#sufficiently advanced magic indistinguishable from technology <3 ]

[clanoffelidae]

Now that I’ve mentioned it I wanna infodump about my alien dragons bc I haven’t talked about them in a long time and mentioning them just activated the neurodivergency

Doing everything in brief bc I’m on mobile and also have to work on moving today which I. Haven’t done yet. But I WILL-

Anyway. The basic premise for them is I wanted to tell a story about aliens living on Earth for so long people didn’t realize they weren’t originally from Earth. The fact that their biology is similar enough to an Earth organism to be mistaken for one by people without genetic sequencing or looking through the evolutionary lens at things (not realizing they seem to have no common ancestors) is the whole point.

The fact that they can breathe Earth’s atmosphere, the fact that they can consume the food that grows on Earth to meet their dietary requirements, the fact that they have surface level similarities to Earth life is all intentional! Because their story is that a ship crash lands towards the end of the last Ice Age, enough survive that they manage to gain a foothold on Earth, but soon enough they themselves have forgotten their own history, and now both humans and dragons believe that they have always shared this planet. Dragons have their creation stories, they say they were born of a giant, metal egg that flew in the heavens and spewed fire; that’s why they’re scales are as tough as that metal egg’s shell, that’s why they fly just like the egg, and that’s why they can spew fire as that egg that bore them; but those stories are the only remnants of their history.

But I also wanted them to still be alien, to still be such that a reader would look at them and the assertion that they are from Earth and start to see that things aren’t what they seem, it’s just the characters who never question it, because that’s the way it’s always been. Dragons have been here as long as human history recalls. But the reader can start to see that things might not be what they seem. (But neither side is hiding the truth, because neither side knows.)

And so we have the dragons. No special name, no special words to refer to them, they’re just dragons. In this world the mythos of dragons isn’t mythos, they’re right next door and you can go talk to them. Stories of dragons aren’t of mythical beasts, they’re stories of heroes of legend, just like humans.

Of course, the reader would quickly notice that they don’t quite line up with our classical ideas of dragons.

For one, they’re human-sized. They typically walk on four legs, but will often stand up on two to work with objects or even just have conversations. Standing up on two legs has the same social connotations as standing up from sitting; you might hang out on four legs with your friends, but if someone you want to be respectful towards approaches you you will stand up on two and straighten up unless invited to return to four. Of course, there are exceptions. It is not unheard of for groups of solely dragons to walk on all fours even in formal settings, though it is not the norm. Not the majority, but not unusual either. With humans present, however, it is considered quite rude to remain on all fours in a formal setting (barring, of course, obvious physical maladies necessitating it).

Dragons have opposable digits like humans, although they possess six rather than five, having a thumb on either side. They have similar ranges of dexterity and so both species are fully capable of using one another’s tools and machinery. Dragons also have lips dexterous enough to allow human speech, and so can speak human languages with no issue. Their digestive systems can also process human foods, including dairy; dragons themselves nurse their young.*

Their eyes are often noted to be exceptional, one of the most blatant indicators of their non-Earth origins to those looking. Their eye structure doesn’t match that of any known species.

In a way they could almost be likened to proto-eyes, for the whole organ is dark and light receptive, functioning similar to a pupil. In order to adjust focus and reduce the amount of light let in dragons have thick, dark membranes around the outside of the eye, that constrict to a circular opening like a drawstring bag. This opening moves and changes sizes, the eye itself remaining fixed in the dragon’s skull. The ocular membrane is not distinct from the rest of the eye’s color, the best indicator of where a dragon is looking being where their eye has a reflection rather than matte, as the matte black indicates the presence of the ocular membrane rather than the eye underneath. Many common nicknames and pet names used by dragons for humans they love; be it platonic, familial, or romantic; often involve the eyes. ‘Jeweleyes’ is the most common, akin to ‘sweetheart’, for the first dragons who grew close enough to look into a human companion’s eyes long enough to truly observe them likened them to precious gems for their multitudes of colors, both across the species and within the individual.

Dragons have three sexes, not two, and quite differing familial structures as a result. Dragons have males and females, akin to many Earth species, with the males having similar ranges in overall size to human females and draconic females conversely matching human males in this way. This, along with their scaled hides, is why many believed they must be related to reptiles in some fashion when draconic origins were first being investigated.

However, dragons have a third sex, known as nesters.

Nesters are non-reproductive, bearing no genitalia. Their size ranges are double that of the average draconic male, and they are so heavy that few are able to sustain flight after puberty. They have a front facing horn from the center of their foreheads akin to a unicorn, although it is curved like a blade. This horn sheds from time to time much like claws shed their sheathes. Nesters also grow a mane of hair-like fibers around their shoulders and upper chests akin to a lion’s mane after reaching puberty.

Nesters are the primary caretakers of draconic young, with their evolutionary purpose in times long past being to guard the children while the males and females hunted. Males and females produce eggs, but once the eggs are laid, it is the nester who takes over and broods over them, later raising the hatchlings who come from them in time, nursing* them when they are newly hatched and caring for them until they are adults. As such, they are what would be considered a dragon’s parent, with many dragons sharing the same parent, but with many different biological ‘parents’. The term ‘guard’ is used akin to ‘mom/dad’.

Long ago, dragons had only males and females, but lines that produced nesters produced more successful offspring, although the nester did not directly contribute genetics. In time, nesters became a commonplace part of draconic biology, and dragons grew to have three sexes as opposed to two.

Nesters were archaically considered the leaders of their clans, being the strongest as they were. Nesters would fight for clans not unlike male lions might fight for prides, their front facing horn being used for combat against both predators and other nesters. Thankfully, unlike lion prides, nesters did not kill any offspring present upon defeating the previous guard, as they themselves are non-reproductive. The reason they had to fight for a clan is because they require a lot of resources, they need a lot of food to remain healthy. A clan could only afford to have so many nesters before the resource consumption outweighs the protection provided when every day is a fight for survival.

Thankfully, this was long ago, and there is more than enough food to go around in the modern day. Many dragons still live in clans composed largely of males and females with a few nesters, but many also choose to live their own way, and many also intermingle with humans and their families. Gender stereotypes have also diminished, with nesters no longer being upheld as natural leaders and the voices of males and females rising to prominence. (Dragons never had much stereotyping or equality differences between males and females, only between those two groups and nesters.)

Common nester stereotypes include a mixture of those attributed to male and female humans, with nesters being seen as both child-rearers while also being ferocious combatants. To be weak is seen as undesirable, and a nester who doesn’t want to raise hatchlings might often be told they will change their mind later, especially by older generations. They are expected to be strong and brave, the last line of defense but the most powerful one of all. Thankfully, time lessens the strains of these expectations, but they have still shaped draconic society and influence it to this day.

There’s so much else I could say but I mostly just wanted to pick up nesters and show them off. Non reproductive third sex twice the size of the others whose ‘role’ is to raise the children, lead the clan, and absolutely annihilate threats that get too close.

Dragon kid to human kid on the playground: my guard could beat up your dad >:(

Human kid who’s never actually seen a nester: nuh-uh >:(

Elementary school teacher who knows nesters are like 10 feet tall at the shoulder and can lift entire cars: I have no doubt about that sweetie how about you two talk about something else-

* = Dragons produce a milk-like substance from glands in their throat that is fed to hatchlings orally similar to birds. To make it easier for them to feed without spilling it is first curdled internally to create a cheese that is then deposited into the hungry mouthes of young hatchlings. Dragon mouth cheese is my favorite form of psychic damage :)

Instead of pre-filled baby bottles there’s mouth-cheese charcuterie boards

God bless the unknowing human who thought to snack on their nester friend’s weird cheese plate

[etruatcaelum]

[ @knightbcrn sent 📂 for a random useless excessively granular headcanon ]

Codiciering, more often known as konurgic engineering or computational konurgy in the post-war vernacular, is a specialized and highly technical form of konurgy—dust-based magic. While the technological revolution precipitated by the Great War gave rise to mass-market consumer koniotronics like scrolls, the discipline has existed for thousands of years; historically, codiciers were more akin to what we might call artificers or enchanters.

The oldest techniques involve embroidery with dust-infused seric, a silk-like thread spun from atrum fibers. Fabrics woven from plant fibers, such as linen, are generally unsuitable for this purpose due to their flammability; silk and synthetic fabrics are safe for simple patterns that produce little heat, but high-quality wool and leather are preferred.

(It is also generally not safe to wear dust-embroidered cloth directly against the skin; all forms of dust produce heat while in an active state, and even with aura, touching embroidery hot enough to burn is very painful.)

Materials such as vellum or paper can also be laced with magic by stitching dust-infused seric into a sheet or drawing patterns with ink mixed from the ateric saline left over from preparation of seric. These items will go up in flames upon use, but single-use cards or scrolls designed to give a specific result were always in high demand prior to the Great War; this is where usage of the terms "scroll" and "codex" for handheld and desktop koniotronics respectively originated.

Later advancements in metallurgy led to the development of conifer steel—steels with ateric content high enough to have dust-like properties—and other konurgic alloys. The applications of a weapon forged with conifer steel need no elaboration; Long Memory is one. More importantly, however, the nearly limitless potential and chaotic power of dust can be constrained and given order by arranging it in matrices of konurgic wire and small pieces of crystal. This is the principle upon which all dust-based technology—and all enchanted artifacts, like Long Memory or the items described in the Grimm Campaign—rely.

Modern consumer koniotronics were made possible by the invention of dust-suppressant and aura-inhibiting technologies. All konurgic devices are powered by the operator's aura; in the case of huntsmen and other auraleric masters, this is not a problem, but consumer koniotronics, being designed for use by civilians with little or no auraleric training, must be insulated to prevent them from being fried by their owners' uncontrolled aura flow.

Even with these modern advancements, perfect standardization is impossible: scrolls, codexes, and other consumer koniotronics simply work better in the hands of master konurges. Unlike in the real world, Remnant's computers can legitimately "sense fear" and may behave erratically or respond in unexpected ways to the emotions and perceptions of their operators.

By the same token, skilled codiciers are among the best in the world at working with dust in its raw form; the level of precision and auraleric control necessary to engineer and program complex konurgic devices lends itself to complete mastery over pure dust, although as a general rule a codicier's use of pure dust will be subtler and stricter than that of a master konurge who hasn't trained as a codicier.

Contrary to what one might stereotypically expect given her age, Salem does not have the slightest bit of difficulty understanding modern konurgic technology, as it closely resembles the signaling grimm use to communicate with each other, and as far as she's concerned the CCTS is merely a crude human approximation of a horde. Scrolls are too delicate for her to bother actually using one—imagine trying to operate a smartphone if your fingers released a static shock every time you touched the screen—but she could explain in exhaustive detail precisely how they work.

[sterekweek-2024]

October 27th: Sterek Week Day 3 - Applied Science (Sun) / Forbidden Magic (Moon)

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." - Arthur C. Clarke

Maybe Stiles is a dedicated scientist determined to find a "cure" to being a werewolf? Or maybe there is no supernatural element at all, just a couple of nerdy science boys. Maybe they live in an advanced, futuristic world. This is your chance to go all out with all your sci-fi dreams.

or

Is Stiles secretly full of magic? Maybe being a spark is a forbidden thing? Are werewolves magic creatures hiding in the dark? It's time to explore the darker side of the supernatural and magic.

What extreme lengths will the boys go to for each other? Whether it be through the lense of science or magic, show us what they' are working with.

Don't forget to tag your work!

Make sure to tag your work with #sterekweek2024, #sw24sun or #sw24moon, and either #sw24science or #sw24magic.

[swede1952]

Good morning. 🌳🐦☕

3 December 2024

It's babble day.

Imagine what you would think in 1974 if you saw somebody with an iPhone, using the flashlight in the dark. It would be an odd sight, if you were paying attention. You were a sci-fi fan you might think "Tricorder," a device built by Wah Ming Chang a prop designer for the original Star Trek TV series. The problem is that the iPhone is too small to me a Tricorder. It also is too sleek to be a Star Trek communicator, which looked like the flip phones of half a century later. I wonder where things will be in another 50 years. On a related subject William Shatner is 93 years old and still has a TV show.

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." - Arthur C. Clarke

[frownyalfred]

Anon that asked about Bordeline and magic here!

I'm going to elaborate: I don't ready any type of magical media, but sometimes the media explains that "magic" isn't actually magic (examples: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic" or "magic is science we don't understand yet". In other words, it is not magic, but science) <- I thought that maybe Bordeline had a similar context

Well, I'm insanely grateful for your answer anyway, I appreciate it immensely!! <3

Oh, gotcha! Yeah, I’m sorry to say I think borderline doesn’t quite fit into what you’re looking for.

Thanks for taking the time to ask! Appreciate it.

[wolfspiders-web]

Sapience re: Constructs

I continue to go down the rabbit hole of "how do I bullshit science and magic together" for my headworld, today it's enchantments

In this world, "artificial intelligence" is the magical manifestation of a will on a physical object via enchantment, often referred to as "constructs" or "cons" for short. The level of AI is limited by the inclusion of technology or lack thereof; a maximum of Stage 3 is capable on low to no tech objects, while all Stages are theoretically possible on a sufficiently technologically advanced object. The stages are as follows:

Basic: The enchanted equivalent of a simple tool and usually only possesses an on/off switch of sorts. Cannot improve upon itself nor be trained.

Competent: Designed for a specific task and can accept new data to improve functionality. May respond to inputs in a human-like manner, but has no sense of self.

Refined: Capable of being trained beyond its original parameters and develop mastery in a specified domain. Can pass or exceed tests for human-like intelligence.

Awakened: The beginnings of sapience with reasoning and emotions. However it lacks creativity and requires external input, possessing no initiative at all.

Autonomous: Possesses true self-awareness and is completely indistinguishable from a human. It acts on its own initiative and can creatively solve problems.

Master: Similar to Stage 5, but is also capable of outperforming any expert in any field and can do the work of multiple people to manage or solve complex tasks.

Omniscient: Improves itself at a rate that gets exponentially faster over time. For better or worse, once started its growth cannot be stopped nor reversed.

Stage 7 is Literally the Singularity but I wanted it to be called something else because the term feels overused in sci-fi settings. Based on the 7 Stages of Artificial Intelligence outlined in this Stack Exchange post.

Despite AI being near unexplainable except "lol magic", advanced technology and materials are still required to create a framework for the enchantment to latch onto and create a functioning artificial brain. There was nothing remotely like sapient AIs before the Great War spawned magic itself. On that note, trying to enchant a will onto a dead or even a braindead complex organic body is a very bad idea. Do Not Do. Talking animal familiars are still strictly the domain of fiction as well.

The scale is also more than a bit controversial and sparks a lot of debates along the lines of "then what are people if not Stage 5 meat constructs?", does it matter if it's wetware instead of hardware? Arguments are formed around the fact that humans are born with wills and not enchanted to have them.

The reason why this is all here is that I realized something about what I wrote about magic/tech earlier and how I've basically bullshitted a semi-plausible way to have Chasseur in my headworld, lmao. He's technically an enchanted object/construct, with a "will" put upon him to give him intelligence and a heart. Chasseur falls under Stage 5 due to being completely self-aware and has intelligence levels on par with that of the average human or slightly beyond, but he can't "multitask" on gargantuan projects like a Stage 6 can.

On that note, Stages 6 and 7 cannot be created, but a construct with the appropriate frameworks and hardware can grow into them with enough time. While Stage 4 and above are exceedingly rare, the fact that the scale already exists during my narrative means the members of the 553 Unit were not the first autonomous robots on record. c:

[mildly-annoyed-rabbit]

ARTHUR C. CLARKE'S THREE 'LAWS' OF PREDICTION:

1. When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is probably wrong.

2. The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.

3. Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

[iyashikeivixen]

RAY 11.27.3343 IE NH // SUN 01.21.2024 CE GD

The primary nexus of most (if not *all*) of Innerstasia’s walk-ins’ media-worlds appears to be a Temple of Sai Brighë, believe it or not — a breathtaking Gothic-style Filianic cathedral. Towering majestically, this House of Dea stands at the heart of Sai Rayanna’s Square in the Queendom of Centralia — a realm accessible through Sai Brighë’s Door from any location within the Aethyric Protectorate of Innerstasia — where all the technics of the West and all the phenagulism (magic) [1] of the East function outside their usual metaphysical jurisdictions.

This *particular* Temple contains countless phenagulic doorways leading to the applicable source materials of our various walk-ins. Since Centralia’s *already* a nexus realm, the Temple serves as a convenient and speedy means of travel between the Orchards’ media-worlds.

“Within the innermost temple of your heart you shall find the seas, the heavens and all the illimitable cosmos, for the space within this temple is as vast as the manifest universe. … About the temple and encompassing it around grows a garden overgrown with thorns, which are the thorns of kear. Know well your own heart, and the thorns that grow therein; for without that knowledge you shall rarely pass through into the temple” (The Filianic Scriptures 3.11.2-3, 9-10 New Celestial Union Version, Second Revised Edition).

〜　〜　〜　〜　〜　〜　〜　〜　〜　〜　〜　〜　〜

[1] That said, in Innerstasia, the Estrenne Queendoms aren’t *actually* magical. To be honest, the particular way the OG Aristasians portrayed the East was… kinda Orientalist. In *Inner*stasia, however, both East *and* West utilize technics — just different *kinds*. In other words, the Estrenne Queendoms use *magitek*. “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic” (Arthur C. Clarke, “Clarke’s Third Law”).

[govindhtech]

Honor Magic6 Series to Wow with MagicOS 8.0

Advanced features of Honor Magic6

Honor Magic6 may be more justified than most in its use of a particular old line attributed to Arthur C. Clarke, which states, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic,” as an opener for its introductory teaser for its upcoming major product event (even though this isn’t the first time it has done so), because the devices involved are also touted as being the most Magic smartphones available.

Additionally, the handsets now have official support to run a fresh version of MagicOS right out of the box from the manufacturer. Despite the fact that the original equipment manufacturer has not yet provided any additional information regarding the software, it is highly probable that it will be built on Android 14, and it may be updated to enable capabilities such as enhanced main camera sensors and satellite connectivity.

It is also planned that the Honor Magic6 line will incorporate the new artificial intelligence elements of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and will include a special edition gadget that will be the first of its kind and was developed in partnership with Porsche Design. As a result, its enhancements are currently planned to extend the “magic technology feast” that will be hosted in its Honor Magic6 across activities that will take place on January 10 and 11, 2024 in China, the country that is the birthplace of the brand.

Read more on Govindhtech.com

[theoristsden]

Jack/Anti-related Observations/Evidence (+IRIS) - Part 2

2014 - 2018:

Part 1 (separated due to tumblr post limits)

⦵ ⦵ ⦵

2022 revival:

Jack’s future plans: ⊖

(•:) was added in IRIS’ twitter

We’re all part of IRIS.

Sean’s tween about working on the ego story with Soph (TurquoiseMagpie) ”for the last couple of years”.

Soph confirming that they helped with “Argentum Inanis” & talking about it on stream.

IRIS canonically watch over Jack: ⊖

Glitches in “3 Scary Games”: #1, #2, #3

“They are here...” - “3 Scary Games” title and thumbnail change.

3 Scary Games Notes (6/26/22)

IRIS’ first tweet: ”...we believe in helping create a better world...”

IRIS tweets: “In the run up to 100 Years... we’d like to share some of IRIS’s proudest achievements...” and “We will be sharing pics...”

Odd photos shared on Jack’s Instagram: ⊖

IRIS photo: “A much earlier prototype...”

Answers about the lore & hints from TurquoiseMagpie.

Jack and Magpie still have the Overnight Watch stream saved because it “might come in handy in the future”: ⊖

IRIS photo: “Retrowave!”

IRIS tweet: “...sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”

“Who watches the WTCHR? It could be you!” - NIGHT-WATCHER poster.

“Who watches the WTCHR?” - photo.

IRIS’s (•:) changed to a (∴).

Jack is done filming Project I.R.I.S.

IRIS “WTCHR” video title changed to “The Iris Archives - WTCHR”.

IRIS tweet: “Alert a member of the C&C if you see...”

WTCHR video description links to Argentum Inanis and CHASE.

“Weird tentacle thing” in Jack’s tweet resembles a page from Argentum Inanis: ⊖

IRIS tweet: “Have you ever experienced a terrible occurrence that has impacted you significantly?”

The camera in “this is my 5,000th video“ is recording us: ⊖

“ALTR 5914 is a time thief!”

The interrogation setup is similar to the one in Stories Untold#4.

Screenshots from “this is my 5,000th video“: 1, 2, safety signs

Something went wrong in the IRIS project preview (“this is my 5,000th video“) + similarities to old videos.

Confirmations about the upcoming IRIS video so far: ⊖

Jack confirming that there’s more “spooks” to come.

Another Project IRIS teaser posted on twitter.

IRIS tweet: Chase’s containment details.

Jack announcing the Project IRIS drop: tweet, community post, video

⦵ ⦵ ⦵

Anomaly Found:

The full stream & the clips: ⊖

IRIS tweet: “Observing ALTR 5914′s time altering capabilities”

Livestream notes.

IRIS Presents - WTCHR thumbnail became glitchy (and since went to normal again)

Analysis of the whispers + Anti giggles: #1 #2 #3 #4

“Know your ALTRS” refers to both objects and subjects.

Notes on the weird sounds in the clips: ⊖

IRIS tweet: “IRIS just passed its centenary!”

Parallels between videos.

Since IRIS regained access to their account the document on ALTR 5914 was deleted.

Official JSE server name, avatar and banner changes: ⊖

Screenshots of the puzzles: #1 #2 #3 #4

⦵ ⦵ ⦵

2023:

IRIS tweet: “There’s no time like the Present, Past and Future”

Top of the Morning Coffee: “He’s been different” and “I’m coming” (likely not JSE related?)

⦵ ⦵ ⦵

[back to the archive]

[anthyies]

i am amazed by the wonders of computers

[tenshiharmonia]

I was browsing through the Sonic Unleashed tag when I saw someone who was making a tarot deck themed after the blue hedgehog's universe, and I must say, it kind of inspired me. So I wanted to give it a try and imagine what my own version of such a deck would be like. Not that I have the artistic skills needed to concretize my vision, but hey, it makes for a fun exercise. I mean, I've always been a fan of tarot iconography, and it just so happens that one of the franchise's main characters has a canonical interest in the matter (as Frontiers reminded us not so long ago), so it seemed appropriate. XD With that being said, let's see what I came up with. (Note that I'll mainly focus on the major arcana. I know that the minor ones are much richer in terms of meaning, but let's be honest, they don't stoke the imagination as much as their "greater" siblings. :p )

0 - The Fool : Sonic himself. Now, calling him a fool is obviously a gross misnomer, but the card itself represents bright-eyed and free-spirited idealism. It is the start of a new journey, which - you will concede - resonates quite well with the eternal adventurer that the blue hedgehog is. (Besides, it's only natural for the franchise's main character to figure on the first card. :p )

I - The Magician : Tails. This card is all about limitless potential, so the two-tailed fox was an easy choice (besides, as Sonic’s right-hand man, it’s only natural for him to come just after the blue hedgehog :p ). Learning from the Fool’s mistakes and experiences, the Magician works towards manifesting its intentions into beings, which resonates pretty well with the genius boy’s heroic aspirations and constant quest for self-improvement... Also, he is quite the tech wiz, and you know what they say : any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. :3

II - The High Priestess : Tikal. In tarology, the Priestess embodies feminine wisdom and intuition, perfectly echoing Tikal’s own role as the Echidna tribe’s voice of reason (even though nobody listened to her). Moreover, the Priestess is also regarded as a mentor figure, bringing to mind how the girl’s spirit acted as a guide for Sonic and his friends during their quest to stop Eggman and Chaos. Lastly, the Priestess is supposed to be quite knowledgeable about the universe’s secrets, which - once again - parallels Tikal’s ancient knowledge of the Chaos Emeralds and their powers...

III - The Empress : Aleena. I know, I know, Underground is probably a part of the franchise that most people would rather forget (except for its banger of a theme song). But I must admit, I’ve quite a soft spot for the way it depicted Sonic’s family (Manic, my beloved). As it happens, this card symbolizes motherhood. Both literally and figuratively. Since Aleena’s main characteristic is her status as both a mother and a queen, she seemed like a royal fit. :p Visually, I also like to imagine that the card’s illustration would take cue from the show’s opening and depict the gentle monarch, in her queenly attire, resting on a bed with her three playful newborns, highlighting both aspects of her character (I won’t deny that her design could enjoy a bit of a face-lift, though)...

IV - The Emperor : Eggman (featuring Sage). Naturally, as the Empress’ counterpart, the Emperor represents the figure of the father. Of course, they are merely symbols, so it’s less about their genders than what they stand for. While the Empress is kind and nurturing, the Emperor’s authority is harsh and severe. He isn’t devoid of affection, but he still views himself as reigning over his progeny, which I think echoes Eggman’s personality and the relationship he has with his creations pretty well. Also, he is at the head of the Eggman Empire, so he truly is the best suited for the job. :p

V - The Hierophant : Professor Pickle. Without going too much into the details, the Hierophant alludes to traditions, institutions, and to a certain extent, dogmatism. Like the High Priestess, he will often take on the role of mentor, providing wisdom and guidance. But he can also represents someone who is a little too set in their ways... All in all, I think you can see why I chose the professor. After all, he is an expert archaeologist who’s passionate about the planet’s many cultures and customs, counsels Sonic and his friends during their worldwide adventure, and who can be a little uncompromising on certain topics (like the making of cucumber sandwiches :3 ). Really, the guy checks all the boxes. One can imagine that the card’s artwork would depict the old chap enjoying a cup of tea and some (properly prepared) snacks while looking contemplatively through his office’s window…

VI - The Lovers : Sonic and Shadow. I mean, this is my tarot deck, so I can indulge myself as much as I want. :p No but seriously (not that I wasn’t serious, but you catch my drift), I would probably attribute this one to Amy. After all, she is the one with romantic aspirations, the one who yearns to experience the sweet embrace of love, waiting for her blue prince to notice her... That being said, instead of depicting Amy and Sonic as an actual couple, I like to think that the card would represent the young girl, bathed in a soft and summery light, simply daydreaming about her proverbial knight in shining armour. Indeed, the card itself is less about romance than fulfilling connections, in the broadest sense of the term. So the idea here would be that, even if her relationship with Sonic is not the passionate fairy tale she’d like it to be, it doesn’t prevent the two of them from sharing a meaningful and inspiring bond. :3

VII - The Chariot : The Tornado, soaring through the clear blue sky. This card stands for travels and freedom, so it was only natural for it to feature our heroes’ trusty mount. After all, it helped them discover so many new and exciting places... (As a bonus, I like to imagine that the card’s illustration would also include the three Babylon Rogues, racing through the sky around the plane. I don’t really know why, but I think it would be neat. I mean, in a sense, they do embody a certain form of freedom. A more abrasive and selfish variant than the one Sonic himself stands for, but still, it makes for an interesting contrast...)

VIII - Justice* : This one was admittedly a little tricky, but in the end, I think I’d go with Chaos. Let me explain. This card is about karma and retribution. It warns us about the consequences of our choices and actions. To put it simply, you reap what you sow. And I think that Chaos, standing impassively among the burning remains of the Echidna tribe, would make for an impressive illustration of that message. Because it’s also important to remember that the line is often thin between justice and madness, and that a righteous crusade can easily turn into a destructive vendetta if hatred and despair are allowed to fester. There is a time to punish, and a time to pardon. * Note that Justice (8) and Strength (11) are known to switch places depending on the deck. This numbering is the one I’m most familiar with, but feel free to procede in the order that suits you best. ;)

IX - The Hermit : Knuckles, sitting on the steps of the Master Emerald’s altar, contemplating the sky from his lonely island. Naturally, the Hermit represents the need to isolate yourself to reflect on your life and actions, which resonates quite nicely with the echidna’s "lone wolf" nature. This choice, however, carries a certain irony. Indeed, while the Hermit is supposed to be a figure of enlightenment, Knuckles’ solitary life has also led him to become a rather hot-blooded - and at times, naive - individual. In a way, it reminds us that maintaining some distance between yourself and the world can often be a double-edged sword...

X - The Wheel of Fortune : You’d think that in a series with so many casino-themed levels, this one would have been easy, but I had a surprisingly difficult time picking who - or what - would be adorning this arcane. Ultimately, my choice would probably be the Chaos Emeralds. As a card, the Wheel of Fortune naturally represents vagrant luck and the whims of fate, an idea that - I think - resonates pretty well with those miraculous jewels. Just like luck, they come and go as they please, and you have to seize them when they pass. And while they often seem to favour the heroes, they ultimately serve no master, meaning that they can be used to defeat evil just as they can help it rise. Their power will often shape the course of history, but there is no telling what awaits those who got caught in their crystalline spiral... Of course, the card’s artwork would depict the seven stones arranged in a neat circle, with the sharp ends all pointing towards the center, to mimic the appearance of an actual wheel. Incidentally, the center of the circle could be occupied by the sparkling silhouette of Super Sonic, to symbolize the ultimate and decisive power that the Emeralds bestow. Alternatively, I was thinking about having an image of the Phantom Ruby in this place, as the Chaos Emeralds’ sinister counterpart, a concept I wish had been explored more. In that case, the image of Super Sonic could be placed above the "wheel", while the bottom of the picture would be showcasing a nefariously grinning Eggman, emphasizing once again how the power of the Emeralds can affect the course of destiny... for better or for worse. (Of course, everything about this deck is merely hypothetical, so don’t take all those details too seriously. This is just brainstorming...)

XI - Strength : Cream. While this card’s name brings to mind the image of a fierce animal, it actually refers to inner strength, the force of the soul that manifests through courage and kindness. As someone once said, it takes a lot of strength to be kind. And I feel like there is no one better than the little rabbit girl to illustrate this message. For her sweetness and innocence hide a heart as strong as the mightiest of metals. A heart that is not afraid of standing against evil and injustice, but that will always choose to extend a hand to those who might need it, be they friends or foes. Brave, humble and generous, the little bunny is truly a shining example of fortitude. (Also, we all know what a punch she packs in spite of her age and daintiness, making her fits the literal definition of "strength" just as well. :p ) That being said, I must admit that I don’t really know what the card’s artwork could look like. My first idea would have been for it to feature Cream happily flying through the sky alongside Cheese while carrying an enormous - and adorably decorated - basket full of Chao*, but to be honest, I’m not entirely convinced... * One can even imagine Gemerl’s head sticking out of the pile, with an air of dumbfounded vacancy colouring his mechanical face, as if to say "I have absolutely no idea how I ended up in this situation, but I cannot say it's disagreeable". XD

XII - The Hanged Man : Big (featuring Froggy, of course). This card invites us to take a break and look at things from a new angle. So naturally, the feline fisherman was the number one candidate, considering how well his laid-back personality and tranquil outlook on life fits the arcane’s meaning. Besides, his passion for fishing provides us with the perfect excuse as to why he would be hanging upside down in the first place, having inadvertently got caught in somebody else’s line because of his clumsiness. :3

XIII - Death : The End. This one is actually deeper than it seems. Of course, the End fancies itself as an ineluctable embodiment of destruction, which already fits the card’s esthetic quite nicely. But those who know about tarot know that this card is actually about transformation and renewal, echoing the End’s role in the franchise’s narrative : by precipitating the fall of the Ancients’ civilization, it triggered the chain of events that would ultimately allow the entire series to happen (or at least most of it). In doing so, it also gave rise to the very hero(es) who would eventually defeat it. True to its name, its advent spelled the end of an era, but it also brought forth a new future, just like a decaying corpse will return to the soil and nourish the seeds that lie beneath... In fact, the card’s artwork would probably have the End’s moon form looming in the upper portion, while the bottom part of the illustration would feature a lonely flower, blooming in the middle of some verdant field (heck, said flower could even be growing out of the husk of a departed Koco, to really drive home the card’s message XD ).

XIV - Temperance : Mighty the Armadillo. This one was easily the most difficult for me to figure out, in part because I feel like there wasn’t really any obvious candidate. In the end, though, I think that Mighty would probably be the best suited for the job. As you can guess, Temperance represents the need for balance and moderation. It invites you to put a little water in your wine, and I feel like it resonates quite nicely with the armadillo’s character. Think about it, Mighty’s main attribute is that he is monstrously strong. Just like Equius Zahhak. He has to be extremely careful around other people, as even one single slip could result in him badly hurting those he cares about. Just like Equius Zahhak. Which is not always an easy feat, as he’s got a pretty extroverted and impetuous disposition. Just like... well, not really, but I think you see where this is all going. XD Mighty’s story is one of constant restraint and cautiousness, which - I think - echoes what this card stands for in a very interesting manner. Granted, I’m not really sure how to convey all that in a simple illustration*, but the idea is there. XD * Maybe having the armadillo rushing worriedly over to Ray - or helping the little guy up - after he accidentally sent the squirrel flying with a not-so-light jab on his shoulder, in reference to that one moment in the Sonic Mania animation (said scene greatly influenced my decision to pick Mighty for this arcane, so it wouldn’t be surprising)...

XV - The Devil : I actually have two different ideas for this one, so brace yourselves. :p - First of all, Solaris. I mean, a being of pure light hiding a heart as black as the darkest of nights ? Yep, that guy fits the bill like a glove. XD As a card, the Devil warns us about the dangers of materialistic obsessions, which could resonate with the all-consuming nature of the sun god’s flames. Not sure about which of his forms the illustration should depict, though. My main idea was for it to feature Mephiles with Solaris’ true form looming behind him, but it’s just one possibility (and even then, I’d still have to choose between the two different forms that the god takes during the final battle). Also, the Devil is usually depicted with a young couple chained at his feet, symbolizing his grip and power over mankind, so I was thinking it’d be interesting to have them be replaced by shackled silhouettes* of Silver and Elise, those whose lives were ruined by the flames of Solaris and the manipulations of his tenebrous half (alternatively, one of them could be replaced by Elise’s father, as it was his own obsession that kickstarted this whole mess)... * To represent how they are just unaware pawns on the fallen god’s chessboard. - Secondly, the Deadly Six. Now, I know what you’re thinking : "urgh, not those guys". But honestly, I don’t really mind them. Sure, Lost World’s writing was a little lackluster, to say the least, but in and of themselves, I don’t think they are that terrible (personally, I have a special fondness for the Zazz X Zavok pairing, but I guess that’s another story XD ). And more importantly, they would be perfect for this card. I mean, as I said, the Devil warns us about self-indulgence and earthly desires, which resonates so well with the hedonistic nature of the six Zeti. Truly, it’s no coincidence if the name of their group references the seven deadly sins. You have the glutton one, the vain and glamorous one, the one who revels in violence, the apathetic one, and Zavok himself is quite the epitome of pride. (And I’m not even taking into account their fittingly demonic, oni-like appearance...) As I said, though, I don’t really know which direction I’d rather take. Ultimately, I feel like the Deadly Six fit the card’s actual meaning better, but I also really like the gravitas that the fallen sun god brings to the table in terms of iconography. How can I put it, I feel like the Zeti would be better suited for the illustration of a minor arcane, if that makes any sense. I mean, the Devil is a figure that comes with a certain weight, and I’m not sure they’d be able to shoulder it. XD

XVI - The Tower : Imperial Tower, with the artificial sun created by Infinite looming over in the background. This card represents impending disaster, so it's only natural for it to feature a level from Sonic Forces. :p No but seriously, I think the choice is rather self-explanatory. In two different ways, actually : Eggman orchestrated the "false sun" battle as the ultimate demise of the resistance, but in the end, it spelled the fall of his own empire...

XVII - The Star : Maria. The Star’s message is one of hope for the future, so Maria felt like the best suited for the job. Her serene kindness and unwavering optimism certainly fit the bill. I mean, even as she was unjustly murdered by those whose role should have been to protect the innocents, her dying words were still for Shadow to not turn his back on humanity, to allow everyone living on the world below "a chance to be happy"... Truly, I cannot think of a better candidate to embody the Star’s promise of a brighter future. (Also, she spent most of her life in a space station, so she’d be right at home on this card. :p In fact, its artwork could easily depict the young girl gazing at the stars through a window aboard the Ark...)

XVIII - The Moon : Rouge. This card is associated with both feminity and deceitfulness, warning us that everything isn't always as it seems, so who better than our dashing femme fatale-slash-master spy to illustrate it. Besides, as a bat, she’d fit the card’s nocturnal esthetic pretty well. :p

XIX - The Sun : Charmy Bee and his two dads and the rest of Team Chaotix. The Sun stands for radiant joy and success, so I thought those three would make for a fitting choice. I mean, they are quite a lively and light-hearted bunch, run a detective agency, and even founded their very own band. Sure, they seem to be perpetually broke, and I don’t think that their musical performances attract that much people, but... what was the point I was trying to make, again ? XD No but seriously, the irony of having those three goobers as an illustration of "success" is not lost on me. In fact, this hilarious contrast is also partly what motivated me to pick them for this card. :p As for the "joy" part, I guess it’s pretty self-explanatory. In terms of visuals, the card’s artwork would probably depict Espio and Vector standing in a sunflower field as they watch Charmy flying happily in the sunny sky above them...

XX - Judgement : Shadow, standing in a flower field, with the Ark looming in the sky above him. Entrusted with the hope of an innocent soul, but turned into an angel of death by his creator, the black hedgehog is ready to pass sentence on humanity. Will he find us guilty, or will he have enough strength in his heart to forgive ? Damnation or atonement, it’s up to him to decide what form the future will take... Anyway, the Judgement card is tied to introspection, so Shadow felt like the best candidate. After all, his personal quest is one of identity, reflecting upon the mistakes that were made and learning the truth of the past in order to move forward and forge his own destiny...

XXI - The World : Chip and Dark Gaia. This one was a no-brainer. After all, those two carry the will of the planet itself. Moreover, the World is, as a card, a symbol of triumph and completion. The journey is over, and it’s now time to celebrate. But it also reminds us that every end is a new beginning. In a sense, it mirrors the glorious cycle of nature that Chip and his brother embody : day and night, death and rebirth, plurality and unity... Now, in terms of appearance, I like to think that the card would depict the little lad hugging an image of the world, in reference to that one panel from the comic, with the serpentine body of his dark counterpart forming like a mandorla around him, to mimic how the card is traditionally illustrated. (Moreover, in order to tie things up and emphasize once again the cyclical symbolism of a tarot deck, I like to imagine that on the illustration of the Fool - which can interchangeably be numbered as either 0 or XXII -, Sonic would be depicted wearing Chip’s necklace/bracelet, reflecting how the story has come full circle and it’s now time to begin anew. Really, Sonic Unleashed as a whole feels like it was tailor-made to illustrate that particular part of tarology...)

And it seems that this post has come full circle too. Haha, I hope that you enjoyed the ride. Some were actually trickier than I was expecting, but all in all, I’m quite pleased with my choices. Of course, there are still a few characters that I wanted to include but couldn’t find an appropriate spot for, like Blaze or Metal Sonic. But hey, for the most part, I’m pretty satisfied. Besides, we still have to tackle the minor arcana. I don’t know if I’ll ever get the courage to do the whole deck (as I said, the suit cards don’t really fan the imagination as much as the "greater mysteries"), but still, theoretically speaking, there is plenty of space left for all the characters who didn’t make the cut this time around. XD Anyway, it definitely was a fun exercise. I wish I had the artistic skill needed to materialize my vision, but alas, my puny words will have to do. Of course, feel free to comment if there is something you’d like to tell me about the content of this post. If you have a remark to make about one of my choices, for example, or if you’d like to share your own take on the premise. Who knows, my knowledge of the Sonic universe is not exhaustive, so I might have overlooked someone or something that would have otherwise been perfect for one of those cards… In any case, I’ll be more than happy to hear your thoughts. ^_^ Also, in spite of my fascination for its iconography, I’m far from being a tarot expert, so don’t hesitate to correct me if I made a mistake when talking about one of the arcana’s meaning. :p With that being said, I don’t think I have anything to add, so I guess it’s time to close this post. Once again, I hope that you had fun reading it, and to those who made it this far, thank you for your attention. Take care ! :3

[nkjemisin]

I just want to thank you for writing The Broken Earth trilogy. I finished The Stone Sky yesterday, and it has quickly become one of my favorite series ever, full stop!! I’ve been having a debate with a friend over whether it’s sci-fi or fantasy (I’m inclined to believe it’s both!), but wondered if you could settle the argument for us.

Sure. It's a book! Well, one story told across 3 books.

Seriously -- I don't care what you call it. Among other reasons, I wrote those books as a way to play with Clarke's Law ("Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic") and its Girl Genius corollary, "Any sufficiently analyzed magic is indistinguishable from science." I was also playing with the whole idea that technological development is linear (it isn't), dependent on certain baseline materials/techniques (like metallurgy; again, it isn't) and can proceed along only one path (it doesn't). Our own world's history puts all those assumptions to lie, though there are reasons -- like scientific racism -- why most of us aren't taught about those other paths. But in antiquity, more than one great thinker concluded that science, art, and philosophy were ultimately all one thing -- all just a framework for how we choose to engage with the world. I wanted to see what happened when you changed parts of that framework. What if a society feared metal, and chose to center its technological development around stone and earth sciences? (Or biology, in the case of Syl Anagist.) What if that society took a different lesson from encountering advanced tech somewhere -- not "can we emulate/exploit that?" but "uh, those people had tech like that and died, so maybe we shouldn't repeat whatever they did." And what if those same people learned to exploit a completely different energy source that our own world hasn't tried? I called it "magic" mostly just to fuck with readers, because I enjoy doing that (authors are liars and sadists). But I could've called it "dark energy" if I'd wanted -- a real, if theoretical, concept in physics -- and probably pulled it off just as well. What's one energetic force we don't understand, versus another?

I just don't see any point to these endless debates about science fiction vs fantasy. Those are marketing terms, simply meant to sell books. I've read plenty of science fiction that was basically just fantasy with a lot of technobabble slathered over it, and plenty of fantasy that could've passed for science if the author had been interested in taking it there. And yet a lot of people have built their entire identities around these marketing terms, and that's batshit to me. Like forming sports teams around "Tastes great!" versus "Less filling!" or going to war because you like chocolate and somebody else likes peanut butter. Just eat a damn Reese's cup and calm down.

tl;dr, If you want to call it science fiction, go ahead. If you want to call it fantasy, that's cool too. I've also seen the Broken Earth books called horror, speculative fiction, literary fiction, "cli fi," and more. I don't care what you call it. If you enjoy it, that's all that matters to me.

[squarebracket-trickster]

Hi there! Its Week 1 of the Sunday Writeblr Ask-A-Thon! I'm Athena, my question for you is: Think of the genres you write, what drew you you to them? What do you love about them?

Hi Athena! Another fascinating question from you<3

My primary genre is fantasy. I am pretty sure I was drawn to it by a combination of the cool visuals, the power fantasy and wish-fulfillment escapism, the way magic and worldbuilding can be used to exaggerate emotional beats and themes (I love me a good dramatic moment), the over-the-top villains, and the themes of hope, belonging, and compassion that the genre tends to explore. My writing also tends to focus heavily on power relations and government and spec fic is a great place to play around with different styles of government and class structures, and how they would shape the culture, etiquette, identities, and relationships of and between characters.

When I dabble in sci-fi I tend to explore the same things but more from a "technology sufficiently advanced to be indistinguishable from magic" angle. The difference is in the narrative. With magic-tech, the narrative is about human ingenuity and hubris. With magic-magic, the narrative is more about how humans relate to nature and the things beyond their control. (this is a gross oversimplification. I'm tired.)

[corvideon]

so I’ve finally gotten around to watching dhmis, the television series, which i was wary of because honestly i think this kind of story does better in a shorter format. but all that aside, i think i finally understand the “lore” behind the series. here’s my theory:

1. yellow guy was once a child prodigy of some kind. he invented a “third symbolic subset” outside of both numbers and letters, and worked with these seemingly magical symbols to study spatial distribution. spatial distribution of what? unimportant.

2. what is important is what yellow guy invented: a way to store space inside of space. a pocket dimension, essentially, and a way to control that pocket dimension with his symbols

3. yellow guy then dies in a tragic accident, leaving his parents, Lesley and Roy, in relative agony. Lesley uses yellow guy’s journal, and the magic symbols therein, to recreate a pocket-dimension of their old home. nothing inside of it feels quite real—thus its puppet-y nature. but here she can create replicas of everything she’s lost… her son, and his two friends (who may have been his friends since before the accident or may have just been two random people Lesley found)

3. Lesley, now insanely messed up after maintaining this pocket dimension for centuries (long past since the apocalypse occurred in the outside world) enjoys torturing the Three Of Them endlessly via the Teachers. Roy dies at some point along the way, but she simply replaces him too. Roy isn’t important. he’s just a messed-up maintenance guy for this universe

4. there’s just one problem. yellow guy is too intelligent. he figures out he’s in a pocket dimension every time. so Lesley intentionally handicaps him by providing him with “weak batteries.” when he miraculously gets his batteries replaced anyway, Lesley decides to play one last endless game, and gives him back his old journal so he can finally figure out how this world of his works

5. Lesley does this knowing full well that the instant red guy and duck see yellow guy again, they will tear out his batteries and replace them with his old ones. after centuries or perhaps millennia of torturing them, that’s how well she knows every possible choice they could make. and she knows that low-battery yellow guy, with the journal containing the only true key to his freedom in his hands, and with a shredder nearby, will choose to shred.

of course, there’s a second layer to all this, which is that the series as a whole has grown more complicated as time goes by. just as there is more attention to detail, and more puppetry, better sets, more voice actors, etc, with each new generation of the show the lore grows deeper, and escape becomes more and more impossible. even if the Three Of Them manage to escape their hellscape in one series, the next reboot will just put them right back where they belong. that’s the true, cosmic-level horror at the heart of the series… not Roy or Lesley, but The Show itself

if you’re wondering how all this relates to the original series, where red guy seems to escape temporarily to the real world and Roy seems to be controlling everything via the Control Panel… there’s a simple explanation:

1. Red Guy either did escape to the real world, in which case the presence of many other “red guys” there implies that he has escaped many times and simply been replaced, or he never escaped at all and merely believed himself to be in the real world

2. If we accept that red guy did escape into the real world in the original series, then that places the original series before the apocalypse, possibly hundreds of years before the tv series. this in turn explains the control panel being replaced by Lesley’s dollhouse and piano… it simply evolved over time. any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic, after all

3. when red guy unplugged the control panel, he only achieved a pyrrhic victory—he destroyed his entire universe, and Lesley had to reset everything. why she chose to replace everyone’s original colors, i don’t know

lastly, if you’re wondering how Lesley managed to keep herself alive so long if this series has continued across hundreds of years… look at those stitches on her face. notice how we only ever see her gloved hands. Lesley taxidermied herself somewhere along the way. she’s a puppet, too