Six Sentence Sunday
Feb. 23rd, 2026 12:44 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
luthienA bit more of this:
A light touch at his elbow had him turning immediately, but he was not greatly surprised to find the Princess Svetlana Vetrova standing behind him and smiling at him impishly. She wore a long, blue pelisse over her gown - to guard against the chill sea winds, Ilya supposed, such as they were in June - and an extravagant poke bonnet, curled plumes cascading along its crown, sat atop her glossy ringlets. She was accompanied by her maid - a dour creature - as propriety demanded whenever the Princess took the air on the deck. Now, the woman waited a few steps away and stared down at the hem of her dress, providing them with the semblance of private speech. Ilya had no doubt that she would, nevertheless, memorise every word that passed between them and report back to Svetlana's mother - at least, she would do so if they conducted their conversation in Russian.
"So, you have not succumbed to the seasickness like your Mama," he said by way of greeting, in French.
~*~
Sia + PostSecret Video
Feb. 22nd, 2026 12:06 am![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
post_secret_feedThe post Sia + PostSecret Video appeared first on PostSecret.
Saturday 21 February 2026
Feb. 21st, 2026 05:54 pmmerryghoul posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
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New Cover: “Fall At Your Feet”
Feb. 21st, 2026 05:20 pmscalziwhatever_feed
Yes, I’ve been on a bit of a tear recently as far as covers go, but let’s just say I had a bit of a backlog from when I was writing the novel. Now that it’s been cleared off the table I have a little time to do this sort of thing. This is currently how I do my “me” time. It’s this or setting fire to things.
This song is one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite bands, and I had been meaning to get to it for a bit. Also for this one I had a technical project of trying to nail the vocal balance, which is for me the trickiest part of doing any of this. I think I did pretty decent job sitting it into the mix this time around. It’s fun to still be learning things.
Enjoy!
— JS
(no subject)
Feb. 21st, 2026 06:23 amapod_feed[Error: Irreparable invalid markup ('<img [...] ">') in entry. Owner must fix manually. Raw contents below.]
<p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260220.html">https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260220.html</a></p><p><a href="https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260220.html"><img src="https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/S_260220.jpg" align="left" alt=""A ghost in the Milky Way…” says Christian Bertincourt, " border="0" /></a> "A ghost in the Milky Way…” says Christian Bertincourt, </p><br clear="all"/><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260220.html">https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260220.html</a></p>
25 Years in Ohio
Feb. 20th, 2026 02:11 pmscalziwhatever_feed
February marks an anniversary for us: in this month in 2001, Krissy and Athena and I moved to this house in Bradford, Ohio, so now we have been citizens of this village and state for 25 years. On the 20th anniversary, I wrote a long piece about moving here and what that meant to us, and that’s still largely accurate, so I’m not going to replicate here. I will note that in the last five years, we’ve become even more entrenched here in Bradford, as we went on a bit of a real estate spree, purchasing a church, a campground, and a few other properties, and started a business and foundation here in town as well. We’ve become basically (if not technically precisely) the 21st century equivalent of landed gentry.
It’s possibly fitting that after a quarter century here in rural Ohio, I finally wrote a novel that takes place in it, which will be out, as timing would have it, on election day this year. The town in the novel is fictional but the county is real, as it my own, and it’s been interesting writing something about this place, now — that also, you know, has monsters in it. I certainly hope people around here are going to be okay with that, rather than, say, “you wrote what now about us?” There is a reason I made a fictional town, mind you.
I continue to be a bit of an odd duck for the area, which I don’t see changing, and despite the fact the number of full-time writers in Bradford has doubled thanks to Athena. On the other hand, as I’ve noted before, my output is such that Bradford is the undisputed literary capital of Darke County, and I think that’s something both Bradford and Darke County can be proud of.
Anyway, Ohio, and Darke County, and Bradford, have been good to me in the last quarter century. I hope I have been likewise to them. We’re likely to stay.
— JS
Thursday 19th February 2026
Feb. 19th, 2026 09:43 pmusuallyhats posting in doctor_who_sonicDo you have a Doctor Who community or a journal that we are not currently linking to? Leave a note in the comments and we'll add you to the watchlist (doctor_watch).
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The Big Idea: Gideon Marcus
Feb. 19th, 2026 06:55 pmscalziwhatever_feed
On occasion, you know the ending of your story before you start writing. Most other times, you find the path as you go, each twisting turn appearing before you as you continue on your merry way. The latter seems to be the case for author Gideon Marcus, who says in his Big Idea that he wasn’t always sure how to wrap up his newest novel, Majera.
GIDEON MARCUS:
What’s the big idea with Majera? That’s a hard one, because there are lots of threads: the unstated, obvious, valued diversity of the future, which helps define the setting as the future. That’s a familiar technique—Tom Purdom pioneered it, and Star Trek popularized it. There’s a focus on relationships: found family, love in myriad combinations. There’s the foundation of science, a real universe underpinning everything.
But I guess what I associate with Majera most strongly is conclusion.
Starting an exciting adventure is easy. Finishing stories is hard. George R. R. Martin, Pat Rothfuss. Hideaki Anno all have famously struggled with it. When Kitra and her friends first got catapulted ten light years from home in Kitra, I started them on a journey whose ending I only had the vaguest outline of. I had adventure seeds: the failing colony sleeper ship in Sirena, the insurrection in Hyvilma, and the dead planet in Majera, but the personal journeys of the characters I left up to them.
I know a lot of people don’t write the way I do. I think writers mirror the opposing schools of acting: on one end, the Method of sliding deep into character; on the other, George C. Scott’s completely external creation of an alternate personality. In the Scott school of writing, characters are puppets acting out an intricate dance created by the author. In the Method school of writing, of which I am a member, the characters have independent lives. I know that seems contradictory—how can fictional agglomerations of words achieve sentience?
And yet, they do! I didn’t plan Kitra and Marta’s rekindling of their relationship. Pinky’s jokes come out of the ether. Heck, I didn’t even come up with the solution that saved the ship in Kitra—Fareedh and Pinky did (people often congratulate me on how well I set up that solution from the beginning; news to me! I just write what the characters tell me to…)
All this is to say, I didn’t know how this arc of The Kitra Saga was going to end. But I knew it had to end well, it had to end satisfyingly, for the reader and for the characters. There had to be a reason the Majera crew would stop and take a breather from their string of increasingly exotic adventures. The worldbuilding! All of the little tidbits I’d developed had to be kept consistent: historical, scientific, character-related. There had to be a plausible resolution to the love pentangle that the Majera crew found themselves in, one that was respectful to all the characters and, more importantly, the reader’s sensitivies and credulity.
That’s why this book took longer to put to bed than all the others. It’s not the longest, but it was the hardest. Frankly, I don’t think I could even have written this book five years ago. I needed the life experience to fundamentally grok everyone’s internal workings, from Pinky’s wrestling with being an alien in a human world, to Peter’s coming to grips with his fears, to Kitra’s understanding of her role vis. a vis. her friends, her crew, her partners. In other words, I had to be 51 to authentically write a gaggle of 20-year-olds!
Beyond that, I had to, even in the conclusion, lay seeds for the rest of the saga, for there is a central mystery to the galaxy that has only been hinted at (not to mention a lot more tropes to subvert…)
Conclusions are hard. I think I’ve succeeded. I hope I’ve succeeded. I guess it’s for you to judge!
Majera: Amazon|Amazon (eBook)|Audible|Barnes & Noble|Bookshop|Kobo
Cover Reveal: Monsters of Ohio
Feb. 19th, 2026 04:35 pmscalziwhatever_feed
Just look at this cover for Monsters of Ohio. Look at it! It is amazing. I am so happy with it. It’s the work of artist Michael Koelsch (whose art has graced my work before, notably the Subterranean Press editions of the Dispatcher sequels Murder by Other Means and Travel by Bullet) , and he’s knocked it out of the park. I am, in a word, delighted.
And what is Monsters of Ohio about? Here’s the current jacket copy for it:
In many ways Richland, Ohio is the same tiny, sleepy rural village it has been for the last 150 years: The same families, the same farms, the same heartland beliefs and traditions that have sustained it for generations. But right now times are especially hard, as social and economic forces inside and outside the community roil the surface of the once-placid town.
Richland, in other words, is primed to explode… just not the way that anyone anywhere could ever have expected. And when things do explode, well, that’s when things start getting really weird.
Mike Boyd left Richland decades back, to find his own way in the world. But when he is called back to his hometown to tie up some loose ends, he finds more going on than he bargained for, and is caught up in a sequence of events that will bring this tiny farm village to the attention of the entire world… and, perhaps, spell its doom.
Ooooooooooh! Doooooom! Perhaaaaaaaps!
If that was too much text for you, here is the two-word version: Cozy Cronenberg.
Yeah, it’s gonna be fun.
When can you get it? November 3rd in North America and November 5 in the UK and most of the rest of the world. But of course you can pre-order this very minute at your favorite bookseller, whether that be your local indie, your nearby bookstore chain, or online retailer of your choice. Why wait! Put your money down! The book’s already written, after all. It’s guaranteed to ship!
Oh, and, for extra fun, here’s the author photo for the novel:
Yup, that pretty much sets the tone.
I hope you like Monsters of Ohio when you get a chance to read it. In November!
— JS
The Friday Five for 20 February 2026
Feb. 19th, 2026 02:18 pmanais_pf posting in thefridayfiveWhen did you last . . .
1. Scrounge for change (couch, ashtray, etc.) to make a purchase?
2. Visit a dentist?
3. Make a needed change to your life?
4. Decide on a complete menu well in advance of the evening meal?
5. Spend part of the day (other than daily hygiene) totally/mostly naked?
Copy and paste to your own journal, then reply to this post with a link to your answers. If your journal is private or friends-only, you can post your full answers in the comments below.
If you'd like to suggest questions for a future Friday Five, then do so on DreamWidth or LiveJournal. Old sets that were used have been deleted, so we encourage you to suggest some more!
1. Scrounge for change (couch, ashtray, etc.) to make a purchase?
2. Visit a dentist?
3. Make a needed change to your life?
4. Decide on a complete menu well in advance of the evening meal?
5. Spend part of the day (other than daily hygiene) totally/mostly naked?
Copy and paste to your own journal, then reply to this post with a link to your answers. If your journal is private or friends-only, you can post your full answers in the comments below.
If you'd like to suggest questions for a future Friday Five, then do so on DreamWidth or LiveJournal. Old sets that were used have been deleted, so we encourage you to suggest some more!
(no subject)
Feb. 19th, 2026 05:35 amapod_feed
Cradled in red-glowing hydrogen gas, stars are being born in Orion.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms - Episode 5
Feb. 19th, 2026 10:47 amluthienEver since I first heard that the TV adaptation of these novellas was going to go ahead, I've been crossing everything that they'd do a good job. The novellas are a great bit of (mostly) contained storytelling in a franchise that is otherwise notable for its narrative sprawl. Plus, I've loved both Dunk and Egg since I first read The Hedge Knight in the Legends anthology back when it came out just before the turn of the millennium.
And you know, as it turns out, the show really, really does not disappoint. First of all, the casting is spot on, starting with Egg. If Dexter Sol Ansell had not existed, they would have had to create him. Like Gwendoline Christie being cast as Brienne of Tarth in GoT, I can't imagine another actor being so perfect for a role. Dexter was still only nine when they shot this, but he'd already been acting for five years. Amazing. Meanwhile, I saw Peter Claffey in an interview saying that many actors could have done justice to Dunk, but only Dexter was right to play Egg. I agree with half of that. Peter inhabits Dunk. At this point, I can't imagine another actor being him. I'm also super happy with the supporting cast, but especially Bertie Carvel as Prince Baelor Breakspear Targaryen and Daniel Ings as Ser Lyonel Baratheon aka the Laughing Storm. I really liked Bertie Carvel in the title role of Dalgliesh and he brings that same sort thoughtful but authoritative calm to Baelor. Perfect. Meanwhile, Daniel Ings has the charisma that the Laughing Storm requires.
I'm also really happy with the script and the direction. ( Spoilery stuff for the end of episode 4 + episode 5 under here )
And you know, as it turns out, the show really, really does not disappoint. First of all, the casting is spot on, starting with Egg. If Dexter Sol Ansell had not existed, they would have had to create him. Like Gwendoline Christie being cast as Brienne of Tarth in GoT, I can't imagine another actor being so perfect for a role. Dexter was still only nine when they shot this, but he'd already been acting for five years. Amazing. Meanwhile, I saw Peter Claffey in an interview saying that many actors could have done justice to Dunk, but only Dexter was right to play Egg. I agree with half of that. Peter inhabits Dunk. At this point, I can't imagine another actor being him. I'm also super happy with the supporting cast, but especially Bertie Carvel as Prince Baelor Breakspear Targaryen and Daniel Ings as Ser Lyonel Baratheon aka the Laughing Storm. I really liked Bertie Carvel in the title role of Dalgliesh and he brings that same sort thoughtful but authoritative calm to Baelor. Perfect. Meanwhile, Daniel Ings has the charisma that the Laughing Storm requires.
I'm also really happy with the script and the direction. ( Spoilery stuff for the end of episode 4 + episode 5 under here )
A Secret Project is Afoot at the Scalzi Compound!
Feb. 18th, 2026 09:39 pmscalziwhatever_feed
What is it? I can’t tell you! When will you be able to know? I can’t say! But when I can tell you, will I? We’ll see!
What I can tell you is that Athena is working on it with me, she’s been great to work with so far, and my decision to hire her at Scalzi Enterprises was pretty smart. Clearly I know what I’m doing all the time.
Anyway, my kid’s awesome and we’re doing cool stuff. I hope we get to share it with you. Eventually.
— JS
RIP Scalzi DSL Line, 2004 – 2026
Feb. 18th, 2026 06:38 pmscalziwhatever_feed
As most of you know, I live on a rural road where Internet options are limited. More than 20 years ago, DSL became available where I live, which meant that I could ditch the satellite internet of the early 2000s, which topped out at something like 1.5mbps and rarely achieved that, and which went out entirely if it rained, for a line that had a, for me, blisteringly fast 6mbps speed.
That was the speed it stayed at for most of the next twenty years, until my provider, rather grudgingly, increased the speed to 40mbps — not fast, but certainly faster — and there it stayed. Over time the DSL service stopped being as reliable, rarely actually got up to 40mbps, and, actually started going out when it rained, like the satellite internet of old, but without the excuse of being, you know, in space and blocked by clouds.
A few months back I went ahead and ordered 5G internet service from Verizon, because it was faster and doesn’t have usage caps, which had been a stumbling block for 5G service previously. It’s not top of the line, relative to other services that are available elsewhere — usually 120+mbps, where the church’s service is at 300+mbps, and Athena’s in town Internet is fiber and clocks in at 2gbps — but it’s fast enough for what I use the internet for, and to steam high-definition movies and TV. I held on to the DSL since then to make sure I was happy with the new service, because that seemed a sensible thing to do.
No more. The 5G wireless works flawlessly and has for months, and the time has come. After 20+ years, I have officially cancelled my DSL line. A big day in the technology life of the Scalzi Compound. I thank the DSL for its service, but its watch has now ended. We all most move on, ceaselessly, into the future, where I can download stuff faster.
I’m still keeping my landline, however, to which the DSL was attached. Call me old-fashioned.
— JS
Tuesday, 17th February 2026
Feb. 17th, 2026 03:00 pmbeck_liz posting in doctor_who_sonicEditor's Note: If your item was not linked, it's because the header lacked the information that we like to give our readers. Please at least give the title, rating, and pairing or characters, and please include the header in the storypost itself, not just in the linking post. For an example of what a "good" fanfic header is, see the user info. Spoiler warnings are also greatly appreciated. Thank you!
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Fannish 50 2026 #10: Moulin Rouge!
Feb. 17th, 2026 10:01 amelayna(Random scattered and significant spoilers for both the movie and musical (stage) versions, I'm assuming anyone reading has watched at least one.)
I think everyone in the TPM fandom loved Moulin Rouge! when it came out. Ewan was so young and gorgeous, the music so fun, the costumes and dancing dazzling, the heartbreaking loss of love so tragic. If anyone didn't adore the movie, they kept that quiet.
(I remain surprised that there wasn't a whole slew of AUs where Quinn found Christian's book and then sought him out. Fandom, you let me down!)
I finally got to see Moulin Rouge! The Musical last weekend. I've been wanting to see it since I saw it announced, and a touring company finally came to town.
It's often interesting to see different versions of a show you love. I've managed to accept it's not going to be the same, and to enjoy it for what it is. (Unless it's totally messed up and violates the heart of the original, of course.)
The stage version keeps what I'd consider the main songs, such as Lady Marmalade, Come What May, and Your Song. Many of the others are replaced by newer songs that fill the same basic plot points. I liked the original songs, but I found the replacements all very appropriate (and good songs).
There are a variety of other changes. Christian is American, with more of an 'aw shucks' vibe than Ewan's portrayal, the show within a show is now about a gangster, jettisoning the Indian setting, the Argentinian no longer has narcolepsy, etc. It feels less Christian's story, as it introduces the Moulin Rouge, Zidler, and the Duke before him, and it wasn't clear to me from Christian's comments about love if the audience would realize that Satine's death was inevitable. It's made very clear that Satine and the Duke have a sexual relationship, which now seems rather puritanical that she manages to avoid one in the movie.
The thing that really struck me though was that Satine in the musical never mentions wanting to be an actress. Even knowing that she's dying, she wants to save the Moulin Rouge for the benefit of the others, the people who are her 'family.' And then it wasn't really clear to me that she succeeded in that goal. I found that a little jarring. I mean, yes, in the movie, we know she's not going to be 'an actress' for very long, because we know she's going to die. But she does get her opening night! She achieves her dream for herself! And in the musical, she doesn't have her own goal for herself, it's all about taking care of others. *sigh*
I was relieved in later years that the movie had come out in 2001, before I was aware of the fannish discussions about the role of women in so many shows, and how often women die for man pain. Because yes, Satine does essentially die for Christian's man pain, that's the main plot point. But the movie was so tragic and heartbreaking and sometimes we just need that kind of story. The angst of losing love, *swoon.*
These days I'm much more likely to have an instinctive 'ugh' recoil at yet another show featuring woman death/man pain. Fannish discussion has made me aware of that theme and also female agency (or more often, lack thereof).
Anyway, if you loved the movie, I do recommend seeing the musical if you get a chance. I don't know that I could love any new version of Moulin Rouge as much as I love the original, but the musical was enjoyable and fabulous to watch.
I think everyone in the TPM fandom loved Moulin Rouge! when it came out. Ewan was so young and gorgeous, the music so fun, the costumes and dancing dazzling, the heartbreaking loss of love so tragic. If anyone didn't adore the movie, they kept that quiet.
(I remain surprised that there wasn't a whole slew of AUs where Quinn found Christian's book and then sought him out. Fandom, you let me down!)
I finally got to see Moulin Rouge! The Musical last weekend. I've been wanting to see it since I saw it announced, and a touring company finally came to town.
It's often interesting to see different versions of a show you love. I've managed to accept it's not going to be the same, and to enjoy it for what it is. (Unless it's totally messed up and violates the heart of the original, of course.)
The stage version keeps what I'd consider the main songs, such as Lady Marmalade, Come What May, and Your Song. Many of the others are replaced by newer songs that fill the same basic plot points. I liked the original songs, but I found the replacements all very appropriate (and good songs).
There are a variety of other changes. Christian is American, with more of an 'aw shucks' vibe than Ewan's portrayal, the show within a show is now about a gangster, jettisoning the Indian setting, the Argentinian no longer has narcolepsy, etc. It feels less Christian's story, as it introduces the Moulin Rouge, Zidler, and the Duke before him, and it wasn't clear to me from Christian's comments about love if the audience would realize that Satine's death was inevitable. It's made very clear that Satine and the Duke have a sexual relationship, which now seems rather puritanical that she manages to avoid one in the movie.
The thing that really struck me though was that Satine in the musical never mentions wanting to be an actress. Even knowing that she's dying, she wants to save the Moulin Rouge for the benefit of the others, the people who are her 'family.' And then it wasn't really clear to me that she succeeded in that goal. I found that a little jarring. I mean, yes, in the movie, we know she's not going to be 'an actress' for very long, because we know she's going to die. But she does get her opening night! She achieves her dream for herself! And in the musical, she doesn't have her own goal for herself, it's all about taking care of others. *sigh*
I was relieved in later years that the movie had come out in 2001, before I was aware of the fannish discussions about the role of women in so many shows, and how often women die for man pain. Because yes, Satine does essentially die for Christian's man pain, that's the main plot point. But the movie was so tragic and heartbreaking and sometimes we just need that kind of story. The angst of losing love, *swoon.*
These days I'm much more likely to have an instinctive 'ugh' recoil at yet another show featuring woman death/man pain. Fannish discussion has made me aware of that theme and also female agency (or more often, lack thereof).
Anyway, if you loved the movie, I do recommend seeing the musical if you get a chance. I don't know that I could love any new version of Moulin Rouge as much as I love the original, but the musical was enjoyable and fabulous to watch.
