#Blackfish Saga

[laryssarts]

Redraw time! Original I drew back in 2012 under the cut.

This is a fanart for a friend's Free Willy fanfic called "Blackfish Saga - Twin Tides". The kids are Taylor and Tyler, the orcas are Paikea and Ikkaika. I tried to keep the cartoon look on the orcas, just with a better/more accurate anatomy.

You see I still work better with animals than with people lol

On a sidenote, the moment I started throwing colors in the sky on my redraw, I automatically began singing "Here comes the sun, doo doo doo doo" XDD

[kwebtv]

Character Actor

Anthony Caruso (April 7, 1916 – April 4, 2003) Film and television character actor in more than one hundred American films, usually playing villains and gangsters, including the first season of Walt Disney's Zorro as Captain Juan Ortega.

In some of his television roles, Caruso played sympathetic characters, like "Ash", on an early episode of CBS's Gunsmoke, and again in 1960 as “Gurney”, a murdering, yet ultimately sympathetic cowboy. He also played “Lone Wolf” in a 1961 episode entitled “Indian Ford”.

In 1954, Caruso played Tiburcio Vásquez in an episode of the western series Stories of the Century. He appeared in the first Brian Keith series, Crusader.  In 1957, he appeared in the fourth episode of the first season of the TV western Have Gun – Will Travel starring Richard Boone titled "The Winchester Quarantine".

In 1957, Caruso appeared in episode "The Child" on NBC's The Restless Gun.  In 1959, he was cast as George Bradley in the episode "Annie's Old Beau" on the NBC children's western series, Buckskin.

That same year, he portrayed Matt Cleary on CBS's Wanted: Dead or Alive episode "The Littlest Client", with Steve McQueen. Also 1959, he also guest-starred on the ABC/Warner Brothers western series, Sugarfoot, in the episode "The Extra Hand", along with guest stars Karl Swenson and Jack Lambert as well as the series star, Will Hutchins. The same year he appeared in the 'Syndicate Sanctuary' episode of The Untouchables.

In 1960, Caruso played a Cherokee Indian, Chief White Bull, in the episode "The Long Trail" of the NBC western series, Riverboat, starring Darren McGavin.

Also in 1960, he returned to Gunsmoke playing a murderous cowboy named “Gurney” in S6E5’s “Shooting Stopover”. Again his character was a hard man, but through the character’s death, Caruso successfully made him sympathetic.

In 1961, he appeared twice on the ABC/Warner Brothers drama series, The Roaring 20s, including the role of Lucky Lombardi in "The Maestro". He was also cast with Will Hutchins in a second The Roaring 20s episode entitled, "Pie in the Sky." Early in 1961, he was cast as Velde in the episode "Willy's Millionaire" of the short-lived ABC adventure series, The Islanders, with Diane Brewster.

Caruso guest-starred in an episode of the ABC western series, The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters, based on a Robert Lewis Taylor novel of the same name. Caruso guest-starred three times on CBS's Perry Mason. In 1962, he played Keith Lombard in "The Case of the Playboy Pugilist." Also in 1962, Caruso played Cody Durham in "Cody's Code" on Gunsmoke. In 1965, he made two Perry Mason appearances, both times as the murder victim: first as title character Enrico Bacio in "The Case of the Sad Sicilian," then as Harvey Rettig in "The Case of the Runaway Racer."

In 1964, he guest-starred in the Bonanza episode "The Saga of Squaw Charlie" playing a Native American man shunned by almost everybody and with only two friends, Ben Cartwright and a little girl named Angela. In 1969 he starred alongside Ricardo Montalban in Desperate Mission, a fictionalized telling of the life of Joaquin Murrieta. From 1966 to 1970 he guest-starred three times on the long-running NBC western The Virginian, starring James Drury. In 1965 he guest-starred on ABC's The Addams Family as Don Xavier Molinas.

Some of his other roles were that of the alien gangster "Bela Oxmyx" in the classic Star Trek episode "A Piece of the Action", Chief Blackfish on the NBC series Daniel Boone, and Louis Ciavelli (the "box man" or safecracker) in The Asphalt Jungle. Caruso played the comical character of the Native American "Red Cloud" on the 1965 Get Smart episode "Washington 4, Indians 3," and Chief Angry Bear in the episode "You Can't Scalp a Bald Indian" of Rango.

In 1970, Caruso made a guest appearance on the ABC crime drama The Silent Force in the episode "A Family Tradition." In 1974, he appeared in the final episode, entitled "The Fire Dancer," of the ABC police drama Nakia. Anthony Caruso also had a memorable, recurring roll as “El Lobo” on The High Chaparral.  (Wikipedia)

[phantom-of-notre-dame]

ℕ𝕚𝕟𝕖 𝔽𝕒𝕧𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕖 𝔽𝕚𝕝𝕞𝕤

rules: what it says on the tin

tagged by: @dying-suffering-french-stalkers

tagging: I never know who to tag in these sorts of things, so consider yourselves tagged if you like!

[champagnemoon]

this jesy blackfishing saga is so funny because she doesn't even give biracial aesthetics she just gives... Sesame Street

[achillesmercury1996]

Get to Know Me Tag

Thanks for the tag, @stressedinadress this one was so much fun!

 MUSIC

fave genre? Classic rock / pop / indie / classical / swing era / instrumental anything tbh

fave artist? Band: The 1975 / Standalone: Elton John

fave song? Me by The 1975

most listened song recently? Hah! Industry Baby by Lil Nas X

song currently stuck in your head? For the first time in a while, I don’t have a song stuck in my head, so bless

5 fave lyrics? Okay, I lit hate lyrics questions, so these are just lyrics I like in general. I’m not a huge music fanatic tbh, so I don’t have lyrics that ~speak to me~

"I was thinking about killing myself/don’t you mind?” Me - The 1975

"And did you think this fool could never win?/Well look at me, I’m a-comin’ back again!” I’m Still Standing - Elton John

“I don’t fuck bitches, I’m queer!” Industry Baby - Lil Nas X

“All men are pigs/all men but me.” All Men Are Pigs - Studio Killers

“I get a little bit Genghis Khan/Don’t want you to get it on with nobody else but me!” Genghis Khan - Miike Snow

This or That: MUSIC

radio or your own playlist | solo artists or bands | pop or indie | loud or silent volume I slow or fast songs | music video or lyrics video | speakers or headset| riding a bus in silence or while listening to music | driving in silence or with radio on

BOOKS

fav book genre? Fiction / Fantasy / Romance

fav writer? Madeline Miller / Casey McQuiston

fav book? The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

fav book series? I don’t read series actually...

comfort book? The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller and Red White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston 

perfect book to read on a rainy day? Shit, fam, any of em!

fave characters? Achilles, Patroclus, Alex Clairmont-Diaz, Henry Prince of Wales, Percy Newton, Monty Montague, Richie Tozier, Poe Dameron

5 quotes from your fave books that you know by heart?

Respectfully, I am not doing this one...I don’t remember quotes from books, quite the same as with song lyrics. There are some I like, but none that I’m like, SHIT FAM, THIS QUOTE. I’m not that deep.

This or That: BOOKS

hardcover or paperback | buy or rent | standalone novels or book series | ebook or physical copy | reading at night or during the day | reading at home or in nature | listening to music while reading or reading in silence | reading in order or reading the ending first | reliable or unreliable narrator | realism or fantasy | one or multiple POVS | judging by the covers or by the summary | rereading or reading just once

TV AND MOVIES

fave tv/movie genre? sci-fi / realistic / adventure / action

fave movie? Homie, I don’t have a favorite movie, ever...I just dig what I dig at the time, you feel me?

comfort movie(s)? Okay, I’m a sick individual, and some of my comfort movies should 5000% NOT be comfort movies, but they are...and you’ll know which ones...okay...Lady Bird / The Bling Ring / Marie Antoinette / Midsommar / IT: Chapter 1 / IT: Chapter 2 / Blackfish / The Florida Project / I, Tonya / The Pianist 

fave tv show? Stranger Things / Atypical / Anne With an E / American Horror Story / Charite At War / Versailles / Junjou Romantica / Girlboss / Avatar: The Last Airbender

most rewatched tv show? I literally go back and rewatch Junjou Romantica at least once a year since like, college, so...

5 fave characters? Poe Dameron / Richie Tozier / Zuko / Tony Stark / Steve Rogers

This or That: TV AND MOVIES

tv shows or movies | short seasons (8-13 episodes) or full seasons (22 episodes or more) | one episode a week or binging | one season or multiple seasons | one part or saga | half hour or one hour long episodes | subtitles on or off | rewatching or watching just once

I tag: @bowtiescarves @dearscone @blueeyedrichie and anyone else who wants to do this, too! 

[amphtaminedreams]

The Eras of Lana Del Rey: Lookbook no.9

Hi to anyone reading,

Hope you’re okay! AND that you didn’t end up here because you searched the Lana Del Rey tag so you could see people ranting about her-you’re about to be very disappointed. Sorry. This is not about to be some Question for the Culture discourse because the world is bleak enough right now and the last thing we all need is to be reminded of that saga. 

Being a Lana Del Rey fan is easy, they said. She’s not a controversial artist, they said. And yet 2020 had to do what it does best and fuck everything up. 

Whether people like her or not, it’s made me so angry reading all the abuse she’s been getting about her appearance for the last couple of weeks, because I really thought that if we could agree on anything it was that attacking individuals for the way they look because you dislike something they’ve done (with the exception of shit like racist tattoos and blackfishing) is, you know, awful and judgemental as fuck? Like you do realise when you treat the word fat as a pejorative that the fat people you don’t have a problem with understood that you meant it as an insult too? I think what all those people tweeting about Lana’s weight, and that includes some of her fans, are forgetting is that she was in her early 20s when she was thrust into the limelight. As much as there’s this conspiracy that her dad bought her a career in the music industry, she’d made the decision to go it alone and had lived in a trailer park as a struggling musician for years. On top of that, we have the unreleased tracks with lyrics seemingly referencing an eating disorder in her younger years. OF COURSE her body is going to look different. Why is it that we treat weight gain as an inherently bad thing without any insight into the other factors that constitute a person’s “health”? It’s fucking insane that so many feel they have the right to comment on other’s bodies in the first place and it breaks my heart that she might be reading these comments. This wasn’t intended to necessarily be a rant about how much I love this woman but all the shit I’ve read about her on the internet these past few months have pushed me to it. You'll respect your queen of alternative music or I shall stan twice as hard on your behalf. You can thank me later when you come to your senses xoxo

I’d love to say it was intentional that I finally finished this post the week Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass was released but that would imply I have my shit way more together than I actually do. If I’m being completely honest, I’ve only heard L.A Who am I to Love You so far 1). because I want to wait for the hard copy for the rest and that doesn’t turn up til September and 2). because I do not have my shit together, lol. That being said, there is no doubt in my mind that I am going to love it-one thing I have always loved about Lana’s lyrics is how well they paint a picture and this is something that poetry only more freely allows for the exploration of. That ability to create such a strong narrative voice and atmosphere is a talent that extends to her visuals and the production of her records too, and is something I really missed when it comes to the Norman Fucking Rockwell era. I’m just going to say it: a strong aesthetic is to NFR as memorable songs are to Lust for Life. Lacking. Am I allowed to say that as a fan? The collaborations don’t do it for me, okay, and as as NFR is concerned, aside from The Greatest/Fuck It I Love You video which went down the whole neon surfer girl route, it’s hard to identify a cohesive theme. It’s understandable that at this point, she would want to just focus purely on the music, and it goes without saying that NFR will stand the test of time in that regard but I don’t think we can deny that when people think of Lana in the future, it’s not gonna be a green windbreaker that comes into their heads.

^Illustration credit to Filip Kozak (https://filipkozaksart.tumblr.com/?fbclid=IwAR3vwLX2pNxoFNhTPD1ky14LllPqlLtL1GxGlD79xuHxdtzcHLw-6aNBZWo)

And here’s where this Filip Kozak illustration comes into it; after years of it sitting in my camera roll for years, it finally has a use. There’s really nothing better to illustrate how mundane life has become this year than the disproportionate level of excitement my photo-hoarding-self experienced realising it would fit perfectly into this post and is thus eligible for deletion. Up there with being able to fit a whole box of biscuits onto the shelf at work rather than having to individually take out as many as I can and then shove them on top of the existing box of biscuits one by one. Truly riveting content on this Tumblr page. Back to the point-by using this as my stimulus for the post rather than the Lana Del Rey albums as outfits tag that went round on Twitter, I can conveniently exclude NFR as an outfit inspiration category, and that saves me from having to buy a charity shop windbreaker with its price bumped up 150% by some upper middle class Depop e-girl or boy who uses the word peng as a descriptor like it’s a nervous tic. To make up for leaving out NFR, I’ve tried to branch out a bit and do the outfits not just based on the music videos or album covers but also from street style and stage looks and photoshoots from around the same period too. It was hard not to be influenced by the general “vibe” and sound of the albums either when I was planning outfits, whether it’s the grand, orchestral instrumentals of Born to Die or the 70s psychedelic rock inspired riffs of Ultraviolence and hopefully that’ll show as well! Enjoy:D

Born to Die (Release Date: 27th January 2012)

It’s been 8 years, and when you ask most people what they think of when they hear the name Lana Del Rey, they’ll probably dismiss her as the one who sings about being sad and doing coke and sleeping with older men. That’s the Born to Die impact. Say what you want but it’s one of only a handful of albums released by a female artist to have spent more than 300 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart and it really established the mythos of “Lana Del Rey” because before all this, before all the think pieces from other women claiming she’d set feminism back hundreds of years with her music, before she ousted grayscale Effy Stonem as the queen of angsty teen Tumblr (which as you can probably guess was a subsection of the internet I was very much engulfed by, lmao), she was just Lizzie Grant, a relatively normal aspiring singer songwriter in her early twenties. But as Lana Del Rey, she was someone else-some beautiful, mystical being that personified the sentiment of being born in the wrong era. Whilst every other singer’s record labels seemed to be trying desperately to thrust them into the future and keep them on top of all the musical and stylistic trends, it was refreshing to hear someone whose music and visuals captured all the most glamorous elements of the past. Part Priscilla Presley/Jackie O reincarnation (the National Anthem video really illustrated how Lana is just as much a storyteller as she is a musician), part high level mobster’s wayward wife à la Michelle Pfeiffer in Scarface, she was the good girl by day and the bad girl by night, and I think that’s a duality we can all relate to or would like to think we’re interesting enough to relate to deep down.

Her style from around this period was EVERYTHING. She had those grungy Tumblr girl elements, the camo jacket and the oversized pieces and the leather jackets, but she also heavily drew on the styles and silhouettes of the 50s and 60s with the beehives and the new look Dior inspired cinched waist dresses. Even now in 2020, I think this period is what most people would think if they were asked to describe Lana’s style. I made sure I got the grungy pieces in there with the chunky boots and the vinyl and the oversized leather but the foundation of her looks back then were usually these daintier throwback pieces like the white silk dress and the corset and the mint fur trimmed coat (House of Sunny’s Penny Pistachio coat).

Favourite lyrics from the album? “Now my life is sweet like cinnamon, like a fucking dream I'm living in” from Radio. Nobody asked but I’m gonna give it to you anyway.

Born to Die: The Paradise Edition (Release Date: 9th November 2012)

Lana’s Paradise EP contains probably my absolute favourite song of her’s, Ride, and with that, the beautiful opening monologue that will stay in my mind forever. This era was of course ushered in by Tropico, the short film that included the premiere of the songs Bel Air, Body Electric and Gods and Monsters, which established the ethereal tone of this period-it’s in the name, after all. Both the album and the videos were other-worldly and leaned heavily on religious symbolism which I’m sure pissed off many a middle-aged bible basher at the time. Most prominent in her lyrics were reflections on the freedom of the open road which corresponded with visuals of biker gangs and desert dwellers and modern interpretations of the Wild West, as was an attempt to capture the nature of the so-called “American spirit” which as Lana portrayed it shared more qualities with a kind of celestial, transient being than any kind of solid concept or identity. She played an emotionally detached stripper and a haunted saloon-style-bar singer (almost looking like a runaway bride) and Eve the “first woman” all in the same album and honestly, if that’s not iconic, I don’t know what is. We saw SO many incredible red carpet looks in this period too which built upon this idea of her as the fallen angel tempted by original sin that Tropico established; I feel like this era was all about laying bare the soul of the character she played, this broken, delicate but ultimately liberated being that was so dangerous to the idea of the strong, stable modern feminist ideal. She went about it in COMPLETELY the wrong way in a post that betrayed the ignorance of the privilege she has as a white female performer, but I think this is what she was getting at in it and Ultraviolence only went on to bolster her critics.

In response to the criticism she still receives about the choice to wear a Native American war bonnet in her Ride music video, I’d like to say that it really seems like she’s learnt from that-actions speak louder than words and so though it’s not my place to say whether this makes up for that error, the work she’s done with Native American reparations-focussed foundations since and the money she’s donated to the cause says a lot about her intentions. Again, I want to stress that it’s not my place to say! But it’s a detail that is often overlooked so I thought I’d mention it here. 

“I was a singer, not a very popular one. I once had dreams of becoming a beautiful poet. But upon an unfortunate series of events saw those dreams dashed and divided like a million stars in the night sky, that I wished on over and over again, sparkling and broken. But I didn’t really mind because I knew that it takes getting everything you ever wanted and then losing it to know what true freedom is.”

Ultraviolence (Release Date: 13th June 2014)

AH, Ultraviolence. My favourite of Lana’s albums and imo, a masterpiece. ONE skip. ONE. Sorry Guns and Roses. I got stoned in my back garden and listened to this (for research purposes ofc, heh) and ended up deciding that this is what I want to listen to when I die (also whilst stoned). It sounds dramatic but listening to this album in that state of mind is such a heavenly experience that I’d be too zen to notice myself slipping away into nothingness on the basis that if I didn’t as long as I could stay in that bubble of awe, nothingness forever wouldn’t be so scary after all. I know, I know, that sentence has big Jaden Smith’s old tweets energy. But if an album is what helps me get over an existential crisis, I beg you allow me the nonsensical ramblings about how I felt like I was ascending into the stars.

Though in terms of the lyrical content the public perception is probably correct, I think the reputation Ultraviolence has as Lana’s darkest, most gothic album (which is something I’ve in incorporated into the outfits I put together) is mistaken; instrumentally and visually it drew more on 70s psychedelic rock and the bohemian counter culture of the period than anything, and her stage looks are a clear reflection of that, and also the outfits I was most excited to channel. It seems counter-intuitive to the moody atmosphere I associate the tracklist with but it’s my go-to summer album; it’s raw (probably her most stripped back work along with NFR, lots of the songs are barely edited) and it’s gloomy but let’s be real, hot as fuck-don’t bother making a sex playlist, just put Ultraviolence on shuffle, and you’re good to go. This was the album where Lana debuted some of her most criticised lyrics and where the notion that she glamourises abuse comes from, one of the points she also seemed to be getting at in the Instagram post, but imo it’s fair to say that she sang truthfully about the initial allure of a dangerous relationship and the nature of the mindset that facilitates staying with somebody poisonous where you do feel like you’re nothing without them. Turning horrific experiences into romantic tragedies is how Lana has always made her music and yeah, out of context there are some fucked up lyrics on the album, but policing how a woman expresses her trauma and complaining that she glorifies weakness because she wrote honestly about the reality of a complicated partnership is hardly any more “feminist” than the lyrics themselves. I can only guess that the reason Lana felt the need to bring up this criticism in 2020 is because these darker themes are going to be revisited in her upcoming album and that in spite of the issues with the way she expressed herself, this time critics will be more accepting of how she chooses to address these themes. 

On a lighter note “yeah my boyfriend's pretty cool, but he's not as cool as me” will always be a great line. Simple but effective. If my boyfriend ever is cooler than me it’ll be doing Lana a disservice.

Honeymoon (Release Date: 18th September 2015)

Considering that a lot of other Lana fans are of the opinion that this is her best album, I find it weird that I really don’t remember all that much about this period, other than High by the Beach being released and then hearing Salvatore and Freak for the first time. I guess because she didn’t do a Honeymoon specific tour and didn’t make that many public appearances in this period? It was definitely harder for me to find visual reference points beyond the HbtB music video and the cover art, so I mostly drew on the general vibe of the album, a cinematic accompaniment to a summer in Italy or the South of France, filled with exotic instrumentals and the sense of impending romantic doom that Lana does so well. I suppose if I associate the visuals of this era with anything it’s idyllic florals and warm tones, bygone country club pool days, a rich American’s vacation in Southern Europe, long walks on the beach (and as our Lord and Saviour Jujubee once said, big dicks and fried chicken). Apparently inspired by Lana’s relationship with Francesco Carrozini, it’s a hazy story of some ultra-feminine, submissive archetype becoming unhealthily enchanted by a mysterious “foreign man” who’s ultimately not all that good for her, which as the story goes turned out to be quite prophetic. Going against the grain, it’s my least favourite of her albums after Lust for Life, but in spite of that, I will always remember how obsessed I was with the sax riffs (I think? I don’t know my instruments all that well so forgive me, lol) on Freak and I definitely understand why it’s a firm favourite for so many.

“You could be a bad motherfucker, but that don’t make you a man.” was truly a cultural reset of a line.

-on an unrelated note, OMG, I never realised how I have my mouth open in literally every fucking photo I take, somebody tell me how to pose, please and thank you-

Lust for Life (Release Date: 21 July 2017)

Lust for Life is a controversial one. On the one hand, I appreciate that this album was the victory cry of a happier, more independent, politically-aware Lana in spite of it apparently being a far more optimistic sounding album than the one she wanted to release, but on the other there were way too many collaborations for me and this meant that the album lacked a sense of cohesion and the characteristic narrative thread that usually runs throughout her tracklist. Aside from Love, Cherry, Get Free and Tomorrow Never Came, most of the songs on the album aren’t hugely memorable and it’s a crying shame that a collaboration with STEVIE FUCKING NICKS of all people left so much to be desired. Coming from two witchy icons, I expected something absolutely magical so maybe I was setting myself up for failure, but come on. We could’ve had a real anthem there.

Aesthetically speaking however, this is one of my favourite eras for Lana, which is unsurprising when you consider the tracklist contains references to both Woodstock and Coachella. I’m not gonna lie, I think seeing Coachella fashion in my early teens was my style awakening-I remember seeing Vanessa Hudgens’ outfits and being like, wow, I want to be her (oh, what a fall from grace)-so the late 60s/early 70s flower power groupie style Lana adopted in this period really spoke to me. It was all long hair and dreamy pastels, and this era included some of the most head-to-toe coordinated looks we’ve ever seen from her. Of course I couldn’t completely abandon the grungy touches that I love, that I tend to associate with the early Lana street style days and the Paradise and Ultraviolence music videos rather than with this album, but I’m never gonna pass up an opportunity to whack out a good floral two piece and putting together Lust for Life inspired looks is the perfect excuse to do that.

So, that marks the end of this post! If you made it to the end, thank you so much for reading! I have a Yesstyle lookbook and review to edit but now that I’ve finished that, I’m trying to go down more of a style inspiration focussed  route with my lookbooks rather than just putting together outfits from clothes I’ve just bought (though I might still do one every so often to bring in a new season-let’s just ignore the fact that they’re all blending into one bc climate change for now, one catastrophe at a time please universe). I find that if you have a specific idea in mind of what you want, it’s super easy to find something similar on Depop and Ebay and that way you avoid buying new things and also take old things off a person’s hands that might otherwise end up being thrown out by a charity shop and then dumped into a landfill from there. Something I’d LOVE to do before this year is out is put together a lookbook based on the most stylish TV shows of the last decade, but that probably won’t be for a while-even so, if you have any recommendations of series to watch which could fit into this category, let me know! 

To finish, I need to go a little bit off-topic so forgive me, but I truly don’t know why this even needs to be said: WEAR A FUCKING MASK. IT IS NOT A POLITICAL ISSUE. IT IS A BASIC HYGIENIC PRACTICE THAT HELPS SPREAD THE STOP OF A HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS DISEASE! RUDIMENTAL SCIENCE! NOT A CHANCE TO PROVE HOW “EDGY” YOU ARE! SERIOUSLY, STOP MAKING A FUCKING PANDEMIC ABOUT YOURSELF! NOBODY ENJOYS WEARING THEM BUT THEY HELP PROTECT OTHERS! SO UNLESS YOU HAVE A VALID MEDICAL REASON NOT TO BE WEARING ONE, DON’T BE A SELFISH PRICK! 

Sorry to sign off on a rant-y note with something that has nothing to do with Lana, lol, but all the stupidity has been grinding me gears lately and I had to let it out on behalf of all retail workers: if we can wear a mask for 9 hours at a time, YOU can tolerate the mild discomfort of wearing one for 10 minutes. I know this doesn’t apply to the majority of people but there’s always a couple of arseholes, isn’t there!?

Stay safe,

Lauren x

[jackoshadows]

Unpopular opinion.

Out of all the character endings on Game of Throne’s final season, the one character ending that I had the least problem with is one which the majority of fans intensely disliked – Jaime Lannister.

Jaime Lannister critique under the cut

Maybe it is because I am tired of hearing about Jaime’s non-existent ‘redemption’ arc in the books. Maybe it is because I am yet to see any genuine remorse and regret from him for his actions that has resulted in the loss of countless lives and destruction in Westeros.

Jaime Lannister is the one character in the books that I find hard to sympathize with in any form and whose motivations don’t really resonate with me in any way. I can understand a Cersei – an ambitious woman born in a man’s word and restricted by her gender – better than I can understand a Jaime. The one thing I appreciated the show doing until the last season was fleshing out and writing more for Cersei than for Jaime. I am not a fan of GRRM turning Cersei into a cartoon, crazy lady villain in the later books, while trying to ‘redeem’ Jaime – considering that in the very first book, it was Jaime who tries to murder a child to cover up his incestuous adultery and Cersei who tries to stop him.

I can understand a Tyrion Lannister – abused by his family for being disabled and ugly . Cersei – who can only have power on the whims of men and endures marital rape. This does not excuse their actions – but it explains their bitterness. Theon Greyjoy – a child torn from his loving mother and siblings and brought up with his enemies living with the threat of death if his father misbehaved. Hell, we can even see why Ramsay Bolton turned out the way he did.  Ramsay and Jon Snow are supposed to contrast as  bastards – because of who Ned Stark and Roose Bolton are as fathers.

Jaime Lannister is Tywin’s golden child. A privileged man born into everything – good looks, wealth, power. And yet his motivation for every single one of his actions can be narrowed down to his incestuous love for his twin sister. I often hear about how Jaime was disenchanted with the Kings guard. Not really. Jaime joins this celibate organization in the first place to be close to his sister and have sex with her – so he was already breaking their oaths and had no high regard for them even at the very beginning when he joins them.

He stabs the fleeing mad king in the back only after Tywin and his men enter KL and he knows he is safe. And then he sits on the throne waiting for Ned to get there, while Elia and her babies are being raped and murdered by the Mountain – even though his KG oaths mean that he has to protect them. Then he blames Ned for not being grateful to him – despite not explaining anything to Ned. Then wallows in self pity about how no one recognizes what he did.

He engages in adultery with the king’s wife when they are guests at WF – and attempts to kill a child to cover up this adultery. And no, he did not do this because he cared about his children – he equated Joffrey to sperm at one point. He then tries to hunt down and kill Arya on Cersei’s orders for the incident at the Trident. If Ned had not found Arya first, Jaime would have killed her. He is nonchalant about killing children.

Then Jaime spends considerable time as a prisoner and loses a hand. We get the Jaime-Brienne saga where Jaime verbally abuses Brienne and mocks her ugliness while she falls in love with him. He saves her from the bear pit  - points for Jaime! – and then returns home. Does Jaime have moments of kindness – like, when he helps Brienne and Pia? Yes. But so does every other character with the exception of Ramsay Bolton who is one dimensionally evil.

So this is where Jaime’s redemption supposedly starts …. And I am sorry, but I just don’t see it. He is still busy making sure Tully lands go back to the Freys who betrayed and murdered Robb, even threatening to trebuchet and murder poor imprisoned Edmure’s baby to defeat the Blackfish. And through the Blackfish, GRRM points out how farcical Jaime’s ‘excuses’ and justifications for his actions always are.

"Are there any terms you will accept? he demanded of the Blackfish.

 "From you?" Ser Brynden shrugged. "No."

 "Why did you even come to treat with me?"

 "A siege is deadly dull. I wanted to see this stump of yours and hear whatever excuses you cared to offer up for your latest enormities. They were feebler than I'd hoped. You always disappoint, Kingslayer."

Jaime then proceeds to hang some hungry outlaws – outlaws that were created by his war (A war that started because of his casual adultery with the King’s wife, his twin sister) – and boasts about being Goldenhand the Just. Never stopping to thing about why there are hungry desperate men in the riverlands in the first place. Catelyn Stark asks him to save her daughters in return for his freedom – he hands that task over to Brienne and continues  to push Lannister agenda by seeing off Jeyne Poole as she leaves to marry Ramsay Bolton.

A groom led a fine grey mare out the stable door. On her back was mounted a skinny hollow-eyed girl wrapped in a heavy cloak. The girl’s long brown hair blew wild in the wind. She had a pretty face, he thought, but her eyes were sad and wary.

When she saw him, she inclined her head. “Ser Jaime,” she said in a thin anxious voice. “You are kind to see me off.”

Jaime had never paid much attention to Arya Stark, but it seemed to him that this girl was older. “I understand you’re to be married.” “I am to wed Lord Bolton’s son, Ramsay. He used to be a Snow, but His Grace has made him a Bolton. They say he’s very brave. I am so happy.”

Then why do you sound so frightened? “I wish you joy, my lady.”

“Good speed,” he told Steelshanks. Nage raised his peace banner, and the northmen formed a column as ragged as their fur cloaks and trotted out the castle gate. The thin girl on the grey mare looked small and forlorn in their midst.

He has no issues sending off this small, frightened girl to marry someone like Ramsay Bolton.

Ultimately Jaime only refuses to help Cersei because he learns about her other affairs and that she was sleeping with other men. He disposes of her because she was not faithful to him. Not because of any great revelation about good and evil.

And honestly, more than Jaime becoming a better person through his relationship with Brienne, I am worried about Brienne getting corrupted by someone like Jaime. Lady Stoneheart has every right to hang Jaime Lannister – after everything Jaime has inflicted on both house Stark and Tully. If Brienne tries to intervene on his behalf, I am going to be displeased.

So ultimately, considering book Jaime’s story so far, I really don’t have an issue with the show ending. Mainly because I am tired of years and years of Jaime apologists (from hanging out on book forums) justifying and excusing all his actions – including attempted child murder. I personally think Brienne deserves better than him.

I really don’t think Jaime is getting a happily ever after ending with Brienne in the books – and the show just fast tracked to his ending. He is most probably going to kill Cersei and die in the process as his final act.

Ultimately, I think it’s Theon who is more sympathetic and has an actual redemption arc in the books – despite having done far worse. While Jaime sends offs a nobody like Jeyne Poole to get raped and tortured by Ramsay Bolton, Theon Greyoy– despite his own rape and torture at Ramsay’s hands – risks his own life and worse to save hers. We see Theon’s genuine regret and remorse for his actions and a desire to right them. I don’t think Theon is going to survive either, but I see him having the same ending in the books – dying while protecting/saving Bran Stark.

So in a way I do think we got Jaime and Theon’s book endings on the show. The show just took the wrong way to get there.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

The 2019 Locus Award nominees: your guide to the best sf/f of 2018

Locus Magazine has published its annual Locus Award finalists, a shortlist of the best science fiction and fantasy of the past calendar year. I rely on this list to find the books I've overlooked (so. many. books.). This year's looks like a bumper crop.

Now that the finalists have been announced, Locus subscribers and others can cast their votes; the awards will be presented in Seattle during a weekend-long event that runs June 28-30, MC'ed by Connie Willis.

SCIENCE FICTION NOVEL

Record of a Spaceborn Few, Becky Chambers (Harper Voyager US; Hodder & Stoughton)

The Calculating Stars, Mary Robinette Kowal (Tor)

If Tomorrow Comes, Nancy Kress (Tor)

Revenant Gun, Yoon Ha Lee (Solaris US; Solaris UK)

Blackfish City, Sam J. Miller (Ecco; Orbit UK)

Embers of War, Gareth L. Powell (Titan US; Titan UK)

Elysium Fire, Alastair Reynolds (Gollancz; Orbit US)

Red Moon, Kim Stanley Robinson (Orbit US; Orbit UK)

Unholy Land, Lavie Tidhar (Tachyon)

Space Opera, Catherynne M. Valente (Saga)

FANTASY NOVEL

Lies Sleeping, Ben Aaronovitch (DAW; Gollancz)

Foundryside, Robert Jackson Bennett (Crown; Jo Fletcher)

The Monster Baru Cormorant, Seth Dickinson (Tor)

Deep Roots, Ruthanna Emrys (Tor.com Publishing)

Ahab’s Return, Jeffrey Ford (Morrow)

European Travel for the Monstrous Gentlewoman, Theodora Goss (Saga)

The Mere Wife, Maria Dahvana Headley (MCD)

The Wonder Engine, T. Kingfisher (Argyll Productions)

Spinning Silver, Naomi Novik (Del Rey; Macmillan)

Creatures of Want and Ruin, Molly Tanzer (John Joseph Adams)

HORROR NOVEL

In the Night Wood, Dale Bailey (John Joseph Adams)

Unlanguage, Michael Cisco (Eraserhead)

We Sold Our Souls, Grady Hendrix (Quirk)

Coyote Songs, Gabino Iglesias (Broken River)

The Hunger, Alma Katsu (Putnam; Bantam Press UK)

The Outsider, Stephen King (Scribner; Hodder & Stoughton)

The Listener, Robert McCammon (Cemetery Dance)

Cross Her Heart, Sarah Pinborough (HarperCollins UK/Morrow)

The Cabin at the End of the World, Paul Tremblay (Morrow; Titan UK)

Tide of Stone, Kaaron Warren (Omnium Gatherum)

YOUNG ADULT BOOK

The Gone Away Place, Christopher Barzak (Knopf)

The Cruel Prince, Holly Black (Little, Brown; Hot Key)

The Belles, Dhonielle Clayton (Freeform; Gollancz)

Tess of the Road, Rachel Hartman (Random House)

Dread Nation, Justina Ireland (Balzer + Bray)

Cross Fire, Fonda Lee (Scholastic)

The Agony House, Cherie Priest & Tara O’Connor (Levine)

Half-Witch, John Schoffstall (Big Mouth House)

Impostors, Scott Westerfeld (Scholastic US; Scholastic UK)

Mapping the Bones, Jane Yolen (Philomel)

FIRST NOVEL

Children of Blood and Bone, Tomi Adeyemi (Henry Holt; Macmillan)

Semiosis, Sue Burke (Tor)

Armed in Her Fashion, Kate Heartfield (ChiZine)

The Poppy War, R.F. Kuang (Harper Voyager US; Harper Voyager UK)

The Quantum Magician, Derek Künsken (Solaris US; Solaris UK)

Annex, Rich Larson (Orbit US)

Severance, Ling Ma (Farrar, Straus, Giroux)

Witchmark, C.L. Polk (Tor.com Publishing)

Trail of Lightning, Rebecca Roanhorse (Saga)

Empire of Sand, Tasha Suri (Orbit US; Orbit UK)

NOVELLA

The Black God’s Drums, P. Djèlí Clark (Tor.com Publishing)

The Tea Master and the Detective, Aliette de Bodard (Subterranean)

“Umbernight“, Carolyn Ives Gilman (Clarkesworld 2/18)

Black Helicopters, Caitlín R. Kiernan (Tor.com Publishing)

Time Was, Ian McDonald (Tor.com Publishing)

Gods, Monsters, and the Lucky Peach, Kelly Robson (Tor.com Publishing)

The Freeze-Frame Revolution, Peter Watts (Tachyon)

Artificial Condition, Martha Wells (Tor.com Publishing)

Rogue Protocol, Martha Wells (Tor.com Publishing)

The Descent of Monsters, JY Yang (Tor.com Publishing)

NOVELETTE

“The Donner Party”, Dale Bailey (F&SF 1–2/18)

“Okay, Glory”, Elizabeth Bear (Twelve Tomorrows)

“No Flight Without the Shatter“, Brooke Bolander (Tor.com 8/15/18)

The Only Harmless Great Thing, Brooke Bolander (Tor.com Publishing)

“The Last Banquet of Temporal Confections“, Tina Connolly (Tor.com 7/11/18)

“An Agent of Utopia”, Andy Duncan (An Agent of Utopia)

“Queen Lily“, Theodora Goss (Lightspeed 11/18)

“Nine Last Days on Planet Earth“, Daryl Gregory (Tor.com 9/19/18)

“Quality Time”, Ken Liu (Robots vs Fairies)

“How to Swallow the Moon“, Isabel Yap (Uncanny 11–12/18)

SHORT STORY

“The Secret Lives of the Nine Negro Teeth of George Washington“, Phenderson Djèlí Clark (Fireside 2/18)

“The Bookcase Expedition”, Jeffrey Ford (Robots vs Fairies)

“STET“, Sarah Gailey (Fireside 10/18)

“A Witch’s Guide to Escape: A Practical Compendium of Portal Fantasies“, Alix E. Harrow (Apex 2/6/18)

“Cuisine des Mémoires”, N.K. Jemisin (How Long ’til Black Future Month?)

“The Storyteller’s Replacement”, N.K. Jemisin (How Long ’til Black Future Month?)

“Firelight“, Ursula K. Le Guin (Paris Review Summer ’18)

“The Starship and the Temple Cat“, Yoon Ha Lee (Beneath Ceaseless Skies 2/1/18)

“Mother of Invention“, Nnedi Okorafor (Future Tense)

“The Court Magician“, Sarah Pinsker (Lightspeed 1/18)

ANTHOLOGY

The Best Horror of the Year Volume Ten, Ellen Datlow, ed. (Night Shade)

The Book of Magic, Gardner Dozois, ed. (Bantam; Harper Voyager UK)

The Year’s Best Science Fiction: Thirty-fifth Annual Collection, Gardner Dozois, ed. (St. Martin’s Griffin)

Worlds Seen in Passing, Irene Gallo, ed. (Tor.com Publishing)

The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2018, N.K. Jemisin & John Joseph Adams, eds. (Mariner)

Robots vs Fairies, Dominik Parisien & Navah Wolfe, eds. (Saga)

The Best Science Fiction & Fantasy of the Year, Volume Twelve, Jonathan Strahan, ed. (Solaris US; Solaris UK)

Infinity’s End, Jonathan Strahan, ed. (Solaris US; Solaris UK)

The Underwater Ballroom Society, Tiffany Trent & Stephanie Burgis, eds. (Five Fathoms)

The Future Is Female!, Lisa Yaszek, ed. (Library of America)

COLLECTION

The Tangled Lands, Paolo Bacigalupi & Tobias S. Buckell (Saga)

Brief Cases, Jim Butcher (Ace; Orbit UK)

An Agent of Utopia, Andy Duncan (Small Beer)

How Long ’til Black Future Month?, N.K. Jemisin (Orbit US; Orbit UK)

The Dinosaur Tourist, Caitlín R. Kiernan (Subterranean)

Fire & Blood, George R.R. Martin (Bantam; Harper Voyager UK)

All the Fabulous Beasts, Priya Sharma (Undertow)

The Future Is Blue, Catherynne M. Valente (Subterranean)

Starlings, Jo Walton (Tachyon)

How to Fracture a Fairy Tale, Jane Yolen (Tachyon)

MAGAZINE

Analog

Asimov’s

Beneath Ceaseless Skies

Clarkesworld

F&SF

Fireside

Lightspeed

Strange Horizons

Tor.com

Uncanny

PUBLISHER

Angry Robot

Baen

DAW

Gollancz

Orbit

Saga

Small Beer

Subterranean

Tachyon

Tor

EDITOR

John Joseph Adams

Neil Clarke

Ellen Datlow

Gardner Dozois

C.C. Finlay

Jonathan Strahan

Lynne M. Thomas & Michael Damian Thomas

Ann & Jeff VanderMeer

Sheila Williams

Navah Wolfe

ARTIST

Kinuko Y. Craft

Galen Dara

Julie Dillon

Leo & Diane Dillon

Bob Eggleton

Victo Ngai

John Picacio

Shaun Tan

Charles Vess

Michael Whelan

NON-FICTION

Space Odyssey: Stanley Kubrick, Arthur C. Clarke, and the Making of a Masterpiece, Michael Benson (Simon & Schuster)

Sense of Wonder: Short Fiction Reviews (2009-2017), Gardner Dozois (ReAnimus)

Strange Stars, Jason Heller (Melville House)

Dreams Must Explain Themselves: The Selected Non-Fiction of Ursula K. Le Guin, Ursula K. Le Guin (Gollancz)

Ursula K. Le Guin: Conversations on Writing, Ursula K. Le Guin & David Naimon (Tin House)

Old Futures: Speculative Fiction and Queer Possibility, Alexis Lothian (NYU Press)

Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth, Catherine McIlwaine, ed. (Bodleian Library)

Astounding: John W. Campbell, Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, L. Ron Hubbard, and the Golden Age of Science Fiction, Alec Nevala-Lee (Dey Street)

None of This Is Normal: The Fiction of Jeff VanderMeer, Benjamin J. Robertson (University of Minnesota Press)

An Informal History of the Hugos: A Personal Look Back at the Hugo Awards, 1953-2000, Jo Walton (Tor)

ART BOOK

Yoshitaka Amano, Yoshitaka Amano: The Illustrated Biography – Beyond the Fantasy, Florent Gorges (Les Éditions Pix’n Love 2015; Dark Horse)

Spectrum 25: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art, John Fleskes, ed. (Flesk)

John Howe, A Middle-earth Traveler: Sketches from Bag End to Mordor (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; HarperCollins UK)

Jeffrey Alan Love, The Thousand Demon Tree (Flesk)

Simon Stålenhag, The Electric State (Fria Ligan ’17; Skybound)

Shaun Tan, Cicada (Lothian; Levine ’19)

Charles Vess, The Books of Earthsea: The Complete Illustrated Edition, Ursula K. Le Guin (Saga)

Michael Whelan, Beyond Science Fiction: The Alternative Realism of Michael Whelan (Baby Tattoo)

Dungeons & Dragons Art and Arcana: A Visual History, Michael Witwer, Kyle Newman, Jon Peterson, & Sam Witwer (Ten Speed)

Lisbeth Zwerger, The Tales of Beedle the Bard, J.K. Rowling (Levine)

https://boingboing.net/2019/05/07/futures-of-the-past-year.html

[jakeekiss]

Hearts of Heimir, diary 4

It has been many millennia since Ragnarok, long enough that most people without a deep knowledge of religion wouldn’t even recognize that term (and those who do recognize it as describing the birth of the world more often than the death of a previous one). The Nyungir (new gods) have been around for thousands of years while the few remaining Vanir and Aesir (almost all forgotten now) are tens of thousands of years old. Heimir is an old world made new by water and fire.

Chapter 4: Palace

The party has disembarked from the Blackfish and gone their separate ways. Aeraval heads to Pearlhouse, her family estate to discover why she was recalled from her journey of maturity nearly half a decade ahead of schedule. Once home she reconnects with Oryn, the head of the Donlotarine house guard, and her brothers Eryn and Brinn, who are all excited to greet Aeraval and hear of her travels. Aeraval is eager to speak with her mother, Anastrianna, who is conversing with a guest elsewhere in Pearlhouse. Aeraval eavesdrops on her mother’s conversation, finding that Anastrianna, has agreed to pay a young wood elf for the retrieval of some item. After negotiations end, Aeraval greets her mother and asks why she has been called home. Anastrianna reveals that the Donlotarine family has recently come under informal investigation by Kalibarbos, the Lord Panopticar, and that growing paranoia on the part of King Fortinbras has lead to a crackdown on any hint of sedition within Palace. Anastrianna is looking into the source of the investigation, but in the meantime wants to keep her family close and out of harm’s way. She’s devised a way to insulate the Donlotarines from suspicion, but it revolves around a marriage proposal from house Olander, a proposal for the hand of Aeraval. Aeraval is taken aback, but decides to consider the option, under the circumstance that she is allowed to get to know her suitor (Captain Bragi Olander, of the King’s Navy) beforehand. Aeraval, not content with the limited options presented to her, then strikes out into the city to reestablish old connections and forge new ones in an attempt to learn why her family has come under suspicion. In the process she meets Elder Pastor Father Lavender of the New Temple of Svaelar, and Argus, lead tragedian of the Red Theater. Both help to fill out Aeraval’s knowledge of current events within Palace, and Argus notes that a new play coming to the Red Theater is likely to be attended by King Fortinbras himself. While at the Red Theater, Aeraval notices a suspicious Tiefling loitering about. Clearly not part of the theater troupe, he retreats when he is seen. Aeraval gives chase, but loses him in the streets of Palace. She decides to continue her search for information in Low District, and in the meantime makes preparations to meet her would-be suitor.

Meanwhile, Daytien travels to a perfumer shop in High District owned by a half-orc named Petaldorf, a former friend and confidant of Daytien’s mother. Daytien asks Petaldorf’s help in making an introduction to his mother’s extended noble family in Palace, the Diarmonds. Petaldorf is happy to help, and even offers to cover the cost of a new suit for Daytien to improve first impressions. The rest of the party checks into an inn in Low District. Winsys spends most of the night drinking and celebrating his arrival at Palace, while Jormung, overwhelmed by the size of the city, opts to stay in his room shape shifting into various animals.

The next morning Griselda travels to the King’s castle and autopsies the monster from the Blackfish under the supervision of Kalibarbos. She finds a strange swirling glyph tattoo on the creature’s body as well as a rainbow hued bead in it’s stomach, but can identify neither. She also finds that it’s likely the monster was at some point human, and was transformed by unknown means into the creature it became. Kalibarbos pays Griselda and promises to make a donation to her church in repayment for her services.

Simultaneously, back at the inn, Shayln overhears a commotion from one of the other rooms on her floor, and upon investigating finds Renya “Rent” Dewdrop, a wood elf, accosting Earnst Olander, a noble-born half elf, over a job she’s completed for Earnst for which he hasn’t paid. When Shayln interrupts the scene, Rent is overcome with emotion; she recognizes Shayln from their youth nearly a century ago. After Rent relieves Earnst of her payment, plus interest, she offers to take Shayln out on the town and proposes that Shayln assist her in another job she’s just been hired to do. Shayln turns Rent down, citing that the job sounded illegal, and Rent accepts begrudgingly. During the day Griselda and Daytien uncover the lay of the land in Palace, that there seems to be much paranoia in the city (particularly High District) concerning outsiders and seditionists, and that an order called the Brotherhood of the Unbreakable Ribbon has been purchasing all the enchanted weapons and armor in surrounding areas for unknown reasons. They make contact with the order’s spokesperson, Accipiter, and due to their statuses as ranger and cleric of Eir, manage to convince him to part with one or two weapons to help outfit Griselda’s new ward, Saga. Accipiter is cagey about the order’s need for so many weapons, but gives a warning to stay out of the way of the City Guard. This warning is verified when Shayln, Griselda, and Daytien witness the captain of the City Guard, Evert Olander, execute a low-born citizen in the street on accusations of fomenting rebellion against the crown. Shayln, Griselda, and Saga discuss looking for work in the city, to both give Saga some experience as an apprentice cleric, and shore up their funds while they stay at the inn. Daytien connects once again with Petaldorf, who arranges for an array of fragrances to be delivered to his family ahead of his arrival, and indicates that Daytien’s new suit will be ready in another day or so. Though they are not aware of it yet, the entire party rests upon the precipice of destiny as the intrigues of Palace slowly ensnare them all.

[tachyonpub]

Lavie Tidhar, Peter Watts, Jo Walton, Jane Yolen, and Tachyon itself are all Locus Award finalists

The finalists for the 2018 Locus Awards were announced. Lavie Tidhar’s  UNHOLY LAND, Peter Watts’ THE FREEZE-FRAME REVOLUTION, Jo Walton’s STARLINGS (as well as An Informal History of the Hugos), Jane Yolen’s HOW TO FRACTURE A FAIRY TALE (as well as Mapping the Bones), and Tachyon Publications itself all received nominations. Many Tachyon authors, editors, and artists received notice including John Joseph Adams, Ellen Datlow, Daryl Gregory, Caitlín R. Kiernan, Nancy Kress, John Picacio, Alastair Reynolds, Ann & Jeff VanderMeer, Charles Vess, Michael Whelan, and Sheila Williams.

Congratulations to all the finalists.

SCIENCE FICTION NOVEL

Record of a Spaceborn Few, Becky Chambers (Harper Voyager US; Hodder & Stoughton)

The Calculating Stars, Mary Robinette Kowal (Tor)

If Tomorrow Comes, Nancy Kress (Tor)

Revenant Gun, Yoon Ha Lee (Solaris US; Solaris UK)

Blackfish City, Sam J. Miller (Ecco; Orbit UK)

Embers of War, Gareth L. Powell (Titan US; Titan UK)

Elysium Fire, Alastair Reynolds (Gollancz; Orbit US)

Red Moon, Kim Stanley Robinson (Orbit US; Orbit UK)

UNHOLY LAND, Lavie Tidhar (Tachyon)

Space Opera, Catherynne M. Valente (Saga)

FANTASY NOVEL

Lies Sleeping, Ben Aaronovitch (DAW; Gollancz)

Foundryside, Robert Jackson Bennett (Crown; Jo Fletcher)

The Monster Baru Cormorant, Seth Dickinson (Tor)

Deep Roots, Ruthanna Emrys (Tor.com Publishing)

Ahab’s Return, Jeffrey Ford (Morrow)

European Travel for the Monstrous Gentlewoman, Theodora Goss (Saga)

The Mere Wife, Maria Dahvana Headley (MCD)

The Wonder Engine, T. Kingfisher (Argyll Productions)

Spinning Silver, Naomi Novik (Del Rey; Macmillan)

Creatures of Want and Ruin, Molly Tanzer (John Joseph Adams)

HORROR NOVEL

In the Night Wood, Dale Bailey (John Joseph Adams)

Unlanguage, Michael Cisco (Eraserhead)

We Sold Our Souls, Grady Hendrix (Quirk)

Coyote Songs, Gabino Iglesias (Broken River)

The Hunger, Alma Katsu (Putnam; Bantam Press UK)

The Outsider, Stephen King (Scribner; Hodder & Stoughton)

The Listener, Robert McCammon (Cemetery Dance)

Cross Her Heart, Sarah Pinborough (HarperCollins UK/Morrow)

The Cabin at the End of the World, Paul Tremblay (Morrow; Titan UK)

Tide of Stone, Kaaron Warren (Omnium Gatherum)

YOUNG ADULT BOOK

The Gone Away Place, Christopher Barzak (Knopf)

The Cruel Prince, Holly Black (Little, Brown; Hot Key)

The Belles, Dhonielle Clayton (Freeform; Gollancz)

Tess of the Road, Rachel Hartman (Random House)

Dread Nation, Justina Ireland (Balzer + Bray)

Cross Fire, Fonda Lee (Scholastic)

The Agony House, Cherie Priest & Tara O’Connor (Levine)

Half-Witch, John Schoffstall (Big Mouth House)

Impostors, Scott Westerfeld (Scholastic US; Scholastic UK)

Mapping the Bones, Jane Yolen (Philomel)

FIRST NOVEL

Children of Blood and Bone, Tomi Adeyemi (Henry Holt; Macmillan)

Semiosis, Sue Burke (Tor)

Armed in Her Fashion, Kate Heartfield (ChiZine)

The Poppy War, R.F. Kuang (Harper Voyager US; Harper Voyager UK)

The Quantum Magician, Derek Künsken (Solaris US; Solaris UK)

Annex, Rich Larson (Orbit US)

Severance, Ling Ma (Farrar, Straus, Giroux)

Witchmark, C.L. Polk (Tor.com Publishing)

Trail of Lightning, Rebecca Roanhorse (Saga)

Empire of Sand, Tasha Suri (Orbit US; Orbit UK)

NOVELLA

The Black God’s Drums, P. Djèlí Clark (Tor.com Publishing)

The Tea Master and the Detective, Aliette de Bodard (Subterranean)

“Umbernight“, Carolyn Ives Gilman (Clarkesworld 2/18)

Black Helicopters, Caitlín R. Kiernan (Tor.com Publishing)

Time Was, Ian McDonald (Tor.com Publishing)

Gods, Monsters, and the Lucky Peach, Kelly Robson (Tor.com Publishing)

THE FREEZE-FRAME REVOLUTION, Peter Watts (Tachyon)

Artificial Condition, Martha Wells (Tor.com Publishing)

Rogue Protocol, Martha Wells (Tor.com Publishing)

The Descent of Monsters, JY Yang (Tor.com Publishing)

NOVELETTE

“The Donner Party”, Dale Bailey (F&SF 1–2/18)

“Okay, Glory”, Elizabeth Bear (Twelve Tomorrows)

“No Flight Without the Shatter“, Brooke Bolander (Tor.com 8/15/18)

The Only Harmless Great Thing, Brooke Bolander (Tor.com Publishing)

“The Last Banquet of Temporal Confections“, Tina Connolly (Tor.com 7/11/18)

“An Agent of Utopia”, Andy Duncan (An Agent of Utopia)

“Queen Lily“, Theodora Goss (Lightspeed 11/18)

“Nine Last Days on Planet Earth“, Daryl Gregory (Tor.com 9/19/18)

“Quality Time”, Ken Liu (Robots vs Fairies)

“How to Swallow the Moon“, Isabel Yap (Uncanny 11–12/18)

SHORT STORY

“The Secret Lives of the Nine Negro Teeth of George Washington“, Phenderson Djèlí Clark (Fireside 2/18)

“The Bookcase Expedition”, Jeffrey Ford (Robots vs Fairies)

“STET“, Sarah Gailey (Fireside 10/18)

“A Witch’s Guide to Escape: A Practical Compendium of Portal Fantasies“, Alix E. Harrow (Apex 2/6/18)

“Cuisine des Mémoires”, N.K. Jemisin (How Long ’til Black Future Month?)

“The Storyteller’s Replacement”, N.K. Jemisin (How Long ’til Black Future Month?)

“Firelight“, Ursula K. Le Guin (Paris Review Summer ’18)

“The Starship and the Temple Cat“, Yoon Ha Lee (Beneath Ceaseless Skies 2/1/18)

“Mother of Invention“, Nnedi Okorafor (Future Tense)

“The Court Magician“, Sarah Pinsker (Lightspeed 1/18)

ANTHOLOGY

The Best Horror of the Year Volume Ten, Ellen Datlow, ed. (Night Shade)

The Book of Magic, Gardner Dozois, ed. (Bantam; Harper Voyager UK)

The Year’s Best Science Fiction: Thirty-fifth Annual Collection, Gardner Dozois, ed. (St. Martin’s Griffin)

Worlds Seen in Passing, Irene Gallo, ed. (Tor.com Publishing)

The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2018, N.K. Jemisin & John Joseph Adams, eds. (Mariner)

Robots vs Fairies, Dominik Parisien & Navah Wolfe, eds. (Saga)

The Best Science Fiction & Fantasy of the Year, Volume Twelve, Jonathan Strahan, ed. (Solaris US; Solaris UK)

Infinity’s End, Jonathan Strahan, ed. (Solaris US; Solaris UK)

The Underwater Ballroom Society, Tiffany Trent & Stephanie Burgis, eds. (Five Fathoms)

The Future Is Female!, Lisa Yaszek, ed. (Library of America)

COLLECTION

The Tangled Lands, Paolo Bacigalupi & Tobias S. Buckell (Saga)

Brief Cases, Jim Butcher (Ace; Orbit UK)

An Agent of Utopia, Andy Duncan (Small Beer)

How Long ’til Black Future Month?, N.K. Jemisin (Orbit US; Orbit UK)

The Dinosaur Tourist, Caitlín R. Kiernan (Subterranean)

Fire & Blood, George R.R. Martin (Bantam; Harper Voyager UK)

All the Fabulous Beasts, Priya Sharma (Undertow)

The Future Is Blue, Catherynne M. Valente (Subterranean)

STARLINGS, Jo Walton (Tachyon)

HOW TO FRACTURE A FAIRY TALE, Jane Yolen (Tachyon)

MAGAZINE

Analog

Asimov’s

Beneath Ceaseless Skies

Clarkesworld

F&SF

Fireside

Lightspeed

Strange Horizons

Tor.com

Uncanny

PUBLISHER

Angry Robot

Baen

DAW

Gollancz

Orbit

Saga

Small Beer

Subterranean

Tachyon

Tor

EDITOR

John Joseph Adams

Neil Clarke

Ellen Datlow

Gardner Dozois

C.C. Finlay

Jonathan Strahan

Lynne M. Thomas & Michael Damian Thomas

Ann & Jeff VanderMeer

Sheila Williams

Navah Wolfe

ARTIST

Kinuko Y. Craft

Galen Dara

Julie Dillon

Leo & Diane Dillon

Bob Eggleton

Victo Ngai

John Picacio

Shaun Tan

Charles Vess

Michael Whelan

NON-FICTION

Space Odyssey: Stanley Kubrick, Arthur C. Clarke, and the Making of a Masterpiece, Michael Benson (Simon & Schuster)

Sense of Wonder: Short Fiction Reviews (2009-2017), Gardner Dozois (ReAnimus)

Strange Stars, Jason Heller (Melville House)

Dreams Must Explain Themselves: The Selected Non-Fiction of Ursula K. Le Guin, Ursula K. Le Guin (Gollancz)

Ursula K. Le Guin: Conversations on Writing, Ursula K. Le Guin & David Naimon (Tin House)

Old Futures: Speculative Fiction and Queer Possibility, Alexis Lothian (NYU Press)

Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth, Catherine McIlwaine, ed. (Bodleian Library)

Astounding: John W. Campbell, Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, L. Ron Hubbard, and the Golden Age of Science Fiction, Alec Nevala-Lee (Dey Street)

None of This Is Normal: The Fiction of Jeff VanderMeer, Benjamin J. Robertson (University of Minnesota Press)

An Informal History of the Hugos: A Personal Look Back at the Hugo Awards, 1953-2000, Jo Walton (Tor)

ART BOOK

Yoshitaka Amano, Yoshitaka Amano: The Illustrated Biography – Beyond the Fantasy, Florent Gorges (Les Éditions Pix’n Love 2015; Dark Horse)

Spectrum 25: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art, John Fleskes, ed. (Flesk)

John Howe, A Middle-earth Traveler: Sketches from Bag End to Mordor (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; HarperCollins UK)

Jeffrey Alan Love, The Thousand Demon Tree (Flesk)

Simon Stålenhag, The Electric State (Fria Ligan ’17; Skybound)

Shaun Tan, Cicada (Lothian; Levine ’19)

Charles Vess, The Books of Earthsea: The Complete Illustrated Edition, Ursula K. Le Guin (Saga)

Michael Whelan, Beyond Science Fiction: The Alternative Realism of Michael Whelan (Baby Tattoo)

Dungeons & Dragons Art and Arcana: A Visual History, Michael Witwer, Kyle Newman, Jon Peterson, & Sam Witwer (Ten Speed)

Lisbeth Zwerger, The Tales of Beedle the Bard, J.K. Rowling (Levine)

For more info on UNHOLY LAND, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Sarah Anne Langton

For more info on THE FREEZE-FRAME REVOLUTION, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Elizabeth Story

For more info on STARLINGS, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

For more info on HOW TO FRACTURE A FAIRY TALE, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

[agirlingrey]

what got/asoiaf muses would you like to see? OR what is the fandom lacking in?

Ohh, this is a fun question, thank you for asking me ! In order to not go TOO insane with this, I will limit my answer to TWENTY characters.

ALSO, please keep in mind that I’m not saying there are NO roleplayers out there who write these characters. There are many active ASOIAF roleplayers that I haven’t interacted with and may have missed the blogs of, so no offence intended to anyone. I am just telling you what I’ve been missing on my own dash :)

Barbrey Dustin

Brynden “Blackfish” Tully

Dacey Mormont ( I used to write with an excellent Dacey whom I loved, but I’m pretty sure they abandoned Tumblr which is sad for all of us. )

Eddison Tollett “Dolorous Edd”

Genna Lannister

Greatjon Umber

Grenn and Pyp ( Yes, they are obviously a set. )

Harrold “Harry” Hardyng

Karstark Brothers ( Am I biased af ? Yes. )

Lysa Arryn

Mya Stone

Myranda Royce

Nymeria Sand

Olenna Tyrell

Osha

Quentyn Martell

Sarella Sand

Sigorn ( And so my biased af saga continues. )

Tyene Sand

Varys ( I will even take a parody account. He can be xoxo Gossip Spider. )

LASTLY, I would really love to see just generally more minor characters from the North. Including those who aren’t listed up there like Wyman Manderly, Tormund Giantsbane, more Mormonts, Reeds and Manderly girls… I have written with these characters before but they have all abandoned their accounts. So, you know, GIMME THE NORTH !

[aion-rsa]

15 Best Game of Thrones Warriors

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Despite what some legendary TV actors might have you believe, Game of Thrones wasn’t all just “tits and dragons.” The eight-season HBO series based on George R.R. Martin’s sprawling A Song of Ice and Fire saga was far more sophisticated than the sum of its most prurient parts. 

The series was an honest and in-depth exploration of political dysfunction. There were no easy decisions to be made and even the best deeds from the most pure at heart rarely went unpunished. Even factoring in its…less than superb final season, Game of Thrones was refreshingly complex pop entertainment for adults.

Now, this is all not to say that some of Game of Thrones more base elements weren’t appealing. In fact, all of the dragon-stomping, bone-crunching, sword-swinging radness was a major part of the rich tapestry that was the fantasy series. As Thrones reaches the 10th anniversary of its April 17, 2011 premiere (which HBO has dubbed the Iron Anniversary), there will be plenty of opportunities to examine all the high-minded literary features that made the show a phenomenon. But let’s make sure the blood and guts get their proper due as well.

Read more

TV

Game of Thrones at 10: The Series That Changed TV Forever

By David Crow

Game of Thrones’ Westeros and Essos continents are positively fit-to-bursting with capable warriors – whether their main instrument of war be a sword, warhammer, bow, or arakh. Naturally, one of the Internet’s favorite pastimes is dreaming up which Thrones warrior is the best…because we’re all schoolyard children arguing amongst one another at heart. To honor this very important Iron Anniversary, we’ve decided to add our choices for best Game of Thrones warriors to the Internet canon as well. 

Here are some important rules to consider. First, no animals. Sorry, Drogon and Ghost! Next, each warrior is judged by their skill at the height of their ability within the series’ run. This means that Jaime Lannister gets to fight with both hands, but Ser Barristan the Bold remains Ser Barristan the Old. Speaking of Jaime and Barristan, dead characters are eligible for the list because if they weren’t, it would be pretty short. Finally, only characters who spent the majority of their time within the series main timeline can be included. This restricts characters who appear only in flashback from making the list. That’s why you won’t see Ser Arthur Dayne among the combatants. 

Without further ado…

15. Tormund Giantsbane

Discipline and skill may be prized in warriors throughout the Seven Kingdoms but north of The Wall, strength is key. And there are very few Free Folk stronger than Tormund Giantsbane. Sure, his given name is a bit of a misnomer. He doesn’t kill giants so much as he *checks notes*…suckles on giantess milk? 

Well, however Tormund gets his calcium, it certainly does his body good. The kissed-by-fire wildling is the only man skilled and strong enough to serve as the most trusted lieutenant of both Mance Rayder and Jon Snow. He could certainly hold his own in a battle against either.

14. Beric Dondarrion

Strangely enough, Lord Beric Dondarrion’s biggest strength is also his greatest weakness. His ability to be constantly revived by his fighting partner Thoros of Myr is certainly useful in the long run, but it also robs him of an important trait any warrior must have: fear. 

Beric may fear the metaphorical death encroaching from Beyond the Wall, but in a fight against any other mortal he is probably a bit less likely to properly protect himself. After all, why keep an eye on one’s heart when it can just be jump started by the Red God at will? Beyond his supernatural hook, however, Beric is a capable soldier. It was he who Ned Stark trusted to track down Ser Gregor “The Mountain” Clegane and bring him to justice. He failed in that mission, of course, but it’s still impressive he ever agreed to it!

13. Qhorin Halfhand

Who needs all 10 fingers when you’ve got the skill and constitution of one Qhorin Halfhand? Qhorin brings one of the most important traits to the table when talking about a Westerosi warrior: passion. He absolutely lives for this shit…and in fact, he happily dies for this shit as well. 

Qhorin is the most capable and dangerous ranger The Night’s Watch has. He is equal parts feared and respected by his Wildling foes, which is particularly impressive given they neither fear nor respect just about anything. Qhorin’s injury to his right hand also turned out to be a bit of a martial blessing, as it meant he learned to wield a sword just as capably with his. Ambidexterity is a very useful trait in combat. 

12. Brynden “Blackfish” Tully

By the time the events of Game of Thrones begin, the Tully family’s “Blackfish”, Brynden, is long in the tooth and has lost a step or two. Still, even at his advanced age he is one of the most fearsome fighters in The Riverlands, and the Realm at large. 

Read more

TV

How the Game of Thrones Play Fills a Major Gap from the Series

By Joseph Baxter

TV

Can the New Game of Thrones Spinoffs Redeem Missed Opportunities?

By Joseph Baxter

Since Blackfish was in his prime during both the War of the Ninepenny Kings and Robert’s Rebellion, he participated in dozens of military battles.There may not be a more hardened or battle-tested warrior in Westeros. Then he “retired” to the title of Knight of the Gate in The Vale. They don’t hand that honor to just anyone. 

11. Loras Tyrell

See Loras Tyrell may be paradoxically the most overrated and underrated warrior in all of Westeros. The smallfolk and less sophisticated noble men and women see him as perhaps the realm’s greatest fighter, due to his attractive visage and prowess in jousting tournaments. Meanwhile, the hardened soldiers view those same soft features and jousting skills with contempt, assuming Loras can’t be a “real” warrior.

Well, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Loras isn’t a top 5 warrior in Westeros, but he’s damn near the top 10. Jousting and melee skills may not apply perfectly to the bloody heat of real battle, but they’re still useful in a combat. Plus, over Loras’s six season run on Thrones he gets plenty of opportunities to prove himself in war and acquits himself with honor each time. 

10. Syrio Forel

Syrio Forel is a prime example of just how ill-equipped many of the warriors of Westeros are when they’re confronted with an unfamiliar fighting style. Syrio is far from the biggest or strongest sword fighter in the series. But the First Sword of Braavos and Arya’s “dancing teacher” is both agile and highly, highly skilled with his sword.

Syrio views his sword as an extension of his body. His steadfast dedication to his craft and years spent training in Essos have created a fighter so fearsome that he very nearly survives an encounter with three Kingsguardmen…while wielding a wooden sword. Our time spent with Syrio was brief so it’s unclear just how skilled he really is. That limited time was still enough to lock him into the top 10. 

9. Ser Barristan Selmy

Ser Barristan The Bold is the platonic ideal of a chivalric knight. He is honorable, skilled, and widely beloved. As a younger man, he distinguished himself as a soldier in tourneys and in the War of the Ninepenny Kings. At his height, he was probably the most capable swordsman and warrior in all the Seven Kingdoms.

During the events of Game of Thrones, however, Barristan is not at his physical peak. He remains a remarkable fighter and warrior but his days as the top dog are likely over. Also, let’s not neglect to mention that, while honor is appreciated, it can be a detriment in a fight against some less than savory characters (which make up a significant portion of Westeros’ populace). 

8. Sandor Clegane a.k.a. The Hound

If it weren’t for his taller, scarier brother, Sandor “The Hound” Clegane would be the most terrifying physical force in all of Westeros. This former Lannister loyalist is seven feet (in the books at least. Actor Rory McCann is 6’6’’) of pure rage and contempt. The Hound is profoundly disappointed in the state of the world and his fellow men, and he’s more than happy to take out that disappointment on anyone foolish enough to test him.

The Hound is a supreme mix of both skill and raw power. Put him in a melee and he’ll come out wearing a frown and dozens of enemies’ blood. Pit him one-on-one against just about anyone and he’ll likely survive the encounter as well. The only reason he’s not higher up on this list is that he has a pretty prominent weakness. Any bit of fire will destabilize the pyrophobic behemoth. Granted, the fire method didn’t work for Beric Dondarrion but it might work for someone more skilled. 

7. Jon Snow

There’s not much that Jon Snow can’t do. The presumed bastard of Ned Stark, but the true son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark, Jon Snow is as close to a traditional hero that this tale has. He’s imperfect, but honest and likeable. He’s a natural leader who hesitantly takes on the responsibility of shepherding The Night’s Watch, the Free Folk, and eventually the entire North. Jon Snow is such an impressive historical figure that it can sometimes get lost in the shuffle that he’s a tremendously capable warrior as well.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", mediaId: "43c2fe63-75e2-45d4-9d24-8b39a87f2352" }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Jon put his childhood training in Winterfell to good use and immediately became one of the Night’s Watch’s most useful swordsmen upon arrival at The Wall. Then, over the span of eight seasons, Jon’s martial prowess only grew. He has participated in more major battles than any other Game of Thrones character and has (mostly) survived them all. Jon’s place in the middle of the pack on this list isn’t an indictment of his abilities but rather an endorsement of all the great warriors above him. 

6. Grey Worm

Look, the Unsullied are just not to be trifled with. The warrior-eunuchs of Astapor are bred, born, and trained for only two things: war and obedience. When Daenerys Targaryen purchased the Good Masters’ entire lot of Unsullied soldiers, she decided to free them and remove “obedience” from the equation. That gave her an army that was trained for war, but now had the agency to decide whether they wanted to pursue it. Turns out they did…for the right cause.

As the chosen leader of the Unsullied, Grey Worm is a prime example of just how effective a dedicated, well-trained soldier can be. Dany’s rare act of mercy and humanity unlocked Grey Worm’s true potential. Not only does he remain a truly great fighter, but he is a master tactician, and is now burdened with glorious purpose to bring freedom to the rest of the continent. Skills make a great fighter, but it takes a cause to make a great warrior. And that’s exactly what Grey Worm is. 

5. Brienne of Tarth

In the Game of Thrones world, you can often judge a warrior’s skill by who they’ve defeated. With that in mind, very few characters have a more impressive resume than Brienne of Tarth…excuse us: Ser Brienne of Tarth. Brienne begins her journey by taking down all of Renly’s men in a tournament. Sure, they may be Knights of Summer, but they are well-trained and it’s a hell of a feat, nonetheless. After that opening salvo, Brienne goes on to defeat: Jaime Lannister, The Hound, and seemingly half the population of sellswords and hedge knights in the Riverlands. 

Brienne is absolutely a top five warrior in all of Westeros. The only reason she’s not higher is that her opponents often come to a fight disadvantaged. Both Jaime and The Hound were exhausted and compromised in their respective fights. That’s not Brienne’s fault, as she can only fight the warriors the show places in front of her. It does hurt her “strength of schedule” a bit though. 

4. Bronn

Most of the great warriors in the Seven Kingdoms are highborn. That makes sense as the noble Houses have money and therefore have access to training, equipment, and proper high-protein dies. But being highborn isn’t the only route to being a great warrior in Game of Thrones. Just ask Ser (eventually Lord) Bronn. 

Bronn, son of no one in particular, is one of the best fighters in Westeros because his whole life has been one long fight for survival. He came from nowhere of importance and soon found that the best way to make money was with a sword. While the lords and knights of the country view battle as an exercise in glory, Bronn sees it as for what it is: dangerous, bloody, but necessary work. This mindset and a lifetime of training in Westeros’ back roads and alleys has created one hell of a warrior. Just ask Ser Vardis Egan…that is if his lifeless body can still hear you from the bottom of the Giant’s Lance.

3. Jaime Lannister

At his height, Jaime Lannister was quite simply the LeBron James of Westeros warriors (with Ser Arthur Dayne being the Michael Jordan, of course). Tywin’s eldest son was a tournament and war prodigy, reaching the knighthood at age 16 (he was even younger in the books). He came to prominence at an absurdly young age and then established a commitment to combat excellence well into his adult years. 

While The Mad King’s decision to appoint Jaime to his Kingsguard was designed to spite Lord Tywin and leave him without a suitable heir, it must be said that Jaime was still a fine choice for the job. Jaime continued to distinguish himself in the early days of The War of the Five Kings before Robb Stark successfully captured him. Of course, shortly thereafter, Jaime lost his right hand to Locke. Though Jaime will still prove to be capable enough in later seasons without his sword hand, he’s obviously never the same fighter. And that’s a shame for this list as it would be interesting to see how a chastened, more mature Jaime would fare as a warrior.

2. Gregor Clegane a.k.a. The Mountain

The “gentle giant” is a popular trope both in the world of fantasy and reality. Game of Thrones even has a couple of its own gentle giants with characters like Hodor and even Wun Wun. It makes some intuitive sense to portray very large individuals as gentle because most people, big, small, and in-between, are fundamentally good. If you were enormous, wouldn’t you be extra mindful of how your size affects those around you?

Well, Ser Gregor Clegane a.k.a. “The Mountain That Rides” is the exact opposite of a gentle giant. Ser Gregor Clegane doesn’t have a heart of gold, he has a heart of roiling, volcanic hate. He’s also big…so, so freaking big. The Mountain is somewhere around eight feet and 400 pounds of pure muscle in the books and 6’9’’, 350 pounds in Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson’s depiction in the show. Every inch of him was seemingly built in a lab to be a fearsome warrior, so that’s the vocation he chooses.

When we think of Game of Thrones as a “grittily realistic” world, The Mountain is a prime example of why. Gregor is an unambiguous monster, and due to his sheer size and strength, he almost never loses a fight. The Mountain is a one-man army for the Lannister family, killing countless men, women, and children over the span of two wars, and many more during peacetime. 

While it’s nice to think of David beating Goliath, the sad reality is that 99 times out of 100, Goliath is going to smash David into a million bloody pieces and use his little bones as furniture. Of course, The Mountain is eventually defeated by a David in the form of Oberyn Martell. That alone, is enough to keep him out of the top spot…and out of our nightmares.

1. Arya Stark

Perhaps it’s surprising to see Arya Stark at the top of this list in favor of countless other Game of Thrones warriors who are bigger, stronger, and more experienced. Or at least it was surprising to me as I came to the decision. But I would invite you to go on the same journey that I did and match Arya against anyone else in the Thrones canon and ask yourself the question “would Arya lose this fight?”

The answer I came to, time and time again, is a definitive “no”, and that’s not just because of the plot armor afforded to her as one of the story’s most important characters. Arya Stark is quite simply Game of Thrones‘ most effective and efficient killing machines. From a young age, she was proven naturally adept at all different kinds of combat. Recall her hitting a bullseye with a bow and arrow, Robin Hood style, in the series pilot.

From there, the She-Wolf has spent basically her every waking moment honing her fighting skills. This started with Syrio Forel’s “dancing lessons” before culminating with the most intense lethal training regimen anyone can experience with the Faceless Men in the House of Black and White. Arya received instruction from a guild of assassins so powerful in stealth, combat, and magic that their services cost roughly the same as an entire army. Then she left the Faceless Men so she is free to deliver the “gift” of death to whomever she wants, whenever she wants.

Admittedly, in any one-on-one matchup, Arya’s margin for error is incredibly small. She is not particularly strong and she is unlikely to wear cumbersome armor so any good blow from a sword or other bladed weapon is sure to be lethal. But of course, Arya has no plans of letting a blade touch her. She’s quick and elusive. And she knows that men are made of water – all it takes is one prick of a needle and they’ll bleed out.

The post 15 Best Game of Thrones Warriors appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3x4PHPY

[slflovebae-blog]

- stranger things

- vampire diaries

- pretty little liars

- the twilight saga (all the twilight movies)

- zapped

- blackfish

[musicoviniciusrodrigues]

Os 10 filmes mais influentes da última década, segundo o New York Times

Os críticos do “The New York Times”, Manohla Dargis e A. O. Scott, elencaram os dez filmes mais influentes da última década, lançados entre 2010 e 2019. Foram anos de muitas transformações no cinema, mas os longas citados fizeram a diferença de alguma forma no mundo do entretenimento. Em uma época politizada, tiveram seu impacto medido não apenas pelos números nas bilheterias, mas por representarem os questionamentos da atualidade. “Os Vingadores” (2012), de Joss Whedon, anunciou o domínio cinematográfico da Marvel; “Moonlight: Sob a Luz do Luar” (2016), de Barry Jenkins, foi o primeiro longa de um diretor afro-americano a ganhar o Oscar de Melhor Filme, e “Okja” (2017), de Joon-ho Bong, colocou a Netflix entre as grandes produtoras de cinema.Abaixo, a Revista Bula reuniu esses e outros filmes selecionados pelo “The New York Times”.

Sniper Americano (2014), Clint Eastwood

Adaptado do livro homônimo, o filme conta a história real de Chris Kyle, um atirador de elite das forças especiais da marinha dos Estados Unidos. Durante a Guerra do Iraque, ele mata mais de 150 pessoas e recebe muitas condecorações por sua atuação. Quando finalmente volta para casa, Kyle precisa enfrentar uma nova missão: deixar as lembranças da guerra no passado e se dedicar à esposa e seus filhos.

Os Vingadores (2012), Joss Whedon

Loki, o irmão de Thor, ganha acesso ao poder ilimitado do cubo cósmico, ao roubá-lo das instalações da S.H.I.E.L.D, uma agência internacional que luta pela paz. Para conter a ameaça de Loki, Nick Fury, o diretor da agência, reúne um poderoso time super-heróis: Homem de Ferro, Capitão América, Hulk, Thor, Viúva Negra e Gavião Arqueiro.

Blackfish: Fúria Animal (2013), Gabriela Cowperthwaite

Em 2012, a experiente treinadora Dawn Brancheau foi atacada pela baleia Tilikum, com quem fazia um show no SeaWorld. O caso teve repercussão mundial e levantou questões sobre o tratamento dado aos animais em cativeiro e a segurança dos treinadores. Por meio da história de Tilikum, o documentário investigou os abusos por trás dos shows com baleias nos Estados Unidos.

Missão Madrinha de Casamento (2011), Paul Feig

Lilian vai se casar e convida sua melhor amiga de infância, Annie, para ser sua madrinha. Apesar dos problemas financeiros que enfrenta, Annie resolve se dedicar totalmente ao casamento da amiga. Mas, logo no primeiro evento organizado, ela conhece Helen, uma mulher bela e rica, que faz de tudo para se tornar amiga da noiva. Annie e Helen começam a brigar pela atenção de Lilian e pelo título de madrinha.

Corra! (2017), de Jordan Peele

Um jovem negro chamado Cris é convidado a conhecer os pais de Rose, sua namorada branca. Os dois viajam para a propriedade da família, situada em uma região afastada. Inicialmente, o rapaz acredita que o comportamento excessivamente atencioso dos pais de Rose é apenas uma tentativa de compensar o desconforto pelo relacionamento inter-racial da filha. Mas, logo ele percebe que está correndo perigo.

Frozen: Uma Aventura Congelante (2013), Jennifer Lee e Chris Buck

A princesa Elsa deveria assumir o reino de Arendell, mas resolve partir para sempre e se isolar do mundo, provocando o congelamento do reino. Então, sua irmã, Anna, decide se aventurar pelas montanhas de gelo para encontrá-la e acabar com a maldição do inverno eterno. Em sua jornada, ela conta com a ajuda de Olaf, um boneco de neve falante.

Jogos Vorazes — Em Chamas (2013), Francis Lawrence

Este é o segundo filme da trilogia “Jogos Vorazes”, baseada nos livros de Suzanne Collins. A saga acompanha a vida de Katniss, jovem escolhida para participar dos “Jogos Vorazes”, um reality show no qual adolescentes do distrito de Panem lutam por suas vidas. Após vencer a 74ª edição do desafio, Katniss é considerada uma rebelde e precisa lidar com as represálias do governo de Panem.

Moonlight: Sob a Luz do Luar (2016), Barry Jenkins

O filme acompanha o crescimento de Chiron, um jovem negro de uma comunidade pobre de Miami. Além de ser maltratado pela mãe, que é usuária de drogas, Chiron é vítima de bullying na escola. Um dia, ao ser perseguido pelos garotos da vizinhança, ele conhece Ruan, um dos chefes do tráfico local, que o oferece um esconderijo. A partir desse dia, Chiron se aproxima de Ruan e passa a enxergá-lo como um pai.

Okja (2017), Joon-ho Bong

A CEO de uma poderosa empresa informa ao mundo que uma nova espécie animal foi descoberta no Chile, o “superporco”. Para apresentá-lo ao mundo, a empresa envia 26 dos animais para diferentes países, onde devem permanecer por dez anos. Após o fim desse período, eles serão levados para Nova York. A jovem Mija cresceu ao lado de Okja, o superporco criado pelo avô, e está decidida a fazer de tudo para que o animal não seja tirado deles.

Star Wars: O Despertar da Força (2015), J. J. Abrams

A queda de Darth Vader e do Império levou ao surgimento de uma nova ameaça: a Primeira Ordem, uma organização sombria que busca minar o poder da República, comandada por Kylo Ren, General Hux e pelo líder Supremo Snoke. Eles t��m como missão encontrar o mestre Luke Skywalker, que vive isolado em um planeta remoto. Para salvar a galáxia, a Resistência precisa sair à frente e encontrar Luke primeiro.

Os 10 filmes mais influentes da última década, segundo o New York Times publicado primeiro em https://www.revistabula.com

[kirangilani]

Top 10 Best Movies to Watch on Netflix

There are hundreds of good movies to watch on Netflix, but which ones should you see? There's a little something for everyone on our list, whether you're searching for domestic action flicks, foreign dramas, thoughtful documentaries or colorful kids' films.

1. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

Check: 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards Winners Sci-Fi/Action  The misfit crew of Peter "Star-Lord" Quill, Gamora, Rocket and Drax are back and they've got a new challenge: keeping Baby Groot from accidentally blowing up the world. Actually, that's just the fun chaos taking place in the background, as the main plot revolves around the mysterious parentage of Mr. Quill. And while this Volume of the Guardians' saga is more emotionally gripping than the original, it's still got all the laughs you can ask for, thanks to Drax's increasing linguistic capacity.

2. Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Check: Best Videogames of 2018 Superhero If you thought The Avengers was tight now that they'd endured two blockbuster adventures, that unity you were hoping for is still on backorder. Civil War — arguably the best of the bunch — pits Captain America (Chris Evans) and Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.) against each other as they clash on the question of whether or not superheroes need to register their powers with governments. Not only does this movie give you all the brooding Steve and Tony you could ask for, but it allows time for Paul Rudd to steal the show as Ant-Man and for the introduction of Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa aka Black Panther, whose solo film you'll be demanding the second the credits roll.3. The Wolfpack (2015)

Filmmaker Crystal Moselle discovered something interesting while walking through New York City one day: six teenage siblings all dressed in dark suits, ties and sunglasses. They had all been home-schooled in Manhattan and rarely allowed outside. The Moselle eagerly befriended the brothers and sister, bonding through their mutual love of film, and decided to make a documentary about their experiences. It's sympathetic but unsettling.4. It Follows (2015)

Much like its spectral villain, you won't see It Follows' big reveal coming unless someone warns you. The film centers around a group of high schoolers in Michigan who are tormented by a highly powerful spirit, which is following one of them because that teen decided to have sex. Fortunately, you can expect the world from this thriller, which doesn't rely on sexuality, but instead makes allusions to the risks and benefits one takes when they turn someone into their next lover.5. Boyhood (2014)

This Academy Award-nominated film tells the story of a divorced couple trying to raise their son through all the stages of his young life. It follows a boy, Mason, for 12 years, and you literally watch him grow up on screen before your eyes. Ellar Coltrane plays Mason — he was 7 years old when the movie started filming and 19 by the end — with Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke playing his parents. 6. Nightcrawler (2014)

Louis Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal) has an unusual job. He works as a stringer: a freelance photographer and videographer who sells footage of accidents and crimes to news agencies. When business turns sour, it's up to Bloom to start supplying his own disasters to film. Dan Gilroy directed this thriller, which balances dark drama and intense action with an attractive noir aesthetic. 7. The Imitation Game (2014)

Based on the life of cryptanalyst Alan Turing, The Imitation Game takes place during World War II, when Turing and his team decrypted German intelligence codes for the British government.  It was a commercial and critical success, and LGBT advocacy groups lauded the film for shining a light on Turing's life and legacy. Actor Benedict Cumberbatch was nominated for a Best Actor Academy Award for his turn as Turing. 8. Blackfish (2013)

Orca whales are intelligent, unpredictable and dangerous animals — so why do we keep them in captivity and make them perform? Gabriela Cowperthwaite directed Blackfish, a documentary that deals with this uncomfortable question. Tilikum is a captive orca whale at SeaWorld who has killed three people, but who's to blame: the whale, or the people holding him? The answer may not be one you want to hear. 9. Fruitvale Station (2013)

Ryan Coogler directed Fruitvale Station, a drama based on a true story. Michael B. Jordan stars as Oscar Grant: a fairly ordinary young black man living in Oakland, California. On Jan. 1 2009, Grant took the BART metro system to see some fireworks, and the trip cost him his life. Transit police shot him in the back, exposing racial tensions in the Bay Area that still persist. 10. Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

Comedy  Assuming you find whimsical director Wes Anderson endearing rather than insufferable, you'll want to check out the Moonrise Kingdom. Sam Shakusky (Jared Gilman) spends the summer at Camp Ivanhoe in New England, where he falls in love with local girl Suzy Bishop (Kara Hayward). The two run away into the wilderness, which gets complicated when the local adults intervene.

[jakeekiss]

Hearts of Heimir, diary 3 It has been many millennia since Ragnarok, long enough that most people without a deep knowledge of religion wouldn’t even recognize that term (and those who do recognize it as describing the birth of the world more often than the death of a previous one). The Nyungir (new gods) have been around for thousands of years while the few remaining Vanir and Aesir (almost all forgotten now) are tens of thousands of years old. Heimir is an old world made new by water and fire.

Chapter 3: The Blackfish The party stands at the river dock, about to board the small trading vessel Blackfish, which Aeraval the Bard has chartered to take them all to Palace, the Southern Swell, one of the largest cities in the known world and capital of these lands. Bera, the Blackfish’s captain, a stout, heavily scarred sailing woman, greets the party warmly and informs them that she i also providing passage for a group of trappers as well. The trappers seem generally well mannered, minus their cold and distant leader, and are gathered around a large mysterious box covered in a tarp on the deck of the ship.  As the Blackfish gets underway the party secures their gear in stowage compartments (it being a longboat, there is only the main deck). Daytien the Ranger decides to get to know the trappers and inquires as to the contents of the box, curious why the trappers seem so cagey about it. The lead trapper indicates that they were trapping beasts on noble land, and admits that they might have exceeded legality in doing so. Though a plausible story, Daytien continues to be suspicious and begins swapping stories with the trappers to pass the time and perhaps tease out more information.  After a few short hours the night has grown dark and cool, and as everyone settles in a roll of thunder sweeps over the boat. A storm is brewing on the horizon, and several members of the party versed in such things realize it will be upon them soon. Captain Bera requests help from her passengers as her skeleton crew is perhaps no quite enough to handle the ship in such rough weather. The party snap to action, tying down loose gear and securing or reinforcing the boat in any way they can while the pious among them offer prayers to patron deities, but soon enough the storm hits with all its fury.  The Blackfish is tossed hither and yon, and all at once a wave bucks the mysterious box that the trappers had been guarding through the air, shattering it against the mast of the ship (taking the mast with it) as its content, a rather large Dragonborn, tumbles onto the deck of the boat. After a moment of confusion, Shayln recognizes the Dragonborn as Jormung, a druid who at one point helped her defend the cross country caravan on which the rest of the party met. The leader of the trappers, ignorant of this connection, tries to convince the party to slay Jormung on sight. Shayln interposes herself between Jormung and any attackers, and the party follow suit. The trappers aren’t sure what to do, and their leader, realizing he has no further recourse, drops the pretense and threatens to kill everyone on board the Blackfish. To bolster hisposition, he procedes to shift forms from that of an ordinary man, to that of a humanoid-piscine abomination. This shift causes an involuntary reaction in Daytien, who begins to vomit water as though he is drowning on the deck of the boat. The trapper’s leader proceeds to eviscerate his own men and attack the party, who prevail thanks to quick thinking by Griselda, who manages to unlock and distribute the party’s weapons to them as the battle rages. The creature’s last words are to Daytien, “He will come for you, soon...”. The storm passes and though the ship is badly damaged, the remaining crew and party manage to use the Blackfish’s oars to bring her into port at Palace. The party disembarks and begins to move their separate ways. Griselda, curious about the creature that attacked them, lays the monster out on the docks and swiftly attracts the attention of the Palace city guard, who decide they will engage her to autopsy the creature at the castle one day hence as they fear this is evidence of some conspiracy they are already investigating. Winsys, Jormung, and Shayln decide to take lodging in a local inn and Griselda opts to join them with Saga in tow. Meanwhile, Aeraval and Daytien both set off toward the wealthier districts of Palace, both meaning to reunite with their respective families. They are held up briefly at the city gates by a drama between the local guard and a mysterious Drow stranger and his Kobold assistants who are attempting to make a delivery of weapons to someone inside Palace. The parties seem at an impasse when a ranger named Accipiter arrives and commands the guard to let the Drow and his comrades pass. Daytien and Aeraval note this, but move on to further adventures within the city. They have larger immediate concerns.  Next time, the intrigues of Palace await...