On Monasticism in Fiction

 I am considering doing an ImpishIdea article on Thistlefoot, expanding thoughts that I had in the Book Diary, but I might end up just trying to do another sporking chapter.

International Women’s Day was this past week, so here’s some fantasy book recommendations by women that are quite good!

-The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman

-Lady Trent by Marie Brennan

-A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. LeGuin

-Farsala Trilogy by Hilari Bell

-Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

-Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke

-Just pick a Diana Wynne Jones book. Just pick one.

Anyhow I read In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden, and I have thoughts.

Black Panther & Leadership

 I had written a Saturday Note for last week–or most of one, about censorship in regards to books and Roald Dahl with his estate’s new editions. But I don’t know if that’s necessary? I’m a bit fuzzy on what’s going on with it, because they announced the old versions will still be printed. I don’t know if that means the censored versions still are too? Also Ian Fleming’s estate ALSO announced censored editions, showing that some people really can’t read a room.

But it seems most audiences viewed this as bad, and I’m not sure if me writing a Note agreeing is really necessary. Really, the only thing I brought to the table was that a surprising number of publications were okay with this, comparing it to Dahl making his own changes to later editions (no that’s not the same thing at all), and Joanne Harris saying, “That’s not censorship, that’s business!” as if declaring that “It’s just capitalism!” really makes it all better.

I also had an idea about a Note talking about AI art and writing, but a lot of that has already been said, too.

So anyway I recently rewatched Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. And I have thoughts and feelings. I’ll try not to do major spoilers in this essay.

On Grief in Fiction

 Alright it’s the weekend! I will be off of Tumblr so my last movie review on the blog will be Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, a movie which is still on my mind after a week. Which is not something I thought I’d be saying about a Shrek spin-off but here we are.

I’m getting kind of annoyed because my PS4 will sometimes, of its own accord, decides to uninstall games. It means I have to go back and reinstall them--which, with games as big as Assassin's Creed: Valhalla or Horizon Forbidden West, sometimes takes quite a while!

Not thrilled with what The Flash did with one of its characters for this season...

On the Afterlife in Fantasy

 I need to do a review of RRR for the movie review blog, but I don’t even know how to begin talking about the film. Because it’s nuts. In a delightful way, but absolutely nuts.

Still working on Horizon Forbidden West and it’s going great. Not sure how to approach the topic of upgrades and picking new equipment up–my instinct is to do that, but also I don’t want to keep using money and resources on things that might get replaced.

And I hate robot kangaroos. Why do they need bombs?!

Also! Public Service Announcement: there’s a GoFundMe for a friend whose daughter has cancer, and I’d appreciate if you took a look and passed it along if you can.

On Discworld & Opening

 This has been a bit of a strange week, but not a bad one. I’m apprehensive for the future though. But on Monday is that most wonderful of holidays, Waitangi Day! I’m sort of excited for that.

I had an idea for talking about grief in fiction–about how it’s better when characters don’t forget when their friends have died. This was inspired by me sitting and watching a butt ton of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood recently. But given that Waitangi Day’s coming up I didn’t want this to be a sad notes this weekend.

So Discworld and worldbuilding it is, as I recently started my re-read of that series. I don’t care that apparently Stephen King hates the term ‘worldbuilding’!

On Mark Antony and Writing About History You Don’t Understand

 I am not feeling so hot as I type this; hopefully by the time you read this I’ll be feeling much better with some adequate bedrest, but at the moment I’m probably sitting in bed under the blankets with a hoodie and a beanie.

But in other news, I decided to start a Discworld read-through, and so I’ve started The Colour of Magic and I’ll probably get through it today.

I think I have talked about this before, but I don’t know that I’ve done so in a Saturday Note. If so, I apologize.

Folklore & Fairy Tale in Historical Settings

 I am very much enjoying watching Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, and getting plenty of surprises! I am getting quite caught up in it. On the book side of things I am currently reading Galileo Goes to Jail, which is NOT a novel about historical scientists playing Monopoly but a collection of essays by historians dispelling myths about the relationship between science and religion.

Also! I’m playing Horizon Forbidden West and while I’m not far, it’s still fantastic.

This is on my mind from watching Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio and reading the Winternight Trilogy.