Dandelions and Dragons: Webcomic Fluff Dump

I've (Citali) been reading more webcomics lately! Here's my list + spiels.

1. Flowerpot: "A story about a boy who grows dandelions from his head because of a mysterious disease, and all the problems that entails. Ten years ago, Ben was the first person to be infected by a strange disease that causes flowers to grow from his body every spring and summer.  In a world where flowers have become frightening, Ben has come to accept that most people will want to keep their distance from his dandelions.  However, when an enthusiastic photographer arrives out of the blue and asks Ben to be a part of his project, Ben begins to discover what being a “flowerpot” really means."

Ben is Patient Zero for fleurine, a recent illness that causes flowers to grow from his hair. Flowers are feared as carriers of the infectious disease, and "flowerpots" like Ben must guard against people's prejudices. A fluffy comic with lots of friendship and flowers, not to mention some succulents, annoying relatives, and cuddly friends.

Some swearing (Eileen can get angry).

Read here: http://flowerpot-comic.tumblr.com/post/136451157935/flowerpot-title-page-extra-fleurine-pamplet

2. Always Human: "This is a story about nanobots, genetic engineering, and two girls falling in love. No matter how technology changes us, we'll always be human."

Sunati's always admired the one girl she always sees at the train station without any "mods," or genetic modifications like the ones she's always used to. Then she finds out the reason Austen isn't modding is because she can't; she has a syndrome that prevents her from living like everyone else does. Also super fluffy with friendship, representation to the nines, real-world problems (stress! failure! feeling like an impostor!). A watercolor art style that's super calming.

Some swearing in Spanish (from Austen).

Read here: http://www.webtoons.com/en/romance/always-human/1-i-guess-thats-why-i-admire-her/viewer?title_no=557&episode_no=1

3. Tea Dragon Society: "The Tea Dragon Society is about a young blacksmith apprentice, Greta, who is learning her craft but isn’t entirely sure what use it has in modern society. When she encounters a tea dragon and becomes closer to those who raise them and grow their tea, she learns about the dying art form and how it enriches the lives of those she meets—and eventually her own. With the experiences and the memories she makes, she begins to wonder if there’s a value in craft all of its own."

A soft lineless fantasy style: tea dragons are a notoriously finicky breed, treasured for their priceless tea. When Greta, a blacksmith's daughter who's more compassionate than plucky, rescues a jasmine green dragon, she learns about the wise elder Hesekiel and his old friend Erik who raise them. The fluffiest thing I've ever read—super calming, cute art, and worldbuilding to the nines!

Super family friendly, great for anyone at all who needs more cuddly dragons in their lives.

Read here: http://teadragonsociety.com/comic/chapter-1/

4. Mooncakes: "Long-lost childhood crushes Nova Huang and Tam Lang have reunited for the first time in ten years. They have a lot more to deal with this time than just being the only two Asian kids in school (who also happen to both have magical abilities). The comic focuses on their relationship as they struggle through bills, family, and weird horse demons in ways that only a witch and a werewolf can."

Super cool to find urban fantasy that's not grimdark and edgy! The worldbuilding in this one is great: the witchy bookstore that Nova's grandmothers own, Nova's own stellar fashion sense, the art style in general! It's a classic comics line style. Not to mention how diverse it is! As it's shaping up, it looks like this will be a fun fantasy adventure with a tinge of romance. Super diverse too: hard of hearing, LGBT+, and Asian American (!) characters galore!

A few swear words.

Read here: http://mooncakesomic.tumblr.com/

--

Yes, I read a lot of fluff. That's what comics are to me: they're short, so they're mostly for rereading value. I love the characters and the worlds, and I want everyone to have a happy ending! It's perfect for scrolling through on a bad day.

Happy reading!
~Citali

Solarpunk

Hey guys! We're back from a bit of a hiatus. We're announcing a new schedule: we'll try to send out a new post to you all every Thursday (or at least once a week), even to just check in. Hope to see you all a bit more!

Can I talk about science fiction for a bit? Not the Victorian original science fiction mixed with fantasy that is steampunk. Not the robots and distant universes that is classic sci-fi. Not the artificial intelligences and spaceships that is space opera. Not the dictatorships and near futures that is dystopia. But the science fiction that is solar panels and art and rebellion in a beautiful way and in a gritty way that is solarpunk, also known as one of the leading subgenres of optimistic fiction and science fiction. 

I've written a little about solarpunk before. But what exactly is it?

It's a subgenre of sci-fi that's mostly still in ideological stages—unlike other genres who can clearly point to a founding author, the nature of solarpunk is that its inspiration comes from lots of varied authors: Nnedi Okorafor's afrofuturism, Ernest Callenbach's environmental utopia, Alaya Dawn Johnson's Brazilian monarchy, Neal Stephenson's optimistic principle-based sci-fi. A few founding anthologies such as Wings of Renewal and Hieroglyph have been produced, but not much more than that.

Personally, I see solarpunk as an optimistic, aesthetic sci-fi—not built on flat white male characters like Jules Verne's classics, not as dark or pessimistic as The Hunger Games or Divergent, and more technologically advanced and responsible than the classic '50s sci-fi of, say, Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep or the I, Robot works of Isaac Asimov. 

The idea is that it's a futuristic world that we can begin building now: embracing the valuable, diverse current cultures and the complexities of current issues and incorporating that kind of responsibility into mainstream society in a way that's still a reachable standard today. 

What I find most interesting about solarpunk's emergence is that its two founding documents, so to speak, are 1) a series of images of solarpunk fashion and architecture, created by an artist and 2) a political philosophy drafted by a member of Arizona State University's Center for Science and the Imagination. In other words, this genre is built on ideas by people from what others might call the opposite ends of the academic spectrum. 

Members of the solarpunk community now write anthologies; cosplay solarpunk fashion; make art; write fantasy and sci-fi taking place within a solarpunk world; ponder how society today would change in a more ideal solarpunk world; share experimental science that could have futuristic applications; and figure out how we can work today to make our world a little bit more optimistic and a little bit, dare I say, prettier. 

The political side of solarpunk: social justice for everyone. The world today isn't the ideal, and there are things that we can change to make it closer to one. How would whole systems change to ensure the rights of girls, the poor, the disadvantaged, the disenfranchised? How would income work in a world where robots could do the manual labor and where the sun and the wind and possibly some photosynthetic algae could give us endless energy? What about the educational system, charity work, democracy? How could the system be changed to "make scientists heroes again"?

It might seem like fluff or utopia, but solarpunk is the punk-rock response to today's world and today's fiction. In a world where the mainstream is discouraging radical diversity and love, acknowledging problems—and more importantly, their solutions—and living hopefully is the rebellion.

Solarpunk is something that I love because I can stretch it, and because there's more than just writing advice in the community. I want to read a story about a way to build a city without coal or carbon dioxide—then be directed to a link about how people are building it now. I want to read colorful stories about dragons with solar-panel wings and helicopters running on biofuel—in the same universe. I want to see characters who look like me and with backstories like my parents', written by an author who looks like me and my parents. I want to be part of a community where the #solarpunk tag has art and cosplay and photos and exposés and research and writing, whether it's fantasy or sci-fi or could take place in my neighbor's backyard right now without me having a clue. I love solarpunk because it's being built right now, and I'm having a tiny part in that.

Happy reading,
~Citali

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo: Book Review

Happy 2017! I figured to start the new year with a massive current fave.

Want a terrifying fact? It's been more than a year since my (our) last book review post, which was for Dorothy Must Die back in October 2015. Now to fix that!

Six of Crows and its partner in crime (the second half of its duology), Crooked Kingdom, are masterpieces. To break it down to whatever might make you pick up a book: the plot, the worldbuilding (*swoon*), the quotability, the characters (*double swoon*), and the amazing fandom, all of them are amazing and cinammon roll-y.

The plot: A thrumming heist story full of twist after twist, reveal after reveal, triumph over triumph. It's almost impossible to put down; it starts with a bang and ends heart-wrenchingly but hopefully.

The worldbuilding: Taking place in a gritty low fantasy city resembling Amsterdam in the nineteenth century. Realism, well-built infrastructure both in and out of the narrative, and the intriguing system of the Grisha Small Science (what others might think of as magic).

The quotability: Here are just a few favorite bits:

• “It's not natural for women to fight."
  "It's not natural for someone to be as stupid as he is tall, and yet there you stand.” 
• Kaz leaned back. "What's the easiest way to steal a man's wallet?"
  "Knife to the throat?" asked Inej.
  "Gun to the back?" said Jesper.
  "Poison in his cup?" suggested Nina.
  "You're all horrible," said Matthias.
• "Why does it matter?”
  “I don’t know!” Jesper said angrily. “Maybe I liked your stupid face."

There's just so much quality banter and everyone loves/hates each other and they're just all amazing.

The characters: Personally, they're my favorite part. I present the following:

• A former acrobat, stolen as a slave, sold as an "indentured servant," now the best spy in the city and ready to fight for her life and her friends
• A young man who's immensely secretive about his past, who's risen to his title of "Dirtyhands" among the grittiest gangs of Ketterdam by ruthless crime and grudging respect
• A girl who can turn people's bodies against them, a trained soldier in Ravka's army, far from her home
• A still-loyal soldier of Fjerda, Ravkans' enemy, imprisoned miles from his nation and battling allegiances
• A sharpshooter with a gambling problem and a longing for trust
• An innocent demolitions expert who is ACTUALLY A CINNAMON ROLL (Calm down, Citali)

The fandom: As fandoms go, the SoC/CK fandom is still pretty small and amazing. Also we have... like... amazing fanartists? Like the actual angel who drew this Inej and Wylan sketch:

 

Source: http://jell-illustrations.tumblr.com/post/151790166629/more-six-of-crows-stuff

The genre: It seems to bridge genres: young adult fantasy, with a tinge of LGBT+ fiction, as well as a heist narrative, combined with an action plot full of twist after twist. Each of the main character simultaneously makes the reader adore them and hate them. Each plot twist elevates the plot and keeps the reader completely engaged--the book is virtually “unputdownable.” It’s also followed by an, if possible, even better sequel (Crooked Kingdom) and preceded by a trilogy, letting readers who are hooked dive even further into the author’s worldbuilding.

This series is just So! Good! Agh!

Happy reading!
~Citali

A FANGIRL GOES TO THE HARRY POTTER STUDIOS: Part The Beginning Of The End

The Hogwarts Express has long since left for the year, but I'm here with the very end of this trio of literary tourism posts! 

The amazing Knight bus! From the hall to the Express and to the backlot. After riding the double-decker buses in London and being thrilled with simply being on the second story, I would be so thrilled on the third story of this thing... 

So this is the Dursley house with all these letters. Of course they weren't suspended by wires when they were filmed; it's just for display. There's something haunting in a really cool way about that display. 

Dementor and inferi CGI and model stuff! Can you imagine wearing that Inferi backpack? 

The HP artists are amazing... look at this full model of a merperson's head.

It's the breathing model of Voldemort and as creepy as anything it moves. 

Tarantara, it's Diagon Alley! 

I always rather thought this shop was underrated? In the original Pottermore, you could buy phials and things from it that served no real purpose, although clearly they would have been needed for potions? Pity.

The books are so pretty I want to go insiiiide!

The "architect of Hogwarts" surrounded by the four animals mascots of the Houses. Completely a movie invention; there is no "architect" character in the books. Part of me is a little bit bitter; if Rowena Ravenclaw made the extremely important moving staircases and her House is responsible for one of the four towers, why is the eagle facing the wall?

This is entire rooms full of concept art: sketches, colored pictures, paper models. This is a house-elf suit of armor. How cool is that? There were so many sketches on the walls, it was hard to see them all. 

Here's the iconic (movie-iconic) bridge model!

And then. It hits you. It's dark, and there is clearly one thing in the center. It's Hogwarts. It's Hogwarts, and it's huge. It's magic. 

What I would give for a wand so I could apparate back there and see it all again. 

But it never truly ends. We are Book Eight. 

Happy reading!

~Citali

A FANGIRL GOES TO THE HARRY POTTER STUDIOS: Part Pictoral

Happy summer-is-ending, void-that-is-the-Internets-and-readers-or-dearth-thereof!
Maybe I should just introduce every post like that from now on.

Let's go ♫ sailing off to London ♫ again now, back to the wonderful Harry Potter studios in Leavesden!

**Book, tour, and movie spoilers ahead. Protego!**

The tour, you could say, has three parts (though wouldn't it be *metaphorically significant* if there were seven?): two soundstages and the back lot in between. The first soundstage focuses on sets and props, from the tiny (Harry's cupboard) to the huge (the Great Hall). The backlot is outdoors; the displays there are the outdoor props like the beloved Knight Bus. Finally, the second soundstage features the art and special effects, from the beautiful concept artists' images and models to the creepy masks or suits of special-effect characters like Aragog or Griphook.

Greetings from the Ford Anglia and huge pictures of the major actors! That's Alan Rickman and Tom Felton (Draco's face hidden by Ford Anglia). I think I just let the fangirling fill me up here, and I just stood around with my mouth open. It's already on a grand scale, and there are only a few set pieces out in the lobby.

The first (and smallest) set is right off the lobby; it's Harry's cupboard. It was amazing to see this right off the bat; it's icon and simple and a little bit heartbreaking. Again, it was only the beginning.

Possibly the most of me you'll ever see in a photo, this is my hand as we were standing in line. Buzzing with fangirling excitement, it was the most cheerful line we saw in England, and probably the most cheerful line in the world. We were all very excited, and I just love the Potterhead fandom.  C'mere, you guys. I had a blue pen with me, and I was seriously considering writing "I solemnly swear I am up to no good" or "#RavenclawPride" or "Ravenclaw is blue and bronze" on my hand. I didn't, though, partially because there were simply just too many slogans I wanted. 

There are just no words. No words. No words for the sheer reality and magic and size and scale of the Great Hall. There's a reason it's the first thing on the tour past the doors. Every visitor to the studios must say it, but this place just wows you. It's the best feeling in the world, that mixture of shock and awe and excitement and it's happening, it's happening, I'm here. Of course, this isn't the only place you can feel that, but it was truly magical. It stayed with me the whole time. 

It's the teachers. It's the sorting hat. It's the House mascot lamps. It's uniforms from every house, from first year all the way up to seventh. It's the Hogwartsians amongst us.

We reluctantly moved out of the Great Hall, because there was so much more to explore! The Yule ball outfits were stunning (ha, ha, Ron) from his disastrous dress robes to Cho Chang's beautiful dress (Cho is one of my favorites. Again, Ravenclaw pride!)

Then we moved on to costumes and wigs. This head with two Uncle Vernon mustaches pinned onto it was immensely entertaining to my strange sense of humor. That's a greenscreen glove for Dumbledore's dead hand underneath it, by the way.

More wigs! The long blonde one on the stand is Luna Lovegood's, another of my favorites. Quirky Ravenclaws for the win, of course! Her hair is beautiful, as is everyone's.

There are tables of wigs, there are shelves with more, there are racks of fancy clothes, there are matching shoes that I've never noticed watching the movies. And this can only be a fragment of the movie magic. Isn't that amazing?

It's a tiny rendition of Lupin's classroom! And the only lesson he cinematically taught! Merlin, I love that teacher... and Snape in Neville's grandmother's clothes. I mean... who doesn't?

When you see the Gryffindor boy's dormitory, you're standing a little bit under the roof of it. You look up at the timbers Daniel Radcliffe and Devon Murray and Alfie Enoch and Matthew Lewis and Rupert Grint looked up at, the timbers Harry and Seamus and Dean and Neville and Ron looked up at. It really is cozy.

What can I possibly say about the wands? They're all there. It's amazing. You can see which characters' wands really match them: Dumbledore's elder wand, Bellatrix's claw, Voldemort's terrifying bony thing. Other wands are plainer, like Ginny's which is the second from the right here. I rather wish hers had shown a bit more of her personality, but it's beautiful all the same.

It's the Gryff common room, with the Prisoner of Azkaban costumes! This place is the coziest thing possible, with so much detail, from the paintings on the walls to the door to the stairs up to the Gryff boys' dorm.

Lupin. Tonks. Sirius. I love how they're stood so that it looks a bit like an Olympic gold, silver, and bronze pedestal. This is only partly because it means Tonks is gold, Lupin silver, and Sirius bronze. Although I love them all; this isn't quite my ranking order, either. It would probably be Lupin, then Tonks, then Sirius in my book, but Lupin and Tonks are close in rank.

Beloved Alan Rickman, and less-beloved Snape. The potions classroom is scarily detailed.

It's Dumbledore's office! Look at all those Headmasters. Dumbledore's the washed-out figure in the bottom right.

This is a cage with all the Goblet of Fire props. Look. At. That. It's insane.

The beautiful and iconic, if nonliterary, clock from Prisoner of Azkaban. It's huge.

A big look at a ton of large practical props, with the greenscreen area in the background. I love the Ravenclaw moving staircases. 

The beloved Weasley Burrow. There are things here that actually move (mechanically), it's amazing.

It's the Hogwarts Express! Look at this scarlet glory. It's beautiful. I wish I were on there come this September first.

Everything from the Yule ball costumes up to this point were in this big main hall. Before I went aboard the Express, though, I just had to stop and take one picture looking back.

Hogwarts trolleys, each belonging to a different student distinctively. This is Luna's of course. Check out that aqua footlocker! 

In a cabin at the end of the express. All was well. (Don't talk to me about Cursed Child!)

This gave me so many feels... it's his broken glasses. From fifteen years ago, can you believe?

I promised myself I'd only make very important images very large; I'm getting carried away. But just you look at all these paper goods! I want those textbooks...and all that is just beautiful.

What wouldn't I give to visit a bookstore with a shelf like that? 

I'll end this post here. Don't worry, I'll pop you all off to the rest of the tour (we'll go to all destinations, just nothing underwater, haha) later! 

A big thanks again to people who put up with long-winded and philosophical or pictoral posts. Especially to those people who put up with posts who are also the people who took me on this trip! And especially to Lauchlan for the travel blog format. Thanks for understanding.

Happy imagining!

~Citali