Photo cross-post
Jan. 3rd, 2026 10:34 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
andrewducker
It's not often I wish I had a proper camera, but trying to capture the
moon over Arthur's Seat is definitely one of them.
Original
is here on Pixelfed.scot.
andrewduckerInteresting Links for 03-01-2026
Jan. 3rd, 2026 12:00 pmandrewducker- 1. Phillipson: Trans people must not be used as political punchbag (but must out themselves if they want to use the toilet)
- (tags:LGBT bigotry transgender labour )
- 2. Former New York Times Editor Says Paper's Anti-Trans Slant Came From the Top
- (tags:LGBT bigotry transgender journalism USA )
- 3. What do Britons think about people with opposing views?
- (tags:politics uk polls )
selenakEleven / Kathryn Janeway: Why? She's his type. Unlike many another version of the Doctor, he's good at endearing himself to competent authoritative women. Depending on when in their respective timelines this meeting occurs, he might also impress her by bringing his very own nurse (Rory) along, which given that Voyager is desperate enough for nurses to let their own Doctor draft Tom Paris will definitely be a plus.
Five / Benjamin Sisko: Why? Mutual bonding over argumentative companions and cricket vs baseball. Five would be charmed by the Ben and Jake father/son relationship (and depending on whether this is before or after Adric dies also melancholic), and wouldn't ruffle Sisko's feathers the way some other Doctors might.
Nine / Jean-Luc Picard: Why? Picard would respect Nine's chip on the shoulder and not wanting to talk about any personal issues (and vice versa). (Though Deanna Troi, sensing Nine's emotional state, wilil try to corner him, but that's another issue.) Depending on the situation they're in when they meet, there might be some prickliness at first, but I think generally they'd find it easy to ally against the menace of the day and maybe share clipped yet meaningful conversation over some tea and/or bond over Dickens once that's done before Nine takes off again.
Fifteen/ Michael Burnham : Why? Much of her personal arc is going from repressing it all stoicism to openly emotional behavior, accepting your past grief and guilt and continuing to do better (and helping others) in the present - that's what he's practically the embodiment of for the Doctor! They would work well as allies, and there would definitely be dancing at some point. Also, she'd make him promise to visit Zora now and then as he travels through time.
Three / Saru (who was a Starfleet Captain, too): Why? Three can come across as incredibly high handed on first impressions, but Saru is a masterful diplomat, would spot Three is actually knowledgable and competent beneath the bluster and would lintrigue him as a Kelpian so any initial problems would be quickly moved aside in favour of teaming up. 'They would also bond over Buddhism.
Thirteen/ James T. Kirk: Why? No, not because he'd hit on her. (TOS Kirk, not AOS Kirk, i.e. he's not his pop cultural stereotype.) She'd consider him fun to have an adventure with, he'd be curious and charmed and very amused once she inadvertendly outs Scotty's inflated time estimations, whereas with male versions of the Doctor he might feel initially one-upped.
Twelve/ Christopher Pike: Why? Even if it's early Twelve at his prickliest, Pike's general relaxedness and experienced diplomacy would help smoothing things over. Conversely, Twelve could empathize with the whole "knowing your eventual awful fate" part without insisting on talking about it the way some other Doctors might. I predict at least one meal cooked by Pike while Twelve plays guitar before the Doctor leaves again.
Unfortunately, I can't think of any version of the Doctor who'd get along really well with Captain Archer because Archer would, depending on the point of his timeline, suspect the Doctor of being a tool of the Vulcan High Command, the Admiralty or the Xindi, while the Doctor, any of them, might like Porthos but would find Archer incredibly annoying, and that's before they find out about certain episodes involving slavery or torture.
Therefore, you get a bonus pairing:
Seven/ Gabriel Lorca (no, not the one we never met, I do mean the season 1 of Discovery guy) : Why? Mutual mindgames! Who manipulates whom best? Who sets a trap for whom while pretending to be their harmless facade? Who figures out the truth about the the other guy first? Might there be conversations with increasingly disturbing subtext about mentoring young women with a chip on their shoulder and tremendous guilt and anger issues? One thing is sure: it would be incredibly entertaining.
The other days
Five / Benjamin Sisko: Why? Mutual bonding over argumentative companions and cricket vs baseball. Five would be charmed by the Ben and Jake father/son relationship (and depending on whether this is before or after Adric dies also melancholic), and wouldn't ruffle Sisko's feathers the way some other Doctors might.
Nine / Jean-Luc Picard: Why? Picard would respect Nine's chip on the shoulder and not wanting to talk about any personal issues (and vice versa). (Though Deanna Troi, sensing Nine's emotional state, wilil try to corner him, but that's another issue.) Depending on the situation they're in when they meet, there might be some prickliness at first, but I think generally they'd find it easy to ally against the menace of the day and maybe share clipped yet meaningful conversation over some tea and/or bond over Dickens once that's done before Nine takes off again.
Fifteen/ Michael Burnham : Why? Much of her personal arc is going from repressing it all stoicism to openly emotional behavior, accepting your past grief and guilt and continuing to do better (and helping others) in the present - that's what he's practically the embodiment of for the Doctor! They would work well as allies, and there would definitely be dancing at some point. Also, she'd make him promise to visit Zora now and then as he travels through time.
Three / Saru (who was a Starfleet Captain, too): Why? Three can come across as incredibly high handed on first impressions, but Saru is a masterful diplomat, would spot Three is actually knowledgable and competent beneath the bluster and would lintrigue him as a Kelpian so any initial problems would be quickly moved aside in favour of teaming up. 'They would also bond over Buddhism.
Thirteen/ James T. Kirk: Why? No, not because he'd hit on her. (TOS Kirk, not AOS Kirk, i.e. he's not his pop cultural stereotype.) She'd consider him fun to have an adventure with, he'd be curious and charmed and very amused once she inadvertendly outs Scotty's inflated time estimations, whereas with male versions of the Doctor he might feel initially one-upped.
Twelve/ Christopher Pike: Why? Even if it's early Twelve at his prickliest, Pike's general relaxedness and experienced diplomacy would help smoothing things over. Conversely, Twelve could empathize with the whole "knowing your eventual awful fate" part without insisting on talking about it the way some other Doctors might. I predict at least one meal cooked by Pike while Twelve plays guitar before the Doctor leaves again.
Unfortunately, I can't think of any version of the Doctor who'd get along really well with Captain Archer because Archer would, depending on the point of his timeline, suspect the Doctor of being a tool of the Vulcan High Command, the Admiralty or the Xindi, while the Doctor, any of them, might like Porthos but would find Archer incredibly annoying, and that's before they find out about certain episodes involving slavery or torture.
Therefore, you get a bonus pairing:
Seven/ Gabriel Lorca (no, not the one we never met, I do mean the season 1 of Discovery guy) : Why? Mutual mindgames! Who manipulates whom best? Who sets a trap for whom while pretending to be their harmless facade? Who figures out the truth about the the other guy first? Might there be conversations with increasingly disturbing subtext about mentoring young women with a chip on their shoulder and tremendous guilt and anger issues? One thing is sure: it would be incredibly entertaining.
The other days
Musketeer Question and brief Stranger Things reflection
Jan. 3rd, 2026 08:55 amselenakAttention, anyone who has watched the most recent French two part filmed version of The Three Musketeers (part 1: "D'Artagnan", part 2, "Milady") - do you regard it as worth watching? As it's now available via German public broadcast (in their streaming archive, that is), I started to watch D'Artagnan, and while because it's a French version we finally get the correct pronounciation of everyone's names, the first half an hour or so which I watched before breaking it off exposed me to a whole new set of WTFs in addition to some old ones. Basically, my reactions were these:
( Spoilery for this movie reactions ensue )
Also, Stranger Things ended. Now I enjoyed the show while never being a passionate fan. If you want my ST opinions: the third season was bad but otoh introduced Robin, hooray; generally speaking in terms of the horror factor the first season was best when the Upside Down was just unknowable and, well, strange, while the actual villains such as they were were humans exploiting other humans, but I liked the character development most of our heroes got through the ensueing years, plus a lot of the homages to 80s tropes were just fun, so I certainly don't regret the show continued beyond that first season. (Though the fact that shooting this show took a decade while the Watsonian time passing between seasons was much shorter made it inevitably visible both the original child actors and the adult actors playing teens in the first season looked increasingly older than their characters were supposed to be.) In terms of the overall series finale, I liked how the characters ended up and am impressed that ( a spoilery decision was made. ) I also was amused by Mike in the montage being shown wearing dark horn rimmed glasses while writing, because the only reason for that I can see is to make him at least vaguely resemble a young Stephen King in one last homage. Overall, for me, the series ended on a high note.
( Spoilery for this movie reactions ensue )
Also, Stranger Things ended. Now I enjoyed the show while never being a passionate fan. If you want my ST opinions: the third season was bad but otoh introduced Robin, hooray; generally speaking in terms of the horror factor the first season was best when the Upside Down was just unknowable and, well, strange, while the actual villains such as they were were humans exploiting other humans, but I liked the character development most of our heroes got through the ensueing years, plus a lot of the homages to 80s tropes were just fun, so I certainly don't regret the show continued beyond that first season. (Though the fact that shooting this show took a decade while the Watsonian time passing between seasons was much shorter made it inevitably visible both the original child actors and the adult actors playing teens in the first season looked increasingly older than their characters were supposed to be.) In terms of the overall series finale, I liked how the characters ended up and am impressed that ( a spoilery decision was made. ) I also was amused by Mike in the montage being shown wearing dark horn rimmed glasses while writing, because the only reason for that I can see is to make him at least vaguely resemble a young Stephen King in one last homage. Overall, for me, the series ended on a high note.
January Meme: Five Places everyone should visit in Germany
Jan. 2nd, 2026 05:37 pmselenakI'll have you know it's really hard to limit myself to only five. And of course this is highly subjective. For an entertaining alternative choice with two per German Bundesland (i.e. federal state), check out the two most recent episodes of History of the Germans here.
Aaaanyway, pondering deeply, this is what I have come up with from the depths of my Teutonic yet Southern Wessi German soul:
1.) The Rhine between, say, Düsseldorf and Koblenz. You can either go by boat on the river itself or take the train, but this is a combination of landscape, architecture and history which is both aesthetically pleasing and incredibly historically and contemporarily relevant. Parts of it are ridiculously romantic. Other parts visibly suffer from climate change.
2.) Berlin. I am the opposite of a Berlinerin, but it's the capital, and talk about being relevant for German history (though not beyond the last two hundred and fifty years or so) and present. If you don't visit in Winter, take a boat trip on the Spree as well.
3.) Munich. Was bombed as much as Berlin, did a better job at reconstruction, is the South to Berlin's North (and only three hours away from Italy via Autobahn or train), with the Alps next door. Offers Baroque splendour to Berlin's 19th century classicism. Speaking of German history of the 20th century: if you haven't visited the Jewish Museum in Berlin with its section devoted to the Holocaust, visit the NS Doku centre and the Jewish museum in Munich. (Don't visit the Dachau concentration camp if you're in a hurry, but do visit it if you have much more time, and don't do anything else on that day. It's stomach turning and it ought to do be. You can't do that in the morning and then hop over to the art collection at the Alte Pinakothek in the afternoon.)
4.) Lake Constance, aka der Bodensee. Most parts of this gigantic lake are either in the German state Baden(-Württemberg) or in Switzerland, but there's a Bavarian section as well, oh, and a Rhine connection. The individual cities located on the lake and the islands in it offer early medieval castles and Zeppelins (they were first built here, and if you have a lot of cash, you can still board one), 19th century German poets and prehistoric settlements, and lots and lots of vegetables and gardening and great food throughout the year. Oh yeah, and the Romans were there, too. And a famous Church Council featuring in opera and historical novels. (Have a pic spam.)
5.)Bamberg. Hamburg. Was bombed to smithereens, did a reasonable job at reconstruction, offers a legendary harbor which you can take a two hours boat trip to visit, two great towers to have a view from, an early morning fish market, an immigration museum, stylish nineteenth century villas, quite expensive shops, some good art musuems and the Reeperbahn. Look, it was as important in shaping the Beatles as Liverpool was, and so the world owes it a visit for this alone, okay? Also: three hours train ride to some spectacular northern sea beaches from there.
The other days
Aaaanyway, pondering deeply, this is what I have come up with from the depths of my Teutonic yet Southern Wessi German soul:
1.) The Rhine between, say, Düsseldorf and Koblenz. You can either go by boat on the river itself or take the train, but this is a combination of landscape, architecture and history which is both aesthetically pleasing and incredibly historically and contemporarily relevant. Parts of it are ridiculously romantic. Other parts visibly suffer from climate change.
2.) Berlin. I am the opposite of a Berlinerin, but it's the capital, and talk about being relevant for German history (though not beyond the last two hundred and fifty years or so) and present. If you don't visit in Winter, take a boat trip on the Spree as well.
3.) Munich. Was bombed as much as Berlin, did a better job at reconstruction, is the South to Berlin's North (and only three hours away from Italy via Autobahn or train), with the Alps next door. Offers Baroque splendour to Berlin's 19th century classicism. Speaking of German history of the 20th century: if you haven't visited the Jewish Museum in Berlin with its section devoted to the Holocaust, visit the NS Doku centre and the Jewish museum in Munich. (Don't visit the Dachau concentration camp if you're in a hurry, but do visit it if you have much more time, and don't do anything else on that day. It's stomach turning and it ought to do be. You can't do that in the morning and then hop over to the art collection at the Alte Pinakothek in the afternoon.)
4.) Lake Constance, aka der Bodensee. Most parts of this gigantic lake are either in the German state Baden(-Württemberg) or in Switzerland, but there's a Bavarian section as well, oh, and a Rhine connection. The individual cities located on the lake and the islands in it offer early medieval castles and Zeppelins (they were first built here, and if you have a lot of cash, you can still board one), 19th century German poets and prehistoric settlements, and lots and lots of vegetables and gardening and great food throughout the year. Oh yeah, and the Romans were there, too. And a famous Church Council featuring in opera and historical novels. (Have a pic spam.)
5.)
The other days
Yuletide Reveals: Ancient World Edition
Jan. 2nd, 2026 08:39 amselenakThis year, both my assignment and the treat I wrote were based on historical novels but, I hope, manage to work outside of them (while doing their canon justice). Though last year I discovered with Stella Duffy*s Theodora duology two more novels about the Byzantine Empress I liked, Gillian Bradshaw's The Bearkeeper's Daughter is still my uncontested favourite. Aside from Theodora herself, the most intriguing character in it is for me is probably Narses, so I was delighted to get an assignment where one of the recipient's prompts asked more about him, which resulted in this story:
Of What is Past (3255 words) by Selena
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Bearkeeper's Daughter - Gillian Bradshaw, 6th Century CE RPF
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Narses & Theodora, Justinian I Emperor of Byzantium/Theodora I Augusta of Byzantium, Narses & Anastasios, Narses & Belisarius, Narses & Justinian
Characters: Narses (The Bearkeeper's Daughter), Theodora I Augusta of Byzantium, Justinian I Emperor of Byzantium, Anastasios (The Bearkeeper's Daughter)
Additional Tags: Character Study, Backstory, Canon Backstory, Yuletide
Summary:
As for my treat: It's a tough contest, but Stealing Fire (set in the aftermath of Alexander the Great's death; our hero fictional Lydias goes from suicidal traumatized soldier to starting a new life and new relationships healed survivor while teaming up with Ptolemy Soter and leading the most audacious bodynapping heist ever as he steals AtG's corpse for his boss) might be my favourite of the Numinous World novels Jo Graham wrote, though last year I via the audio version which I hadn't known before did a rehear/retread of Black Ships (based on the Aeneid, from the pov of the Sybil) and it's certainly up there. Anyway, one of the most interesting characters in the novel is Thais, a historical character, a hetaira from Athens who joined Alexander's campaign and was the long term mistress of Ptolemy with whom she had several children. Settiai had asked for more about Thais, what life with with Alexander had been like, how she reacted when Ptolemy eventually fell in love with another woman (as opoposed to political marriages), etc, and I swear I originally had more of a romantic mellow character piece in mnd. But then I actually read the ancient sources on Alexander. And thought: he must have been absolutely hell to live with at times, especially in his final years. I can't imagine a more dangerous combination than all powerful, depressed, hard drinking and already having killed friends in a rage before. Thinking this, I got an idea, and the tone of my planned story changed completely. With this result:
Her Last Confession (6796 words) by Selena
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Numinous World Series - Jo Graham, Stealing Fire - Jo Graham, Classical Greece and Rome History & Literature RPF, Ancient History RPF
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Ptolemy I/Thais, Alexandros III of Macedon | Alexander the Great & Thais, Thais & Berenike I. of Egypt, Thais & Chloe (Stealing Fire), Alexander III of Macedon | Alexander the Great & Ptolemaios Soter | Ptolemy I of Egypt, Alexandros III of Macedon | Alexander the Great/Hephaistion of Macedon
Characters: Thaïs the Hetaira (c. 4th Century BCE), Alexandros III of Macedon | Alexander the Great, Ptolemaios Soter | Ptolemy I of Egypt, Berenike I of Egypt | Berenice, Chloe (Stealing Fire), Demosthenes (c. 384-322 BCE), Kleitos ho Melas | Cleitus the Black, Callisthenes of Olynthus
Additional Tags: Character Study, POV Female Character, Talking To Dead People, Complicated Relationships, War, Angst, Reveal, Yuletide Treat
Summary:
Of What is Past (3255 words) by Selena
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Bearkeeper's Daughter - Gillian Bradshaw, 6th Century CE RPF
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Narses & Theodora, Justinian I Emperor of Byzantium/Theodora I Augusta of Byzantium, Narses & Anastasios, Narses & Belisarius, Narses & Justinian
Characters: Narses (The Bearkeeper's Daughter), Theodora I Augusta of Byzantium, Justinian I Emperor of Byzantium, Anastasios (The Bearkeeper's Daughter)
Additional Tags: Character Study, Backstory, Canon Backstory, Yuletide
Summary:
As he rises from castrated slave boy to one of the most powerful men in the Empire, Narses knows about prices - and worth.
As for my treat: It's a tough contest, but Stealing Fire (set in the aftermath of Alexander the Great's death; our hero fictional Lydias goes from suicidal traumatized soldier to starting a new life and new relationships healed survivor while teaming up with Ptolemy Soter and leading the most audacious bodynapping heist ever as he steals AtG's corpse for his boss) might be my favourite of the Numinous World novels Jo Graham wrote, though last year I via the audio version which I hadn't known before did a rehear/retread of Black Ships (based on the Aeneid, from the pov of the Sybil) and it's certainly up there. Anyway, one of the most interesting characters in the novel is Thais, a historical character, a hetaira from Athens who joined Alexander's campaign and was the long term mistress of Ptolemy with whom she had several children. Settiai had asked for more about Thais, what life with with Alexander had been like, how she reacted when Ptolemy eventually fell in love with another woman (as opoposed to political marriages), etc, and I swear I originally had more of a romantic mellow character piece in mnd. But then I actually read the ancient sources on Alexander. And thought: he must have been absolutely hell to live with at times, especially in his final years. I can't imagine a more dangerous combination than all powerful, depressed, hard drinking and already having killed friends in a rage before. Thinking this, I got an idea, and the tone of my planned story changed completely. With this result:
Her Last Confession (6796 words) by Selena
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Numinous World Series - Jo Graham, Stealing Fire - Jo Graham, Classical Greece and Rome History & Literature RPF, Ancient History RPF
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Ptolemy I/Thais, Alexandros III of Macedon | Alexander the Great & Thais, Thais & Berenike I. of Egypt, Thais & Chloe (Stealing Fire), Alexander III of Macedon | Alexander the Great & Ptolemaios Soter | Ptolemy I of Egypt, Alexandros III of Macedon | Alexander the Great/Hephaistion of Macedon
Characters: Thaïs the Hetaira (c. 4th Century BCE), Alexandros III of Macedon | Alexander the Great, Ptolemaios Soter | Ptolemy I of Egypt, Berenike I of Egypt | Berenice, Chloe (Stealing Fire), Demosthenes (c. 384-322 BCE), Kleitos ho Melas | Cleitus the Black, Callisthenes of Olynthus
Additional Tags: Character Study, POV Female Character, Talking To Dead People, Complicated Relationships, War, Angst, Reveal, Yuletide Treat
Summary:
Thais has always guarded her secrets well. It kept her alive in the years that saw her go from Athenian Hetaira to joining Alexander's campaign to conquer the world to settling down in Egypt where her lover Ptolemy became Pharaoh. But it also cost her. And now she is about to confront her past one more time...
Interesting Links for 01-01-2026
Jan. 1st, 2026 12:00 pmandrewducker- 1. Denmark becomes first country in world to end letter delivery
- (tags:mail Denmark )
- 2. Ken MacLeod on the life and work of the late sc-fi legend Iain M. Banks
- (tags:IainBanks scifi video history KenMacleod )
- 3. There is yet another Russian exodus from Livejournal to Dreamwidth
- (tags:livejournal dreamwidth russia )
Catchup links for 30-12-2025
Jan. 1st, 2026 10:48 amandrewducker- 1. Santa prepares public statement following accusations that ‘he clearly prefers rich kids’
- (tags:inequality funny Christmas )
- 2. "I Am the Very Model of a Miniature Tyrannosaur" (clearly the best way to publicise new dinosaur knowledge)
- (tags:dinosaurs video music viaSwampers )
- 3. Tiny! Cute! Bat! (Second attempt)
- (tags:bats cute video )
- 4. O Generous One! -(The Origin of "Carol of the Bells")
- (tags:christmas ukraine history music video translation )
- 5. The deep ocean has a missing link between deep and surface food webs - and scientists finally found it
- (tags:ocean food nature )
- 6. The complicated life of Francesca Albanese: A rising figure in Italy but barred from every bank by Trump’s sanctions
- (tags:usa italy palestine israel banking OhForFucksSake )
- 7. Librarians Are Tired of Being Accused of Hiding Secret Books That Were Made Up by AI
- (tags:ai libraries books OhForFucksSake )
- 8. Delay to post-Brexit deal costs UK £100m a week
- (tags:uk europe trade )
Just noticed these didn't post on the day!
Привет! LiveJournal imports may be slow
Dec. 31st, 2025 08:24 pm![[staff profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user_staff.png){kind=small}
denise posting in ![[site community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/comm_staff.png){kind=small}
dw_maintenanceПривет and welcome to our new Russian friends from LiveJournal! We are happy to offer you a new home. We will not require identification for you to post or comment. We also do not cooperate with Russian government requests for any information about your account unless they go through a United States court first. (And it hasn't happened in 16 years!)
Importing your journal from ЖЖ may be slow. There are a lot of you, with many posts and comments, and we have to limit how fast we download your information from ЖЖ so they don't block us. Please be patient! We have been watching and fixing errors, and we will go back to doing that after the holiday is over.
I am very sorry that we can't translate the site into Russian or offer support in Russian. We are a much, much smaller company than LiveJournal is, and my high school Russian classes were a very long time ago :) But at least we aren't owned by Sberbank!
С Новым Годом, and welcome home!
EDIT: Большое спасибо всем за помощь друг другу в комментариях! Я ценю каждого, кто предоставляет нашим новым соседям информацию, понятную им без необходимости искать её в Google. :) И спасибо вам за терпение к моему русскому переводу с помощью Google Translate! Прошло уже много-много лет со школьных времен!
Thank you also to everyone who's been giving our new neighbors a warm welcome. I love you all ❤️
Photo cross-post
Dec. 31st, 2025 04:32 pmandrewducker
End of 2025. The only important summary I can think of is "Two
children, both now successfully enjoying school".
(Seen here shopping for new parents)
See you in 2026!
Original
is here on Pixelfed.scot.
[TV] Made in Korea
Jan. 1st, 2026 03:05 amreverancepavaneQuite enjoying this show. Be warned that it is set in 1970, at the height of the Third Republic of Korea, which was pretty much a dictatorship in all but name (having overthrown the overtly military dictatorship of the Second Republic of Korea just six years previously), where there was pretty effective suppression of dissent by the internal security apparatus. And the show is heavily involved in the security apparatus. And being a Korean show, it does not hesitate to show this with it's customary brutality (which as typical pulls no punches in the portrayal of bad stuff).
[For those unfamiliar with modern Korean history, in three years the Third Republic would formally become the officially recognised dictatorship of the Fourth Republic (supported by the large industrial conglomerates [chaebol]), until this was eventually overthrown by the bloody Gwangju Uprising after Park's death, and the creation of the Fifth Republic in 1980. Although struggles to enact a proper democracy in South Korea continued until the creation of the current Sixth Republic after the 1987 June Democratic Struggle (which eliminated a lot of the political control of the chaebol). And even so there was Yoon's recent attempt in 2024 at emulating Parks' 1972 successful self-coup with his martial law declaration. Which was why the attempt was so ... fraught.]
In other shows I am quite enjoying Plur1bus, although the protagonist does strike me firstly as being very American, but later I suspect this is really just her innate bitterness (unhelped by the fact that the incident did cost her the only person in the world who could pretty much put up with her in the first place). As for the rest of the show - well done so far.
I did find The War Between Land and Sea to be more of a Russell T Davies mess than is even normal for him.
And of course, Fallout continues to please.
End of Fannish Year Meme: 2025
Dec. 31st, 2025 04:28 pmselenak1. Your main fandom of the year?
Still 18th Century history, Prussian-Austrian-Hannoverian-French edition, with the occasional ancient history interlude. Though ancient history might take over as the primary runner next year!
2. Your favorite film watched this year?
It's a race between a surprise "came for one character, remained for all of them" movie, none other than Thunderbolts*, and the superb thriller September 5, which manages among other things to do something Steven Spielberg tried to in one of his movies and does it better.
3. Your favorite book read this year?
This year I am truly spoiled for choices. I both read some books that have been around for a while as well as very recently published ones, and for the most part, enjoyed or even loved most of them. I think it's a race between Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik and Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh.
4. Your favorite album or song to listen to this year?
For complicated real life reasons:
5. Your favorite TV show of the year?
While tv had some let downs for me this year - *cough* Strange New Worlds *cough* - it also had some great new discoveries and some lovely continuing faves. I feel I can't answer this question fairly unless I firstly differentiate between "favourite miniseries" and "favourite continuing show", and in the second department "favourite new-to-me- show" and "favourite returning favourite". So: Favourite miniseries - there were several excellent ones, but really, for "took my breath away with each episode and performance, and format, tells a concluded story and THANK GOD DOES NOT APPEAR TO GET AN UNNESSARY SEQUEL": Adolescence . Favourite continuing series familiar to me - look, Andor had a superb conclusion and I really appreciate the scriptwriters on social media doubling down on just who the Evil Empire is in rl these days, but it's not Andor for the simple reason that while I was not upset about the writing for Bix as I've seen other people be, it really wasn't up to the rest of the show's standards. And it's not Wheel of Time, either, even though I went from like to love in this season and still feel like shaking my hand at the injustice of fate because of the cancellation. So: It's Foundation all the way. I loved the third season and will happily say more about why on the January Meme.
Favourite new to me show: Pluribus, aka Vince Gilligan did it again.
6. Your favorite online community of the year?
Still![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
rheinsberg.
7. Your best new fandom discovery of the year?
The play Born with Teeth by Liz Duffy Adams, which I saw in London in August: really intense and clever on stage Shakespeare/Marlow slash fiction, with Ncuti Gatwa and Edward Bluemel superb in the roles; delightful in itself, but also, I now have a new playwright to keep an eye on!
8. Your biggest fandom disappointment of the year?
Strange New Worlds, season 3. Alas.
9. Your fandom boyfriend of the year?
I would never compete with Lois Lane, but this year's Superman is an incredibly endearing version of Clark Kent, and arrived just at the right time.
10. Your fandom girlfriend of the year?
Demerzel from Foundation, and I got two great stories starring her as Yuletide gifts. Runner up: Kleya from Andor, and Juliette Binoche in what just may the definite Penelope performance in The Return .
11. Your biggest squee moment of the year?
( Spoiler for Wake Up, Dead Man ensue: ) Runner-up: ( Spoiler for Demerzel's backstory in Foundation )
12. The most missed of your old fandoms?
I'm missing - and probably I'm employing rosy glasses here - the way media could be discussed without one part of the viewership crying "Woke!" and other crying "betrayal" if their ship of choice doesn't become canon. (Latest example: Stranger Things. Which btw I'm enjoying, but one look at fandom discussion and I ran.)
13. The fandom you haven't tried yet, but want to?
I'm currently eyeing Severance.
14. Your biggest fan anticipations for the New Year?
The Vampire Lestat, aka season 3 of Interview with the Vampire. Can't wait to find out what this particular creative team will do with both the present day rock star Lestat frame and the memoirs part, plus unless I'm mistaken it looks like they're already incorporating bits of The Queen of the Damned. And speaking of Anne Rice adaptations, I'm also very curious what Tom Ford will make of her historical (non-supernatural historical) novel Cry to Heaven, starring Nicolas Hoult.
Still 18th Century history, Prussian-Austrian-Hannoverian-French edition, with the occasional ancient history interlude. Though ancient history might take over as the primary runner next year!
2. Your favorite film watched this year?
It's a race between a surprise "came for one character, remained for all of them" movie, none other than Thunderbolts*, and the superb thriller September 5, which manages among other things to do something Steven Spielberg tried to in one of his movies and does it better.
3. Your favorite book read this year?
This year I am truly spoiled for choices. I both read some books that have been around for a while as well as very recently published ones, and for the most part, enjoyed or even loved most of them. I think it's a race between Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik and Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh.
4. Your favorite album or song to listen to this year?
For complicated real life reasons:
5. Your favorite TV show of the year?
While tv had some let downs for me this year - *cough* Strange New Worlds *cough* - it also had some great new discoveries and some lovely continuing faves. I feel I can't answer this question fairly unless I firstly differentiate between "favourite miniseries" and "favourite continuing show", and in the second department "favourite new-to-me- show" and "favourite returning favourite". So: Favourite miniseries - there were several excellent ones, but really, for "took my breath away with each episode and performance, and format, tells a concluded story and THANK GOD DOES NOT APPEAR TO GET AN UNNESSARY SEQUEL": Adolescence . Favourite continuing series familiar to me - look, Andor had a superb conclusion and I really appreciate the scriptwriters on social media doubling down on just who the Evil Empire is in rl these days, but it's not Andor for the simple reason that while I was not upset about the writing for Bix as I've seen other people be, it really wasn't up to the rest of the show's standards. And it's not Wheel of Time, either, even though I went from like to love in this season and still feel like shaking my hand at the injustice of fate because of the cancellation. So: It's Foundation all the way. I loved the third season and will happily say more about why on the January Meme.
Favourite new to me show: Pluribus, aka Vince Gilligan did it again.
6. Your favorite online community of the year?
Still
rheinsberg.7. Your best new fandom discovery of the year?
The play Born with Teeth by Liz Duffy Adams, which I saw in London in August: really intense and clever on stage Shakespeare/Marlow slash fiction, with Ncuti Gatwa and Edward Bluemel superb in the roles; delightful in itself, but also, I now have a new playwright to keep an eye on!
8. Your biggest fandom disappointment of the year?
Strange New Worlds, season 3. Alas.
9. Your fandom boyfriend of the year?
I would never compete with Lois Lane, but this year's Superman is an incredibly endearing version of Clark Kent, and arrived just at the right time.
10. Your fandom girlfriend of the year?
Demerzel from Foundation, and I got two great stories starring her as Yuletide gifts. Runner up: Kleya from Andor, and Juliette Binoche in what just may the definite Penelope performance in The Return .
11. Your biggest squee moment of the year?
( Spoiler for Wake Up, Dead Man ensue: ) Runner-up: ( Spoiler for Demerzel's backstory in Foundation )
12. The most missed of your old fandoms?
I'm missing - and probably I'm employing rosy glasses here - the way media could be discussed without one part of the viewership crying "Woke!" and other crying "betrayal" if their ship of choice doesn't become canon. (Latest example: Stranger Things. Which btw I'm enjoying, but one look at fandom discussion and I ran.)
13. The fandom you haven't tried yet, but want to?
I'm currently eyeing Severance.
14. Your biggest fan anticipations for the New Year?
The Vampire Lestat, aka season 3 of Interview with the Vampire. Can't wait to find out what this particular creative team will do with both the present day rock star Lestat frame and the memoirs part, plus unless I'm mistaken it looks like they're already incorporating bits of The Queen of the Damned. And speaking of Anne Rice adaptations, I'm also very curious what Tom Ford will make of her historical (non-supernatural historical) novel Cry to Heaven, starring Nicolas Hoult.
Life with two kids: A day long remembered
Dec. 31st, 2025 02:03 pmandrewduckerWatching A New Hope with Gideon for the first time*, and while we were watching Ben Kenobi fight Darth Vader he kept saying "I really hope Darth Vader loses". I didn't say anything, but I couldn't help feeling bad...
*We started playing the Lego Skywalker Saga over Christmas. I thought he might enjoy seeing the movie and so far he's riveted. Sophia has refused to join us. Mostly on the grounds of "Not enough girls", which was her main objection when she tried watching it with me about two years ago.
*We started playing the Lego Skywalker Saga over Christmas. I thought he might enjoy seeing the movie and so far he's riveted. Sophia has refused to join us. Mostly on the grounds of "Not enough girls", which was her main objection when she tried watching it with me about two years ago.
Yuletide Recs 2
Dec. 30th, 2025 03:27 pmselenakDarth Real Life is still on my heels, but:
Katabasis - R.F. Kuang
Two different and both clever and sensitive explorations of what the aftermath of the novel might have been like for Alice and Peter:
The Next Step
The Raven's Paradox
The Last Unicorn - Peter S. Beagle
In that clear unpeopled space: the Unicorn's long way to her forest. Has the poetry, the beauty and the character growth of the book.
Lord of the Flies - Willliam Golding
I Remember (Don't Worry) : in which Ralph encounters Jack years post novel. Disturbing in the way the book is, yet with some glimpse of hope.
Penny Dreadful
mimics the lampllight's struggle with the dawn: After a night of victory, Vanessa and Hecate, separately, search for their footing. Missing scene from the second season's finale, with both women and Malcolm expertly drawn.
The Radiant Emperor Series - Shelley Parker-Chan
The Calligraphy of Disgrace: in which we get another take on these novels' entertainingly screwed up soulmates relationship, with an AU twist.
Frederician Historical Fiction
Five times Amalie saw Luise, and one time Luisa saw Amalie: in which the "Five Things" format is expertly used to portray the relationship between the Melanie Wilkes of the Hohenzollern court and her sharp-tongued sister-in-law.
Courting the Chamberlain : in which we find out how Frederick the Great's lover got married to the resourceful Caroline Daum.
The Ring of the Nibelung - Wagner
Loyalty only to me: Hagen learns many lessons from his father over the years.
Some Desperate Glory - Emily Tesh
Again two different takes on a novel's aftermath, the first focused on Magnus, the other on Avi, which also doubles a great take on his development across several timelines.
Some Desperate Hope
Salvation from falling into the sea of misguidances
Katabasis - R.F. Kuang
Two different and both clever and sensitive explorations of what the aftermath of the novel might have been like for Alice and Peter:
The Next Step
The Raven's Paradox
The Last Unicorn - Peter S. Beagle
In that clear unpeopled space: the Unicorn's long way to her forest. Has the poetry, the beauty and the character growth of the book.
Lord of the Flies - Willliam Golding
I Remember (Don't Worry) : in which Ralph encounters Jack years post novel. Disturbing in the way the book is, yet with some glimpse of hope.
Penny Dreadful
mimics the lampllight's struggle with the dawn: After a night of victory, Vanessa and Hecate, separately, search for their footing. Missing scene from the second season's finale, with both women and Malcolm expertly drawn.
The Radiant Emperor Series - Shelley Parker-Chan
The Calligraphy of Disgrace: in which we get another take on these novels' entertainingly screwed up soulmates relationship, with an AU twist.
Frederician Historical Fiction
Five times Amalie saw Luise, and one time Luisa saw Amalie: in which the "Five Things" format is expertly used to portray the relationship between the Melanie Wilkes of the Hohenzollern court and her sharp-tongued sister-in-law.
Courting the Chamberlain : in which we find out how Frederick the Great's lover got married to the resourceful Caroline Daum.
The Ring of the Nibelung - Wagner
Loyalty only to me: Hagen learns many lessons from his father over the years.
Some Desperate Glory - Emily Tesh
Again two different takes on a novel's aftermath, the first focused on Magnus, the other on Avi, which also doubles a great take on his development across several timelines.
Some Desperate Hope
Salvation from falling into the sea of misguidances
Interesting Links for 29-12-2025
Dec. 29th, 2025 12:00 pmandrewducker- 1. Why all the Criticism of Good Men Fighting for Healthier Masculinity?
- (tags:masculinity gender men patriarchy society )
- 2. German journalist on flotilla accuses Israeli guards of rape
- (tags:israel rape )
- 3. Salesforce regrets firing 4000 experienced staff and replacing them with AI
- (tags:AI business fail )
- 4. My Open Letter To That Open Letter About AI In Writing And Publishing - Chuck Wendig
- (tags:ai scifi publishing )
- 5. Tiny! Cute! Bat!
- (tags:bats cute video )
Yuletide Recs 1
Dec. 27th, 2025 04:09 pmselenakFor some Darth Real Life reasons, I had less time than usual during the holidays to delve into the Yuletide archive, but I did have some chances, and here are some early results. ;)
Akhenaten - Glass
The lone and level sands stretch far away: or, Egptian historical fiction. Based on the opera, but can be read without having heard it yet knowing who Akhenaten was. Poetic and intense.
Greek Myths:
Mothers of the Brazen Spear: Andromache and three of her sisters-in-law after the Trojan war. Based on Euripides.
Homophrosyne: Penelope through twenty years.
Born with Teeth:
To Bite the World: in which Will and Kit talk and role play Richard III and Anne Neville. Matches the play really well.
Bride of the Rat God - Hambly :
A closer kinship: the crucial moment from the novel's backstory when Christine shows up in England to whisk Norah away. This is one of my favourite Barbara Hambly novels, and the characterisation of both women is perfect.
Copenhagen - Frayn:
Quantum Game Theory: Four alternate timelines where the Copenhagen meeting never happened, and one where it did. Clever, moving and profound.
Farscape:
Look after the Princess: in which Katralla from s2's Princess trilogy wakes up post- Peacekeeper Wars (there are plot reasons) to find herself in a mad adventure with Aeryn Sun. And Aeryn's baby. And the usual Farscape insanity. Really feels like an episode in the best way, and fleshes out Katralla to boot.
Also, there are still free spots if you want me to ramble on something on the January meme.
Akhenaten - Glass
The lone and level sands stretch far away: or, Egptian historical fiction. Based on the opera, but can be read without having heard it yet knowing who Akhenaten was. Poetic and intense.
Greek Myths:
Mothers of the Brazen Spear: Andromache and three of her sisters-in-law after the Trojan war. Based on Euripides.
Homophrosyne: Penelope through twenty years.
Born with Teeth:
To Bite the World: in which Will and Kit talk and role play Richard III and Anne Neville. Matches the play really well.
Bride of the Rat God - Hambly :
A closer kinship: the crucial moment from the novel's backstory when Christine shows up in England to whisk Norah away. This is one of my favourite Barbara Hambly novels, and the characterisation of both women is perfect.
Copenhagen - Frayn:
Quantum Game Theory: Four alternate timelines where the Copenhagen meeting never happened, and one where it did. Clever, moving and profound.
Farscape:
Look after the Princess: in which Katralla from s2's Princess trilogy wakes up post- Peacekeeper Wars (there are plot reasons) to find herself in a mad adventure with Aeryn Sun. And Aeryn's baby. And the usual Farscape insanity. Really feels like an episode in the best way, and fleshes out Katralla to boot.
Also, there are still free spots if you want me to ramble on something on the January meme.