Stephen Fry – on pedantic use of language
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Let’s Be Holographic for a Planck Time
One of the foundations of my science fiction and fantasy world, Tarn, is its ability to be defined by either science fiction or fantasy, depending on the perspective of the character. I also play with parallel universes and manifestations of the same character in parallel universes. To engineer the story correctly I’ve needed to update
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Women’s Work: The First 20,000 Years. History and culture written in thread.
Women’s Work: The First 20,000 Years Women, Cloth, and Society in Early Times by Elizabeth Wayland BarberMy rating: 4 of 5 stars This really helped consolidate my knowledge of the development of human civilization. Its use of language along with archeological evidence reinforces the research I’ve pursued on language origins. As a world builder of
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Beauty and Glamour
Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette KowalMy rating: 4 of 5 stars I really enjoyed this story. My favorite character was Mr. Vincent’s muse. Kowal constructs a fantasy world atop Austen’s propriety-infused England, one where beauty and magic (glamours) are coupled. The story is a romance, but there is drama and numerous plot
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Eagle Longings in Contrast
Some days the sun beats down like it never will rain again, and everyone tastes flakes of rusty earth upon their tongues. My mother and I are hanging sheets we have just washed in the Rio Doce. I yawn into the sunlight. “Shola,” my mother says. “Did I see you staring after Akin this morning
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African Sources of Candomblé.
Background interview by Africans of Brazilians. Initiation rites & creation myths:
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Cartoon Yoruba Help
I am researching Yoruba as part of my candomblé studies. Sometimes it helps me to think as a child. That’s how we learn our native language, right? So listen to the song behind the language, how the adverbs are stressed, the ‘ke’ before the numbers. “e ke so” Neat.
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O Auto da Compadecida
I enjoyed the film (it’s actually a 3-part mini-novela.) Production was primitive, and I think this was intentional to add to the backcountry setting. The screenplay was well written with great dialogue (all in nordestino caipira dialect) and excellent acting. I enjoyed seeing Lima Duarte as the Bispo. I remember him from Roque Santeiro,
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House of Shattered Wings — A lush fantasy set in an alternative history post-WW1 dystopian Paris.
The House of Shattered Wings by Aliette de BodardMy rating: 4 of 5 stars Aliette de Bodard crafts a dystopian world in an alternate history where The Great War led to a earth-shattering conclusion forever crippling the civilized world. With its roots in fallen angels, where there is a market in their very skin, bones,
Some alternative history perspectives.
– I wrote this as a response to my Latin American Studies coursemates. I am reading many comments that look the same here, those evoking surprise, and I am genuinely curious why there isn’t more skepticism to spoon-feed facts. There is a famous line by Winston Churchill (the eugenist who bumbled WW1 and then was
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Review of Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin KwanMy rating: 3 of 5 stars I enjoyed this romp through Asia, an eye opening experience to be sure. Kevin Kwan creates a nightmare paradise of extravagant materialism and rigid tradition, where life’s entire purpose has become accumulating enough status points to enter into a great Singapore family. Rachel Chu
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The War Machines in Action
Arms Sales: USA vs Russia from Will Geary on Vimeo. Can you imagine if we had spent this money instead on food, education, water, and health?
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Eugenics, Scientific Reaction, and My Comments (Latin American Studies)
No matter how many times I see the history of eugenics and its blood-soaked impact upon civilization, there is no diminishing that feeling of utter helplessness in the face of the disturbing conclusion that no matter whether humanity pursues religion or science, it will ultimately lead to the same outcome. Nevertheless, I will try to
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Dawn by Octavia Butler
Dawn by Octavia E. ButlerMy rating: 4 of 5 stars What a great story!Terrifying and seductive and such awesome world building. These may be my favorite aliens ever.Humans are predictably uncivilized showing all our worse traits, but Octavia Butler is a realist and holds nothing back. Our antipathy to aliens lies deep within our core
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Tarn – First Post
https://www.worldanvil.com/w/tarn-tarnhead Tarn Created by tarnhead Tarn is a fantasy world whose various indigenous people are being observed and eventually colonized by “extratarnials” (ETs). For now, the ETs are content with small interventions, almost never appearing in physical form, so these instances are woven into the fabric of the mythology of the Tarnials. Several times in
Finding Out About Fester
Cherry knew Fester was having an affair. All the signs were there: late nights at the warehouse, his secretive phone calls at odd hours of the night, and—worst of all—how his feelings towards her had blackened. For days she had denied all the evidence, but today she discovered a new wrinkle, one that defied rationalization:
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Dispelling the Magic
After last night’s rains, the morning sunshine and blue skies are a pleasant surprise. The air is clean and bursts with life’s electricity, as Jazz, my 4-year-old son, and I arrive early in Washington Square Park with my guitar and harmonica, setting up between the fountain and the arch. On days like these, I can
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My Review of Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
Spinning Silver by Naomi NovikMy rating: 5 of 5 stars Note: mild spoilers (just a little more than a dust jacket summary and list of characters) Naomi Novik’s modern fairy tale, Spinning Silver, draws from Indo-European folklore, especially the story of Rumpelstiltskin. Novik is both upfront and subversive about the story’s roots, starting the novel
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