Is Science Fiction Better Off Without Torchships?
Apr. 29th, 2026 10:19 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
james_davis_nicoll
It's a case of limitations leading to more interesting plots and settings...
Is Science Fiction Better Off Without Torchships?
james_davis_nicollIt's a case of limitations leading to more interesting plots and settings...
Is Science Fiction Better Off Without Torchships?
Dragon Sword And Wind Child by Noriko Ogiwara (Translated by Cathy Hirano)
Apr. 29th, 2026 09:06 amjames_davis_nicoll
Saya's infatuation with Prince Tsukishiro is but another move in a long-running struggle on whose outcome existence itself depends.
Dragon Sword And Wind Child (Tales of the Magatama, volume 1) by Noriko Ogiwara (Translated by Cathy Hirano)
Reading Wednesday
Apr. 29th, 2026 06:48 amsabotabbyJust finished: Nothing.
Currently reading: Still working my way through Here Where We Live Is Our Country by Molly Crabapple. I'm now up to the Warsaw Ghetto, so of course it's bleak stuff, with our protagonists having increasingly fewer less-bad choices as the Nazi regime closes in on them.
Of course a lot leading up to this is the question of "when do we flee?" a question that definitely bears no relevance to anyone today. The answer is more or less implied in the title and, well, we know what happened with the Warsaw Ghetto. A few activists were deemed too valuable to let die and were smuggled out. Many had left before. There was never going to be any way to save everyone, or even most people.
It's a weirdly good way to connect with my heritage. I relate to the fact that even in the worst moment in history my people have ever known, we still found time to fight with Zionists and tankies. There is light even in the darkness.
Currently reading: Still working my way through Here Where We Live Is Our Country by Molly Crabapple. I'm now up to the Warsaw Ghetto, so of course it's bleak stuff, with our protagonists having increasingly fewer less-bad choices as the Nazi regime closes in on them.
Of course a lot leading up to this is the question of "when do we flee?" a question that definitely bears no relevance to anyone today. The answer is more or less implied in the title and, well, we know what happened with the Warsaw Ghetto. A few activists were deemed too valuable to let die and were smuggled out. Many had left before. There was never going to be any way to save everyone, or even most people.
It's a weirdly good way to connect with my heritage. I relate to the fact that even in the worst moment in history my people have ever known, we still found time to fight with Zionists and tankies. There is light even in the darkness.
Meme from Impala-Chick
Apr. 28th, 2026 10:54 pmmuccamukkThe Last...
Movie I watched: Persuasion (2007)
Series I finished: The Other Bennet Sister (2026)
Book I finished: The Once and Future Riot by Joe Sacco (2024)
Book I bought: Cards of Grief by Jane Yolen (1984)
Book I received as a gift: Not sure, I've had a "Dear God, I have too many books already!" standing comment on gifts for some years now.
Food I ate: Okonomiyaki.
Meal I cooked: Same as above.
Drink I had: Other than water, coffee with cream. If alcohol, rum and orange juice a couple days ago.
Song I listened to: "Everything's Going to Be Alright" by Beverley Knight.
Album I listened to: J.S. Bach's Goldberg Variations by Angela Hewitt.
Playlist I listened to: I don't really playlist.
Concert I went to: Lennie Gallant last fall? Maybe?
Game I played: Civilisation IV: Beyond the Sword
Person I talked to: Nenya.
Person I texted: A neighbour lady.
Movie I watched: Persuasion (2007)
Series I finished: The Other Bennet Sister (2026)
Book I finished: The Once and Future Riot by Joe Sacco (2024)
Book I bought: Cards of Grief by Jane Yolen (1984)
Book I received as a gift: Not sure, I've had a "Dear God, I have too many books already!" standing comment on gifts for some years now.
Food I ate: Okonomiyaki.
Meal I cooked: Same as above.
Drink I had: Other than water, coffee with cream. If alcohol, rum and orange juice a couple days ago.
Song I listened to: "Everything's Going to Be Alright" by Beverley Knight.
Album I listened to: J.S. Bach's Goldberg Variations by Angela Hewitt.
Playlist I listened to: I don't really playlist.
Concert I went to: Lennie Gallant last fall? Maybe?
Game I played: Civilisation IV: Beyond the Sword
Person I talked to: Nenya.
Person I texted: A neighbour lady.
Life gets so hard when you reach the end
Apr. 28th, 2026 06:45 pmgwynIt's been quite a while since I updated; it's kind of embarrassing how much I've fallen down on the job of posting. I had all these thoughts about The Pitt (I feel like I am watching/fanning a different show than anyone else and I'm having a hard time wanting to discuss it with anyone because I feel so weird and out of step; basically I love a lot of the characters or events others seem to hate and I feel a lot like Abed in Community: I guess I just like liking stuff) but then things kind of took a turn anyway.
My best friend and little buddy, Blues, seemed to take a sudden turn for the worse last weekend, and by Monday I was worried enough that I started calling the home euthanasia vets that friends had used. We made an appointment for Wednesday morning, but I wasn't sure he would last that long. I spent the next two days just trying to do anything that would make him happy or comfortable, as he was clearly having a hard time. He mostly wanted to be in the sun on the deck, as we were blessed with quite a few days in a row with sunshine, which is rare at this time of year in Seattle. Then I tried to find long things to watch on TV where I wouldn't want to get up and move around so he could sleep on my lap for as long as possible. Aliens director's cut ftw.
He got quite perky on Wednesday morning and yowled till I let him out--in the pouring rain, shaking my head forever at him and his obsession with being on or under his beloved deck--and then the vet came. I had a lot of doubts that I was doing the right thing because he'd been so much livelier, but she pointed out some pain signs and other things (and he was still really wobbly too) and I decided to go ahead. I honestly think he was gone with the sedative before the pentobarbitol even came along.
The house is so empty. I talked to him all day long, we had all these weird little rituals and I picked him up and smooched him dozens of times a day, and at night he was always on my left side and now when I put my hand down there, I have no kitty to pet or tummy to rub. I can't stand not being able to kiss a kitty head. He loved endless tummy rubs and toebean rubs--he was not one of those cats who ask you to scritch their tummy and then try to rip your face off after one minute; you could literally never stop scratching his belly and he would be fine with it. He hated being brushed, but you could play with his feet, his tail, his ears, his nose, and the scritches, and he was fine. Every time I get up, it's just so... There's no kitty greeting me and demanding food. Or winding through my legs and tripping me and nearly killing me. He was sometimes a very challenging cat, as anyone who's been on my friends list probably read over the years (the worst was the bite that almost put me in the hospital when I also had an allergic reaction to the antibiotic), but the good far outweighed the bad.
I don't know what I want to do. I've only lived a few years of my life without a pet. But I have no idea how long I'll be doing okay with my treatment and I'm not sure I'm feeling like looking or fostering anyway right now. It's so lonely, and he was all I had left. He was my sweetheart.
My best friend and little buddy, Blues, seemed to take a sudden turn for the worse last weekend, and by Monday I was worried enough that I started calling the home euthanasia vets that friends had used. We made an appointment for Wednesday morning, but I wasn't sure he would last that long. I spent the next two days just trying to do anything that would make him happy or comfortable, as he was clearly having a hard time. He mostly wanted to be in the sun on the deck, as we were blessed with quite a few days in a row with sunshine, which is rare at this time of year in Seattle. Then I tried to find long things to watch on TV where I wouldn't want to get up and move around so he could sleep on my lap for as long as possible. Aliens director's cut ftw.
He got quite perky on Wednesday morning and yowled till I let him out--in the pouring rain, shaking my head forever at him and his obsession with being on or under his beloved deck--and then the vet came. I had a lot of doubts that I was doing the right thing because he'd been so much livelier, but she pointed out some pain signs and other things (and he was still really wobbly too) and I decided to go ahead. I honestly think he was gone with the sedative before the pentobarbitol even came along.
The house is so empty. I talked to him all day long, we had all these weird little rituals and I picked him up and smooched him dozens of times a day, and at night he was always on my left side and now when I put my hand down there, I have no kitty to pet or tummy to rub. I can't stand not being able to kiss a kitty head. He loved endless tummy rubs and toebean rubs--he was not one of those cats who ask you to scritch their tummy and then try to rip your face off after one minute; you could literally never stop scratching his belly and he would be fine with it. He hated being brushed, but you could play with his feet, his tail, his ears, his nose, and the scritches, and he was fine. Every time I get up, it's just so... There's no kitty greeting me and demanding food. Or winding through my legs and tripping me and nearly killing me. He was sometimes a very challenging cat, as anyone who's been on my friends list probably read over the years (the worst was the bite that almost put me in the hospital when I also had an allergic reaction to the antibiotic), but the good far outweighed the bad.
I don't know what I want to do. I've only lived a few years of my life without a pet. But I have no idea how long I'll be doing okay with my treatment and I'm not sure I'm feeling like looking or fostering anyway right now. It's so lonely, and he was all I had left. He was my sweetheart.
Things I oughta post and what I actually will post
Apr. 28th, 2026 08:13 pmcatherineldfThe last 4 months have been a LOT. I have passed my data analytics certification at the University of Minnesota so that's done, at least. I miss my buddy kitty, Shu a whole lot, especially since I am trying to sleep with his sister Ma'at so she doesn't get lonely and she is both loud and lively at unreasonable hours.
A bit more about the kitties: my late wife, Jana, and I adopted them from Feline Rescue back in 2009. They are/were rescue Egyptian Mau mixes so we named them Shu (Egyptian god of dust storms) and Ma'at (goddess of justice). They were bonded and absolutely gorgeous with white under fur and patterned black tips and random spotted patterns on their tummies. Shu was the smartest cat I've ever lived with (Ma'at is a smart kitty too, of course) and clocked in at an impressive 20 pounds. He adored pets and belly rubs and play time and liked to sleep wrapped around my ankles. He made it to 17 before his health began to fail and I had to send him over the Rainbow Bridge.He went out purring and content, but I am still bereft. Here's hoping Ma'at and I are able to adapt to the new normal soon. She is trying, poor little tyke, in her own way.
I lost another friend, this time to cancer, a couple of weeks ago. Rebecca Hranj was one of Jana's students and I met her after I moved Jana into assisted living. She helped me organize and clean out a lot of Jana's studio stuff and we got to hang out a bit around the time she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She fought the good fight and we went out to dinner, chatted on line occasionally and a few months back, I picked her up from an appointment and plied her with cardamom coffee and treats. I really, really wish we'd had more time to get to know each other. 2 years was way too short a time and she deserved better, as did her family and other loved ones, than to go out right before her 44th birthday. RIP to a good one.
What else is going on? I'm starting the spring grant review cycle this week (one of my side gigs) and am working on some stories and articles I have due later this year and of course, the novel. Everything this moving along, if not as zippily as I would like. I've done two bookselling events this month, hosted a yard sale and worked Independent Bookstore Day at DreamHaven. So it's been a very full month, One of my best friends is moving out of the country so I need to tackle mountain of paperwork (she's my emergency contact, among other things) as well as being sad that I won't see her much in a few weeks. I am working on making some new friends and meeting new people so not sitting around weeping into my tea or anything, but it would be nice if everything wasn't always literally or emotionally on fire at the same time. On the bright side, still pretty healthy and on year 2 of Not Being PreDiabetic. Or Diabetic, for that matter.
And, ack, just realized that I forgot to post that Queen of Swords Press has just released Joyce Chng's terrific Sailing the Golden Chersonese! This includes 4 stories about a trans masc pirate and his/their lady love sailing on a fantastical version of the South China Sea, complete with magic, Naks and romance. The cover is by the amazing Dhiyanah Hassan and the interior work is by Terry Roy, who has done most of our interior designs. It is the most beautiful little book!
And with that, back to work on sundry projects.
A bit more about the kitties: my late wife, Jana, and I adopted them from Feline Rescue back in 2009. They are/were rescue Egyptian Mau mixes so we named them Shu (Egyptian god of dust storms) and Ma'at (goddess of justice). They were bonded and absolutely gorgeous with white under fur and patterned black tips and random spotted patterns on their tummies. Shu was the smartest cat I've ever lived with (Ma'at is a smart kitty too, of course) and clocked in at an impressive 20 pounds. He adored pets and belly rubs and play time and liked to sleep wrapped around my ankles. He made it to 17 before his health began to fail and I had to send him over the Rainbow Bridge.He went out purring and content, but I am still bereft. Here's hoping Ma'at and I are able to adapt to the new normal soon. She is trying, poor little tyke, in her own way.
I lost another friend, this time to cancer, a couple of weeks ago. Rebecca Hranj was one of Jana's students and I met her after I moved Jana into assisted living. She helped me organize and clean out a lot of Jana's studio stuff and we got to hang out a bit around the time she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She fought the good fight and we went out to dinner, chatted on line occasionally and a few months back, I picked her up from an appointment and plied her with cardamom coffee and treats. I really, really wish we'd had more time to get to know each other. 2 years was way too short a time and she deserved better, as did her family and other loved ones, than to go out right before her 44th birthday. RIP to a good one.
What else is going on? I'm starting the spring grant review cycle this week (one of my side gigs) and am working on some stories and articles I have due later this year and of course, the novel. Everything this moving along, if not as zippily as I would like. I've done two bookselling events this month, hosted a yard sale and worked Independent Bookstore Day at DreamHaven. So it's been a very full month, One of my best friends is moving out of the country so I need to tackle mountain of paperwork (she's my emergency contact, among other things) as well as being sad that I won't see her much in a few weeks. I am working on making some new friends and meeting new people so not sitting around weeping into my tea or anything, but it would be nice if everything wasn't always literally or emotionally on fire at the same time. On the bright side, still pretty healthy and on year 2 of Not Being PreDiabetic. Or Diabetic, for that matter.
And, ack, just realized that I forgot to post that Queen of Swords Press has just released Joyce Chng's terrific Sailing the Golden Chersonese! This includes 4 stories about a trans masc pirate and his/their lady love sailing on a fantastical version of the South China Sea, complete with magic, Naks and romance. The cover is by the amazing Dhiyanah Hassan and the interior work is by Terry Roy, who has done most of our interior designs. It is the most beautiful little book!
And with that, back to work on sundry projects.
Write Every Day: Day 28
Apr. 28th, 2026 05:14 pmsanguinityIntro/FAQ
Days 1-15
My check-in: Some sentences over lunch.
Day 28:china_shop, sanguinity
Day 27:badly_knitted, china_shop, cornerofmadness, dswdiane, sanguinity, sylvanwitch, the_siobhan, trobadora, ysilme
Day 26:badly_knitted, china_shop, dswdiane, sanguinity, sylvanwitch, the_siobhan, trobadora, ysilme
( More days )
When you check in, please use the most recent post and say what day(s) you’re checking in for. Remember you can drop in or out at any time, and let me know if I missed anyone!
Days 1-15
We're looking for a second volunteer to share May! Is anyone up to host half the month?
My check-in: Some sentences over lunch.
Day 28:
china_shop, sanguinityDay 27:
badly_knitted, china_shop, cornerofmadness, dswdiane, sanguinity, sylvanwitch, the_siobhan, trobadora, ysilmeDay 26:
badly_knitted, china_shop, dswdiane, sanguinity, sylvanwitch, the_siobhan, trobadora, ysilme( More days )
When you check in, please use the most recent post and say what day(s) you’re checking in for. Remember you can drop in or out at any time, and let me know if I missed anyone!
How To Write the Future podcast
Apr. 28th, 2026 02:48 pmdavidlevineFun interview with Beth Barany on the How To Write the Future podcast! https://writersfunzone.com/blog/2026/04/27/read-write-repeat-with-david-d-levine/
vital functions (ish)
Apr. 28th, 2026 10:29 pmkaberettLast week I:
- finished weaving in the ends on A's gloves (before we hit site for the first event of the year)
- read more She's A Beast
- ate a bunch of food I didn't have to cook (current experiment: do Lichfield brownie bars only taste That Good in a field?)
- explored Steeplechase LRP Centre when it had PEOPLE on it (and also when it didn't)
- including seeing a green woodpecker!
- and SO many birds of prey
- made a bunch of unilateral decisions about where tents would go directly affecting two other departments in response to external constraints, and redesigned internal tent layout on the fly in response to different external constraints, and... it all worked???
- rethought several steps in the lost property process and goodness that works way better and is much less stressful
and then today has been about half and half "sleep" and "endless lost property paperwork". And Now: To Bed.
Bundle of Holding: Traveller Mercenaries (from 2023)
Apr. 28th, 2026 03:27 pmjames_davis_nicoll
The third Traveller bundle for this week, the Traveller Mercenaries Bundle, features soldier-for-hire supplements and adventures for the 2020 2nd Edition Traveller SF TTRPG game line from Mongoose Publishing.
Bundle of Holding: Traveller Mercenaries (from 2023)
The Praxis (Dread Empire's Fall, volume 1) by Walter Jon Williams
Apr. 28th, 2026 09:51 amjames_davis_nicoll
The Shaa conquered the universe. Soon, there will be no Shaa. Who will take their place?
The Praxis (Dread Empire's Fall, volume 1) by Walter Jon Williams
Bridges!
Apr. 28th, 2026 10:00 amcmcmckStirling is on the River Forth.
This is the old bridge (no, not the one the battle of Stirling Bridge was fought on, which was there before this later medieval one)
( More pics! )
This is the old bridge (no, not the one the battle of Stirling Bridge was fought on, which was there before this later medieval one)
( More pics! )
garden update
Apr. 27th, 2026 07:36 pmthistleingreyLast fall I pruned the back yard's shrubs and saplings, slowly, and closed my eyes whenever I had to hack a few times at a thicker branch. This spring, my slow pruning of the additional rain-fueled shoots and yanking of some grass and oxalis have given tiny housemate some exercise on non-walk afternoons. She considers it her duty to catch anything I pull out and toss towards a fence to decay, such that pausing to gather two or three things before tossing is met by loud objections.
From those 3-5 minute snippets of labor, we have no more dog-safe twigs to lop, a first since fall 2021. When I told tiny housemate one day that I hadn't brought a cutting tool outside because we're finished, tiny housemate disagreed and bit off a few small branches within reach. Perhaps they were in the way for investigating cat- and squirrel-crossings.
For things that don't need pruning, I do as little as possible. Last fall, the hydrangeas struggled through dry weeks (non-rain watering occurs via hand-carried can, a hose drip that I move around now and then, or not at all), but they've decided to put forth leaves this spring. The persimmon tree has had the hose-drip treatment only once in 2026 so far, after too much rain last year left its fruit almost tasteless. In the fall I harvested some, which my mother sliced and dehydrated into treats for tiny housemate, and the rest went to the curbside compost service because tiny housemate and local squirrels kept fighting over the ones that dropped.
It's hilarious to try calibrating web advice that's somewhat informed. My physical endurance, the limiting factor, is in the respective target audiences for "Recovery after Covid" at AARP (AARP keeps dropping its age threshold for membership---I haven't joined, but it's now 50 years) and "I have been unable to run because of pneumonia for about two months" at RunnersWorld (I ran short distances with mild bacterial pneumonia 7-8 years ago, apparently, because former primary care dismissed the early stage as just a bad cold).
Neither article is of use to me; somewhere without any past bed rest is where I am. As Susan Paul writes in the second article, "In the right doses exercise can boost our immune system but, conversely, too much training can significantly impair it." And no one says, use nibble-doses of yardwork/housework as a proxy for lifting weights and feeding proprioceptive balance. Why would they, when "Go for walks" is their main goal.
From those 3-5 minute snippets of labor, we have no more dog-safe twigs to lop, a first since fall 2021. When I told tiny housemate one day that I hadn't brought a cutting tool outside because we're finished, tiny housemate disagreed and bit off a few small branches within reach. Perhaps they were in the way for investigating cat- and squirrel-crossings.
For things that don't need pruning, I do as little as possible. Last fall, the hydrangeas struggled through dry weeks (non-rain watering occurs via hand-carried can, a hose drip that I move around now and then, or not at all), but they've decided to put forth leaves this spring. The persimmon tree has had the hose-drip treatment only once in 2026 so far, after too much rain last year left its fruit almost tasteless. In the fall I harvested some, which my mother sliced and dehydrated into treats for tiny housemate, and the rest went to the curbside compost service because tiny housemate and local squirrels kept fighting over the ones that dropped.
It's hilarious to try calibrating web advice that's somewhat informed. My physical endurance, the limiting factor, is in the respective target audiences for "Recovery after Covid" at AARP (AARP keeps dropping its age threshold for membership---I haven't joined, but it's now 50 years) and "I have been unable to run because of pneumonia for about two months" at RunnersWorld (I ran short distances with mild bacterial pneumonia 7-8 years ago, apparently, because former primary care dismissed the early stage as just a bad cold).
Neither article is of use to me; somewhere without any past bed rest is where I am. As Susan Paul writes in the second article, "In the right doses exercise can boost our immune system but, conversely, too much training can significantly impair it." And no one says, use nibble-doses of yardwork/housework as a proxy for lifting weights and feeding proprioceptive balance. Why would they, when "Go for walks" is their main goal.
it's been storming a lot recently...
Apr. 27th, 2026 08:38 pmbatiferrite posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
common_natureBut at least the lilacs and violets are happy!
I've also been preparing to start a garden for the first time, pretty excited about it! I've got some fence container-things set up in my backyard, filled with fresh potting soil and some seeds ready. I've been talking to a coworker about it; apparently, tomatoes, cucumbers, and green beans are good starter plants that basically grow themselves. I also have a pack of red strawberry popcorn that I bought on a whim a year or so ago that I'm hoping will still be viable.
 |  |
There was also a double rainbow a while ago. :3
I've also been preparing to start a garden for the first time, pretty excited about it! I've got some fence container-things set up in my backyard, filled with fresh potting soil and some seeds ready. I've been talking to a coworker about it; apparently, tomatoes, cucumbers, and green beans are good starter plants that basically grow themselves. I also have a pack of red strawberry popcorn that I bought on a whim a year or so ago that I'm hoping will still be viable.
Write Every Day: Day 27
Apr. 27th, 2026 05:09 pmsanguinityIntro/FAQ
Days 1-15
We have a potential volunteer for half of May. Would anyone like to split the month with them? Please volunteer in the comments!
My check-in: A couple paragraphs over lunch. Perhaps more this evening.
Day 27:china_shop, sanguinity
Day 26:badly_knitted, china_shop, dswdiane, sanguinity, sylvanwitch, the_siobhan, trobadora, ysilme
Day 25:badly_knitted, china_shop, cornerofmadness, dswdiane, glinda, sanguinity, sylvanwitch, the_siobhan, trobadora, ysilme
( More days )
When you check in, please use the most recent post and say what day(s) you’re checking in for. Remember you can drop in or out at any time, and let me know if I missed anyone!
Days 1-15
We have a potential volunteer for half of May. Would anyone like to split the month with them? Please volunteer in the comments!
My check-in: A couple paragraphs over lunch. Perhaps more this evening.
Day 27:
china_shop, sanguinityDay 26:
badly_knitted, china_shop, dswdiane, sanguinity, sylvanwitch, the_siobhan, trobadora, ysilmeDay 25:
badly_knitted, china_shop, cornerofmadness, dswdiane, glinda, sanguinity, sylvanwitch, the_siobhan, trobadora, ysilme( More days )
When you check in, please use the most recent post and say what day(s) you’re checking in for. Remember you can drop in or out at any time, and let me know if I missed anyone!