#c: tales of suspense

[david-talks-sw]

I think it's interesting that - in order to make his "free-thinking Jedi" characters hold any semblance of rationality in their arguments - Dave Filoni needs to resort to artificially dehumanizing the other Jedi and painting them all with the same "we dogmatically worship protocol" brush.

He does this with Huyang in the recent Ahsoka episode.

"Lolz he's so narrow-minded, preachy and by-the-book, unable to think outside the box, just like the Jedi in the Prequels."

My first reaction was being amused at the fact that Filoni had to resort to making the Jedi Order's ideals and rules be embodied by a literal machine for his anti-Jedi headcanon to start making sense.

But then I remembered: Huyang isn't just any droid.

In The Clone Wars, he had a sassy personality, he had a pep in his step, he had a sense of humor...

This character was human in his behavior, he was fun and whimsical.

But now he's been reduced to, I dunno, "Jedi C-3PO"? Basically?

"Ha! He's blunt and unsympathetic because he's a droid, but it's funny because the Jedi were the same, they were training themselves to be tactless, emotionless droids."

And Filoni does this with Mace Windu too, in Tales of the Jedi.

Mace, who brought a lightsaber to the throat of a planetary leader to defend the endangered Zillo Beast...

... and who went waaay past his mandate by mischievously sneaking around Bardottan authorities and breaking into the Queen's quarters because he felt something bad was afoot...

... was reduced to being an almost droid-like, rule-parotting, protocol purist who sticks to his instructions (and is implied to be willing to let a murder go unsolved so he can get a promotion).

I mentioned this at the end of my first post on Luke in The Last Jedi... while changes in personality do happen overtime and can be explained in-universe... if you don't show us that progression and evolution and just leave us without that context, that'll break the suspension of disbelief, for your audience.

Here, we have two characters with a different (almost caricatural) personality than the one they were originally shown to have.

Now... we could resort to headcanons, to make it all fit together.

We could justify Huyang's tone shift 'cause "Order 66 changed him". And we could make explanations about TotJ's Mace:

Being younger and thus more ambitious and a stickler for the rules, and only really becoming more flexible after getting his seat on the Council and gaining more maturity.

Being such a teacher's pet in the episode because we're seeing him through the eyes of a notorious unreliable narrator, Dooku.

There'd be nothing wrong with opting to go with either of those headcanons to cope with this. After all, Star Wars is meant to help you get creative.

But the problem I encounter is that:

Filoni has an anti-Jedi bias, so the above headcanons clearly wouldn't really track with his intended narrative.

We'd be jumping through hoops to extrapolate and fill in what is, essentially, inconsistent characterization, manufactured to make Ahsoka and Dooku shine under a better light.

And that sours whatever headcanon I come up with.

Edit: Also, yeah, as folks have been saying in the tags... wtf is "Jedi protocol"? The term isn't ever mentioned in the movies, I skimmed through dialog transcripts of TCW, never saw it there.

So it's almost as if - if Filoni wasn't draining characters like Mace and Huyang of all humanity and nuance - his point about "the Jedi were too detached and lost their way, but not free-thinkers like Qui-Gon, Dooku and Ahsoka" wouldn't really hold much water.

[warrior-of-storms]

tangled threads nat

I added a little detail in one of my fics over on AO3 that Natasha used to have a white streak in her hair and I wanted to draw it, so here.

I figure that Nat has sampled pretty much every death and resurrection available and I wouldn't put it past the Red Room to have had access to a Lazarus Pit at some point. I'm also combining some comics stuff, so the current Natasha in the main Tangled Threads timeline is a clone ala Tales of Suspense (2017) #100-104. So Nat had the hair streak, but when she was brought back as a Red Room clone, she lost it bc the streak isn't part of her. Does that make any sense? It makes sense to me but idk how well it holds up outside my head.

This will almost definitely not be the last thing I do relating to tangled threads, as that universe is very precious to me and also the only thing I think about right now lol.

Some little design notes:

Her eyes didn't change, at least not noticeably. They were already pretty bright green. They did glow though. Not all the time. But they did glow.

Her design is based heavily off Black Widow (2020) because a) that's the only comic that is canon in tangled threads so far, b) I really love her design in that, and c) it's my favorite Black Widow run

She ended up in the Pit as a direct punishment for a failed mission - if she had died during training or on a mission, the Red Room would have left her, but they killed and revived her themselves as punishment. This happened twice before she defected, which is why the white stripe grows between 18 and leaving

The white was extremely irritating for her when she was on the run because it doesn't hold dye very well (it's ✨magic✨ don't question it) so there were several months between leaving and finally joining SHIELD where she changed her hair color a lot bc it was easier to dye her whole head than try to color match box dyes to her natural hair

[technician-the]

Weird Tales no. 36 November 1941; original painting by Hannes Bok.

This painting was reused for a facsimile collection of stories from the magazine, which I own, but I bought it used and it didn't have the dust jacket :( The stories from this era are much better read in Facsimile, because the original magazines were illustrated, often with beautiful ink illustrations.

Re made and animated in blender. I've used motion blur, which turned into a head ache, I forgot how glitchy blenders motion blur can be, but by the time I noticed problems I was in love with how the effect looked on the text.

the music is a edited version of something I wrote some time ago, inspired by the contemporary (to this magazine) radio program Suspense. the original was about 30 second long and featured a slower build.

lots of major pulp authors in this issue, Manly Wade Wellman, and August Derleth are famous enough in their own right, Henry Kuttner is better known now as C. L. Moor's husband/co-author then for his own work.

My personal highlight in the issue was this ad from " The Rosocrucains (not a religious orginization) ", promising to teach you telepathy

[harmonyhealinghub]

Edgar Allan Poe: Unraveling the Mastermind who Revolutionized Horror Shaina Tranquilino October 28, 2023

When it comes to horror literature, there is one name that stands out above all others – Edgar Allan Poe. Born in 1809, this enigmatic American author left an indelible mark on the world of literature with his dark and mysterious tales. With his unparalleled ability to delve into the depths of human psyche, Poe's work has forever transformed the genre of horror, inspiring countless authors and filmmakers over the years.

Poe's Unique Style:

Edgar Allan Poe was a master of creating an eerie atmosphere through vivid descriptions and chilling narratives. His stories were often characterized by themes of death, madness, and the macabre, leaving readers on the edge of their seats. Unlike other writers of his time, Poe refused to shy away from exploring the darker aspects of human nature.

The Birth of Detective Fiction:

Apart from his contributions to horror fiction, Poe is also hailed as the pioneer of detective fiction. In fact, his character C. Auguste Dupin was a precursor to famous detectives like Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot. Stories such as "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" and "The Purloined Letter" showcased Poe's keen analytical mind and introduced readers to deductive reasoning long before it became popular.

Psychological Depth:

One aspect that sets Poe apart from other authors is his exploration of psychological depth. He delves into the darkest corners of human consciousness and exposes our deepest fears and desires. This penetrating analysis resonates with readers even today, making his works timeless classics.

"The Tell-Tale Heart," for example, showcases how guilt can drive a person insane. The narrator's obsession with a single eye reveals not only their own deteriorating mental state but also serves as a metaphor for humanity's hidden sins lurking beneath the surface.

Legacy in Poetry:

While primarily known for his short stories, Poe's impact on poetry is equally significant. His haunting and melancholic verses have become celebrated works in their own right. Poems such as "The Raven," "Annabel Lee," and "The Bells" continue to captivate readers with their lyrical beauty, evocative imagery, and exploration of themes like love, loss, and the inevitability of death.

Influence on Contemporary Horror:

Edgar Allan Poe's influence on contemporary horror cannot be overstated. Countless authors, filmmakers, and artists draw inspiration from his unique style and themes even today. The dark atmospheres, psychological depth, and twists that have since become synonymous with the genre owe a great debt to this literary pioneer.

Poe's Legacy Continues:

Despite facing personal tragedies throughout his life and enduring financial struggles, Edgar Allan Poe left an indelible mark on literature. His work continues to resonate with audiences worldwide, captivating us with its eerie charm and immersive storytelling.

Edgar Allan Poe forever changed the world of horror through his masterful writings. His ability to explore the depths of human fear and obsession has influenced countless authors who followed in his footsteps. From his chilling tales of suspense to his introspective poetry, Poe remains an icon whose legacy will continue to haunt our collective imagination for generations to come.

[omniblades-and-stars]

The Space in Between

Got Your Six: Part 1

Shepard was quiet. The Commander had always been reserved, painfully professional, and doggedly respectful. To the point of rigidity at times. The mask would fall away in the mess hall, or sometimes even when she was making the rounds, checking in on the crew. There was a jokester hiding in there somewhere, genuine kindness and concern, but you would only catch brief glimpses of it in those spaces in between. But when she was on the command deck in her uniform, or in the field, she was Commander Helen Shepard, and Commander Helen Shepard only spoke when it was necessary to issue an order or wield her keen diplomatic senses like the sharpest blade.

This was not the same kind of quiet that Garrus was used to. The interior of the Mako was filled to the brim with the silence, it was so thick, he might have choked on it. No one spoke. In contrast, the sound of the engines and suspension system were the loudest noises he'd ever heard. Like standing right next to a roaring waterfall. The Commander's grip on the Mako's steering controls was so strong, he worried that she was going to pull them apart. 

She deftly guided the ground transport vehicle into the Normandy's cargo bay, and the moment it was safe to disembark, she removed her safety harness and jumped down to the hard metal deck below her. He watched as the woman, who was always fastidious with her gear, removed her helmet and threw it to the ground with a sharp bang as she stormed to the elevator. The air around her body was shifting, and glowing the tell-tale cerulean that spoke of the power hiding there, always just under her skin. Her fist almost went through the elevator controls just before the door slid close, and she disappeared into the ship. 

Someone needed to stop her before she hurt someone, or herself. No one had ever seen her like this. Everyone seemed to be struck dumb, or incapacitated by the force of her boiling wrath. Everyone, except Garrus Vakarian, who was hot on her tracks, her forgotten helmet held in his hands as he impatiently waited for the elevator to return. He hoped that she wasn't up in the mess whipping chairs into walls or tearing flight computers out of the bridge.

The silence on the deck as he arrived seemed foreboding, when it should have been comforting. It meant that the Commander was not letting the anger, the hurt, out. She was somewhere, trying to push it back up deep inside. Hide it in the spaces where no one could see it, but would eventually tear her apart from the inside out. He took the path to her quarters, Kaidan stood out to the side looking toward her door like it might bite him if he approached.

"Garrus, I don't think it's a good idea to bother her right now," Kaidan started, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. It was clear from his body language that he had tried to stop the Commander, only to be completely ignored. He was lucky he was only ignored.

Garrus paused for only long enough to glare at the man and snipe, "Only a bad idea if you're afraid of getting hit, Alenko." He knew what was happening, seen it before with other soldiers, even some C-Sec officers.

Perhaps he should not have said that, because it seemed to be a bit of a prophecy. He crossed the threshold into her quarters and had only just enough time to duck out of the way of a furious, glowing fist. "Commander, it's Garrus!" He barked and held her helmet out in front of him like a peace offering, or maybe a shield.

Commander Shepard had a wild, far away look in her eyes. Biotic energy rolled and roiled over her skin, and she had her hand clutched around her sidearm, ready to release it from the mag-lock that held it to her hip. It took several very tense seconds for recognition to set in, and Garrus was worried that she was going to put a bullet in between his eyes for trespassing in her quarters. 

He had never seen the Commander miss.

She blinked, once, twice, and then her arms went lax and her head dropped, along with the biotic power she had been shoring up in anticipation of a fight. "Shit," she whispered and then slumped into the tiny chair at her too small desk. Commander Helen Shepard buried her face in her hands, looking defeated in a way that she had never looked before, "I am so sorry, Garrus. I lost control."

The turian reached past her to place her helmet on the desk behind her, careful not to touch her. Shepard startled a little when the helmet landed on the surface with a soft thud. There was not much space in the room, so Garrus leaned against the wall across from her and crossed his arms. "Why did you let him live Shepard?"

"It was the right thing to do. I'm not a judge or an executioner, Garrus. I'm a goddamn soldier," she spoke through her hands, looking down at the floor. Her blond hair was slipping free from her carefully pinned bun, wisping and frizzed around the edges of her cheeks and temples. He had never seen her look so out of sorts, even though she was still neater than any of the other humans on this ship by a long shot.

Garrus' mandibles flared, and he tried again, "Commander, we killed Dr. Saleon, and what he did was similar enough to this. So I am asking again, why did you let Dr. Wayne live?"

Shepard ground her teeth, he thought he could hear them creaking against each other, and dropped her hands, "Because it was the right thing to do for Toombs. Because the galaxy needs to know what happened to him. They need to know why … I need to know why."

"Was it the right thing for you?"

Her shoulders dropped, and she looked down at the floor again, "What does it matter?"

She was sewing it back up inside. Letting it build a nest in her gut, and make its home there. No good. Garrus leaned forward and with a growl, he asked again, "Why did you let Dr. Wayne live?" He held her gaze and a raw energy built up between them as her anger began to mount anew.

She snapped. Commander Helen Shepard, who never had an outburst through everything they had done so far, who handled criminals and politicians alike with the patience of a saint, leapt from her seat and shouted, "Because the only thing I wanted to do was tear him apart, limb from limb, with my own goddamn hands! I wanted, still want, to feel his fucking blood on my fingers! But I'm not a monster like he is!" She was glowing again, and she took a threatening step forward.  

Now we're getting somewhere, Garrus thought to himself, just before he pushed a different button. "Tell me why you want to tear him apart, Shepard," he commanded her with a raised voice, and he knew it was just the right thing to do. Because she took another swing at him, pressure valve released. He shifted to the side to avoid being cold-clocked in the mouth plates. 

"My unit died because of them!" She screamed, and threw another punch at the infuriating turian needling and prodding at her. He turned and put his back against the door to her quarters and took a step out.

"What else, Shepard? I know there's more," he was challenging her with his fucking questions. Like he wanted her to pulverize him.

She stalked after him, she wasn't going to let him get away from her, "He works for a fucking terrorist org!" She pulled her fist back, and her hand filled with pulsating light and she sent it flying into him. Garrus was sent stumbling backwards several steps, barely managing to stay standing. She was holding back.

"Commander, what's going -"

"Stay out of this, Alenko!" Garrus warned with an outstretched hand as he regained his stance. "That's not why you wanted to kill him, is it Shepard? Tell me the real reason why!"

The energy pulsing around her flared again and she used both hands to send the insubordinate asshole sailing onto his back with a biotic push that seemed to warp the air around them. He slid into the wall with a groan, the impact winded him. 

Her head was aching, and her nose was bleeding. "Because all of this time I thought I was the only one! Thought I couldn't save them! But it wasn't fucking true!" She closed the newly created distance between them, looking down at the slightly dazed alien at her feet. "They say I'm a hero for surviving, but I wasn't alone and I thought I was!"

Her voice grew quieter, throat raw and voice ragged from the screaming, "I could have saved Toombs, but I didn't. He paid the price for my failure. I didn't do enough." She grimaced, and stumbled, holding her head. 

Damn it, she pushed herself too hard. Too much after fighting Toombs' mercenaries. She slid to her knees, and everything seemed to go gray for a minute. Shepard was faintly aware that she was being lifted from the ground, and led somewhere.

"What were you thinking, Vakarian? That could have killed her, or you!" 

"No offense, Alenko, but please shut up. I know what I'm doing."

"Garrus, Kaidan, I heard the commotion. Put the Commander here. What happened?"

It was Kaidan who answered, "She pushed herself too hard, with biotics, ma'am." He barely restrained himself from throwing Garrus under the proverbial bus. But he was an adult, and tattling was unbecoming.

Helen tried to open her eyes, but the migraine was in full swing. The harsh lights in the medbay were too bright, and they sent painful streaks of lightning through her vision. "I am fine, Dr. Chakwas. I just need water and a nap," Shepard said cooly and through clenched teeth. 

Dr. Chakwas chuckled in that friendly and caring way that she always did, "I am sure you are right, Commander. But if it is all the same to you, I'm going to give you a saline drip and something for the pain. You threw our friend here so hard it dented the ship!"

The good doctor herded the two men out of the medbay, and silently got the Commander hooked to an IV. Once she was satisfied with her work, she rolled her desk chair up to the side of the table the Alliance called "medical beds", as a joke maybe, and sat down next to Shepard. "Now that the boys are gone, why don't you tell me what that was really about, Commander?"

"The mission," Shepard's answer was clipped, and she pressed the heel of her hand into her forehead to try to ease the pressure there. "We went to save a scientist who was being targeted by someone who killed other scientists."

"I'm listening, dear. What happened?"

Tears stung at Shepard's eyes, but they didn't fall, "The killer, he was another survivor, from Akuze. The scientists, they captured him, tortured him, I don't really know what they were doing to him, but it had to be terrible. But he survived, Chakwas, and I didn't save him. I could have saved him from them."

Dr. Karin Chakwas rested her chin atop folded hands, "Commander, may I speak bluntly?"

"Of course, doctor."

"Commander, you cannot possibly save everyone. You do the impossible nearly every day, Shepard. If it was possible for you to save him, you would have. The Commander I know does not give up, nor does she cut corners," the doctor spoke kindly as Shepard massaged her temples with her outstretched hand. 

Commander Shepard was silent for a very long time, and the doctor did not press her for a response. Eventually, Helen groaned and dropped her hand limply beside her body. "I made an ass out of myself. I need to apologize to Garrus. Did I really dent my ship?"

"You should be thanking him, I think, Commander. And no, it was hyperbole, it's only lightly scuffed," Chakwas laughed and rolled away from the table to her desk. "You may leave to go say your apologies after you have had some rest. You may be the Commander on this ship, but doctor's orders trump all."

It was a few days later before Helen had a break long enough to swallow her embarrassment and go apologize to Garrus. First, she tried apologizing to Kaidan for storming past him and then exposing him to her outburst, but he spent the whole conversation telling her it wasn't her fault, and grousing about how Garrus shouldn't have pushed her like that. 

She didn't appreciate it. The way he treated her like a porcelain doll. It was just a fucking nosebleed. Those were a dime a dozen in her life. Especially when she didn't get enough sleep, or stop to eat. Hard to do when she's careening from planet to planet chasing down a cybernetic madman and his synthetic lackeys with barely the time to stop and catch her breath.

The elevator door slid open and Commander Shepard stepped into the cargo bay. She was wearing her fatigues, and her hair was perfectly pinned in place, like it always was. Her shoulders were set back, and she held her hands behind her back. A career soldier stood in the hold, looking over the people standing at ease. Wrex leaned back against the wall by the storage lockers, grumbling about something or other. Ashley worked on cleaning her weapon while she listened to a new vid message from her sister. That requisition officer stood awkwardly to her right, looking as if he was absolutely itching for her to buy something from him.

She ignored him, eyes coming to rest on Garrus. He was currently elbow deep in the Mako, adjusting something in the suspension system. The Mako started leaning to the left after Shepard drove it nose first off of a mountain side during their last excursion. 

The Commander approached and leaned down to watch what he was doing under there. It was all Greek to her under the chasis. A biotic powerhouse and crack shot she was, a mechanical wunderkind she was not. "Garrus, do you have a moment?"

"I'm almost done … and there it is," he answered as he twisted something, and the Mako shifted slightly with a hydraulic hiss. Garrus pulled himself out from under the enormous vehicle, and wiped his hands clean on a shop towel. "Need me for something?"

Helen stood up straight, running her hands over her sides to straighten her uniform back out. "Yes, Garrus, I came to apologize for my behavior the other day. Unprofessional does not begin to cover it, I'm afraid," she started strong but faltered a bit, and she started rubbing her upper arm, a rarely seen tic that popped up when she was uncomfortable. "Look, I shouldn't have tried to hit you, nice dodge by the way, and I definitely should not have thrown you like that."

Garrus laughed and shook his head, "I knew it was a risk going in Commander. It takes more than that to take me out."

"You might not have noticed, but I don't do emotional displays. But thank you. I think I needed it," she returned her hands behind her back, and returned to her professional mask.

"Anytime, Commander. Though with any luck, it won't be necessary again."

The Commander let a small smile break through, and nodded, "Dismissed Vakarian, I have a call with Admiral Hackett in ten minutes." She turned on her heel and just before she marched off, she looked over her shoulder at the turian, "Oh, and Garrus?"

"Shepard?"

"Next time you come to my quarters, knock first."

[chaoskirin]

Book Review--Darkwing by Kenneth Oppel

OK, I have to start by saying this was another can't-put-down book, but unfortunately... I have a biology degree. And have a special interest in the era generally discussed in this book, the K-Pg extinction. (Not the C-T extinction as the description says. AFAIK, there was no extinction event called the C-T extinction, although the K-Pg extinction used to be called the K-T extinction.)

What I really wish is that this book would have leaned into its fantasy elements as the author had done with the first three books. I needed some suspension of disbelief. The interference of a god. Maybe the intervention of mystics or shaman. Something to make the events of this book make sense in its context. But this book was very much presented as an EXTREMELY low fantasy tale, and sort of sidelined into the talking animal trope with no fantasy elements. But I'm getting a little ahead of myself.

So I'll go into what I really liked about the book first.

To make a quick summary of the plot, the dinosaurs are in their death throes and other animals are inheriting the earth. The animals made a pact to destroy the last of all saurian eggs whenever they were found to hasten their extinction, but a group of pre-bats (which the authors called chiropters) decided they didn't want to do that because it was morally wrong. The other chiropters resent this group for making that decision and they have been banished. The plot expands from there.

So... Oppel knows how to tell a story. Like I said earlier, this book was extremely compelling and kept me reading because I did truly care about the characters. I had feelings over them, got in their heads, and generally liked them all--even the characters presented as villains. The main character, Dusk, is a chiropter who was born much different than others; it turns out, he can fly, and find his way in the dark. His story parallels an early felid named Carnassial, who has discovered he has a taste for meat and is different than the others in his pride (called a prowl in the book) which only eat bugs.

I didn't love the unspoken lack of morality Oppel assigned to Carnassial, and would have liked to have seen this predatory switch be more honorable (which still would have made him an effective villain to the other characters), but meat eating was generally presented as an act of savagery rather than survival. This switch to meat eating was also scientifically problematic, but I'll get more into that in a bit.

I know I seem really hard on the book, but like I said, I could not stop reading it. I stayed up all night to finish it, despite my better judgement. Because I cared about Dusk, and I wanted to see him succeed. I wanted to see him find a place he belonged. And therein lies the importance of writing sympathetic characters. I kept reading because I liked him. I also liked his sister, Sylph, and his father Icaron. Some of the side characters were also enjoyable, and I understood the foil, Nova's, role in the story. Nova had come to shift her ways of thinking over time, and did not like Icaron, who was the leader of the hero group of chiropters.

But...

There are so many issues with the book, starting with the lack of fantastical elements. According to the author, this is supposed to be a fantasy world. And just introducing SOMETHING--magic, gods, anything--in Darkwing would have made 90% of my problems with the science just go away. I would have given the book 4 stars. But these fantasy elements are completely absent, save for a moment where Dusk licks a mushroom and has a terrible trip wherein he hears a voice (possibly Nocturna???) tell him that he's new. It's never outright stated. Had Oppel done so and leaned into the canonical existence of gods, so much more would have made sense. Instead, this can literally be written off as a drug-induced dream. In a children's book.

And now we can get into the problems this leads to when it comes to science.

A quick primer on evolution: it happens over millions of years through natural selection. Let's say a group of pre-bats occasionally produces young with stronger chest muscles. This is a natural variable in the lives of these creatures, and generally does not affect them in a positive or negative way. But as the environment changes over time, pre-bats born with stronger chest muscles are able to stay aloft longer and avoid predators more successfully. Which means those individuals are the ones left alive to breed. Other adaptations may follow. Less fur on the wings makes individuals more aerodynamic, and more of them survive.

Over hundreds of thousands of years, this trait is selected for within specific environments, and eventually this species is no longer similar to its parent species. Should they encounter each other (because the parent species might still survive in environments suited to it) they would no longer be able to interbreed, due to mutations in genetics. But you would have two related species--one with weaker chest muscles and furred wings, and one with strong chest muscles and bare wings.

The way evolution is presented in Darkwing is that every once in a while, a bat is born from chiropters. Dusk isn't like his fellows, who have weak chests, three claws on their wings, the inability to flap/fly, and the inability to truly echolocate. Later in the book, (view spoiler)

It's just. Not how evolution works. It isn't even a simplified version of how evolution works. And this continued to bother me, because all Oppel would have had to say is that the goddess, Nocturna, selected certain individuals to become Something New (tm) and it would have been FINE.

Likewise, as long as there have been creatures on earth, there have been predators. Obligate carnivores. Things that cannot survive eating berries and roots and must have a protein-rich diet with the vitamins that can only come from meat. This is niche-filling and promotes a healthy food web. If you're curious as to how carnivores can effect entire ecosystems, look no further than the effect the reintroduction of wolves had on Yellowstone... A phenomenon that surprised even scientists. From the very beginning, there were simple eukaryotes which ate plant cells, and those which ate OTHER eukaryotes. This maintained a balance in any given ecosystem and caused it to thrive.

So for the author to write that no beast would ever eat another beast and then have one particular character just decide he wanted meat... It was a little unbelievable. Evolution drives predation. Necessity drives predation. Again, this could have been solved by a god or goddess flipping a switch in the minds of some of the animals of the world. It would have been awesome for a higher power to note that populations were increasing to unsustainable levels and cause some animals to become predators. But in the book, this change is instead presented as a natural occurrence. I didn't like it.

Beyond the science, this book had absolutely NO levity. While this presented constant action, the inability for my brain to rest between chapters actually made me more tired reading it. I am a firm believer that even the most action-oriented books need to leave space for their readers to breathe. A place where I can put down the book without thinking about picking it back up again. Not only was it constant action, but it was also CONSTANTLY dumping on the main characters and they never had any good luck. Whether they were being predated or attacked by birds, it never let up. They were constantly harried, and I'm surprised they didn't all have heart attacks from the stress.

Even with all that, I STILL have to recommend this book, as long as you have no issues with hand-waving some pretty solid scientific theories. It's a good story, and it's a fun read.

[coochiequeens]

“India has one of the highest rates of honor killing and dowry deaths, where newlywed brides are tortured, burnt, sometimes even murdered on the basis of sex. For a man with caste and class privilege living so far removed from the everyday realities of Indian women, Alok Vaid-Menon sure has audacity to call himself a ‘bride,'” she (Vaishnavi Sundar) said.

An American trans activist who identifies as ‘transfeminine’ was recently featured by the Indian publication Brides Today on their digital cover, prompting criticism on social media. Alok Vaid-Menon, 31, who uses “they/them” pronouns, was interviewed and photographed for the magazine wearing clothing resembling traditional attire for women.

Vaid-Menon’s April 19 appearance in the magazine was presented as a commentary on same-sex marriage, which is currently being debated at India’s highest court.

During the full interview, Vaid-Menon was asked his thoughts on topics such as marriage and love, stating “love is about expansion, not constriction. Permission, not prohibition… I want to be a living love poem. Every day I ask myself, ‘How can I love harder?’ Love breaks through binaries—man and woman, us and them, you and me… Love doesn’t live in should, it lives in what is.”

Yet despite the platitudes, Vaid-Menon has caused concern for a past statement in which he referred to “little girls” as being “kinky” and claimed to have himself once been “a cute little girl.”

In approximately 2016, when Vaid-Menon was using the moniker Dark Matter to promote himself as a performance artist and poet, he published a disturbing statement on his views of young girls’ presumed sexuality.

In the statement, Vaid-Menon rejects the notion that little girls need to be protected from “gender/sexual deviance,” and instead claims that “little girls, like the rest of us, are complicated people.”

Vaid-Menon was writing about legislation that had been introduced in the state of North Carolina that year establishing that public restrooms remain single-sex accommodations. House Bill 2, the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act, was intended to protect women and children from being exposed to men while in a state of undress. 

Vaid-Menon responded to the bill being signed into law by claiming that single-sex spaces were being upheld under a false narrative of protecting “innocent little girls” from “freaky” transgender people. 

“There are no fairy tales and princesses here. Little girls are also queer, trans, kinky, deviant, kind, mean, beautiful, ugly, tremendous, and peculiar. Your kids aren’t as straight and narrow as you think they are,” Vaid-Menon wrote.

He went on to claim that he viewed the 1973 horror classic The Exorcist as being about “a little girl … exploring her sexuality (masturbation and so on) and her own demons/meanness.”

In 2021, quotes from the post began circulating on Twitter and prompting outrage, but users found themselves getting suspended for referencing or reacting to the text. 

Conservative political pundit Lauren Witzke was suspended from Twitter for hate speech after retweeting a graphic showing Vaid-Menon’s quote, to which she commented that the views he expressed were “demonic.” Witzke was reinstated on the platform almost two years later, after Tesla CEO Elon Musk bought Twitter and offered “amnesty” on many previous suspensions.

The views expressed in Vaid-Menon’s Facebook post were criticized by the now-deceased lesbian activist YouTuber Magdalen Berns in a video she titled “Non-Binary Bullsh*t.” Berns concluded that in her opinion, his comments on girlhood made him “sound a bit like a pedo,” and remarked that “even his fans” disapproved, causing him to eventually delete the post.

The following year, in 2017, Vaid-Menon and fellow non-binary activist Jacob Tobia were profiled by Vice in an article titled “Why Can’t My Famous Gender Nonconforming Friends Get Laid.” The article was subject to widespread mockery for highlighting Vaid-Menon’s lack of success in dating, and included comments indicating that Vaid-Menon and Tobia had considered taking female hormones in order to date heterosexual men in an attempt to expand their dating pool.

Vaid-Menon has been a strong proponent for “neutralizing” women’s issues in order to make them “gender inclusive.” He has previously written about the importance of using gender neutral language when discussing abortion, pregnancy, or sex-based violence, also denouncing the term “women’s rights” as not being sufficiently welcoming to gender non-conforming people. 

In 2020, Vaid-Menon was featured by menstrual hygiene company This is L and the Phluid Project – a “gender free” clothing and lifestyle brand based in New York – in a promotional video featuring individuals of varying “gender identities” to spread the message that periods are not specific to females. Vaid-Menon had endorsed this belief previously when, in 2019, he shared an articlefrom Seventeen magazine, a publication aimed at girls and young women, titled “What Trans & Non-Binary Menstruators Should Know About Periods.”

Women’s rights campaigner and filmmaker Vaishnavi Sundar blasted Vaid-Menon’s activism as “dangerous” while calling attention to the plight of women and girls in India. 

In 2020, screenings of a documentary Sundar had produced titled “But What Was She Wearing?” were cancelled in response to previous tweets she had made opposing men in women’s spaces. Her film sought to address the sexual harassment and sexual violence that women in the nation experience, juxtaposing the contrast between what laws on paper purport and the on-the-ground reality.

“India is an extremely caste-riddled society. Indian women across all castes experience profound violence at the hands of men. A large majority still live under acute poverty, devoid of basic sanitation, education, safety, or legal recourse,” Sundar told Reduxx.

“India has one of the highest rates of honor killing and dowry deaths, where newlywed brides are tortured, burnt, sometimes even murdered on the basis of sex. For a man with caste and class privilege living so far removed from the everyday realities of Indian women, Alok Vaid-Menon sure has audacity to call himself a ‘bride,'” she said.

“To import gender identity ideology as some form of progressive ticket to freedom is not just obscene, it is dangerous. In a country that still kills the female newborns and blames young girls for being raped, gender identity is the last thing we want shoved down on us while we haven’t even saved ourselves from the existing misogyny,” Sundar added.

“The only group of people profiting from this ideology are the corporations, medical and pharmaceutical industries. Men like Alok Vaid-Menon are promoters of said industries under the veneer of being progressive and inclusive.”

[tomoleary]

Jack Kirby Tales of Suspense #78 Unpublished Alternate Captain America and Nick Fury Cover Pencils Original Art (Marvel, c. 1966) Source

Published cover by Jack Kirby (Pencils), Frank Giacoia (Inks), Stan Goldberg (Colors) and Sam Rosen (Letters)

[richincolor]

New Releases

It's officially fall and the beginning of the spooky season! We have three spooky books out this week to start this magical time off right as well as the sequel to another one of Chloe Gong's fantastical Shakespeare's adaptations. Which of these will be your spooky season read?

If I Have to Be Haunted by Miranda Sun

Cemetery Boys meets Legendborn in this thrillingly romantic, irresistibly fun YA contemporary fantasy debut following a teenage Chinese American ghost speaker who (reluctantly) makes a deal to raise her nemesis from the dead. Cara Tang doesn’t want to be haunted. Look, the dead have issues, and Cara has enough of her own. Her overbearing mother insists she be the “perfect” Chinese American daughter—which means suppressing her ghost-speaking powers—and she keeps getting into fights with Zacharias Coleson, the local golden boy whose smirk makes her want to set things on fire. Then she stumbles across Zach’s dead body in the woods. He’s even more infuriating as a ghost, but Cara’s the only one who can see him—and save him. Agreeing to resurrect him puts her at odds with her mother, draws her into a dangerous liminal world of monsters and magic—and worse, leaves her stuck with Zach. Yet as she and Zach grow closer, forced to depend on each other to survive, Cara finds the most terrifying thing is that she might not hate him so much after all. Maybe this is why her mother warned her about ghosts.

The Grimmer by Naben Ruthnum ECW Press

The small-town mysteries of John Bellairs are made modern with a dash of Stranger Things in this spine-tingling supernatural horror-thriller. After his father returns from treatment for addiction, highschooler Vish ― lover of metal music and literature ― is uncertain what the future holds. It doesn’t help that everyone seems to know about the family’s troubles, and they stand out doubly as one of the only brown families in town. When Vish is mistaken for a relative of the weird local bookseller and attacked by an unsettling pale man who seems to be decaying, he is pulled into the world of the occult, where witches live in television sets, undead creatures can burn with a touch, and magic is mathematical. Vish must work with the bookstore owner and his mysterious teenage employee, Gisela, to stop an interdimensional invasion that would destroy their peaceful town. Bringing together scares, suspense, and body horror, The Grimmer is award-winning author Naben Ruthnum’s first foray into the young adult genre. This gripping ride through the supernatural is loaded with vivid characters, frightening imagery, and astonishing twists, while tackling complex issues such as grief, racism, and addiction.

The Changing Man by Tomi Oyemakinde Feiwel & Friends

A teenage girl is pulled into investigating the truth behind her new boarding school’s decades-old legend in The Changing Man , this debut Young Adult speculative thriller by Tomi Oyemakinde Face front. Watch your back. BE BRAVE. If it was left to her, Ife Adebola wouldn’t be starting at Nithercott School. Because despite her being in the Urban Achievers scholarship program, her parents can barely afford the tuition. No matter who is trying to be friends with her, like her classmate Bijal, or how much the prestigious boarding school tries to pull her in, Ife is determined not to get caught up in any of it. But when another student, Malika, begins acting strange, Ife can’t help but wonder if there’s more going on at Nithercott than she realizes. Could there be any truth to the school’s decades-old legend of the Changing Man? Is there any connection to the missing older brother of her classmate, Ben? As more questions arise, Ife has no choice but to team up with Ben and Bijal to investigate. But can the trio act quickly enough to uncover who is behind everything, before one―or all―of them is the Changing Man’s next victim?

Mermaids Never Drown: Tales to Dive For edited by Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker Feiwel Friends

14 Young Adult short stories from bestselling and award-winning authors make a splash in Mermaids Never Drown – the second collection in the Untold Legends series edited by Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker – exploring mermaids like we’ve never seen them before! A Vietnamese mermaid caught between two worlds. A siren who falls for Poseidon’s son. A boy secretly pining for the merboy who saved him years ago. A storm that brings humans and mermaids together. Generations of family secrets and pain. Find all these stories and more in this gripping new collection that will reel you in from the very first page! Welcome to an ocean of hurt, fear, confusion, rage, hope, humor, discovery, and love in its many forms. Edited by Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker, Mermaids Never Drown features beloved authors like Darcie Little Badger, Kalynn Bayron, Preeti Chhibber, Rebecca Coffindaffer, Julie C. Dao, Maggie Tokuda-Hall, Adriana Herrera, June Hur, Katherine Locke, Kerri Maniscalco, Julie Murphy, Gretchen Schreiber, and Julian Winters.

Firsts and Lasts edited by Laura Silverman Penguin Workshop

An exciting fiction YA anthology that celebrates the new experiences and final moments teenagers face on their journey into adulthood from editor Laura Silverman and a cast of spectacular contributors. From first breakups and romantic vampire encounters to last band performances and the deadly end of a friendship, Firsts and Lasts is an anthology that is just as unpredictable as being a teenager. While each of these stories span different genres and styles, they all perfectly capture the big emotions–confusion, joy, uneasiness, and anticipation–that many teens experience as they grow up. Whether you are hopelessly in love and not sure how to tell your crush, going through loss and can’t fully process it, or just trying to figure out where you belong in the world, this collection of sixteen stories has something for every reader. Stories written by: Adi Alsaid, Keah Brown, Monica Gomez-Hira, Kika Hatzopoulou, Shaun David Hutchinson, Amanda Joy, Loan Le, Joy McCullough, Yamile Saied Méndez, Anna Meriano, Nina Moreno, Tess Sharpe, Laura Silverman, Rachel Lynn Solomon, Diana Urban, and Julian Winters.

Foul Heart Huntsman (Foul Lady Fortune #2) by Chloe Gong Margaret K. McElderry Books

Winter is drawing thick in 1932 Shanghai, as is the ever-nearing threat of a Japanese invasion. Rosalind Lang has suffered the worst possible fate for a national spy: she’s been exposed. With the media storm camped outside her apartment for the infamous Lady Fortune, she’s barely left her bedroom in weeks, plotting her next course of action after Orion was taken and his memories of Rosalind wiped. Though their marriage might have been a sham, his absence hurts her more than any physical wound. She won’t rest until she gets him back. But with her identity in the open, the task is near impossible. The only way to leave the city and rescue Orion is under the guise of a national tour. It’s easy to convince her superiors that the countryside needs unity more than ever, and who better than an immortal girl to stir pride and strength into the people? When the tour goes wrong, however, everything Rosalind once knew is thrown up in the air. Taking refuge outside Shanghai, old ghosts come into the open and adversaries turn to allies. To save Orion, they must find a cure to his mother’s traitorous invention and take this dangerous chemical weapon away from impending foreign invasion—but the clock is ticking, and if Rosalind fails, it’s not only Orion she loses, but her nation itself.

[fearsmagazine]

WILD EYED AND WICKED - Review

DISTRIBUTOR: Gravitas Ventures

SYNOPSIS:  In a family haunted by a menacing medieval creature for generations, Lily Pierce grapples with the childhood loss of her mother, Silvia. Her therapist and girlfriend offer support as she navigates the pain of the anniversary of her mother's death. Encouraged to confront her past, Lily accepts an invitation from her estranged father, a disgraced history professor, to visit the farm where she grew up. To overcome the haunting presence, Lily must discover the strength and courage of a bygone era, a time when armored knights bravely faced and vanquished monsters.

REVIEW: Filmmaker Gordon S Foxwood sets out to tell a story that attempts to deconstruct a contemporary tale of knights and demons as a heroine grables with her mother’s demons, aided by her father and friend.

At its core, the WILD EYED AND WICKED exhibits influences from screenwriter Richard LaGravenese's "The Fisher King" and similar stories of the genre. Lily grapples with relationship issues and family trauma, but her psyche remains relatively stable compared to Parry in "The Fisher King." She embodies some aspects of both Parry and Jack Lucas. After encountering her mother's armor, letters, and pages from an old book about a demon, Lily ventures into the forest to confront the demon. The final act shifts the focus towards her relationships with her father and girlfriend. Ultimately, a collective effort is needed for Lily to break through and confront the demon. Director Foxwood does a commendable job of balancing these elements, but the film lacks fresh or compelling aspects to keep viewers engaged. Additionally, some of the dialogue feels insincere or unnecessary, and the story's lack of surprises diminishes its impact.

While the film features an attractive location and decent costumes, it falls short in several other areas. The cinematography is often very dark. The props lack authenticity due to insufficient aging. The editing pace is slow, featuring Lily’s excessive phone and laptop screen time. Lengthy dialogue scenes between Lily and her father utilize basic framing and methodical cutting, further contributing to the sluggish pacing. Numerous flashbacks to young Lily and her mother aim to provide background, but they ultimately slow down the narrative. The jump scares feel ineffective due to mistimed setups and poor execution. The obligatory montage sequence before the battle lacks energy and enthusiasm. The fight sequence is underwhelming, partly attributed to the simplistic demon design devoid of menace, the lackluster choreography and the sluggish editing.

Despite not being terrible, the performances failed to captivate this viewer. While the tale's depressing themes are appreciated, the characters lacked the spark needed to provide viewers with a sense of hope to sustain their interest. Unfortunately, there was no character or performance that offered any emotional contrast. All the emotional levels felt suppressed, and there were moments when the characters should have been more emotionally engaged but didn't come across as fully invested or enraged.

WILD EYED AND WICKED has a made-for-tv movie or Hallmark channel production feel to it. Many of its plot devices lack originality, resembling other stories and films with similar themes. The film lacks atmosphere, even during the protagonist's ride into the forest, and fails to build tension, suspense, a sense of wonder or  the loss of innocence. Although it is an independent film and may have had budget constraints, other filmmakers have achieved more with less. The overly ambitious film falls short. While it is clearly a labor of love for Gordon Shoemaker Foxwood, it is also a laborious watch for the viewer.

CAST: Molly Kunz, Michael X. Sommers, Stefanie Estes, and Colleen Camp. CREW: Director/Screenplay/Producer - Gordon Shoemaker Foxwood; Producers - Powell Robinson & Patrick Robert Young; Cinematographers - Matheus Bastos & Eyal Bau Cohen; Score - Kyle Hnedak; Editor - William Ford-Conway ; Production Designer - Hanna Hamilton; Costume Designer - Nadine Sondej-Robinson; Visual Effects Artists - Chris Riley & Justin Sarceno; Prosthetic Designer - Isabelle Isel; Practical Effects - Independent Studio Services & J&M Effects. OFFICIAL: www.wildeyedandwicked.com FACEBOOK: N.A. TWITTER: N.A. TRAILER: https://youtu.be/FQc3rDYwpaw RELEASE DATE: TVOD/Digital and cable On Demand June 11th, 2024

**Until we can all head back into the theaters our “COVID Reel Value” will be similar to how you rate a film on digital platforms - 👍 (Like), 👌 (It’s just okay), or 👎 (Dislike)

Reviewed by Joseph B Mauceri

[doctorofmagic]

May 2023 Solicitations: Doctor Strange confirmed appearances

DOCTOR STRANGE #4

Jed MacKay (W) • ANDY MACDONALD (A) • Cover by Alex Ross

Clea Variant Cover by DERRICK CHEW • VARIANT COVER BY CHRISTIAN WARD

MEET WONG…AGENT OF W.A.N.D.!

Wong and magic super-spy Pandora Peters are reforming S.H.I.E.L.D.’s covert mystical organization. Their first mission? Find a supernatural serial killer who not only destroys magic but eats it! Who is this horrifying monster? And what future danger does it spell for Doctor Strange?

32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

WARLOCK: REBIRTH #3 (OF 5)

RON MARZ (W) • RON LIM (A/C)

Variant Cover by MIKE HAWTHORNE

Adam Warlock and Doctor Strange must escape Soul World! But in order to do that, Adam will have to fight Eve head on! Without the Soul Gem, does Adam stand a chance?

32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

ULTIMATE INVASION #1 (OF 4)

JONATHAN HICKMAN (W) • BRYAN HITCH (A/C) • FOIL VARIANT COVER BY BRYAN HITCH ALSO AVAILABLE

NEGATIVE SPACE VARIANT COVER BY JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER

VARIANT COVER BY PEACH MOMOKO • VIRGIN VARIANT COVER BY PEACH MOMOKO

VARIANT COVER BY ED MCGUINNESS • VARIANT COVER BY RON LIM

VARIANT COVER BY SARA PICHELLI • VARIANT COVER BY RUSSELL DAUTERMAN

BLANK VARIANT COVER ALSO AVAILABLE

THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE BEGINS!

Superstar creators Jonathan Hickman and Bryan Hitch team up!

The Illuminati must form once again to stop the Maker from his plans to destroy – or perhaps rebuild – the universe, with Miles Morales at the center of it all! Bryan’s work on THE ULTIMATES helped redefine super hero comics for the 2000s - wait until you see what he and Jonathan have in store for this decade! Including new data pages by Jonathan Hickman - plus exclusive behind-the-scenes material on the world-building that has gone into this project!

56 PGS./Rated T+ …$8.99

SON OF ORIGINS OF MARVEL COMICS: MARVEL TALES #1 (reprint)

Written by STAN LEE & LARRY LIEBER

Penciled by JACK KIRBY, DON HECK, STEVE DITKO & BILL EVERETT

Cover by NICK BRADSHAW

VARIANT COVER BY PEACH MOMOKO • DOG VARIANT COVER BY CHRISSIE ZULLO

VIRGIN VARIANT COVER BY NICK BRADSHAW

Relive the debut appearances of even more pop-culture icons as we celebrate the legacy of the House of Ideas with MARVEL TALES! In INCREDIBLE HULK (1962) #1, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby unveil perhaps their most tragic hero of all. Is the Hulk man, is he monster…or is he both? In JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY (1952) #83, Larry Lieber joins Lee and Kirby to bring the mighty Thor from Norse myth to the Marvel Universe! In TALES OF SUSPENSE (1959) #39, Lee, Lieber and artist Don Heck introduce Tony Stark – and show how, to save his own life, he must build the invincible armor of Iron Man! In STRANGE TALES (1951) #110-111, Lee and Steve Ditko present the psychedelic world of Doctor Strange, Master of the Mystic Arts! And in DAREDEVIL (1964) #1, Bill Everett teams with Lee to show how blind youth Matt Murdock becomes the fearless adventurer known as Daredevil!

104 PGS./Rated All Ages …$7.99

--

Despite the many solicitations, I don’t think it will be a busy for Stephen (at least, on the confirmed appearances) because, well, Ults will be confused on Miles Morales, not the Illuminati. And the other one is just a reprint. Stephen will be certainly more featured in Warlock, which is nice to see again since they share a history. And that’s it!

(also furry!Stephen sos)

[agentxthirteen]

On this day (October 24, late) in Sharon Carter history, Sharon appeared in:

Paradise X: Heralds #1 (2001)

Captain America V6 #19 [Variants A-B] (2012) (with Sharon)

Amazing Spider-Man #8 [+ Variants A-C, X17-X18, Z] (2018)

Marvel Masterworks: Captain America V2 TPB (Reprint Tales of Suspense #85, #92-#95, #97-#99, Captain America #100) (2012)

100 Greatest Marvels of All Time #2 (Reprint Captain America #109) (2001)

[guerrilla-operator]

Eric B. & Rakim // Microphone Fiend

I was a fiend before I became a teen I melted microphones instead of cones of ice cream Music orientated so when hip hop was originated Fitted like pieces of puzzles complicated 'Cause I grabbed the mic and try to say, "Yes y'all" They tried to take it and say that I'm too small Cool 'cause I don't get upset I kick a hole in the speaker pull the plug then I jet Back to the lab without a mic to grab So then I add all the rhymes I had One after the other one, then I make another one To this the opposite then ask if the brother's done I get a cravin' like I fiend for nicotine But I don't need a cigarette, know what I mean? I'm ragin', rippin' up the stage and Don't it sound amazin' 'cause every rhyme is made and Thought of, 'cause it's sort of an addiction Magnetized by the mixing Vocals, vocabulary, your verses, you're stuck in The mic is a Drano, volcanoes eruptin' Rhymes overflowin', gradually growin' Everything is written in the cold, so it can coincide My thoughts to guide Forty eight tracks to slide The invincible, microphone fiend, Rakim Spread the word 'cause I'm in E-F-F-E-C-T A smooth operator operating correctly But back to the problem, I got a habit You can't solve it, silly rabbit The prescription is a hyper tone that's thorough when I fiend for a microphone like heroin Soon as the bass kicks, I need a fix Give me a stage and a mic and a mix And I'll put you in a mood or is it a state of Unawareness, beware, it's the re-animator A menace to a microphone, a lethal weapon An assassinator, if the people ain't steppin' You see a part of me that you never seen When I'm fiendin' for a microphone, I'm the microphone fiend After twelve, I'm worse than a Gremlin Feed me hip-hop and I start tremblin' The thrill of suspense is intense, you're horrified But this ain't the cinemas of ,'Tales From the Darkside' By any means necessary, this is what has to be done Make way 'cause here I come My DJ cuts material, grand imperial It's a must that I bust any mic you hand to me It's inherited, it runs in the family I wrote the rhyme that broke the bull's back If that don't slow 'em up, I carry a full pack Now I don't wanna have to let off, you should of kept off You didn't keep the stage warm, step off Ladies and gentleman, you're about to see A pastime hobby about to be Take it to the maximum, I can't relax see, I'm Hype as a hypochondriac 'cause the rap be one Hell of a antidote, somethin' you can't smoke More than dope, you're tryin' to move away but you can't, you're broke More than cracked up, you should have backed up For those who act up need to be more than smacked up Any entertainer, I got a torture chamber One on one and I'm the remainder So close your eyes and hold your breath And I'ma hit you with the blow of death Before you go, you'll remember you seen The fiend of a microphone, I'm the microphone fiend

[meanstreetspodcasts]

BONUS - Halloween Haunts: Three Tales of Terror

It's been a crazy month, and the Halloween Haunts countdown of bonus episodes suffered as a result. To make it up to you after a lengthy delay, I'm sharing a trilogy of terror - three scary old time radio shows to enjoy in the days before Halloween. First, Frank Lovejoy learns about the consequences of defying a voodoo curse in "Papa Benjamin," a Cornell Woolrich adapted for Escape (originally aired on CBS on January 24, 1948). Next, Peter Lorre stars in "The Black Cat," Edgar Allan Poe's tale of cruelty, rage, and a killer undone by the strangest of circumstances from Mystery in the Air (originally aired on NBC on September 18, 1947). Finally, Ida Lupino and Vincent Price co-star in Lucille Fletcher's Victorian era horror story "Fugue in C-Minor" from Suspense (originally aired on CBS on June 1, 1944).

Check out this episode!

[harmonyhealinghub]

Exploring the Shadows of Indigenous Dark Fiction: Never Whistle at Night Anthology Shaina Tranquilino October 27, 2023

In a world where diverse voices are increasingly being heard, literature plays a crucial role in amplifying marginalized perspectives. One such remarkable work is the anthology "Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology," edited by Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. This collection of haunting stories offers readers a unique glimpse into the rich tapestry of indigenous folklore, horror, and speculative fiction. As we delve into the depths of this book, we discover tales that challenge stereotypes and provide a fresh perspective on traditional storytelling.

Diverse Voices Unleashed:

Never Whistle at Night stands as an important literary milestone in its ability to bring together Indigenous authors from various tribes and backgrounds. Each story is crafted with immense care, capturing the essence of cultural heritage while embracing the dark realms of fiction. The authors skillfully blend elements of horror, fantasy, and suspense to create narratives that both entertain and educate.

Exploring Indigenous Folklore:

One notable aspect of this anthology is its exploration of Indigenous folklore, which has often been overlooked in mainstream literature. With each turn of the page, readers are transported into worlds filled with spirits, supernatural creatures, and ancient traditions—elements deeply rooted in native cultures. These stories serve as powerful reminders that Indigenous peoples have their own myths and legends that deserve recognition.

Challenging Stereotypes:

A prominent theme throughout Never Whistle at Night is challenging stereotypes surrounding Indigenous communities. By weaving these narratives within dark fiction genres, the authors subvert expectations and offer nuanced portrayals far removed from common clichés. They confront issues such as colonialism, displacement, identity struggles, and generational trauma head-on while simultaneously delivering captivating plots.

Blending Darkness and Light:

The editors' expert curation allows for an engaging balance between darkness and light within the anthology's pages. While some stories may leave readers trembling with fear, others offer solace and hope. This careful equilibrium serves as a reminder that Indigenous experiences encompass both the shadows and the light, just like any other culture.

Impactful Storytelling:

"Never Whistle at Night" showcases the immense talent of its contributors, each story delivering a unique experience to the reader. From chilling tales set in contemporary urban environments to more traditional stories deeply rooted in cultural heritage, there is something for everyone within these pages. The authors' ability to effortlessly blend genres creates an anthology that transcends labels and speaks to a universal human experience.

In "Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology," editors Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. skillfully bring together Indigenous voices that deserve wider recognition. This collection offers readers an opportunity to immerse themselves in captivating narratives while challenging preconceived notions about Indigenous cultures. By showcasing dark fiction infused with rich folklore and thought-provoking themes, this anthology leaves a lasting impact on its audience—a testament to the power of diverse storytelling and literature's ability to bridge gaps between cultures.

[arianaofimladris]

Season three thoughts&rant

I more or less watched the third season of Netflix’s The Witcher.

What I liked:

- Geralt with a sword. His fight scenes are at least pleasurable to look at, even if in a wider picture that fighting makes no sense. I no longer have any expectations towards this show, I mainly wanted to watch Cavill as Geralt while I could.

- Geralt’s fight with Vilgefortz. It was alright for the series standards. It is one of my favorite moments in the saga and while they thoroughly butchered the whole Thanned part, that fight was ok.

- Geralt and Ciri were alright, at least until any fighting happened. I do NOT buy Geralt standing idly by while he lets Ciri take the initiative in a fight. Not with the monster on the boat and certainly not with Cahir. But other than that, they did have a few nice moments.

- The actress who plays Tissaia. I did believe Tissaia is one of the oldest of the mages, that she is respected and that she is powerful. The only idiotic drawback being her romance with Vilgefortz, but the actress really shines in that role and if I’m to remember anyone from that show except Geralt, it’s her.

- The final fight scene in the tavern with Ciri meeting the Rats and with Percival music during the fight. This was actually the only moment in this season when I felt like I was watching a Witcher adaptation, to the point that I felt like this scene came from a completely different series than the rest of this crap. Which left me sad in the end, because this is how this show could have looked like if the scriptwriters bothered to actually adapt the books. There were changes, yes, I know, but I actually FELT like I was watching the Witcher. That scene, along with the Renfri tale from season 1, are for me  the best adaptation and if the whole series had kept such quality/level/accuracy, I would have been happy.

- Ciri on the desert. Ok, with one huge BUT. I was genuinely surprised to see that subplot quite accurately adapted, with all the little details like Ciri licking the cream she had, or her going the wrong way and returning to the start point. The pace was slower, but I enjoyed it. Freya Allan gives much better impression when she’s not on screen next to Yennefer (because she looks older than Anya). Still looks a decade too old for Ciri, but at least it’s not that obvious when she’s alone on screen.

BUT – I really disliked there the visions part, I hoped to never see Netflix Calanthe or Pavetta again. I scrolled past most of that. It was boring, too long and unnecessary. Also I saw a lot of people complaining about this episode and I think it could have been way better if it was edited in a different way. Those desert scenes, which are, I agree, quite boring in the end, could have been entwined with another subplot. Like Geralt in Brokilon. We would get some news about both characters without either plot being too long and slow. And let’s be honest, Geralt in Brokilon, lying stiff, is not too action-packed either. I think the filming material of the desert part was good (minus the shitty visions) and different editing would have helped a lot.

- The Milva actress is like a decade too old for Milva and also very tiny for a nicely looking, but well built and muscled young woman living among the dryads, but at least her dynamics with Geralt start on the right ground. If I were to point one woman in the whole season whom I did not dislike, it would be her.

General impressions:

- Once again, a show that requires the suspension of brain instead of the suspension of disbelief.

- Garbage scriptwriting. And I’m not even talking about the book accuracy – that ship had sailed loooong time ago.  I’m talking about writing dialogues that make you cringe every three minutes. I’m talking about writing and constructing scenes in a way that makes the characters act like complete idiots. There were so many scenes where I could come up with at least five different solutions on spot, tiny changes easily incorporated so that the characters’ behaviour would make sense.

- Destiny as deus ex machina. This is exactly the opposite to the books. All the bullshitting about people linked by destiny always finding each other. This is exactly what Sapkowski did not write. Destiny is not enough. You need something more. The “more” being character’s conscious decision to act or inact. Geralt’s and Yennefer’s fates were somehow bound by Geralt’s wish, but it didn’t magically made them a couple. Without effort from both parts, their relation kept falling apart (Because Geralt would walk away. Because Yennefer was afraid to open up and allow herself to get involved. You name it.). Same goes with Ciri.

- Soap opera drama. God, this is a dirty fantasy world, why do we get all these teary dialogues with cheap emotional play. Or the big inspirational speeches that look ridiculous. And don’t get me wrong, motivational speech, when delivered right, will make a huge impression and get the right result. Remember Aragorn before the battle at Minas Tirith, talking to the Rohirrim? But Yennefer returning from her banishment, bullshitting before the other mages about how they have to stand together, blah blah blah? I know, the show desperately wants to create her as the best, the smartest, the one who takes charge, whatever. Sorry, it’s not working.

-  I watched/listened to the series in English and my cringe tolerance in English is higher, but gosh, it was hard even there. I wonder how these dialogues sound to native English speaker who actually uses their brain while watching. Because when I heard/read bits of these dialogues in Polish, that surely brought out another level of cringe.

- I feel like you could cut off half (if not more) of the first five episodes and the story would lose virtually nothing important.

- The sex/kink scenes were, erm, boring is a mild word to describe them. So you don’t actually show any intimacy between the two main characters, but you waste screentime for Filippa and whoever just for the sake of ticking another checklist.

- I would love to see sth like “season three by characters screen time”, just to know how many minutes of Geralt we got in these eight episodes. I’m left with an impression that he was hardly there.

 The rest of rant in details

- Ciri the future queen, the saviour, the one who will unite them all. Hi the most generic idea in a fantasy universe that contradicts most of the typical, generic ideas.

- They had absolutely no idea what to do with Geralt in this season. They make him act like an idiot and not killing Rience in the first episode, so that he has a purpose in the next three, only to let him kill Rience in episode 6 ( which takes a powerful moment later on from Ciri, who kills Rience in the books). Or they make him act like an idiot and putting his sword away when he’s literally waiting for a monster to attack.

- Episode 6 deserves an entire post probably, but let’s put it here. On one hand, it was the only episode of that season which I did not scroll. On the other, this (along with the fifth one) was the one I paused out of cringe most often. It was better than the previous five in terms of “something is finally going on there”, but then if you didn’t kill your brain cells before, it was a damn hard thing to watch. I’m going to ignore the mages vs elves fight. It was hilariously bad with cheap effects. Filavandrel blowing right into Francesca’s face was too grotesque not to laugh out loud and yes, I am aware that was not intended as such. Sorry.

Tissaia had her “big” moment, but all I could think of was “oh, so she unleashed the eels”. Well done, netflix.

And here comes the “fuck logic” part. All these scenes on the fields – the look like they are taking place MILES away from Thanned. And yet our characters run back and forth like it was 100m. Sorry, brain cells still working. Then we get our trio meeting in the middle of nowhere because Reasons and they have the perfect opportunity to just get the hell away. But no, here comes the soap opera in its full glory of teary speeches and Yennefer decides she needs to go back (miles away, but why would she care). I’m not buying it. Her priority should be Ciri. Since Rience had just teleported there, she should have been able to open a portal ANYWHERE and just send Geralt and Ciri away. But no, because it’s netflix.

Then comes the Powerful Girl netflix trope and when Cahir catches up with Geralt and Ciri (were they just standing on that field so he could go all the way after them?). Geralt does not know what his intentions are. He doesn’t know how good a soldier he is. And yet he lets Ciri charge madly at him and stays SEVERAL METERS away. Yeah, cool, I do see what the scriptwriters wanted here, let’s let Ciri have that fight. So maybe, idk, get Geralt involved with half a dozen of elves in the meantime to justify why Ciri is fighting Cahir? But no, he just stands aside. If Cahir wanted to kill Ciri, if he got the best of her, there was no way Geralt could have intervened in time. A+ parenting. And again this is just making Geralt an idiot. I don’t like it.

- Lydia. Why did they turn someone who was most probably a servant and also unhappily in love with Vilgefortz, a victim, into his willing accomplice and Rience’s master. I should not be happy that she died, but she was absolutely awful in the series.

 - Except for Tissaia (who acts mature and in a way that demands respect) and Sabrina (who looks pretty and dresses on the verge of scandalous but in a stylish way), the other sorceresses could easily blend in with any other women on screen and I wouldn’t be able to tell they are supposed to be sorceresses. You could switch Keira with Annika or Vespula and there would be literally no difference. I have some trouble with Filippa, because she was usually alone on the screen and thus recognisable as a sorceress, but somehow, depending on what she was wearing and how her hair was styled, she looked 30 or 50. I literally have no idea why, but she could look pretty and young in one outfit/hairdo, and then she would look way older and uglier. It’s confusing.

- This story, in general, lacks believable relations. Normal, casual relations. Even in the background or whatever. The only one I can think of in this season is Annika and that werewolf (or Zola and Yurga in the first season).

There is Filippa and Dijkstra and while the actors give a good performance, what the hell was that – first with the whipping for literally no purpose (yeah, except the obvious American “the powerful woman” trope) and then with drunken Dijkstra coming to Filippa and begging her to kill and blame him for the failure. What. the. hell. was. that. Why were they not portrayed as a powerful duo who has (or had) some kind of romantic relationship, but first of all who come as equal partners in the plotting. There was also this subplot of Filippa and that blond assassin with hideous haircut and her only purpose was to kill and show that Filippa fucks women. Cool. It’s not like later on there is an actual relationship between Filippa and Triss.

There is the fuckin F girlboss duo (Francesca and Fringilla) I had hoped to never see again after season two, yet here we go again. Bleh.

We get Jaskier and Vespula and Jaskier is discussing his love interests while laying in bed of his other lover. Believable as hell.

There is Geralt and Jaskier and while in the last two episodes I finally began to see the friendship between the two of them, the friendship I should have seen in the past two seasons as well – with Jaskier’s creation this series goes, I can’t be sure of how Jaskier sees that friendship. I really, really hate it because this was probably the deepest friendship this whole universe gives us, the kind of “against all odds” friendship. I wouldn’t want Jaskier to have any other thoughts towards Geralt.

- Just please pack Yennefer into a tiny figurine and store her somewhere for the next season. I know that the showrunner wants to have a show about women, but I’m tired of seeing this imposter of Yennefer being the acting factor of everything. Yennefer taking charge of the sorceresses? Yennefer funding the Lodge? Just pack her and store her.

- I’m not even going to bring up the CGI or the costumes. The first I want to forget, the latter I have already forgotten. There wasn’t a single outfit that caught my attention in a good way, something I would want to be inspired with.

I’m aware no one is going to read this long a post, but I needed to spill it out. In the end it’s sad to see two scenes that could have come from a decent book adaptation among a shitload of crap.