Made in Korea by Jeremy Holt (2022)
Jun. 6th, 2025 12:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pauraqueNext up for Pride Month media, I read Made in Korea, a graphic novel about an android called Jesse who is purchased by a childless couple to be their daughter. Both the author Jeremy Holt and the illustrator George Schall are nonbinary (they/them).
I had mixed feelings about this one. On the positive side, I really liked how the themes of identity and coming to know oneself were explored. Jesse's story is at least partly a metaphor for transnational adoption (Holt is an adoptee) and also resonates with more general feelings about not being the child your parents expected and needing to grow out of their narrative about you. Gender identity is directly addressed, which I love to see in an android story! It bugs me when androids uncritically accept a binary gender role based on the anatomy they're built with, even when the story digs into their personhood and free will in other ways. This book does not assume that an android built to look anatomically female is a girl, nor does it assume that if androids existed they would all be built with binary anatomy!
The major aspect that did not work for me was the plot element of ( a school shooting. (cut for content) )
So there was a lot that I liked, but also a pretty big section of the narrative that seemed totally out of place and mishandled. I don't regret reading the book and I think some aspects will stick with me in a good way, I just wish it had kept the focus on its strengths.
I had mixed feelings about this one. On the positive side, I really liked how the themes of identity and coming to know oneself were explored. Jesse's story is at least partly a metaphor for transnational adoption (Holt is an adoptee) and also resonates with more general feelings about not being the child your parents expected and needing to grow out of their narrative about you. Gender identity is directly addressed, which I love to see in an android story! It bugs me when androids uncritically accept a binary gender role based on the anatomy they're built with, even when the story digs into their personhood and free will in other ways. This book does not assume that an android built to look anatomically female is a girl, nor does it assume that if androids existed they would all be built with binary anatomy!
The major aspect that did not work for me was the plot element of ( a school shooting. (cut for content) )
So there was a lot that I liked, but also a pretty big section of the narrative that seemed totally out of place and mishandled. I don't regret reading the book and I think some aspects will stick with me in a good way, I just wish it had kept the focus on its strengths.
Tags:
The Way Spring Arrives and Other Stories, ed. Yu Chen & Regina Kanyu Wang (2022) [part 5]
Jun. 4th, 2025 02:12 pmpauraqueThis 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
Femslash week in review: 2025-05-20 - 2025-05-26
Jun. 3rd, 2025 09:26 amletzanHigh-level stats for week of 2025-05-20 - 2025-05-26
- Total works categorized F/F on AO3: 9829 (+67 from last week)
- Works I classified F/F: 5693 (+69 from last week) (2590 new, 3103 continued)
- 0.64% of all 890619 AO3 works I've classified F/F were updated this week
A few callouts this week:
- Honkai Star Rail returns to the chart after a few months away, replacing She-Ra.
( Full top-20 table and description of methodology after the jump )
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.
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 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) )
Commenting on last year's gifts + change to 2025's round.
May. 28th, 2025 07:47 pmrarepairmod posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
rarepairexchangeHello, Pears!
I'm excited to be running another round of Rare Pair Exchange for 2025. I've appearciated the enthusiasm to see this exchange return!
If you participated in the exchange last year (2024 round), please make sure you have commented on all of your gifts. This exchange has a mandatory rule that all gifts must be commented on (with a good faith effort) for participants to be able to participate again. If you cannot comment on your gift for any reason, please contact me at rarepairexmod@gmail.com. A handy link, if you need it: The 2024 AO3 collection.
If you have not commented on your gifts by the time the 2025 round begins, you will not be able to participate in this round of the exchange.
Please comment on all of your gifts by Monday 4 August (11.59pm EDT).
I will be revising the rules and guidelines for the 2025 round and posting them in the next few weeks. Please note the eligibility criteria remains the same, but we will be adding podfic to our list of mediums allowed in the exchange.
See you in August!
I'm excited to be running another round of Rare Pair Exchange for 2025. I've appearciated the enthusiasm to see this exchange return!
If you participated in the exchange last year (2024 round), please make sure you have commented on all of your gifts. This exchange has a mandatory rule that all gifts must be commented on (with a good faith effort) for participants to be able to participate again. If you cannot comment on your gift for any reason, please contact me at rarepairexmod@gmail.com. A handy link, if you need it: The 2024 AO3 collection.
If you have not commented on your gifts by the time the 2025 round begins, you will not be able to participate in this round of the exchange.
Please comment on all of your gifts by Monday 4 August (11.59pm EDT).
I will be revising the rules and guidelines for the 2025 round and posting them in the next few weeks. Please note the eligibility criteria remains the same, but we will be adding podfic to our list of mediums allowed in the exchange.
See you in August!
2025 Schedule and Important Links.
May. 28th, 2025 07:37 pmrarepairmod posting in rarepairexchangerarepairexchange is a fanwork exchange focusing on rare ships (romantic and/or sexual). We define "rare" as relationships having less than 250 works on AO3, are completed and written in English, and filtered using the otp:true filter. We have a minimum requirement of 1,000 words (or work equivalent) and allow fic, art, and podfic. You must have an AO3 account and be 18+ to participate.
2025 Schedule:
- Nominations: Monday 4 August to Sunday 10 August
Tagset clean-up: Monday 11 August to Tuesday 12 August
Sign-ups: Wednesday 13 August to Wednesday 20 August
Assignments out: Sunday 24 August at the latest
Works due: Sunday 21 September
Collection reveals: Sunday 5 October
Creator reveals: Sunday 12 October
The exchange runs on EDT/EST time. All deadlines are 11:59pm EDT/EST.
Important links
- Rules and guidelines | AO3 Collection | Tagset | AO3 app | Promote your ships | Treat a pinch hitter
Email: rarepairexmod@gmail.com
Current Phase
- Waiting for our rare 🍐s to ripen.
Femslash week in review: 2025-05-13 - 2025-05-19
May. 27th, 2025 09:22 amletzanHigh-level stats for week of 2025-05-13 - 2025-05-19
- Total works categorized F/F on AO3: 9762 (+280 from last week)
- Works I classified F/F: 5624 (+199 from last week) (2553 new, 3071 continued)
- 0.63% of all 888029 AO3 works I've classified F/F were updated this week
A few callouts this week:
- She-Ra returns to the chart, replacing Hololive.
- Last week, i was worried about Supergirl leaving the chart, now it's back in the top 5. (I'd love to suggest Week In Review readers take credit for the jump, but it's too soon: my posts go up a week after the end of the chart-week I'm reporting on, so that I still have time to download and crunch the data even if I get busy or AO3 is having technical trouble.)
- Hazbin Hotel celebrates 70 consecutive weeks on the chart. Owl House reaches an impressive 250 consecutive weeks.
( Full top-20 table and description of methodology after the jump )