, but you get deeper context if you've read the ancillary justice series, also highly recommended)

Will of the Many, James Islington (futuristic roman empire aesthetic rigged murder school. Not precisely good but appallingly catchy, I read all six hundred pages in pretty much one sitting. If you liked red rising you'll like this, if you hated red rising you will Not)

OH YEAH THE ACTUAL NEW MURDEBOT NOVEL (System Collapse)

A Power Unbound, Freya Marske (book 3 of 3, magic alt edwardian romances with murder. This is more romance proper but it's about equal with the action plot and Marske is very good. I don't think you've read these so you'd have to start at book 1)

Some Desperate Glory, Emily Tesh (The book that absolutely knocked my socks off, my pick for the best sff release of the year. I forget if I've already told you about this one)

Starling House, Alix Harrow (Southern gothic house drama. Similar feel to Ninth House or The Book of Night)

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi, Shannon Chakraborty (Divorced lady pirate adventure-drama a la Arabian Nights.)

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries, Heather Fawcett (Charming, heavily fairy tale trope themed, vaguely reminiscent of the Lady Trent books)

more obscure new releases from this year that I thought were cool, but not in the Hot New Reads You Can't Miss Because Everyone's Read Them category

Under Fortunate Stars, Ren Hutchings (sf timey wimey space shenanigans with aliens. Immensely cool premise.)

Small Miracles, Olivia Atwater (fallen angel sent to tempt a too good mortal. Extremely charming)

The King Is Dead, Naomi Libicki (vaguely persian flavored fealty romance, very heavy to the fealty. Original, thorny, and intriguing)

The Deep Sky, Yume Kitasei (What if we terribly traumatized everyone going on a generation ship by making them go to viciously competitive boarding school together and then act surprised when a murder mystery occurs. Heads up that it's more interested in the human drama than the SF worldbuilding)

The Saint of Bright Doors, Vajra Chandrasekera (early modern fantasy world anti-imperialism fever dream narrated by a cult survivor. Brilliantly written, spectacularly original, one of the best books I read this year)

Things for 2024, content warning for being (obviously) things I haven't read and thus without quality control

The Warm Hands of Ghosts, Katherine Arden

The Familiar, Leigh Bardugo

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins, P Djeli Clark

Long Live Evil, Sarah Rees Brennan

Goddess of the River, Vaishnavi Patel

The Woods All Black, Lee Mandelo

Exordia, Seth Dickinson

A Sorceress Comes To Call, T Kingfisher

Running Close To The Wind, Alexandra Rowland

Wow tumblr just lets me keep writing words. I didn't think they let me have this many in asks. Oh, and pro tip-- keep an eye out for tordotcom's most anticipated upcoming books for the first six months of 2024. They should be publishing it within the next week or so and I always add masses of books to my tbr from there.

oh holy crap, thanks!! I'll have to check these out!

thoughts on a few of em:

He Who Drowned The World - still have to read She Who Became the Sun lol but hopefully I'll get to em next year!

Witch King - Martha Wells has been recced by like All my sci-fi mutuals now lmao I REALLY gotta get into her!

House With Good Bones - THIS ONE IS ACTUALLY ON MY SHELF!! I just didn't fucking read it this year whoops. Very excited for new Kingfisher

Starling House - I was on the fence about this one since I really didn't like Once and Future Witches, but those comparisons give me hope! I'll add it to the library list!

Some Desperate Glory and Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries are 2/3 of the books published in 2023 that I actually managed to read (the 3rd is The Woman in Me lmao), I can't remember if you recc'd Some Desperate Glory, but it was SOOOOOOOO GOOD OMFG

Small Miracles - my aunt has been trying to convince me to read Atwater for quite a while, I'll have to give this one a try!

The Saint of Bright Doors - I have this one on hold!! Saw a post for it a week or so ago and it sounds absolutely delightful!

The Familiar - SO SO EXCITED for this one! I hope Bardugo is maybe...slowly....extricating herself from the Grishaverse and going to write more books not related to it... (not that they're all bad, I loved the Six of Crows duology, I'm just not into it anymore and I reeeealllly like her adult books lol)

Running Close To The Wind - oh yay new Rowland! I still haven't read her last book (the one with the guy on the cover who looked EXACTLY like my boss to the point where it became an Office Meme that [Boss] Is A Gay Romance Cover Model, still meaning to get a UK version of it but haven't yet) but I'll have to look this one up!

#seriously this is SO MANY RECS THANK YOU!!

[acourtofthought]

Hi! Can you give me a clarification on this?

Has there been any hint or even a scene where Elain willingly volunteered to use her powers? (On her own, with no pressure from the IC)

She seems to hate being Fae to me, and in ACOFAS Amren even calls her out on this, telling her she can't turn into a human. Doesn't it make it obvious that Elain still hasn't embraced being Fae?

Every E/riel insists that she's fine and she's already embraced her power, she's training secretly, she doesn't hate being Fae etc., And I'm kinda confused, like, doesn't CANON suggest otherwise? 😭 Why and how are they so confident? Did I read it wrong or am I remembering it wrong?

Is this what gaslighting is? /s

I personally think the truth lies somewhere in the middle. In the novella Elain did mourn for her human life and that's understandable because it had only been about 6 months since she lost her fiance, her humanity, her friends. I don't necessarily know that Elain was asking if she could be changed back into a human, Amren assumed that's why she was asking but Elain initially seemed a little confused by her response. However, I don't think anyone can claim she was completely fine with being fae as she said she did not want a male or a mate. I do think SF, which took place 9 months later, shows Elain had progress. From what I can tell Elain took it upon herself to help other residents of Velaris restore their gardens (we're given no indication she was forced into it). Feyre did ask Elain for help with the Trove, "It wasn't an easy choice for me to ask Elain to endanger herself like this." but it was Elain who fought for the chance to do so rather than bowing out when Nesta told her she wasn't allowed to: "You do not decide what I can and cannot do, Nesta." "Find me when you wish to begin". And though Feyre told Elain she could stay home when the rest went to the Hewn City, Elain "squared her shoulders and declared she was part of this court - and would do whatever was needed." So I do think Elain has embraced being fae to some extent but that doesn't mean she's completely healed from her trauma. She calls Nesta out for that very thing which Feyre brings up in her bonus: "Or what she'd said about her lingering trauma". Elain is an optimist, she tries to make the best of her situation. Hell, she missed the cottage after their wealth was restored because she even found hope in their hovel. Just because she seems somewhat content in the NC, just because she's made progress in adjusting to being fae, it doesn't mean she's truly happy. It only means she's Elain doing what Elain does. It would actually be a bit strange for a FMC to start her book happy in life and happy in love and there's a reason that regardless of what things might look like on the outside, the author added all those clues that create doubt: "Elain in black was ridiculous" "No matter how much she claimed to be part of this court....It sucked the life from her". "But Elain...The Spring Court had been made for someone like her." Her scent "a promise of spring". All the mentions of Elain sitting by the sunniest of windows while in the NC just like Feyre would sit and look out into the night sky while in the Spring Court. Elain saying she needs Sunshine and the author revealing that Lucien is the heir to Day. I think her progress in SF is not meant to show that Elain has found her home in the NC (how could she when Nesta thinks she's a dog, Feyre only thinks her a pleasant companion and Az doesn't think she should handle the Trove?) but that Elain is now ready to do more. To take the next steps which will help her find where she truly belongs, where she is respected and where she can thrive.

#pro elucien #pro elain archeron

[souldagger]

Out there screaming - short story anthology, edited by Jordan Peele, including authors such as NK Jemisin, P. Djeli Clark, Nalo Hopkinson and Nnedi Okorafor

The Best of Judith Merril - stories by a really iconic SF writer and editor of the 50s/60s (and one of the first influential women in the modern SF scene)

Sherlock Holmes in Orbit - anthology of "sherlock holmes but make it scifi/fantasy" short stories, from the 90s

Dark Matter - short stories + essays, incl. authors such as Samuel Delany, Octavia Butler, Jewelle Gomez and Nalo Hopkinson

Driftglass by Samuel Delany - short story collection by one of my fav classic SF authors

#i wanna read more short stories this yearrrr #.txt #delete later

[bloodgulchblog]

Have you seen that YouTube video where some guy reads every Halo novel back to back and then reviews them? If so what did you think

The Brian David Gilbert one? Oh yeah, all my friends showed me it when it came out. (It was honestly kind of cute seeing how many people thought of me immediately.)

Rewatching it to refresh myself because it's been a couple years and a full-novel reread for me since the last time...

High fiving BDG because the Master Chief parts of The Flood were definitely the most boring parts.

He didn't have anything to say about First Strike which I think is a shame because I think it's better than The Fall of Reach and actually has A Theme I Find Interesting.

Rightful recognition of Contact Harvest as pretty damn good.

Rightful recognition of the Forerunner Trilogy as dense oldschool-style SF with deep worldbuilding. (Also the San'Shyuum thing.)

I disagree with him about, and have significant problems with, Kilo Five. He is correct that Kilo Five actually delves into some of the dark places in Halo in a way it really needed, and I would even say that its writing is extremely engaging by Halo novel standards. However, while he does notice the obvious parallels between what ONI is doing post-war and the kind of shit the CIA has pulled again and again irl, I think he misses some of the subtext I see where it feels like it justifies some shit a liiiiittle too much if you know the author's irl politics re: the military. He also doesn't seem to notice the character assassinations (particularly of Catherine Halsey) that I and a lot of other fans see/object to in those books. I kind of gaze into the middle distance with a haunted expression at the suggestion that these are the ones to read if you don't touch any of the others just because they are, ironically, so heavy-handed and feel like they treat certain kinds of evil as inevitable in a way that actually feels way worse to me than the excuse plot offered by the earlier/lighter Halo novels. (But idk, that's me? Nobody is committing a crime if they disagree with my frenzied insane person red string diagrams about Kilo Five.)

I'd swap Pariah for Dirt in the Evolutions anthology if it were me, but I think these are solid standouts.

Broken Circle is neat but really nonessential he's not wrong.

A one-sentence review of New Blood is probably not enough space to get into how fucked up the Spartan-IV program is, but yeah. New Blood is fun if you don't find Buck's first person narration annoying. (It comes and goes for me in that one.)

BDG you're an absolute sweetheart, I think Hunters in the Dark is kind of goofy in a way I cannot in good conscience ignore if I'm gonna review it. But it really really is so much fun and I love that one a lot anyway. The "it's like Halo 3... 2" observation is solid.

High fiving him again because I also found Last Light disappointing. And it is also a me problem.

Fractures!

Hell yeah these are all good pulls from Fractures, I would say Shadow of Intent is the pick of the litter in that anthology for me. Interesting that as a Kilo Five enjoyer he didn't single out Rossbach's World, which is the last we've heard about Osman and Black Box. (Also, that one is good.) I think Oasis is worth an honorable mention because I'm an Envoy stan, and the Forerunner stories are interesting but I wouldn't go for them if you don't already have a healthy interest in the trilogy.

This tangent is so fucking funny now that we know more things:

Oh BDG, oh buddy, it's really not for the people like you and me huh. (Disclaimer: I have no idea if BDG likes the Halo tv show or not and I have no desire to dig up evidence about it.)

Also, while you're here, this is the bloodgulchblog origin story:

Smoke and Shadow is fun so it's a little sad that when he ends that sentence with "whatever," I can't actually say he's wrong to. (Sorry Rion your part of the lore just.... hasn't... touched anything that touches anything else anymore.)

ENVOY IS GOOD AND EVERYONE SHOULD CARE ABOUT IT okay okay I'm cool I'm normal, anyway. Envoy is the Halo novel that restored my faith in reading Halo novels and reminded me that authors can care and know how to do nuanced, interesting themes in this space. It's great. Everyone in this book has war refugee trauma (except the Spartans which have Spartan trauma) and that's incredible to me. Please care about Envoy if you have spare room in your heart for Halo side characters.

I am cheered to see someone indifferent to the Veta Lopis stories, but I still feel petty for feeling it.

I don't have a lot to say about Legacy of Onyx here but it's always so fun seeing someone else suffer and care.

Bad Blood, the Blood is Bad now is a fun joke but lol yeah. It does have this very vital moment where Chief and Arbiter talk, though. For the first and only time in years.

PROPS FOR NOTICING THE YA NOVELS they're actually pretty nice.

"The Master Chief is the protagonist and boy does he shoot some people" is most of how I feel about Silent Storm and Oblivion too, I know they have their fans but Troy Denning's Chief books don't do much for me personally.

Renegades hadn't had its followup Point of Light yet but yeah, Spark stuff is interesting.

I had to remember that oh yeah, there are multiple books now that didn't exist when this was made. I wonder if he read them?

OKAY I THINK THAT'S ALL I HAD TO SAY as always if y'all want specific book opinions, I might have a tag for them. Or just yell in my ask box, I'm sure I can scrounge up some thoughts.

#halo novels

[tsunflowers]

I would love to take a class where the textbook is "the future is female: 25 classic science fiction stories by women, from pulp pioneers to ursula k le guin" edited by lisa yaszek, and you just read a story every week and discuss it. they're arranged in chronological order from 1928 to 1969 and are obviously picked not only to demonstrate each author's style but to reflect social attitudes of the era. there would really be a lot to talk about in an academic setting. but even if I can't teach that class I recommend giving it a read if you're interested in old scifi. these were the standout stories to me but you may have different faves when you read it

"the black god's kiss" cl moore, 1934. a female knight travels through a portal to a land she considers to be hell in order to find a weapon capable of defeating the man who conquered her. this is the one I posted saying "it's just like the alien from alien." the imagery is so vivid and engrossing that i can't believe it was written 90 years ago

"all the colors of the rainbow" leigh brackett, 1957. an alien husband and wife on a diplomatic mission to earth find that sundown towns don't appreciate aliens much either. liberal use of the n word in this one bc the characters are extremely racist but I found it to be a very unique example of sf/fantasy discrimination metaphors. I'd love to discuss this one in a class bc I kind of feel like it's not a white woman's story to write but I also don't think a black woman would have gotten it published in 1957? definitely an interesting one

"pelt" carol emshwiller, 1958. a hunting dog brought by her master to an alien planet to hunt exotic furs finds that the native species can communicate with her but not her master and becomes torn. since you're in the dog's point of view you never get the full picture of what happens but it's very melancholy

"car pool" rosel george brown, 1959. it's truly just like an episode of a sitcom where a group of women who run a hovercarpool for their kids let a three armed alien kid in and things go awry. the standout is the relationship between the protagonist and a rival mom who she envies bc the rival mom can pull off wearing a real boudoir slip

"another rib" john jay wells & marion zimmer bradley, 1963. stranded male exocolonists accept an experimental procedure from an alien friend that will allow them to give birth and further the human race despite their captain's intense homophobia and transphobia. interesting in its portrayal of gender and srs bc the alien brings up the fact that humans have already accomplished gender-affirming surgeries but there's also never any implication that the men will become women. they just become men capable of giving birth. however I learned from this anthology that ms bradley enabled child sexual abuse so fuck her

"when I was miss dow" sonya dorman, 1966. a shapeshifting alien from a masculine mono-gender race is made to take the form of a human woman to learn more about human settlers and resents it at first but is fundamentally changed by the experience. made me want to cry a little

"nine lives" ursula k le guin, 1969. two guys who are getting sick and tired of each other after a long mining expedition on a faraway planet are joined by ten sexy and beautiful 20somethings who are all clones of the same guy. the clones can act in unison but also keep each other company. this could be the future of the human race... or not

#my book review corner

[cosplayinamerica]

Anime conventions and their Yamato roots

by Dave Merrill

“Conventional” (ha ha) wisdom says that the first American convention devoted to Japanese animation was Project A-Kon 1990 in Dallas, Texas. This prototypical event was instigated by a group of Texas anime fans gathered under the banner of Star Blazers’“Earth Defense Command,” a Space Battleship Yamato fan club that grew to embrace all of Japanese animation. As of this writing, Project A-Kon is preparing for its 20th show.

But was A-Kon the first anime convention in North America? No. Not even close. For years, we’d seen references and offhand comments about a “YamatoCon” that was held in the Dallas area years earlier. Were these references true? Our crack team of researchers donned their explorer togs, dusted off their pith helmets, and began the harrowing search for enlightenment. Well, to be honest we sent some emails. Here’s what we found…

The first YamatoCon – that is to say, the first American fan convention devoted to Japanese animation – was held on August 13, 1983 at the Harvey Hotel in Dallas Texas. This one-day affair was the brainchild of Mark Hernandez, Don Magness, and Bobb Waller, each of whom had experience in the Dallas comics/SF fandom community and each of whom put up their own hard-earned cash to make YamatoConhappen. Scheduled the next-to-last weekend before school started, Mark Hernandez remembers the planning being as simple as getting commitments from dealers, finding a venue, and setting a date. Yes, it really is that easy to start a convention.

Programming consisted of the first 26 episodes of Star Blazersrecorded off TV, shown in continuous order (minus commercials, of course) and a bonus Yamato film. This 13-hour Journey to Iscandar (“It was a long day,” says Mark) was a primary attraction at YamatoCon, 1983 being a time when VCRs and blank VHS tape were expensive, collections of Star Blazers on video were hard to come by, and the experience of watching Star Blazers outside the morning or afternoon UHF timeslot was a draw in and of itself.

Star Blazers on video wasn’t the only activity, of course. Like other conventions past and future, YamatoCon had a dealers room consisting of 22 tables of for-sale memorabilia. It might sound small by the standards of 25 years later, but we must remember that anime merchandise of the day – what was available in the States, anyway – hadn’t achieved the tidal wave proportions it would reach in the wake of Robotech, to say nothing of the total saturation of the post-Pokemon, post-Sailor Moon years. Anime merchandise in 1983 consisted chiefly of books and model kits. Roman Albums, Anime Comics, black and white manga volumes, the occasional manga weekly, and other publications streaming from Japan in the wake of the Yamato Boom battled for the anime fan dollar alongside model kits from Yamato, Crusher Joe and My Youth In Arcadia…not to mention the endless ranks of giant robot kits from unseen shows like Mobile Suit Gundam, Dougram, Ideon, and something called Macross.Along with the remnants of late 70s super-robot merchandise sold here as Shogun Warriors, the anime con dealers room in the early 1980s was far from barren. In fact, I still waste my money on that sort of stuff.

Also available at YamatoCon were copies of Mark Hernandez and Don Magness’s Star Blazers fanzine Argo Notes. Future EDC officer/contributor, fan artist and “Between Galaxies” author Logan Darklighter won the model contest with, naturally, a Yamatomodel. It proved to be a pivotal day in Texas anime fandom. Approximately 100 attendees and 8 dealers made the show an unqualified success. Don remembers it this way: “I remember we got to the hotel early and set up the rooms, then went out to breakfast. When we got back, there were 3 young men sitting on the front steps, one of them had a convention flyer. Mark asked if they were there for the con, and they said they were. We went inside and out of their hearing range and had a little celebration. 3 people had come! We had no idea that the place would soon be packed.”

A showing of 100 might not sound like a lot in today’s numbers (“that was about 100 more than we expected,” said Don). However, when considered against the attendance at general SF conventions in 1983 – a time when your absolute largest cons MIGHT draw five or six thousand attendees and your typical Dallas or Atlanta comic book show maxed out at three – YamatoCon‘s ability to nail down that many dealers and customers is commendable.

The show’s importance went beyond the one day; people across Texas and indeed, across fandom as a whole, who were unable to attend or who heard about it after the fact were spurred into action by the mere fact of YamatoCon‘s existence. That such a thing could happen – that Americans could organize and hold a successful anime convention – was both revelation and reassurance. Anime fandom was going to be more than just a video room grudgingly tacked onto the local Star Trek show or a half-page of merchandise in the back of the latest issue of Fangoria.

READ THE REST HERE https://ourstarblazers.com/vault/317/

#Fandom history #anime fandom history #convention history #con history #anime cons #Yamato Con

[annlarimer]

When I was young, the people who wrote about SF/F conventions painted them as idyllic and safe places where you would find your tribe. They would then often contradict themselves with the 'hilarious' anecdotes they told, but whatever. This proved to be untrue, and over the decades I have had encounters with groping guests, Nazi costumers and wargamers, stalkers (one left fat letters written on hotel stationery under my room door, which I was not fool enough to read), racists, homophobes, men explaining comics I've already read to me, a guy handing out condoms with a cheery "Get to know me better!", and a woman who physically tackled me from behind because she liked my t-shirt. And my adventures were pretty mild - I'm white and cis and have never had to endure being spoken to in that "OH MY STARS, YOU'RE AN ACTUAL A BLACK PERSON!" tone of voice.

Anyway, if anyone tells you this kind of shit is new, they are lying.

CN: sexual harassment, sexism

#isaac asimov #sf history #conventions

[chadillacboseman]

Summary: Just a quick intro piece for JJ, my newest OC. The SF is on a night mission to clear a weapons depot warehouse and Falcon Company provides air support. TY @bihanspookies for being my bestie and always reading my nonsense. And for screaming about JJ with me <3

--

The weapons warehouse is bathed in moonlight by the time Sonya and her squad reach it. It looms above them like a giant metal behemoth against the inky black sky.

Inside, she knows the space will be crawling with Black Dragon mercenaries; she's only brought a small strike team, they'll be relying on support from above if they intend to be successful.

The plan is simple- rappel in and drop teargas, push the ones they can't kill themselves out for Falcon Company to eliminate.

As if on cue, her earpiece comes to life.

"Blade, this is Falcon-01, we are on approach," Jeremiah Mitchell's grating southern drawl is unmistakable, even with the sound of the AC-130 thrumming in the background.

"Copy, Falcon, we have eyes on the warehouse. Wait for the laser before engaging."

"Copy."

Inside the roaring warplane, JJ strides down the center of the hold, his hands resting comfortably on the straps of his plate carrier. The rest of Falcon Company muddles around the interior, inspecting the ammunition as it's loaded into the side canons.

"Alright, Falcons, this is it!" he calls and they all look at him with rapt attention, "Tip of the spear, edge of the knife. We go in hot and loud, and we make these fuckers pay for every one of ours they put in the ground. Understood?"

A resounding 'HOORAH!' echoes back at him and he's satisfied. He makes his way up to the cockpit where the pilot team guides the warplane toward the warehouse.

"Keep eyes on the west side, thermals. Look for the infrared. Blade's strike team is gonna try'n force 'em out that way."

The pilots respond in the affirmative and he steps back, watching through the reinforced windows as they approach the site. JJ's heart is always banging out a rhythm like a wardrum when they're in the air- the ground team is in their hands for better or for worse.

Sonya's IR laser erupts to life and the AC-130 makes a sharp bank, pulling into a pylon turn to orbit the building. They're flying low, just 7k above the ground, enough to keep them safe from RPGs, but close to give his team a good visual.

JJ takes a seat at one of the CCTV monitors and watches as the 25MM gunner takes aim at the western set of doors. Below, Sonya and her team rappel in from the rooftop and drop tear gas that gives them an upper hand.

"Falcon, this is ground team," Sonya sounds out of breath as she radios in, "you've got hostiles incoming."

The AC-130 banks and gives the gunner a perfect view of the mercs as they exfil.

"Falcon-06, you have carte blanche authority," JJ glances down the hold and the soldier nods before returning his attention to the console.

The first burst of shots takes out a wave of mercs and he sees a few of them look skyward. Hello assholes. Some of them branch off and head for cover, while another group makes for the row of jeeps to the north.

"Switch to 105 Mike-Mike, take out those Jeeps."

Falcon-04 and 07 load a Howitzer into the tube and it fires, recoiling into the hold. Below, the missile hits ground and the jeeps erupt into balls of flame and bits of metal. The mercs that were closing in drop to the ground in heaps.

"That's how we do it, Falcons!" JJ shouts and another round of loud 'HOORAH's echoes around him.

"Falcon, watch your fire!" Sonya cries into his earpiece, "We don't want any structural damage."

JJ rolls his eyes, "Copy that, Blade. Boys, stick to 25."

The rest of the mercs have taken cover in a small building outside the warehouse; it doesn't look reinforced- the 25MM will punch through with ease. Falcon-06 aims the guidance system and sends a burst into the roof; JJ watches with satisfaction on his own monitor as the rounds tear through the metal and into the mercs beneath it. Dodge that.

Another wave of them erupts from the doors. By now, they've wised up to the air support, branching off in multiple directions for a better chance at scraping by with their lives.

God, he wants to send them to hell with the 105.

Instead, he watches as Falcon-06 expertly times his shots, peppering the asphalt with lead that shreds through half a dozen mercs, then pivots, and takes out another two. Next to him, the belt feeds into the gun and kicks out empties that clatter to the metal floor.

"No visual on the remaining mercs," Falcon-06 calls. There had been at least ten- the area was wooded, they were probably streaking through the trees as they speak.

Fuck it.

"Hit the treeline with the 105," JJ will deal with Sonya's ire later. Don't bring the big guns if you don't intend to fire them.

Falcon-04 and 07 kick out the empty Howitzer shell and load another before aiming the guidance system at the treeline. The canon kicks back and the missile hits ground with a blast that levels the first few rows of trees. He makes out the bodies of at least a few of the mercs as the trees burn. It's good enough for him, as long as the others make it back to base with PTSD.

"Blade, we're clear out here. How copy?"

The radio is silent for a moment and he knits his brows.

"Blade, how copy?"

"Clear, but no sign of Kano," Sonya sounds irritated. Whether it's with his actions or the lack of Kano, he has no idea. Her obsession with the Black Dragon clan leader is lost on JJ; it drives her as if she is captain Ahab and he the white whale.

"Rog. Falcon is pulling out, we'll see you on the ground," JJ makes his way to the cockpit once more and turns to face the crew, "Good work, boys. We'll be back in time for dinner."

"Let's get this bird home."

#oc jj #oc jeremiah mitchell #mk ocs #he's so viper from titanfall 2 coded lmao #THE SKIES BELONG TO ME! #this probably sucks but whatever

[twinkubus]

got tagged by @librarycards for a book rec list. ærs covered Q2'23; i'm just gonna do my faves from the first half of the year!

i've been reading a different crop of books since i made last year's list--i've taken a big dive back into sf, especially books by cj cherryh, as well as indie horror (that's... well, you'll find out when you look at the list).

again, they're ordered by when i read them. here we go!!!

Shmutz, Felicia Berliner (contemporary fiction, young hasidic woman comes of age, tries to find a husband, and gets obsessed with porn)

Father of Lies, Brian Evenson (psychological horror centering on a mormon religious leader. if you like books that make you feel gross and bad, this one's for you)

Any Other City, Hazel Jane Plante (fictional memoir of a trans musician. the book is split between her life right before she comes out, and then decades later when she's an established musician)

Camp Concentration, Thomas M. Disch (not even sure how to describe this one. fat, lapsed catholic, conscientous objector Louis Sachetti is imprisoned for refusing to become a US soldier and is sent to a prison where the (mostly black) inmates are being injected with experimental drugs. the author is gay and there's a lot of parallels to hiv/aids despite this being written in '68)

The World Cannot Give, Tara Isabella Burton (what if the secret history was catholic lesbians)

Amygdalatropolis, B.R. Yeager (another "if you like gross books" rec. i don't even know if i liked this one, but it was certainly interesting. chronicles the existence of a 4chan NEET)

Jealousy, Alain Robbe-Grillet (1957 french experientalism, i read this bc dennis cooper referenced it in an interview. believing his wife to be cheating on him, the narrator spies on her through a jalousie window, recording everything in his frame of vision that he can see. v interesting stylistically and could also rly benefit from a postcolonial reading)

The Pride of Chanur, CJ Cherryh (i read the entire trilogy pictured above, plus the first two books of her Foreigner series. it's basically a courtly fantasy/first contact mashup in space, really well developed alien cultures with lots of factions among them. tons of fun)

Frisk, Dennis Cooper (third "if you like gross extremist fiction" on here. this is my fave cooper after The Sluts and the most thematically resonant. if you haven't read the sluts i'd rec starting there. if i was a prof i would assign them together or even do this in a short course if there wasn't time for a longer book)

tagging @thebestestbat @tsubakiscarlet @danishprince @dovebeast @stackslip @eraserheadcrybaby @interstellarhitchhiker @kollapstradixionales @papika & would be happy to see book rec lists of anyone else!! fiction or non fiction or anything else idc whatever you're into ^_^

#currently reading #<- this is my tag for it tho i have finished all of them #catching up on my Tag posts as u can see from the last post as well #also sorry if anyone i've tagged does not have books feel free to make a rec list of [any other type of media] i love to see em & its fun t #do

[lgbtqreads]

Do you have any recommendations for books with Hawaiian/Māori/Pacific Islander rep (or fantasy equivalent)? Wanting to start a summer book club with the youth organization i run and want to bring in some local rep if possible :] (if not - what are some of your fave sf/f young adult must-reads?)

Ooh, you could try The Dawnhounds by Sascha Stronach with them - Māori-inspired fantasy by a Māori author. It's not YA, but I don't know of any queer NH/PI rep in YA, unfortunately. I'll give a mention to The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig, though - Hawaii is very relevant to the book, and the author grew up there as well.

Separately, some of my fave queer YA SFF includes Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust, The Disasters by MK England, Black Wings Beating by Alex London, The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski, Crownchasers by Rebecca Coffindaffer, and The Witch King by HE Edgmon.

[vs120shound]

What tandem within the SF World enjoys each others' company more than this handsome pair? Can you name any? Honestly!

NEW SERIES!

THE VIDEO OF THE WEEK 🚬 (SF HALL OF FAME) 🚬 NUMBER 2 IN THE SERIES!

For the Week of 090323-090923

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ + | Five-Plus "Stars"

From vs120shound staff | ★★★★★ (L)

Dual-Media 7-Post, 28-Pack (Megapost)!

One reason and only one as to why this "newer" video to us, shot close to 10 years ago, was tabbed as our second clip for "THE VIDEO OF THE WEEK | SF HALL OF FAME" division during the second installment of our rollout of this new series. And that's the chemistry between Laura, to the left, and possible BFF Natalie, to the right! Rich, unadulterated synergy . . . every time together before the camera -- pure enjoyment as a duo or tandem. Being silly, talking (sometimes nonsense, even gibberish), often drinking a little too much, checking out the newest in fashion in magazines and with samples of the hot new clothes and accessories brought along in an informal Show-and-Tell. And, of course -- above all else -- heavy, intensely pleasurable smoking. And it is usually sharing from the same pack. Mostly Marlboro 100s -- they are each Marlboro 100s Girls -- but sometimes Virginia Slims 120s Luxury Lights (nowadays called "Gold Pack"). Their kinship, affinity and let's face it, their love for each other, platonic or otherwise, their "BFF-ishness," as it were, radiates without interruption. Great friends. Super smoking partners. Outstanding SF models!

. . . and how could we pass this up for Post Number 2 in the growing series. A sensational video! Still, being realistic and reasonable for the most part, we accept the pushback for why this clip, brought to tumblr's SF Content blogs/vlogs/webpages within the past week by Super Star newbie creator/author (contributer, poster, uploader) rtpsmk (formerly rtp-smk) should not be classified as an SF Hall of Fame video. (This is a re-blog of sorts, having first appeared on our platform on another's blog.) If this video is new to us, it MUST be new to many others who favor our brand -- our friends, fans and followers. The only qualities this remarkable SF video does not share with its Hall of Fame colleagues is its longevity on the Greater SF World Community scene and the esteem and reputation for being out there longterm and building a devoted following as a first-rate, top-rate, elite SF video. This scenario has not had a chance to play out. So, OK, that's evidence to disqualify this Laura-Natalie presentation from HofF (HOF) status. But this is our series, we have discretion. OK, will agree it is NOT SF Hall of Fame proper -- or in the traditional sense -- but we say it is of SF Hall of Fame quality, therefore we have included it as such. . . . Our call! We set the tone, you can comment and that can or should shape how the series unfolds to a degree. We brought the ball; we get to make the rules of the game, at least some, if all want to be playing along. Not expecting everyone to agree; know some of you will accept our determination, maybe even implicitly!

They sing Simon & Garfunkel's America (1968), Elton John's Tiny Dancer (1971), Sam Sparro's Black and Gold (2008) and the Spice Girls Wannabe (1996) among other ditties. "We're stuck for songs," Natalie says. "Don't we sing well? We should start a karaoke bar. . . . I think we are done here." ". . . we'll see you next time," Laura says in conclusion. Would-be singers they are not. They are dazzling SF models -- or at least they were once upon a time!

This was shot by a self-de-activated Mega-SF website from Australia that departed by the middle of the last decade. It's initials were R.S., rhymed with Camden Flaps!

Top Billing!

Laura is the "Smoking Fetish Queen" from being named No. 1 on the all-time favorite SF models list released on vs120shound during January 2023. Natalie unfortunately didn't even make Honorable Mention. Natalie is in the Top-50 all-time simply for her work with Laura in their outstanding video series together. Natalie as a standalone could be a Top-50 SF model. Disagree? OK, no doubt Top-100!

The Media!

Posts of one or both of them from our brand previously published within our domain . . .

Solo of Laura, the "Smoking Fetish Queen" from being named No. 1 on the all-time favorite SF models list released on vs120shound during January 2023 (from www.yoursmokingfetish.com) . . .

From March 29, 2023 on vs120shound, and dressed similarly to our VOTW | SF Hof F video at the top of this post, so these two clips are "sister" videos! They were shot on the same day. Tony P., the R.S. web-master/web producer, was fine with that. Might even had been planned/staged!

From June 16, 2022 on vs120shound, with Natalie misidentified somehow as Karina (sometimes we ARE asleep at the wheel)!

Laura's first post in the Photo of The Day series on July 27, 2023, folowed by her second on September 4, 2023 -- this is 2 for the price of none! Cannot beat that! Can we?!?

The post of Laura being named No. 1 all-time Favorite SF model

THE NEW SERIES

The Particulars . . .

Once a week. Two divisions. Calendar week, so our next publishing of it was scheduled to appear as early as Sunday, September 3, 2023. With the next after that -- the third overall -- perhaps as late as Saturday, September 16, 2023. Not every 7 days. Once in a calendar week, which, of course, is 7 days, with the next during the following 7 days, or the next Sunday-through-Saturday traditional week cycle.

First division -- this one! -- the main one, the Hall of Fame (HoF), is reserved for the elite SF videos of all-time. Top-100. There is no list. Second division -- the other of the two -- the secondary one, the Honorable Mention, reserved for "good" SF videos but which contain flaws. These videos could be -- aside from flawed in some way or ways -- brief, poor production values, controversial, quirky, unique, risqué, avant-garde, compelling, ground-breaking, iconic, historic. Different. Not that which would be associated with the Greatest Ever SF Videos tag. Will also feature those newer to the Greater SF World Community, of the Instagram persuasion or from Bigo Live captured for YouTube presentation, as is the case with this week's Honorable Mention post for the VOTW (Ziba,or Ella, from Turkey, already released).

We ask that the series be interactive. If there's a video you'd like to see affiliated with this project/series, give a holler. By tumblr chat or by tumblr e-mail. Both can be effective tools on our platform. No guarantees of immediate processing into the rotation but every consideration will be given to any and all requests. Of that, you can be assured. We do this for our entertainment but we take pride in knowing that so many of you SF buffs out there can appreciate the effort we put into our four blogs/vlogs/webpages. So, we want to connect with you -- some of you -- for your input to make this an interactive collaborative endeavor. We cannot read minds; please reach out with a suggestion. If we reject a request for inclusion, we will let you know why and you'll learn soon. We can have dialogue about it. Conversation by phone, highly, highly unlikely. You'll succeed and convince us to rescind our rejection or we will stick to our denial of access and inclusion.

We hope you will enjoy this series. Video of The Day had been suggested but was rejected out of hand. Once a week -- once every 7 days or twice every 13 days if it falls on a posting on a Sunday and the next on the following Saturday, 13 days later -- is much more manageable, we feel.

On August 31, we kicked off the series with the release of THE VIDEO OF THE WEEK | HONORABLE MENTION. Later in the day, we came out with THE VIDEO OF THE WEEK | SF HALL OF FAME. The initial feedback within the first 24 hours was not resounding. As this post in prepared for production, those first two VOTW posts have collected 40 positive response (likes/re-blogs) for the HofF, which featured Skittlez Cano, and 22 for the HM, featuring an unnamed teenager (most likely) from Turkey and was posted two days ago.

Hope you follow THE VIDEOS OF THE WEEK. We're sure you'll enjoy. And if you do not become a fan, it will be your fault to some degree for not seeing it on our brand because no request by you was offered to us. And, yes, VOTW will have a VOTW Hall of Fame and a VOTW Honorable Mention each every seven days. Double your pleasure. Let it plow through ('Ducky' in Pretty in Pink: "Let's Plow!") . . . !

#SF #Hot women who love smoking cigarettes #Smoking cigarettes #Smoking #The Video of The Week (Honorable Mention)! #The Video of The Week (HoF) . . . Hall of Fame! #No. 1 Laura! #Top-25 all-time favorite SF models list! #Natalie (R.S.)! #Laura and Natalie together once more!

[acourtofthought]

The Great Bambi Sweatergate of 2023 is pretty amusing.

Honestly, it's random things like this that keeps us entertained while we wait for news 😂

I won't deny, we're so starved for crumbs that anything looks like something at this point and while I do understand that, I think it's also important to remember to take a step back and look at everything we know.

We KNOW Elain is getting a book. There's basically a 50/50 chance the next book is hers since SJM has talked about her having a book since 2015 / 2016 and how she's done research and dropped hints for her story, how Feyre's bonus had the statement "let's focus on helping one sister before the other".

It's not some great mystery solved to say "Elain's book could be next!" and sure, if that's the case some can look back and use the sweater to say "it was a clue!"

But really, that clue could have also just been a coincidence, we're NEVER going to know unless someone asks Sarah directly and she confirms that was her intent.

It could just as easily be Az's book next and the sweater could mean nothing at all as it's one she has worn before during an interview for the Bookseller website. Or she could have worn it because she knew a certain side of the fandom would go ballistic and she's trying to keep everyone on their toes.

We don't know her and we have no idea what her thoughts were when making that post and whether it had ANYTHING to do with anything outside of HOFAS.

But even if there was intent on her part, the fact that some automatically jump to E/riel is a bit confusing. Has she ever hinted at an endgame ship in a post in her recent "Bloomsbury isn't letting me say anything about anything era"? At one point she talked openly of some ships prior to them ending up together, like Nessian, but now SJM won't even confirm a HEA for Bryce and Hunt, hanging his possible death over our heads. So why would anyone think she's going to hint at E/riel's endgame happiness with things like "Bread and Roses" and a Bambi Sweater on a black background (while completely ignoring the gold sunburst type ring on her finger) when we're not even getting that for the main characters her current series is about?

I also think people are REALLY forgetting the direction SF took us. I've seen some claim that Gwyn is no longer Az's new ribbon (not sure how they figure that one) while Elain is still his forbidden secret love but.....

There's no secret any more considering Rhys knows they were about to kiss. How can two people share a secret when the High Lord of the court is fully aware of the fact that his third in command was about to risk the safety of the Nigh Court and Prythian? Rhys might not read minds on a regular basis as he feels it's a violation of someone's privacy but if he feels that a certain character's actions will ruin the tentative peace that not only protects an entire world but now the safety of his sons future you can bet he'd have no qualms looking directly into Az's thoughts to see what he's up to and he'd have no issue using his HL dominance on him.

Also, Elain RETURNED THE NECKLACE. Why oh why do some belittle her strength in that action, her CHOICE in that action (when she refused to return Graysen's ring) by continually thinking she and Az have simply jumped right over him calling her a mistake and her walking away and now they're living in domestic bliss, confirmed by the author herself in another series and SJM is making sure we know the outcome of E/riel by wearing Bambi sweaters and leaving flower books around?

E/riel had zero interaction after Solstice. His only possible romantically coded interactions after that night were towards Gwyn after he felt something spark in his chest for her, when he was amused by her calling him Shadowsinger and when he was staring at her with admiration.

Can E/riel still end up together after some groveling on Az's part? Sure (though I don't think that's the direction she's headed especially not when Lucien's longing and suffering exactly mirrors that of Rhys and Cassian's for their mates).

But thinking SJM is giving the fans confirmation of any pairing ending up together especially after the way things left off in SF is asinine. Especially when she won't even guarantee Quinlars HEA.

#elain archeron #anti e/riel #sarah j mass #elucien