Inkwarriors – index

This is a fantasy novel about twin sisters Moria and Ashyn who have powers over the spirits of the dead. I enjoyed this; it was a good conclusion to the series and a fun read.

Critical Race Theory: An Introduction by Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic

This is a nonfiction book which is an introduction to critical race theory. It discusses how CRT arose, the main players, and what it is. I found this really interesting and quite accessibly written and would definitely recommend it to anyone who is interested in CRT specifically, or race-based critiques in general.

The Orphans of Raspay by Lois McMaster Bujold

This is a fantasy novella about a man named Penric, a priest who is possessed by a demon named Desdemona. I enjoyed this; it’s a fun read and I like the characters and the world.

© bardofupton 2020

Reading project, week ending 19 Jul 2020

Jul 19, 2020Jul 19, 2020 ~ bardofupton ~ Leave a comment

What have I read this week? Just one.

Betrayals (The Cainsville Series Book Four) by Kelley Armstrong

This is a fantasy novel about Olivia, Ricky and Gabriel, who are avatars of an ancient doomed romantic triangle. In this incarnation, Olivia must choose between the two men. I quite enjoyed this; it’s an easy read and the characters are quite compelling. I’d definitely read more in the series.

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Reading project, week ending 12 Jul 2020

Jul 17, 2020Jul 17, 2020 ~ bardofupton ~ Leave a comment

What have I read this week? Sorry, I forgot to post this, even though it was ready on time!

Brown Girl in the Ring by Nalo Hopkinson

This is a speculative fiction novel set in future Toronto, when the main part of the city has been abandoned by the authorities. I did enjoy it, although there are some elements that didn’t age well, but I found the world and the characters interesting.

Seed to Harvest by Octavia E. Butler

This is a collection of science fiction novels, about an offshoot of humanity who have a variety of psychic powers. The books in the collection are Wild Seed, Mind of My Mind, Clay’s Ark and Patternmaster. I enjoyed Wild Seed the most, and Clay’s Ark the least, but found problematic elements in all of them. The stories themselves are interesting, I just had some issues with some of the content.

Lilith’s Brood by Octavia E. Butler

This is a collection of science fiction novels, about the remnants of humanity who are sav d by an alien race. The books in the collection are Dawn, Adulthood Rites and Imago. I found the stories interesting, and they were an easy read, but like Seed to Harvest, I had some issues with the content.

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Reading project, week ending 5 Jul 2020

Jul 5, 2020Jul 5, 2020 ~ bardofupton ~ Leave a comment

What have I read this week? Just one, this time.

The Dream Lover by Elizabeth Berg

This is a historical novel about the writer George Sand. I found it interesting, in that I feel like I have a better idea what George Sand was like, but it didn’t really resonate with me emotionally.

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A poem

Jul 2, 2020Jun 21, 2020 ~ bardofupton ~ Leave a comment

This is a new one. It’s not serious at all.

farewell, scrubs!
i won't miss
the
    way
        things
            fall
                out of your pockets
but you were
very
comfortable

© bardofupton 2020

Reading project, week ending 28 Jun 2020

Jun 28, 2020Jun 28, 2020 ~ bardofupton ~ Leave a comment

What have I read this week? Just one, this time.

Stim: An Autistic Anthology edited by Lizzie Huxley-Jones

This is an anthology of short pieces written by autistic people. I enjoyed it; it was good to read stuff by other autistic people and a lot of it resonated on a personal level.

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More flowcharts

Jun 25, 2020Jun 8, 2020 ~ bardofupton ~ Leave a comment

A couple more of my exceedingly generic flowcharts. A down arrow above a diagonal line with A right pointing arrow with three boxes on it which say

© bardofupton 2020

Writing project, June 2020

Jun 22, 2020Jun 22, 2020 ~ bardofupton ~ 1 Comment

This month’s word is task, meaning “a definite piece of work assigned to, falling to, or expected of a person; duty”.

————–
I’ve been given a job, a little job, a simple task, really. But it’s mine, mine, mine. At last a chance to prove myself, to show off my skills. To “demonstrate my capability”, as my bosses always tell me just before they fire me.

“You never demonstrate your capability,” they say, and then they fire me.

But they never give me a chance! If they would just tell me what they wanted, but no, it’s all “be a self-starter, Phil”, “take some initiative, Phil”, “why can’t you just try harder, Phil?”. And my name’s not even Phil. It’s Theo. Not even close to Phil.

I mean, I did steal Phil’s name, ID badge, job, home and identity, but it still annoys me to be called by his name. I guess I should’ve stolen the identity of someone whose name I liked better. Something to consider next time, I guess.

Just so you know, I didn’t kill him. He died of natural causes. Maybe. I’m not a doctor, I couldn’t really tell you how he died, but the point is that I didn’t kill him. I just found his body, saw we looked similar, and decided this was my chance to escape from a few minor mistakes I’d made. Nothing too serious, just some fraud and embezzlement, but I mean, nobody got hurt, right? It’s just money, it’s not even real. It’s all just numbers in a computer. Right? Right. Victimless crime, as they say.

So back to my task. My little joblet, as I call it. It should be easy. I hope. I haven’t checked yet. I’m nervous, worried, not about actually doing the task, but about the opportunity it presents. The chance, finally, to impress the big bosses.

“We’ll be watching your progress with interest,” is what my boss said. I think that’s good. It must be, right? Yeah, definitely. They’re taking an interest in me. That’s got to be good. Finally I can get the recognition I deserve. Well, that Phil deserves. Maybe I’ll get a promotion. Maybe I’ll get my own office. I really hate these cubicles. Sometimes I dream about having a door I can close. Think of all the naps I could take on work time! All the porn I could watch, if I watched porn. All the online shopping I could do with the corporate credit card that would obviously come with my promotion. And I can almost taste the steak I’ll be ordering on my company expense account. Yep, this promotion is going to be awesome.

I pick up the envelope and take a deep breath. This is it, this is finally it. I open it slowly, carefully, enjoying the anticipation. I close my eyes and slide my fingers into the envelope, pulling the contents out and placing them on my desk. I open my eyes and look down.

There’s a cheque for £15,000 and a letter on company headed paper. Odd, I wasn’t expecting money. They probably need me to buy some equipment or something.

I pick up the letter.

“Dear Phil, we know you’re not really Phil. Please take this money in lieu of notice. Do not return to the office or contact us again. We won’t be able to give you a reference, and if questioned, will deny you ever worked here.”

I stare at it, stunned. How could it all go so wrong? And who told them I wasn’t Phil?

I slam my fists on the desk, causing heads to pop up all over the cube farm. I breathe in and out, slowly, forcing my rage down, put the cheque and letter in my trouser pocket, grab my jacket and force myself to saunter slowly out.

I was tired of this place anyway.

Reading project, week ending 21 Jun 2020

Jun 21, 2020Jun 21, 2020 ~ bardofupton ~ Leave a comment

What have I read this week? Quite a few; I guess I’m making up for the last few weeks of minimal reading.

The Need by Helen Phillips

This is a novel about a woman named Molly who is a paleobotanist who has found some anomalous artefacts at the site she is working at. I didn’t like this. I couldn’t relate to Molly’s character at all, and I didn’t find the plot very interesting.

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

This is a retelling of Norse myths. I enjoyed these, although I would have liked a bit more about the motivation for their actions, especially Loki. They’re detailed enough that I wanted more than “that’s just how they are” to explain why they did what they did.

Queer Africa: Selected Stories edited by Makhosazana Xaba and Karen Martin

This is an anthology of short stories by queer African authors. I enjoyed these; they were interesting and well-written.

The Collapsing Empire: Book 1 of The Interdependency Series by John Scalzi

This is a science fiction novel about a far-future society where humans travel through space via the Flow, but it has begun to collapse. I enjoyed this. The characters were interesting, as is the world, and it’s an easy read. I definitely want to read the rest of the series.

The Consuming Fire: Book 1 of The Interdependency Series by John Scalzi

This is the sequel to The Collapsing Empire, and I enjoyed it a great deal. It’s just as good as the first book, and carries on the story in an engaging way. I look forward to reading the third book.