( Spoilers be beneath this cut... )

Speaking of resolution, after being absurdly humid all day, all we got was some thunder and a brief shower of rain. Anti-climax much, weather?

Last exam DONE! Last for the semester, anyway. Possibly the last one for my undergrad degree, at least until I decide whether to graduate or take honours. (Optimistically assuming I pass, of course). But either way: YAYZORS. This last semester was really, really hard for whatever reason, and I'm very relieved it's over. And a little sad, but mostly relieved.

Now for the post-exam downer ('What? Free time? WHAT IS THIS?') and the wait for results. Hard to believe it's been nearly five years...

Thanks for the messages of condolence and support for Jess -- all were very much appreciated. I haven't been online as much as usual lately, between assessments for uni and trying to deal with various things, but with my final exam on Monday (and I should really do something about study for that, I guess) I'm hoping to get things straightened out.

( Oddments of life-related clutter )

Have been rewatching Hornblower lately. Wow, this show. The costuming and production values are incredible. And how awesome is Pellew? (I can really see why there's widespread slashing of certain characters in the fandom though -- even without fandom exposure, I was wondering whether Archie was supposed to be a bit inappropriately fond of Hornblower. Although, to be fair, pretty much everyone in the show is inappropriately fond of Hornblower, because he's that awesome.) Whether you're familiar with the show or not, this recap/guide is worth checking out, because it's made of pure win.

I'm currently reading the new Wheel of Time book, The Gathering Storm, written by Brandon Sanderson based on late author Robert Jordan's intentions for the series. ( Musings on WoT )

And, sadly, exam revision beckons. Though I think I might ignore it for the moment and get some sleep, as Javascript function programming is hard enough to look in the eye without bonus sleep deprivation.

*(... which is the punchline of a Ginger Meggs strip I read today that was so bizarrely appropriate it had to be quoted.)

Even though I'm not involved in SGA fandom on an active basis, it bothers me inordinately to see some of the things that were coming out of it in the last season and are coming out of it now. I have a strong knee-jerk negative reaction to any character bashing -- I don't like it and can't stand reading it, no matter how I feel about the character concerned, and it's hard for me to buy any argument that tries to sell it to me as a valid method of fan engagement. Nor can I really parse it as justified because it's an age-old technique from the romance genre; so is rape as a prelude to true love, among many other devices, and you're not going to convince me that's a valid and acceptable fic trope. (And, undeniably, there are authors who would try.)

Maybe I'm oversensitive, but I'm tired of people refusing to see the implications of how female characters are so readily bashed (as in, attacked with vitriol via portrayal in fan fiction and in discussions) and dismissed as Mary Sues. And that's when they're not being marginalised and killed off meaninglessly in the text itself. (Hi, Star Wars EU!) Obviously people have individual reasons for disliking a character and to do so is not necessarily misogynistic, but speaking in terms of a broad and disturbingly common trend, it's frustrating to see the same arguments being made again and again in different fandoms.

In entirely unrelated news, I am somewhat ashamed to admit I bought And Another Thing..., the new Hitchhiker's Guide book written by not!Douglas Adams. I've been torn all along, because clearly Adams' writing is distinctive and his comedic voice is irreplaceable, but on the other hand that ending in Mostly Harmless always felt strangely incomplete, despite its, well, finality. I do think it might have been smarter to treat this as an offshoot rather than a continuation of the series, though.

The level of ignorance stirred up by that blackface skit -- (I don't know how much coverage there has been overseas, but I hear it's picking up?) -- is cringeingly embarrassing. Fellow Australians: there's a history to blackface, and it's ugly and demeaning and not funny at all. Look it up.

One day Australia will stop being the weird cousin of the English-speaking world. I live in hope.

(I really shouldn't read comments on internet news articles, should I? I definitely shouldn't be reading comments on YouTube.)

Vague reaction-type things below, not really very comprehensive but definitely spoilery:

( 500 Days of Summer )

( Surrogates )

And also, saw trailers for the Michael Jackson movie, which... kind of squicks me in an odd way, because hello, morbid? The hype around Dark Knight kind of squicked me for the same reason. "He's dead, you know" seems like such a creepy marketing tool. And yet it's effective. PEOPLE ARE STRANGE. I am unqualified to judge these things.

Another trailer showing was that of New Moon, in which Bella curls into a foetal ball because Edward is gooooone, and Jacob is suddenly very buff and furry. And I realised that the amount I know about these characters despite having never come within three feet of any of the books occasionally worries me.

Somehow managed to actually complete and submit the two assignments I had due today despite a week of work being ridiculously demanding. Still not entirely sure how it was accomplished, but lack of sleep was involved. I have a suspicion that I didn't cover enough sources in my literature review, although my lecturer is lucky to get coherent sentences, really. (Which, erm, is not a given. I'm trying to avoid rereading now that it's submitted, but I have a feeling there were some tortured arguments in there).

Just watched George Gently, because I love Beebs and its historical cop shows. The only problem is that now I want fanfic about Bacchus trying to impress Gently and Gently pretending he doesn't care about Bacchus screwing up his personal life and Gently's Tragically Dead Wife and Bacchus's Unfortunate Home Life and... there isn't any, because BBC historical cop show. Sigh.

And also, is there a show on television that's more skeevy than Two and a Half Men? I usually try to avoid it, but a certain channel plays it almost 24/7 and I keep coming across LOL WOMEN R SO DUMB when I'm changing channels. Low-denominator sitcom, I know, but it doesn't even try to pretend it's not hugely derogatory. And Charlie Sheen's manwhoring just makes me want to shower.

That would seem to fulfill my randomness quota for the day, I think, so I'm going to catch up on sleep.

If you're going to have music blaring so loudly from your party that the whole street can hear it, is ABBA's greatest hits collection really your best option?

*facepalms at neighbours*

Title: Readjustment
Author: deaka
Rating: Safe for kids
Characters: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Adi Gallia, Yoda
Timeframe: Roughly around the Clone Wars
Warnings: None

Disclaimer: All hail Lucas; I'm just playing in his GFFA

Summary: War changes everything

A/N: The Clone Wars is not an era I'm highly familiar with, so if there are inaccuracies – and there probably will be, because wow, is that a complicated time in Star Wars history – I can only apologise profusely. I did attempt research, but Wookieepedia is sometimes more unhelpful than otherwise.

Crossposted at TheForce.Net and swfanfic

( Readjustment )

Been meaning to post a review of this for a while but have recently read A Slight Trick of the Mind, by Mitch Cullen. It takes on the premise of Sherlock Holmes and who he was, both in the Doyle canon and as a literary figure, through an exploration of the life of a much older Holmes eking out his retirement in the wake of WWII on a rural farm in Sussex.
( A Slight Trick of the Mind, or Bees Don't Kill, But Wasps Just Might )

I can't quite figure out why the publishers felt the need to put 'A Novel' on the cover and spine of my paperback copy of the book, though. It always annoys me. Is it for that extra edge of gravitas, or is there a strange inability in the ranks of the reading public to distinguish between the fiction and nonfiction areas of libraries and bookshops that I don't know about?

Have also got my hands on Abyss. I haven't actually read Omen yet, so have only skimmed the Luke and Ben bits. A few quick things:
( Luke and Ben vs. Meditation Zombies )

Have just finished The Thief, The Queen of Attolia and The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner, and am currently in an inarticulate state of utter adoration for the series. I'd seen it recommended in a few places over the years and finally ordered The Thief from Amazon a few weeks ago. It was good, but not great -- interesting fantasy world (based on ancient Greece, with some retooling of religion and geography), characters that teased their way into roundedness, a fairly standard quest plot with a twist that was well executed but ultimately fairly predictable. I couldn't see exactly what all the fuss was about, but it was decent enough that I ordered the second and third books. And within about two chapters of the second book I was thoroughly hooked. By KoA I'd completely lost the ability to put the book down except to eat and sleep, and that wasn't even a certainty.

And, you know, the worst part is that I can't even explain why I liked it so much without giving spoilers, which would undermine the careful reveal. The central relationship, though, is one of the most striking I've come across in a while, difficult and complex and surprisingly touching, and it's handled with a great deal of delicacy. And did I mention I completely loved the characters? Including female characters who are allowed to be complicated and powerful and intricate? (I will admit having minor issues with one element of the last book re: gender issues, but I think it's acknowledged in the book as a product of the worldbuilding and society and I'm therefore kind of undecided on whether it bothers me on a meta level).

But anyway, the series was a great read, and I don't think it will be too long before I'll be rereading. Apparently there's a fourth book coming out next year, which promises further goodness, although I hate having to wait between books in a series. Possibly fanfic has spoiled me for life in that regard. :p

All my decent fic ideas lately seem to be set around LotF, which has lead me to give in and go back to the beginning (which, for LotF, I'm counting as the Dark Nest series) to try to get some concepts straight. Which in turn leads me to the overwhelming need to unburden myself as to some of the more problematic areas in the themes the DN/LotF arc raises. Because I am a merciful soul, I will place said unburdening under a cut to spare the eyes of the unwary. :p

( So, The Joiner King... )

And I kind of love the irony in Karen Traviss deciding to end her involvement with Star Wars because of canon retcons. Considering that everything of hers that I've read has involved considerable retconning to not only events but to characterisation, philosophy and the underlying ideology of the entire fictional universe, I can't say I'm sorry to see her leave. Taken in isolation, her writing itself wasn't terrible, but she was so profoundly unsuited it wasn't funny. (Unless, of course, you believe Mandos truly belong at the centre of moral uprightness in the Star Wars universe, in which case I will leave you to your mourning).

Must catch up with some vigs that need to be cross-posted here, but for now I think I'll get some sleep or else I'll resemble the living dead in the morning...

I really dislike having the misfortune of clicking into a fanfic whose sole purpose is to 'teach X a lesson', X usually being the half of a scorned OTP who ended up with someone else, and who must be punished for this transgression. They're invariably OOC for both parties, and generally are in some form misogynistic -- and, people, if a person nurses a secret love interest but never lets the other party know or makes any move to signal their interest, it's really not the other party's fault the relationship never happened. *facepalm*

And don't even get me started on the comments that follow such fics. Character humiliation and belittlement is best done in a group setting, apparently.

I guess I kind of fail at the whole concept of character bashing and some of the crazy that surrounds OTPs, because this just makes me very annoyed. But then so does the flip side, where a successful OTP must be shown as better than any other relationship either person has had ever by putting previous romantic interests in their place and proving them unworthy.

Fandom: I must be doing it wrong. o.O

I have completely failed at replying to anything lately, but if it's any consolation I offer fic: Remembrance, a Lando & Mara fic that is a little Lando/Mara, posted here at marafics and here at TFN, and maybe FFN at some point when I can be bothered wrestling with document uploading. Turned out more ponderous than I expected, but the EU's treatment of Lando has really been bothering me lately. And also, I have a soft spot for Lando'n'Mara, because their friendship-bonding-ambiguous relationship never really got a fair go in the EU. And also, it means I can use one of fialleril's awesome Lando (with complementary cape!) icons.

In other news, I have little news. Narrowly avoided disaster at work because someone thought it would be amusing to stick pieces of wood with nails attached behind my tyres (!!) so maybe I should reconsider using the public car park. Currently reading The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume 1, which is excellent so far. For some reason I had thought it was fantasy, although I have no idea where I got that impression, so it took some mental adjustment when I realised that this was actually 18th-century Boston.

Oh, wow. Googling 'male body language flirting' for detailed info for a fic certainly turns up some horrifying unexpected results. This site just about takes the cake, I think. I particularly like "In most cases the women may only very briefly make eye contact, then disconnect by looking off to the RIGHT or LEFT. They may even shift in their chair so their body is facing more away from you. That indicates 'no interest' right now. Don't take their disinterest personally. They may not need a man, so forget them." OR MAYBE THEY'RE FREAKED OUT BY YOUR OTT EYE CONTACT AND WEIRD FORTRESS OF POSSESSIONS, I DON'T KNOW.

I want to feel sorry for any guy who would take this advice seriously, but I don't know that someone who thinks "Look with pleasure! They love it!" is valid advice really deserves pity. *facepalm*

If there's one thing that guaranteed to make me squirm, it's infantisation of adult characters in fic. Luke and Han friendship fics feature this all too often. If I read one more where Luke cries, whimpers, tells Han he's scared, or otherwise behaves with OOC levels of childlike neediness, I will... probably cringe and hit the back button. (Fear my clicking!) It pops up in 'ship fic, too, and in fact I have a sneaking suspicion it's an old romance trope refitted to new purposes. I know people like their comfort!fic, and I've got to admit I've read and liked a few in my time, but it has to be done in a way that handles the characters with a modicum of dignity. I mean, really, can anyone seriously see Han hanging around to devotedly mop Luke's angst-ridden tears? The mind boggles.

Work today was made more pungent than usual by a dead possum in the ceiling, which was after much consultation eventually located and removed. And there was much rejoicing, because -- pungent. And none of my stories lately seem to want to end properly, which is a touch frustrating.

Flicked through Omen. Mentions of Mara are a good thing, though Golden seems to have an unfortunate tendency to refer to characters' hair and eye colour quite frequently and gratuitously, as in 'Luke quirked a blond eyebrow, blah Ben auburn hair'. That usually sets off alarm bells, but I'll give her the benefit of doubt a little longer. Her Voyager work is mostly a haze, but I didn't dislike it, and at least she didn't kill off any major characters (looking at you, subsequent Voyager writers). I'm also re-reading Invincible for fic-related purposes, apparently because I like inflicting such things on myself. *facepalm* Jaina's POV is much better there than in Revelation, but there's still some oddness in how she views her parents and in Denning's inevitable strange quirks. (Ack, the next FOTJ book is Denning, isn't it?) I'd like to see some of the issues that book raises (Ben's torture and amazingly speedy recovery, Luke's use of power and his parallels with Jacen) properly explored in canon, but whether they will be is anyone's guess.

Dorothy L. Sayers just can't be surpassed for quotes like this: "...if you will kindly step aside with me into this convenient field, it will give me great pleasure to strangle you scientifically in several positions".

Peter/Harriet -- theirloveissotrue. :p

So, O wise flist, Trek fanfic. Does anyone have any recs for reboot-fic? Probably gen at the moment, though I wouldn't mind decently written het. I don't think I'm quite prepared for Kirk/everyone under this and every other sun just yet. :p

And while we're at it, does anyone have any older Trek recs? Quality fanfic for Trek seems to be quite difficult to get hold of, or perhaps I just don't know where to look. I imagine that, being an older fandom, it's spread around the interwebs to a greater extent than some of the newer fandoms. I know TNG, VOY and ENT well, TOS relatively well, and DS9 not at all.

In other news, I got FOTJ: Omen and the first two Rebel Force books today. On flick-through, Luke, Leia and Han seem to be better characterised in the RF books than in recent EU, so I'm curious about what the books will be like. I think the last YA Star Wars book I bought was Zorba the Hutt's Revenge, so surely things can only go up. :p

I'm so relieved the semester is over, because I thought the final exam would kill me. Four months of foundation psych doesn't easily compress into a week of study. This would teach me to pace my study properly.... except I resolve to do that at the start of ever semester and it lasts about two weeks.

I did find a few interesting notes, fandom-wise, in the process of study: "Separation from a parent in childhood makes people more likely to develop PTSD after exposure to a traumatic event in adulthood" -- which covers, well, just about all the main characters in the GFFA. But it did make me think in particular of Anakin and of the Solo kids. (Hi, Jacen!) Also there was some interesting stuff there about how a parent's attachment styles from their own childhood can affect their child's attachment, which sparked some ideas for a Mara and Ben vig, something I've been wanting to write for a while.

.... obviously a productive study session. :p

Just finished re-reading Catherine Jinks' Pagan's Crusade et al series, my sanity-preserver over study and exam period. Have also finished Mike Ripley's latest, Angel Unaware, the new Dalziel & Pascoe novel, Midnight Fugue (which I continually want to misread as 'fudge' *facepalm*), and Dorothy L. Sayer's Unnatural Death. Angel and Dalziel & Pascoe felt a bit flat, though that could just be exam burn-out, but Peter Wimsey is as charming as ever with his rambling monologues and not-entirely-healed war trauma.

Off to catch up on... just about everything.