Strange Times: March ’20 Roundup

So… bit of an odd era to be living in, isn’t it?

I don’t have too much to report, really, save to assure everyone that I’m safe and well (albeit a bit frustrated… as someone living in a bushfire-affected area, I kind of find myself asking “hey, didn’t we just have a weird tense month where we had to stay inside all the time, constantly check the news, and exist in a weird limbo state of worry?”). I hope everyone reading this is doing the same, and doing what they can to take care of each other.

My household’s gone through some financial changes due the pandemic’s effects on the workforce, and while it’s not too serious right now, I figure it’s as good a time as any to throw up a link to my Ko-Fi page. If you enjoy what I do here, and you can toss me even a small coin, it means the world. I’m going to keep on writing about writing, and hopefully that brings at least a little bit of respite for someone in these weird times ~

On the blog:

A Little Bit Genghis Khan: The Enemies as Lovers Appeal of Killing Eve – in which Eve and Villanelle’s tangled up, sexual-tension-filled tale gives us the good old enemies-to-lovers in an original story, whereas this trope is most often found in fan spaces.

I Can’t Believe I Care This Much About Marvel Again (A Review of Loki: Where Mischief Lies) – in which the queer Loki novel is good, like really good, and I am so bamboozled that I write a whole post about it.

Webzone:

A brief rundown of the evolution of fanfic in the popular consciousness – where did it begin? How has the perception of it shifted over time and with the help of a few vocal authors? And why in the hell are there so many RPFs?

And finally, this bonkers exploration into an “advice” show, which aired on a channel so manly its promotional material is just a montage of bullets firing, motorcycles revving, and water dripping down cleavage. Is this a parody of itself? Were straight bros from the early 2000s okay? Kurtis Conner investigates (content warning for discussions of explosive misogyny, toilet humour, sexual humour, and rampant alcohol consumption). If I had to witness this madness, so do you.

Finding Asexuality in the Archives – an investigation dismissing the dismissive views to asexuality as “the internet orientation” by revealing the history of the identity and movement long before the ‘net even existed.

Escapist Young Adult Novels Offer a Breath of Fresh Air in the Current Political Climate – serious stories that dig deep into contemporary issues are important, but equally valuable are genre stories that provide a happy break from the “compassion fatigue” affecting young people in a turbulent world.

Nothing But Respect for Our New Anime Queen, Eizouken‘s Sayaka Kanamori – Kanamori good: an analysis.

Beyond Cinderella: Exploring Agency Through Domestic Fantasy – a look at lower-stakes fantasy that places its focus not on grand quests and physical power, but keeps its emphasis closer to home and celebrates different kinds of strength in the process.

Coronavirus is Keeping Friends Apart, but Games Like Animal Crossing and D&D are Bringing Them Back Together – in this hell world, at least we have increasingly creative methods of reaching one another online!

Plus, the latest AniFem watchalong is ToraDora! which has been very fun to listen along to.

I know I say this every time, but now it’s more important than ever: take care out there, and take care of each other. I’ll see you guys soon.