Wednesday Reading Meme
Oct. 15th, 2025 05:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sinealaWhat I Just Finished Reading
Nothing.
What I'm Reading Now
Comics Wednesday!
( Captain America #4, Iron and Frost #1, One World Under Doom #8 )
What I'm Reading Next
I have read eight books this year. I do not have enough brain to read anything except, apparently, a couple comics a week.
Nothing.
What I'm Reading Now
Comics Wednesday!
( Captain America #4, Iron and Frost #1, One World Under Doom #8 )
What I'm Reading Next
I have read eight books this year. I do not have enough brain to read anything except, apparently, a couple comics a week.
TV Tuesday: Who's That?
Oct. 14th, 2025 11:40 amyourlibrarian posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
tv_talk
Sometimes we hear about certain actors almost being cast in television shows. Which actor would you like to have seen in a particular show? Or are there examples in which you're glad a particular actor didn't make the cut?
Millennial jeans
Oct. 14th, 2025 08:58 amcimoreneI believe I mentioned before that months ago I saw an incredibly silly article claiming that wearing skinny jeans was a "Millennial trait".
I don't say this is completely inaccurate, just that it's silly regardless.
Now every time I see a pair of skinny jeans getting worn, my brain goes "A Millennial???" without my permission.
For the record, I have not yet noticed them on any teenagers or very young people, so it's possible. But on the other hand, they are still making and selling them in fast fashion stores, so I'd be astonished if this were so universal (not to mention the average pair of jeans is much shorter-lived now than when I was a teenager in the late 90s, and most adults still had jeans they'd bought ten years before. Stretch denim was unknown as far as I remember up to 2001, when I was 18 and buying new jeans was a substantial preoccupation of mine because it was hard to find ones that fit).
Sigh.
Also, I am a millennial (or 'xillennial'), but I can't begin to tell at a glance if a stranger is. Or maybe it counts as beginning, since I can guess they're, like, almost certainly between 30 and 70. 😂 But I can't continue!
I don't say this is completely inaccurate, just that it's silly regardless.
Now every time I see a pair of skinny jeans getting worn, my brain goes "A Millennial???" without my permission.
For the record, I have not yet noticed them on any teenagers or very young people, so it's possible. But on the other hand, they are still making and selling them in fast fashion stores, so I'd be astonished if this were so universal (not to mention the average pair of jeans is much shorter-lived now than when I was a teenager in the late 90s, and most adults still had jeans they'd bought ten years before. Stretch denim was unknown as far as I remember up to 2001, when I was 18 and buying new jeans was a substantial preoccupation of mine because it was hard to find ones that fit).
Sigh.
Also, I am a millennial (or 'xillennial'), but I can't begin to tell at a glance if a stranger is. Or maybe it counts as beginning, since I can guess they're, like, almost certainly between 30 and 70. 😂 But I can't continue!
he was gonna have to be in the middle of it
Oct. 13th, 2025 07:24 pmmusesfoolI made a version of this garlic and bread soup (WAPO gift link), substituting oregano and rosemary for the paprikas because 1. that is my preferred flavor profile, and 2. I only had smoked paprika (I would swear I had sweet paprika also, but if so, I couldn't find it). I also used the whole eggs instead of just the whites, and I did it sequentially all in one pot instead of using both a skillet and a stockpot because 1. my stovetop is smaller than a regular stove, and 2. fewer things to wash afterwards. Anyway, I definitely recommend it if you like garlic and soup. The croutons are excellent and the soup is delicious and I have enough for 3 more meals now.
I made spaghetti and meatballs for dinner yesterday, so I also have some sauce and meatballs leftover, which is another couple meals. I also baked some oatmeal cookies.
I was off today for Indigenous People's Day, and I took tomorrow as PTO, so I've enjoyed being cozy during all this rain.
Yesterday, as I sat in my west-facing living room, I was like, is this nor'easter even happening? It seemed like it was just raining on and off. And then I went into my east-facing bedroom and oh yeah, there was the wind, howling and whipping around. Anyway, I think it's mostly over now? Though I guess it might rain for the rest of the night.
I haven't really had any side effects from the double vax on Friday except my arm was stupidly sore and itchy, and my left-side lymph nodes are a little swollen, which always happens (I got both shots in my left arm). *hands*
*
I made spaghetti and meatballs for dinner yesterday, so I also have some sauce and meatballs leftover, which is another couple meals. I also baked some oatmeal cookies.
I was off today for Indigenous People's Day, and I took tomorrow as PTO, so I've enjoyed being cozy during all this rain.
Yesterday, as I sat in my west-facing living room, I was like, is this nor'easter even happening? It seemed like it was just raining on and off. And then I went into my east-facing bedroom and oh yeah, there was the wind, howling and whipping around. Anyway, I think it's mostly over now? Though I guess it might rain for the rest of the night.
I haven't really had any side effects from the double vax on Friday except my arm was stupidly sore and itchy, and my left-side lymph nodes are a little swollen, which always happens (I got both shots in my left arm). *hands*
*
MCU: Le Chevalier Au Faucon by HSavinien
Oct. 13th, 2025 06:17 pmminoanmiss posting in fancakeFandom:
Marvel Cinematic UniverseCaptain America (Movies)Marvel (Comics)
Pairings/Characters: Steve Rogers/Sam Wilson
Rating: Gen
Length: 4,117
Creator Links: HSavinien on AO3
Theme: Medieval Jousting, warrior recognizing warrior
Summary: Sir Samuel meets another knight lately returned from war shortly before the Midsummer tournament.
Reccer's Notes: One of the things I love about historical fiction is getting the voice of the time right. One of the things I love about fanfiction is getting the voices of the characters right. This marvelous story does both and so much more.
Fanwork Links:Le Chevalier au Faucon
Marvel Cinematic UniverseCaptain America (Movies)Marvel (Comics)
Pairings/Characters: Steve Rogers/Sam Wilson
Rating: Gen
Length: 4,117
Creator Links: HSavinien on AO3
Theme: Medieval Jousting, warrior recognizing warrior
Summary: Sir Samuel meets another knight lately returned from war shortly before the Midsummer tournament.
Reccer's Notes: One of the things I love about historical fiction is getting the voice of the time right. One of the things I love about fanfiction is getting the voices of the characters right. This marvelous story does both and so much more.
Fanwork Links:Le Chevalier au Faucon
Dear Yuletide 2025 Author
Oct. 13th, 2025 11:09 amthefourthvineDear Yuletide Writer,
Hi!
I am going to provide you with all the details I can, because that is who I am as a person. Thank you so, so much for writing in one of these fandoms. See you on the 25th!
( Likes/DNWs and General Stuff )
( Between Silk and Cyanide -- Leo Marks, Leo Marks, Forest Yeo-Thomas )
( blink-182 )
( Blue Prince, Worldbuildling, Simon P. Jones )
( Nomads, Eileen Flax, Veronique Pommier )
Hi!
I am going to provide you with all the details I can, because that is who I am as a person. Thank you so, so much for writing in one of these fandoms. See you on the 25th!
( Likes/DNWs and General Stuff )
( Between Silk and Cyanide -- Leo Marks, Leo Marks, Forest Yeo-Thomas )
( blink-182 )
( Blue Prince, Worldbuildling, Simon P. Jones )
( Nomads, Eileen Flax, Veronique Pommier )
Dear Yulegoat
Oct. 12th, 2025 03:43 pmsnickficIt is once again the most wonderful time of the year. <3 I am really excited about all my requests and cannot wait to see what you write! My AO3 is ![[archiveofourown.org profile]](https://p.dreamwidth.org/b164c54b26e4/-/archiveofourown.org/favicon.ico)
Snickfic.
Jump to section:
Kyle Murchison Booth stories
Iskryne series
Cuckoo (2024)
Red Sonja (2025)
True Detective: Night Country
Sunshine (2007)
( Likes and Dislikes )
( Kyle Murchison Booth stories )
( Iskryne Series )
( Cuckoo (2024) )
( Red Sonja (2025) )
( True Detective: Night Country )
( Sunshine (2007) )
Jump to section:
Kyle Murchison Booth stories
Iskryne series
Cuckoo (2024)
Red Sonja (2025)
True Detective: Night Country
Sunshine (2007)
( Likes and Dislikes )
( Kyle Murchison Booth stories )
( Iskryne Series )
( Cuckoo (2024) )
( Red Sonja (2025) )
( True Detective: Night Country )
( Sunshine (2007) )
The Pitt Fic: findr (Abbot/Robby, Robby/OCs, NC-17)
Oct. 12th, 2025 01:10 pmalethiafindr (11722 words) by Alethia
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Pitt (TV)
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Jack Abbot/Michael "Robby" Robinavitch, Michael "Robby" Robinavitch/Original Female Character(s), Michael "Robby" Robinavitch/Original Male Character(s)
Characters: Michael "Robby" Robinavitch, Jack Abbot (The Pitt), Parker Ellis
Additional Tags: Post-Season/Series 01, Online Dating, Idiots in Love, Pining, Mutual Pining, First Kiss, First Time, Porn, what men will do instead of therapy, robby fucks his way through it, like you do
Summary:
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Pitt (TV)
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Jack Abbot/Michael "Robby" Robinavitch, Michael "Robby" Robinavitch/Original Female Character(s), Michael "Robby" Robinavitch/Original Male Character(s)
Characters: Michael "Robby" Robinavitch, Jack Abbot (The Pitt), Parker Ellis
Additional Tags: Post-Season/Series 01, Online Dating, Idiots in Love, Pining, Mutual Pining, First Kiss, First Time, Porn, what men will do instead of therapy, robby fucks his way through it, like you do
Summary:
"If you really want to know, the hot new thing is an app called findr. It's for bougie professionals who like to pretend they're elevated while slobbering all over each other, so entirely your speed."
At that, Robby lost his war with self-control and did flip her off.
Ellis actually laughed. "The vision," she said again, dark eyes dancing. "findr," she said again, like he might have forgotten. "Go fuck away the raincloud, Robby. For everybody's sake, but mostly mine," she drawled as she sauntered away.
Yuletide Letter
Oct. 12th, 2025 01:27 pmselenakDear Yuletide Writer,
we share at least one fandom, which is great, and I'm really grateful you take the time and trouble to write a story for me. All the prompts are just suggestions; if you have very different ideas featuring the same central characters, go for them. Also, I enjoy a broad range from fluff to angst, so whatever suits you best works fine with me.
DNW:
- bashing of canon pairings or characters in general. By which I don't mean the characters have to like each and everyone - a great number of those I've nominated can be described as prickly jerks, among other things, and it would be entirely ic for them to say something negative about people they canonically can't stand - but there's a difference between that and the narrative giving me the impression to go along with said opinions.
- Alpha/Beta/Omega scenarios, watersports, infantilisation. Really not my thing, sorry.
Likes:
- competence, competent people appreciating each other
- deep loyalty and not blindly accepting orders
- flirting/seduction via wordplay and banter (if it works for you with the characters in question)
- for the darker push/pull dynamics: moments of tenderness and understanding in between the fighting/one upman shipping (without abandoning the anger)
- for the relationships, both non-romantic and if you like romantic, that are gentler and harmonious by nature: making it clear each has their own life and agenda as well
- some humor amidst the angst (especially if the character in question displays it in canon)
The question of AUs: depends. "What if this key canon event did not happen?" can lead to great character and dynamics exploration, some of which made it into my specific prompts, but I do want to recognize the characters. Half of those I nominated are from historical canons, and the history is part of the fascination the canon has for me. ) However, if you feel inspired to, say, write Cecily Neville, space captain, and manage to do it in a way that gives me gripping analogues to the historical situations: be my guest!
How much or how little sex: I'm cool with anything you feel comfortable with, from detailed sex to the proverbial fade out after a kiss. Or no sex at all (given that most of my prompts are non-romantic in nature), as long as the story explores the emotional dynamics in an intense way.
( Cecily Duology - Annie Garthwaite )
( Foundation (TV) )
( Alien: Earth )
we share at least one fandom, which is great, and I'm really grateful you take the time and trouble to write a story for me. All the prompts are just suggestions; if you have very different ideas featuring the same central characters, go for them. Also, I enjoy a broad range from fluff to angst, so whatever suits you best works fine with me.
DNW:
- bashing of canon pairings or characters in general. By which I don't mean the characters have to like each and everyone - a great number of those I've nominated can be described as prickly jerks, among other things, and it would be entirely ic for them to say something negative about people they canonically can't stand - but there's a difference between that and the narrative giving me the impression to go along with said opinions.
- Alpha/Beta/Omega scenarios, watersports, infantilisation. Really not my thing, sorry.
Likes:
- competence, competent people appreciating each other
- deep loyalty and not blindly accepting orders
- flirting/seduction via wordplay and banter (if it works for you with the characters in question)
- for the darker push/pull dynamics: moments of tenderness and understanding in between the fighting/one upman shipping (without abandoning the anger)
- for the relationships, both non-romantic and if you like romantic, that are gentler and harmonious by nature: making it clear each has their own life and agenda as well
- some humor amidst the angst (especially if the character in question displays it in canon)
The question of AUs: depends. "What if this key canon event did not happen?" can lead to great character and dynamics exploration, some of which made it into my specific prompts, but I do want to recognize the characters. Half of those I nominated are from historical canons, and the history is part of the fascination the canon has for me. ) However, if you feel inspired to, say, write Cecily Neville, space captain, and manage to do it in a way that gives me gripping analogues to the historical situations: be my guest!
How much or how little sex: I'm cool with anything you feel comfortable with, from detailed sex to the proverbial fade out after a kiss. Or no sex at all (given that most of my prompts are non-romantic in nature), as long as the story explores the emotional dynamics in an intense way.
( Cecily Duology - Annie Garthwaite )
( Foundation (TV) )
( Alien: Earth )
Looking for recs with unlikeable or deeply flawed women lead characters
Oct. 12th, 2025 12:34 amdancesontrains posting in tv_talkMy partner mentioned to me a while back that Eleanor Shellstrop from 'The Good Place' is one of the few lead women characters sey've seen who are awful in the selfish and mean way she is; usually they tend to be catty or bitchy (I've not yet finished S2, no spoilers please).
I was wondering what other lead women or girl characters come to mind that fit this dynamic? Hyacinth Bucket from 'Keeping Up Appearances' is the first to come to mind, a stunning performance of deep denial and heavy class pretentions (not sure if this was called something else in the US or other countries). Or on a darker note, Jill from the horror comedy 'Nighty Night' https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0395404/ who is unashamedly vile.
Granted I've mostly been watching stuff with male leads recently, but I was wondering who else there is that fits this unlikeable or deeply flawed niche?
I was wondering what other lead women or girl characters come to mind that fit this dynamic? Hyacinth Bucket from 'Keeping Up Appearances' is the first to come to mind, a stunning performance of deep denial and heavy class pretentions (not sure if this was called something else in the US or other countries). Or on a darker note, Jill from the horror comedy 'Nighty Night' https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0395404/ who is unashamedly vile.
Granted I've mostly been watching stuff with male leads recently, but I was wondering who else there is that fits this unlikeable or deeply flawed niche?
Book roundup
Oct. 11th, 2025 06:52 pmtheladyscribeRealized I haven't posted book notes since May, so here are the books I have been reading!
Recently Finished:
Think Little, Wendell Berry. Two essays on the environment and making a home for yourself in the world. I liked some aspects of Berry's writing, but other parts of his essays have not aged well (they were written in the 70s).
Heart of the Sun Warrior, Sue Lynn Tan. Second part of Tan's Celestial Kingdom series. Overall, I think I liked this book a little more than the first one, though I nearly rage-quit it when my favorite character died. Tan pulled some twists out at the end which actually surprised me. Overall, if you like fantasy/mythology YA, I'd recommend these.
Letters to a Young Painter, Rainer Maria Rilke. I really liked this! They are letters from Rilke to Balthus, the son of his close friend (maybe ex-lover?), who was essentially his godson. The two of them published a book about Balthus' cat, which sounds like a delight.
Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids, Cynthia Leitich Smith (editor). I picked this up from my local little free library. It was a very cute anthology with a major intertribal pow-wow as the framing device, but definitely geared toward younger middle-grade age. I will probably pass it along to my niblings or take it back to the little free library.
Revenge, Vladimir Nabokov. This is the first Nabokov I've read, and it was an excellent anthology of short stories. There are a couple of real stand-outs -- I especially liked "The Dragon" and "The Thunderstorm" -- but all of them were good.
Crown Duel, Sherwood Smith. A beloved re-read for me. It had been a while since I revisited this, and the romance in the second half still gets me. I can definitely see its influence on the things I like now lol.
All Systems Red, Martha Wells. I liked this well enough that I grabbed the humble bundle of Wells' other novels and novellas when it was on sale a few weeks back. I don't feel particularly fannish about it, but it was a fun read.
Tales of the Celestial Kingdom, Sue Lynn Tan. This is a set of missing scenes/backstory from the Celestial Kingdom series, but I was disappointed by it. I think it would have been stronger if Tan had gone with third person instead of sticking to first person POV for all of the stories. I had a hard time keeping track of who the POV person was (each story is from a different POV) because there wasn't enough distinction between them.
Knight's Wyrd, Debra Doyle and James D. McDonald. An alt fantasy in the vein of Chronicles of Prydain, but a little more adult. Sort of like if you took Prydain and The Chatelaine and found the middle ground between them. Would recommend for fans of high medieval fantasy, Arthurian legend, and Rosemary Sutcliff.
Dandelion Wine, Ray Bradbury. Somehow I had not read this before this year, and I loved it so much I nominated it for Yuletide in hopes of writing someone some Douglas Spaulding/John Huff (or Doug Spaulding & John Huff, I'm not picky). A perfect read for the end of the summer.
A Banh Mi for Two, Trinity Nguyen. A very cute f/f YA novella! The leads are a Vietnamese food blogger and street vendor and a Vietnamese-American student on study abroad trying to discover more about her family. The ending is a little trite, but nothing too egregious given that it's late middle grade/YA.
Ballad of Sword and Wine (vols. 1-3), Tang Jiu Qing. This is my current obsession and I am yelling about it everywhere!! Shen Zechuan and Xiao Chiye are in love! They are both super competent and find each other's competence very hot!! I am pretty sure disaster is going to strike hard in the next book!!! I also made a grave mistake in starting this before the English translation is completely published (volume 6 is out in December, volume 7 in April, and volume 8 is TBD). I am picking up books 4 and 5 from the library this week, and then I am going to Suffer.
Water Moon, Samantha Sotto Yambao. I wanted to like this more than I did. As cool and interesting as the worldbuilding was, the book never felt emotionally solid, and all of the characters' relationships felt very surface-level. It did not sell me on the romance at all, and what should have been a very big emotional reveal just kind of happened. Also the most interesting part of the story was obliquely referenced as a thing that happened in the five-year timeskip between the last chapter and the epilogue!! Just disappointing all around. >:(
Breakout Year, KD Casey. A baseball m/m romance! I really enjoyed this! I think the setup is a little bit silly (fake-dating your ex-friend), but once we got past that and into Eitan and Akiva's relationship it was a lot of fun.
DNFs:
Unromance, Erin Connor. Supposedly this was going to be turning all the romance tropes on their heads, but actually it was a paint-by-numbers romance novel. :/
The Count of Amaranth Moor (vol. 1), Faun V. Hartley. A vampire novel set in 19th century England. I will probably come back to this at a later date, but it wasn't keeping my attention.
Current Reads:
The Kid from Tomkinsville, John R. Tunis
Recently Finished:
Think Little, Wendell Berry. Two essays on the environment and making a home for yourself in the world. I liked some aspects of Berry's writing, but other parts of his essays have not aged well (they were written in the 70s).
Heart of the Sun Warrior, Sue Lynn Tan. Second part of Tan's Celestial Kingdom series. Overall, I think I liked this book a little more than the first one, though I nearly rage-quit it when my favorite character died. Tan pulled some twists out at the end which actually surprised me. Overall, if you like fantasy/mythology YA, I'd recommend these.
Letters to a Young Painter, Rainer Maria Rilke. I really liked this! They are letters from Rilke to Balthus, the son of his close friend (maybe ex-lover?), who was essentially his godson. The two of them published a book about Balthus' cat, which sounds like a delight.
Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids, Cynthia Leitich Smith (editor). I picked this up from my local little free library. It was a very cute anthology with a major intertribal pow-wow as the framing device, but definitely geared toward younger middle-grade age. I will probably pass it along to my niblings or take it back to the little free library.
Revenge, Vladimir Nabokov. This is the first Nabokov I've read, and it was an excellent anthology of short stories. There are a couple of real stand-outs -- I especially liked "The Dragon" and "The Thunderstorm" -- but all of them were good.
Crown Duel, Sherwood Smith. A beloved re-read for me. It had been a while since I revisited this, and the romance in the second half still gets me. I can definitely see its influence on the things I like now lol.
All Systems Red, Martha Wells. I liked this well enough that I grabbed the humble bundle of Wells' other novels and novellas when it was on sale a few weeks back. I don't feel particularly fannish about it, but it was a fun read.
Tales of the Celestial Kingdom, Sue Lynn Tan. This is a set of missing scenes/backstory from the Celestial Kingdom series, but I was disappointed by it. I think it would have been stronger if Tan had gone with third person instead of sticking to first person POV for all of the stories. I had a hard time keeping track of who the POV person was (each story is from a different POV) because there wasn't enough distinction between them.
Knight's Wyrd, Debra Doyle and James D. McDonald. An alt fantasy in the vein of Chronicles of Prydain, but a little more adult. Sort of like if you took Prydain and The Chatelaine and found the middle ground between them. Would recommend for fans of high medieval fantasy, Arthurian legend, and Rosemary Sutcliff.
Dandelion Wine, Ray Bradbury. Somehow I had not read this before this year, and I loved it so much I nominated it for Yuletide in hopes of writing someone some Douglas Spaulding/John Huff (or Doug Spaulding & John Huff, I'm not picky). A perfect read for the end of the summer.
A Banh Mi for Two, Trinity Nguyen. A very cute f/f YA novella! The leads are a Vietnamese food blogger and street vendor and a Vietnamese-American student on study abroad trying to discover more about her family. The ending is a little trite, but nothing too egregious given that it's late middle grade/YA.
Ballad of Sword and Wine (vols. 1-3), Tang Jiu Qing. This is my current obsession and I am yelling about it everywhere!! Shen Zechuan and Xiao Chiye are in love! They are both super competent and find each other's competence very hot!! I am pretty sure disaster is going to strike hard in the next book!!! I also made a grave mistake in starting this before the English translation is completely published (volume 6 is out in December, volume 7 in April, and volume 8 is TBD). I am picking up books 4 and 5 from the library this week, and then I am going to Suffer.
Water Moon, Samantha Sotto Yambao. I wanted to like this more than I did. As cool and interesting as the worldbuilding was, the book never felt emotionally solid, and all of the characters' relationships felt very surface-level. It did not sell me on the romance at all, and what should have been a very big emotional reveal just kind of happened. Also the most interesting part of the story was obliquely referenced as a thing that happened in the five-year timeskip between the last chapter and the epilogue!! Just disappointing all around. >:(
Breakout Year, KD Casey. A baseball m/m romance! I really enjoyed this! I think the setup is a little bit silly (fake-dating your ex-friend), but once we got past that and into Eitan and Akiva's relationship it was a lot of fun.
DNFs:
Unromance, Erin Connor. Supposedly this was going to be turning all the romance tropes on their heads, but actually it was a paint-by-numbers romance novel. :/
The Count of Amaranth Moor (vol. 1), Faun V. Hartley. A vampire novel set in 19th century England. I will probably come back to this at a later date, but it wasn't keeping my attention.
Current Reads:
The Kid from Tomkinsville, John R. Tunis
SGA: Antarctic Drift by smilebackwards
Oct. 12th, 2025 02:03 ammific posting in fancakeFandom: Stargate Atlantis
Characters/Pairings: John Sheppard/Rodney McKay, Carson Beckett, Radek Zelenka, Jack O'Neill, Janet Fraiser
Rating: Mature
Length: 3592
Content Notes: no AO3 warnings apply
Creator Links: smilebackwards on AO3
Themes: Uncommon settings, Action/adventure, First time, Complete AU, Fusion
Summary: Atlantis Prime is the best Jaeger ever built. Of course it is, Rodney built it himself. Too bad he can’t find anyone Drift compatible to pilot it with him.
John Sheppard was one of the best Jaeger pilots the program had, until he lost his partner in a Kaiju attack off the coast of Alaska. He’s not eager to go back, but the right Drift partner might just convince him.
Reccer's Notes: There are very few Stargate Atlantis AUs set in the Pacific Rim universe, and this is an excellent one. It's in two parts, a Fanvid trailer and then the story. Rodney (with Zelenka) has repaired and re-engineered the jaeger Atlantis Prime but can't find a partner to pilot it. John's a traumatised ex-jaeger-pilot who, after Holland's death, is reluctant to return to the fray. There's romance too, as part of them becoming drift-compatible. The trailer vid is cleverly done and works well with the story - both are very much recommended.
Fanwork Links: Antarctic Drift
and the Fanvid is here
(the works are locked to AO3)
Characters/Pairings: John Sheppard/Rodney McKay, Carson Beckett, Radek Zelenka, Jack O'Neill, Janet Fraiser
Rating: Mature
Length: 3592
Content Notes: no AO3 warnings apply
Creator Links: smilebackwards on AO3
Themes: Uncommon settings, Action/adventure, First time, Complete AU, Fusion
Summary: Atlantis Prime is the best Jaeger ever built. Of course it is, Rodney built it himself. Too bad he can’t find anyone Drift compatible to pilot it with him.
John Sheppard was one of the best Jaeger pilots the program had, until he lost his partner in a Kaiju attack off the coast of Alaska. He’s not eager to go back, but the right Drift partner might just convince him.
Reccer's Notes: There are very few Stargate Atlantis AUs set in the Pacific Rim universe, and this is an excellent one. It's in two parts, a Fanvid trailer and then the story. Rodney (with Zelenka) has repaired and re-engineered the jaeger Atlantis Prime but can't find a partner to pilot it. John's a traumatised ex-jaeger-pilot who, after Holland's death, is reluctant to return to the fray. There's romance too, as part of them becoming drift-compatible. The trailer vid is cleverly done and works well with the story - both are very much recommended.
Fanwork Links: Antarctic Drift
and the Fanvid is here
(the works are locked to AO3)
Reading Mahdi's Arabian Nights (1984) trans. Haddawy
Oct. 11th, 2025 03:22 pmcimoreneI have been reading and skimming 1920s magazines and have not got tired of that yet. I have learned so much more about the period, and have a much firmer grip on the idiom of the time.
It was a didactic article about world literature from one of these 20s women's magazines that actually made me curious about the Arabian Nights - I didn't read the whole article, bc racism, but the brief history inspired me to read on Wikipedia. The history and background there fascinated me, and I wanted to read the translation of
It is very readable and really entertaining! In fact I've stayed awake longer than I meant to several nights this week because of wanting to finish one of the stories.
I've also realized that the... maybe not exactly subgenre; category? of Arabian fantasy is all stylistically influenced by them. That seems painfully obvious now that I've thought it, but I've never thought about it before! I have not read much of it, though, and I know there are newer fantasy novels in that setting that are not written by white people, some on my to-read list; they are possibly quite different or more diverse. But in the past (mostly childhood), I've read
Oh, Wikipedia even says on the page for the last series that it's inspired by the Thousand and One Nights. I must've seen that before I read them (it was only like five years ago maybe) and forgotten.
It was a didactic article about world literature from one of these 20s women's magazines that actually made me curious about the Arabian Nights - I didn't read the whole article, bc racism, but the brief history inspired me to read on Wikipedia. The history and background there fascinated me, and I wanted to read the translation of
The Leiden Edition, prepared by Muhsin Mahdi, [...] the only critical edition [...] to date,[48] believed to be most stylistically faithful representation of medieval Arabic versions currently available. [... It] was rendered into English by Husain Haddawy (1990).[61] This translation has been praised as 'very readable' and 'strongly recommended for anyone who wishes to taste the authentic flavour of those tales'.
It is very readable and really entertaining! In fact I've stayed awake longer than I meant to several nights this week because of wanting to finish one of the stories.
I've also realized that the... maybe not exactly subgenre; category? of Arabian fantasy is all stylistically influenced by them. That seems painfully obvious now that I've thought it, but I've never thought about it before! I have not read much of it, though, and I know there are newer fantasy novels in that setting that are not written by white people, some on my to-read list; they are possibly quite different or more diverse. But in the past (mostly childhood), I've read
- Castle in the Air by Diana Wynne Jones (1990), set in the universe of Howl's Moving Castle
- The Harem of Aman Akbar by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough (1984)
- Night's Master and Death's Master by Tanith Lee (1978-79)
Oh, Wikipedia even says on the page for the last series that it's inspired by the Thousand and One Nights. I must've seen that before I read them (it was only like five years ago maybe) and forgotten.
Fisher Space Pen
Oct. 10th, 2025 09:46 pmsinealaI know it's weird to delurk with a random pen review but, whatever, hi. I have a bunch of half-finished posts from like six months to a year ago that were going to be about the book I read or the game I played but then I got like twenty migraines in a row and the plot details became less memorable. I am still getting like twenty migraines in a month but a pen review has no plot. I have no idea if I will keep posting anything at all (possible topics: more pens, fandom, more dead languages) but I'm here now and I have enough caffeine that I can't feel my current migraine.
Also, this isn't a fountain pen -- it's a ballpoint pen -- so the people reading this who aren't fountain pen nerds might actually want one. It's the Fisher Space Pen! I really like it!
The Young Wizards fans among you might be interested, although I actually didn't buy the one I probably should have bought. More details below.
( Fisher Space Pen )
Also, this isn't a fountain pen -- it's a ballpoint pen -- so the people reading this who aren't fountain pen nerds might actually want one. It's the Fisher Space Pen! I really like it!
The Young Wizards fans among you might be interested, although I actually didn't buy the one I probably should have bought. More details below.
( Fisher Space Pen )
