In which I blog everywhere else, but here

Busy week. University started and I'm getting in a rhythm with what I can accomplish in which of the time slots, while at the same time dealing with end of the month and the beginning of the other family dynamics. So that's that. On to the links.

First, I was fortunate enough to have submitted 500 words to Juliette Wade's Wednesday Worldbuilding Workshop, who breaks down the text to its smallest particles and examines setting, magic and the interaction between the people. The result is a deep analysis that certainly shed light on the story I excerpted from. I do suggest that you submit and see for yourselves. Here is what she said about "Crimson Cacophony":

First, I'd like to thank Harry for submitting this piece. I found it dramatic and interesting. I think that the blending of the worlds, i.e. modern/gritty real world and fantasy magic system, is well done. The two seem not to struggle against one another; I can accept that a night-based magic system exists in this world.

Next, I continue with my ramblings on Jules Verne, though this time I cover the characterization in "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" and "The Mysterious Island" with commentary on the Victorian morality. The post is hosted at Beyond Victoriana and would like to hear some input on it. So far it has one tiny comment. Here is an excerpt from my piece:

Did Verne create “steampunk” characters in his novels? Though I cannot define Verne as being a steampunk writer, I can say that Verne’s works, while written in a cut and dry cataloguing style, nonetheless emphasizes moral and social qualities as much as it does scientific ones. Given these circumstances, I will consider what are considered important values that a person should have according to the characters in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea 1 and The Mysterious Island. 2 Moreover, by investigating the value systems these characters hold, we can compare how they hold up to the characters in today’s modern steampunk books.

I also happened to review Pan's Labyrinth for the Monster Awareness Month, in which I raise the point that monsters take on a positive role, in order to contrast with the monstrosity of the humans during the post-Civil War clashes in Spain:

Celebrating the monsters in cinema can’t be complete without mentioning the monsters in our mythology. Pan’s Labyrinth is the perfect example of how the monstrous in our folklore can be assimilated in the cinematic format, creating a modern, dark fairy tale for adults. Unlike a lot of the entries in the Monster Awareness Month, Pan’s Labyrinth is far from being a horror, while at the same time it displays a horrifying reality that has nothing to do with cheap scares.

Last, but not least in importance is my contribution to the Pornokitsch team with a long review of Kaaron Warren's collection "Dead Sea Fruit." Needless to say I loved it, because this is Kaaron Warren that we are talking about. She's inspiring. Here is a snippet:

Kaaron Warren makes the reader feel. Her stories are emotionally tactile and its through these sensatory assaults that I had to stop and process my response as well as think about what I’d just read. In Dead Sea Fruit as a whole, Kaaron Warren deconstructs blood ties, love and friendship and shines light on what happens when they mutate, when goodness dies and the human spark flickers out. Her stories follow the death of the soul, while the body’s still living, and the life of the soul after its body’s death. Her endings are usually the end for the lone, unfortunate people who populate her tales.