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Entry tags:
consolations, distractions
Since 2020 continues to be relentlessly awful for the world in general (pandemic) and the US in particular (pandemic + literally everything else), I want to post about a few things I've been enjoying.
1) I've regained most of my ability to read books, and at the moment I'm slowly working my way through The Big Book of Modern Fantasy, edited by Ann Vandermeer and Jeff Vandermeer. Sensibly, rather than trying to read it in big gulps like a novel, I'm reading about one story a day, and in consequence liking it more than I often like anthologies. Some of my favorites so far are "Signs and Symbols" (Vladimir Nabokov; it plays fun/scary interpretive games with the reader); "Lean Times in Lankhmar" (Fritz Lieber; Lankhmar is the clear inspiration for Terry Pratchett's Ankh-Morpork, which I didn't know because this is the first Fritz Lieber I've ever read); and "Famas and Cronopios" (Julio Cortazar; weird whimsy that probably has political currents I'm not noticing, but is also just super fun).
2) The Rusty Quill Gaming podcast is my go-to at the moment for a little bit of comfort. For the unfamiliar, this is a podcast of people playing a tabletop RPG, and I would never have expected it to be my thing until I tried it. The story and world-building are fascinating, the performances are great, and the players/performers are clearly having a lot of fun. Fair warning that the events of the story are often grim*, but it's also full of kindness and friendship and hope. I think that the group has made a conscious decision recently to go a little lighter; episodes recorded since the pandemic have focused on character development and providing a sort of emotional "breathing space" which is very very welcome.
There are about 170 episodes and counting, but you should start at the beginning as it's all one continuous story and nothing will make sense if you hop in later. And give it a little time to grow on you; initially there's a lot of focus on action, but as the players and the GM get more comfortable, it's balanced out by increasingly important emotional arcs and Rusty Quill's characteristic interest in ethical questions.
(*A sort of content note under the cut: many, many content warnings apply, but there's no sexual violence, not even mentioned or in backstory. I deeply appreciate Rusty Quill's commitment to not using sexual violence as a plot point. I don't want to list other content warnings here because spoilers, but you're welcome to comment or message me if you have questions.)
3) Another podcast, because while I'm able to read again, I can't seem to watch things. I don't even want to try; it just doesn't appeal, somehow. Anyway, The Curious Cases of Rutherford and Fry is a fantastic BBC science podcast, featuring mathematician Dr. Hannah Fry and biologist Dr. Adam Rutherford. The science is (as far as I can tell) good, and Fry and Rutherford have a really delightful bantery rapport. I listened to a few of their most recent episodes and have now gone back to the beginning to hear them all.
4) I'd love your recs for other podcasts, especially fiction podcasts (genre fiction with queer characters preferred), and extra-especially ones with good voice acting. I've hit a wall with some podcasts due to the acting. The latest casualty was The White Vault, which should have been my jam (cosmic horror! in the Arctic!), but one of the actors seemed to take his inspiration 80% from Christian Bale playing Batman, and 20% from Colonel Flagg (a CIA-agent villain on M*A*S*H), and I just couldn't stand it.
Alas, I think that The Magnus Archives (where not all the acting is stellar, either, but where nobody is Acting in an obvious and mannered way--or if they are, like early!Jon, there's a reason) has ruined me for all other audio dramas.
1) I've regained most of my ability to read books, and at the moment I'm slowly working my way through The Big Book of Modern Fantasy, edited by Ann Vandermeer and Jeff Vandermeer. Sensibly, rather than trying to read it in big gulps like a novel, I'm reading about one story a day, and in consequence liking it more than I often like anthologies. Some of my favorites so far are "Signs and Symbols" (Vladimir Nabokov; it plays fun/scary interpretive games with the reader); "Lean Times in Lankhmar" (Fritz Lieber; Lankhmar is the clear inspiration for Terry Pratchett's Ankh-Morpork, which I didn't know because this is the first Fritz Lieber I've ever read); and "Famas and Cronopios" (Julio Cortazar; weird whimsy that probably has political currents I'm not noticing, but is also just super fun).
2) The Rusty Quill Gaming podcast is my go-to at the moment for a little bit of comfort. For the unfamiliar, this is a podcast of people playing a tabletop RPG, and I would never have expected it to be my thing until I tried it. The story and world-building are fascinating, the performances are great, and the players/performers are clearly having a lot of fun. Fair warning that the events of the story are often grim*, but it's also full of kindness and friendship and hope. I think that the group has made a conscious decision recently to go a little lighter; episodes recorded since the pandemic have focused on character development and providing a sort of emotional "breathing space" which is very very welcome.
There are about 170 episodes and counting, but you should start at the beginning as it's all one continuous story and nothing will make sense if you hop in later. And give it a little time to grow on you; initially there's a lot of focus on action, but as the players and the GM get more comfortable, it's balanced out by increasingly important emotional arcs and Rusty Quill's characteristic interest in ethical questions.
(*A sort of content note under the cut: many, many content warnings apply, but there's no sexual violence, not even mentioned or in backstory. I deeply appreciate Rusty Quill's commitment to not using sexual violence as a plot point. I don't want to list other content warnings here because spoilers, but you're welcome to comment or message me if you have questions.)
3) Another podcast, because while I'm able to read again, I can't seem to watch things. I don't even want to try; it just doesn't appeal, somehow. Anyway, The Curious Cases of Rutherford and Fry is a fantastic BBC science podcast, featuring mathematician Dr. Hannah Fry and biologist Dr. Adam Rutherford. The science is (as far as I can tell) good, and Fry and Rutherford have a really delightful bantery rapport. I listened to a few of their most recent episodes and have now gone back to the beginning to hear them all.
4) I'd love your recs for other podcasts, especially fiction podcasts (genre fiction with queer characters preferred), and extra-especially ones with good voice acting. I've hit a wall with some podcasts due to the acting. The latest casualty was The White Vault, which should have been my jam (cosmic horror! in the Arctic!), but one of the actors seemed to take his inspiration 80% from Christian Bale playing Batman, and 20% from Colonel Flagg (a CIA-agent villain on M*A*S*H), and I just couldn't stand it.
Alas, I think that The Magnus Archives (where not all the acting is stellar, either, but where nobody is Acting in an obvious and mannered way--or if they are, like early!Jon, there's a reason) has ruined me for all other audio dramas.
no subject
Old Gods of Appalachia is really good. Very southern cosmic horror that's very deliberately removed any HPL references. It's mostly just one gent doing the storytelling but I really like his style.
Wooden Overcoats is a comedy in the wacky small British town full of weirdos style. Pair of siblings poorly run the only funeral home in town and survive until a competitor moves in. Good acting, mostly silly. The competitor is obnoxiously heterosexual in that "pursuing a woman who's clearly not interested" way but thankfully gets over it before it gets gross.
no subject
I love the Lankhmar books! They're surprisingly funny and self-aware for how old they are; I never would have expected that you could have books parodying the fantasy genre approximately ten years after the modern fantasy genre began. I'd really recommend them if you like this one. They're also very slashy, if that's a bonus for you!