the archives
dusted off in read-only
dusted off in read-only
Did you ever read theWraeththu series of Storm Constantine, on a series of beautiful, terrific androgynes evolved from humanity? they rock! view post
What exactly ARE they?Ghouls? Vampires? What else? view post
I tend to prefer originality in fantasy, I'm not interested in Tolkien's clones and conventional fantasy. My favourite fantasy series are: Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser stories of Fritz Leiber The Mists of Avalon of Marion Zimmer Bradley Elric Saga by Michael Moorcock Otherland by Tad Williams Nightrunner series of Lynn Fflewellyng Sarantium of guy Gavriel Kay Wraeththu by Storm Constantine The Prince of Nothing of R.S.Bakker I like learned, profound, young adult fantasy. I've read China Mieville, good but I couldn't suffer his complacency on grisly scenes. view post
Your writing is magnificent,Scott, your story very intriguing! Which works of literature inspired you? view post
Positively hated "PERDIDO STREET STATION" by China Mieville. Complacency in the sickly horrid, patent absurdities, and the book ends denying the very reasons eventa started in the first place- and what events! A nightmarish plague unleashed to have the unwitting unleasher say on secondd thought, better not. And the fate of poor insect-girl! Argggh! view post
Answer the poll! view post
you encounter a non-man with your face, and it says "Papaltine has ordered all schools to be slain"! And you say, you're in the wrong saga, here the dark comes before you view post
I think that's only just to recognize gay couples some rights inherent to their union- the possibility to inherit, right to home, right to visit loved ones in hospital (sometimes cruelly denied!) Yes,you need not use the word "marriage", but come to think of it, what happened to O.J. Simpso's perfectly "straight" marriage, or to others?. I maintain no love should be discriminated against. Jesus love us all, gay and hetero.. view post
I've been just reading the exchanges between that wet blanket of an Emperor Xerius and his mother. Some Emperor and some Queen Mother! Hasn't Xerius any wife? This Mighty Sparrow-shooting Emperor looks far more a fool than the representative of Conrya he's been receiving. How could such a laughable wimpy wet weed have become Emperor at all? No wonder his Empire is on a downfall! view post
I was denied love all my loves have been unilateral Marco, Cristina, Lele, Lorena, Stefano, Carmen,David Oh, I have friends, a loving family, but *that* kind of love Never knew it. Why should I care? Of love victimized, blamed, calld unjustly a sin why should I care? NO! I DO CARE! I say, Benedict XVI, the Pope named by an eggs breakfast (how ironical) that you have no right, no right whatsoever, to condemn same-sex love! Jesus blesses all love, gay and hetero, all loving is sacred to Him! Pardon him, sweet Jesus. "Benedict", you hypocryte, how you dare speak of "false"liberty! Love knows no bounds, it's like the spirit that blows where it wants. Jesus Blesses all love. Amen view post
I think the worst blasphemy is that of all of those who claim they're justified in discriminating, persecuting. killing and waging war because "God" has sanctioned or authorized those acts. So Bin Laden thinks Allah blesses him in organizing the killing of thousands of innocents. The satanists sects member thinks the pityless killing of a trusting friend is a sacrifice to his demonic deity, and thus is justified. Torquemada thought that torturing and burning heretics was an homage to God. And what's Holy War, or ,to arabs "Jihad"? It's the sanction of countless murders and destructions, allegedly provided by God. But Holy War is an oxymoron. No war could ever be holy. Jesus, our Loving Sweet Saviour, bade us love each other. He wants mercy, not sacrifice. Those who claim God approves or foster hatred and killing are nothing but blasphmers. view post
Surely Gods exist.. Man has created them. Scores of them. I think Jesus was truly God, but other think otherwise. He is certainly a more merciful God than many. view post
Thas was the oldTestament. Jesus abrogated that. And in any case, it was not God, only men pretending to convey the willof God. view post
Do you believe there are occult sects of conspirators that, like the Consult, move world events? view post
Wicch character is your favourite? view post
What do you mean by "best?" Best characterized? Most interesting? More sympathetic? The more moral? The one you identify with? I really like drusas achamian, so humane, sensitive and haunted. He's the most likeable, and I was moved by his unfortunate loves. I identify much with him, no less because he has some sense of humour, unlike that fanatic Nersei Proyas. view post
Other than "The Prince of Nothing" what series do you prefer among thpse? view post
I voted for Mandate because I'm fond of Achamian. view post
I think Achamian's quite interesting. He's member of a sorcerous sect who's targeting one enemy most inhabitants of his world think nonexistant, hence thought a quixotic fool, every night he dreams of an Apocalypse two thousands years old, reliving its most heart-wrenching moments, and still is keeping his sanity. He suffers gladly fanatics like Kersey Proyas, investigates the enigmatic Anasurimbor, he's seen one of his loved ones die and another renege him... and yet he doesn't lose his equanimity.A man like this is most interesying, IMHO! view post
Choice much more larger, here.... view post
Well, I think of myself a bisexual androgyne, not simply "homosexual", but I'll report an interesting theory. Homosexuality may be a byproduct of sexual behaviour evolution that favoured a more solicitous, civil and gentle behavior in heterosexual men. Women of the Cromagnon Era selected men more wont to bring them flowers, protect them, care for children, rather than to club them and rape them on the spot. This selection prompted the emergence of a genetic map that, in some, statistically irrelevant cases, prompted men that loved men. Being that percentage only 3% or so, it didn't outweigh the advantage to have heterosexual men more dedicated to protecting their offspring. So homosexuality survived...because women preferred, obviously, Robert Redford to Terminator. IIt may be, don't you think? view post
Certainly psychology plays an important part in sexual orientation, but not in the Simplistic Freudian way: "you've had a traumatic childhood experience of sexual nature, obviously" "But Doctor, I've had nothing of the sort!" "See? You've removed it!" Circular reasoning aside, I think the predisposition to a certain sexual orientation is innate, due also to hormonal stimuli happening in the womb. I certainly don't think there's such thing as a "gay gene". But I think there can be a genetic configuration of different genes that enhance the possibility of a certain orientation, a configuration evolved by sexual selection. Then Psychology would play a most important part along with experience and environment in realizing or neutralizing that predisposition. view post
Afterlife thoughts view post
Mind,soul...call it what you like. SOMETHING survives... view post
I got the impression we're seeing very little action,there. Akka broods, Esmi whines, Kelhus ruminates, but where are the battles? view post
In an alternate reality, something has happened to humanity. Nuclear war,pollution, degradation...and amid the waste a new mysterious terrific mutation:the Wraeththu. Pell has heard terrible things about them, but he doubts they'll come to his farm to take him away. Then, the unknown arrives, a traveler:"I am Cal", he says. So begins one of the most original, intriguing and fascinating fantasy series of all-times. Humanity evolves in the Wraeththu race, hermaphroditic beings of intriguing beauty, some cruel and savage, some enlightened and righteous. Storm Constantine unravel magnificently the history and the personalities of the main charachters (Pell the innocent whose inception has been pre-ordained by higher powers, Cal the har whit a past,fascinating trickster whit which everyone falls in love, Cobweb the strange intriguing sorcerous beauty married to the tyrant Terzian,Swift their ambiguous son) while describing the evolution of Wraeththu society from caos to civilization. Uncannily magic, the story revolves essentially around the love of Calanthe and Pell, separated dramatically to fulfill the plans of the shamanic Thiede.Cal shall return to Pell, after an initiatic voyage that will bring him in contact whit many Wraeththu tribes whose bizarre and diverse costumes and cities Storm describes whit the skill of a Jack Vance.Fantastic that his story is, there is in some moments an uncannily resemblance to recent history. The Hegemony of Immanion debating whether the righteous Gelaming should attack the cruel Varrs will ring some bell... In conclusion, this is one of the best literary achievement of the fantastic genre. It is at the same level of Asimov's Foundation (and the skirmish between Pellaz and Ashmael and the political debates have some Asimovian flavor), Tolkien's Lord of The Ring (the evil Ponclast's city Fulminir recalls vaguely Mordor, The Gelaming recall the High Elves) and Clive Barker's Imajica (where there is an androgyne tribe, the Eurhetemec, and their mystif Pie oh-Pah seems a Nahir-Nuri Wraeththu) Read it, it's worth it! view post
Well, I've read the two Wraeththu trilogies and enjoyed them immensely, so did many others. Certainly, Stoprm Constantine 's name is not very known but deserves to be. Her fantasy is unique, very far from grim bloody behemots like those of Jordan. And It's psychologically very profound. Read the review I've posted in Reviews. view post