#in other lands

[graceandabsurdity]

can we talk about Luke being so into Elliot he memorizes things Elliot says and quotes them verbatim? And Elliot just convinced this boy is not his friend let alone obsessed with his every word

#in other lands #luke sunborn #Elliot Schafer

[sarahreesbrennan]

Are all the themes in “in other lands” supposed to be a commentary on something? Or do you just like writing sex scenes between minors, age gaps, and reverse misogyny?

Genuine question.

Ohhh, my dear anon, I don't believe this is a genuine question.

But it does bring up something I've been meaning to talk about. So I'll take the bait.

Firstly. Yes, my work contains a commentary on the world around us. I wonder what I could be doing with the child soldiers being sexually active in their teens (people hook up right after battles), and the age gap relationship ending in the younger one being too mature for the elder. What could I possibly have been attempting when I said 'how absurd gender roles are, when projected onto people we haven't been accustomed by our own society to see that way'? I wasn't being subtle, that's for sure.

Secondly. Yes I do enjoy writing! I think I should, it's my life's work. Am I titillated by my own writing, no - though I think it's fine to be. The sex scenes of In Other Lands aren't especially titillating, to be honest. It is interesting to me how often people sneer at women for writing romance and sex scenes, having 'book boyfriends,' insinuating women writers fancy their own characters. Women having too much immoral fun! Whereas men clearly write about sex for high literary purposes.

… I have to say from my experience of women and men's writing, I haven't found that to be true.

I’m not in this to have an internet argument. I prefer to leave my anons open since not everyone has a tumblr, as @neil-gaiman says it’s an internet backwater, but a lovely one for those like myself who enjoy an essay about fictional characters! Still I will close my inbox to anons if I must. Mostly people use bad faith takes to poke at others from the other side of a screen for kicks. But I do know some truly internalise the attitude that writing certain things is wrong, that anyone who makes mistakes must be shunned as impure, and that is a deeply Victorian and restrictive attitude that guarantees unhappiness.

I've become increasingly troubled by the very binary and extreme ways of thinking I see arising on the internet. They come naturally from people being in echo chambers, becoming hostile to differing opinions, and the age-old conundrum of wanting to be good, fearing you aren't, and making the futile effort to be free of sin. It makes me think of Tennyson, who when travelling through Ireland at the time of the Great Famine, said nobody should talk about the 'Irish distress' to him and insisted the window shades of his carriage be shut as he went from castle to castle. So he wouldn't see the bodies. But that didn't make the bodies cease to be.

In Les Mis, Victor Hugo explores why someone might steal, what that means about them and their circumstances, and who they might be - and explores why someone else is made terribly unhappy, and endangers others, through their own too rigid adherence to judgement and condemnation without pity. The story understands both Jean Valjean the thief and Javert the policeman. Javert’s way of thinking is the one that inevitably leads to tragedy.

Depiction isn't endorsement. Depiction is discussion.

Many of my loved ones have had widely varying relationships to and experience of sex (including 'none'). They've felt all different types of ways about it. If writing about them is not permissible, I close them out. I'd much rather a dialogue be open than closed.

I do understand the urge to write what seems right to others. I've been brain-poisoned that way myself. I used to worry so much about my female characters doing the wrong things, because then they'd be justly hated! Then I noted which of my writer friends had people love their female characters the most - and it was the one who wrote their female characters as screwing up massively, making rash and sometimes wrong decisions. Who wrote them as people. Because that's what people do. That's what feels true to readers.

I want my characters to feel true to readers. I want my characters to react in messy ways to imperfect situations. I love fantasy, I love wild action and I love deep thought, and I want to engage. That's what In Other Lands is about. That's even more what Long Live Evil is about. That sexy lady who sashays in to have sexy sex with the hero - what is her deal? Someone who tricks and lies to others - why are they doing that, how did they get so skilled at it? What makes one person cruelly judgemental, and another ignore all boundaries? What makes Carmen Maria Machado describe ‘fictional queer villains’ as ‘by far the most interesting characters’? What irritates people about women having a great time? What attracts us to power, to fiction, and to transgression?

I don’t know the answers to all those questions, but I know I want to explore them. And I know one more thing.

If the moral thing to do is shut people out and shut people up? Count me among the villains.

#bookblr #discourse #in other lands #long live evil #les mis #carmen maria machado #writing

[agardenandlibrary]

I'm still not over the absolute hilarity of Elliot realizing he's been tricked into being extremely athletic by his absurdly super athletic best friends.

#in other lands #cara reads in other lands #its been like 2 months since i read it and i still cackle about it

[fairycosmos]

in other lands by sarah rees brennan

#in other lands #sarah rees brennan #books

[mensmommymilkers]

Had to draw the trio from from my fave book by @sarahreesbrennan as I reread for the millionth time 😮‍💨 They’re so fun

#in other lands #elliot schafer #luke sunborn #serene heart in the chaos of battle #trivia: the pose where Luke grabs his hair is from the unicorn scene (MY BELOVED UNICORN SCENE) #serene getting angry is in regards to her mom I love how she’s all cool and collected and then full on screams at her mother #I’m obsessed with how elliot gets tall and muscular but doesn’t process the latter #ofc had to draw the progression #then ouughhf um #the kisses #all three of them would go about it differently and it was a joy to portray #Serene and Elliot had to be aged down for their kiss bc no WAY that’d happen later lmfao #also uhm I used Laios dungeon meshi as obvious inspo for Luke #I stared at Luke’s face way too much after I drew him I feel like one of the masses 💀💀 #sorry elliot I’m letting u down #I played fast and loose with serene and Elliot’s eye colors so those aren’t fully book accurate #I like dark eyes ok

[oblivionsdream]

Just wanted to share the cover redesigns + edges that I did for Dazzling Bookish Shop! I got my copies and I just love how they turned out 😭

#book cover redesign #winters orbit #oceans echo #teach the torches to burn #in other lands #the alchemy of moonlight

[femmehysteria]

I'm doing a series of "Best Character Named X" polls where all the characters have the same first name but are from completely different media, feel free to send in name/charcacter suggestions, I'm posting one poll a day, check my pinned post for active polls

#best character named x #poll #poll game #eliot spencer #eliot waugh #elliot stabler #elliot alderson #elliott et #elliot schafer #leverage #the magicians #mr robot #law and order svu #e.t. #in other lands

[jurdanfangirl]

#reading 2ha #2ha memes #dumb husky and his white cat shizun #husky and his white cat shizun #erha he ta de bai mao shizun #2ha #meatbun doesn't eat meat #not mine found it on pinterest #elliot schafer #in other lands #six of crows #crooked kingdom #aftg #all for the game #the lunar chronicles #genshin impact #carry on rainbow rowell #carry on #tgfc #heaven official's blessing #tian guan ci fu #the folk of the air #tfoa #the cruel prince #the song of achilles

[haveyoureadthisfantasybook]

vote YES if you have finished the entire book.

vote NO if you have not finished the entire book.

(faq · submit a book)

#books #fantasy #poll #In Other Lands #Sarah Rees Brennan #result: no #l: English

[ionlydrinkhotwater]

I love how Luke and Serene showed Elliot a self defense maneuver and Elliot acts like he doesn't even care enough to even look up from his book, then later he proceeds to execute it perfectly on Jace IN BED. Elliot Schafer is a pacifist in the streets but a warrior in the sheets

#iol #in other lands #elliot schafer #wings in the morning #twtbd #luke sunborn #serene heart in the chaos of battle #jace is a creep

[peoniesandsmiles]

Everyone should read In Other Lands.

I love that book. It holds my heart.

#in other lands

[bookcub]

rereading my favorite books is my favorite form of self care

#currently reading #in other lands #is the current book i need for comfort

[sarahreesbrennan]

Is Elliot decently muscular and athletic to the people in the Border Camp? Does he realize this?

Absolutely yes, and absolutely no.

Elliot has two superhuman personal trainers. They are intensely motivated by his wellbeing, and he is intensely motivated by his desire to earn their affection.

... He doesn't have to do this, but he doesn't realise that. It was interesting for me to chart Elliot's development over years, both physically, mentally and emotionally. To me his outside is a mirror for his insides, as he grew more socially adept and confident and able to charm and negotiate, but still thought of himself as a social reject even while using those skills, despite the cognitive dissonance inherent. Elliot doesn't realise his deeper qualities attract people's love as he doesn't realise his surface qualities attract admiration.

Being unloved by your primary caregivers in childhood means you carry with you--despite evidence to the contrary, despite your own intelligence arguing otherwise--a deep-rooted conviction you are unlovable. And if you have a prickly personality (with that conviction, it's likely: neglect, like other forms of abuse, does not produce perfect victims) you're going to receive feedback that looks to you like more evidence to back up those beliefs, and you won't see the arguments against it. Elliot is observant as hell, but only sees a certain amount because of his blinkers.

... Also I do enjoy writing characters who are deeply oblivious, and providing the clues for my readers. Every character is a mystery in themselves! And the mystery is both tragic and comic.

To people in the Border Camp, Elliot's less impressive than on our side of the wall: they're accustomed to said superhuman personal trainers, but he is still remarkable enough to be remarked upon by their commander. That's especially significant as many of the 'humans' in the Borderlands have inhuman blood, and thus everyone's approach to 'can a human jump from a tall cliff and land unhurt' is 'that doesn't sound right, but I don't know enough about the capacities of the species to say...'

Elliot's unquestionably seen as the jock of the council course, which would disgust him if he knew. He's picked to play the homme fatale of his school play and put in revealing outfits, and the very night of the school play while still in sexy costume he sleeps with the (widely-considered) hottest girl in school. (Having already romanced the other contestant for hottest girl in school. And then goes on to hook up with the two best-looking boys. Truly a bisexual icon among the beautiful people.) Extremely fit in all senses of the word, and to those of the Border Camp being visibly athletic is especially attractive because it indicates you're more likely to survive.

To those outside the training camp, well, he gets courted by a harpy on sight ('who is that striking gentleman? I must bring him a bouquet of dead rabbits!), propositioned repeatedly by an elf, and kissed by a mermaid during their first encounter. It is fair to suspect that some of his diplomatic missions have been helped out by people responding to him with 'he's not that diplomatic but... that ass.'

To the people of our world, as Jase testifies, Elliot is clearly the product of fairly intensive athletic or military training.

I remember one post that says 'he is so tall and so ripped' and another one saying he is totally jacked and the fastest man alive.

... I endorse them both.

#in other lands #sarah rees brennan #elliot schafer #personally Elliot is more jacked than I would find attractive #but that is subjective #and hilarious also #answering the real questions

[petedavidsonscock]

luke: i love you

elliot:

elliot: excuse me for just one second.

*leaves room. outside, pulls out of his pocket a crumpled piece of paper titled Obviously Luke Doesn’t Love You Back Stop Being Weird. takes a pen out also, goes thru the list of reasons one by one and thoughtfully crosses each one out. finally crosses out title. goes back into the room*

luke: uh.

elliot: i love you too

#girl who’s read iol voice #in other lands #elliot schafer #luke sunborn

[fairycosmos]

in other lands by sarah rees brennan

#in other lands #sarah rees brennan #books

[the-introducer]

Breaking this blog in properly with a doodle of my favorites from In Other Lands by @sarahreesbrennan still the only book ever

#in other lands #in other lands fanart #my art 🐎 #art