Book round-up: September 2020

 

I read a grand total of one book and one novella in September, because it turns out the price for writing about 90k of fanfic in one month, that is also in the six-week period before an election you have some small involvement in, is that you do not also have time to read things. That’s okay: I’ll take that sort of productivity when it comes. (I'll take the election results too!)

The Black God’s Drums (P Djèlí Clark)

Novella set in steampunk alternate-history New Orleans, about a young thief with a connection to a Nigerian goddess who stumbles upon a plot that threatens free Haiti. As always with this author the anti-colonial fantasy worldbuilding is the main attraction, but also I would happily read several novels of his worldbuilding so that’s fine by me.

Paladin’s Grace (T Kingfisher)

Romantic fantasy in Offbrand Dungeons and Dragons Land - the author also publishes/tweets as Ursula Vernon. Sweet romance, a big focus on people recovering from trauma and finding their agency, lots of great female characters, but I’m slightly put off by the complete absence of queer relationships, even in the most passing background mention (h/t to the one non-binary character). Like, that’s literally my only complaint, but...it’s 2020! NOT ONE walk-on queer couple? The fucking Ilona Andrews books did better than that. Feh. (I am reading another book by this author in October, so more on this anon).

Yuletide Letter 2020

Dear Yuletide Author,

First of all, thank you for taking the time to read this! Yuletide is one of my fannish highlights of the year and I’m really looking forward to whatever you write for me. If you’re interested in personalizing things a bit more, read on. If you find it easier to work with just the fandom/characters/DNWs, or have an idea that’s grabbed you already, don’t feel bound to any of the prompts here – they’re just intended as suggestions for people who like to use them.

Stuff I really like in fic includes: people being kind to each other, science (and SCIENCE!), mystery plots/casefic, found family, loyalty, women bonding and female friendship, queer communities, humour, happy endings, the exploration of worldbuilding and its implications (including via AUs), expansion on/use of minor canon details, and cracky premises/tropes treated with some seriousness.

Stuff I would really prefer not to see in exchange fic includes: dark interpretations of characters (or darker than canon, where relevant), brooding, angst, endings that feel hopeless, infidelity, noncon/dubcon, incest, child abuse (sexual and non-sexual), homophobia, transphobia, very explicit or detailed violence, torture, people being humiliated, embarrassment humour, and canon being changed or rewritten Just Because. That said, in general adult elements of all sorts (sex, violence, swearing, discussion of mortgage tax) are fine, especially if in line with the tone of the canon.

( Canon notes )