Post AjmchMPTdbYo7bEG9I by kmmich@mas.to
(DIR) More posts by kmmich@mas.to
(DIR) Post #Ajmc5q4SuUgV6rVdT6 by futurebird@sauropods.win
2024-07-10T09:20:13Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
Lord of the Rings is a silly story about silly imaginary creatures but it has very deep and real emotional themes.I'm thinking about this as I work on "The Planet of the Ants" -- the story is something of a Wizard of OZ/Alice in Wonderland like tale, because it is about a young woman who goes to a fantastical world.But, there is nothing absurd about the very real struggles of the characters. Even if they are giant ant people.
(DIR) Post #AjmcGIGExJ8LR20Bmq by futurebird@sauropods.win
2024-07-10T09:22:06Z
0 likes, 1 repeats
A major question is why she accepts the mission at all. There is no faster than light travel in this universe. The ants are very far away. When she returns home (if she returns) everyone she ever knew will be gone. In fact, there is a running joke of how the US military wants her to spy on the ants to determine their military significance (They are, in fact, very militarily significant) but, since she will be gone for 830 years, will there even be a US military? Is it unpatriotic to ask?
(DIR) Post #AjmcLM0USJ6mV732pc by econads@mendeddrum.org
2024-07-10T09:22:58Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird Have you come across Adrian Tchaikovsky's Children of Time?
(DIR) Post #AjmcQXsTkQ1ilVmC36 by futurebird@sauropods.win
2024-07-10T09:23:58Z
0 likes, 1 repeats
But, what compels her to say yes to walking into an unknown future without hesitation? She doesn't think about the decision much at all until after she is there and starts to realize just how much it will impact her life. So in this way it's not like a "Wizard of OZ" story because while she misses home she can't ever really fully return. Not to the same place, not as the same person.
(DIR) Post #AjmchMPTdbYo7bEG9I by kmmich@mas.to
2024-07-10T09:26:55Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird Have you read Godfried Bomans' Eric in the land of insects? It's a Dutch language classic children's book about a boy visiting different insects... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erik_of_het_klein_insectenboek
(DIR) Post #AjmciyomK5DXX1psTA by futurebird@sauropods.win
2024-07-10T09:27:20Z
0 likes, 1 repeats
@econads Yes someone tells me about it every single day. I rather like it, but if I were to pick a similar story I might choose "The Lives of the Monster Dogs" (Kirsten Bakis) as the most similar in terms of tone and themes. I generally love Tchaikovsky... but I like Alastair Reynolds more.
(DIR) Post #Ajmct8NFeHX845nn1s by futurebird@sauropods.win
2024-07-10T09:29:08Z
0 likes, 1 repeats
@econads I've been trying to find a way to get people to stop telling me about Children of Time ... but a polite and friendly way since it's an excellent recommendation.I think people underestimate how popular of a book it is ... so it feels like it's this hidden gem. It's more of a gem that is right there and everyone can see it. LMAOBut also I deserve it since it's the most "anty" book... but not nearly anty enough IMO.
(DIR) Post #AjmcxWO2JPmLhIGG12 by futurebird@sauropods.win
2024-07-10T09:29:46Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@kmmich I have not heard of this one! I wonder if there is an English version...
(DIR) Post #AjmdB371wxh8xVl1UW by kmmich@mas.to
2024-07-10T09:32:19Z
0 likes, 1 repeats
@futurebird Apparently there is! https://archive.org/details/ericinlandofinse00bomaIt 's a lovely little book, very nice drawings as well in the original.
(DIR) Post #AjmdCadEoKuBCuYaNk by futurebird@sauropods.win
2024-07-10T09:32:23Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@econads Well it's more spider-y than anty, but he made the spiders an awful lot like ants.
(DIR) Post #AjmdSGz9cjyuuMHoUS by futurebird@sauropods.win
2024-07-10T09:35:27Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@kmmich OMG this is awesome. I'm going to have to get a copy. I collect illustrated children's books about ants, and I have quite a little library.
(DIR) Post #AjmdwhSnk8KBiSf7Xk by jfrench@cupoftea.social
2024-07-10T09:40:49Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird giant ant people are people too.
(DIR) Post #Ajme3mro3IAkV8jmy0 by kmmich@mas.to
2024-07-10T09:42:13Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird ooo... I 'd be interested to know what is in there! Sounds quite niche (in a lovely way - one needs to have some boundaries to build an interesting collection of anything).
(DIR) Post #AjmeDSRepnlW3n7NVg by futurebird@sauropods.win
2024-07-10T09:44:01Z
0 likes, 1 repeats
@kmmich I love the way the insect people are rendered in this illustration.
(DIR) Post #AjmeRGgpKyWHeinZzs by kmmich@mas.to
2024-07-10T09:46:29Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird Quite the personalities but still a lot of detail, right? Those ants clutching their eggs...
(DIR) Post #AjmelyI4wLeafn5wga by futurebird@sauropods.win
2024-07-10T09:50:14Z
0 likes, 1 repeats
@kmmich I have very strong opinions about what makes good "bug people" for such stories. And critical are that the bugs are still bugs. Which means they ought to have mandibles, and six legs, and use their senses in bug-like ways. Spiders should sense movement with the hairs on their body, ants should tap everything with their antennae. The magic is making the alien accessible, without making it no longer alien. Because who hasn't wondered what it would be like to be an ant? Or a millipede.
(DIR) Post #Ajmf94zsAjYQ8Ib8l6 by lienrag@mastodon.tedomum.net
2024-07-10T09:54:22Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird You've read Weber, right ?The follow-up is bad but the first book really succeeds in pretending that his characters have ants senses and feelings...@kmmich
(DIR) Post #AjmfEhjHaqeZhuWJqy by futurebird@sauropods.win
2024-07-10T09:55:24Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@lienrag @kmmich Les Fourmis!
(DIR) Post #AjmqIm5KRMR1rzyXh2 by econads@mendeddrum.org
2024-07-10T11:59:04Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird Sorry. It's just such an original book for me, I feel like it deserves all the credit it can get. I guess there aren't many books that anthropomorphise non mammals. That I know of, obviously you'd be way more knowledgeable than me.
(DIR) Post #AjmqWrJLo3NA8IFZFg by futurebird@sauropods.win
2024-07-10T12:01:57Z
0 likes, 1 repeats
@econads Not at all! He did a really great job weaving in little bits of biology. And I loved the whole thing with male spiders facing sexism ... which could have been very bad if not done right, but it was both funny and made some good points.
(DIR) Post #Ajms74R0agTXDJfA3M by futurebird@sauropods.win
2024-07-10T12:19:40Z
0 likes, 1 repeats
@econads Oh and it really is an amazing book, but people recommending it to me on here is like a running joke at this point. On the bright side, here are a bunch of cool people to follow since anyone who likes "Children of Time" is probably pretty awesome:https://mastodon.online/@michael_w_busch/112753930446227805https://a11y.info/@marjon/112705834370070057https://chaos.social/@isotopp/112392689822811610https://paquita.masto.host/@ehproque/112391488113291086https://bookstodon.com/@theplaguedoc/112390818432205544https://mastodon.social/@richard_merren/112273038662431343https://phpc.social/@phoopee3/112046570108187444And that's all since I made this post:https://sauropods.win/@futurebird/112042818253130669
(DIR) Post #AjmvS0xZ0NsUNdZK2y by futurebird@sauropods.win
2024-07-10T12:57:03Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@clew @econads I enjoyed it. Cherryh's books are really interesting and her characters have a lot of hang-ups about honor and loyalty that can be a little intense but she somehow sells it. It feels dated in some ways, she deals with these very... primitive power struggles. But I've never put one of her books down without reading to the end.
(DIR) Post #AjmvVc3dX4EqJ37oyO by bwebster@dice.camp
2024-07-10T12:57:44Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird @econads of all the Adrian Tchaikovsky books, I would have expected people to be recommending the Shadow of the Apt series to you first and foremost 😂 I’m reading the series currently and whenever the ant kinden come up I wonder what you think of their portrayal in the series
(DIR) Post #AjmvhXuglamAvad7lQ by futurebird@sauropods.win
2024-07-10T12:59:56Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@bwebster @econads With "Shadow of the Apt" I'm mostly just frustrated that we can't spend more time with the ants. Why is it always beetles and mantises? I want to know more about how they communicate... what their homes are like... everything.
(DIR) Post #AjmvkD0OxSNyx5ZW4m by futurebird@sauropods.win
2024-07-10T13:00:26Z
0 likes, 1 repeats
@bwebster @econads Any review I write of a book could end with "It could, however, have used more ants."
(DIR) Post #Ajn0kqLvALxakul8wC by ToddPM@hachyderm.io
2024-07-10T13:56:29Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird @kmmich "Or a millipede."Words cannot adequately express how much I would creep myself out.
(DIR) Post #Ajn13lRTeANf1pNdx2 by futurebird@sauropods.win
2024-07-10T13:59:57Z
0 likes, 1 repeats
@ToddPM @kmmich maybe that's why they curl up like that? what if every millipede has plethropediphobia? This is almost as tragic as the bookworm who is a librarian and suffers guilt due to his compulsion to eat the library he was charged to protect...
(DIR) Post #Ajn1JtlaSseJTmTp8C by ben@pgh.social
2024-07-10T14:02:50Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird @bwebster @econads The birth of a tag line.
(DIR) Post #Ajn1ehBMRqAQWzS6lM by Nicovel0@mastodon.social
2024-07-10T14:06:11Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird @bwebster @econads even Empire of the Ants? There’s a lot of ants in that one.
(DIR) Post #Ajn2i8wnm3iJSxqmSe by CuriousMagpie@mastodon.social
2024-07-10T14:16:47Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird after following your posts and stories, I find myself very aware of when authors include ants or other insect-type critters in their books. It’s rare but generally kind.
(DIR) Post #Ajn8sLAbmiVRzkYOoK by ToddPM@hachyderm.io
2024-07-10T15:27:30Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird"I LOVE books... in a nice white wine vinaigrette!"
(DIR) Post #AjnATHmHSbM88tM68u by rehana@mastodon.social
2024-07-10T15:45:18Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird @bwebster @econads Dogs of War has a character named Bees who is bees. You'll probably find it frustrating in the same way though. (You may have read it already, but I'm not assuming you have because he writes a LOT.)
(DIR) Post #AjnURwnhxsvnsRf7xo by futurebird@sauropods.win
2024-07-10T19:29:14Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@ireneista The Wiz makes a much bigger deal about how she changes than the OZ movie.
(DIR) Post #AjnpYFOVqStIJqirmC by toplesstopics@eldritch.cafe
2024-07-10T23:25:42Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebirdI think of fantasy and scifi the same as I do horror--the genre opens up the story to so many other possible side plots and character growth. Meanwhile "a romance" or "a crime drama" tend to have a formula they rarely deviate from.
(DIR) Post #AjnqEdWsVD5tKoqefo by Cher@eldritch.cafe
2024-07-10T23:33:19Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird I call this the Doom Patrol Principle. You can get as silly as you want as long as the themes speak to the human condition.
(DIR) Post #Ajnqkz3pz3nJNegmuW by toplesstopics@eldritch.cafe
2024-07-10T23:39:13Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebirdThis whole thread is making me want to watch more Ant Canada videos now, if you like Earth ants not just anthropomorphic ones, I recommend them 😂 they're more exciting than a lot of big budget action movies! https://youtube.com/@antscanada?si=OhtGv5USZrG-b9f-@bwebster @econads
(DIR) Post #AjnrzQZEc1jwhMpHHs by toplesstopics@eldritch.cafe
2024-07-10T23:34:41Z
0 likes, 1 repeats
@futurebirdNEVERMIND FOUND IT, the author is Robert Silverberg, I looked up "famous old scifi authors" and finally reading the name triggered the memory, I even remember the exact library branch I checked it out of... Brains are weird 😂 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine_Pontifex