#cultural idiosyncrasies

[ahb-writes]

Book Review: ‘Heroes and Heretics: How Renaissance Artists and Reformation Priests Created Our World’

Heretics and Heroes: How Renaissance Artists and Reformation Priests Created Our World by Thomas Cahill My rating: 3 of 5 stars History is never quite the sum of its parts, as it is the summation of the parts that matter to those whose interests have endured. For the renaissance period of what now constitutes Europe, much effort is required to adequately document the combinations and conflicts that gave rise to new ideas, perceptions, arguments, and cultural idiosyncrasies. Cahill's HERETICS AND HERESY is modestly organized and selectively detailed. No single tome can articulate the multitude of splintering experiences of Europe's renaissance period, whether in Italy, Germany, Spain, or the northerly regions, and yet the author makes an earnest attempt. The book's incompleteness does not become readily apparent for some time, however obvious it may seem from a distance. The author provides considerable depth and context when discussing the chronology and evolution of artistic genius among painters and sculptors in Italy, how they were intertwined with regional political factions, and how their skill earned the favor of, and later fell out of favor with, religious zealots of the time. And yet, the author can only dedicate so many words and so many color plates to the cleverness of peculiar men of status. Cahill's approach to art history and the environments that birthed many a movement or individual are an informative but patchwork ordeal. Sometimes by necessity and other times due to the overwhelming influence of a particular individual, Cahill's narrative devotes much of its energy toward understanding the writers, sculptors, painters, and rhetoricians who were their era's most dominant personalities. Helpful for readers eager to know that Michelangelo was a slovenly fellow. Not so helpful for an actual diagnosis of the social, cultural, and political impacts of Michelangelo's work. Helpful for those eager to know of the reasoning behind Luther's supposed "pathologically induced constipation." Not so helpful for those interested in the less predictable, less gendered, less religious exploits that branched off Luther's efforts in surprising ways. One might argue the author spends too much time discussing and fawning over the art (or the artists) rather than communicating in full the shifting political schema behind each piece of art (or each artist). HERETICS AND HERESY provides exquisite detail in areas such as the counter-reformation, the relationship between an indulgent royalty and the influence of the Catholic church, and other presumptions of authority that emanated from those whose power was in constant flux. These snapshot versions of European history are helpful but are also necessarily incomplete. Nearly all of the figures profiled are male. And so few of those profiled fall beyond the realm of standard presumptions of the formal Italian Renaissance. The splintering of Protestantism and the birth of Anglicanism, for example, is an area where so much information is glossed, one surmises it may well never have been mentioned at all. The book houses a great deal and leaves out just as much. The author's endnotes acknowledge the gaps in research yet do not read at all as being invested in more sharply tuning the research that exists. Sometimes, HERETICS AND HERESY feels needlessly indulgent; Cahill's sincere interest grows superfluous, often deferring to a first-person account (of familiarity) of a religious or cultural figure. However, for readers interested in a literary account of what is essentially a second-year post-secondary course on the renaissance, in capsule form, this book isn't a bad place to start.

Nonfiction Book Reviews || ahb writes on Good Reads

[the-2nd-random-kid]

I need more danish nanami kento fics, is that so fucking hard to fucking undersTANDDDDDD

[foreveranevilregal]

Gotta say, everyone wishing me “bidi zdrava i živa” for my birthday this year is hitting real different…

[audarcy]

Me in the shower thinking about my wife: i think one of the big reasons why het culture "wifey/hubby" "his/hers" "tiaras/mustaches" matching sets other than the cis binarism of it all is that it reveals the thought process behind heteropatriarchy wherein ideal love is a product of inversion; two puzzle pieces that fit together but are separate and made functional solely by the utility of their differences. Heteropatriarchal love retroactively redefines a person as a half of a whole, their functions and idiosyncrasies only valuable when curtailed by another's. But more than that, heteropatriarchal love is so divided. My "hers" towel and your "his." Married on a friday because saturdays are for the boys. Your woodsmoke-scented deodorant and my lavender. We cant possibly hope to understand each other and that's what lends our partnership value, somehow. But the love i cherish--the love that nurtures me--is inextricability. Not the teeth of your personality spinning the cogs of mine but the blend and blur of our edges together. The further in the tide rolls the better. The love that nurtures me is accepting everything about you into my life even if i dont feel the same way about it that you do. Its a becoming. Becoming you, becoming myself, becoming us, again and again. There are no puzzle pieces to snap together, and im no more or less of anything with or without you. But no matter what happens i carry you with me now. Even in the small ways like how we wear each others jackets and deodorant and hats. I wear your mannerisms, and your jokes. I have your interests. You have my music taste. We subsume and consume one another. We explore each other by exploring ourselves and vice versa. The process of loving you is a mapping of a vast expanse and it is the creation itself of that expanse, ad infinitum. Loving you is a fluidity of the self. I try out new ways of living through you. I see through your eyes. My life doubles by virture of sharing it with you. We finish each others sentences and joke that were the same person but its truer than we have the language to describe. My selfhood blurs into yours; Im not half of a whole, but together we are a whole. You could draw a straight line from one end of me to the other end of you, no breaks. And why shouldnt we travel that line? Step inside my head and get comfy. Mi casa es su casa. Youre me and im you.

What comes out of my mouth when she walks into the room: id let you wear my skin if i could

[blessphemy]

I love Thiago so much he’s so fun. Problem Human Of The Week, but unlike your usual Problem Human, Murderbot wants to like him and it wants him to like it. and therein is the tension. otherwise it could just write him off as just another irritating disappointing client who causes issues and doesn’t listen and thinks negatively of SecUnits.

he’s part of the Network Effect™️ of human relationships! Ok! he’s an example of of Murderbot’s more mundane challenges re: social/society integration, the very typical challenges involved with like. professionalism. family dynamics. etc. and the issues between Thiago and Murderbot are very much these more mundane issues, like “I don’t trust your security calls because I don’t trust the culture that gave rise to you and put guns in your arms and I don’t like how anxious Mensah is and I think you’re contributing to her anxiety.” as opposed to “yikes SecUnits scary.” which tbh I don’t get the sense is really on Thiago’s radar. he’s like so sheltered that SecUnits aren’t part of his experiences really.

and yeah he fucks up at the start of the book but he learns also? he listens to Murderbot when they talk it out later and reconsiders his opinions when new information comes up about the danger Mensah was in? and by the end of the book he’s fully advocating to protect Murderbot from people crowding it and pushing Feelings Talk on it while it is fucked up (rescued after squashed by ag-bot and strung up in alien pit etc). I mean he’s overridden by Ratthi who is a level 10 Murderbot Friend who understands that this Feelings Moment (letting MB know just how much ART and everyone care about it and went to rescue it specifically because he knows Murderbot has Emotional Issues and could benefit from a reminder that everyone really cares about it). But like Thiago had the spirit. He was just level 1 or 2 at this stage.

that’s character and relationship Growth! Thiago is not #1 man (Ratthi is #1 man) but he’s an important part of the team and he’s got his own hangups and idiosyncrasies and willing to learn and grow.

me seeing fictional characters navigate interpersonal drama like adults: now this is the real escapist fantasy. oh also sick killware clone baby.

[girls-are-weird]

YR fanfic pet peeves (and corrections): latin america edition

so. i was originally going to post this in january as a kind of "new year, new opportunity to learn about simon's hispanic heritage" kind of a thing, but life got busy, and then my computer died and i lost my original list, so i've had to reconstruct this from memory as best as i could. there may be some stuff missing, so perhaps i'll just keep adding to this post as missing/new points come to mind.

disclaimer 1: if you've included any of the points made here on any fanfic of yours, please don't take this as a call-out. this isn't intended to shame anyone, but rather as an educational opportunity. it's very rare that a latin american nationality that is not mexican or colombian or puerto rican is showcased in an international show, especially outside of the US, and it's given me such joy to have all of you lovely folks make the effort to be open to and research and understand the idiosyncrasies of simon's (and omar's) heritage because the rest of latin america tends to go overlooked in most other fandoms. so i don't intend to scold anyone with this. we can't all know everything about every other culture-- lord knows i don't know everything about sweden, but i want to be respectful to the country and its people and that is why i heavily research anything i don't know and ask people who do know when my research doesn't quite cover it and am open to corrections when even that falls short. i expect most of you come to write about simon's family background in good faith and also want to be respectful to his family's culture, and so i thought i might make things a bit easier for you all by putting the most common errors/misunderstandings i've seen in one handy post. but once again, it's not a call-out, i don't get offended by these things, and i'm in no way implying, if you've done any of these things in fic or in life, that you are a bad person. i understand people make mistakes when they don't know things.

disclaimer 2: i am not venezuelan myself. i was born and raised in the same general region of latin america, though, and i have venezuelan friends and have worked with venezuelan people and have visited venezuela. generally speaking, i feel their culture is very similar to mine (though our spanish is much closer to spanglish than theirs is, haha xD) and feel a deep kinship with them. but of course, i'm no native, and if you're venezuelan and catch anything here that you feel is incorrect, feel free to point it out and i'll add a correction in your name.

warning: this is very long. christ almighty. DX if you can't make it to the end, tl;dr-- feel free to ask if you have any questions or if anything isn't clear. my ask box/messages are always open.

1- "mijo." this is the only one that legit has caused me to click out of several fics/chapters, at least in the beginning, but i've learned to grin and bear it by now. it's not so much that it's wrong, per se, but rather it's more of a location issue. "mijo" is, to my ears, very much a mexican (or, if you stretch it, northern triangle) slang. it IS used sparingly in other countries, but rarely used unironically. instead, if you hear the term used in the caribbean region of latin america (which my country is part of, as is a large part of venezuela), it's almost always used… let's say sarcastically. for example, if your grown-ass adult friend is being a dumbass and doing something reckless, you might call out "oiga, mijo, se va a romper el cuello" ("hey, mijo, you're going to break your neck"). basically, it's a way of calling someone immature like a child. it doesn't have to be ENTIRELY unaffectionate (kinda like the way someone might call their significant other "idiot" or "dummy" but mean it endearingly. in fact, in colombia it's way more common for spouses to call each other "mijo/a" than it is for them to call their children that), but you can also use it with complete strangers-- like if someone cuts sharply into your lane while you're driving, you might yell at them "oiga, mijo, a donde le enseñaron a manejar, en un potrero?!" ("hey, mijo, where did you learn how to drive, in a horse paddock?!"). but even in these sarcastic/neggy cases, it's rare. and EVEN RARER to hear a mother call her children "mijo" or "mija" in this region. it's just not a thing. so when i read it in fanfic, it immediately takes me out of the story because it's so weird to me that linda would sound mexican-- it's a very distinctive accent, which carmen gloria 1000000% does not have. (plus, "mijo" in spanish is a type of birdseed. so it gave me a chuckle the first few times i read it in a fic because i always have that brief second of confusion where i go "why is linda calling simon birdseed?" before it clicks. xD i'm a dork.) it's much more likely that linda would just say "hijo" or "mi hijo," instead.

1b- the way you decide on whether to use "hijo" or "mi hijo" is important because "mi hijo" can sound overly formal in the modern context especially, much like it would in english. in fact, you can use the english version of it, "son" vs "my son" to guide you on which of the two to use. like for example, if linda were to say directly to simon "i love you, my son," she would sound oddly old-timey and anachronistic, so you would just use "son" ("hijo") in that case. whereas if she's talking about simon with someone else, for example saying "i told my son to be here on time," you'd be perfectly okay to use "mi hijo" in that sentence in spanish. it's very transferable in that case.

2- speaking of non-transferable, though, you can't use "cariño" in all instances you would use "sweetheart" or "sweetie." it really depends on the grammatical construction, and it can be tricky to get it right, but it depends on whether you're using it as a direct address or as an object. for example, if you're using it in place of someone's name-- say, a mother telling her child "te quiero, cariño" ("i love you, sweetheart/sweetie") is perfectly fine, because in that case, she could also say "te quiero, hijo" ("i love you, son") or "te quiero, simon" ("i love you, simon"). but if, say, simon says to wille "you're my sweetheart," you would not use "cariño" there; you'd go instead with some syrupy way to say "boyfriend," like "eres mi novio" or "eres mi enamorado" or even "eres mi amor," and if sara tells felice "you're a sweetheart," that would also not involve "cariño" at all. in addition, "cariño" is also very rarely used in plural; if linda is using a term of endearment for both her kids, or for a group of teens her kids' age, she would use a different term of endearment altogether: "hola, mis amores" ("hi, my loves"), "hola, bebés" ("hi, babies") or "hola, mis tesoros" ("hi, my treasures") among some examples. one exception is when you say "cariños míos" ("my sweethearts"), but very rarely the plural by itself. in fact, "cariño" is often slang for gift or present, especially in the diminutive-- for example, if you go to someone's celebratory party for some occassion (birthdays, graduations, baby showers, heck even christmas), you might hand them a small gift and go "te traje un cariñito" ("i brought you a small present"), and if it's more than one gift, or you're bringing gifts for several people, then you'd say "unos cariños" or "unos cariñitos" in the plural.

3- simon's skin is tan, not tanned. this… doesn't personally bug me as much because it's more of an english grammar issue, but i know people who might actually feel very offended if you get this one wrong with respect to them. "tan" is a color; a light shade of brown. "tanned" implies the original color of your skin has darkened with the sun. now, i'm sure simon can tan (lucky goat, says she whose skin burns even while indoors), but about 95% of the time "tanned" is used in YR fanfiction, it's used as a descriptor of the color of simon's skin as we see it on the show. that would imply his skin used to be lighter at some indeterminate before-time and has been darkened by the sun. this is incorrect; that is the natural color of simon's skin. so stick to "tan skin" instead (not tan PERSON, mind you. his SKIN is tan, he is not). and i would gently suggest that if you take away any single thing from this post, make it ESPECIALLY this point, as someone more sensitive than me might interpret this error as some kind of retroactive whitewashing. and i don't want anyone here to get in trouble for simply not knowing.

4- pabellón criollo is one dish, yes, but it's four different FOODS. it's not something a newbie would be able to make off of a recipe (i don't know how to make it and i've been eating it all my life), and it's not something that's likely to be taught in just one day. also, if you're bringing it to a dinner or a potluck, you're bringing four separate food containers, not just one.

4b- also, venezuelan food, for the most part, is not particularly spicy. you CAN make it spicy if you want, but traditionally, it is not. it's flavorful, maybe even saucy depending on the dish, but rarely spicy. i know the joke of white people being unable to handle spice is funny, but there's also plenty of us hispanic people who are equally terrible at it, because there's different levels of spice in the food from different regions of latin america. besides, as a friend of mine perfectly put: we are living in the 21st century now. if you can eat mild mexican food, you should be able to handle traditional venezuelan food just fine. and i'm pretty sure there's mexican food in sweden. plus, wille would probably be more used to international food-- not only does he have the means, but having traditional meals in foreign countries is kind of part of the job.

5- while i'm at it: simon is definitely half venezuelan. this is canon as of S2. there is no other place in the world where that dish is called pabellón. please keep that in mind when you're writing and researching.

5b- this, along with several of the points above, is important because it's a bit of diaspora trauma that whenever we venture outside of latin america and people learn we're latino, they immediately assume we're mexican, or that our culture and traditions are the same as those of mexican people. it happens often, and it's incredibly annoying. not that there's anything wrong with mexico or mexican people-- they're lovely, and their traditions and culture and food are fantastic-- but we are not them, and treating us like we are is reductive. the rest of latin america can be very different and incredibly diverse, and it can be dispiriting when people treat us like we're all the same. so that is why it is important when writing about simon, his family or his venezuelan roots, that you take care to actually research things as they are in venezuela, and not just pick the low-hanging fruit of latino facts you might've learned through pop cultural osmosis, which eight times out of ten will be mexican-only because most hispanic people in the US are mexican and the US exports its media all over the world. i've learned to just roll my eyes at it by now, but some people might actually feel offended or hurt, and i'm sure nobody here intends for that to happen.

6- although simon speaks spanish, neither he nor sara nor his mother nor any aspect of his mother's culture is spanish. "spanish" is what people from spain call themselves. people from spanish-speaking latin american countries are not spanish; we are hispanic, or latino/a/e. "latinx" is… let's call it controversial, at least outside of the US. most people born and raised in latin america don't like it; i personally don't get offended if people use it, but i don't use the term myself. also, you can say "latin food" or "latin music," but we usually don't refer to PEOPLE as latin, but rather latino/a/e. if in doubt, just use latin american or hispanic. they're also conveniently gender neutral.

EDIT: @andthatisnotfake also brought up a very important point: "if you spell it latinx, it makes it harder for screen readers to read (or so I've been told) and some people depend on those, so there's another reason to avoid it." (the unpronounceability of that term is at least part of the reason why hispanic people who live in latin america don't like it.)

6b- never use "the latino/a" on its own to refer to people. "latino/a/e" is an adjective, not a noun, so you would say "the latino boy" or "the latino man" but never just "the latino." kinda like it would be weird to point out the one japanese man in a room as "the japanese." there are some nationality/ethnic terms that just don't work as nouns in english.

7- spanish is not simon's one native language-- or at least not any more than swedish is. he grew up in a mixed-race household, speaking two different languages. it's pointless to call spanish his native language when comparing it to swedish. both are his native languages. also, while we're at this, wille is probably at least bilingual (i'm assuming he can speak at least english), although he only has one native language. it's hardly a competition between the two boys as to who's more of a polyglot.

7b- simon wouldn't take classes on the spanish language-- like to learn how to SPEAK the language-- since spanish is one of his native languages. he wouldn't take them at hillerska, nor in university, nor elsewhere. he wouldn't be allowed. you're literally not allowed to take classes on your native language, nor get credit for said classes. trust me, those would've been an easy extra 24 credits for me in college if that was a thing.

EDIT: have been made aware (thanks, @rightsogetthis and @plantbasedfish!) that at least in sweden and in finland one IS allowed to take classes of your non-swedish/finnish native language, in certain circumstances. i have to say, i'd be pissed if i were taking my french classes alongside a french native speaker, but hey, the system's the system, i guess. ;) so i've struck this one out.

8- dear god please don't use google translate for your spanish translations. listen, i'm not judging-- i do it with other languages, too, when i'm in a pinch. but google translate is literally The Worst (tm) so i always try to either check with someone, or stick to the stuff i already know is correct. seriously, you don't want to know the kinds of crazy stuff GT can spit out that people actually put out in the real world; some of them are quite hilarious. if you're unsure, my ask box/messages are always open and i looooove helping people with this kind of thing, hispanic language and cultural stuff. i know it seems like i'm hardly around, but i do check my messages. don't be shy, even if it's something really small.

PS: while i'm talking pet peeves, malin is wille's bodyguard, not his butler. she's nice enough to attend to him at hillerska because there's no other palace staff around and she's literally stationed outside his door, but she wouldn't do that in the actual palace. there's other staff for that. she wouldn't even guard him at the palace, i don't think, because the royal palaces in sweden are guarded by the royal guard, not SÄPO. if anything, malin might spend the time while wille is in the palace grounds at a gatehouse (like in YR 2x03 and onwards) or at some kind of security office in the palace, and then get called whenever wille needs to go anywhere. she wouldn't be giving wille messages from the queen or walking guests to wille's room or anything like that. that's not her job. (sorry, i had to get that off my chest, lol.)

[wajjs]

With powers that be in governmental offices trying to erase our sense of national identity, erase our native pueblos and their culture, erase our customs, our idiosyncrasy —

With powers that be trying to turn us into a colony, owned and destroyed by USA and power hungry businessmen,

We need to embrace our ways. We need to embrace our culture. We need to raise our voices.

[coma-chang]

Amber Colored City, the Morning of Shanghai Crab

Amber Colored City, the Morning of Shanghai Crab is my favorite song of all-time.

What cemented that title perhaps lies in the unique Japanese sensibilities, specifically the use of “Shanghai Crab” as a literary device to convey affection and love. This is contrasted against melodic cadence and arrangement that reminds you of a metropolitan city rich in cultural idiosyncrasies distinct from Japan — but also out of time.

Amber Colored City means a lot to me on a personal level, and it grew a new layer — after I played LaD.

Ichiban strikes me as a happy-go-lucky person that strives to be strong for the people around him — whether they are deserving or not. But that also means he necessarily neglects or shoves his own feelings under the rug. It is a very tiring thing to do day after day and would eventually wear anyone down, even if that person is Ichiban. In my head canon (haha), I just want someone like Zhao to provide a space — both physically and figuratively — where Ichiban is comfortable enough to let go of the aforesaid burden and be true to himself.

I don’t even know if I sound coherent but this roughly sums up the idea and motivation behind this fan art. I love it a lot but yeah…it’s a bit solipsistic haha… so I would be very happy if this — and the song itself — speak to you in some way 🫶🏻

[femsolid]

"Some secretary is trying to ward off her boss's advances, some housewife is picking up her husband's dirty underwear or herself off the floor where he knocked her again, some woman is training a new male recruit who will soon be her boss. These women will find one another and talk it over; together they will figure out the biggest scam ever pulled off, and they'll never be the same.

One of the basic tenets of radical feminism is that any woman in the world has more in common with any other woman (regardless of class, race, age, ethnic group, nationality) than any woman has with any man. To be female is reason in itself to be in servitude, to be hated, wounded, and killed in every country, every culture of the world.

Though I was anesthetized by patriarchy at the time, the years I was in Samoa, Nigeria, Malawi, Korea, and Malaysia proved more than ample time for me to identify, often to the point of physical pain, with the women of those countries. It did not take knowing their language or their culture well to make the connections between the Malawian women carrying burdens on their heads that make them moan and weep as they walk, and the desperate lives of the tens of thousands of prostitutes in Seoul. I may have bought the canard that these were simply "cultural" idiosyncrasies, but I saw that it was always women who were crushed by them, and something as yet unexamined and unnamed responded in me, as if I, too, were somehow being crushed. I saw that women in all these countries existed for the use of men and were essentially barred from any existence with a purpose other than this. It did not require a doctorate in anthropology for me to recognize that women and girl children ate last and starved first in every country."

- Going Out of Our Minds by Sonia Johnson

[transgenderer]

so terfs are really into the idea of male socialization and like, obviously theres a real sense in which male socialization is "a thing", boys and girls are raised differently, men and women are treated differently, this affects you, but personally i think gendered socialization is so inhomogenous as to tell you very little about a person. like in the case of trans women, the sort of boy who might grow up to become a trans woman is probably going to be treated differently, and internalize that treatment differently, than your average boy, but this is generalizable, the way gender affects the way youre raised depends on your class, and your race, and your local culture, and the larger culture youre part of, and the idiosyncrasies of your parents, on and on. so like, except in the most generalized terms i dont think knowledge of someone's ASAB tells you much about the way they were raised and the way it affected who they became

[elsandifer]

What are some common pitfalls you feel critics commonly fall into, and do you have any tips on how to avoid them?

I think the biggest one is believing that their role is to be arbiters of taste, when in fact a critic’s job is to tell a story about art and culture.

Not entirely sure how to avoid it beyond just remembering that hardly anyone is going to give a shit about your taste in and of itself beyond the handful of people whose idiosyncrasies happen to match yours. The most baffling comment I see when people recommend Eruditorum is “I don’t always agree with her” because, like… of course you don’t. Nobody always agrees with me. I don’t even always agree with me. That’s just not the point. Nobody reads my shit because they like all of the same things I do. They read it—at least if they read multiple projects of mine—because they like my writing, my work, and my thought processes.

So yeah. Get over the idea that anyone cares what you think and write things that don’t depend on that to be interesting.

[beesmygod]

listen: when given criticism like "there are no (example minority) in the cast" it isn't (or shouldn't be) a direction to put one in. wait this turned into a more complex thought because i think sometimes people do not make this kind of observation in good faith bc it can be an easy cheap shot where there's almost never a "good response". its like the classic "have you stopped beating your wife" gotcha. no matter how you answer, you do risk looking like a backwards dummy with no spine. it's also possible only i feel like this due to complex "what am i and who am i failing" issues when it comes to my ethnicity.

imo, the point of that observation should not be "and therefore, you are a bigot", but "what kind of world/social group/culture doesn't include/has very few (example minority)?" is it reasonable? is it purposeful? sometimes it's a culture that was historically exclusive to (minority) and the impact of this is still rippling into today. this is the most reasonable explanation for me in most instances where a cast is not very diverse.

using the example du jour, i have a hard time believing that the entire greek pantheon OR a collective of rich individuals would be comprised of individuals who all have the exact same inoffensive, bland taste with absolutely no variation. even if a group of wealthy individuals would be, statistically, almost entirely homogeneous in race, gender and sexuality, there should be vast differences in the tastes, aesthetics and the priorities when examining breakdowns between those of generational wealth and the nouveau riche. those who gained their money through actual work and those who are trust fund babies. the older generation and the newer generation.

but there's none at all. the noticeable lack of minority diversity feels like a consequence of there being no diversity in the literal sense of the word. everyone talks the same, uses the same vocabulary and voice. there are no idiosyncrasies or weird behaviors unless they're plot relevant in which case they feel shoehorned in.

ramble ramble. this isnt for anyone but myself. maybe we can start a convo abt it. much to think about for me as well

[randomisocahedron]

Gift Exchange

(I originally posted this story to Reddit last December.)

"Arrival confirmed. All systems functioning within normal parameters."

Captain Uriat relaxed slightly. Despite hundreds of jumps, she still found the process disconcerting. "Excellent, Orin. Begin the system scan."

Orin pushed a few buttons. "Active sensors are running; the nearest substantial object is twenty light-minutes away. We'll have complete passive data in under a minute."

"Good. Reorienting and preparing to burn."

"Uh, something on passive sensors. Small asteroid installation at the innermost planet's L2 point, biologicals onboard based on temperature. And there's a ship with a half-gigawatt reactor burning towards it at a tenth of a gee. This is a small system, so they're both around three light-hours away."

"Do they have transponders?"

"They're transmitting some signals, but the computer didn't recognize them... let's see." Orin pressed a few more keys. "Oh, they're Terrans, using their new protocol. The station doesn't have a name, and the ship is called the Pickup Truck. Weird name, even by Terran standards."

Uriat looked at her own console. "Are they... allowed... to be here?"

"Under the Treaty of Kepler-1649c, this area is freely accessible to all. As long as their so-called government hasn't tried to stop them, they have as much right to be here as we do."

"Well, I suppose we should tell them our intentions. It's only polite." She spoke into the computer, which translated the message and transmitted it. "Greetings to the, er, Pickup Truck. This is the trade ship Dolernar of the United Syndicate. We are moving at half a gee and expect to be leaving the system in 520 hours. We are transmitting our full planned trajectory. Please advise as to closest approach."

Around four hours (plus two minutes of message composition) later, a response arrived. "Greetings, Dolernar! Closest approach will be in 140 hours; we'll be three light-minutes away from you. We're doing some light construction work here, but it shouldn't be a concern. And, uh, please stand by for a personal message."

"Personal message? Do they think they know us?"

"Maybe they want us to carry a message to someone else. It's fairly common in backwaters without dedicated courier ships."

The message came a few minutes later.

"We can send you some provisions
if you'd like. We've checked and it should all be compatible with your biology."

Orin looked at Uriat strangely. "Is this some sort of insult? Are they implying that we didn't bring enough food?"

Uriat responded thoughtfully. "I don't know. Perhaps. But perhaps not. Cultural exchange has been maddeningly slow, due to their... idiosyncrasies. I think it would be in everyone's best interest if we assume it's meant to be a friendly gesture."

"Tribute?"

"Or symbolic trade. They might expect something in return. We could send them some of our own food, maybe."

Orin clicked his toes together, an expression of doubt. "Hmph. Maybe."

---

The Pickup Truck came to a stop relative to the station
and gently released the large ice

ball it held. Inside, two children floated in EVA suits, grinning broadly —

although you couldn't see the grins through their mirrored faceplates.

"Alright. You're sure you two are comfortable doing this on your own?"

"Of course we are, Dad,
" they responded through the crackling radio.

"Okay. Just remember I'm right here if you need anything." He hugged them, although they didn't feel anything through the semirigid suits. They flew (or perhaps wobbled) proudly into the airlock, which he cycled.

Outside, they flew around, placing tokens to target the Pickup Truck's laser, and then polishing up the small comet with hand tools. A few hours later, they pushed the many-faceted piece of ice into position with careful bursts of compressed gas. Once it was exactly right, they fastened it to the steel framework with lengths of braided carbon nanotubes.

Returning to the Pickup Truck, they doffed their suits before accepting several more hugs.

"You did very well!" called their great-grandmother. "And the ivy is growing quickly. By the way, that ship contacted us."

"Well, what happened?" asked the older child.

"Oh, it's a Syndicate trade ship. Anyway, Grandma —

sorry, my grandma —

started carrying on about ping-pong, so now we're going to bake them some
treats."

The kids didn't know what ping-pong had to do with the passing trade ship either, but they liked baking, especially since it meant they had to taste a few ingredients beforehand to make sure they were still good. They always were.

---

An old torpedo sat in the hangar, surrounded by two children and one of their parents. The fusion warhead had already been removed, but they still had to modify it to carry cargo.

“Why are we sending the Syndicate cookies anyway?” asked the older child as he carefully removed the phased radar array and set it aside.

“Because cookies are tasty?” suggested his younger sister, who was busy assembling padded boxes.

The parent smiled indulgently as they plugged their finger into the torpedo’s guidance computer. “Well, yes… but there’s also no reason for us to hate each other just because we used to be at war. Enough small personal connections could pave the way for a lasting peace.”

Two more people arrived, carrying padded and individually pressurized boxes of cookies, cakes, and other delicious things. The boxes were carefully placed in the torpedo, which was fueled

and reassembled as its flight plan was transmitted to the Dolernar.

---

"Dolernar, goodwill package launching in T-4 hours. Expect eight gees of acceleration. Full flight plan attached."

"Well. That's certainly some very fast goodwill."

Orin studied the flight plan carefully. He looked at the attached data for the package. He double- and triple-
checked. "Captain, they're firing a torpedo at us."

Uriat processed some words which no civilian captain wishes to hear. There was danger, but Uriat couldn't see it, so her eyes instinctively moved apart
to spot the threat, an utterly useless adaptation against torpedoes. She brought them back to her console. Notably, no sirens were sounding. "What makes you think that?"

Orin simply pointed at the attached flight plan, and then at an entry in the ship's database. "This 'goodwill package' is precisely the same size as a TOS-10 Pilum hybrid torpedo, and the acceleration profile matches perfectly. It carries a one-

megaton fusion warhead that would wipe us out instantly."

Uriat was remarkably calm. "Can we evade it?"

A pause, some calculations. "Yes. It's guided by the ship that launched it, so even at our closest approach we could be moving away for twenty-four minutes before it could react —

and on this trajectory,
the best time to evade has nearly an hour of light-lag. It wouldn't even get close."

"Then why would they even..."

"Bluff. They figure we'll think it's these 'provisions,' and let it onboard. Then, as it approaches, it blows up and we die."

---

A large, thin sheet of freshly mined aluminum, rolled to a millimeter

thick, was manually placed in an acid bath and anodized. It was then removed from the acid bath with a purpose-rigged crane, carefully washed and dried, and placed in a pile of like sheets.

---

"Look," Uriat thought aloud. "They're humans. They're crazy. Their giving us a torpedo, just so we could have a nuclear bomb in our workshop, is entirely within character."

"Humans might think that's a reasonable gift, true," countered Orin, "but their military wouldn't;

and if they have torpedoes,
they are the military or at least closely liaised with the military. There's no way they'd just hand us the hardware that they were so recently shooting at us."

Uriat skimmed the database entry for the TOS-10. "It says here they were replaced by the TOS-12 during the war, and now the TOG-15 and MSO-7. It’s not modern materiel.”

"Still a torpedo. It was modern until a few years ago. If we had one, would we send them one of the main battery lasers from the Lironi, just because we have better ones now?"

Uriat had to admit this was a good point.

---

A boy in a mini-tug carefully maneuvered an aluminum sheet into position, whereupon his two companions in space suits began riveting it onto the steel frame. Once it was securely fastened, he flew the tug back to the station hub to get another sheet.

---

In times like these Uriat desperately wished that the cockpit had enough room to pace, or even stand up properly. "The thing is, if they are being honest about this being a gift but they're sending it via torpedo for unguessable reasons, we can't straight-up evade their gift. That would be an enormous insult."

"You're seriously worried about insulting the people who might be trying to kill us?"

"No, I'm worried about insulting them if they're actually not trying to kill us. And the thing is, the Pickup Truck's laser's power far exceeds our navigational shields' rating —

we saw it cutting up that comet, although Fates know why —

and with that reactor,
I doubt their shields would even notice our micrometeor lasers. If they wanted us dead, they could kill us in a far more straightforward way than this weird deception you suspect them of doing —

and they'd get to take our cargo, too."

"Even if the deception is highly unlikely, falling for the deception is much worse than irritating some humans who probably hate us already” contemplated Orin. “Plus, ship-to-ship combat could be their Plan B, if a clean surprise kill doesn't work."

---

Activating their EVA thrusters, another person exited the airlock, carrying a box of xenon arc lamps. They propelled themselves precisely to a selected spot and bolted an arc lamp to the framework. Once it was secure to their satisfaction, they moved a little over a metre and attached another arc lamp.

---

Uriat extended and retracted her claws, clearly stressed. "What we need is a way to distinguish between deceptive Terrans and crazy Terrans. How does their behaviour change if they're trying to kill us versus being friendly but mad?"

The words hung in the air as they both thought about it. Orin spoke up. "If they're deceiving us, they'll be more suspicious of our own actions —

they'll worry we're playing the same game. If they're friendly, they'll probably think we're friendly too."

"Clever. So we need to do something that would be seen as friendly if they're friendly, and seen as hostile if they're hostile, and then watch what they do."

"So send them some provisions of our own, then?"

"Yes, but not just that.” Uriat ticked off requirements. “It has to look like a bomb if they're looking for one, but look like a gift if they're not. Also, it has to arrive before their torpedo does."

"Well, we have a catapult for... basically just that. Handing off small payloads without slowing down."

"So we just have to prepare a package which looks like a bomb, but only if you already think it's a bomb."

---

An old man in an EVA suit, holding a chemical thruster with a fuel tank, surveyed the diffuse laser array. The batteries were nearly full, and there was no visible damage. He spent twenty minutes checking various delicate components and then, satisfied, used the rest of his fuel to burn back towards the asteroid station.

---

Wearing thick gloves, Uriat placed the spent fuel pellet canister in the box. Orin added some ration bars, a few bottles of sweetened starch slurry, and their day's ration of fresh plant matter. "There we go. It'll set off Geiger counters, but who waves a Geiger counter at something they fully believe to be a gift?"

"What if they ask us about it?"

"We'll say,
‘Oh dear, we put that in by mistake.’
And we'll know they opened it inside, without scanning it, so we can trust their own package."

"Good, that works."

The box went into a small transport pod, and then the pair returned to the cockpit for launch. Uriat grabbed the radio. "Pickup Truck, this is Dolernar. Launching reciprocal goodwill package in T-5 minutes. Expect high launch velocity and a 3-gee suicide burn on approach. Full fight plan attached."

Notably, the package would have already launched by the time the Terrans received the message. That way they'd have no way of

weaseling
out with a plausible excuse.

The Dolernar's engines shut down, rendering Uriat and Orin weightless. Fine control thrusters rotated them about 120 degrees to aim the catapult. The catapult's rails telescoped out to five times the Dolernar's length, and then the fine control thrusters made even more minute adjustments, carefully aiming the package.

A light flashed in the cockpit. Uriat and Orin simultaneously tapped their keys to sensors on opposite sides of the cockpit, and the package launched.

---

The Officer of the Watch pressed the button to input the flight data to the Pickup Truck's navigational computer, and a radar beam automatically began tracking it. Attached to the flight plan was a message explaining that this was a package for them. Diplomatic matters went beyond the Officer of the Watch's powers. A superior had to be contacted via intercom.

"
Mom? The trade ship decided to send us a gift! Can you help me translate a message to thank them?"

---

Uriat and Orin watched the transport pod's telemetry intently. Two humans in vacuum suits caught the pod and began guiding it... towards their spacecraft's main habitation module. No

one would ever do that with a suspected bomb. The relief was palpable.

---

"Should we open it now?"

"Yes, let's see what they gave us!"

"No, we should wait until the big party!"

"Oh, let's just open it now. They'll be expecting a response!"

"Let's get everyone else here first."

The eighteen-strong crew of the Pickup Truck, most (but not all) family, eventually gathered in the hangar, where the transport pod had been brought in.

It was decided that the youngest should open the gift.

It was discovered that the youngest couldn't figure out the clasps on the transport pod.

It was determined that older siblings were allowed to help.

The pod was opened with a collective effort, and people immediately began taking things out and laying them on the table. There were various colours of snack bars (the translator proved to be hopeless at translating the flavours written on them, but they tasted good), two bottles of what was quickly determined to NOT be wine, but rather something reminiscent of tapioca (an acquired taste, it was decided), and several fresh fruits — precious even on a station with a hydroponics section. The fruit was divided so everyone got a piece. They tried every part of it, even the fibrous skin. (It wasn't the greatest, but it was worth trying.)

And then, at the bottom, a fuel canister. The uranium oxides in it wouldn't work with the Pickup Truck's reactor or the station's, but they decided to accept the gift in the spirit in which it was given. Perhaps they could use it to make some model rockets,
or fireworks. A lighthearted argument over whether fireworks which you could only safely observe indirectly were worthwhile fireworks was cut off by the demand that everyone who touched fissile material ("Yes, I know it has cladding!") wash their hands.

---

The modified torpedo screamed towards the Dolernar, its rear graphite plate ablating under the Pickup Truck's laser. Once it was within ten thousand kilometres of its target, the laser cut out, it ejected the remains of the graphite plate, and its chemical thrusters brought it gently to the Dolernar's airlock. A robotic arm grabbed it and brought it into the cargo bay, where, with a screwdriver and a minor amount of cursing, Orin was able to open the jury-rigged pressurized transport capsule. It contained several padded boxes of various baked goods, many of which had not been squashed by acceleration.

There was too much to eat in one sitting, so they sampled a few things. Uriat's favourite was the caramelized spiced sweet
bread covered in sugar. Orin preferred the dark brown balls covered with white shredded... something. Their translator was having trouble with the foods' highly idiomatic names, but that didn't stop them from being tasty.

---

All the preparations were ready. With everyone floating in the observation deck, the Pickup Truck detached from the station and began receding at a snail's pace, so as to maintain microgravity. Still, they didn't need to go very far. Within a few minutes the ship was turning, and within a few more the entire spaceborne structure was visible through the window, with an impressive backdrop of stars.

It was time. A button two and a half metres in diameter (red, naturally) had been constructed specifically for this occasion. Eighteen people pressed the button together.

The arc-lamps came alive, all at once. The lasers activated a moment later, sending light bouncing off the reflective five-pointed star at the top. Light twinkled over many balls of ice, which glowed bright in the shadow of the planet behind them. The genetically modified ivy, covering the truss structure, defiantly green despite the vacuum of space, completed the picture.

It was, without a doubt, the best tree
ever.

[latin-american-diversity]

Ensayando la Postura Nacional by Alexander Apóstol

Based on the paintings of Pedro Centeno Vallenilla

Caracas experienced a strong urban construction growth after the death of the dictator Juan Vicente Gómez in 1936 until the 70´s. Important political changes: European and Latin-American migrations, and especially petroleum costs variations made Venezuelan mentality change at a speeding race to new perspectives that were demonstrated in different areas, architecture being the main element of change towards a modern city. Besides the big social differences, from then on, the Venezuelans have conceived to an extreme this modern period of time as the dream of a better future. In that time, important plastic artist irrupted during the 40´s, 50´s and 60´s; Escuela de caracas (landscaping), Los Disidentes (abstraction), and the Techo de La Ballena (informalism) were some of the most important avant-garde movements. Curiously enough, the Venezuelan artist Pedro Centeno Vallenilla, formed under the fascist Italian regime and exhibitor of a peculiar nationalist theme with a characterized mannerist and exaggerated aesthetic, worked independently from the avant-garde movements, he was even considered as a minor artist by them. Due to Vallenilla´s profound political views at the time, he was able to establish himself as the official painter during the dictatorship of Marcos Pérez Jiménez in the 50´s, where buildings like the National Capitol, the National Military or collections and private homes were decorated with his Works. Nowadays his works are still hung in these official buildings, where the nation’s history and the autochthonous elements together with the exaggerated and idealized aesthetic of the body and race, are the main characters in his work. What interests me is how his fertile visual language feeds the creation myths of the birth of the nation and establishes it like a part of the Venezuelan culture, in the political, social, military and even economic grounds of the country; where his work exemplifies, maybe fortunately, the prejudice, contradictions and acceptations on how Venezuelans want to see ourselves and how we wanted to be seen (and still want to be), contrasting with the exacerbated and vulnerable narcissism that fundaments itself on the starting resentments that we drag on form the colonial times. Finally I would like to focus Centeno Vallenilla´s work, independently from his pictorial quality, like the heir of a confused Venezuelan modernity in conception and ideology, confronted in the same way with the confused and complex political and social times that we are now living. Where the frontier between liberal ideologies and economic pragmatism associated with the conservatives, are faded together with the political ways of the country. In the film and photos, works of Centeno Vallenilla dedicated to the nation’s history, race and traditions, are converted into a tableaux vivant by people that come from the marginated areas of Caracas, but that are situated in the natural context of this artist, these spaces are modern but at the same time unused buildings, like a mansion turned into an office building; Nevertheless, these models try again and again, without achieving the goal, of recreating work by work The forced postures of the personalities represented in Vallenilla´s Works, demonstrating that there is a possibility that the idiosyncrasy of Venezuela comes from the eternal intent, with form but without meaning, of imagining improvised utopias that result in mere rehearsals of the country.

[liriostigre]

Hiiii ty for such a great uquiz!! Would it be possible to see the description of all the books you could get matched to? I’m curious what the vibes are for the rest!!

hi 🌷 here you go:

White Teeth by Zadie Smith: Excessive, maximalist and very ambitious multigenerational and multicultural epic novel that starts with the unlikely friendship between Archie Jones and Samad Iqbal. It explores themes of race, identity and the intersections of culture, heritage, and modernity. Clever and hilarious dialogue, very creative when it comes to language and style, unique and bold when it comes to narrative. Perhaps a flawed novel due to its ambition, but excellent nonetheless.

Despair by Vladimir Nabokov: Excellent writing; very ambitious and stylish. It is somewhat a twisted novel but you will find a lot of humor despite. The narrator speaks directly to the reader as he writes what he regards as his perfect crime. This novel is one of Nabokov's earliest works in which one can easily identify themes and literary devices that the author explored later in his most known works.

The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolaño: Brilliant and stunning novel about poets and poetry! Very dense and challenging; it requires patience from the reader. This novel is so infinitely dear to me that i can't even explain its brilliance, but i have to give you at least an idea of the plot so: The story is arranged in three parts and told from multiple points of view. It starts in Mexico City, in the 70s, and continues across decades and continents. It follows the adventures and misadventures of Arturo Belano and Ulises Lima—poets, drug dealers, wanderes, criminals. Now, about the themes, the writing, the style, the narration? Just absolutely perfect even at its most tedious, difficult and anticlimactic parts.

The Hearing Trumpet by Leonora Carrington: Unconventional, absurd, imaginative and exuberantly surreal apocalyptic fairytale quest. It follows 92 year old Marian who is sent off to a peculiar old-age home. If you aren't familiar with Leanora Carrington's art you should look at some of her paintings because this wonderful novel feels just like her surrealist paintings!

Mrs. Caliban by Rachel Ingalls: This novella tells the story of a love affair between a depressed suburban housewife and an amphibian creature who escaped a scientific research center. It might sound like a quirky fiction story but it actually deals with the most mundane and banal aspects of life and human relationships. Brilliantly written; neat and precise prose, wonderful storytelling. The author knew what she was doing and not a single word she wrote was wasted.

The Borrowers by Mary Norton: Delicately written little adventure about tiny people who live in the secret places of houses. I am enamored (obsessed!!) with miniatures—dollhouses, dioramas, fairies—so imagine how dear this book is to me.

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn: The murders of two girls bring reporter Camille Preaker back to her hometown. As she works to uncover the truth about those crimes, Camille finds herself forced to unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past. Very entertaining read. It has best seller written all over it (which might not be the biggest compliment lol but i mean for this genre so it is a compliment).

Rage by Sergio Bizzio: Claustrophobic, anxiety inducing, fast-paced psychological thriller that made me think of Bong Joon-ho's Parasite the whole 4 hours it took me to read it. I read it in it's original language, Spanish, and i particularly loved the dialogue; its idiosyncrasies and authenticity (tqm Argentina!)

High Fidelity by Nick Hornby: Rob, an obsessive music fan, reminisces his top five worst break ups to understand his most recent heartbreak. He is a very arrogant and cynical guy who defines his entire life through records, and because he is constantly interacting with music that almost exclusively deals with love—and a very idealistic version of it—he finds himself unsatisfied with the way his life has turned out.

[thewriteadviceforwriters]

How to Write a Servant Character for a Fiction Novel

Introduction

Servant characters are often overlooked in fiction, but they have the potential to be just as compelling and multifaceted as any other character. A well-crafted servant character can add depth and richness to a story, captivating readers and even becoming fan favorites. In this blog, I'll help you explore some valuable tips to guide you in creating a remarkable servant character for your fiction novel.

Give your servant character a backstory

Servants frequently possess fascinating and intricate backstories that can enhance their overall character development. Delve into their childhood experiences, their familial background, or their lives before assuming the role of a servant. By incorporating these details, you will provide your servant character with a rich foundation, enabling readers to better understand their motivations, actions, and perspectives.

Cultivate a unique personality for your servant character

While some portray servants as faceless drones, it is crucial to remember that they are individuals with distinct personalities, quirks, and idiosyncrasies. Infusing your servant character with these distinct traits will make them more relatable to readers and help them stand out in a memorable way. Whether it's a sarcastic wit, a heartfelt kindness, or an obsessive attention to detail, embrace these nuances to create a servant character that resonates with your audience.

Empower your servant character with a purpose

A servant should not merely exist to serve the main character. Instead, give them their own goals, dreams, and motivations. By granting your servant character a sense of purpose, you open up the opportunity for intriguing plot arcs and character development. This distinct drive will make them more captivating and engaging, elevating them beyond the realm of a one-dimensional side character.

Embrace the flaws of your servant character

Perfection is neither realistic nor relatable, even for a servant character. Embrace their flaws and vulnerabilities to make them more authentic and human. Whether they struggle with self-doubt, have a quick temper, or battle with personal insecurities, these imperfections will add depth to your servant character. By allowing readers to see their flaws, you create opportunities for growth and relatability, forging a stronger connection between the reader and the character.

Conclusion

Servant characters hold immense potential for enriching the tapestry of any fiction novel. By implementing these techniques, you can craft a servant character that resonates with readers, leaving a lasting impression. Remember to consider the historical context, conduct thorough research, and, most importantly, embrace your creativity throughout the process. With these tools in hand, you are well-equipped to create a servant character that is complex, interesting, and unforgettable.

Additional Tips

Consider the historical context:

Different societies throughout history have attributed varying roles and significance to servants. Acknowledge these historical nuances when crafting your servant character to ensure authenticity and accurate representation.

Conduct thorough research:

Avail yourself of the wealth of resources available to deepen your understanding of the historical and cultural aspects surrounding servant characters. This research will enable you to infuse authenticity and believability into your writing.

Unleash your creativity:

When it comes to creating servant characters, there are no rigid rules. Embrace your creativity, allowing your imagination to flourish and have fun exploring the possibilities. Push the boundaries of conventional expectations to develop truly exceptional servant characters.

Copyright © 2023 by Ren T.

TheWriteAdviceForWriters 2023