#i feel like a 1920s detective

[i-am-church-the-cat]

I’m sorry

Online stalking is just so fun

[sinisteryuri]

ok. tragically separated wwi era vampire twins.

[cheridraws]

I’ve got a creative writing class coming up very soon (next semester…woag..) and I’m just like. what am I supposed to write about in there. All of my writing ability boils down to making my blorbos cry. I can’t just turn in a 5k oneshot of Dean Winchester sobbing his eyes out for a grade what am I supposed to do

[isuckatwritingsobenice]

Heart on the bayou - Prolouge

Synopsis: With a serial killer on the loose, you’ve been working non-stop as the lead detective on the case, catching the Bayou killer, leaving a trail of dead bodies in their wake. When your sister tells you she’s engaged to the famous radio host of New Orleans, things begin to feel that much more…worse.

Warning: Mentions of murder, typical time period racism, takes place in the 1920’s - 1930’s, Detective! Reader x Alastor

A/n: This story is probably going to be posted on my Wattpad soon, and if you don’t know already my user on Wattpad is whoevenisthis_0. This actually started off as just an idea but I felt like I could expand more on it, so here we are. Let me know if you guys are interested in this and I might make this a short series! :) This was just an idea I had

Navigation!! // Masterlist!!

“You can’t marry him, you’ve only known him three weeks!” You protested, standing at the table. Your sister bordered teary-eyed, while her fiance consoled her. “What are you to do if he drops you like a fly after your marriage?!” You asked, face heating up. Your father stood.

“That is enough.” He said sternly, but you shook your head.

“No! I will not stand for this!” You yelled, your sister glaring at you, before she stood up, slamming her hands on the dinner table. Your mother jumped, sitting in silence and watching everything unfold.

“It isn’t my fault you’re lonely! I have a life Y/n, just accept it and be happy for me!” Your sister argued. You shook your head, putting your utensils on your plate before picking it up and walking to the kitchen.

“No Seline, you just don’t understand how foolish you’re being.” You say, scraping the food off of your plate and into the trash, hearing your sister, Seline, follow you into the kitchen.

“I am not being foolish! You’ve never been in love, you would never know!” Your sister exclaimed watching you set the dish in the sink. From the doorway, your parents stood, watching their children argue.

“Fine! Marry him then! Go off and have babies and do what couples do!” You yelled at her, walking past her and through the dining room, down the hall to the coat rack where you took your hat and coat, sliding into it quickly. Your sister still followed after you.

“I will! You’re so buried into this ‘killer’ that you have no life Y/n! You don’t live!” She shouted as you opened the front door, ready to leave. The air was cold as it hit your legs, walking down the steps quickly, your sister following closely behind. She puts her hand on your shoulder when you step on the sidewalk, turning you around to face her.

“Seline please, if anything you’re too trusting. You’re a child and I want nothing to do with this.” You say quietly to her, embarrassed to even be arguing outside. You refused to look like a mad woman out on the street.

“You’re just jealous because you know you’ll die alone.” Seline said harshly, before she covered her mouth quickly with a gasp, eyes flying wide. You said nothing, turning away from her with an unexplainable look in your eye. Your job wasn’t for nothing, all you needed to do was prove it.

You’ll come out on top. No matter what.

[jeonginsleftcheek]

Stray Kids with an S/O who is a huge horror movie fan

pairing: ot8 x gn!reader

genre: fluff

disclaimer: this is as always just my opinion :)

a/n: as a huge horror movie fan myself, I had to write this! enjoy!🩷

Chan:

As he said before, it's not like he's scared of horror movies, he just doesn't think they're interesting to watch. But, you're interesting to him and he loves you so he will definitely try for you. He also thinks he won't get scared cause 'nothing scares him' but oh boy was he wrong. You have to promise him extra cuddles because he's not gonna be able to fall asleep that night. Will also try to dissect the plot with you after the movie, and try to find meaning in the story just so it's less scary to him.

If he was never really invested into the horror genre, you could show him the classics like The Shining(1980), The Omen(1976), The Amityville Horror (1979), Psycho(1960) and then also some newer iconic movies like Get Out(2017), The Ring(2002), Sinister(2012), Hereditary(2018) and The Conjuring(2013).

Minho:

Loves it. Loves to try and scare you while you're watching a movie together. At first, you're so happy that you can share your love for horror with your significant other. And you know he really doesn't like jumpscares, so you try to find movies that don't have many of those. But if they do and Minho predicts a jumpscare, he'll grab you at the same time it's happening, making you jump out of your skin even though you saw the movie already. You kinda start regretting watching horror movies with him because he annoys you on purpose. He thinks you're so adorable when you're mad at him, but he wont push too far and he'll always make it up with cuddles and kisses later. Overall, 10/10 experience.

I feel like he'd watch almost any horror movie cause he's a curious cat (hehe) and you'd both share your favorites.

I don't know why, but I also feel like Minho would appreciate good old silent horror movies. I just think if he's a horror fan he may enjoy seeing the roots of horror. Like The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari(1920), Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde(1920), The Phantom Carriage(1921), Nosferatu(1922) and Häxan(1922).

Changbin:

I don't think he's too scared of them but I think he doesn't really care for them too much? Though, if you have some interesting thriller or detective movies to recommend he will definitely wanna watch them with you. I think Changbin likes a movie that has an intelligent story with a plot twist. He likes to guess what's gonna happen next and when he's actually right he'll be so happy and proud. He'll keep talking about how he guessed the plot and how smart he is and how you have to give him extra cuddles now. Either way, you're cuddling and snacking the whole time while watching and it's just nice and cozy.

I think he'd enjoy thrillers like The Game(1997), Fracture(2007), The Machinist(2004), The Double(2013), Shutter Island(2010), Zodiac(2007) and 1408(2007).

Hyunjin:

Miss him with that shit cause he ain't watching it unless you manage to coax him into it. It's gonna take a lot of persuading until he finally gives in but you have to be careful in choosing the right movie for Hyunjin. He doesn't like loud noises and he doesn't really like to feel scared. He'd rather watch something for the story, especially if it's an emotional one, and he also likes character driven stories.

I think he could watch artsy or slow creepy movies that are more drama-like but have elements of horror like Pan's Labyrinth(2006), Dark Water(2005), Windchill(2007), It Follows(2014), The Eyes Of My Mother(2016), I'm Thinking Of Ending Things(2020) and Case 39(2009).

Jisung:

Okay, with this one you can go crazy. Any weird horror movie, anything kinda disturbing, deranged or unhinged will be right up his ally. As a horror and anime fan himself, he's seen some pretty weird stuff so experiment, I guess. I also feel like he'd like fun horror movies, idk how to explain but ones that are disturbing but fun at the same time, like you can't look away even though you're looking at a train wreck.

Movies like Funny Games(2007), The Ruins(2008), Suspiria(1977), The Perfection(2018), Perfect Blue(1997), May(2002), Audition(2000), Saw franchise and Terrifier series would be fun for him. Also, since he mentioned Paranormal Activity, found footage horror movies would be fun to watch with Jisung too like Creep(2014), REC(2007), Unfriended(2015) and Cloverfield(2008).

Felix:

This is just not happening unless you can bribe him with cookies, gummies or any other sweets and ofcourse many cuddles and kisses, even more than you share usually. You'll have to practically beg him to watch a horror movie with you or make some kind of compromise that you'll participate in some activity he likes more than you later. He's not gonna sleep all night if you make him watch anything too scary, actually he wouldn't even be watching that. He'd probably be hidden in your neck the whole time and even the creepy sounds coming from the tv will give him nightmares.

The only way to make him watch horror movies is if they're mixed with comedy or they're so bad that they're funny. Like the Scream franchise, The Cabin In The Woods(2011), What We Do In The Shadows(2014), The Happening(2008), Tucker & Dale vs. Evil(2010), Housebound(2014) and ofcourse zombie comedies like One Cut Of The Dead(2017) and Shaun Of The Dead(2004).

Seungmin:

Kind of indifferent towards the scares but I think he gets annoyed with plot holes and characters acting stupid. Rolls his eyes at every over used trope or cliche sentence. You actually end up laughing while watching horror movies with him because he's too cute when he's annoyed.

"How is this killer still alive? He's been run over by a truck ten times, this is stupid!" or "Okay but why is he going towards the sound? Is he that dumb, he's gonna die!"

He does like dry humor though so he'd like some black comedy movies with horror elements like American Psycho(2000), Parasite(2019), The Lobster(2015), The Menu(2022) but also if you want to annoy him on purpose (because he's cute when he gets worked up) show him slashers like the Halloween franchise, Friday the 13th franchise and Black Christmas(2019).

Jeongin:

With Jeongin, I feel like it can go either way and it definitely depends on the theme of the movie. Also, he will probably try to act brave in front of you (until he jumps at a loud sound and then gets embarassed). For some reason I don't have an exact subgenre of horror for him but for some reason I feel like he'd like newer horror movies like Us(2019), Nope(2022), Last Night In Soho(2021), His House(2020), Host(2020), The Invisible Man(2020) and Fear Street film series.

[scintillyyy]

a view at perceptions of dick's economic situation at the circus through the years

alright, we start at detective comics #38, the OG introduction. and, nothing is really said either way about what dick's economic station would have been, because really, the only thing it's there to tell us is that dick is an acrobat--which gives him the skills needed to fight crime by batman's side.

of absolute note to me, though, is the fact that his family was famous for their triple spin & what that potentially means for his upbringing. because, if you've been following this journey with me, means a lot. because we have a real life example of that to compare to get an idea of what may have been his childhood. i am of course, talking about the flying concellos && i did find another one and that would be the flying codonas (alfredo codona being the first man to land a triple somersault).

now, let's be clear--dick being the son of famed circus trapeze artists, especially ones who could land a triple, in 1940, means that he grew up the son of stars. they would have been center ring performers, and likely had amenities and pay that reflected that. now i won't deny that as circus performers they were likely 'othered'--there was likely a prejudice against what they perceived circus folk to be, but that does not likely completely reflect the actuality of what they may have had access to as a result of being entertainment stars. because they were othered--but at the same time, if they were famous enough for their skills, they were definitely adjacent to the rich and famous, not just poor, exploited workers. there was a lot of overlap between famous acts, longstanding families, and ownership. after doing...a lot...of reading on the most famous circus stars of the era of the 1920s & 1930s (especially alfredo cordona + his eventual wife lillian leitzel and the flying concellos), i think i've determined a couple of things:

one, these circus stars feel very akin to movie stars wrt their fame. and they were messy as hell. lillian leitzel in particular was a prima donna--she was the first circus star who was able to catapult her worth into luxuries. she was the first star to ever get her own private train car and personal dressing tent and was known to be the prima donna of the circus. she was also known for her temper--her personal maid would sometimes get fired and rehired several times a day. when she married alfredo cordona between acts in chicago, it was considered the royal wedding of the circus world. may wirth, a trick rider, was frequently in the gossip column of newspapers & had many, many admirers. lillian leitzel was voted the most beautiful woman in the world by american soldiers in wwi. like, these people were stars in every sense of the word.

two, these performers were not just meek, exploited poor people. with the right skills, they had power, they had ambition & they had money. they were center stage performers. arthur concello was huge in investing in and modernizing the circus--likely because of the money he made through the years of performing his act.

so frankly detective comics #28, and later batman #32, doesn't really delve into what dick's life experiences may have been on the circus--because that's not the point. the only thing those are their to do is establish dick as an orphan & and acrobat, and thereby skilled and motivated enough to work at batman's side.

but based on the era in which he was created and in comparison to similar acts of the time, it's easy to take a gander. because john & mary being able to perform a triple would have been huge. they'd be center stage acts, high in hierarchy. with mary being a young, attractive woman who could perform a triple, she may have had plenty of admirers & been in the gossip columns of the newspaper. her wedding to john may have been a whole thing to circus fans. i read a lot about those types of acts being invited to perform and star in european shows over the winters at old, respected circuses && they had enough international star power that they drew crowds there based on name alone. i know the impulse is to think that dick would have had no experience with the wealth of bruce's world, but conversely in that day and age and his parent's skillset it's highly likely he would have been exposed to the glitz & glamour of the famous high life. they may have been invited to do private performances for other rich & famous people & rubbed shoulders with them. alfredo cordona was in a few hollywood movies for his skills & arthur concello had connections to hollywood due to brokering the movie 'the greatest show'--is it out of the realm of possibility to believe that john would have had the same opportunities?

anyways, moving on. i find myself extremely intrigued by detective comics #484, which brings dick back to haly's circus. now there's some hilarity here in that dick has no clue if it's possibly the same haly's circus he and his parents worked for, and he meets linda--of the flying graysons! (get her ass for copyright infringement, dick). jk. linda is a very nice girl & it's just a stage name. dick confirms they were circle ring stars & says that haly's was the greatest show on earth (the ringling bros & barnum and bailey about to come for haly...)

now this issue is interesting because while it doesn't necessarily give us an idea of what dick's economic status would have been, it does establish that the flying graysons were famous enough that the evil stepfather conviced haly that by yoinking the name for his family they'd be able to draw in more customers based on name recognition alone & that the name would put him in the headlines/give him headliner credibility for his act and the circus to get sold to a bigger show & that he would be able to "ride the crest of the wave" and become very successful (and presumably rich). which definitely implies that the grayson name is worth something. now haly's circus is shown to be getting by with generous checks from bruce wayne, and i feel like here we start to get what i feel is a fairly consistent incongruency where haly's circus is often shown to be barely getting by (despite their full audiences), yet the flying graysons were famous.

so then on to secret origins #13, which has dick tell joey about his journey to robin, and...briefly goes into his childhood (he started performing with his family at 5), but again the focus is, as always on the acrobatic portion. there's an interesting opaqueness there about what his childhood was like. just acrobatics and loving parents. nothing is ever really suggested with regards to their fame, they're just vaguely famous & circus stars. nobody seems interested in interrogating that.

and then we get to year three & batman #436 and this is the first time we get any sort of nugget as to dick's potential economic status, and it's not bad? his dad references getting world series tickets and dick wants to go to a movie with harry so he can skip out on homework. the average price of movie tickets in the 70s (when this is implied to take place) adjusted for inflation would be equal to about ~11 dollars today and dick clearly doesn't seem to think this is a huge expenditure. i mean, i wouldn't say that they're rich here by any means (unlike the potential implications of his 1940 introduction), but they're clearly comfortable enough to afford small luxuries without worry. which, again, as a named, headlining act doesn't seem too out of the ordinary. as the headliners, they're probably making the most of all the acts, as they're the ones bringing in the crowd. mary is said to be a third generation circus performer, which. to me. implies some success, that the circus family continued on. a lot of the people i mentioned before were ostensibly part of circus families that continued the tradition as that's what they were raised in. alfredo was first brought on stage at 7 months. & i think the fact that dick was a part of a longstanding circus family that would have had deep ties not just to the community but also would have likely been very entwined and friendly with management due to the nature of a long work relationship together. there is a stability there that wouldn't necessarily be seen with. someone new, i guess?

anyways, honestly i feel like year three & later a lonely place of dying are really the stories that try not to stereotype circus life the most. there's no "wow circus people are so othered & weird", they're just normal people who work at a circus & are treated as such. even jack and janet stopping for a photo is treated like "let's show our son that these performers are just people like us under their costumes". which, honestly reads more like that time i was brought to a local haunted walk when i was like 7 and i was in tears because i was so scared and one of the performers took off their mask to show me he was just a normal guy underneath the costume.

devin grayson, of course, retcons this long-standing family history of his mother being part of a circus family in nightwing annual #1 and changes it to his father instead & is very, hm, married to the idea that circus workers are poor in her conceptualization of how she writes dick as evidenced by her interview in "dick grayson, boy wonder" where she says the following:

god. the racism. it's something. and now. i'll say i have no issue with the idea of clarifying dick as not necessarily white. i do have slight issue with the idea that because he was a circus performer, he was poor. because this is the first time someone i think has actually tried to take into account the childhood dick may have experienced, and she definitely inserted her own stereotypical biases into it. and is a bit at odds with how skilled, famous american circus workers who have his parents' skillset were treated back in the time of dick's conception. they traveled in the winter because they were stars and were invited to perform in prestigious european circuses due to their fame. i just. and i will point out that a lot of these famous circus performers were hot blooded and it had nothing to do with race and everything to do with the fact that they were stage divas. idk. obviously, conceptions of circus workers were likely not the greatest in the 90s. they were nowhere near what their fame was in their heyday. clowns were definitely starting to be seen as more creepy and by this point, circuses were far more criticized for their treatment of animals. but i feel like there's a bit of a leap here wrt devin grayson's assumptions of circus life because of the fact that they travel & doesn't do near enough justice to the worth of the skill of dick & dick's parents. because being able to perform a triple & a quadruple would have still been extremely rare and highly valued. so rare it wasn't performed until 1982 & can still hardly be achieved.

https://www.nytimes.com/1982/07/13/arts/a-quadruple-for-the-flying-miguel-vazquez.html

this article is a fascinating review of exactly how rare and dangerous it is. & hey, alfredo mention.

batman legends of the dark knight #100 seems to go along with this idea that a circus is a dirty and poor place.

and, like. okay so the graysons are still shown as an act important enough to have their own dressing/prep room, per usual, as expected for their skillset. haly's circus in modern day is usually shown in more modern comics to be a small traveling circus that's not doing...super well--at least in comparison to previously established show selling out lore, but the only thing i really take umbrage with here is that alfred describes it as decrepit. which. i feel like even if haly's is small and maybe not super profitable it should at least be shown as a well kept, nice place & the only reason for that is because if it was practically falling apart, there's no fucking way jack would have won the battle of 'let's bring our son tim to the circus' if it was falling apart. janet would have been out here on beyondthebump all 'help my DH wants to take our son to a circus and it's falling apart, located in a terrible part of town, and looks like it employs murderers, how do i tell him no?' and she would have been met with a chorus of 'stand ur ground girl, do NOT let him endager your baby like that!!'.

anyways, the new 52 also gives us almost nothing to go on either. dick's parents' trailer looks nice enough, indicating they do make enough money with their act to afford a semi nice trailer. john is an asshole, dick is out of character. lovely, thanks new 52. the secret origin is as least much better but does go into how the circus has no money--which, hm. doesn't really tell us anything re: the grayson's economic situation. the circus might be struggling and have to close down soon, but it doesn't mean a lot for what contracted rates they pay their acts. in fact, paying for an act as skilled as the graysons and not getting enough profit in return could be part of their money troubles.

and then finally we end with nightwing 82-83 by tom taylor, with the meili lin thing (and, while meili is nice enough, i must say i still don't like this whole thing because the point of zucco should not have been he had a longstanding grudge against the graysons, gdi-). which, again, all it confirms is that the grayson's were the star attractions and does nothing to interrogate what that might've been. it does focus a lot on the idea of they were free and happy, which. um. sometimes the focus on how happy people are is usually "despite the fact that they don't have x". then again i do feel like i will give tom taylor the fact that he also seemed to have just written the graysons as normal people, but he also doesn't seem interested in interrogating what dick being the son of the star act might have actually meant for him.

honestly, a lot of what i'm finding is that much like tim, dick's childhood is left frustatingly opaque--there's a lot of room for interpretation, honestly. it's not ever really said on paper if they struggled with money growing up. you have writers who have all but confirmed they wrote dick with the understanding that he grew up poor because he worked in a circus, but at the same time does ignore the fact that the grayson's had such a unique and special skillset that it's hard to say that makes sense. & is rooted in stereotypical biases. the only aspect of it that's ever considered is "dick's the son of the skilled, star performers and also has those skills ergo he has the skills to be a vigilante". they're cast in this light of famous & skilled!! but the circus they work for is poor and barely getting by, and you can only assume that because they worked for a poor circus dick was probably also living on the poverty line, wholly dependent on the success of the place they worked for because at times their wages were struggled to be paid (despite the fact that as a contract act, to underpay them would absolutely be a breach of contract). there's no confirmation or in-depth look at his childhood, only vague implications, throwaway lines & stereotypes. they want the grayson's to be probably the most skilled circus act in the world. they don't want to look at what that would realistically mean. because only the acrobatics is the important.

[cripplecharacters]

Hi! I’m writing a story about a lady with Down Syndrome. I was wondering if you knew where I can find any resources about Down Syndrome made by people who actually have it, or any organisations that would be good to follow. Any resources made by people with intellectual disability would be really helpful as well.

I read your post about this and it was really helpful so thank you, I’m going to use it as a starting point for my research.

If you’d like some context about the story she’s literally a lady in the 1920s who’s trying to get control of her family’s estate from her brother. Shes underestimated for her disabilities and for being a women but I’m trying to not focus so much on the discrimination and work more on giving her an interesting mystery to solve with the detective she hired. I’d like it to be a bit lighthearted. Anyway, as she’s a main character I really wanted to make sure I wrote her well. Thanks!

Hi!

There aren't many resources out there unfortunately, but there is a page on the UK Down Syndrome's Association's website where members with DS share their opinions on representation in TV and film! You can read it here. For info on intellectual disability in general the best I can do is link some of my previous posts on it - there's close to nothing that's actually made by us unfortunately, everything that I was able to find is always made by someone who knows a person with ID at best. To be clear, not all of it is bad - I thought this interview (TW for abuse that happens in the movie's plot) about a movie starring actors with DS was pretty good - but it's still a sign that we aren't getting enough #OwnVoices representation. It's slowly changing though!

To learn more about DS I would probably recommend NDSS, it's one of the very few orgs that have people with Down Syndrome as board and team members (should be the bare minimum, but it unfortunately isn't). There's also information on things like preferred language and myths that often show up around Down Syndrome!

I'm not great with history, but in the 1920s she would be a subject to a lot more than just discrimination. Eugenics and institutionalization would definitely be present. Not sure what route you'll take there, but basically all the words around that time that she would be described with are currently considered slurs or pejoratives. The racist term for a person with Down Syndrome was officially used into the 60s, and the ableist one is still used legally in 2024. But if you want to skip past that, I think that's more than fine. You don't always have to aim for 100% historical accuracy, just be aware of the real history.

A detective story sounds very exciting! If you decide to publish it on Tumblr or other online site feel free to send me an ask with a link, I'd love to read it :-) !!

Thank you for the ask!

mod Sasza

I’m just popping in as a history fan for a couple bits of history notes — but again, like Sasza said, you don’t have to be 100% historically accurate if you don’t want to and if you don’t feel it’s necessary.

So, especially in the first half of the 1900s, a large part of disabled children, including children with Down Syndrome, were institutionalized very early in their life. Around this time the push that immorality caused disability was strong, and people were often convinced by doctors and professionals that the children’s needs would always be too much for them. Eugenicism was sort of reaching a peak around this time, as well—I would say it was at its most intense in the period of 1900-1940s.

Not all parents institutionalized their children, though. There was pressure to do so, but that doesn’t mean everyone fell victim to it. There wasn’t really any official support for parents who did this, and there weren’t official organizations for Down Syndrome. From my research, the current large DS organizations seem to have popped up in the 60s.

The term ‘Down Syndrome’ wasn’t in popular use until the 70s, and it wasn’t known that it’s caused by an extra chromosome until 1959.

Life expectancy in 1900-1920 for people born with Down Syndrome was 9 years old. Some of this could absolutely have been due to conditions in institutions, but likely even more relevant is that about 50% of people with DS are born with heart defects (also known as congenital heart disease) that can be fatal if not treated with surgery. Heart surgery wasn’t really feasible until the late 30s and early 40s. Another risk factor is a higher risk for infection, which isn’t easy to manage in a world that doesn’t yet have antibiotics.

I actually wanted to find pictures of adults with Down Syndrome pre-1940ish, though, to see real tangible evidence of adults being part of a community. First I found just one picture of a baby in 1925 on this Minnesota government website. But then I found a collection someone made of photos of both children and young adults, but they are not specifically dated. The first baby picture is from the 30s according to the poster!

Judging by the clothes I see people wearing in these photos, photo #4 (man with Down Syndrome in a suit next to a woman) seems to be from the 20s and photo #13 (young woman with Down Syndrome and very long hair) seems to be from about the 1910s. #18 (large family with a lot of sons, including one boy with Down Syndrome) could be from the 30s. Those three are the oldest people with DS in the photos, and they seem like young adults. A lot of these pictures show a community and aren’t just isolated kids, which I find nice.

It’s hard to find specific historical record of people with Down Syndrome from that period of time, but I wanted to show photos of real people in their communities to show, hey look! They were there, too!

Either way, I love detective stories and historical fiction and I’m glad you’re writing a story and that you care about your character’s portrayal but I totally know the feeling of that tricky balance between historical accuracy and modern acknowledgement that we should have been doing better.

— Mod Sparrow

[rogueddie]

Different Time AU, Steddie Fics

Important: READ THE TAGS! Also, leave a comment and kudos! These fics are amazing and I love them and I hope y'all do too 🕓

I'm a Fool to Want You

senoritablack

Steve Harrington is a regular at Valentine’s, a word-of-mouth, traveling party for queers. As a hard-knocked detective in a town meant to kill you slowly, he’s not meaning to be anything but drunk at tonight’s shindig. Somehow, with the help of a gorgeous pianist, he finds himself in love.

Words : 7,755 Chapters : 1/1 Rating : Explicit

AO3 : x

( Set in the 1940s )

Don't threaten me with a good time

QueenOfSwords1312

No sooner is Eddie through the door, bottle in hand, than he’s being swept up in someone’s arms and pressed back against a wall. He blinks a few times to steady his vision after the near-whiplash move and comes face-to-face with Coriolanus himself, Steve Harrington. He’s got one hand on Eddie’s waist and the other has smoothly made its way into Eddie’s hair at the back of his head. And Eddie’s still clutching the damn wine bottle neck so he only has one free hand to grasp at Steve’s sweater.

The last time Eddie had seen the beautiful man, he’d been on stage, covered in fake blood and waxing poetic about all the bad decisions he made in his life to land him where he was. Which was hot , if a bit sad, but definitely fucking hot.

“You’re—” Eddie starts, but Steve cuts him off.

“Gonna kiss you now, if that’s alright,” Steve says, already staring at Eddie’s mouth.

Words : 7,496 Chapters : 1/1 Rating : Explicit

AO3 : x

( Modern au )

What Do You Want?

Sharpbutsoft (BuckysButt)

He hears the clink of glass pearls first, then feels a bare arm pressed alongside his own, warm through his thin cotton shirt.

“You here alone, handsome?” asks a low, husky voice, right into his ear. Steve turns to see the most beautiful person on whom he’s ever laid eyes.

Tall, with long, dark hair and darker eyes. A gash of red lipstick on her full lips, a stylish fringed dress and a strings of pearls hanging off her boyish frame.

Words : 1,543 Chapters : 1/1 Rating : Teen And Up Audiences

AO3 : x

( The whole series is great, and it is also written / co-written by dodger_chan. Set in the 1920s. )

May I Have This Dance?

sky_neverending

Steve attends a masquerade with Robin, and ends up meeting a handsome stranger who awakens a new feeling.

Words : 3,162 Chapters : 2/2 Rating : Teen And Up Audiences

AO3 : x

( Set in the 1800s )

Moments can be Monuments to You, if Your Life is Interesting and True

DiscoSuperFly

Working 911 dispatch in a small town is equal parts stressful and rewarding. Steve likes to think he's making a difference.

Eddie quietly returns to Hawkins and is surprised by everyone who chose to stay.

Why would a golden boy like Steve Harrington stick around in this dead end town?

Words : 58,749 Chapters : 7/7 Rating : Explicit

AO3 : x

( Set in the 90s )

Betting On Your Name

FIick

“But I don’t want her Eddie!” The prince throws his hands up. “Why can’t my father see there are other candidates who are closer to me, right here at home!”

“Who do you want then?” Eddie asks his breath catching in his throat, his hands itching to reach out and reassure. This is a dangerous game. Far more so than a silly childhood bet. It’s a very easy thing to say he’ll give Prince Steve the air from his lungs, and another entirely to do so.

Words : 4,533 Chapters : 1/1 Rating : General Audiences

AO3 : x

( Medieval au )

the devil’s camaro (please don’t remember me, it’s only 1993)

roosterroo

It’s 1993. Eddie works at his local garage after serving time for a drug charge in high school. There he meets Steve, a typical well to do suburban dad type, who turns everything Eddie believes on his head. And he’s married- but also flirting with him?

Words : 32,798 Chapters : 6/6 Rating : Mature

AO3 : x

Here is the Repeated Image of the Lover Destroyed

stevefuckingharrington

He could feel the warm, wet red of his blood slipping down over his fingers and dripping onto the forest floor. He had been stabbed before of course - it came as part of the job - but never quite like this. He could feel himself dying, his life slipping through his own weak grasp.

It was no longer a case of ‘if’, but ‘when’.

Words : 1,744 Chapters : 1/1 Rating : Mature

AO3 : x

( Medieval au )

Blood 🩸 & Caffeine ☕

Witch_Weakly

Eddie's got a little vampire...problem. You see, he normally feeds once a month from the blood bank at the hospital where he works. And that's normally fine. The blood provides him with life for a few days - breathing, hunger for real food, a healthy sex drive. And then that fades away, replaced by a mild bloodlust that gets stronger until he finally needs to feed again. This cycle is fine as long as he doesn't go too long. As long as he feeds before he gets so numb and so hungry that he loses himself. Except one day, that's exactly what happens. And it's only been a few weeks since his last feeding. Way too soon. In a panic, he feeds early and now needs silly human things like sleep during his scheduled night shift. Guess it's time for a trip down to the coffee shop. But on top of meeting a hot barista, Eddie finds that his little problem is only getting worse.

Words : 17,756 Chapters : 9/9 Rating : Explicit

AO3 : x

( Modern AU )

[xiakeponz]

for modern AU fics - what chinese media did diaspora consume?

making this post because some of us in the diaspora server were having a chat about what Chinese media "Diaspora Chinese" watched in the 90's - 2000's (and even sooner than that) while not having access to satellite chinese media or streaming services - this is in the context of writing modern AU fics based off Chinese media/novels (so your main character's grandpa or uncle is not, in fact, watching an episode of Friends or Shortland Street or something as flavour text because sorry what the hell-)

We generally watched a lot of stuff on VCDs, including bootlegged and non-bootlegged movies, shows, anime/donghua. My household had a whole VCD album of this, and a lot of VCDs (even if they were pirated editions) would have a fancy hardcover box with a magnetic clasp and some artwork representing the show on it.

All of this is Mandarin - so not TVB stuff, because I'm from Northern China and I don't know any cantonese - but Canto friends, please feel free to add to the list! This is mostly stuff my parents liked to watch, or I liked to watch with them, with the exception of a few which I mainly watched with friends/cousins when I was maybe (in most cases) eleven/twelve years old onwards. This is a pretty personal list, meant to give people general idea of a possible "ballpark" of sorts, and by no means exhaustive.

Now, for the list of shows which I can confirm I had or someone I know had on VCD or some kind of offline media format lol (I'll try add release year stamps and links to the EN wikipedia where possible):

Period dramas (mostly Qing Dynasty stuff):

Huan Zhu Gege 还珠格格 (1998, April-) This is a classic, so many memes come from this show; hugely popular series, basically cemented Zhang Tie Lin's face as the face of the Qing Emperor for about a decade. Tie Chi Tong Ya Ji Xiao Lan 铁齿铜牙纪晓岚 (2002-2010) - I loved this show as a kid and watched all four seasons on repeat with family... The "trio" in this show are well known and loved.

Amazing Detective Di Ren Jie / 神探狄仁杰 (2004) A very popular and addictive show. Ok now the Big Four:

Romance of 3 kingdoms 1994 / 三国演义 (1994) - a classic that has had many remakes, my older cousin would play this on repeat...

Hong Lou Meng/红楼梦 （1987） - another classic with many remakes, but I think the most recognised by the public one is the 1987 one.

Journey to the West / 西游记 live action (1986) - I think the 1986 version of the live action is the most recognised one. *Shui Hu Zhuan / 水浒传 (1998) - I am not too familliar with the live action of this one in my household tbh bc my mum doesn't like it lol (she keeps saying it's too depressing) but I'm sure it's up there with the rest of the big four, if anyone has an opinion on this one please let me know!

Modern setting shows:

My dad loved all the Sun Honglei (孙红雷 - actor name) stuff, iirc it was a lot of MinGuo period espionage stuff, your shanghai 1920's sxc aesthetic. This actor has been around since 1999? Qian Fu （潜伏）was very famous, and Ren Jian Zheng Dao Shi Cang Sang （人间正道是沧桑）。 These were around '08 and '09.

Chuang Guan Dong - 闯关东 (2008) (Baidu link, sorry - couldn't get an EN wikipedia one). This show was huge when it was airing, everyone was watching it. I was pretty young but even I watched it and got invested ... and I thought it was such an "old person" show at the time lmao. Xiao Bing Zhang Ga / 小兵张嘎 （2004） (sorry, again Baidu link) - yo, anti-japanese war movies set between 1937-1945 were crazy popular - this is one of them and was very popular):

Donghua/Anime (all the stuff kid me watched and some which I didn't but were popular):

喜羊羊与灰太狼 (2005-) Calabash Brothers / 葫芦兄弟 （1986-1987） Black Cat Detective / Hei Mao Jing Zhang 黑猫警长 （1984-2010） Lan Mao Tao Qi 3000 Wen 蓝蓝猫淘气3000问 AKA 蓝猫 (blue cat) (October 1999 - Present) Legend of Ne Zha 哪吒传奇 (2003) Journey to the West/Xi You Ji 西游记 This was truly the Donghua I grew up on from when I was a bb, the OP song and ED song are classic bangers all kids know. Slam Dunk/ 灌篮高手 - People truly watched a lot of anime that may or may not have been terribly dubbed into mando (possibly canto too). Late 80s and 90s kids were all over this, and Dragon Ball, Crayon Shinchan (labixiaoxin).

Taiwanese Dramas:

This is mid-late 2000's, I would be remiss to not talk about the Taiwanese dramas of this era. Mike He, Rainie Yang, Wu Zun (amongst many, many others) were huge. Stuff like Dou Niu Yao Bu Yao, it started with a kiss, Hua Yang Shao Nv (Taiwanese version of Hana Kimi) were all pretty popular. Not sure if these shows all hold up in 2023, but boy were they popular at the time.

Note about CNY:

For CNY, people would try to tune into 春节联欢晚会 (the CCTV official CNY show) at that One Friend Who Had China Satellite TV's house. Zhao Ben Shan / 赵本山 was a comedy staple, and the show would often feature people from the music industry to perform. Eventually these people became more and more relevant to my gen and Jay Chou etc started appearing.

Last but not least Xian Jiaaaan 仙剑:

In 2005 I was all over 仙剑奇侠传 (Chinese Paladin), based off the video game. This show was crazy popular and probably sent me and a whole lot of other kids into Xianxia / Wuxia hell (and Hu Ge hell, and later I came back to love Liu Yifei). Thank you. The OST is a true banger.

[mirai-desu]

Miss Scarlet & The Duke Read-a-likes

I had already started on a post of Miss Scarlet & The Duke read-a-likes before The News, and now I want to prove that hey, you can have historical mysteries with romance and the leads get together! When MSATD first came out I thought, this is like the books love to read! (whoops). The following are series that I feel like, as a librarian, skew closer to the actual original premise (ahem) of MSATD, but aren't the Historical Romance genre (i.e. these books are rated closer to the TV show, when it comes to the steam factor). In these cases, I chose titles that aren't just mysteries but feature the romance prominently, but also aren't just HR with a mystery in the background.

Disclaimer: mileage may vary; for some of these it's been awhile since I've read them and there might be mistakes. There's also a few other series that might work that are on my TBR list, so I might be updating this list in the near future.

Top Picks:

Veronica Speedwell 1880s, London | POV: First person; heroine You've probably seen this book listed as a MSATD read-a-like before, because not only is the time period similar, but so is the dynamic between the leads. The main difference is that the protagonists are actually natural historians and not detectives, and some of the plots are more adventure-like (think "Cell 99") than police cases. If I had to pick one series to rec, it's this one.

Molly Murphy 1900s, New York | POV: First person; heroine While in New York (har har), this series I think has a most general set up to MSATD; a lady detective with an agency that she takes over, and her love interest, a detective with the police force. There's even an Arabella. But don't fret! (ngl, though, this series proves that William wouldn't have an easier time with the NYPD than he does SY… RN might have wanted to do some research…)

Captain Jim & Lady Diana 1890s, India, US, UK | POV: Differs between books, 1st book is more his POV The first book in this series has a more layered approach with the setting of British India (which is fascinating in its own right), but the next two are more in line with MSATD and the other series listed.

Carpenter & Quincannon 1890s, San Francisco | POV: Third person limited, both hero and heroine This series is written by a husband and wife duo (HA), and might be a little confusing to figure out the order given the characters' appearances in their other works, but the actual series linked here is about two former Pinkertons who form their own detective agency together. Some of the cases are a little predictable, and there are a few books where their cases don't intertwine as well as the others, but it's still an enjoyable read of two detectives who make it work both professionally and personally.

Other Picks:

Wrexford & Sloane Regency, London | POV: Third person limited, both hero and heroine The latest volumes actually name check MSATD in their blurbs. I think the feel is slightly different, given the time period and a few other elements that are clear when you start reading them, but they are similar enough that I get the comparison.

Daisy Dalrymple 1920s, UK | POV: Third person limited, both hero and heroine 1920s historical mysteries with romance are a genre all into themselves, but I recommend this series over some of the others because of the HEA. (also tacking this on here: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries is loads better as a TV series, which is why I don't recommend the books).

Inspector Corravan 1870s, London | POV: Third person limited; hero There's only two of this series so far, but I feel like the male lead has shades of William to him.

Athenian Mysteries Ancient Greece | Male POV (from what I remember) This one is off the beaten path compared to the others, but I do recommend it because of the dynamic between the leads and the HEA.

Great series but… the Slow Burn is Still… Slow

Bess Crawford WWI, UK/France | POV: First person; heroine I really do like this series, but I have to have a somewhat spoilery caveat: we are still in the slow burn 13 books in. But I have to recommend it anyway, because there's some striking similarities in that the female lead's father is the mentor to the male lead. I will warn you; there are a few books that he barely appears in. So maybe try this one last lol

Promising Start

Dr. Julia Lewis 1860s, London | POV: Third person limited; hero and heroine + villain My hold on this debut literally showed up the day after I almost finished the post, but I after reading the first one, it's definitely in the same vein (there's also a very overt reference to something that I'm certain is a nod to MSATD...). Looking forward to the next one for sure.

[boobookiss]

Personally I just feel like Wilford and Abe being hard masc x hyperfem is everything.. Full stop.

I know Wilford dresses like a 1920s carnival barker most of the time but you sit here and tell me he wouldn't also rock up to that detective in some 2 inch gaudy open toed heels, no glue no borax

[twofrontteethstillcrooked]

Fever: 14 Oct. Suptober

One of the victims had written in a diary about their shadow-self, but there was so far no evidence this was anything other than a metaphor, a way of reflecting on inward feelings unmirrored by outward actions. 

Regardless, Cas was less concerned about the victim at the moment than he was the sheen in Dean's eyes. 

deancas ust, almost-human Cas mid-case au (so, a some-season-in-the-middle au lol)

"So I googled an image of the flowers we kept seeing throughout the house," Dean said as soon as Cas came through the door, "and I think we were close but no cigar."

Cas couldn't imagine what tobacco had to do with the case. He edged over to the bed, intrigued more by the nature of Dean's voice than by anything he was actually saying.

And Dean was saying quite a lot. "They're in the daisy family, Asteraceae." He mostly pronounced that correctly. "But they're not daisy daisies, like, daisies." He gestured as if that would also mean something to Cas and kept going as Cas crept closer. "It's feverfew, um–" He flipped his notepad back a page shakily. "Tanacetum parthenium L." Another charming pronunciation that made Cas ache with fondness. "From febrifugia, Latin for "fever reducer,' so that's all on the nose." He wiped at his own nose with the back of his hand and patted around for a tissue. 

Cas handed him one from the box beneath the lamp on the bedside table and sat down next to Dean on the mattress.

Dean continued, "Check this out. So I look up feverfew and witches, and there are a zillion hits, and I'm reading on this one site this whole mystical explanation of all the things feverfew is supposedly good for: migraines, arthritis, toothache; auras that might cause migraines, arthritis or toothaches. Keeps away mosquitoes; promotes good digestion. Quote–" He picked up his notepad again. "'Aids in the alchemical transformation of nervous energy, preventing the manifestation of shadow habits and emotions.'" He looked at Cas expectantly. "Sound familiar?"

One of the victims had written in a diary about their shadow-self, but there was so far no evidence this was anything other than a metaphor, a way of reflecting on inward feelings unmirrored by outward actions. 

Regardless, Cas was less concerned about the victim at the moment than he was the sheen in Dean's eyes. 

He had no chance to mention this before Dean said, "The site with the info had these feverfew products for sale, including a tincture, and out of curiosity I clicked on it and it took me to the page for a farm that makes them from flowers they grow themselves, and then I was curious about the farm so I clicked a link for that." His voice had grown even rougher and more staticky, like his words were disappearing as soon as he tried to say them. 

"Dean," Cas said, worry curling in his own throat.

"Guess what the farm's been doing," Dean rasped with a triumphant grin.

"What?" Cas asked indulgently.

Dean plopped his tablet in Cas's lap and scrolled to a photo of a green field fenced by rows of blooming bushes and scraggly apple trees. A paragraph had been highlighted: "'Since the early 1920s we have been committed to seeking and listening to and working in cooperation with the Angels, Elementals, and other natural spirits who have lived here on this land long before our arrival.'" 

Cas took a sharp breath. He allowed himself to, as Sam might say, think outside the box for a moment. "I don't know any angels who've been on earth amongst humans, communicating with humans, for that long a period of time. Certainly not with the Host's permission; and none of us would've been able to escape detection–"

"Anna did," Dean pointed out.

"Anna fell." Cas put the tablet on the table, a frizzle of grief for his former friend making his head hurt for a second. 

"It would make sense, though, if there were some…angelic interference to all this," Dean argued. "Considering the nature of the victims' injuries."

Cas had to concede Dean wasn't wrong. He also had to concede there was something else wrong with Dean instead. He pushed past his hesitations and gently laid his hand on Dean's forehead. The skin beneath his palm felt like fire.

"You're ill." He heard the sorrow in his own voice and tried to school it off his face but probably didn't succeed.

"Just a head cold," Dean said, just the barest outline of the words making much sound at all. "I took some Advil right before you got back and I'll be good as new in no time." His expression was full of generosity.

Cas, on the other hand, had shame and fear curdling in his stomach. Dean's health was generally fine but what if the head cold was actually a flu, or some other viral infection? With Cas's grace so utterly depleted, he could no more return Dean's body temperature to its normal level than he could decimate a horde of infectious agents swimming in Dean's bloodstream. And now there might be other angels involved in the case? 

He felt as tired as Dean looked.

"Hey," Dean whispered. (Whispering seemed to work better.) "What did you find out, earlier?"

Cas had forgotten he'd been near the second crime scene, just a few towns over in Burr Oak. "Someone's checked out all the books on witchcraft from the public library, same as in Jamestown, Jewell, and Montrose, but there are no fresh graves at the cemetery."

Dean nodded. "Sam's supposed to be back with Garth in a couple of hours. Whatever they've found in Portis could be useful." He sagged back against a stack of pillows and closed his eyes.

Cas didn't know, anymore, what was best to do or not to do. He only knew what he wanted to do.

He'd noticed that Dean hadn't used to keep so many pillows on his bed. It seemed handy that there was another set on the bed now. He kicked his legs up onto the mattress and stretched out on his side, propped against the other set of pillows. Human comforts were beginning to be actually comfortable. 

Or maybe it was the company. Dean's eyes fluttered open for a moment and fluttered shut again. Cas's eyes were heavy too. He almost opened them when Dean moved closer, tucking himself against Cas's chest, but it wasn't necessary to. He put his arms around Dean and pressed his face into Dean's warm hair, and fell asleep listening to Dean breathe.

[olderthannetfic]

I'm have a little prob. So uhh, I'm attempting writing a fic but I've see that a lot of people complain/critique when someone describe a character using the hair color. Like, «the red-headed said». Personally I don't find it annoying (only when overused in every single paragraph), but a lot people say it's bad to describe characters that way. Aaaaaand here's my problem: how can I describe a character that no one knows their name? (I'm writing my fic in third person but it isn't omnipresent, more like just focusing on a specific character's feelings and all of that. POV but not actually that POV-y, BTW.) Have anyone a tip for describing this character without using the «the red-headed said» or abusing «that boy», «the stranger», etc. I prefer asking because a lot of articles and all of that crap that appear when I google it aren't really helping, LOL. Thanks!

--

OH GOD EPITHETS

That POV is called 'third person limited', and the POV does convey character. The description you should use is the one that the POV character would actually think in their head.

The reason the hair color thing is so egregious is two problems:

First, the vast majority of the time, this is not how you'd be thinking of someone whose name you didn't know. You'd be thinking "the bank teller" or "the girl in the corner". If you're looking at security footage in color that's shot from above, you might ID various people by their hair color. If you're super horny for redheads or if red hair is super unusual or important to the plot, you might think of this lady by her hair color. But in general, it's not an in-character way to describe anybody.

(This also applies to bullshit like "the shorter man" or "the younger man" when the dude isn't like 30 years younger or a foot shorter. 99% of fanfic uses are about characters who are a centimeter different in height and look the same age.)

The second reason is amply demonstrated above. Lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of fic uses hair colors in ways that are not grammatical or natural in English, whether the author is clearly EFL like you or a native speaker. You need a noun.

"The redhead said..."

"The blond said..." (men only)

The blonde said..." (women only)

"The brunette said..." (women only)

Notice that there is no male equivalent of 'brunette' in English. If you want a dude version, it's "the brown-haired man". All other hair colors including black are "the [whatever]-haired person". Fandom really needs to lay off 'bluenette', 'pinkette', and other crimes of early anime fic.

This also applies to that egregious horror "The younger said...". It's used occasionally in 1920s novels and constantly in fic, but it's HORRIBLE. "The younger man said..." is also bad, but it's less stupefyingly godawful than "the younger".

--

Now, back to your question: I see your problem. There are lots of generic writing advice articles out there, so it's hard to know which one to listen to.

You say your fic isn't "POVy", but that's nonsense.

If the fic is third person limited rather than omniscient, then the way everything is described is that character's POV. What color words are used, which clothing or architecture is even described at all, whether smells and sounds are described or only visual input: everything like that builds a sense of the character. You may not be including a lot of detail, but any detail you put in is building their POV and thus their character.

Is your character the kind of person who gives weird nicknames to people? He'll call this redhead "Eyebrows" (capitalized like a name) because he noticed she has funny eyebrows. Is your character an overly serious cop? He'll call her "the suspect" or "the witness" or something. Is your character from a hardboiled detective novel? He'll call her "the dame". Is your character barely thinking about this woman? He'll refer to her as "the woman".

Pick one simple detail that is the most important aspect of her to your POV character. That becomes her "name" for now. The POV will call her that and only that as though it is a proper noun.

So if she's "the redhead", she is not also "the red-haired woman" or "the woman". Use only this one epithet plus she/her, just like you would normally use only a name plus she/her.

The only exception would be if your character has a good reason to update what they call her, usually because they've gotten new info about her identity (her name, her job description, she's so-and-so's sister, etc.). If your character calls everyone by a long list of constantly-evolving nicknames, then that's a character point, and you can do it, but you have to do it consistently (and it's probably going to be super annoying, so I would not personally pick this as your character's defining trait).

--

Epithets suck when they are out-of-character for the POV you are trying to write. When they are in-character, they are fine.

That's the rule.

[isfjmel-phleg]

March 2024 Books

Norby, the Mixed-Up Robot by Janet and Isaac Asimov

This one was a lot of fun! I should track down the rest of the series.

The World's Greatest Detective by Caroline Carlson

I was very confused about what era this world was mimicking (are they Victorian? 1920s/30s?), but it was a fun story and I enjoyed the dynamic between the protagonists.

A Dig in Time by Peni R. Griffin

I remember liking this one, but it feels like I read it years ago and I can't remember everything. Time travel with a family emphasis.

The Promise by Monica Hughes

Like Sandwriter, which this is a sequel to, I initially wasn't so sure that I liked this one, and then it went in an unexpected direction that took the themes in a more complex place, and I appreciated that.

The Yellow Fairy Book by Andrew Lang

I generally like fairy tales well enough, but this one was rather a slog to get through, and I ended up skimming a lot of it. There were some familiar favorites, but a lot of the tales were of the variety that consist of an interesting set-up followed by a seemingly incoherent series of events, and I regret I don't have enough interest in folklore to get much out of that.

The Romance of a Shop by Amy Levy

Interesting from a historic perspective mostly, but I didn't connect much with the story.

The Secret Garden of Yanagi Inn by Amber A. Logan (reread)

Reread so it would be fresh in my mind before the presentation. You already know how I feel about this one.

The Humming Room by Ellen Potter (reread)

Same as above. I have a post in drafts with some thoughts on this one that may eventually see daylight.

The Making of May by Gwyneth Rees (reread)

Already discussed this one.

A Bit of Earth by Karuna Riazi (reread)

Beautifully written and very readable and develops its themes well. Does fall into the trap of making the story about grief (Maria's late parents were frequently absent from her life, and she resents this, but she did have relationships with them in ways that her counterpart in the original book never did with her parents, so it's a completely different dynamic). I found this Colin to be somewhat underdeveloped, but I did appreciate the concept of his being fearful about failing to live up to family expectation, which is a reasonable translation of the original character's source of shame.

Charley by Joan G. Robinson

I don't remember much of this one. Didn't have any problems, just didn't have as much impact as other books by this author have for me.

Greenwild by Pari Thomson

A very derivative example of the Child Learns That They Are Magical And Special And Enters A Fantastical World Where They Must Take On The Villain sort of story. I wanted to enjoy it, but everything felt trite.

Doctor Who: A Brief History of Time Lords by Steve Tribe

This was a gift from my brother. I am a very casual DW fan and haven't really engaged with the show in quite a while (really should rewatch and catch up on new stuff but that's a pretty big time commitment right now). I think I would have got a lot more out of this if I were more than passingly familiar with Classic Who and all the lore in general.

Not Quite a Ghost by Anne Ursu

I was interested in this one because it's a retelling of "The Yellow Wallpaper," and the concept of comparing the difficulties of getting difficult-to-trace chronic illnesses taken seriously and diagnosed in today's world to the mishandling of women's medical and psychological conditions in the late nineteenth century intrigued me. However, this book didn't really know what it wanted to be. The young protagonist's struggles with her mystery chronic illness took up most of the book, but there was also a plot about a literal ghost in the wallpaper of her new attic bedroom that needs to be defeated in the end, and neither of these things fitted well together. One or the other of them would have been fine, but the combination left me confused about the nature of this fictional world and the themes of the book in general.

Comics/Graphic Novels

Benevolent Sisters of Charity (Over the Garden Wall)

This is the only one of the OTGW comics that I wasn't able to buy before it went out of print, so I ILLed it and realized that it was for the better that I hadn't. The story was incoherent and pointless and the characters were OOC. The art was much better than the story deserved.

Wayne Family Adventures Vol. 3

I've read these as a webcomic already but wanted it in book form too. These are entertaining; you just have to go into it aware that this is The Fluffy World version of everybody and they are characterized accordingly.

The Flash by Grant Morrison & Mark Millar

Not on a level with Waid's work, of course, but the highlight of this one was the storyline in which Linda dies and Wally manages to bring her back (some good Bart content here) and a delightfully meta short story in which Mark Millar meets up with Wally to figure out what story about him to tell next...and Wally is given a co-writing credit in the end.

The Flash by Mark Waid Books Seven and Eight

An effective end to this run. Waid points out in his Afterword that he's still got another story on reserve, so...anytime he wants to give that to us, that would be great. I'll be waiting.

The Secret Garden on 81st Street: A Modern Retelling of the Secret Garden by Ivy Noelle Weir (reread)

You know how I feel about this one. (I whipped it out at the convention to show somebody who was talking to me about CEN in the present day through leaving one's child to technology that that concept was used in this retelling, and somebody nearby oohed about what a diverse retelling it was as I flipped through pages. Which is, you know, more important than effective storytelling. It should have done both! We could have had both!)

Stephen McCranie's Space Boy Omnibus Volume 5

I've read this in webcomic form already, but it's a pleasure to have a physical copy of the latest omnibus.

Sinister Sons #1-2 plus additional material establishing the backgrounds of Lor-Zod and Sinson

A sort of response to the series Super Sons (which featured Jon Kent at his proper age and Damian Wayne), by the same author. This is going to be about a teamup of Lor-Zod (son of General Zod, was Chris Kent in another continuity, has apparently been Zukoed in this incarnation) and Sinson (a young, apparently orphaned thief who believes that his father must be Sinestro, the Green Lantern's arch-nemesis). So far the boys haven't done much more than fight, but I'm interested to see where this is going. (#3 is in the mail now!)

Lor is a horrid little piece of work, but his parents' recent treatment of him puts him in a more sympathetic situation, and I am hoping he'll get a redemption arc that would move him closer to his original version. Sinson is no angel either, but he's just a child who really, really wants a family and is clinging to the only hope for one that he has--and if that means he's a supervillain's son, then he's ready to follow in those footsteps to gain acceptance.

(Also he drew a mustache on himself with a black marker to look more like his alleged father, and that's so ridiculous and kind of endearing.)

[olreid]

ok i think what i was (poorly) trying to get at in that original miss fisher post is the way the show really only takes like. three and a half people seriously as full people who are responding intelligently to the particular qualities of the world around them and then the rest of the cast are like. comedy props. thinking particularly about the way dot's religiousness generally serves as a punchline to the joke about the contrast between her backward beliefs and practical nature rather than a jumping off point to experience what was compelling to people in that particular context about organized faith... also the way bert and cec are introduced as communists but it feels like that's because the show was like. well, there were communists then, so here are some! rather than trying to explore what conditions might have produced communist organizing in the 1920s.. anyway,

of course i understand that a tv show is almost never going to focus on everyone equally but it just seems like a lazy approach to be like. well the character that we've given the most 'modern' beliefs is the one who is most portrayed as a fully realized & complex person because of course no thinking person would believe anything Other than what we believe today.. and then the farther away a given character gets from our current way of looking at things, the less time we spend exploring what conditions might have produced their beliefs.

it's also not like a nuanced exploration of the political realities of the 1920s was necessarily ever on the agenda for what is ultimately just supposed to be a like comfortingly structured detective show or whatever but i just think that sometimes you read or watch someone's historical fiction and you can FEEL that, whether consciously or not, they subscribe to a linear conception of history and can't actually fathom the fact that each period has been populated with people who were every bit as sentient and capable as we are. not that miss fisher is like a particularly egregious example of this belief but it is the one i watched the most recently, so.

anyway! historical gimmick show fails to properly historicize human behavior & ultimately creates a fetish of out of progressivism, inadvertently positing that if you're a good enough or smart enough person you will naturally arrive at certain 'modern' beliefs regardless of your time period or historical context when that's just like. really not how anything works. more at 10

[astriiformes]

IDK if you did mention this or I'm making it up, but I feel like you said you'd post the actual list you picked from for the AU roulette challenge at least partway through the month? (I didn't make the signups on time :') and probably would've procrastinated anyway oops, so I've been curious)

Thanks!

No, you remembered right! I was hanging onto it for a while in case anyone wanted to make requests for a second fandom, but I never actually got any secondary prompt requests, so i decided to wait until the end of the challenge instead.

My AU list was as follows:

1 - Pacific Rim/mecha 2 - Star Wars/space opera 3 - Roleswap 4 - Superhero 5 - Vampire 6 - DnD/fantasy 7 - Star Trek/space exploration 8 - Post-apocalypse 9 - Fairytale 10 - High seas 11 - Time travel 12 - Western 13 - Daemon 14 - Mythology 15 - Coffee shop 16 - College/academia 17 - Community theater 18 - Summer camp 19 - Ghost/cryptid hunters 20 - Secret agent 21 - Sherlock Holmes/detective 22 - Cyberpunk 23 - Medieval/Renaissance 24 - 1920s/Prohibition 25 - Road trip 26 - Your job 27 - Indiana Jones/archaeologist 28 - Heist 29 - Your favorite historical era 30 - Band/musicians 31 - Farm/ranch 32 - Lovecraftian/cosmic horror 33 - Urban fantasy 34 - Roller derby 35 - Shakespeare/classic lit

If I ever run the challenge again, I would probably keep some of the same AUs on the master list just because I chose classics for a reason, but I might randomize which ones stay in and which ones get replace just for an extra layer of roulette.