The Way Spring Arrives and Other Stories, ed. Yu Chen & Regina Kanyu Wang (2022) [part 5]
Jun. 4th, 2025 02:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pauraqueThis is the fifth and final part of my book club notes on The Way Spring Arrives and Other Stories. [Part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4.]
"The Woman Carrying a Corpse" by Chi Hui (2019), tr. Judith Huang
( Why doesn't she put it down? )
"The Mountain and the Secret of Their Names" by Wang Nuonuo (2019), tr. Rebecca F. Kuang
( Wreckage from satellite launches threatens a rural village. )
"Net Novels and the 'She Era': How Internet Novels Opened the Door for Female Readers and Writers in China" by Xueting Christine Ni (2022) [essay]
( What it says on the tin. )
"Writing and Translation: A Hundred Technical Tricks" by Rebecca F. Kuang (2022) [essay]
( Kuang discusses translation. )
the end
I was pretty impressed by this collection. The stories spanned a lot of different themes and styles, and while not everything was to my taste, the quality of writing was high and it's hard to think of any entries that didn't at least offer something interesting to think about. There was agreement among the group that it's a good starting point for Chinese SF/F but of course it can only be a small slice of a huge and diverse field. I'd be interested to explore further.
I may need to sit out the next book for scheduling reasons. But even if so, I will return!
"The Woman Carrying a Corpse" by Chi Hui (2019), tr. Judith Huang
( Why doesn't she put it down? )
"The Mountain and the Secret of Their Names" by Wang Nuonuo (2019), tr. Rebecca F. Kuang
( Wreckage from satellite launches threatens a rural village. )
"Net Novels and the 'She Era': How Internet Novels Opened the Door for Female Readers and Writers in China" by Xueting Christine Ni (2022) [essay]
( What it says on the tin. )
"Writing and Translation: A Hundred Technical Tricks" by Rebecca F. Kuang (2022) [essay]
( Kuang discusses translation. )
the end
I was pretty impressed by this collection. The stories spanned a lot of different themes and styles, and while not everything was to my taste, the quality of writing was high and it's hard to think of any entries that didn't at least offer something interesting to think about. There was agreement among the group that it's a good starting point for Chinese SF/F but of course it can only be a small slice of a huge and diverse field. I'd be interested to explore further.
I may need to sit out the next book for scheduling reasons. But even if so, I will return!
Tags:
- book club,
- books,
- books: author: chi hui,
- books: author: rebecca f. kuang,
- books: author: wang nuonuo,
- books: author: xueting christine ni,
- books: editor: regina kanyu wang,
- books: editor: yu chen,
- books: genre: fantasy,
- books: genre: speculative fiction,
- books: theme: death,
- books: theme: gender & feminism,
- books: theme: magic,
- books: translator: judith huang,
- books: translator: rebecca f. kuang,
- books: type: essays,
- books: type: short stories,
- books: year: 2019,
- books: year: 2022
Aching for Her, Chapter Three
Jun. 2nd, 2025 03:06 pmmaraudersaffair posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
draco100Author: maraudersaffair
Title: Aching for Her, Chapter 3
Rating: Explicit
Summary: Draco is desperately in love with his Auror partner. Hermione has no idea.
Word Count: 100
Warnings: None
Notes: Written for the prompt "Style."
Read Here
maraudersaffairTitle: Aching for Her, Chapter 3
Rating: Explicit
Summary: Draco is desperately in love with his Auror partner. Hermione has no idea.
Word Count: 100
Warnings: None
Notes: Written for the prompt "Style."
Read Here
DRACO100 - PROMPT 187
Jun. 2nd, 2025 01:44 pmdigthewriter posting in draco100Hi Friends,
Welcome back todraco100. We are so happy to see you here. Here's our next prompt!
PROMPT 187 is…
Style
Happy Drabbling.
Don't forget that you can post you drabbles on the AO3 collection.
Welcome back to
draco100. We are so happy to see you here. Here's our next prompt! Style
Happy Drabbling.
Don't forget that you can post you drabbles on the AO3 collection.
May 2025 Reads!
Jun. 1st, 2025 05:18 pmtjs_whatnotHAPPY PRIDE!
I hope to come back some time in the near future and talk about things and stuff. But until then, here, have some book recs.
( May 2025 )
So, what is everyone reading for Pride? So far, I'm just set to finish:
*When The Tides Held the Moon by Venessa Vida Kelley
*Even Though I Knew the End by C.I. Polk
*Less is Lost by Andrew Sean Greer
*Missing Page by Cat Sebastian
*A Destiny of Dragons by TJ Klune
And then we'll see where the muse takes me. Recs, of course, always welcome. ❤️❤️
I hope to come back some time in the near future and talk about things and stuff. But until then, here, have some book recs.
( May 2025 )
So, what is everyone reading for Pride? So far, I'm just set to finish:
*When The Tides Held the Moon by Venessa Vida Kelley
*Even Though I Knew the End by C.I. Polk
*Less is Lost by Andrew Sean Greer
*Missing Page by Cat Sebastian
*A Destiny of Dragons by TJ Klune
And then we'll see where the muse takes me. Recs, of course, always welcome. ❤️❤️
Take It From Here
Jun. 1st, 2025 02:34 pmenchanted_jae posting in draco100Title: Take It From Here
Author:enchanted_jae
Characters/Pairing: Harry, Draco, omc
Rating: PG
Word count: 100
Written for:
♦draco100 Prompt No. 186 - glide
♦harry100 Prompt No. 519 - Rennervate
Warnings: Suggestion
Summary: An Auror is always on duty.
Disclaimer: Characters are the property of JK Rowling, et al. This fic/drabble was written for fun, not for profit.
Take It From Here
Author:
enchanted_jaeCharacters/Pairing: Harry, Draco, omc
Rating: PG
Word count: 100
Written for:
♦
draco100 Prompt No. 186 - glide♦
harry100 Prompt No. 519 - RennervateWarnings: Suggestion
Summary: An Auror is always on duty.
Disclaimer: Characters are the property of JK Rowling, et al. This fic/drabble was written for fun, not for profit.
Take It From Here
In Other Waters (2020)
Jun. 1st, 2025 09:57 ampauraqueHappy Pride! This month I'm going to be reviewing games and books by trans and nonbinary creators.
First up is In Other Waters, a sci-fi exploration game by Gareth Damien Martin (they/them). You play as an AI who's been abandoned on an ocean planet and doesn't remember why. You're reactivated by Dr. Ellery Vas, an exobiologist who came here searching for her missing partner and colleague Minae. The planet is teeming with alien life, but all the human research bases are deserted. Together you explore the sea, collecting data on the alien ecosystem and piecing together what really happened here.
I would recommend this game if you like:
- Ocean exploration
- Detailed speculative xenobiology
- Queer characters
- Thoughtful interactive fiction
( It's kind of like if Subnautica were a text adventure. )
In Other Waters is available for PC and Mac on Steam and GOG for $14.99 USD. There's also a Switch port, but I'd be hesitant about that; I found navigating the UI very awkward with a controller and switched to the mouse right away when playing on PC.
First up is In Other Waters, a sci-fi exploration game by Gareth Damien Martin (they/them). You play as an AI who's been abandoned on an ocean planet and doesn't remember why. You're reactivated by Dr. Ellery Vas, an exobiologist who came here searching for her missing partner and colleague Minae. The planet is teeming with alien life, but all the human research bases are deserted. Together you explore the sea, collecting data on the alien ecosystem and piecing together what really happened here.
I would recommend this game if you like:
- Ocean exploration
- Detailed speculative xenobiology
- Queer characters
- Thoughtful interactive fiction
( It's kind of like if Subnautica were a text adventure. )
In Other Waters is available for PC and Mac on Steam and GOG for $14.99 USD. There's also a Switch port, but I'd be hesitant about that; I found navigating the UI very awkward with a controller and switched to the mouse right away when playing on PC.
May Roundup
May. 31st, 2025 08:55 pmmiss_grimwoodAn exciting and busy month, looking back! Although with less to show for it than I'd like
Fics:
you shall drip rubies, precious rubies - Bellatrix/Rodolphus, rated M
Crafting::
I finished the blanket! I need to make a post dedicated to it with the few progress pictures I have. It was actually quite easy to put together in the end after all the putting off I did.
I’ve managed to get myself two new blanket projects, though, one (crocheted) for my best friends baby due in October, and another for my other cousin, who has sensory issues and thought she wouldn’t appreciate a yarn blanket, but she’s tested her sister’s and now she’d like one for her birthday in September
Read:
The Folk Tales of Scotland
Other::
I got a job! I had my interview at the start of the month and the last three weeks have been full of paperwork and training and prep. My DBS certificate came through this morning which is the final stage - they just need to verify it and I can start working. It’s part time, and client based, so it won’t be super regular, but because of the nature of it (I don’t know why I’m being vague, but I am), I can also find private clients and supplement my working hours that way.
Fics:
you shall drip rubies, precious rubies - Bellatrix/Rodolphus, rated M
Crafting::
I finished the blanket! I need to make a post dedicated to it with the few progress pictures I have. It was actually quite easy to put together in the end after all the putting off I did.
I’ve managed to get myself two new blanket projects, though, one (crocheted) for my best friends baby due in October, and another for my other cousin, who has sensory issues and thought she wouldn’t appreciate a yarn blanket, but she’s tested her sister’s and now she’d like one for her birthday in September
Read:
The Folk Tales of Scotland
Other::
I got a job! I had my interview at the start of the month and the last three weeks have been full of paperwork and training and prep. My DBS certificate came through this morning which is the final stage - they just need to verify it and I can start working. It’s part time, and client based, so it won’t be super regular, but because of the nature of it (I don’t know why I’m being vague, but I am), I can also find private clients and supplement my working hours that way.
Rabbit & Steel (2024)
May. 30th, 2025 04:55 pmpauraqueRabbit & Steel is a bullet hell roguelike with fast-paced gameplay inspired by MMO combat and boss encounter mechanics. You have to learn how to optimally use your offensive and defensive abilities, sustaining enough damage to beat each boss within the time limit while constantly dodging projectiles and other hazards.
You can play solo, in which case it's primarily a bullet hell game, but co-op is where it really shines. In a group the bosses have multiplayer mechanics that will be familiar if you've played WoW or FF14: stack together for protection, spread apart so you don't blow each other up, etc. If you enjoy the feel of MMO combat and the process of planning strategies and mastering the unique dance of each boss encounter, but you don't like (or want a break from) all the long-term character power progression aspects of an MMO, this might be your new favorite game.
( Read more... )
Rabbit & Steel is on Steam for $14.99 USD. There's also a free demo.
You can play solo, in which case it's primarily a bullet hell game, but co-op is where it really shines. In a group the bosses have multiplayer mechanics that will be familiar if you've played WoW or FF14: stack together for protection, spread apart so you don't blow each other up, etc. If you enjoy the feel of MMO combat and the process of planning strategies and mastering the unique dance of each boss encounter, but you don't like (or want a break from) all the long-term character power progression aspects of an MMO, this might be your new favorite game.
( Read more... )
Rabbit & Steel is on Steam for $14.99 USD. There's also a free demo.
The Sixth of the Recced Book Reviews: Rules for Ghosting
May. 29th, 2025 04:37 pmbethbethbethOn May 8th, I offered to read the first five books people recced - assuming they were available (preferably from the library) - and I'd give a short review [https://bethbethbeth.dreamwidth.org/701769.html].
This is the sixth recced book review.
Rules for Ghosting (2024), by Shelly Jay Shore (recced by mx-sno on bluesky)
Yes, this is a romance (gay cis man/bi trans-man), but it's also a story about family dynamics, grief, birth and death, found family, Judaism, and a dog named Sappho.
Oh, and ghosts!
I'm passing on the rec, but I'd offer two caveats:
One...if you have anxiety surrounding death rituals, including taharah (the "ritual washing, purification, and dressing of a deceased Jewish person before burial"), you might want to think twice.
Second, on a pure story level, there's sometimes a little too much "not telling people important things either for their own good or because you don't know how to start the conversation" for my personal tastes, but for all I know, that's your favorite trope. :)
However, Rules for Ghosting is generally an interesting, good-hearted story with a clever premise and a diverse group of likable characters.
This is the sixth recced book review.
Rules for Ghosting (2024), by Shelly Jay Shore (recced by mx-sno on bluesky)
Yes, this is a romance (gay cis man/bi trans-man), but it's also a story about family dynamics, grief, birth and death, found family, Judaism, and a dog named Sappho.
Oh, and ghosts!
I'm passing on the rec, but I'd offer two caveats:
One...if you have anxiety surrounding death rituals, including taharah (the "ritual washing, purification, and dressing of a deceased Jewish person before burial"), you might want to think twice.
Second, on a pure story level, there's sometimes a little too much "not telling people important things either for their own good or because you don't know how to start the conversation" for my personal tastes, but for all I know, that's your favorite trope. :)
However, Rules for Ghosting is generally an interesting, good-hearted story with a clever premise and a diverse group of likable characters.
The Word for World is Forest by Ursula K. Le Guin (1972)
May. 28th, 2025 10:19 ampauraqueIn this Hainish novella set sometime before Rocannon's World, the pacifist inhabitants of an idyllic forest planet are enslaved and brutalized by colonizers from the Terran military who are there to ecocidally clear-cut the forest for wood because Earth is nearly out of trees.
( I have read this book before, but not in a long time because I'm afraid I don't like it. (cut for negativity) )
( I have read this book before, but not in a long time because I'm afraid I don't like it. (cut for negativity) )