Potholes In The Road: PrinceLess (Review)

The Info: Princeless is a graphic mini series (1st 4 issues arc to conclude by end of 2011). It is written by Jeremy Whitley, art and colours by M.Goodwin, published by Action Lab Entertainment in conjunction with Firetower Studios, Whitley's own independent small press.

It's about a female teen protagonist of colour and her adventures in a world where princesses get locked up in towers, guarded by dragons - a situation she is not at all happy about. She's out to save herself and her sisters. Thus, one guesses the name. PRINCE LESS.

Preview copies will likely be available for San Diego Comic Com (So late July). The book is aimed for distribution through DIAMOND, for pickup at local comicbook shops as well as conventions.

Note: I'm going to say right now, I don't think this review is going to be what the creators might have hoped it would be. Though I am still thrilled at receiving an e-copy to review.


As I Read It: My initial thought, at seeing the first page is - What?- Isn't this supposed to be about a PoC Princess? Then I read. Then I got to the second page, and felt an immediate bond. And then with each panel, I began to fall seriously in love. It was, a bit, like looking into the past and seeing a very obstinate, practical little me (or some of the people I proudly call friends) objecting to the familiar princess story.

And then I hit the word Moron and was troubled. 'Lower than normal princely intelligence' indeed. Smack of ablism right there. What if the Prince had been sweet and true and someone with a mental/cognitive disability? I'd have rather seen 'Foolish' used in it's place. Since what was implied was lack of sense and or self preservation and words have power and history, which the protagonist goes on to mention.

Wait, where did that Prince go? Did he get called mentally deficient, slurred against, AND get eaten? That's really disturbing me more than any speechifying about how FAIR (as relates to maidens and princesses) has meant WHITE of PALE SKIN and BLONDE HAIR, while using the word Moron. I'm not big on Oppression Olympics in my reading fare.

But I am further cheered at the realistic ick moment of putting on the belongings of dead - squishly eaten people. With the armor looking bitten and body fluid spattered. I'm not sure the intended age group for the comic; but the added reality, just applied as a practicality in the art, is a good touch.

Also? The toppled trope of bare-back riding made me smile.

Not making me smile? The appearance of the King. I understand the protagonist must think her father (and all men who set up this system of princesses in towers) ruthless - especially as they care nothing for dragons, like the one she's befriended, or the princes that get set up to conquer or get eaten. She's right in thinking it's a choosing system for a particular type of male as 'son-in-law'. It's not mentioned, therefore I'm hoping it's more implied later that Princesses do not inherit their kingdoms and this whole princess-tower-dragon deal is a way for their Fathers to find and choose an heir.

That said? Not everyone holding up a sexist system is a misogynistic asshole. And there are historic fear-mongering echoes in showing a large, brutishly drawn dark brown skinned man, both being an ASS and having his foot on the back of a terrified, subservient white man. Does Black & Deemed Ruthless have to look like a THUG? Like the reason white women clutch their handbags and pearls and cross the street - the buy in to the hype of 'The suspect is a black male, around 6feet in height....'.

And the use of the word 'Boy' by said thuggishly drawn black man in power.... Echoes I say, pushing the wrong damn buttons.

Really. Why is it white men can be smart, ruthless, or just perhaps callous, while also intelligent - be of all shapes and sizes, be ruthless in many different ways. But a black man, a deeply brown skinned man - to show him as 'powerful' only happens one way?

And ahh, there it is, the in universe note that he's searching for his own heir. Right next to the Queen being... 'Do you have to be such a brute, dear'? Given the system, it's HER kingdom he's ruling. She's the reason he has a kingdom at all. And she appears inches from implied domestic violence in how much freedom she has to live her own life.

AND, for extra measure; there's a black ruler, leader, obviously head of household scorning at implied gender performance transgression; Homophobia and transphobia in a nice little knot, out of the mouth of the unenlightened black man. He has 7 beautiful daughters, one we've seen as brilliant and there's a moment when he says he chose an easy dragon to protect her, that I thought maybe he's only going through the motions so she can rule through her husband. But a re-read of the line, makes it seem more like he's written her off and wants RID of her as soon as possible.

And now we swing back from my disgust to an odd conglomeration of gender conforming or prince conforming in this case; Princes have to look beautiful and effortless. And there's some class issues being sprinkled in as well.

Though I do wrinkle my nose at how the Prince figure gets understanding; you see his trials, his brainwashing, his pain and hurts and our PoC Princess is strong strong STRONG from the get go. So strong they could only manage to get her in a tower in the first place through TRICKERY.

And ahh, the prince who was called an ablist slur, has his sensitive side exposed, juxtapositioning the King-Father's thoughts on what it takes to be a true King.

Ugh.

So more downs than ups for me. Especially as I consider that in the tower, despite no longer having a mother to comb/wrestle her hair (while calling the portrayed, squee inducing, curly state as TANGLED), the Princess somehow has a smooth side pony tail instead of afropuffs or braids.

Other Thoughts: The sad thing here is that I approve and like the art. It's the kind that makes me think back to PBS story-telling or Reading Rainbow. It's art with a cutesy style, yes. But art with movement. The world is solidly alive. And the colours vivid (though I admit to having been dealing with some eye problems lately and having gotten a new monitor. So I'm not sure the colours I'm seeing are the actual colours. But even so, I'm captivated). My one gripe with the art is that I personally am confused about the real world equivalent heritage of the Prince. His skin is darker than some, and lighter than others who seem much more analogous to African Descended. I can't quite figure out if he's meant to be 'tanned / outdoorsy' or what. Actually right now I can't tell if the Prince who was slurred and the Prince at the end are the same; the eyebrows look different, the hair looks different, the skin shading looks different. Is the Prince at the end a forgotten Prince? And lighter brown skin or pale skin, having the King Ruler be a darker skinned brute with a boot on them, that impact isn't much changed.

Hope: I do not know if the next three issues have already been through the printer. If they have been, I can hope, perhaps that things get fleshed out enough to off-set the things I found jarring. If they aren't, maybe there's a chance for some changes.

I am strict in what media I consume. No more begging. No more taking hand outs. No more scraps of this and that, twisted perpetuated stereotypes. No more Oppression Olympics. But others may not be as strict or have the same social justice priorities - if so, with this review, they now know what they'd be getting.

Comments Open: You know the rules - civility, no derailing, and I don't publish fools.

Yet Another Piecemeal Heroine

"Y'know what sucks?" I started saying to a friend on chat. "Reading a book about a heroine, who knows bad guys are hunting a creature, who gets there first, and instead of taking the creature somewhere safe - not even to her home, just somewhere -safe-, she wastes time interrogating it, in public, with the bad guys hunting, and then gets upset they find her and kill the creature."

There, I have just spoiled the 00 issue of Lady Mechanika by Joe Benitez. I don't feel tis anything worth crying over either.

Sometimes, I feel like the world wants me to think I'm asking for the DAMN MOON, for wanting a protagonist female who THINKS THINGS THROUGH.

My friend's response? "So, she's holding the idiot ball?"

Which lead to me discovering the term and it's TV Tropes Definition. I hadn't heard the term before.

But let us continue with the ignorance rampage through these 13 pages (just when I decided I couldn't read anymore, turns out it was done.)

LM is hunting a creature that's said to be terrorizing the town. She's intrigued because it's possibly part mechanical, like herself. She's aware that there are men, hired by a particular company, also hunting, because they too are intrigued by the mechanical. On top of that there are DIFFERENT MEN, hunting it to kill it.

She darts the creature and then starts talking to it, right where they are. No picking it up to take it somewhere safe; not even a rooftop, not even a sewer, not even a shadowy corner.

It would be one thing if things went to crap while she was trying to convince the creature to trust her, but instead she's overwhelmed by an urgent need for information NOW NOW NOW.

She's even TOLD the beast that it's being hunted by others. And it's said it expects to be killed. It can't help not thinking straight, it's been tranqed. But what the hell is her excuse?

I understand setup, I really do. But why not have her take the creature someplace, have the bad guys track it, and have the creature freak out thinking it's a trap and distrusting her or something and thus trying to run away, end up running right into trouble; that is, if the writer really needed her angry and without information.

Instead BAM! Dead sapient creature. No information. And then, she stalks towards the shooter, all pissed off and punches him upside the face. Only to listen to his religious fervor about 'purity and abominations' etc...

So while I'm rolling my eyes at yet another persecuted minority without anyone having to deal with race(eta: sexuality or gender), I'm also rolling my eyes at a heroine being pissy. Not bad ass. PISSY.

And then it gets worse.

No, I'm not kidding.

Having strolled into the midst of the hunters. She reveals herself as being part mechanical. Thus, she's in the middle of hired mercenaries when their employer offers them triple their fee to bring her in.

And then, the cues of the story try to tell me I should think it bad ass that she wounds, grievously wounds, perhaps even kills these men. These men who were only doing their jobs. These men who wouldn't have had to try and attack her, if she hadn't presented the opportunity by striding in there, holding the ignorant ball.

AND THEN.

And then? Their employer, the man calling the shots, commands his attendant to shoot her. She responds and wounds this employer. She begins to stroll majestically out of scene, after kicking his face in or something close, judging by the blood spatter in the comic (did I mention this blood spatter comes on the end of heels? Yes, hunting in heels. Let us all laugh together).

So, this man, who's proven he wants to capture beings like her, ALIVE, who is in the midst of his big villain speech about vivisection and future technology, she wounds him, and LEAVES HIM ALIVE.

And I'm supposed to think she's bad ass? I'm supposed to think she's a character I could identify with?

I don't care that she's an anti-hero, who holds life like hers higher than other life. What I care about is her plot/writer induced ignorance. A powerful man, in charge of a powerful company, who can afford to hire mercenaries to hunt down what he wants and offer them triple their fee on the spot, who can KILL without fear of reprisal, who is INTERESTED in this woman, and who has already shown a disregard for regular human life.

AND SHE LEAVES HIM ALIVE???

Has he no heirs? No VP's, no wife, (or lover), or family to want revenge against her to keep the plot going? Would it not produce plot to have her wanted for murder? Is she not smart enough to permanently mangle his jaw and break his hands and knees and legs to at least slow him down while avoiding the label of murderer?

NOPE.

She leaves him alive.

Now let's move on to the art. There was apparently a need to show middirff, to have hip hugging low riding pants, to have peekahole breast window in a mechapunk scenario. There was apparently a need to show the female protagonist in poses of impossible body structure, impossible balance and impractical martial arts poses.

Because the heroine can't be smart and strong and ruthless, and possibly modest or modestly matching the times. She must be sexy. Oh yes.

And again, if her revealing clothing was meant to make people uncomfortable by showing her inhuman, inorganic parts - that would be one thing. That would be psy-ops in action. This is just a high heels wearing woman, who talks a good game, but doesn't actually do anything worthwhile; who is presented as an overly emotional (not overwhelmed by emotions related to particular issues, mind), sexy, steampunk sexamatrix (in the sense of male gaze fantasies about overpowering women).

And here I was hoping for something perhaps dealing with disability, assistive devices, mechapunk backgrounds & culture, and you know, an actual self-empowered, brightly thinking female protagonist.

Yup, this ticked me off so much, despite a current painscale at about 7.5 (specifically in my fingers), I typed this all up anyway.

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms

Got my hands on it. Finally read it.

I liked it.

Simple and to the point, isn't it.

It has a lot of things to recommend it. It is fantasy, with an interesting set of cultures. The main protagonist is female, and she's brown! But it also hits points I like. It involves creation tales and the sagas and loves and struggles of deities and creation avatars. There is some intrigue, but not enough to twist you all around and make you pull out your hair and wonder why no one talks or thinks in a straight line. It's the intrigue of family, of old grudges and jealousies and some misunderstandings and the need to mold certain family members a certain way - sometimes via conviction it's all the right thing for them.

There's even something of superhero origin story, complete with arch nemisis; if you think of superheroes as modern creation avatars; our modern gods (small g) and demi gods.

I have read other reviews - some found the main character, Yeine, to be somewhat passive or pliant or swept along by circumstance. I think it'd be difficult for anyone not to have their footing destabilized in such circumstances. But I didn't find her passive because she was always thinking, always trying to understand, always trying to piece together the truth and see where she herself fit, and her goals.

I will admit, however, that the eros love story was not the love story I enjoyed the most. It wasn't badly done, but I can admit to thinking it echoed every lonely dark brooding vampire/werewolf/urban fantasy male love interest with man-pain and sad eyes and primal stuff. But undoubtedly that's a trope for a reason.

And I have my own reasons for loving characters with a certain fluidity of personality and world perceptions. Thus my favouring the other love story - though undoubtedly some will ask why I'm framing it with the words 'love story'. But I'm certain those who've looked into a pair of bright, fresh, trusting eyes know about that first look, head over heels, rush and fall in love.

It is a whole book, for all it's the first of a trilogy. So if for some off reason you end up having no interest in the characters for the second book at all - you won't miss out for not getting the second one.

Hmm, nothing else to say without spoiling anything.

Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N. K. Jemison. High fantasy that doesn't ignore or gloss over colonialism, genocide, imperalism etc in order for some random hero to get bling and praises. High fantasy that doesn't do it the way it's always been done, because that's what people expect; how the quest works; how the trope goes; what has made money or careers before.

A good book that's part of The Conversation I Want To Have.

Night Watch

I finished Sergei Lukyanenko's Night Watch, book 1 from the series World of Watches, this past weekend. On the one hand it was incredibly intriguing to read a fantasy premise I like and play around with writing myself. And it was also amazing to read about a magical Cold War. There were so many bits in the books I recognized from growing up during the Cold War; history lessons, politics (as theory and practice) and even a goodly shading of the flavour of Cold War movies in the intrigue.

I do not know how much of Lukyanenko's style remains after translation into English (Andrew Bromfeld) but I enjoyed the rhythm of the words in english. I enjoyed the character sketches; multifaceted glimpses into life and experience and personality.

BUT and it is a big but; when I'd reached the end of the book and realized I'd read the last line, I was left with one distinct feeling.

"Well, that was depressing as f*ck"

It really really was. And it is difficult for me not to think the style of depressing is something indicative to Russian writing - given that I've only ever read Russian writing in school and I found those to be depressing as well. The book starts and ends, essentially with "Life is about being a rock against the shore and how long you last against erosion. And even if at the end of the day you're still standing - the sea. does. not. stop.

Perhaps someone might describe this flavour I see as depressing as being realistic. Right now I'd be hard pressed to put into words and explain to them that I know there is a difference between depressing somewhat pessimistic grim reality and a reality that accepts itself while being less the olive in the press. I could not begin to describe the latter reality except to say I know it exists and being able to step away from the darker energy sucking grey where the difference between life and death is conscious breathing is something I myself have worked on for years.

I do not know if I will read book 2 in the series any time soon. The world building is wonderful. Not just the fantasy elements but Moscow and Russia; the balance between the old and the new, the many faces of Russia itself with its varied ethnicities. I can't claim to understand Russia, Russians, or Moscow just from reading one book. But I do feel as if I got a glimpse into another world and how another people view that world and I think that takes craft. The world building wants me to go back as soon as possible to read more about vampires, werewolves, the war between Light and Dark and the forces of individuals on either side.

I just don't think 2010 so far is a space where the -best- thing I could do for myself would be to read something where victory doesn't seem to last much past a good cup of tea.

Perhaps book 2 further enriches the relationships established in book 1. That is one other thing the book does, it makes it clear that in such a world and such a fight, how people hold on to, respect and love one another can be the only thing that matters. And I do tend to like books that stress connections as a need that humanity has in general, if with less focus on the strictly romantic; and that the lack of connections equals a lack of what makes an individual human.

But... I might just hold off a bit all the same. I can get similar via The Dresden Files and even though there's the same Light against The Dark there, the victories last at least as long as a good meal and a fine night's rest.

A Tyrant In BL

There's a manga series called "The Tyrant Who Fell In Love". It is apparently very popular. It is yaoi.

I have a problem with it.

The conceit of the series

a) assumes there can be no such thing as a strong affinity or even love of a person that does not necessitate sex.

b) thus meaning that asexuals do not exist in this universe

c) and setting things up to make rape excusable and a sign of true and desperate caring

I finally stopped trying to figure out the manga when I realized there was never going to be any attention paid to such concepts as co-dependency and misplaced guilt on the part of the violation victim/survivor.

Further, the set up of; "I'm not gay, I only put up with these actions from you! Only you!" Does not read like a great love confession to me or a statement of someone unconsciously in love - but rather the statement of someone not in a position to deny a request due to some particular need they have for an individual or some protection they need from that individual.

And it even further disturbs me that there are those who would say I'm not taking cultural norms into consideration - because I cannot believe that Japan is supposed to be a place that's all about non-consensual and dubious consensual sex. Reading about women getting drunk at frat parties and ending up having sexual relations with guys there, doesn't automatically equal American culture as one where it's ok for women to have sex if they're drunk first.

That said, I do recognize that it seems to be a Japanese manga and hentai trope for someone to get themselves into trouble by giving into blackmail which then pushes them to do things they would not ordinarily do and which is usually far more embarrassing than the original blackmail material. I recognize this as a possible concept of 'Face' that I can never truly understand, having not grown up with it.

I've said before I have confusion over the concept of love at first sight in Manga. And now, I add to my ponderings; What are current Manga readers picking up and learning about relationships and sex; What are the manganka exploring when they present scenarios as/of force(d/ful) seduction?*

I'm not assuming all Manga readers are children or teenagers by the way. It is perfectly valid to me to wonder what adults are picking up and unconsciously, or subconsciously adding to their concept of how the world is when it comes to relationships, boundaries, consent, love and rape.

And after all, the manganka (and other creators) are adults.

My ponderings also aren't gay relationships vs straight - but ponderings about what physical strength and the ability to emotionally manipulate mean in the context of relationship dynamics and, relationship hierarchies.

Who tends to have the power to make things go their way? Who ends up being dragged along? There's a storm of questions I could pose about what this exploration might mean socially as a facet of conversation happening in Japan, about roles.

But the thing that I ponder most, is having seen one individual state 'I've read so much BL featuring this trope, that I don't think it's rape anymore' - I can't help wondering how many people have reached that place, and if they even realize they've come to accept, at some level, that Rape Is Love.

-=-=-=-=-=-
* Forceful Seduction:

There seems, at least in the manga and BL I've read, and if I think about it, some UF, to no longer be a difference between confidence (assertiveness) and aggression. This lack of difference is best exemplified in what I've read manga readers describing as forceful seduction - which I just read as rape.

The concept of a confident and charming, debonair seducer who knows how attractive they are and tease the individual of their desire in order to get said individual to admit to wanting them; has been seriously lost. The concept of someone who doesn't have to use physical or psychological power to attract partners or merely sate their sexual wants BECAUSE THEY HAVE PRESENCE - is gone. Woosh, like a candle blown out.

Assertiveness and confidence have gone and been replaced with aggressiveness and demands.

Once upon a time 'the bad boy' was bad because he didn't pretend he didn't feel desire, just to go along with the polite fiction of supposedly civilized individuals. And he was perhaps further bad because he chased after what he wanted; saw what he wanted as distinct from what could or would be handed to him.

And he had patience. Infinite patience.

Granted some of that portrayal came from relationship dynamics where women were treated like childen who didn't know what they really wanted. But there was an expectation that someday they WOULD KNOW and get the chance to make their own choice.

What I'm seeing a lot of, especially in BL are situations where someone-A wants someone-B ; someone-A is stronger, has more influence and power, and/or is willing to manipulate the feelings currently growing in someon-B in order to have instant gratification.

So there's rape, followed by 'You were going to love me anyway, I just sped up the process'. And this is portrayed as ROMANTIC!

Around November of last year, I had thought there was perhaps too fine a line between assertiveness and agressiveness when it comes to seduction. And that the ability to acurately portray that in dialogue and art might swing back and forth. But I've had time to realize that's not really true. The distinction is not in where assertiveness crosses a line, which can be fuzzy in real life far less in fiction; but that want now demands instant gratification.

A month, a week, a year, two years, five, ten - the story starts at the end of a long period wherein someone-A has done NOTHING but moon and whine, sigh and sit. And suddenly they decide to do something, but after waiting so long they leap into attaining instant gratification and things go as follows:

I was a useless piece of lint and did nothing about my growing attraction to you because I was a coward. Now that I realize I have the opportunity to get you alone/get you drunk/get you to notice me, I MUST HAVE MY WAY WITH YOU - TADAH RAPE!

In 'The Tyrant Who Fell In Love' it's a little bit worse in that this long standing crush and torch holding and self caused yearning pain is portrayed as something both admirable and noble as well as pathetic enough to require some kind of drug assistance to get things moving along.

"Oh you poor noble dear, loving and being silent. Here, have a date rape drug."

And then despite claims of knowing use of the drug is wrong, when circumstances set up an opportunity, the actions taken by someone-A are all about -their- instant gratification; their desires, their wants. Apparently not violating someone against their will goes out the window if a penis is throbbing.

I'm not really liking the simplification of desire going on; that there are people who want and people who fulfill that wanting.


[Comments On. For Real This Time. /Smack Hammer Waiting ]

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms

N.K Jemisin has the first chapter of her novel series debut up.

I found the chapter lovely, with a good storytelling voice. It leads me to believe I will see a new perspective in the plot trope of; long lost heir returns & must find their way.

The Hundred Thousand Kindoms, will be out in Feb 2010.

If I Could Stab A Book And Make It Bleed

I mentioned in a comment how Eon: Dragon Eye (also called The Two Pearls Of Wisdom - and where I am now currently paused at pg 295) was reading as:

[Mr. Movie Guy Voice: : In a land where women have no power, one courageous girl will find the strength to bear the hopes of a nation on her shoulders. Hidden as a boy she will reach for power and reclaim the hidden mysteries lost for ages, once dedicated to the Moon. Powers meant to balance, the drive of the Sun, and meant to be wielded by a female; DRAGONEYE!]

Insertion of trailer images along with voice over:

^{(In a land )}
Women with eyes downcast as they walk in a market.


^{(where women have no power )}
Women with eyes downcast in a harem, as a prince (whose face we cannot see) walks among them while they're bowed down before him.

^{(one courageous girl )}
The naked back of a young woman with white bindings going around to hide her breasts

^{(will find the strength)}
Image of the same slender young woman (recognizable by hair style), now with swords in a martial arts pose on a sand arena.

^{(to bear the hopes)}
Image of shuffling bruised and beaten looking men with symbolic resistance totem.

^{(of a failing)}
Image of s cruel looking man being suave with the handsome Prince (whose face we now see)

^{(nation )}
Image of previous cruel, rich looking man on a horse whipping at the previous bruised men

^{(Hidden as a boy)}
Transwoman in generic asian courtesan clothing putting on make-up (an established cliche of 'putting on the feminine') with the hidden-girl boy watching, possibly with envy

^{(she will reach for power)}
SFX: Girl bracing against wind as a red dragon manifests somehow around her

^{(and reclaim the hidden mysteries)}
Another harem scene, where hiddengirl-boy, as boy, is obviously being mentored somehow by the same transwoman and other harem ladies, with a flash of calligraphy on paper. Non hero women are obviously gossiping as hiddengirl-boy looks a little out of her depth.

^{(lost for ages)}
Image of a majestic 'Asian' building consumed by fire as people scramble to put it out, fading into centuries old ruins

^{(Once dedicated to the Moon)}
Image of a half moon, then moonlit stark garden with a form going through some slow form of martial arts with smoke like silver energy trails following the figure's hands

^{(Powers meant to balance)}
A council chamber with handsome prince and hidden-girl boy in rich clothing, each sharing not quite definable looks of alliance with each other against gesticulation and arguing by others.

^{(the drive of the Sun)}
Return of the cruel look man, interacting with the most enraged looking cruel man from the council chamber scene, both looking down on some kind of war map

^{(and meant to be wielded)}
More martial arts forms in slow movement, hiddengirl-boy training with a master and another student (in similar clothing) but with hidden-boy girl having more SFX of energy manipulation powers

^{(by a female; DRAGONEYE!)}
Semi longing look of hiddengirl-boy at the back of handsome prince while hiddengirl-boy is going through a set of doors. Counter shot of the other side of another set of doors with hiddengirl-boy in a private large baths style setting with hair down and wet, eyes very feminine, arms across chest in a sort of martial arts pose, but really all about hiding nipplage. Looking furious, and more SFX with water whirling and a red dragon coiled around or behind her preparing to kick the ass of the invasive, likely military bath crashers.

Title Screen. 'Asianic' Music Creshendo

---

If you've read all the way down to here you might be able to tell that I'm about to 'get myself in trouble' or perhaps we could call it just being me by criticizing a book I have not finished.

Having not been impressed by the plot or the formula, I went to the author's website to look up the research she refers to in that author's note in the backpages. She looked at books on martial arts, took a tai chi class, looked at books on feng shui and chinese astrology, horoscopes, and concepts of good luck, looked at a book on eunuchs and then, listed under 'Sensory Research' went to several museumsin Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore and was recommended two books on Chinese culture. Oh yes and ate food.

I'm hard. It's known I'm hard. So I'm going to say straight up, that there is nothing in the book that could not be transplanted to Europe. Moon cycles with 13 months in the year, ley lines, druids as the 'Mystic Lords' helping to ensure fertility of the land, even the way people treat the mentally and physically disabled.

So to me, making it an asian fantasy land, is all about props; chopsticks and hairpins and silk and harems. I mean she's got a little Americas First Nations 'Two Spirits' in there, for Trans identification, so why focus on asian accouterments? So it would look less like Mists of Avalon? Seriously it is very much reminding me of The Nightingale Floor. Though I suppose I did not give that book due acknowledgment for utilizing hidden Not!Christian villages and researching temples of Japanese fortresses so well. I was just too upset that the replacement Samurai could easily have been Templars and Lord types.

I'm likely not explaining myself well, I get very upset when I see another culture poured like dressing on salad. And given that there are no physical descriptions that explicitly say Chinese or general Asian in 'Dragoneye' it is too easy to imagine many readers visualizing white heroes in an asian world.

I got a stomach cramp the moment I saw the book was up for some school lit award in Texas.

I picked the book up. I borrowed even knowing the author was white and that there was no bibliography on the back pages. I could have borrowed more Detective Chen, where shifting the characters to a white western setting would change darn near everything. It would be a different tale with different philosophies and relationships.

Is it really that difficult for a white writer who wants to set a tale in a fantasy minority culture to think about locking the story into the setting and making it unable to exist if the places and people aren't meshed? This story could not happen anywhere else but, and could not have any other hero than one who grew up here and experienced this kind of life. Is that really so difficult?

You know what? What am I saying. I'm acting like people want to be challenged rather than use the 'exotic' to get paid.

The upset is mine. The disappointment is mine. The lesson learned - mine. Heck the fact I kept reading even after mentions of braids, concubines and tea is my fault.

I really need to stop having any sort of hope what so ever of finding new fantasy authors, who're white, who won't make me want to burn things.

ETA: I just realized a large part of my anger and upset is because the page on research doesn't just have surface skims of Chinese culture. But there's nothing there on physical disability, cognitive disability, or trans issues and historical acceptance within certain cultures.

[Comments Open. You should know the drill]

O Morgan Howell

*sigh*

I started Book Two of Morgan Howell's Queen Of The Orcs saga. I put it down three, four days ago, maybe five, and haven't been able to bring myself to pick it back up. The first book was lovely - but I'm stopped right at the moment before the female protagonist begins to have possible romantic feelings for one of the Orcs.

I can't really say it's a spoiler, since I merely suspect given several years of reading books and gaining the ability to project the near possible future for characters based on setting, word phrases, mood, etc...

If I pick it back up, I'll report it here. But I will need some considerable strength to handle any kind of the unexpected beauty of the noble savage from a fading and unknown to be sophisticated culture.

Right now I forsee it going back to the library in 3 weeks unread.

Klingons with Tusks

What is subtlety and nuance within a story?

I greatly enjoyed Queen of the Orcs by Morgan Howell. As I read the Amazon.com reviews, however, I'm seeing mentioned several times that the book was preachy or that the theme of 'all men are evil' was too much, or too stereotypical. And I'm finding myself thinking of bright lights and fine print.

There are distinctions in the book made between top soldiers and dreg soldiers; distinctions made between the corruption of the King's personal court, and his general servants and even distinctions between members of his personal guard. The line of corruption is weaved from the lowest mercenary all the way to the King and his highest/closest advisor - showing how said darkness affects the world around it.

It's all right there. And alongside it is all the information needed to comprehend that our viewpoint character has been so affected/victimized by this corruption, despite her strong will to survive that she can't believe anyone, any man who would interact with her could be uncorrupted or even a little less tainted.

That is by no means a theme of 'all men are evil' or 'man bashing'.

Then there are some in the reviews who noticed or acknowledge the specter of the 'noble savage' trope, but they ignore so damn much; the lack of empathy the Orcs have to non-Orcs, the twisted turns of their thinking when it comes to inclusivity and exclusivity and also several underhanded developments by an Orc. Compared to corrupted human men, yes, the Orcs are noble; But only in comparison. And the Orc culture, though matralinieal is by no means perfect - the very fact of an Orc regiment belies that.

And then there is the term savage itself - just how are these reviewers using it? Is savage standing in for original peoples of the land/indigenous peoples? Is it standing for warrior / warrior culture? Or does it simply mean not white human or not human? What stereotypes are they attaching to the term savage when they claim to see 'the noble savage' trope? Because I think there are several aspects of Orc culture and civilization they're ignoring when they invoke that trope. Maybe those aspects will not be fleshed out and further fulfilled in the subsequent books, but what's revealed in book one does lay a basis for more than meets the eye - more than traditional, cliche, assumptions.

These reviews leave me thinking that people are recognizing patterns in their reading and thinking that the ability to recognize a pattern is actual analysis and not merely the first step in comprehension. Like some blogger I read said about the recent batch of spoof movies; they have no substance and don't actually parody anything, the audience is just laughing because they recognize the pop-culture reference; a Pavlovian reaction?

Meanwhile I have recognized the pattern of 'What These People Need Is A Honkey' but smile at the twist that the needed gifts the white person will bring are the understanding of and capability for; lies, guile, treachery, betrayal and deceit.

In fact the only thing that really makes me uneasy to continue to read the series, is how the author will handle the tricky line between; potential human love interest (because of course love/relationship can't happen with an Orc) and the pitfall on the other side of that which is - woman falls for noble savage and becomes honourary member of savage tribe with its purer ways.

I don't hold out hope these days of finding fantasy that won't hurt and offend me. Right now I am just pleasantly surprised that I want to read more of this universe which echoes the broken treaties between early American colonialists and First Nations tribes and English colonialists and Scottish & Irish tribes while having as the stars; Klingons with Tusks.

[Comments On]

Tired Of Hurting

I just finished Shannon Hale's Book Of A Thousand Days last night. It was recognizably Mongolian inspired to me (as well as fairy tale inspired) and I loved it. I'd picked it up at the library because the cover says she was the writer who wrote Princess Academy which is another YA book I've read and greatly enjoyed.

I like plucky but thoughtful/reflective female protagonists. Young women who think before they act (and after they act and better yet during the action). They are more believable and admirable to me than heroines counting on luck or even strength/aggression.

Flipping to the back of Book Of A Thousand Days, in the library I saw that Shannon Hale is white. And I was filled with a keen disappointment. But I had enjoyed one of her other books and I hadn't once thought those characters where white, so I thought I'd give this one a try.

I feel I can safely say that this is two books now by Hale that I've read that are nothing like Lian Hern/Gillian Rubinstein's Across The Nightingale Floor. The two Hale's tales I've read have not been generic white fantasies dressed up in exotic cloth. The culture of the protagonists have helped form them uniquely. To take out an aspect of Dashti's life and trials and substitute it with something else, would change the story completely. As to take out an aspect of Miri's life and experiences.

The same cannot be said for the characters in Nightingale who could as easily drink beer as sake, eat wheat as rice, dress in robes as kimono, use broadswords as katana, have lords and a high king as shoguns and emperor (even if the last two terms were not specifically used - it was very obvious what they were).

But this is the cover of The Princess Academy that I read; A string of girls against iconic style mountains wearing clothing that made me think of the mountains of Peru, or at least that area of high mountains and tribes in South America.

This is the cover I found on Hale's website. Either Miri is now white, or some other girl in the book is and she is thought important enough to be on the cover. There is a third cover I found while looking the first version up and at least there the girl on the cover has been drawn and painted with browner skin and dark hair and against a background that looks more South American than European (or even at a stretch, Greek)

I'd liked Hale's writing enough that I came online to see what other books she'd written. And now I'm struck with bittersweet, because apparently she's behind the plunky retold Rapunzel reviewed by Karen Healey of Girls Read Comics; She's the author of the book who was interviewed about gender and fairytales and comics. She managed not to make me feel sick inside, in that telltale way I get these days around white feminists. And First Nations people matter in this (Rapunzel) fairytale, in terms of the fabric of the world's society.

But there's that cover. There's Dashti represented only as hands on Book Of A Thousand Days (inside at least she and her world are, to me, obviously Asian). And the hurt is so strong and so deep - the odd sense of betrayal that I had dared hope this writer would be different - even as I know writers seldom have say over their covers at all. But the hurt doesn't care about that fact; all it feels, all I feel, is that here is yet another example of more people in charge of media distribution going 'Oh, the consumer won't buy a PoC lead'.

I'm aware of my hurt. I know why I'm hurting. What makes me truly upset is all the girls who don't know where that splinter in their soul is coming from. The ones who're encouraged to read ghettolit because it's about them, because it might be the only thing for them; heroines who use their body and sex appeal to deal with drug dealers, scoundrels, ex-cons and pimps.

So Very Done

So I should never read anything Karen Healey reccs me. The very fact that Karen Healey has recced me a book, means I should never read it and should avoid it like plague.

Karen Healey recced me (as did several others) Blood & Iron.

I am SO not naming this book.

I'm just ugh-ed at the black unreliable narrator who's revealed to be extremely sexual, while being content to be the other woman while a light skinned girl is the 'official' girlfriend. There's a phrasing I find to be extremely self hating, using the word Nappy (and no, it's not diapers). And then she's framed as being responsible for someone white losing control and committing murder. And said white person is not punished for this murder.

So oversexed black mistress, responsible for white person getting in touch with their inner animal, while her own family flounders about what to do / how to handle her own bestial moments/inner nature.

Her family, which consists of the seemingly sensitive white mother and the ok, but also unreliable black father. In the end they're both painted as total asses, but - unreliable narrator, remember.

Included in the book is a white character who's thought to have gone looking for an anonymous man to impregnate her -said man ending up being a black man. Whether he was a black buck to serve a purpose, or a naive young man in love who was used and discarded - readers will never know for sure.

And to top off things the readers will never know for sure, is if the unreliable narrator is someone who forged her own destiny and tried to find a way to live with who she is - or if she's a multiple murderer, deep in denial.

It's like Memento, but with race sprinkles: Wild black Jezebel stained with blood.

And oh yeah, there's also some iffy trans issues - I personally didn't like the seeming parallel of being trans equaling being a pathological liar, being mentally unstable or harbouring a beast inside that could harm other people. Cause really - isn't that the trans panic defense?

But hey, at least I read this one all the way through, even though it repeatedly hurt me. And boy am I never putting myself through that painful shite again, there are too many other books that exist which DON'T HURT ME.

PS: None of this by the way means the book wasn't skillfully written with good prose and with emotional points that would ring true if not for the unreliable narrator. On my own I might hunt down something else by the author that doesn't involve on going deceit or people of color. In fact it'd probably be less painful to me to only read books involving white people by said author. Then I have one less sore point.

Of course I'm unlikely to read anything by this author any time soon.

Authors Behaving Badly - 09 (Continued)

ETA: So rejecting a whole bunch of anonymous comments to my last post without reading them (how very PAD of me), after the first accuses me of wishing PAD evil, as if I have the magical power to do anything to him at all, I mean talk about magical thinking. I state here 1) I'm objecting to PAD's conduct on one thread, that I read, regarding the term DIAF, 2) I'm objecting to PAD's skanky ass race issues exposed on his blog. Authors behaving badly seems to be a theme of 2009.

If he had anything whatsoever to do with a community closing down, it's but the cherry on top of him finding ways to show his ass.

I'm not the poster he had issues with, which would be apparent if y'know the comm still existed. I'd also be able to link to the thread in question, making my original post more clear - if the comm still existed. But it doesn't. Maybe the suspension will be lifted, however, and I'll be able to clear that up. But who knows.

I am curious, however, if the emphasis of the comments that are pro PAD are all about 'not showing bits of a copyrighted work without the author's permission' at all, vs perhaps people having a looser definition of fair use than the law might apparently be; then I'm guessing that a community where people write up full summaries of what's happened in various books, with notes on the art (for comic books) and prompting discussion about the ridiculousness of plot points or 'surprises' or how gloriously cool a particular a bit of character depiction was, or how the author is obviously on special fairy crack, would such a comm also be counted as a group of people purposely setting out to hurt an author?

Because if I'm to be vilified for whether or not I participated in such a group - I'd like to be vilified for something I actually do - by an author (or their fans) I actually mock.

Of course, when I say I'm curious, it doesn't mean I want to have a conversation with a legion of 'pro fans' who can't imagine that in order to stay sane I regularly imagine a ton of people (particularly white people) roasting in a fire.

Funny isn't it, how easily the term entitlement gets thrown around when it comes to some things, and yet the moment someone brings up white privilege aka white entitlement a whole bunch of white people turn stupid, cock their heads to the side and go 'But privilege? Entitlement? What is that? Huh....?'.

PS: If I've got the magical ability to wish PAD actual ill by the way, with the phrase DIAF, then the political cartoonist at the NY Post, and his depiction of a murdered simian quite obviously was about wishing harm on the POTUS. Or do only white folks get to determine what their words/actions/art actually mean?

PPS: Also, all you anonymous folks that like to tell people to go get ass raped or like to tell female comic fans to go get raped? I suggest you have a moment of pause.

Living In Infamy

Living In Infamy:

Y'know how one tends to hear often how people should get credit for trying when it comes to race relations? LII is a good damn example of why that's so much bullshit. The black character has a cosmic 'master', so his powers aren't even his own and the Comsic Whip Cracker never stops talking about how said character should feel special and stop allowing himself to be polluted by the small minded humans. There's so much mishmashed stereotypes and ignorance and racist bullshit involved in it I don't even know where to start.

It's much easier to focus on the female characters having no agency and all defined by the men in their lives; ex lover, current husband, potential adulterous conquest, ex lover who's a big bad, teenage best friend who is male and needs accidental info dump, son who's a potential uber something.

And then the bullshit about Gypsies and Gypsy superstition and Gypsy 'whores' and just - whoa. No cultural identity there either but a nice stereotype with visions, dreams and mind reading.

And I think there was possibly some closeted gay in there - I'm not sure. That was around the time the plot started jumping and leaping and disconnecting from the panels. The 'voice over' caption boxes only added to the dissonance.

Also, and this is just a personal gripe here. But if there are mind readers/ mind control agents in a stasis situation (Super Villain Witness Protection) and there's thought enough into getting the engineering/mech maker minded into helping protect the town and set some things up. Then why the hell is the Sheriff clueless about the strangeness? Why not have a Sheriff who could deal with teenagers coming into their powers or blowing off steam by shooting at bottles with their laser vision, or weird tech or whatever. The mayor's apparently powered, why not either a) fix the Sheriff or b) set up a town system where the position of head of police is appointed?

Aug 5th - That's when I started this and put it in drafts thinking I'd get back to it and add more. But truthfully I just want to forget I ever read this book/series. So there you have it.

Butterflies Opened My Eyes

My Twitter thoughts on Blogger backups and Blog 2 Blog were oddly enough prompted by my watching of Red Garden. I started thinking of where Seeking Avalon has come and where I want it to go, or grow or continue and all of a sudden I realized/remembered I don't have one button syncing for Blogger. Seriously Google, fix that. As much as I dislike Livejournal, someone made LJ Archive and with one button back up (with comments) it is soothing as all heck.

But back to Red Garden. I'm not sure I like it.

I'm curious about it. I want to watch more. But I'm not sure it's actually something I want to continue to watch.

In More Depth

I want to know what happens to the characters. I am curious as to the story. But watching the show was not an enjoyable experience for me, for a number of reasons; the seemingly sexualized violence, the victimization of the girls and the pacing of the mystery.

But the goad for my lack of enjoyment was watching the show in English dub.

Hearing American voice actors throws me off. I'm seeing Japanese style animation and stylized characters; So my brain immediately goes 'Willow, you forgot to switch languages and put in the subtitles.'

But I know that sometimes when I'm reading subtitles I can miss subtle things. So I watched it all the way through, all of the first four episodes in English. My conclusion is that the English voice actors lacked nuance. They had inflection, they could get the broad strokes right; anger, sadness, fear, emotional upset. But the whole thing was very plodding and cloddy somehow. There's one scene in particular where I didn't realize one character was supposed to be upset and in denial for several long moments - I thought she was just a bubble brain.

Now I know voice acting is as much a career in the US (and Canada and Europe) as it is in Japan. But I think Japanese Voice Actors and the profession are seen differently in Japan. Whereas most people have no idea why I'd have an unholy fan girl squee for one Rino Romano and why I'm so disappointed that I find the animated seres "The Batman" to be so much coddswaddle. I think in Japan, voice actors get enough attention that there'd be no difference between a Rino Romano and a Jensen Ackles.

Aside: Dear Rino Romano and Jensen Ackles, please to be picking projects from now on that I can actually stand. It's been two series in a row for you, Jensen. My patience is wearing thin!

Hearing the American voices and watching the animation, and having just read Hack/Slash I was made EXTREMELY uncomfortable with the violence. Broad vocal strokes aren't enough when some things are happening on screen; when scenarios are being played out that have as much to do with mystery and the supernatural as violence and fear. Which is to say the voice acting made me think of Hack/Slash the movie and how it'd be ruined by Scream Queens. It doesn't take acting to scream, or sound angry or sound scared.

But I am grateful I watched the whole thing through in English dub first. Because I wonder if I would have noticed the violence in the same light, if I'd been concentrating on the vocal acting the way I usually do; with the pictures as mere backup to the translated words.

And the violence is shocking and disturbing.

The premise is akin to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and how from a certain type of evil infection/possession/etc, comes an individual to take back the night. But while we didn't hear about what created Buffy for several seasons, in Red Garden, we know from the very beginning that something very, very bad happened to these four girls and it's not over yet.

We watch them try to piece together what happened, and then try to deal with the truth and what it means for them now. We watch them in total panic and fear, thrown head first into confrontation with bad things. And we see what happens when individuals in their circumstances aren't strong or determined enough. That scene in particular was incredibly disturbing to me, possibly because the main voice all through it was just so incredibly bad I couldn't help but focus on the animation and the scene was brutal.

There's another scene in the fourth episode, where the difference between a voice projecting shock, anger and fear vs just random screaming, makes a world of difference in relatability to the character. But after watching it, I found myself wondering at the difference. English voices, and I focused on the violence being done. Nuanced, acting, Japanese voices, and I focused on the trauma of the character and her emotional state.

I'm left to wondering about that. How much violence against women in anime have I seen where it didn't register because I was focused on the character; strength of voice, gasping breaths, mettle of tone; and not the actions going on around them? What does that mean? What do I do with this information now that I'm aware of it? How will this change what I watch?

Annihilation & My Mutant Powers

First: My Mutant Powers

So apparently someone out there has seen themselves reflected in my general description of individuals who refuse to do their own race homework and who bask in their privilege and they felt so threatened and so affronted, that their eyes went all crosswise and their brains stopped comprehending English and they just had to set up an anonymous blogger account, in order to tell me I'm a mean girl who protests too much about not being a magical negro and who cuts down all opposition by throwing around that nasty word, racist.

Wow.

*cracks up*

Who ever you are, I hope you realize I'm now picturing you as Youtube's Angry German Kid. Pimples and all.

Anyway, the rest of y'all will see the stupidity with your own eyes at the bi-annual 'What Fools These Be', post.

But uhm, yo? Y'all folk I control with the powers of my POC mind? Where are my tributes? I'm just saying, I should get tributes. I mean Doom gets tributes.




Annihilation

Ok, I gave it entirely too much credit for ease to follow. Yes, I know where it begins, but geeze, is there a list somewhere telling me what order stuff comes in? And why is there no love for the Super Skrull (whom I never heard of before now, but what. ever).

Still, I believe I like me some Drax and some Nova and the Annihilation Wave is kickass creepy!

Also, I believe I find Silver Surfer boring.

Yes, I know that will cost me some minions. But I'm sure they'll direct me to some interesting Silver Surfer if they know what's good for them if they truly want to share with me their love and excitement for the character. Cause his appearance in the story so far is just not doing much of anything for me.

Also, it's possible to buy the books without having to buy his part in it, right? I'm just - he makes me think of Superman. Superman back when I didn't like him. An angsty, boring superman, who's silver, with no clothes, out in space, being emo.

Yes I linked to a dictionary definition. That is how Doom Willow rolls.

Also also? I received GLA as a b-day pressie. I have read all four issues. I have cried. I have awed. I have wanted to reach into the chest of a fictional character and squeeze until they went blue - and I have cheered. It's like team Spiderman! When Spiderman was good! Also it was a mutant team with absolutely no Wolverine. Sweet Aunt Jemmimah's Pancakes, what a novel concept!

Got the name.