In which there is a distinct lack of witty title
May. 22nd, 2013 11:03 am![[personal profile]](http://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
spiralsheep- Asking, camera: does anyone know any just cause or impediment why I shouldn't buy an Olympus VG-170 for about £65? Performance/durability-related reasons especially?
- Doing: Project Doggie! While I was out walking, one fine Maymorning afternoon [/potential ballad], I found a knackered cuddly-toy dog hung in a remote roadside hedge. As this tiny white/black spotty/dalmatian dog was clearly not going to be reclaimed by his previous owner, I took pity on him and brought him home. He's lost one eye and has a couple of holes in his back. I don't know whether to (1) leave him be, (2) invisibly mend his back and make him an eye-patch and call him Patch, or (3) stitch his holes with brightly coloured thread, give him a mismatched eye, and call him Igor?
- Wondering about: whatever were they thinking?? I'm not sure what this washing powder branding is aiming to evoke but my neighbours would hate me using the washing machine at midnight and I don't want a washing powder that smells like viagra or something.
- Reading: I'm currently halfway through books by (in order of most recent reading): Jenny Joseph (poems), Sandi Toksvig (essays), Rita Ann Higgins (poems), Connie Bensley (poems), Terry Pratchett (novel), and [SF author I won't name cos they might read this] (self-published novel that needed more editing).
Watching: seasonal change, especially plants and birds (also listening to the birds). Yesterday I found my first tawny owl feather of the year.
- Bonus, five things: spring flowers, ancient wind-warped mountain trees, the tawny owl feather I picked up, having trivial mementos on my desk, and maps.
- So, what are you doing, thinking, wondering about, reading, watching, making, or writing, that you don't usually post about?
- Doing: Project Doggie! While I was out walking, one fine May
- Wondering about: whatever were they thinking?? I'm not sure what this washing powder branding is aiming to evoke but my neighbours would hate me using the washing machine at midnight and I don't want a washing powder that smells like viagra or something.
- Reading: I'm currently halfway through books by (in order of most recent reading): Jenny Joseph (poems), Sandi Toksvig (essays), Rita Ann Higgins (poems), Connie Bensley (poems), Terry Pratchett (novel), and [SF author I won't name cos they might read this] (self-published novel that needed more editing).
Watching: seasonal change, especially plants and birds (also listening to the birds). Yesterday I found my first tawny owl feather of the year.
- Bonus, five things: spring flowers, ancient wind-warped mountain trees, the tawny owl feather I picked up, having trivial mementos on my desk, and maps.
- So, what are you doing, thinking, wondering about, reading, watching, making, or writing, that you don't usually post about?
1-D maps talk in London, UK, 3 June 2013
May. 22nd, 2013 10:59 amkake posting in ![[community profile]](http://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
flaneursAs we've recently been discussing lines, I thought flaneurs within reach of London might be interested in this: One-dimensional maps: why an old form of mapmaking deserves a revival. Monday 3 June, 7:30pm, Swedenborg Hall, London, UK.
I've seen a previous talk by this speaker, and would thoroughly recommend it.
If I had a spinneret
May. 22nd, 2013 10:10 ammarnanelIf I ever meet the Wizard of Oz, I'll ask him to turn me into a spider. Here's a song about that.
I would hurry to the kitchen
with pedipalps a-twitching,
to see what I could get.
And when there I would eat all
the insides of every beetle,
if I had a spinneret.
And that's only the beginning;
it sets my head a-spinning
to see them in my net.
To the edge I would scarper
where I'd pluck it like a harper
if I had a spinneret.
Oh, I could catch the fly
that ventured near my web,
then another as the hunger starts to ebb.
I'd be an arthropod celeb.
And I'd tell the tale with recaps
from more than seven kneecaps
to everyone I met.
And I'd be the provider
of a web for every spider
if I had a spinneret.
I would hurry to the kitchen
with pedipalps a-twitching,
to see what I could get.
And when there I would eat all
the insides of every beetle,
if I had a spinneret.
And that's only the beginning;
it sets my head a-spinning
to see them in my net.
To the edge I would scarper
where I'd pluck it like a harper
if I had a spinneret.
Oh, I could catch the fly
that ventured near my web,
then another as the hunger starts to ebb.
I'd be an arthropod celeb.
And I'd tell the tale with recaps
from more than seven kneecaps
to everyone I met.
And I'd be the provider
of a web for every spider
if I had a spinneret.
Story: "No Winter Lasts Forever" (Part 12)
May. 22nd, 2013 12:35 amysabetwordsmithThis story is a sequel to "Love Is for Children," "Eggshells," "Dolls and Guys," "Turnabout Is Fair Play," and "Touching Moments," "Splash," "Coming Around," and "Birthday Girl."
Fandom: The Avengers
Characters: Phil Coulson, Clint Barton, Natasha Romanova, Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Hulk, Steve Rogers, Betty Ross, JARVIS, Bucky Barnes, Nick Fury.
Medium: Fiction
Warnings: Mind control. Inferences of past child abuse and other torture. Current environment is supportive.
Summary: A mission in Russia introduces the Avengers to the Winter Soldier. Steve wants Bucky back and will stop at nothing to make that happen. Everyone else helps however they can.
Notes: Asexual character (Clint). Aromantic character (Natasha). Asexual relationship. Sibling relationships. Fix-it. Teamwork. Canon-typical violence. BAMF!Avengers. Vulgar language. Drama. Rescue. Hurt/Comfort. Emotional whump. Survivor guilt. Friendship. Confusion. Mind control. Memory loss. Slow recovery. Nick Fury makes stupid-ass decisions. Fear of loss. Fluff. Nonsexual ageplay. Making up for lost time. Tony Stark has a heart. Games. Trust issues. Safety and security. Howard Stark's A+ parenting. Obadiah Stane's A+ parenting. Food issues. Multiplicity/Plurality. Sleep issues. Non-sexual touching and intimacy. Yoga. Personal growth. Family of choice. ALL THE FEELS. #coulsonlives.
Begin with Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11.
( Read more... )
Fandom: The Avengers
Characters: Phil Coulson, Clint Barton, Natasha Romanova, Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Hulk, Steve Rogers, Betty Ross, JARVIS, Bucky Barnes, Nick Fury.
Medium: Fiction
Warnings: Mind control. Inferences of past child abuse and other torture. Current environment is supportive.
Summary: A mission in Russia introduces the Avengers to the Winter Soldier. Steve wants Bucky back and will stop at nothing to make that happen. Everyone else helps however they can.
Notes: Asexual character (Clint). Aromantic character (Natasha). Asexual relationship. Sibling relationships. Fix-it. Teamwork. Canon-typical violence. BAMF!Avengers. Vulgar language. Drama. Rescue. Hurt/Comfort. Emotional whump. Survivor guilt. Friendship. Confusion. Mind control. Memory loss. Slow recovery. Nick Fury makes stupid-ass decisions. Fear of loss. Fluff. Nonsexual ageplay. Making up for lost time. Tony Stark has a heart. Games. Trust issues. Safety and security. Howard Stark's A+ parenting. Obadiah Stane's A+ parenting. Food issues. Multiplicity/Plurality. Sleep issues. Non-sexual touching and intimacy. Yoga. Personal growth. Family of choice. ALL THE FEELS. #coulsonlives.
Begin with Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11.
( Read more... )
butawhiteman cantbekhan
May. 21st, 2013 11:06 pmcrossedwires-Butawhiteman Cantbekhan is the best rendition of Cumberbatch's name that I have seen so far.
-Andre Braugher's new show looks like Frank Pembleton's worst nightmare. :/
-HLOTS BUNNIES! So wrong and so cute. If I knew how to do this, I would have these photographed bunnies re-enact HLOTS scenes.
-Frank Pembleton, I ♥ you.
-What's the likelihood of John Cho getting fired from Star Trek with all the whitewashing he's calling out? “I’m not J.J. Abrams, who’s ultimately responsible. I’m just his Asian puppet. Which, by the way, is also the title of my autobiography.”
-Star Trek: Into Whiteness. (I can't vouch for the comments.)
-There's this Elementary article has been linked a lot. It’s a nice overview of the series, with spoilers. There are two bits in it that I ( disagree with. )
-Andre Braugher's new show looks like Frank Pembleton's worst nightmare. :/
-HLOTS BUNNIES! So wrong and so cute. If I knew how to do this, I would have these photographed bunnies re-enact HLOTS scenes.
-Frank Pembleton, I ♥ you.
-What's the likelihood of John Cho getting fired from Star Trek with all the whitewashing he's calling out? “I’m not J.J. Abrams, who’s ultimately responsible. I’m just his Asian puppet. Which, by the way, is also the title of my autobiography.”
-Star Trek: Into Whiteness. (I can't vouch for the comments.)
It wasn’t perfect in the 60s when Ricardo Montalbán was cast to play Khan (a character explicitly described in the episode script of Space Seed as being Sikh, from the Northern regions of India). But considering all of the barriers to representation that Roddenberry faced from the television networks, having a brown-skinned man play a brown character was a hard-won victory. It’s disappointing and demoralizing that with the commercial power of Star Trek in his hands, JJ Abrams chose not to honour the original spirit of the show, or the symbolic heft of the Khan character, but to wield the whitewash brush for … what? The hopes that casting Benedict Cumberbatch would draw in a few more box office returns? It’s doubly disappointing when you consider that Abrams was a creator of the television show Lost, which had so many well-rounded and beloved characters of colour in it.
Add to this the secrecy prior to release around Cumberbatch’s role in the film, and what seems like a casting move that would typically be defended by cries of “best actor for the job, not racism” becomes something more cunning, more malicious. Yes, the obfuscation creates intrigue around and interest in the role, but it also prevents advocacy groups like Racebending.com from building campaigns to protest the whitewashing.
-There's this Elementary article has been linked a lot. It’s a nice overview of the series, with spoilers. There are two bits in it that I ( disagree with. )
TMI: Adventures in the front-end
May. 21st, 2013 06:31 pmtimStill working on #5681, external crate inference. I resolved one of the remaining problems, which was how to not try to download-and-build std in directives like extern mod std; (where std is obviously already installed). But now, much to my dismay, I'm seeing some strange rustc behavior:
This is only when compiling a file with a #[test] in it. What's weird is I haven't changed anything affecting how I interface with rustc. I'm not sure where the duplicate definitions of __test (the name that gets used for the automatically-created test module) are coming from, nor do I have any clear idea how to debug this.
Otherwise, today was bug triage and cleaning up warnings and stuff, in the moments when rustpkg was recompiling (of which there were many, since the compiler seems to have gotten quite a bit slower over the long weekend).
Better luck tomorrow, maybe...
<core-macros>:1:0: 1:0 error: duplicate definition of type `__test`
<core-macros>:1 pub mod macros {
^
<core-macros>:1:0: 1:0 note: first definition of type __test here:
<core-macros>:1 pub mod macros {
This is only when compiling a file with a #[test] in it. What's weird is I haven't changed anything affecting how I interface with rustc. I'm not sure where the duplicate definitions of __test (the name that gets used for the automatically-created test module) are coming from, nor do I have any clear idea how to debug this.
Otherwise, today was bug triage and cleaning up warnings and stuff, in the moments when rustpkg was recompiling (of which there were many, since the compiler seems to have gotten quite a bit slower over the long weekend).
Better luck tomorrow, maybe...
From Sotheby’s
May. 21st, 2013 09:32 pmhatam_soferet
Sotheby’s has gigantic Judaica auctions every so often, and they often put the items on public display right before the auction. If you time your visit right, it’s almost as good as a museum (except that unlike a museum, it’s only open for three days, and then it’s over). Last time I was there, I saw these tops for Torah rollers.
(You get how these work, yes? They go on top of things like broom handles, to which are attached the Torah.)
DEAR LITTLE CARVED LIONS WITH BOGGLY EYES! In little lion houses!Mirrored from hasoferet.com.
That was fun, not
May. 21st, 2013 08:09 pmoursinNot only was there the hanging around Heathrow for delayed flight, there was a longish flight, they'd either not got my special meal or given it to the person in my original seat, and getting through passport control was a nightmare of interminable queuing and always ending up in the slowest line. Only surpassed by the time I was picked for extra checking. Plus, what is it with the cabdrivers never having any idea about location of hotels near O'Hare?
Still, here I am, at last.
permit me light this candle
May. 21st, 2013 11:34 pmkaberettOccasionally I come across a poem that breaks my heart, or brings it to my mouth, or elsewise causes me to gasp at its beauty, at the ache of it, to cover my mouth with my hands without realising it in case my escaping breath betrays me.
There are a couple of people I already e-mail these poems to. If you would like to be on the list of people to whom I send occasional poems (BCCed, of course), let me know (and your preferred e-mail address) in comments (which are screened). And, of course, feel free to opt out at any time.
(The ones I e-mail round don't overlap much with the ones I post here, I think, slightly to my surprise; and I should flag up that you'll mostly be getting stuff that I want to draw to the attention of The First Two People; but you are nonetheless welcome. ♥)
This is the most recent one, via![[syndicated profile]](http://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png)
breathe_poetry_feed:
Cartography for Beginners
for CL
First of all, you will need to choose the correct blue
to indicate water. This should not be too watery.
You must remember: people do not like wet feet.
If there is no water to indicate, no matter,
you must still elect a blue. Let me recommend
eggshell, at a push azure. Choose a symbol
for church/temple/mosque/synagogue. Choose
a symbol for pub. Dedicate your life
to the twin and warring gods of Precision
and Wild Abandon. People do not like
to be lost. Buy Mandelbrot's 1967 paper
on the coastline paradox, put it on the highest shelf -
but buy a stepladder. Take a little licence with rivers,
especially their curves and estuaries. Add
an oxbow lake if at all possible. If the area you
are mapping has no sea/lakes/rivers/streams,
I have to question why you are bothering. You
won't get to use that lovely blue you spent so long
deciding upon. Do the Norfolk fens instead. Better
yet, East Anglia in its future state, quite utterly
submerged like a sodden Constable. Come on,
get your coat, I'll show you. You won't need your shoes.
--Emily Hasler
There are a couple of people I already e-mail these poems to. If you would like to be on the list of people to whom I send occasional poems (BCCed, of course), let me know (and your preferred e-mail address) in comments (which are screened). And, of course, feel free to opt out at any time.
(The ones I e-mail round don't overlap much with the ones I post here, I think, slightly to my surprise; and I should flag up that you'll mostly be getting stuff that I want to draw to the attention of The First Two People; but you are nonetheless welcome. ♥)
This is the most recent one, via
breathe_poetry_feed:Cartography for Beginners
for CL
First of all, you will need to choose the correct blue
to indicate water. This should not be too watery.
You must remember: people do not like wet feet.
If there is no water to indicate, no matter,
you must still elect a blue. Let me recommend
eggshell, at a push azure. Choose a symbol
for church/temple/mosque/synagogue. Choose
a symbol for pub. Dedicate your life
to the twin and warring gods of Precision
and Wild Abandon. People do not like
to be lost. Buy Mandelbrot's 1967 paper
on the coastline paradox, put it on the highest shelf -
but buy a stepladder. Take a little licence with rivers,
especially their curves and estuaries. Add
an oxbow lake if at all possible. If the area you
are mapping has no sea/lakes/rivers/streams,
I have to question why you are bothering. You
won't get to use that lovely blue you spent so long
deciding upon. Do the Norfolk fens instead. Better
yet, East Anglia in its future state, quite utterly
submerged like a sodden Constable. Come on,
get your coat, I'll show you. You won't need your shoes.
--Emily Hasler
The Llama Problem
May. 21st, 2013 04:49 pmysabetwordsmithHere is a brilliant essay about sexism in culture and literature, using the extended metaphor of llamas.
From time to time, I mention that I am different from most people, that my mind doesn't work the same way. And one of the more dramatic examples goes like this.
*movie with cannibalistic scaly llamas*
Me: "This is stupid. Llamas are fluffy."
Normal person: "No they aren't."
Me: "There is a fluffy llama. Look, llamas are fluffy."
Normal person: "WTF? Everyone knows llamas aren't fluffy!"
Me: "Also they hum."
Normal person: "How would you EVEN KNOW THAT?"
Me: "By knowing some damn llamas!"
Normal person: "ZOMGWTFBBQ! Shut up now!"
Me: *write fluffy llamas*
I'm social teflon. Everyone saying something that is observably false does not convince me that they are right. It convinces me that everyone else is crazy. And of course, they think I'm the crazy one, because when there's a disagreement of claims, I go looking for evidence and I favor factual examples over people's beliefs. This is really, really unpopular. It drives many people bugfuck.
On the other hoof, it's great for crowdfunding. You want some fluffy llamas? Bring 'em. I'll write something. I'm really good at filling cultural gaps that way. I enjoy it. I actively look for this stuff, because it leads to stories that haven't been told a million times. Fresh stories are often better stories; they hook readers more and harder. I like that a lot. I like it as a reader, a writer, a reviewer, an editor, a prompter, a donor ... everything. I just like it.
And yes, real llamas do hum. I learned this at the county fair one year when somebody brought llamas. Because I am a writer and everything is research it never really shuts off. I am a fountain of random weird trivia like that, and that's where I get the cool concrete details that I drop into my writing.
From time to time, I mention that I am different from most people, that my mind doesn't work the same way. And one of the more dramatic examples goes like this.
*movie with cannibalistic scaly llamas*
Me: "This is stupid. Llamas are fluffy."
Normal person: "No they aren't."
Me: "There is a fluffy llama. Look, llamas are fluffy."
Normal person: "WTF? Everyone knows llamas aren't fluffy!"
Me: "Also they hum."
Normal person: "How would you EVEN KNOW THAT?"
Me: "By knowing some damn llamas!"
Normal person: "ZOMGWTFBBQ! Shut up now!"
Me: *write fluffy llamas*
I'm social teflon. Everyone saying something that is observably false does not convince me that they are right. It convinces me that everyone else is crazy. And of course, they think I'm the crazy one, because when there's a disagreement of claims, I go looking for evidence and I favor factual examples over people's beliefs. This is really, really unpopular. It drives many people bugfuck.
On the other hoof, it's great for crowdfunding. You want some fluffy llamas? Bring 'em. I'll write something. I'm really good at filling cultural gaps that way. I enjoy it. I actively look for this stuff, because it leads to stories that haven't been told a million times. Fresh stories are often better stories; they hook readers more and harder. I like that a lot. I like it as a reader, a writer, a reviewer, an editor, a prompter, a donor ... everything. I just like it.
And yes, real llamas do hum. I learned this at the county fair one year when somebody brought llamas. Because I am a writer and everything is research it never really shuts off. I am a fountain of random weird trivia like that, and that's where I get the cool concrete details that I drop into my writing.
Springs and willowbrook
May. 21st, 2013 05:34 pmashoakandthorn| Things need not have happened to be true. Tales and adventures are the shadow truths that will endure when mere facts are dust and ashes and forgotten. - Neil Gaiman |
Possibly American Gods??
New Crowdfunding Project: "Rite of Passage"
May. 21st, 2013 04:26 pmysabetwordsmithMy friend Marina Bonomi tipped me to this steamfunk movie project, "Rite of Passage." They had my attention at Harriet Tubman + John Henry + steam fiction.
Steampunk: it's not just for white blokes anymore. I am so thrilled to see someone else working that angle.
Steampunk: it's not just for white blokes anymore. I am so thrilled to see someone else working that angle.
Read "The Museum of Mortality"
May. 21st, 2013 04:12 pmysabetwordsmithMy story "The Museum of Mortality" (Part 1 and Part 2) has been sponsored by Amelia Margetts. It is now visible to the public.
Brelig works in a museum while recovering from a sea monster fight.
Brelig works hard to regain his stamina for warsailor work.
This is a sequel to "Without Fail" so if you haven't already read that, I recommend starting there.
Warsailor Brelig meets License Master Alaaffi on a cruise ship.
Brelig works in a museum while recovering from a sea monster fight.
Brelig works hard to regain his stamina for warsailor work.
This is a sequel to "Without Fail" so if you haven't already read that, I recommend starting there.
Warsailor Brelig meets License Master Alaaffi on a cruise ship.
extra space!
May. 21st, 2013 02:02 pmbadgerbaghalloa! i will be flying out to WisCon tomorrow, with Moomin! So excited.
our 3rd roommate will not be getting in till friday morning, so if you need a space to crash on Wed. or Thurs night, or need a spot to rest up during the day, just ask!
Yay yay yay I am very excited. But I have to keep thinking about work for another couple hours here. I worked late last night figuring that today my head would be full of packing and plans and it is VERY DISTRACTING. :)
our 3rd roommate will not be getting in till friday morning, so if you need a space to crash on Wed. or Thurs night, or need a spot to rest up during the day, just ask!
Yay yay yay I am very excited. But I have to keep thinking about work for another couple hours here. I worked late last night figuring that today my head would be full of packing and plans and it is VERY DISTRACTING. :)
"Exciting changes": Dear Flickr, I don't think that word means what you think it means.
May. 21st, 2013 08:43 pmtajaselCynical brain: so that's how Yahoo are financing Tumblr - by screwing over photographers.
Rational brain: so before, I paid $25/year for unlimited space with no advertising. Now (because my pro account lapsed without sufficient warning) I get to pay double for less space, and as an added bonus, the pleasure of providing Yahoo with an advertising platform. Forgive me if I don't understand which bit I'm meant to be impressed by?
I guess the time has come for me to finally redevelop thisiskatie.co.uk as a portfolio website rather than a photoblog. (In the copious spare time I have between exam revision, doing a full-time work placement, helping to run a conference and getting enough sleep, of course.)
Rational brain: so before, I paid $25/year for unlimited space with no advertising. Now (because my pro account lapsed without sufficient warning) I get to pay double for less space, and as an added bonus, the pleasure of providing Yahoo with an advertising platform. Forgive me if I don't understand which bit I'm meant to be impressed by?
I guess the time has come for me to finally redevelop thisiskatie.co.uk as a portfolio website rather than a photoblog. (In the copious spare time I have between exam revision, doing a full-time work placement, helping to run a conference and getting enough sleep, of course.)
CFC Recent Projects of Interest?
May. 21st, 2013 02:41 pmysabetwordsmith posting in crowdfundingWhat cyberfunded creativity projects have you recently donated to or participated in as a fan? What have you viewed? What prompt calls have you sent inspiration? What made them special enough to attract your support?
What do you want that you haven't been seeing, or would like to see more of? Do you have ideas that you want to prompt, but aren't sure what creator would be a good match for them?
What do you want that you haven't been seeing, or would like to see more of? Do you have ideas that you want to prompt, but aren't sure what creator would be a good match for them?
Meeting up offline
May. 21st, 2013 02:35 pmtroisroyaumesThis weekend, I'll be attending Wiscon for the first time. My badge name will be Tari, and I'll try to scribble my Dreamwidth name on there so I should be recognizable. I already know several of you will be there, but if you haven't mentioned it on your journal but are attending, please let me know!
From June 1-2, I'll be in New York for my tenth high school reunion. (Technically flying in on May 31, but I'll be arriving too late to hang out with anyone on Friday night.) Due to various commitments, I think I'll only be actually free to meet up on Saturday between 2-8 PM, but I am planning on emailing everyone I know who'll be in New York to see if we can hang out briefly. Except I just want to make sure I don't leave anyone out...if you're in New York, and I didn't email you last time about meeting up, leave a comment!
Hoping to make more trips home to New York in the future, since it actually is feasible to fly home for a weekend and not miss any days of work, but still trying my best to make sure I see everyone in the time I have.
ETA: Made this post public since I think some Wiscon-goers in my circle are not on my access list.
From June 1-2, I'll be in New York for my tenth high school reunion. (Technically flying in on May 31, but I'll be arriving too late to hang out with anyone on Friday night.) Due to various commitments, I think I'll only be actually free to meet up on Saturday between 2-8 PM, but I am planning on emailing everyone I know who'll be in New York to see if we can hang out briefly. Except I just want to make sure I don't leave anyone out...if you're in New York, and I didn't email you last time about meeting up, leave a comment!
Hoping to make more trips home to New York in the future, since it actually is feasible to fly home for a weekend and not miss any days of work, but still trying my best to make sure I see everyone in the time I have.
ETA: Made this post public since I think some Wiscon-goers in my circle are not on my access list.
on writing and third-gender characters and pronouns
May. 21st, 2013 07:22 pmkazI was recced Ankaret Wells' Requite books and am currently enjoying them mightily. Geeky female engineer protagonist with a wonderful sciencey "but how does it work" bent! (I want to see the crossover fic in which she meets Peter Grant of the Rivers of London series. It would be epic.) Awesome world! Poly relationships as the norm! Awesome female characters! STUTTERING CHARACTER who avoids ye olde horrible stereotypes omg omg! Third-gender main character!
...and it's there where a gripe of mine rears its head. It doesn't affect my enjoyment of this book much, it's more of a thing where this is part of a recurring pattern. Namely:
Why is it that authors who write third-gender characters keep jumping straight to the pronoun "it"?
I mean. When you do this, you've basically got six options as far as pronouns go.
( in which I go into detail )
In short: "it" is one of the (if not *the*) least popular, most controversial, and most potentially offensive pronouns out there. If anything, I'd recommend using singular they as your default. I really really fail to see why it seems like every book I've seen involving third-gender characters opts to use "it".
...and it's there where a gripe of mine rears its head. It doesn't affect my enjoyment of this book much, it's more of a thing where this is part of a recurring pattern. Namely:
Why is it that authors who write third-gender characters keep jumping straight to the pronoun "it"?
I mean. When you do this, you've basically got six options as far as pronouns go.
( in which I go into detail )
In short: "it" is one of the (if not *the*) least popular, most controversial, and most potentially offensive pronouns out there. If anything, I'd recommend using singular they as your default. I really really fail to see why it seems like every book I've seen involving third-gender characters opts to use "it".