#all great Sci-Fi racing media

[coldgoldlazarus]

Had yet another game idea that I lack the know-how to create the other day

(And by idea, I mean blatantly ripping off and mashing together every racing media I've ever loved, but yanno)

Uninhabited water planet, with an early human colony. Surveyed from orbit, but largely unexplored in depth. And someone's decided to host a legally-dubious race in an uncharted archipelago a little ways past the edge of settled territory.

There are no formal roads, just the waterways between the islands, and some truly crazy geography that can sorta work as a track if you're insane enough. A start point and a finish line for each race, but what happens in the middle is up to the racers.

To traverse this untamed wilderness, they pilot transforming vehicles that can shift between watercraft and hovercraft on the fly as needed. Oh, and they're all equipped with powerful, highly experimental energy weapons technology that has no place being in civilian hands.

(Something a bit shady about this whole affair, if you can look past the spectacle. Who's running this race, and why?)

Also for no particular reason other than I said so, the racers are all ladies, and their intense rivalries are only surpassed by the homoerotic overtones to their interactions. Once again, whatever happens in the middle is up to the racers, if you catch my drift.

[waksworldrebooted]

THE FULL MOTORCITY PITCH BIBLE GOT LEAKED

It’s been a while since I posted anything Motorcity related but here we are with this thing: the full unedited extended Pitch Bible from Chris P.

Special thanks to The Media Busters for finding this:

Motorcity: Series Bible (Revised 2/15/11)

Logline: In the future, charismatic tyrant, Abraham Kane, is taking over Detroit, transforming it block-by-block into his insidious city of tomorrow: KaneCo Deluxe. But one thing stands in his way: the Burners! Led by the charming and impulsive daredevil, Mike Chilton, this band of hot-rod wielding rebels fights to protect Motorcity - the last oasis of freedom - from the power-hungry Kane and his endless army of technological terrors. Motorcity is a high-octane animated action-comedy that celebrates freedom and independence with cool cars, great action, and dynamic heroes who stand up for what they believe in.

Motorcity: Live Fast. Live Free.

Remember the feeling you got when you first had the chance to drive? The power? The freedom? That’s what Motorcity is all about. It’s a high-octane animated thrill ride, pitting futuristic cars against terrifying robot technology, rival hot rod gangs and the nefarious power-hungry villains lurking in their own backyard!It’s the story of Mike Chilton, a teenage hero, and his struggle to prevent the evil Abraham Kane from achieving the complete and total domination of his hometown – Detroit. It’s a show for people who love to drive or can’t wait until they can.

The Situation

THE CONFLICT: Motorcity is the story of the BATTLE FOR DETROIT!

Detroit has been split into two separate sections of the same city: KaneCo Deluxe, a floating city of the future owned by evil industrialist, Kane, where freedom and cars are abolished, and Motorcity, a vibrant underground community built within the bones of old Detroit where people are free to live as they please. Kane desperately wants control of Detroit- wielding power over KaneCo Deluxe isn’t enough. He needs to wipe out the last patch of resistance and claim Motorcity as his own to complete his vision.

OUR HEROES: Mike Chilton and his band of rebels, The Burners.

THEIR MISSION: To protect Motorcity, the last oasis of freedom, from the evil reach of Abraham Kane, a power-hungry tyrant hell-bent on taking over all of Detroit so he can transform it into his insidious city of the future – KaneCo Deluxe.

Mike and The Burners are charming rebels that share a lot in common with the original “Champions of Justice”: Robin Hood and His Merry Men. To put it simply:

Mike = Robin Hood

The Burners = Merry Men

Our heroes hide out in Motorcity (Sherwood Forest), devising plans to take down Kane (Sheriff Of Nottingham) and bring freedom to the people of Motorcity (Nottingham).

Julie (a Burner with a secret: she’s Kane’s daughter) = Maid Marian (she straddles the worlds of Deluxe and Motorcity

The Feel and Tone

Action! Freedom! Speed! FUN!

When you strip it all down, Motorcity is about the joy of racing around in tricked-out cars, fighting robots, and racing your rivals. It’s FUN! Dang it! And we never want to lose sight of that.

Mike has the ability to look a life and death situation in the eye and find the fun in it. Every day is a high stakes battle, but Mike’s impulsive approach to any problem is what makes him unique. It’s not that he doesn’t take his fight with Kane seriously – It’s the heat-of-the-moment, seat-of-his-pants way he that makes him Mike!Get ready for an eight-cylinder action-comedy road trip through the fast lane of futuristic sci-fi...

The World

KaneCo Deluxe

Perfect, but boring. Kane’s futuristic metropolis is cold and uninviting. The gray and white shell envelops the “engine” of the old city underneath. It’s the veneer that hides the multiple cables, wires, pipes and guts encapsulated in Motorcity that power all of Detroit. Floating “living room” pods carry the Deluxe citizens from apartment husks to factory complexes to food distribution centers and back. The pods recharge as they dock. They only go where the computer sends them. There are no sidewalks. There is no freedom. No one decides where and when to go – they just do as they’re told.

The KaneCo Deluxe citizens all work for KaneCo - and if they question Kane’s methods, they don’t dare say anything about it for fear of their safety. As long as they do what the great leader, Abraham Kane, says, there won’t be any trouble. This includes participating in the war effort against Motorcity and the Burners – who, according to Kane, want nothing but to take away their safety and replace it with chaos and anarchy!

Motorcity

Underneath the sprawling megacity of Deluxe is a vibrant community of freedom-loving farmers, engineers, artists, mechanics and warriors. Although they live underground, these Motorcitizens are happy and free. This underground world is colorful and organic – a meld of nature and technology. A harmonious blend of old and new. Mike and the Burners use the immense power lines and data cables as roads to traverse the distances of Motorcity, as well as the remnants of the old highways and roads that haven’t been destroyed by Kane.The people of Motorcity are frequently under attack by KaneCo’s forces. Kane often sends his seek-and-destroy robots – he calls them his Safe-T-Bots – to eradicate enclaves of humanity nestled within the city’s inner workings. Some Motorcity citizens respond by building up highly defensible fortress dwellings to protect their beloved city. While some hide or stay mobile, there others who rise up and fight to protect what they’ve built for themselves down there. They don’t have to play by Kane’s rules and they want to keep it that way. Motorcity is a nurturing oasis for creativity, danger and fun.

Mike is the leader of the Burners – the primary force of resistance against Kane – but there are other gangs and groups in Motorcity. They are mostly unorganized and fight each other more often than they pose a threat against Kane. Mike and the Burners regularly go on scavenging expeditions to the oldest reaches under the city to find the parts needed to build and maintain their vehicles. They also raid Kane’s power plants and technical facilities buried under the city for advanced electronics and other futuristic tech. Kane’s biggest weakness is that his enemy lives in his own basement. They can attack his soft underbelly without warning.This is a constant source of frustration and anger for Kane!

The mechanics of KaneCo Deluxe and Motorcity:

KaneCo Deluxe is a giant supercity – about 175 miles across. Good thing the Burners’ cars can drive so fast! 500mph gets you around Motorcity quickly, especially with no rush hour...The pods up above travel just as fast - but no one ever gets within 10 miles of the city’s border. Since no one can control a pod, no citizen has ever even been close. And just in case someone tries, there’s a force field trapping everyone in. The view from the edge of town is completely obscured by a giant holo-projection of a depressed wasteland. This is what Kane has fooled the people into believing. There’s nothing worth it out there. Everything worth having is within the walls of KaneCo Deluxe. There’s a lot of danger out there and we need to protect our borders! All utility and power systems that run KaneCo Deluxe are buried in Motorcity. The Burners and other pockets of Motorcity dwellers draw what power they need from these massive generators. The immense tubes that provide energy, water, ventilation, communication and sewage are used by the Burners as a network of tunnels and highways to travel underground - as well as provide access to the maintenance hatches needed to sustain KaneCo Deluxe.The Burners have figured out ways to hack into these maintenance systems to not only get in and out of Motorcity, but to throw Kane off their scent as well. When Security Bots are on their tail, the paths of the massive tubes can be switched – just like the switches of old fashioned train tracks. The Burners know these tubes and tunnels better than anyone and Mike has learned to be unpredictable – to go left when it’s logical to go right. The best way to outwit a robot is to think like a human!

The Characters

Mike Chilton

(bravery, guts)

AFFILIATION: Burner

TITLE: Leader - he’s the man in charge of the Burners, and the man behind the entire resistance against Kane. He’s got a tough challenge ahead – both in fighting Kane, and managing the unique personalities of his team.

IS: a cool, quick-witted, funny, gutsy, impulsive 17-year-old who generally has things under control and doesn’t take much seriously (except for, of course, his mission to take down Kane). Mike never does things the easy way – he does them the fun way! That means leaping BEFORE looking, jumping into the water without testing the temperature.

Mike is naturally gifted. He doesn’t have to try to be exceptionally good, he just is. He is the guy who doesn’t care about winning the trophy, but he has a closet full of them. This effortless skill is what attracted Kane’s attention and what makes him such a tough opponent.

STRENGTH: His daredevil spirit – it usually gets him out of trouble.

WEAKNESS: His daredevil spirit – it usually gets him into trouble.

WANTS: speed and adventure. New experiences. And most of all... Freedom! For everyone! That means saving his people – the citizens of Motorcity. Mike wants to keep Motorcity out of Kane’s clutches so they don’t become drones to the Deluxian way of life and lose their precious freedom, or even worse, be destroyed if they refuse to submit. The Burners are the people’s only hope, and Mike isn’t going to rest until Motorcity is truly free.DOES NOT WANT: BOREDOM! Complacency! Mike likes to DO. Why waste time talking about it when he could be done before the others stop flapping their gums? IF HE WAS A WEAPON, HE’D BE: a machine gun

FAMILY: None known

RELATIONSHIPS:

MIKE AND KANE: Mike used to be a cadet in Kane’s Ultra-Elite Forces Training Academy - he believed in KaneCo Deluxe and felt it was his duty to protect the people. Mike was the top of his class, tackling every challenge or fight with reckless abandon – none of the other cadets had the courage, the guts or the skill to keep up with him. Kane saw something special in Mike and took him under his wing. He had BIG PLANS for our boy. But when Mike discovered what Kane was really up to (you know, EVIL), he knew he had to break rank and take a stand. Both Mike and Kane feel BETRAYED by one another, which makes their struggle for KaneCo Deluxe and Motorcity extremely personal.

MIKE AND CHUCK: They’re best buds. They’re opposites, but they need each other. They have each other’s back – no matter what...

MIKE AND JULIE: They’re very close, but not that close. There’s nothing romantic going on between them – at least not yet...Mike doesn’t show his vulnerable side too often, but when he does, it’s almost always with Julie. He confides in her. Fears, worries, hopes and dreams.

MIKE AND JACOB: Pupil and teacher to a degree. Jacob offers up sage advice, and Mike does his best to follow it.

MIKE AND THE BURNERS: They’re a makeshift family and oil is thicker than blood. Mike would do anything to protect his team and vice-versa.

RIDE: Mutt – a retrofitted 70’s Muscle-Car with four turbine tri-pulsor engines, a slew of energy weapons, a grip of gadgets and a 21st century chopper hidden between the exhaust pipes!

WEAPONS OF CHOICE: Guts. Oh, and also a SKULL-HEADED DUAL-BLADED SPARK STAFF (think laser-sword meets flaming chainsaw!)

Chuck

(brains)

AFFILIATION: Burner

ROLE: Tech Guru / Mike’s co-pilot

IS: Mike’s best friend and sidekick, as well as an automobile aficionado – he knows everything about every car ever made ever- schematics, engine specs, performance ratings, etc. However, he is also terrified of the “speed” and “danger” associated with them. (Come to think of it, we never see him driving...) He reluctantly rides shotgun with Mike on most missions, even though he’d much rather avoid conflict altogether.

STRENGTH: Thanks to his big ol’ brain, Chuck can always find an escape route or a solution to a technical problem in a pinch. He performs well under stress and terror, even though he hates it. Although he's usually terrified of the situation Mike has put him in, he is incredibly loyal and will never bail on him. Chuck is also constantly improving the Burners’ computer and security systems.

WEAKNESS: AAAAAAHH! Easily scared. Overly-cautious. Anal retentive. Always fiddling with the computer and security systems!WANTS: To survive driving around with Mike. To stay home and play “Laser Swords” on his computer. To win Claire’s heart. And secretly – to be more brave.

DOES NOT WANT: To man the gunner controls (but he will if he has to!). To “go in for a closer look.” To go skydiving.

IF HE WERE A WEAPON, HE’D BE: a force field

SECRET: He doesn’t know how to drive! As much as Chuck loves cars, he’s just too scared to get behind the wheel. He’s able to keep the gang fooled by telling them he refuses to drive anything other than a Remote Control Car until he finishes building his dream car - the fastest, sleekest, most high-performance automotive machine the world has ever known. Of course, building the ultimate hot-rod will take years. And years. And years...

FAMILY: Chuck’s parents live in KaneCo Deluxe. They have no idea that Chuck is a Burner. They think he’s a Hover Repulsor Interface Technician at KaneCo.

RELATIONSHIPS:

CHUCK AND MIKE: They’re best buds. Chuck would do anything for him.

CHUCK AND DUTCH: Chuck engineers cars. Dutch builds cars and repairs them. Chuck is very precise and anal-ytical – a perfectionist. Dutch is not – he’s an artist and creates on the fly. When these guys have to collaborate, things get a little tense.

CHUCK AND CLAIRE: Chuck has a BIG crush on Claire. Claire thinks Chuck is G-ROSS.

CHUCK AND TEXAS: Oil and water. Legolas and Gimli. Nothing in common, except for their Burner patch and friendship with Mike – who often bridges the gap between them.

RIDE: “Umm... it’s in the shop.”

WEAPONS/SKILLS: Master Hacker. High-Tech Slingshot. Advanced trigonometry

Julie

(heart)

AFFILIATION: Burner

ROLE: Intel-Gatherer / Gal on the Inside / Illusionist / Moral Conscience

IS: a bright, empathetic girl who sees good in even the worst people. She’s less quick to shoot than Mike, but when she does, she’s accurate and lethal. Julie is a master of stealth, infiltration, and espionage. She’s both feminine and tomboyish, has a smart, sarcastic sense of humor, and is quick on her feet – she has to be, because she leads a secret double life...

EARTH-SHATTERING SECRET: Julie is Kane’s daughter – and NONE of The Burners know. She tells them she is able to gather intel on Kane’s nefarious plots because she’s a “KaneCo Intern.” And, of course, Kane has no idea that Julie is hanging out with those ne’er-do-well Burners.

STRENGTHS: Chameleon-like ability to blend into any environment. She has the rare gift of being accepted into Deluxian society and the Burner World. She can access the highest levels of KaneCo headquarters without breaking a sweat. She also knows her way around a hologram projector – she uses her illusions and decoys to evade capture when she’s running with the Burners. Julie also possesses a great moral compass and lets the gang know when they’ve gone too far.

WEAKNESS: Her secret identity. Can’t let her father know she’s a Burner, and can’t let the Burners know she’s Kane’s daughter.

WANTS: Harmony. She also wants her father to realize that what he’s doing is wrong. She wants to maintain her relationship with her father AND her affiliation with the Burners – a delicate balancing act.

DOES NOT WANT: anyone to get hurt.

WORRIES THAT: the other Burners are having fun without her when she’s up in KaneCo Deluxe.

IF SHE WERE A WEAPON, SHE’D BE: a sniper rifle

FAMILY: Kane is her father. Her mother passed away when Julie was an infant.

RELATIONSHIPS:

JULIE AND KANE: Kane loves his precious, little girl and would do anything to keep her safe. He wants to protect her from everything – which is one of the main reasons he built KaneCo Deluxe in the first place.

Julie still believes there’s good in Kane and doesn’t want any serious harm to come to him. What he’s doing may be evil, but she still thinks he’ll come around in the end. But until that day, she has to do what she can to help the people.

JULIE AND CLAIRE: BFFs since kindergarten. These days Julie sometimes has trouble relating to Claire’s Deluxian lifestyle. But Julie uses her old friend as a sounding board for everything she can’t tell the Burners about.

RIDE: Nine Lives -A modified mid 21st century police cruiser. Her ride can produce decoy hologram-cars to throw pursuers off her trail, cloak to near invisibility, and deploy smoke screens, oils slicks and electromagnetic pulse mines. Also has a high precision Sniper Beam under the hood.

SKILLS AND WEAPONS: Espionage. Natural charm. Can manipulate Tooley with ease. Able to keep the Burners focused on the mission at hand. Extensive knowledge of flash grenades, smoke bombs, and other electro-explosives.

Texas

(Muscle)

AFFILIATION: Burner ROLE: Texas handles anything that involves exploding, crashing, or smashing things with his head.

IS: Slightly stupid. Somewhat lovable. And REALLY violent! Powder keg. Won't think twice about punching anything. Dedicated to the team and be the first to the battlefront when a fight breaks out. He is not a voice of dissent. He's gung-ho. He's a cheerleader. He's raring to go! Hell yeah!

SECRET: Really wants to be leader of the Burners. No… believes he WILL BE leader of the Burners!

STRENGTH: Strength

WEAKNESS: Brain. Ego. Self-confidence bordering on delusion. Likes to brag about qualities he does not possess but thinks he does. WANTS: To move fast and smash stuff. To be Mike. But unlike Mike, Texas wants to be recognized for his awesomeness.

DOEST NOT WANT: To wait. To solve problems by “talking it over.” And big words!

IF HE WERE A WEAPON, HE’D BE: Trick question! Texas IS a weapon!

FAMILY: His parents live in Motorcity, where Texas was born and raised. His father plays the harp. His mother is a Professor of Women’s Literature.

RELATIONSHIPS:

MIKE AND TEXAS: Hero and understudy. Mike doesn’t know it, but Texas wants to be him.

TEXAS AND CHUCK: Oil and water. Muscle and smarts. Polar opposites.

TEXAS AND DUTCH: Fire and gasoline. Any dumb idea Texas has is always encouraged by Dutch.

RIDE: TEXAS - Not unlike George Forman, Texas has named his car after himself – because it is clearly the best name for anything awesome. Cobbled from the best late 20th century Italian sports cars, TEXAS is equipped with massive air-powered battering pistons, ram plates and hydro drills. Relies on physical weapons such as his roof-mounted grappling hook and the battering ram which is revealed by splitting open his front grille.

WEAPONS OF CHOICE: Laser nunchucks. Strong-ness. Massive neck!

Dutch

(creativity)

AFFILIATION: Burner

ROLE: Guerilla artist and mechanic

IS: the Burner’s creative spark. Unable to take the oppression of KaneCo Deluxe, he ran away to Motorcity to make art in peace. Now he fights against Kane’s forces to keep from losing his newfound freedom. Dutch is wary of Deluxe – he’s glad to have escaped and hates going back, even to fight Kane. He’s mistrustful of others - until he gets to know you; then he has your back for life.

STRENGTH: Ingenuity. Ability to make something out of nothing. First-rate mechanic. Makes the Burners and their cars LOOK GOOD too.

WEAKNESS: Dutch tends to be an island. That’s how he got his name – because he goes it ALONE. But Dutch can’t resist getting caught up with the Burners. It’s too much fun and he gets to build all sorts of crazy stuff. Sometimes he cares a little too much about his art. Dutch doesn’t take criticism well, so do NOT criticize his work or tell him how to do his job. Just don’t. Trust me.

WANTS: To be free to create and express himself in peace

DOES NOT WANT: To hear what you think about his art.

IF HE WERE A WEAPON, HE’D BE: A spring-loaded bear trap

FAMILY: His parents live on surface but they don’t keep in contact. They totally buy into the KaneCo lifestyle and think their son is a criminal.

RELATIONSHIPS:

DUTCH AND CHUCK – Chuck works on the cars’ circuitry and computer parts. Dutch focuses on the physical workings. Chuck is an anal-retentive nerd who wants everything done a certain way. Dutch can’t stand those kind of restrictions. He’s going to do it his way or no way at all. This causes friction. A lot of it.

DUTCH AND TEXAS – Dutch is a bit of a prankster and is constantly egging Texas on to do really dumb things (like talk to hot girls, lick a battery, chew on tinfoil, or super-glue his hat to his head).

DUTCH AND JULIE – She’s cool, but he doesn’t understand why she can’t just give up her meaningless life in KaneCo Deluxe and live in Motorcity full-time like the rest of them. It gives him doubts as to her true intentions.

DUTCH AND CLAIRE – People like her are EXACTLY why he left that Deluxian wasteland in the first place. Yechhh!

RIDE: The Scorpion Sting - A mid 21st century hot rod that’s in a constant state of modification. He’s switching the color and welding new things onto it every episode. The speakers incorporated into the Scorpion’s body transform into his “SONIC SPITTER,” that can shatter armor plating with ear-splitting sound waves. Dutch’s car also carries

ROTH – a multi-functional robot who helps with the car mods and field repairs.

SKILLS AND WEAPONS: McGuyver-esque building talent. In charge of TRAPS. Wields a weaponized SOCKET WRENCH, which he has modified to serve as a mace.

The "Sonic Spitter's" description was not given unfortunately

Jacob

(wisdom)

AFFILIATION: Burner

ROLE: Advisor, chef, and crazy old uncle type

IS: a hippie type in his mid-60’s and Kane’s former partner (a relationship that ended when Kane got all megalomaniacal and what-not). Jacob can’t quite keep up with all these young whippersnappers, so he’s taken on a more advisory role in the group: cooking them organic meals instead of the processed food bars they serve in Deluxe, counseling them on missions, and helping them out however he can. But don’t underestimate him just because he’s old and likes mung bean stew – he’s still got some driving left in him! And he’s chock full of scientific and technological knowledge, too, if you can sift through all of the organic food talk.

STRENGTHS: Cooking (according to him), experience, and knowledge of Kane. And a pretty dang good helicopter pilot and great when you need a tow.

WEAKNESS: Cooking (according to Burners). His back. The gout. Enlarged prostate. He’s not as young as he used to be…

WANTS: To see a truly free and safe Detroit, the way he and Kane envisioned it before Kane went off the deep end.

DOES NOT WANT: The music up too loud. New technology. To be forced to live in Kane’s idea of Detroit.

IF HE WERE A WEAPON, HE’D BE: a musket

RELATIONSHIPS:

JACOB AND KANE – Jacob and Kane worked together in the past. In fact, they co-founded KaneCo, hoping to create a safer, more peaceful world. But they had a falling out about how to use the technology they created. Kane turned on Jacob, ultimately labeling him an enemy of the state. They’re like Obi-Wan and Darth Vader. Magneto and Dr. X. One stayed righteous as the other spiraled down a dark path.

JACOB AND MIKE – Yoda and Luke. The man who has seen it all, and the up-and-comer with tremendous potential and a lot to learn.

RIDE: The ’57 Sasquatch - A 20th century chop top, jacked up on monster truck tires with a modified tow truck bed for a rear end.

WEAPONS OF CHOICE: Garden hoe. Compost. Juicer. Wisdom. Organic mung beans.

Claire

AFFILIATION: Deluxian

SERIES ROLE: Represents the average Deluxian youth

IS: Julie’s “valley-girl” best friend and confidant. Claire serves as a sounding board for Julie to discuss the problems she can’t discuss with the Burners – primarily, her secret life as Kane’s daughter.

STRENGTH: The amount of KaneCoins in her bank account, shopping prowess and super-hotness.

WEAKNESS: She’s obnoxiously prissy, is grossed out by the Burners and is pretty useless unless you need someone to go to the mall with.

WANTS: To live her nice KaneCo Deluxe life surrounded by her KaneCo products without having to suffer the antics of those dirtbag Burners Julie insists on hanging out with!

DOES NOT WANT: To be stuck in Motorcity for any length of time. Especially with that creepy Chuck!

FAMILY: Daughter of prominent KaneCo executive.

RELATIONSHIPS:

CLAIRE AND JULIE – Best friends. Claire is the only person who knows Julie is leading a double life as Kane’s daughter and a Burner. Even though she doesn’t approved of these new friends Julie has and the cause they fight for, she goes along to support her friend- Julie usually has a pretty good sense of what is right. She may not like the Burners, but she’s a true and loyal friend to Julie, no matter what.

CLAIRE AND CHUCK – Chuck is into her…she does NOT feel the same.

CLAIRE AND THE BURNERS – She only hangs out down there because of Julie. They are gross and smelly and hate everything good, like KaneCo products! She doesn’t see what Julie sees in them…and she hopes it’s just a phase.

CLAIRE AND KANE – She’s a KaneCo fangirl and Kane loves her. She’s just the kind of friend and role model that his daughter needs. Claire only WISHES she could be Kane’s daughter. Julie is TOTALLY LUCKY!

RIDE: her bedroom - a standard KaneCo living pod.

SKILLS AND WEAPONS: KaneCo credit. Consuming. Good use of rouge.

Abraham Kane

AFFILIATION: KaneCo

ROLE: Founder and CEO of KaneCo. Homicidal tyrant.

IS: An evil industrialist and megalomaniacal madman hellbent on capturing all of Detroit. Which means getting rid of the entire Motorcity population living in the bowels of his precious Deluxe. Which means WIPING THEM ALL OUT. And to add insult to injury, he has fun being evil.

STRENGTHS: Charisma. Unlimited resources. Technological Terrors. Master propagandist. Complete lack of remorse.

WEAKNESSES: Puts all of his faith in his technology. Consumed with wiping out the Burners and everyone in Motorcity.

WANTS: To get rid of those filthy Burners. And control-control-control. Kane’s got big plans for KaneCo Deluxe, and they don’t involve anyone living underneath it and gumming up the works. He won’t rest until everything with a pulse is removed from Motorcity and it is his to further his vision of complete domination.

DOES NOT WANT: Anyone to have fun outside of the predetermined box. Anyone living beneath KaneCo Deluxe. Anyone joining the Burners. And most importantly – to let anyone else have control of anything.

IF HE WERE A HISTORICAL FIGURE, HE’D BE: Vlad the Impaler. With just a hint of Joseph Stalin.

FAMILY: Julie is his daughter. His wife died a long time ago.

RELATIONSHIPS:

KANE AND MIKE: Mortal enemies. Were once like father and son. Now each sees the other as a backstabbing traitor who broke his heart. He wants vengeance against Mike at all costs! No one betrays Abraham Kane!

KANE AND JULIE: Believe it or not, Kane does love his daughter. And at one point in time, she was the whole reason he started KaneCo Deluxe. But nowadays his reasons are much more nefarious, and Julie clings to the hope that she can restore her father’s humanity some day. Kane sees Julie as a child, a fragile egg that needs protecting. And protecting means an ivory tower and isolation, not a father’s love. Their relationship is cold. Kane doesn’t even bother to know Julie and the bright and caring young woman she’s become. He keeps her at arms length at all times.

KANE AND JACOB: Co-founders of KaneCo. Were once like brothers. Then Jacob began to see Kane as a despotic maniac with no moral compass, and Kane began to see Jacob as a naïve idealist who has no idea what it takes to run a corporation.

KANE AND TOOLEY: Tooley may be an imbecile, but he possesses one quality that is very important to Kane – loyalty.

RIDE: He would never get near a car, but sometimes grabs the controls of whatever technological death machine he pits against the Burners.

WEAPONS OF CHOICE: Safe-T-Bots and other Robots. Slaughter Pods. Doom Drones. Threats and intimidation. Eventually, the “Teenage Assassin.”

Tooley

AFFILIATION: KaneCo

ROLE: Lackey and mindless thug. Think Barney Fife, but bigger and dumber. Picture Gilligan if he could beat you up.

IS: a lovable goon and uber-KaneCo fanboy who has earned his spot at Kane’s side by being unwaveringly loyal. He has totally bought into the KaneCo way of life and he’ll do whatever Kane says without ever being a threat to Kane’s power…except for when he tries to impress his hero and his plans go horribly awry. Or when he’s watching cartoons on the job and the Burners sneak past him. Or when the Burners outwit him and lock him in a closet. Or when he tells Julie anything she wants to know and gives away Kane’s secret plans. You get the picture.

STRENGTH: Brute strength. Has seen every episode of the “Robot Walrus”.

WEAKNESS: He’s even dumber than Texas. Easily manipulated, especially by Julie. Usually watching “Robot Walrus” when he’s supposed to be working. WANTS: To please Kane and to make Julie his ladyfriend for life.

RELATIONSHIPS:

TOOLEY AND KANE – Tooley is Kane’s obedient lackey. Kane knows he’s dumb, but unlike Mike Chilton, he’s LOYAL. Tooley LOVES Kane and wants to be just like him, but unfortunately lacks any of Kane’s skills.

TOOLEY AND JULIE – Their names rhyme! That means they’re meant to be, right? That’s what Tooley thinks. If it were up to him, they’d have a beautiful KaneCo wedding and honeymoon right there in beautiful downtown KaneCo Deluxe and have lots of babies at the KaneCo Maternal and Neo-Natal Complex. Unfortunately for him, Julie’s not buying it.

TOOLEY AND THE BURNERS – Tooley is to the Burners what Sergeant Shultz was to Hogan’s Heroes. He’s incompetent and that’s what allows them to infiltrate KaneCo as often as they do.

TOOLEY AND “TEENAGE ASSASSIN” – Tooley can’t see why Kane needs this tool—he’s already got a TOOLEY! He resents the need for extra muscle…especially muscle with brain. Teenage Assassin can’t believe Kane keeps an imbecile like Tooley around. Needless to say, they don’t get along.

RIDE: a standard KaneCo security pod.

WEAPONS OF CHOICE: Fists. Futuristic police baton

Gabriel ("Teenage Assassin")

AFFILIATION: KaneCo ROLE: Kane’s new Number One IS: Terrifying.

STRENGTH: He’s like a cold, calculating version of Mike. All skill, no humor.

WEAKNESS: None known WANTS: To destroy Mike Chilton. To please Kane.

DOES NOT WANT: To Lose.

IF HE WERE A WEAPON, HE’D BE: one of those new state-of-the-art automatic rifles that can shoot around corners.

FAMILY: Unknown

RELATIONSHIPS: Unknown (but here’s a Top Secret tidbit: he used to know Mike)

RIDE: a modified, weaponized KaneCo security pod.

WEAPONS OF CHOICE: Force field gauntlets. Anything else that gets the job done.

Duke of Detroit

AFFILIATION: Himself

ROLE: Scoundrel. Rogue boss.

IS: a shadowy, charming, manipulative figure based in the Deep Reaches of Motorcity who has a hand in anything and everything he finds useful. Those that know of the Duke know he’s not a dude to be taken lightly – or dealt with at all! A deal with the Duke usually costs a lot more than you bargain for. There’s probably a great story behind his mouth full of metal teeth, but he’s not telling.

STRENGTH: finding weak spots. Manipulation. Coercion. Political genius. Making offers you can’t refuse. Street smarts, especially in the world of Motorcity.

WEAKNESS: Vain. Addicted to material wealth. Wouldn’t hesitate to stab his own mother in the back.

WANTS: Free reign over Motorcity. Constant entertainment, usually at the expense of others.

DOES NOT WANT: Conflict with Kane – that would endanger the good thing he’s got going!

IF HE WERE A WEAPON, HE’D BE: a tommy gun

FAMILY: Unknown

RELATIONSHIPS:

THE DUKE AND THE BURNERS: Mike and the gang know better than to trust the Duke, but sometimes they have no choice. The Duke has clout, whether you like it or not.

THE DUKE AND MOTORCITY: He’s friendly to civilians until it’s time to pay what you owe. Then the creepy metal smile disappears. The Duke keeps people in line by offering them sadistic pay-per-view style combat events, which he stages in his own Motorcity stadium.

THE DUKE AND KANE: Mutual understanding. They sometimes even work with each other when there’s something in it for both of them. A war between them would seriously threaten their respective empires.

RIDE: An early 20th century Bentley tricked out with gangster flare and armed to the gills.

WEAPONS OF CHOICE: Spiked baseball bats. And a mouth full of metal teeth.

Q&A

WHO/WHAT IS MIKE PROTECTING?

Mike and the Burners are all that stands between Kane and complete domination of Detroit. The Burners are defenders of Motorcity, and they’ll fight to the bitter end to keep Kane from getting his clutches on this last remaining bastion of freedom.

Ultimately, Mike is protecting people’s freedom. The freedom to live their lives the way they see fit.

WHY DOES KANE WANT DETROIT SO BAD?

Because it will give him POWER. Power to create his city. Not the city that the people want, but the city that they need.

Power to protect himself. To control. To crush those who would dare betray him.

Kane grew up in poverty in old Detroit. Surrounded by crime and decay. He never felt safe.

Working on the automobile assembly lines saved him from the streets. It gave him order and structure when everything else in his life was chaotic. Much like Henry Ford, the assembly-line mentality made a huge, and not altogether positive, impact on his thinking. He started seeing people as parts of a vast machine, not free-thinking souls. He determined excessive freedom and free choice was what was ruining Detroit. And he began to dream about what Detroit could be if he was in charge…

We like to think of Kane as sort of an anti-Bruce Wayne. Both were scarred at a young age by the ills of their cities. Both passionately dedicated their lives to making their cities a better place. And both went a little overboard: One going the hero route, dressing up as a Bat to clean up the streets. One opting for the dictator tract, ruthlessly acquiring power and subduing opposition to forge his “better world”.

IF KANE FAILS TO TAKE OVER DETROIT, WHAT DOES HE LOSE?

Obviously power. Deep down, Kane is afraid of being that powerless kid on the street. He NEVER wants to return to his old life.

Which is why Kane can’t allow the citizens to control their own lives. In his mind, freedom is just another word for everything to lose. Freedom leads to chaos, collapse, and ruin – just like in Old Detroit. He needs the power to control everything, make all the decisions, and ensure people dictate their lives by his singular vision.

And nothing poses a bigger threat to his power than the existence of Motorcity. If he fails to conquer that subterranean, freedom flaunting rat-hole, the roots of liberty could take hold and spread like noxious weeds through his precious Deluxe. Not to mention, those scumbag Burners will continue attacking Kane’s Deluxian tree at its roots, dismantling the future city’s underground power stations and infrastructure.

WHAT DO PEOPLE IN MOTORCITY FEEL ABOUT MIKE AND THE BURNERS?

Most citizens view Mike and The Burners as heroes. But there are some who see them as punk delinquents whose Kane-agitating antics bring unnecessary hardship on their neighborhoods.

Motorcity is also home to other Revolutionaries; rivals who believe the Burners are getting in the way of their plans. Or think Mike’s tactics are too soft – they are particularly disturbed by the fact that he considers the well–being of Deluxians when crafting plots to stop Kane.

WHAT DO DELUXIANS FEEL ABOUT MIKE AND THE BURNERS? WHAT DO THEY FEEL ABOUT KANE?

Though most of the people in KaneCo Deluxe are not truly happy with what Kane has provided, they don’t dare say so. Most of them fall in line and accept things the way they are. Anyone who sympathizes with the Burners does so privately, unless they have a death wish. And on the opposite side of the issue are a few who, like Claire, seem to have been duped by Kane’s promises and slick presentation.

WHAT DO PEOPLE IN MOTORCITY FEEL ABOUT KANE?

The consensus in Motorcity is that Abraham Kane is a real *%$#!

But as Motorcity isn’t exclusively populated by the morally upright, there are some who would be more than happy to sell-out to Kane for special privileges or payment.

HOW WILL WE SHOW THAT LIFE IS GOOD FOR DELUXIANS?

Citizens of KaneCo Deluxe receive three square meals a day, state of the art living quarters, and a steady job that’s guaranteed not to be outsourced. There’s no traffic. No crime. No poverty. What’s not to like?!

HOW WILL WE SHOW THAT LIFE IS BAD FOR DELUXIANS?

The three square meals are pre-selected by KaneCo, and usually consist of unappetizing fare like “throat cubes”. The living quarters are more like drab prison cells. And the jobs are, well… pretty much slavery. Workers are expected to report to work whenever the KANECO CHIME is heard. (Much like a prison siren or the school bell between periods.) Everything is scheduled. Everything is controlled. You don’t have a say.

WHAT OTHER “NON-TOOLEY” ALLIES DOES KANE HAVE ON HIS TEAM?

Kane is constantly surrounded by henchmen and hangers-on, some of whom have their own secret agendas in mind:

There’s a “Dutiful Sycophant” who laughs at his jokes and kisses his butt, but is secretly vying to take him down and seize control of Deluxe. A deadly, ubertalented “Teenage Assassin” who seems even more driven than Kane to wipe out Mike and The Burners. And we’ll introduce others as our season progresses…

ANY ONE ELSE INTERESTED IN “THE BATTLE FOR DETROIT”?

There are some unsavory characters lurking in the bowels of the city, but none more devilish than the DUKE OF DETROIT. A crime-boss of sorts, his only interest in the Battle For Detroit is figuring out how he can spin it to his advantage. The Duke has his sights set on extending his influence in Motorcity. And he sees Mike as a valuable tool – aligning himself with the rebel hero could score him big PR points with the people.

On the other hand, the cutthroat Duke is no dummy. He knows Mike’s moral code could really interfere with his plans. So from time to time, he’ll do what it takes to keep the kid in line – which sometimes means allying himself with Kane. After all, in the end, the Duke’s only real allegiance is to himself.

There are also other interested parties and forces at work outside of the domed Deluxe that we can weave in and out of the seasons as we progress. Rival CEOs, Criminals, and Shadow Organizations that attempt to lend support to Mike’s cause in hopes of accomplishing their own agendas.

HOW DOES KANE WAGE HIS WAR AGAINST MOTORCITY?

Primarily with brutal force, terrifying technology, and fear. He has an endless army of Robots at his disposal that he unleashes daily to bombard Motorcity. He has a seemingly infinite arsenal of wicked ways to stick it to the people. But his horrifying laboratory creations usually present the biggest challenge for our heroes and the poor citizens. Like the time he pumped an ever-expanding, flesheating Sulfuric-Acid Foam Gel into Motorcity, a concoction designed to rapidly dissolve all living, organic material. Yikes!

Sometimes Kane is so blinded by his thirst for power that he pursues incredibly risky plots that end up putting himself and all of Detroit in danger. Like when he forces his R&D lab into morally unconscionable territory in the hopes of creating the ultimate Attack-Bot, and ends up creating a hybrid bio-mechanical creature that promptly escapes and starts “cocooning” Motorcity and Deluxian citizens.

Kane often focuses his attention directly on our Burners, developing BurnerSeeking Death Drones, hiring bloodthirsty Bounty Hunters, or luring the rebels out of their underground lair by callously using citizens as bait.

Of course, The Burners aren’t just going to sit around waiting for Kane to unleash his latest plot. They’re always looking for ways to take the fight to his doorstep and destroy his plans before they get off the ground. Like when they attempt to infiltrate his top secret, insanely dangerous weapons factory with the help of Kane-Co Safe-T-Suits. Or when they smuggle out Kane’s top alternative-fuel physicist to avert nuclear-scale disaster.

[gnomebud]

favorite sci-fi short stories for @doshwashing as promised!! i took a sci-fi class my junior year of college and we read so many weird short stories.

my absolute favorite of all of them is "the girl-thing who went out for sushi" by pat cadigan. trans metaphors! disability metaphors! really really fun voice! ocean-y creatures in space :) i adore this short story so much, it's really great

some more good ones:

"out of all them bright stars" by nancy kress

"the red queen's race" by isaac asimov (i think this one is available on the internet archive)

"folding beijing" by hao jingfang (really really interesting; i have a doc of this one)

"speech sounds" by octavia butler

"emergency skin" by nk jemisin (novelette but so good)

some of these are very "EVER THOUGHT ABOUT THAT???". a lot of the og sci-fi authors' short stories that have now been riffed on a million times by sci-fi media are very much in that same thread -- i think every philip k dick and ray bradbury and arthur c clarke short story that we read was like that! (regrettably they've now been riffed on so much i found them kind of boring.)

sci-fi :]

[rxt-attack]

In light of ..... recent events, I thought it best to remake that recommendations post I did quite a while back. This is a playlist put together by Hbomberguy and it has quite a number of excellent queer video essayists + some people James Somerton plagiarized. I wanted to add a few people to the list.

Jessie Gender - I cannot recommend her enough. She covers issues facing women as well as trans, nonbinary, and autistic people. She also discusses other marginalized communities (Got this info from her YouTube bio). She analyzes media through these lenses while remaining empathetic and often delivering a nuanced take. HOWEVER, that's not all. Jessie does insanely well researched videos about Sci-fi (shout out Star Trek) and other "geeky" topics. She's working on a short film right now so the channel has kinda flatlined. Go give her some views!

Yhara Zayd - I haven't watched them in a bit but Zayd does videos analyzing media, often through the lens of race. Special shout-out to their "The Day Rue 'Became' Black" vid! Their work is eloquent, well researched, and you can find their sources listed in the bio of vids.

Philosophy Tube - Do I even need to say anything??? Go check out the play she wrote, "The Prince." You can find a recording of it on Nebula. I haven't watched it yet but I plan to.

Anyway these creators (and the ones of the playlist) are only a few of the great people analyzing media, talking about queer history, and more. These lists don't even include the numerous writers from whom James stole from. They all deserve support and I hope they get it. If you have any more reccs (including articles), list them below!

[supersoakerfullofblood]

A Note on Style and Truisms

I see a lot of posts here discussing the merits of genres, tropes, and general writing advice: "advice for high fantasy magic system worldbuilding," "how to write enemies to lovers," "words to use instead of 'said,'" "how to write foreshadowing," "how to show and not tell," "why telling is okay, actually," "how to write a killer plot twist," etc.

Most of this advice is bullshit, which isn't to say it's wrong, just that it doesn't matter. (Any advice about avoiding "said" though is wrong. The word is fine, and you can use it pretty laissez-faire.) If you want to write genre fiction, which most of these posts are aimed towards, that's totally fine, but if you follow the advice found in these posts religiously, your prose and your story will suffer. Why is that?

A distinction should be drawn between prescriptivist and descriptivist uses of genre. The latter is genre applied to a writer's work. The writer likely isn't actively thinking too strictly about the genre they're writing in as they're drafting, and when they're done writing, it's up to the audience to define it with a genre. These stories are fluid, real, and are a genuine creative expression of the author's lived experience. We love descriptivist genre use.

But a lot of writing advice on here, and a lot of writing in general nowadays, uses genre as a prescription. Before you even start drafting, you read a thousand posts about low fantasy magic systems, worldbuilding tips on which color paint your fantasy race prefers to eat, how many drones should be in your science fiction epic, how long is too long for slow burn romance, etc. Don't get me wrong, these are fun questions to ask and think about, but their merit doesn't go much farther than that. This isn't writing advice as much as a conversation starter, and if taken as genuine advice, your prose and story will turn into fairly generic slop in the genre you read about.

You aren't the only one writing a high fantasy strict magic system epic. You aren't the only one writing your specific combination of fanfic keywords. You aren't the only writer who thought to combine fantasy and sci-fi. Every other writer is reading the same posts you're reading, and since we've all been raised on pretty much the same media canon, our stories are going to sound pretty much the same. It's all going to come out as relative genre fic slop. But why? When you take all this shibboleth as gospel, you aren't writing from your own experience with your own style--you're cobbling together a novel from a list of tropes. It's like forming a human with a list of character traits. It sounds good in theory, but practically, you miss something vital in what it means to be human, what it means to tell a story.

But how do you write a story without this advice? Well, you start writing. Very quickly, you figure out what works for you and what doesn't, how much "worldbuilding" you like, which tropes you naturally gravitate towards. You read a lot and incorporate the things you admire from your reading into your own work. This becomes your style. If you read too much hokey writing advice, your style will never develop. It will become the homogenous style of the genre fic slop factory. Don't let that happen! Write your own story, your genuine story, and then apply whatever genre labels may be applied to it.

Again, this isn't me trashing genre fic. Genre fic is great! I've published a novel of fairly genre-y realistic fiction, and I happily write grimdark McDonaldland fanfiction. I'm only saying the best genre fic didn't start with the writer asking himself, "How am I going to write the next big fantasy novel?" They didn't start with the author looking at blog posts about the most effective tropes to include in their narrative. The best stories are expressions of personal experience, of an individual's life. That should be what you write towards--not some platonic ideal of what a genre should be.

The same goes for writing advice. A lot of it is sound, but much of it is worthless, and some of it is actively toxic to the writing life (and figuring out which advice is in which category is another struggle that should be solved). For every "avoid adverbs when you can help it" (sound advice), there's another "stop using 'said' so much" (awful advice). And most advice falls somewhere in the middle (the semicolon debate is a huge chunk of the middle-ground advice). If you follow too much of this advice before your style has started to develop, it can stunt its growth. Maybe you love semicolons. I sure do! That may never reveal itself if you read too much about how semicolons are the devil.

TLDR popular writing advice very quickly becomes an echo chamber, and most of the advice is worthless or detrimental in developing your writing. A good general rule is to never take any advice about what to write too seriously.

[authortobenamedlater]

I’m working through Babylon 5 and my endless thoughts on this niche sci-fi show you’ve never seen are about to become your problem.

Babylon 5 manages to be neither a utopia nor a dystopia. It’s just…normal. There are still racists, political factions, religious extremists, poverty, war. And humanity has gone to the stars anyway. We didn’t have to clean ourselves up first. We just went. The same way we invented and innovated ourselves into the year 2023 while still making the same mistakes we always have.

None of the other species are “perfect” either. Even the Minbari, the most advanced of the major races we see, have their issues. A lot of sci-fi shows humanity on its back foot with other races who have made things “perfect” (though sometimes through questionable methods) but none of the other races on B5 are perfect. They might have different problems but they all have problems.

The worldwide government? Usually either perfect or tyrannical? EarthGov isn’t (well, it does flirt with tyranny, but I won’t go into that because spoilers). It’s just a big, bureaucratic government with the same troubles every government has because it’s full of people. The media too.

It’s like Vision’s line in Age of Ultron “Humans are odd…But there is grace in their failings.” I just find it very encouraging to imagine a future where humans don’t have to stop being human in order to do great things.

[kylesvariouslistsandstuff]

Big-ass Netflix animation news drop yesterday, ahead of Annecy and the release of ULTRAMAN RISING... Netflix is on a lot of shit-lists for a variety of things, including their careless race towards making more animated features but expecting them to be cranked out like it's a factory process or something... But I will say, the feature line-up they revealed yesterday sounds like banger-central. Too bad most of them likely won't see a physical media release, though.

WALLACE & GROMIT feature #2, VENGEANCE MOST FOWL... Coming later this year, featuring Feathers McGraw from THE WRONG TROUSERS... The hype is real.

The last half of 2024 will also be when Netflix debuts Skydance Animation's SPELLBOUND, that long-gestating fantasy picture from SHREK director Vicky Jenson with new Alan Menken-Glen Slater songs... I guess LUCK nuked whatever partnership Skydance, John Lasseter's current studio, had with Apple, although their new show WONDLA is debuting on that platform.

Skydance looks to follow up SPELLBOUND with TANGLED director Nathan Greno's POOKOO, another fantasy tale with otherworldy critters. Only a matter of time when we find out RAY GUNN, Brad Bird's retrofuturistic sci-fi noir whose development history dates aaaaall the way back to the mid-'90s, comes out.

Also curiously, prior to these announcements, Disney Animation director Don Hall (WINNIE THE POOH, BIG HERO 6, RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON, and STRANGE WORLD) has joined the ranks at Skydance. Another director who worked under Lasseter at either WDAS or Pixar, now working for him again. I'm guessing he didn't particularly enjoy directing his last two features at WDAS under Jennifer Lee's stewardship, thus - much like Nathan Greno and Rich Moore - went back to his old pervy boss. Skydance Animation undeniably has a lot of top talent there, and directors of past animation blockbusters, but it really just sucks that it's run by Lasseter. And apparently he's running it just like he did with Pixar and WDAS, just as toxic. He micromanages projects once more and buckles directors under his mandates, like Alessandro Carloni, who was supposed to direct LUCK... But these guys are his favorites, so I presume they'll do fine over there.

Next year sees the release of IN YOUR DREAMS, from directors Alex Woo and Erik Benson. Two total opposite brothers who go to dreamland and try to convince the Sandman to save their parents' failing marriage, sounds promising. We already knew about THE TWITS, and also THE IMAGINARY, which debuts in a few weeks. Three imaginary friends movies in one year, coincidentally the year FOSTER'S HOME FOR IMAGINARY FRIENDS turns 20... I refuse to process that. I was so big on FOSTER'S back in the day, when I was 12 years old. Speaking of TV cartoons and adaptations of those, THE PLANKTON MOVIE is also on the boards for 2025, continuing the Netflix SpongeBob movie series running alongside the theatrical ones.

I'm also very happy to see that Sony Animation's wild-sounding K-POP: DEMON HUNTERS, from directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, is underway and will be debuting sometime next year. Sony Animation also revealed a new HOTEL, I mean... MOTEL TRANSYLVANIA series, and are still at work on the GHOSTBUSTERS animated series as well. Since this was all for Netflix-only projects, not a peep on the GHOSTBUSTERS animated movie that's also on the rails. I wish DEMON HUNTERS was heading to theaters, though, that's such a bonkers-looking film that would work great like that. Much like their MITCHELLS VS. THE MACHINES, but that got re-routed because of COVID, so I get that.

Curiously, no word on THE SHRINKING OF TREEHORN, a book adaptation from director Ron Howard. First thought to be a 2023 release, Netflix picked up the picture in 2022 and didn't set a date... Maybe it's gone the way of EMBER and other canned Netflix animated movies? Or a new date will be inked eventually? If it's aiming for 2026, then that'll explain the absence.

I'll keep my eyes on these as they get closer, but my top picks are VENGEANCE MOST FOWL and K-POP: DEMON HUNTERS.

[frogmanfae]

Newsies as things that have happened in school (first day edition)

Medda: Yeah when I was in high school orchestra we had very competitive seating so like if you were a fifth chair and you wanted to be a third chair you would have to challenge whoever was in the third chair and you would have a playoff- it was very intense. And then if you won the chair challenge you got the chair closer to the conductor, it was a real thing

Crutchie: What in the high school musical-

Denton: It falls around Thanksgiving-

Mike: *very quietly* gobble gobble...

Denton: ... What was that?

Medda: The sophomores are in a meeting right now so they aren't with us today-

Race: *a sophomore, currently sitting in Medda's class* ...The sophomores are what

Albert: I'm an 11th grader in a freshman class they're gonna know I'm dumb!

Finch: Lie about your grade

Race: Put on a fake accent and say you're from Russia

Albert: Guten tag!

Finch: ...That's the wrong language

Race: This is why you're in a freshman class as a junior

Race: Smell me

Spot: I'll pass

Race: No I smell good

Albert: He smells like cookies

Spot: I... I am not going to smell you

Davey: *walks into a class that's only for juniors to see a bunch of underclassmen but also other juniors (Jack, Mike, Ike, and Oscar)* uhhhh... Is this the right-

Jack: Yeah somethin's fucked up

Davey, Jack, Mike, Ike, and Oscar: *currently supposed to be in a class meeting in another room*

Race: My social Security number is 735. 814-

Davey: STOP YOU'RE GOING TO GET IMPERSONATED IF YOU KEEP DOING THAT!!!

Elmer: I still can't drive

Buttons: his mom lost his social Security card

Crutchie: She what-

Wiesel: Come on, hurry up

Hotshot: We're goin!

Spot: Oh my god you guys are strolling! Aren't you on the football team? You gonna take us to states?? Do you move this slow on the field??

Race: You know they do

Denton: Welcome good morning I know you're all excited to be back- don't answer that

An inspirational video they were forced to watch: "He taught his whole team how to say I love you in sign language!"

Race: *slowly leans forward and makes the I love you sign at Albert*

Albert: *flips him off*

Race: :(

Davey: Oh god the sophomore hallway REEKS of Axe Body Spray

Jack: *joking* I know this is your doing, Elmer

Elmer: :(

Denton: Welcome to creative writing your teacher is crying it's a great first day

Race: damnit I have a scrimmage after school

Denton: What sportsball do you play?

Race: Soccer

Denton: And who are you sportsballing against?

Race: Brooklyn

Denton: Crush em

Romeo: OH MY GOD I JUST SENT THIS GUY STREAKS AND LOOK AT WHAT HE SENT BACK

The message: "I want to choke you with my cock"

Myron: WHAT THE FUCK

*in creative writing class with the gay teacher*

Davey: uh, hi. My name is David, he/him. My favorite book is Salt to the Sea and my favorite author is Ruta Sepetys, who wrote it. My main genres I like to write are realistic fiction and sci fi or fantasy. I write because I have a lot of ideas and if I don't put them somewhere I won't be able to function.

Romeo: wassup, I'm Romeo, he/they but I don't mind the occasional she/her. My favorite book is the Hunger Games and my favorite author is Rick Riordan. My primary genre I like to write is fanfiction and I write because media consumes me and if I like something it's all I can think about for weeks at a time.

Davey, in his head: shit man I mean me too but I'd never have the guts to say that out loud in front of a class-

Jack: Dress code! Dress code violation! Dress code!

Sarah: What does my turtleneck show too much?

Buttons: *GASP* I WANT THE CHAIR WITH THE WHEELS!!! IS THIS FOR THE TEACHER CUZ IT'S FOR ME NOW-

Race: I didn't have my protein shake this morning I am lacking!

Crutchie: Didn't you drink your first one a couple weeks ago- if even??

Race: Actually, Jack's mom gave me like $100 worth of coupons-

Davey: *about Spot* He sings both baritone and tenor.

Jack: He's bivocal

Race: I hate it when he calls me white man because then I can't say anything back or I'll sound unintentionally racist!!!

Jack: Fuckin white man

Race: Stoppp!

Wiesel: We're programmed as human beings to respond with care to things in need. Which is a good thing because otherwise we would probably drown all of our babies-

Crutchie: HUH???

Wiesel: You've programmed your brain to think like that about your phones- *continues like normal*

Crutchie: *20 minutes later* did he not say something about drowning babies???

Race: Fuck I have to take my makeup off before soccer but I don't have any makeup wipes!!

Spot: *jokingly* If you didn't wear makeup to school we wouldn't be having this issue

Albert: Did you just call him an ugly whore??

Spot: Yeah, actually

Romeo: *with nobody paying attention to them* Y'all ready? Y'all ready? *moves backwards and promptly trips over Specs's feet*

Specs: *literally in the middle of a conversation with Finch* ... You good?

Romeo: You tripped me! I was moon walkin!

TW Under the cut jokes about sewerslide and the f slur by someone who can claim it

Race: *jokingly at Smalls* Ewwwww! Freshman!

Smalls: KILL YOURSELF YOU STUPID FAGGOT!!!!

Jack: :0

Race: :0

Jack: did she just-

Race: THERE WAS NO HESITATION???

[papercut-critic]

Project Hail Mary

Title: Project Hail Mary Author: Andy Weil Audiobook or Physical: Audiobook Star Review: 5/5 Date Read: Jan 15, 2024

Listed Book Summary:

Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission—and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish. Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it. All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company. His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, Ryland realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Hurtling through space on this tiny ship, it’s up to him to puzzle out an impossible scientific mystery—and conquer an extinction-level threat to our species. And with the clock ticking down and the nearest human being light-years away, he’s got to do it all alone.

Or does he? (Summary From Amazon listing of Book)

Personal Summary:

Waking up with no memories and alone in a space ship in a star system light years away from Earth. Ryland Grace learns, alongside the reader, who he is and why he is here. He is the worlds last shot at survival and he doesn't even know what he is supposed to be doing.

Vague Review

Star Review Breakdown:

Characters: (5/5)Funny and creative with a scientific mind. It was very easy to fall in love and root for these characters in their quest. Worldbuilding: (4/5)Despite being trapped in a space ship for most of the book, the author manages to make the world feel real and alive. It feels realistic and not as claustrophobic as I first would have thought Plot: (5/5) A captivating plot that manages to feel both urgent and drawn out just the right amount. There are a few snags but they are very forgivable and not very distracting. Pacing: (5/5) The pacing is something I haven't seen very often and is very well done. It is very informative without being bogged down with science facts or info dumping. Writing: (4/5) The writing is fresh and easy to follow. The author really puts you in the shoes of the characters. The science aspects of the book are easily accessible and understandable. Recommended To: Beginners in the Sci Fi genre or people who want to start reading Sci Fi but are uneasy about books being dry and technical or difficult to understand. The pacing is quick and light, while retaining a great balance of humor and situational stress. I recommend listening to the Audiobook reading by Ray Porter on Audible. His accents and voice work for the characters are wonderful. Notes: A wonderful little book, one I'm glad to have as my first review. More in depth review below. Spoilers Ahead.

Star Review Deep Breakdown: Characters: Ryland: Ryland is smart and funny. I adore how he tries to problem solve using the scientific method. It is a wonderful little quirk of character that I don't see too often. I think it was a very good choice to have Ryland be a school teacher, it helps to explain some of the scientific information into something that the reader can easily understand. He has a heart of gold and a good sense of humor that helped keep up the mood of the book, despite everything that happens. Rocky: There is so much I can say on Rocky. But most of all, I love him. He is such a unique concept for an alien. I do like how he isn't a scientist like Ryland, it lets the two characters bounce off one another in very fun and humorous ways. I do like how Rocky has a relatively standard level of intelligence, better at some but not all things. I see a lot of aliens in Sci Fi media being portrayed as either super intelligent or as horror movie monsters, so it was refreshing to see an alien who is a very well balanced foil for the human protagonist. It is also explained very well why the alien race has such different levels of intelligence. Worldbuilding: As said before, the way the author wrote helped keep the space ship from seeming too tight or claustrophobic. The world seemed realistic with the science behind how the world might react if the sun where to slowly be eaten. I like how all of the science seemed reasonable and believable and not super far flung future. There are a few bits such as the coma gene, amnesia drug, and how fast Ryland and Rocky learned each others languages, that sort of rocked my belief but it wasn't enough to take me out of the story. It was easy to just brush past it to get to the good bits. I do like how it was set in relatively modern times and not super future. Plot: I love the plot. It is super captivating and never seemed boring. I like how the memories were progressing semi linearly. It lead up to a very good climax with a mix of smaller climaxes that kept me constantly wanting to hear more. Pacing: I like how in the first few chapters we are learning everything alongside Ryland. It was very fun to be learning and realizing things as he was. The pacing was similar to a light jog, nice and quick without dragging or seeming as if it was skipping over bits. Writing: I like the authors voice and will for sure be looking for more of his future work. The writing had just the right amount of science and details to paint a wonderful minds eye picture, while also not being bogged down with extra science just for the sake of it. I liked how accessible the science felt to understand. I could follow along with how reasonable everything sounded and it helped keep me engaged. Other Notes: Absolute banger of a book. Ive already listened to it twice while at work and I cant stop thinking about it. This is a book that I know will stick with me. It will 100% be on my 2024 top 10 list. Review Written: Mar 19. 2024 Overall Rating List

[best-underrated-anime]

Best Underrated Anime Group L Round 1: #L8 vs #L1

#L8: Teenage girl and her friends literally hack society

In the cyber city Tom Sawyer, society revolves around earning "Love," akin to receiving likes on social media. Citizens of this augmented reality exchange Love for public services and appearance-changing avatars via the Decoration Customizer, also known as "Deco," a hologram device implanted in an individual's eyes from early childhood. Under the government's careful management, the people of Tom Sawyer live a peaceful existence, outside the occasional appearance of Phantom Zero, a mysterious criminal who brings all Love to zero within their vicinity.

Berry, a mischievous girl fascinated by Phantom Zero, lives comfortably in the system of Tom Sawyer until her Deco malfunctions, enabling her to see a camouflaged prankster named Hack. Believing Hack to be Phantom Zero, Berry chases after the suspect and, in the process, begins to uncover society's most well-kept secrets. As it turns out, Hack is not the only person living outside the system's rules—and the vibrant colors of Tom Sawyer hide a darker nature.

#L1: Normal Girl™ accidentally joins Kansai’s biggest criminals

After the fall-out of a war between the Kanto and Kansai regions of Japan, citizens of Kansai now live in a dystopia. Criminals are bigger and badder than before, resulting in a specialized Execution Division rising to combat these ‘Akudama.’

An ordinary person accidentally wedges herself into the midst of a gang of the worst of the worst, and now she’s on the run with Kansai’s top Akudama to fulfill a cryptic mission. Her goal was to get back to her normal life, but one thing leads to another and she gets trapped, bound by her sense of morals to stick with her terrible team.

The team in question consists of a Brawler with a need to find the toughest opponent to fight, a Doctor who toys with lives, a Hacker who has run out of games to play, a Courier who always gets the job done, a Cutthroat with a kill count of 999 bodies, and a Hoodlum who was set for a prison sentence of 5 years. Joining them is the Black Cat, their mysterious recruiter, who promises great wealth to the Akudama.

Titles, propagandas, trailers, and poll under the cut!

#L8: Yurei Deco

Propaganda:

Without any spoilers, Hack can easily be interpreted as nonbinary in some sort of way (whether they’re transmasc, transfem, or otherwise androgynous/neutral/other aligned) and their birth sex is never revealed, which is a plus for me. Furthermore, it’s literally what would happen if you made a fun, hard science fiction series in the style of a Ted Chiang novel but aimed at kids and written rather optimistically. It still has the hard sci-fi elements of critiquing AI and social capital systems and whatnot, but it also has an upbeat, cheerful tone of a children’s show, and you know what? I really like cheerful, intelligent kids shows! It’s something that I could not only watch on my own, but also watch with my conservative family without being seen as inappropriate, and it’s a genuinely cute and fun show!

I also like the colorful, free-flowing art style, thanks to Science SARU’s art, and the diverse characters, not only in characterization, but in race, body type, age, and gender. And the plot twists in this show really excited me too! This is one of my favorite shows of all time, and I genuinely recommend people to watch this show as well! Sadly, it’s not dubbed, likely because of its relative unpopularity, but the Japanese voice cast is another plus, especially Berry’s seiyuu! Berry is genuinely her first voice role, and she KNOCKS it out of the part, especially at making Berry’s cheerfulness stand out. Another good point: the MUSIC. With diverse mixes of electropop, hyperpop, and bit-based sounds, it genuinely has such a unique soundtrack compared to a lot of 2020s era anime’s yakousei and anisong based soundtracks which, while I like some yakousei and anisong tracks, I’m just not fond of both genres.

Trigger Warnings: Unfortunately, as a Science Saru show, Yurei Deco is unfortunately very flashy on the eyes and thus very unsafe for epileptics, the photosensitive, and autistic people who have trouble with eyestrain, among others. There are also depictions of classism that, while shown as wrong and not good in the narrative, might trigger those who experienced class-based abuse.

#L1: Akudama Drive

Propaganda:

Akudama Drive is an anime produced by a video game company, and it’s amazingly a single standalone piece, unlike their other projects. The three people who lead the creation of the Danganronpa series (character designer, story writer, and music composer) came together and produced something so different from their usual pattern and it pays off.

The character designs are so fun, the music vibes hard, and the story is better than anything seen in DR before since (no offense meant) the cast all get fleshed out as individuals beyond a single trope. Everyone is depicted as morally grey, and it’s such a fun experience to watch the madness break out and root for the bad guys or the bad guys.

Every scene is so pretty, and you can see the color theory SLAPPING THE SCREEN, it’s so pleasing to look at. The voice acting is also top tier! The character evolution can literally be heard in the voices 🛐 The anime is a fun show with cool stunts and epic battles, but it’s still got some interesting social commentary if you’re the type that loves dissecting that madness. There’s a little something for everyone!

Trigger Warnings: Child Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Graphic Depictions of Cruelty/Violence/Gore, Rape/Non-Con, Self-Harm, Constant Flashing Lights and Screaming

If you’re reblogging and adding your own propaganda, please tag me @best-underrated-anime so that I’ll be sure to see it.

[horizon-verizon]

The idea of Bridgerton/Queen Charlotte horrifies me. Why are Black and South Asian people being depicted as the historical figures who colonized them, enslaved them, and genocided them or depicted in romances with them ? Just so unserious, they had these dark-skinned Indian girls being considered as legitimate wives for these highborn British men and I’m like in what world ??? A Black queen at the time Britain colonized most of the world and was committing crimes against humanity ??? On some level, I can understand why people of color enjoy these shows but I can’t detangle it from the blatant historical revisionism and the utter whitewashing of colonial legacy.

I never read them as full stories, but the books are not so (descriptions of characters I quickly perused). All the characters are white and European. I would have preferred this.

Still, it was a deliberate choice to do blind color casting and historical revisionism for the sake of including and centering PoCs in American TV, not necessarily because of an altruistic gail so much as this is the demand from audiences and there's money to be made from it.

The show (in-world but more BTS, in the larger American society) definitely encourages and sets up race as more become a commodity to sell that something to really confront or acknowledge as a sociopolitical/economic force of discrimination that defines the parameters of real people. Maybe not race exactly so much as making the acknowledgement of race the commodity or whatever we call the ring which makes a thing more materially valuable. Race becomes more of a decoration, I think I can say, too.

I mean they basically said the solution of all solutions for the end of racism was having a black person be the head (or intimate with) of the government....meanwhile Barack Obama was elected and racism still very much exists.

Anon, what you say in particular about Indian girls being considered legitimate wives of British men reminds me of the withdrawn brideofires' Twitter post (they are "daughter of death" there) about the same franchise. I tend to agree, yet I find myself watching the Charlotte mini story when I wanted to see what the duss was about and awaiting my Dune books and reluctantly enjoying myself. The only Brigderton story I ever independent watched (the others I watched through reactors bc I didn't want to spend money) and finally got my Netflix up (she protests too much, i know).

Point is, as a PoC myself (black), this franchise discomfited me from the start yet I watched one installment and overall liked it apart from the attempts to incorporate race only to give it the needed approach. I think that PoCs who like Bridgerton or are obsessed either do not keep the history close to their memory or that they prioritize the modern media acts of centering (or getting close to that) PoC characters in order to set up more appearances of PoC actors and characters and BTS people. Perhaps these two things inform each other, sometimes maybe not (grip to group, person to person).

I'm sure you're already aware of that, though, since you refer to it. I wish to "explain" why PoCs leave behind or set aside the colonial history and specific, harrowing events. I myself was able to enjoy it only after shoving aside all those memories or reading about colonial, dehumanizing actions against PoC societies. And then thinking about it after finishing the show. But I don't think we should continue writing like this because of the capitalist and racist implications and effects on society for the precedented literal apathy for colonialism (that's already happening, but why reaffirm it?). We don't actually need a Bridgerton or a Black Queen Charlotte. There are actually so many PoC fantasy/sci-fi books to adapt shows from, those written by and about PoC people. TV writers and or producers should head on over to AbramsBooks (the publishing house) to select those stories. There's your fantasy and actual centering of PoC people. Great place to start. Looking for a series adaptation?--look at Tomi Adeyemi's Legacy of Orisha series. One story that could be broken up to two?: Denise Crittenden's Where it Rains on Color. Reni K. Amayo's duology The Return of Earth Mother is guaranteed to draw in both black and white audiences (because that's what these producers are mainly thinking about, rake in more cash), plus literally every other person fed up with white stories and the dominance of white fantasy in TV.

I am waiting to see now if the 3rd season of Bridgerton will be as focused on "explaining" the widespread and untroubled presence of aristocratic and PoCs, but as soon as they made PoC aristocrats especially with the story of a black woman as Queen fixing race Bridgerton became ethically unsalvageable.

[zuzajs14]

Thanks for tagging me @birdstiel 💕

I guess we are doing it. Let's expose ourselves.

8 series to get to know me:

- Supernatural - obviously. my current hyperfixation as you can all tell. I am rather obsessive consumer of media but there are not that many shows close to my heart. and while I despise it deeply (I am a writer and bad storytelling kills me), I am also unable to not love it. this show had many great ideas and even bigger potential, many amazing characters who's story I woul love to explore. the unused or misused or badly used possibilities... damn it.

- Once Upon a Time - listen, i know it's low budget with shitty special effects (the poorly done fire every fucking time). but this is my comfort show. the idea is great, there are a lot of strong women (and one pirate who I am madly in love with). it's not very bright but I never needed it to be. it's just... fairytales, you know. comfort. and my beloved trait of gray morality - evil is made, not born ect, ect

- Doctor Who - this shit saved me. i am not sci fi person much (with exceptions, sure). but this silly man(I use it as a gender neutral term, like - damn, man) in a box, that fights the good fight... a pacifist that killed whole races (the bad ones, sure, but you know). and this otherworldly creature just struggles with so many emotions and is damned to feel forever lonely while having so many people live them... It's AAAAA. sure there are bad episodes. but who cares. i love it

- Our flag means death - you may not now this about me (but everyone in rl DOES as it's my personality) but I love pirates. like a lot. so obviously I care the silly gay pirates show. and I generally like Taika's projects. it's just adorable. makes me feel warm and fuzzy. and has a bit of angst. niceeee

- What we do in the shadows - again, silly and gay. i like gay media, what a suprise. and I love dumb characters. and they are all sooooo fucking stupid. love it. and ya know, vampires ( i have pirates and vampires, I need silly gay cowboys next)

- Game of Thrones - I am still so fucking mad. but I am also a sucker for dark fantasy. the costumes, the drama, the freaking politics and magic. also Jaime and Brienne. this dynamic is all to me. i've read the books to. and it's good storytelling. but unfinished... so sure the show fucked it up. tragic, really (still not emotionally ready to rewatch it dhdjdjd)

- Good Omens - Neil Gaiman is my favourite author. Really. Terry Pratchett is high on that list too. and as Neil supervised this adaptation... and it has David Tennant and Michael Sheen... couldn't go wrong. and is just hilarious and tender and full of love (and biblical motives which is something I value a lot - Gabriel shouting he's buying pornography lives rent free in my head)

- Broadchurch - you can't tell by this list but I like criminal shows too! (I was thinking os putting Sherlock on the list cause I care it a lot too and bonded with my mum over it buuuuut... somehow Broadchurch won, being fresher in my memory) again it has David Tennant, who's work I enjoy a great deal. and it's really good story that kept me on my toes. first season is my favourite

Huh. It was hard choosing only 8. Special mentions go to Sherlock, The Terror and One Piece (pirates!)

Okay, I will shut up now. This is way too long anyhow

No pressure tags (I still hate tagging people, I don't want to annoy anyone but I am curious about yours!)

@naughtystiel @fluffsnake @valeron99 @archervale @werepires (still intimated by you but if you want 👉👈)

And anyone who wants to! You can tag me and I will defo read it! I would gladly see all of my mutuals do it, but as I haven't talked to most of you, I am still shy about bothering you...

[actuallywlccan]

A message to all fantasy/sci fi/etc. writers: before you ever use Holocaust imagery, take a moment to think about which people are playing the victims and which are playing the nazis in your story and consider how you are inherently comparing your versions to their historical counterparts. Putting actually dangerous or powerful people into the role of the Jews and Roma implies that those traits were also the traits of the victims of the Holocaust, or even that the Holocaust was a reaction to Jews/Romani being dangerous and powerful.

Yes, we all know fantasy Holocausts are fantasy and not real history, but these stories create our understanding of the Holocaust to a much greater extent than you might think, and for every fantasy Holocaust where the "Nazis" might actually have a reason to be doing a genocide--even if the media makes it clear they're still wrong to do so--you're affecting how people see the actual genocide of my people, and the Roma, and queer people, and disabled people, and more.

And sometimes it's alright! X-Men comics famously use Holocaust metaphors and imagery (and the actual Holocaust) in their stories, and the mutants are obviously powerful and can be dangerous, and the metaphor usually works without demonizing the victims, and that's great!

But that is not the same for many other fantasy Holocausts, so don't just assume that using our genocide as a trope doesn't bring up any trauma for us or affect the way people see us, because it DOES. Seeing Holocaust imagery doesn't just make me think "oh yeah I get it, the [bad guys] are super bad" it means seeing the genocide of my race be used as a shorthand. And weirdly often a shorthand that is subverted so the victims deserve it. And let me tell you, that does not feel good.

[thylacinetears]

Hey!

G'day Tumblr, I'm Thyla. Like it says in my bio, I've been meaning to make a tumblr account for ages, and the Great Twitter Incident of 2022 sped that up. Lmao. So I guess I better make an introductory post? My pronouns are they/them/theirs, xe/xem/xirs, ze/hir/hirs, ey/em/eirs. I'm basically nonbinary and queer, but I also use a lot of other labels like demisexual, androgyne, genderqueer, sapphillean, mspec, etc. I am a radical inclusionist - I include all GOOD FAITH queer identities. I have ADHD, and I'm 2e. So ADHD, if fact, that I forgot to put it in this original post and had to edit this lmao. I write fanfic sometimes, but I'm not sure if I'm quite ready to link public social media to my account, lol. I am a young adult, and I'm from Melbourne. I don't feel comfortable disclosing my exact age, my exact location, my AGAB, or my race when online.

I have no DNI - if you're being annoying then I'll block you, and then you can't interact. That's the DNI, lmao. My interests (absolute favourites in italics): YouTube - I watch basically anything Grian, Mumbo Jumbo, PearlescentMoon, or GeminiTay post, including Hermitcraft, the Life Series, 100 hours hardcore, Afterlife SMP. I never got into Empires - well, not before the crossover, lol. I indulge in a bit of Stampy's Lovely World, on occasion. I also like other non-minecraft YouTubers: mostly ContraPoints, Jessie Gender, Luxander, RTGame, Philosophy Tube, Todd In The Shadows, etc. Some politics, some fun stuff. Books - I read a lot of fantasy, YA, and queer books. Right now I'm into the Grishaverse series by Leigh Bardugo, The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake, the Old Kingdom series by Garth Nix, the Nevermoor series by Jessica Townsend, The List duology by Patricia Forde, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda and related books by Becky Albertalli, and many of Rick Riordan's books. One of my favourite books/series of all time is the Lionboy trilogy by Zizou Corder. It's super underrated! Movies & TV - I love anything sci-fi, fantasy, or animated! Particularly Doctor Who, Firefly, Good Omens, Heartstopper, Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts, Star Wars, Star Trek (Discovery, Strange New Worlds, Enterprise), Pixar, Studio Ghibli, Dead Poets Society... you get the idea. Music - Basically anything that's vaguely pop, indie, electronic, etc. My favourite artists include 100 gecs, Alice Glass, BANKS, Billie Eilish, BLACKPINK, Cavetown, Coldplay, Dua Lipa, many Eurovision artists, FKA twigs, Hozier, Lorde, Maneskin, MARINA, Mars Argo, Mitski, Olivia Rodrigo, Paramore, S10, Tame Impala, Taylor Swift, Troye Sivan, Vance Joy, Vera Blue... Musicals & Theatre - I've seen a couple, my favourites are Come From Away and Hamilton. Other things - As you can guess, I love thylacines! I like most animals, really. I particularly love Keeshonds and other Spitz-type dogs - I have a 2 year old Keeshond and he's the most gorgeous doggy in the whole wide world. Things I haven't finished yet, so please no spoilers - The Owl House, Star Trek: Prodigy.

Wow, that's a long post. If you made it this far, um, congrats?

[thescrapbookingscientist]

Biweekly Media Roundup

- The Sandman (TV) - Been reading lots of good fanfic for this.

- Monster High (Web series) - I haven’t decided whether I want to watch through the old movies or just hop aboard the new reboot yet, but I’m having fun looking at all the designs.

- Breath Of The Wild (Video Game) - Sometimes I treat this game like Pokemon Snap and just go around taking close up pictures of all the animals.

- Animorphs (Books) - Uh so I’ve been watching a lot of video essays on one of my favorite series as a kid and boy did I forget just how messed up this series was its insane. There is a lot of cool and unique alien races and sci-fi concepts as well, so I might try to do a read through in the future, but also man some of the dark stuff gets seriously dark, like the author's sure did their job in driving home the War Is Hell and Will Inevitably Turn You Into a Monster message.

- The Haunting of Hill House (TV) - Halloween rewatch of one of my fave horror/suspense shows, I really appreciate how the whole thing all ties together in the end and how each character's perspective changes your view of the events.

- Spy X Family (Anime) - Love that season 2 is giving more focus to Yor, whom I adore.

- Hollow Knight (Video Game) - Lots of great fan art for this series, I can see why given the art direction of the game is so lovely on its own.

- The Owl House (Cartoon) - Great start to the final season, it’s really nice to see the kids hang out together even given the less than fortunate circumstances. I like the addition of Vee, Hunter and Luz get some nice sibling bonding, I’m glad creepy Belos is still around for some more villainy, and I’m having fun with all the new looks. Looking forward to the finale! 

- Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint (Webnovel) - Slowly making progress.

I’m also keeping up with Lower Decks, Ace Attorney, Jojo’s, Last Week Tonight, Made in Abyss, Chainsaw Man, Golden Kamuy, and rewatching Hamilton.

Listening to: Anti-Hero, Karma, Mastermind, and Midnight Rain by the Taylor Swift, House of Asmodeus and They’re Only Human by Annnapantsu, Ultraluminary by Caleb Hyles, The Bones by Maren Morris, World’s Smallest Violin by AJR, Stuck Like Glue by Sugarland, Bodies by Drowning Pool, Holy by Zolita, House of Memories by Panic at The Disco!, Deathly Loneliness by Hifumi

[loungelizzard2062]

Shutter - Romona Emerson

I’m an avid reader, and when I was younger would read practically anything I could get my hands on. My parents did not monitor my reading habits and they probably would be a bit hyper about a few titles that I read. They were probably not meant for my age group. Unlike parents today, I was not restricted to what I read, as long as I read something. I didn’t receive books as gifts, likely my parents had no idea what I was reading. I’m going to chalk that up to a good thing.

Now I find myself looking for more diverse stories. Not that there isn’t a large range of books to choose from. It comes from how the stories are created and marketed. In my late teens and twenties, it was true crime and murder mystery, with a bit of science fiction and fantasy. As I got older, I dropped the true crime, it was not sitting well and bounced between sci-fi/fantasy and murder mystery. Today I still love my murder mysteries, but I’m looking for diversity in my reading. Which is tough, authors come and go faster than I can find them. Some write a few books and then decide it’s not for them. Or quite a few are only writing stand alone novels which is okay. I prefer a series; I get quite attached to the characters and want to watch their growth.

Finding diversity is difficult, I want history, people of color, different cultures, also want paranormal and fantasy readings to round out my dwindling TBR (To Be Read). What I don’t want is the moral crushing realities that I know people of all races and cultures face. Don’t want the easy fast read, government conspiracy, violence that makes me turn the book away or too close to reality that I drop the author. Basically, if you’re whining about how unfair life is, choosing to write about government possibilities, bone crunching violence or sappy love stories, I’m going to pass you by.

Picking up “Shutter” was a risk. The story is about a native woman that sees the dead. Which in her culture is a sign of witchcraft. It’s also a cultural taboo. I’m not familiar with other native cultures, however, I do know that the Navaho view talking to the dead or doing anything to prevent the dead from journeying on is taboo. And they go to great lengths to ensure the dead don’t hang around.

The story line is edgy, fierce, and fast paced. The main character has many struggles both personally and professionally. She can’t seem to find balance between the worlds she lives in and her culture. Her friends are few and she is not readily accepted in the job she’s in. People don’t understand her talent and are quick to dismiss her as delusional. She struggles with this talent in trying to find balance and doing the right thing. I love that she sees the dead and found the storyline both frustrating and engaging. Appreciating the struggle to balance how one was raised and being able to incorporate that into a world that sees you as a minority.

I truly couldn’t put it down, and even though the author does not seem to have social media, I wanted to write this to let others know it’s a book worth reading and I hope she has more to offer with this new complicated person I’ve discovered.