#paxton and amal

[masonhawthorne]

What I read in 2023!

Isn't it nice to have the whole year's worth of something in one handy list?

January

Medieval England: From Arthur to the Tudor Conquest, Jennifer Paxton ⭐️⭐️⭐️ NF

The Day of the Triffids, John Wyndham ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Hannibal, Livy ⭐️⭐️⭐️ NF

John Wayne Gacy: Defending a Monster, Sam L Amirante, Danny Brodrick ⭐️⭐️⭐️ NF

This Is How You Lose the Time War, Amal El-Mohtar, Max Gladstone ⭐️⭐️

Trouble With Lichen, John Wyndham ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Reanimator's Heart, Kara Jorgensen 😠

The Miracle of Dunkirk, Walter Lord ⭐️⭐️⭐️ NF

Alone on the Ice, David Roberts ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ NF

The Midwich Cucoos, John Wyndham ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Hanging Tree, Ben Aaronovitch ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Polygamist's Daughter, Anna LeBaron, Leslie WIlson ⭐️⭐️⭐️ NF

Stowaway to Mars, John Wyndham ⭐️⭐️

Confession of a Serial Killer, Katherine Ramsland ⭐️⭐️⭐️ NF

Sparta's First Attic War, Paul A Rahe ⭐️⭐️ NF

FantasticLand, Mike Bockoven ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Instructions for American Servicemen in Australia 1942, Special Service Division Services of Supply US Army ⭐️⭐️⭐️NF

Columbus Day, Craig Alanson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Blood in the Snow, Tom Henderson ⭐️⭐️NF

The Andromeda Strain, Michael Crichton ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Last Days of Stalin, Joshua Rubenstein ⭐️⭐️⭐️NF

Sons of Cain, Peter Vronsky ⭐️⭐️NF

Taaqtumi: An Anthology of Arctic Horror ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Web, John Wyndham ⭐️⭐️

An Unnatural Vice, KJ Charles ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

An Unsuitable Heir, KJ Charles ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Alexander the Great, Norman F Cantor ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️NF

A Dark Night in Aurora, William H Reid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️NF

The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting, KJ Charles ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Snow Killings, Marney Rich Keenan ⭐️⭐️⭐️ NF

The Odyssey, Homer trans. Emily Wilson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Martian, Andy Weir ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

How Great Science Fiction Works, Gary K Wolfe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️NF

Lies Sleeping, Ben Aaronovitch ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

February

False Value, Ben Aaronovitch ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Amongst Our Weapons, Ben Aaronovitch ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Revelation Space, Alastair Reynolds ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Lancashire Witches, William Harrison Ainsworth ⭐️

Queen of Teeth, Hailey Piper ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Hacienda, Isabel Cañas ⭐️⭐️

Age of Myth, Michael J Sullivan ⭐️⭐️

The Demolished Man, Alfred Bester ⭐️⭐️

All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Meddling Kids, Edgar Cantero ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Monsters We Defy, Leslye Penelope ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Red Mars, Kim Stanley Robinson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Man and the Crow, Rebecca Crunden (ss)⭐️

A Better Fate, DN Bryn (ss) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Artemis One-Zero-Five, CHristopher Henderson DNF

House of Suns, Alastair Reynolds ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

All Systems Red, Martha Wells ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Artificial Condition, Martha Wells ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rogue Protocol, Martha Wells ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Exit Strategy, Martha Wells ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

New Earth, Ben Bova ⭐️⭐️

Death Wave, Ben Bova ⭐️

Mouth of Mirrors, Maxwell I Gold (ss) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

March

On the Beach, Nevil Shute ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Star Nomad, Lindsay Buroker ⭐️

Burning Roses, SL Huang ⭐️⭐️

Trick or Treat, Richie Tankersley Cusick ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Unfinished Tales, JRR Tolkien ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pushing Ice, Alastair Reynolds ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The End of the World Anthology ⭐️⭐️

The Home of the Blizzard (nf), Sir Douglas Mawson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Night Stalker (nf), Philip Carlo ⭐️⭐️⭐️

In the Court of the Nameless Queen, Natalie Ironside ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Green Mars, Kim Stanley Robinson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Ultimate Evil (nf), Maury Terry ⭐️

The Hillside Stranglers (nf), Darcy O'Brien ⭐️⭐️

The Element of Fire, Martha Wells ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Chasm City, Alastair Reynolds ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

April

The Stolen Heir, Holly Black ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Kintu, Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Kidnapped, Diane Hoh ⭐️⭐️

Overlord, David Wood & Alan Baxter ⭐️⭐️

Child of God, Cormac McCarthy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Walking to Aldebaran, Adrian Tchaikovsky ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Redemption’s Blade, Adrian Tchaikovsky ⭐️⭐️⭐️

At the Mountains of Madness, HP Lovecraft ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Initiation, Diane Hoh ⭐️⭐️

The Book of Queer Saints Anthology ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Expert System’s Brother, Adrian Tchaikovsky ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pluto’s Republic, David Roochnik (nf) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Twisted Ones, T Kingfisher ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Evil Roots, Killer Tales of Botanical Gothic Anthology ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Shadow Over Innsmouth, HP Lovecraft ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Annihilation, Jeff VanderMeer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Whisperer in Darkness, HP Lovecraft ⭐️⭐️

Alien: Convenant Origins, Alan Dean Foster ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Alien: Coveant, Alan Dean Foster ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Wendigo, Algernon Blackwood ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Alien III, William Gibson ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Alien: The Cold Forge, Alex White ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Republic, Plato ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Alien: Prototype, Tim Waggoner ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Alien: Isolation, Keith RA DeCandido ⭐️⭐️

A Thief in the Night, KJ Charles ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Dialogues, Plato ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Alien: Into Charybdis, Alex White ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Alien: Infiltrator, Weston Ochse ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Percent, Jon Elofson (ss) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Aliens: Bug Hunt Anthology ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Growing Things & Other Stories, Paul Tremblay ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Babel-17, Samuel R. Delany ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lords of Uncreation, Adrian Tchaikovsky ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

May

The Day We Ate Grandad, CM Rosens ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Alien: Out of the Shadows, Tim Lebbon ⭐️⭐️

Jaws, Peter Benchley ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Room on the Sea, Andrē Aciman ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Alien: River of Pain, Christopher Golden ⭐️⭐️

Alien: Sea of Sorrows, James A Moore ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Gentleman From Peru, Andrē Aciman ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Century Rain, Alastair Reynolds ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Hyperion, Dan Simmons ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dust, Elizabeth Bear ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

100 Fathoms Below, Steven L Kent & Nicholas Kaufmann ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Saturn’s Monsters, Thomas K Carpenter ⭐️

Address Unknown, Kressmann Taylor ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Murder by Other Means, John Scalzi ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Ethics of Aristotle, Joseph Koterski ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Neil Gaiman at the end of the Universe, Arvind Ethan David ⭐️⭐️

Bag of Bones, Stephen King ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Bewilderness, Part One: Threshold, Jonathan Maberry ⭐️

Ten Low, Stark Holborn ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Benny Rose, the Cannibal King, Hailey Piper ⭐️��️⭐️

My Dark Vanessa, Kate Elizabeth Russell ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Stars My Destination, Alfred Bester ⭐️

Three Hearts and Three Lions, Poul Anderson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Almost Human(nf), Lee Berger & John Hawks ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Paladin’s Grace, T Kingfisher ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Killing the Bismarck(nf), Iain Ballantyne ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ancient Mesopotamia(nf), Amanda H Podany ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Art of War(nf), Andrew R Wilson ⭐️⭐️

The White People, Arthur Machen ⭐️

June

Witch King, Martha Wells ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Broken Sword, Poul Anderson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Early Middle Ages (nf), Philip Daileader ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The History of Ancient Egypt (nf), Bob Brier ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Banewreaker, Jacqueline Carey ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Godslayer, Jacqueline Carey ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Chernobyl 01:23:40 (nf), Andrew Leatherbarrow ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Stress and Your Body (nf), Robert Sapolsky ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ice Ghosts (nf), Paul Watson ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Illiad, Homer, trans. Edward Earl of Derby ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Th Hunt & the Haunting, Victoria Audley ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Our Shadows Have Claws Anthology ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Writing Creative Nonfiction (nf), Tilar JJ Mazzeo ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Brain Wave, Poul Anderson ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Forever War, Joe Haldeman ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

July

Travel by Bullet, John Scalzi ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Redemption Ark, Alastair Reynolds ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Labrys(ss), Victoria Audley ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Grown Gown(ss), Derek Des Anges ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Hellbound Heart, Clive Barker ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Orca, Arthur Herzog III ⭐️

The Gallows Pole, Benjamin Myers ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rebecca, Daphne Du Maurier ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Chemist, Stephanie Meyer ⭐️

Icehenge, Kim Stanley Robinson ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Band Sinister, KJ Charles ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Now She Is Witch, Kirsty Logan ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Slow Bullets, Alastair Reynolds ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Inside the Mind of BTK(nf), Johnny Dodd & John Douglas ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Woman in White, Wilkie Collins ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Antarctica, Kim Stanley Robinson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

August

The Henchmen of Zenda, KJ Charles ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Morning Star, Peter Atkins ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Subsidence (ss), Steve Rasnic Tem ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Man in the High Tower, Philip K Dick ⭐️⭐️⭐️

What the Dead Know (ss), Nghi Vo ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Maze Runner, James Dashner ⭐️

Unfit to Print, KJ Charles ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Chill, Elizabeth Bear ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Bryony and Roses, T Kingfisher ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Confessor (ss), Elizabeth Bear ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Grail, Elizabeth Bear ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Babylon (nf), Paul Kriwaczek ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Unquiet, E Saxey DNF

The Ritual of the Labyrinth (ss), Esmée de Heer ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Terminal World, ALastair Reynolds ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Essays of Flesh and Bone (ss), Victoria Audley ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Book Eaters, Sunyi Dean ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Future of Work: Compulsory (ss), Martha Wells ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Lady or the Tiger (ss), Frank Stockton ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Too Like the Lightning, Ada Palmer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Falling Free, Lois McMaster Bujold ⭐️⭐️

Dreamsnake, Vonda N McIntyre ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The First Fossil Hunters (nf), Adrienne Mayor ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Shards of Honor, Lois McMaster Bujold ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Red Land, Black Land (nf), Barbara Mertz ⭐️⭐️⭐️

On Planetary Palliative Care (ss), Thomas Ha ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Nova, Samuel R Delany ⭐️⭐️⭐️

September

Time to Orbit: Unknown, Derin Edala ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️*

The Invincible, Stanislaw Lem ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Prefect, Alastair Reynolds ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Myrtha (ss), Victoria Audley ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Archaeology: An Introduction to the World’s Greatest Sites (nf), Eric H Cline ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Catching Teller Crow, Amberlin Kwaymullina & Ezekiel Kwaymullina ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Old Man’s War, John Scalzi ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Don’t Hang Up, Benjamin Stevenson ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Superluminal, Vonda N McIntyre ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

World War Z, Max Brooks ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Flight of the Fantail, Steph Matuku ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Cyteen, CJ Cherryh ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Regenesis, CJ Cherryh ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Mindfulness for Stress Management (nf), Dr Robert Schacter ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Orange Eats Creeps, Grace Krilanovich ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Kushiel’s Dart, Jacqueline Carey ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Aye, and Gomorrah (ss), Samuel R. Delany ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Carnage (nf), Mark Dapin ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Blue Mars, Kim Stanley Robinson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Unknown, Jordan L Hawk ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Chocky, John Wyndham ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sword of Empire: Praetorian, Richard Foreman ❌

Revival, Stephen King ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Apollo Murders, Chris Hadfield ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

*Time to Orbit: Unknown is hosted online [HERE] and is currently still updating twice a week

October

Unfortunate Elements of My Anatomy, Hailey Piper ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ghost Bird, Lisa Fuller ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Hound of the Baskervilles, Arthur Conan Doyle ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Forest of Stolen Girls, June Hur ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Liar’s Dice, Jeannie Lin ⭐️

Straya, Anthony O'Connor ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Toxic, Dan Kaszeta (nf) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Illuminae, Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Penhallow, Georgette Heyer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Myth of the Self Made Man, Ruben Reyes Jr (ss) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Call, Christian White & Summer De Roche ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Death of the Necromancer, Martha Wells ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Cretins, Thomas Ha (ss) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Kill Your Brother, Jack Heath ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Doors of Perception, Aldous Huxley (nf) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Valley of Terror, Zhou Haohui, tr. Bonnie Huie ⭐️⭐️

The Curse of the Burdens, John Wyndham ⭐️⭐️

Amazons, Adrienne Mayor (nf) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Kraken Wakes, John Wyndham ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dead Mountain, Donnie Eichar (nf) ⭐️⭐️

Family Business, Jonathan Sims ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

In the House of Aryaman A Lonely Signal Burns, Elizabeth Bear ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Blessing of Unicorns, Elizabeth Bear ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

METAtropolis Anthology ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Plan for Chaos, John Wyndham ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Fatal Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum, Emma Southon (nf) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Outward Urge, John Wyndham ⭐️⭐️

King Solomon’s Mines, H. Rider Haggard DNF

The Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle tr. David Ross (nf) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

November

The Jewel of Seven Stars, Bram Stoker ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Terror, Dan Simmons ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Hannibal: The Military Genius who Almost Conquered Rome, Eve MacDonald ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ nf

Luna, Ian McDonald ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Hoka! Hoka! Hoka!, Poul Anderson & Gordon R Dickson ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dracula, Bram Stoker ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Cicero: The Life & Times of Rome's Greatest Politician, Anthony Everitt ⭐️⭐️⭐️nf

The Worst Journey in the World, Apsley Cherry-Garrard ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️nf

METAtropolis: Cascadia Anthology ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Haunting of Willow Creek, Sara Crocoll Smith ⭐️

Journey to the Center of the Earth, Jules Verne ⭐️⭐️

METAtropolis: Green Space Anthology ⭐️⭐️⭐️

December

Carrion Comfort, Dan Simmons ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wanted, A Gentleman, KJ Charles ⭐️⭐️

Interview With the Vampire, Anne Rice ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Henry VIII: King & Court, Alison Weir ⭐️⭐️⭐️ NF

Alexander the Great & the Macedonian Empire, Kenneth W Harl⭐️⭐️⭐️ NF

The Isles of the Gods, Amie Kaufman ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Sandman, Neil Gaiman & Dirk Maggs DNF

Phosphorescence, Julia Baird ⭐️⭐️⭐️NF

And so the grand total for 2023 is....

267!

Of course, there's a couple of DNFs in there which inflate this number somewhat, but I am absolutely not going to pick through and count them out. Plus, a DNF only gets included on the list if I've gotten through a significant portion of the book. If it's a page one no-no, it's not even worth mentioning.

I made the decision at the start of this year, to try out more books I'd never heard of before. I really like trawling through the library app, or through audible's free archives and finding stuff that I'd probably never normally have discovered. Also, revisiting books that I read a long time ago and seeing if they resemble my memories of them.

Overall, I think this was a very satisfying year of reading, and I hope that I enjoy 2024's reads just as much!

nf= non fiction ss= short story

Stars awarded at my whim.

[pigeonwhumps]

Inspiration

BBU Community Days: Day 6

@bbu-on-the-side

Oh gosh. I'm not sure how I found the BBU originally, but I know I was hesitant to join in at first. The first stories I found and read in what was then their entirety were Tomas and Rowe and Linden and Colton by @whumpzone, although the first piece was part of Paxton and Amal by @boxboysandotherwhump – I remember getting confused by it lol, I think I struggled to find the masterlist or something? Anyway, iirc I started reading through the tags, and I was still a bit uncomfortable creating something in the BBU, but I still created Sam and Lucan, which is adjacent to it in a way. But then, idk what happened, I'm not sure whose piece it was but it clicked, like "well why can't I write something?" and, once my brain came up with this prompt and I decided I liked it too much not to write something for it, Sanctuary was born.

And then I haven't really stopped since.

As for writers that have been an inspiration... well, there's a lot. @ashintheairlikesnow's worldbuilding has definitely helped, and also your characters and stories. @octopus-reactivated and @maracujatangerine your conversation/posts on pets in film directly inspired Pets of the Silver Screen, so I can't leave you out of this. Every BBU writer whose stories are so good, that I see and then want to write more myself... look, I'll tag a few who I haven't already tagged, but I'm definitely gonna forget people, apologies: @justplainwhump @flowersarefreetherapy @for-the-love-of-angst @deluxewhump @gottawhump @winedark-whump @highwaywhump @wildfaewhump. And anyone else who I've talked to about my BBU OCs (@painful-pooch with Cass, for instance, and others on Discord)!

[ashintheairlikesnow]

I’m fairly certain you’ve suggested blogs before but I can’t find any asks you’ve answered about it. So, do you have any whump blogs, particularly bbu, that you’d suggest people follow?

@wildfaewhump has a BBU story with a fun angle - a family locates and recovers their missing son, who has become a Box Boy with no memory of his former life. The family is not exactly the kind of supportive caretakers you might hope for in a situation like that, and the Box Boy has to balance their expectations of someone he isn't, but maybe used to be, with what he knows.

@carnagecardinal has some great pieces up that take place in the BBU! The caretaker who maybe enjoys a frightened rescued Box Boy's fear just a little too much is a favorite.

@redwingedwhump has two stories that take place in the BBU! One involves a recent rescue in a house where he may or may not be dangerous to other inhabitants, another about a Box Boy whose relationships with his owner - and with the one he is charged with protecting - are very different, and incredibly complex.

@orchidscript has a few different BBU works! My personal favorite of course is her Henry, but also Emmett is a newer storyline that is rapidly stealing my heart. One story is primarily about recovery after a young Box Boy runs away and finds himself taken in by a small young family and shown a different way to live... another is about a Box Boy meant to simply be a household helper forced into a new role he loathes and his attempts to escape.

@boxboysandotherwhump has Amal and Paxton who own my entire fucking heart forever. Well-meaning friends purchase a second-hand Box Boy to help out someone who really wants nothing to do with the system. The two learn to live with one another and the pining and yearning commences. Also Alice! Oh my gosh Alice. Alice, my beloved.

@winedark-whump wrote a really, really, really excellent beginning to a series (and an amazing follow-up!) about a woman whose parents buy her a Romantic Box Boy despite her being, um, very much gay - and her complicated bitter feelings about this and attempts to get rid of him without making things somehow worse. Oh my gosh. The protagonist of these stories is just. I haven't really seen this angle done like this before and it's so fucking good.

@robins-whump has some shorter snippets set in the Box Boy universe that are really good! But also you should be following @robins-whump anyway forever

@thewhumperinwhite's Lost Dog, No Reward is really, really good! Go check it out

@silvercrystalwhump has Flynn and Kai, and honestly I adore Kai already and the series is very new, so you'll be getting in on the ground floor there!

@deluxewhump's Z2 is a fucking classic, absolutely check that story out. It's so interesting to read back from the beginning and watch the development of Zee, Cam, and Alex through time!

@whumpfigure’s Bast! Oh, Bast is a love and a sweetheart. His story is sweet and heartbreaking. I still think about his master figuring out he had learned to sign and breaking his fingers to punish him for ‘speaking’ that way. Like... all the time. Definitely a must-read. 

I am definitely forgetting all kinds of people because my brain is just sparking nonsense today, so comment or reblog and let Anon know if you write a BBU storyline!

[boxboysandotherwhump]

Chapter two teaser

Chapter two officially started production :3

[transnames]

Some two-syllable neutral names

(One-syllable names)

You can also combine initials, e.g. AJ, although this does not work for all initials and it can be gendered masculine.

A: Aaren, Abbott, Adair, Addi, Adren, Aerie, Afon, Aiden, Aiken, Ainsley, Alder, Alex, Ali, Alix, Alpha, Altair, Alto, Alton, Alva, Amal, Amore, Andy, Angel, Angie, Anise, Arbor, Ari, Ariel, Arlen, Arley, Arrow, Arya, Asa, Asher, Ashlen, Ashley, Ashton, Aspen, Aster, Aston, Aubrey, Auburn, Auden, August, Aura, Austin, Avery, Avis, Aviv, Avon, Aya, Ayan, Aza, Aze, Azure

B: Bailey, Baldwin, Banner, Barrett, Basil, Bauer, Baylor, Benson, Bentley, Berkley, Berry, Beryl, Billie, Birdie, Blakely, Bobbie, Booker, Bradley, Brady, Brayden, Brennan, Brewer, Briar, Brighton, Brinsley, Bronte, Brooklyn, Bryant

C: Cadence, Caelum, Calder, Camden, Cameron, Camille, Campbell, Canyon, Carey, Carlyle, Carmen, Carol, Carter, Cartwright, Carson, Casey, Cedar, Chandler, Chandra, Channing, Charlie, Charlton, Chatham, Cheyenne, Citron, Clancy, Claudie, Clover, Cobalt, Coby, Cohen, Coleson, Collins, Colver, Comet, Condor, Connell, Connie, Cooper, Coral, Corbin, Corin, Corey, Corley, Cortney, Cricket, Cyan, Cypress, Cyrille

D: Dallas, Dana, Dani, Darby, Darcy, Darrell, Darren, Denver, Devon, Diamond, Diaz, Dillon, Douglas, Dustin, Dusty, Dylan

E: Eagle, Early, Easton, Ebon, Echo, Eddie, Eden, Efe, Eiffel, Eissa, Elli, Ellis, Ellwood, Ember, Emer, Emerald, Emlyn, Emmett, Emry, Emryn, Enfys, Ennis, Eren, Errel, Essence, Esme, Evan, Ever, Everett, Eyrie, Ezra

F: Fable, Falco, Falcon, Fallon, Farah, Fargo, Farley, Farrell, Faulkner, Feldspar, Fennel, Fifer, Finley, Finney, Fiore, Fischer, Fletcher, Floren, Florence, Forest, Francis, Frankie, Freedom, Friday, Fulton

G: Gabi, Galen, Galway, Gannet, Garden, Gardner, Garey, Garland, Garnet, Gavi, Germaine, Gerry, Glenwood, Golden, Grady, Granite, Guthrie

H: Hadley, Halcyon, Hallow, Halo, Happy, Harbor, Harley, Harlow, Harper, Hartley, Haven, Hawking, Hayden, Henley, Heron, Hollis, Honor, Hopper, Hudson, Hunter

I: Iman, Imory, Indi, Innis, Io, Ira, Isa, Isha, Islet, Iver, Ivor, Ivory, Ivy, Izzy

J: Jacinth, Jackie, Jaden, Jael, Jalen, Jamie, Janis, Jarrah, Jarrell, Jasper, Jensen, Jessie, Joey, Jody, Jonquil, Jordan, Journey, July, Juneau, Junior, Juno, Justice

K: Kali, Kameron, Karey, Karson, Kasey, Kato, Keaton, Keegan, Keelan, Keenan, Kelby, Kellan, Keller, Kelly, Kelsey, Kendall, Kenyon, Kenzie, Kerry, Kestrel, Kevyn, Kieran, Kingsley, Kirby, Klaudie, Koby, Kody, Korbin, Korin, Korey, Krishna, Kyler

L: Laker, Lakyle, Lander, Landry, Laney, Langley, Larkin, Larkspur, Lashawn, Laurel, Laurence, Leighton, Lennox, Leopard, Leslie, Lethe, Lexie, Lexis, Linden, Lindsay, Lindy, Linnet, Logan, London, Loren, Luca, Lucky, Lyric

M: Maddox, Magic, Major, Malloy, Manu, Marley, Marlow, Martell, Marty, Mattie, Maury, Maurice, Maxie, Maxwell, Meadow, Mercer, Merlyn, Merritt, Merry, Micah, Mika, Miller, Misha, Monday, Morgan, Murphy, Murray, Myers

N: Narcisse, Nasim, Navdeep, Navy, Neal, Neptune, Neo, Nicky, Nico, Nika, Nike, Nimbus, Noam, Noel, Nori, Norris, Nouvel, Nova

O: Oakley, Oberon, Ocean, Odell, Ollie, Olive, Onyx, Opal, Ori, Oriole, Orion, Orrin, Osborne, Owen, Ozzie

P: Paisley, Paris, Parker, Pasco, Patience, Patrice, Paxton, Penrose, Pepper, Peregrine, Perrin, Perry, Peyton, Phelan, Phoenix, Piper, Placid, Porter, Prairie, Presley, Prosper

Q: Qaisar, Quarry, Quasar, Quetzal, Quila, Quincy, Quentin, Quillan

R: Raleigh, Rainbow, Rainer, Randy, Raven, Redmond, Regal, Regan, Reggie, Reynold, Rhythm, Ricki, Ridley, Riley, Rio, Rishi, River, Robbie, Robin, Ronnie, Rory, Roscoe, Rowan, Royal, Rudy, Ryder, Ryen, Rylen

S: Sabah, Sadler, Saffron, Salem, Samar, Sandy, Satchel, Saturn, Sasha, Sawyer, Saylor, Season, Selby, Seren, Seven, Sevy, Shale, Shannon, Shelby, Shelly, Shiloh, Sidney, Silver, Sinclair, Skylar, Skylark, Skyler, Snowdrop, Snowy, Soren, Sorrel, Sparrow, Spencer, Spirit, Springer, Stanley, Starling, Sterling, Summer, Sunday, Sunny, Sunshine, Sunset, Sutton

T: Taffy, Tali, Talon, Tanner, Tarian, Taylor, Teagan, Teddy, Tempest, Temple, Terry, Thursday, Tibby, Tiernan, Tiger, Timber, Tobin, Toby, Topaz, Torrey, Tracy, Trenton, Tristen, Tucker, Turner, Tuesday, Tully, Tyler, Tyson

U: Ulfie, Ulli, Ulri, Ulysse, Umber, Umbra, Upton, Urban, Uri, Ursa, Usher, Uta

V: Valen, Vega, Verdi, Vernon, Verrill, Vesper, Vivi, Vivien, Volta, Voltaire

W: Walker, Wallace, Waylan, Webster, Wednesday, Weston, Whimsy, Whitley, Whitney, Wilder, Willow, Wilson, Windsor, Windy, Winslow, Winter, Wisdom, Wolfram, Woody, Wylie

X: Xander, Xavie

Y: Yael, Yaven, Yannick, Yarrow, Yven

Z: Zailey, Zaki, Zander, Zandy, Zavi, Zelig, Zeno, Zephyr, Zero, Zevi, Zion,  Zohar, Zola, Zorey, Zuri

[ashintheairlikesnow]

Okay for the send me a Fandom and I tell you the blorbo list, what do you think of my ocs? 💕 - theo-

blorbo (favorite character, character I think about the most)

Sahar! Sahar is my favorite.

scrunkly (my “baby”, character that gives me cuteness aggression, character that is So Shaped)

SAM SAM SAM

scrimblo bimblo (underrated/underappreciated fave)

Charlotte! I love her. She is fierce and perfect and I love her.

glup shitto (obscure fave, character that can appear in the background for 0.2 seconds and I won’t shut up about it for a week)

Honestly the bugs that Sahar cares for. I hate bugs. I love THOSE bugs.

poor little meow meow (“problematic”/unpopular/controversial/otherwise pathetic fave)

Paxton and Amal tie here. Both of them are "problematic" I think because of the way their relationship isn't entirely healthy just because of the power dynamic but also your Honor, I love them

horse plinko (character I would torment for fun, for whatever reason)

Hee. Dee. Because it would make Sam mad.

eeby deeby (character I would send to superhell)

NONE. NO ONE. NOBODY.

[boxboysandotherwhump]

Paxton and Amal idea.

Amal went to visit his family but got sick.

He accompanied his mentally unstable mother on the train ride to visit his older sister, but just one day into the visit, he got sick. When he told them he had to leave early to make it home before the cold knocked him out completely his mother had a nervous break down, accusing him of never having time and spoiling her trip on purpose.

He just leaves.

When he stumbles through the apartment door, three days earlier than planned, a panicked Paxton greets him. Apologizing profusely for not having cleaned the flat. Amal, bursting into sudden tears, shuts Pax up immediately.

Finally, it's Paxtons turn to care for Amal, and through that week, he completely forgets to be scared of his master.

[boxboysandotherwhump]

@albino-whumpee your children are so soft and precious how could we not want to do fanart of them ? 💕 also I just yesterday looked at all the amazing fanart you drew of Paxton and amal and I'm ecstatic every time.

Reblog if you are a fic writer who welcomes moodboards, playlists, remixes, art and any other type of gift based on your stories.

[whump-for-all-and-all-for-whump]

Thank you!! These are all such good recs and as always it means the world to be recommended by someone whose writing I love <3

Adding a few of my all time favs as well!

The Fighter by @hold-him-down

Everything by @peachy-panic

Everything by @whumpinggrounds

Everything by @redwingedwhump

Paxton and Amal by @boxboysandotherwhump

what are your favourite whump series’ on tumblr >:)

in no particular order~

Of Vampires and Men by @whumpy-writings

Everything by @whump-for-all-and-all-for-whump

Everything by @whumpzone

Brody and Tool by @just-a-whumping-racoon-with-wifi

Everything by @deluxewhump

Everything by @whumpshaped

Hazeshift and Oneirogate by @whumpwillow

Everything by @shydragonrider

The Monster of Lindborough by @secretwhumplair

Oswin by @whimperwoods

Fish by @milk-carton-whump

Ash & Callum by @whumping-every-day

With Bloody Outstretched Hands and The Heart and the Hunger by @wolfeyedwitch

Purring Vampire Story by @thecyrulik

Tiny Villain by @a-dead-lake

Charles & Ollie by @cupcakes-and-pain

Angel on the Wall by @darkwarfy

[boxboysandotherwhump]

Of course I remember their pet weekends😳💖

I just love it so much that they created this safe space for Paxton to just, you know, let go and exist without worrying? That‘s the beauty of submission there. To just have an outlet when life gets stressful like we saw in the one piece you wrote. So cute these two. And I just also love Amal that he gave it a try and started loving it. Must have been pretty scary for him to start this part of their future relationship because of Paxtons past. To find a safe ground basis that they can both build up on with it still being healthy despite what happened to Paxton before. They trust each other so much!

Just love them🫣💖

At first, it really was a leap of faith for both of them. And they ran into some hidden triggers, Paxton didn't know where there until he was actively spiraling into a panic attack.

In these moments, it was really good that amal had some prior experiences as a dom.

He was the one noticing that Pax may be a masochist and submissive, but he was very anxious to bring that whole thing up in case paxtons tendencies were just trauma responses after all. They were not.

But both are glad they faced the challenge of trying kinky stuff together. Sometimes Pax still gets panic attacks or sub drops but very very rarely.

[boxboysandotherwhump]

Oh yes, Paxton is such a very good boy! Can‘t blame Amal for getting fond of him and wishing him all the best in this world.

Bet those puppy eyes are also coming in handy in the later years on pet weekends, right Paxton? 😉😏

Ok, I‘ll stop. You can stop blushing Paxton ;)

💖

*older Paxton and amal blushing *

"We don't know what you're talking about."

An impish smile tugs at the corners of Paxtons mouth as he thinks: they work every time. >:3

(Lets just say, he gets to be a very very spoiled little sub)

[bloodandbandages]

@ashintheairlikesnow definitely fits those vibes, especially Chris, Kauri and Killian(who's winged and also human!) Danny's story is AMAZING but he may be a bit too defiant for you? I do still recommend both her Danny stuff and BBU stuff because it's so well written and delves into a lot of recovery. She also has a teeny bit of femme whump but it's majority female whumper, not whumpee and its the vast minority of her stuff. Also, she's one of the best writers I know. Anyone who hasn't read her stuff needs to, IMMEDIATELY. Everything she writes is good.

@wildfaewhump not a lot of intimate whump but HOLY FUCK their Iesin/Talvos story? BEAUTIFUL. PERFECT. 10/10 amazing. Does include a female whumper though, but only in the captivity arc.

They don't really post it on tumblr (so I hope they're okay with me tagging them) but @pierrotwrites-hc has a story called The Golden Bird on AO3 and it's been one of the things getting me through the hell hole that lasy month was. They are SO SO SO talented and I think it hits all your preferences.

@deluxewhump has Carlo and Max, with early Carlo being absolutely adorable and sweet and broken, and generally up your alley.

@friendlylocalwhumper has his classic Lux series, lots of intimate whump, all m/m and Lux is absolutely a soft sweetheart. His Marlow stuff might also fall under your categories?

@boxboysandotherwhump Paxton and Amal's story definitely comes to mind (frankly all of Theo's stories fit, he's one of the kindest people I know and they shines through with all of his characters), it's m/m, incredibly soft and sweet and generally wonderful. It is geared more towards recovery and hurt/comfort if that affects anything.

Not very intimate but @whump-tr0pes Lux in Tenebris is absolutely beautiful, poor Dee is nothing if not broken and whump is very m/m focused.

@evermetnotforgotten their Lev story? Absolute perfection. I would die for and/or kill a man for Lev and Graham. All m/m on their blog and ALL the intimate whump.

I just got into their stories so I hope @peachy-panic and @hold-him-down are okay with me tagging them because their stuff is WONDERFUL, all m/m, lots of intimate whump and @hold-him-down has a lot of recovery/emotional whump thrown in for good measure.

@haro-whumps hasn't updated this story in a bit, so I hope they're okay with me tagging them, but their Soren/Ren story is 100% what you're looking for. Soft broken whumpee, intimate and emotional whump, incredibly well written. The main whumper is nonbinary though, if that affects anything.

And not to toot my own horn here, but I do write some whump and I like to think it's decent. It's all male or enby, no female whumpees or whumpers, got some intimate whump with more on the way (mostly Ryan) and LOTS of emotional whump with Aspen.

Hey there lovelies!!!

Work has been super stressful and I wanted to apologize for my Dancing With Death story being the lowest priority story these days! :( I want it to be great when I do post new chapters, so that’s why you’re getting not getting as much quantity.

However!

This isn’t even what the post is about LMAO 😂 what I really came here to talk about is—

EVERYONE’S WHUMPY RECOMMENDATIONS.

Please. I am craving some whump and I have way too many options on my plate. I’m a picky reader, I like professional quality writing—or you know, an obvious and considerable effort to the writing (omg please don’t see me as pretentious 😂).

I’m looking for human characters, male whumpee and whumper. I can’t do female whumpees (and I’m so surprised at the amount of others in the whump community with this same preference/limit, it makes me ponder deeply the psychology of enjoying whump), and I’d love to find some more winged whumpees, too. Intimate whump is preferred, shy/submissive/scared/tearful whumpees are my favorite. I don’t like brat whumpees.

PUHLEEEEZE! Send me your recommends! I’m trying to get inspired to do more DWD. Reblog or tag me on a post—however you wanna do it, I just want to fuckin READ! Show me the good writers!

Example of my favorite writer on this platform currently would be @whumpzone , so check out that diamond of a blog, please. I love Linden and Col 🥰 they were the first pair I met in the whump world!

I love whump recovery couples, too, I forgot to mention. Emotional whump. Make me cry, I dare you to recommend me something that will make me cry! 😄

[boxboysandotherwhump]

My first animated mini film!!!!!

I expanded the Paxton in the snow. Amal finds him .

[boxboysandotherwhump]

After Paxtons dad found out his missing son ended up at WRU (here) he begged them to switch his sons designation from romantic to domestic. A work friend pulled some strings and so Paxtons dad manages to ruin his life even further, since Paxton would have ended up with quite the loving owner as a romantic instead of the horrible abusive piece of shit he got.

A lawyer is taking him to sign the changed contract. Doesn’t really matter that he can’t read at this point. As long he’s not hurt by that woman he’s happy.

[boxboysandotherwhump]

Do I see some plot line inspiration for paxton and amal? !😮

Whumpee does everything Caretaker says without question or hesitation. Thanks to Whumper’s conditioning, they see every gentle inquiry as an order. 

“Do you think you can manage a few bites?” Whumpee dutifully cleans the whole plate, forcing down every bite even when their shrunken stomach protests

“Are you up for ___ today?” It doesn’t matter if they are or not, they’ll summon the little scraps of strength they have and do it

“Is that any better?” Whumpee nods and says yes every time, and even if it doesn’t feel better, they don’t adjust. This is how Caretaker wanted it

Bonus points if Caretaker doesn’t notice and is just so relieved to see Whumpee “making progress” that they don’t see the signs until one of their other friends points it out

[boxboysandotherwhump]

paxton ► tell amal no

This is rather early in the story. 

Taglist: @ashintheairlikesnow @vickytokio @thefancydoughnut @finder-of-rings @orchidscript @morelikepainsley @thingsthatgo-whump-inthenight @wolfeyedwitch @haro-whumps @whump-for-all-and-all-for-whump

CW: fear of abandonment, 

“No!” 

Hunched over and arms wrapped around his waist, Paxton stumbled backwards, stomach lurching, desperately trying to protect himself from his master's words, from the phampflet in his hand. Tears burned in his eyes. His vision swam, the floorboards and his master's socks blurred in and out of focus.

��Pax?” his master whispered, stepping closer. Paxton shook his head, tears sprang free. His heart hammered against his breast bone in a punishing rhythm. A thunderstorm of blood rushed through his ears. “I just thought, that-  maybe this is good for y-”

Paxton sucked in a shuddering breath. His knees buckled. “Nononono.” It was a whispered exhalation. Panic breathed into the static between them. 

“Paxton, hey. Hey” His master pitched his voice low, gentle. “Look at me?” 

A brown hand entered Paxton’s field of vision and his knees gave out. He crashed to the floor, not even registering the pain of impact. His trembling hands reached for his master's feet but stopped, hanging limb in mid air, suspended by uncertainty. He didn’t dare to touch him.

He doesn’t want you anymore.

“Please.” Paxton choked out, voice wobbly, breaking. “Pl-plea-please don’t- don’t throw me away.”

“What? I- No.” Master inhaled deeply, and when he spoke next his voice was strong, sure. “I would never do that. Never.” 

Paxton blinked up at his master and his hands found Paxton’s tear stained cheeks, thumbs gently rubbing them away. The pet lib pamphlet lay discarded on the floor now, next to his kneeling master. Eyes fluttering close, Paxton leaned into the touch, relishing warm palms softly squishing his cheeks, holding him. He took a trembling breath and let his master fold him into a hug. 

They just sat there for a moment, Paxton listening to Amal’s heartbeat until his breathing calmed down, his own rabbit heart harmonizing with Amal’s.

Amal's chin rested in Paxton’s hair and he murmured, “I’m sorry I scared you. I’ll throw that stupid pamphlet away if you want.”

Please. Paxton nodded into Amal’s chest. His arms tightened around Paxton. “I’d never send you away. I promise. I’d never do that.” 

-

Later that night Paxton would sneak out of Amal’s bed and fish the pet lib pamphlet out of the trash. Hunched over the toilet, he ripped it into tiny pieces, heart racing with every ‘ritch’ of paper, listening  in the night silent apartment. The possibility of freedom floated in tiny pieces into the toilet. He flushed, watching them swirl and vanish down the drain, heart in his throat. 

Paxton didn’t know Amal had another one hidden at the bottom of a desk drawer.