Last year I restarted my tradition of making my own calendar, and this drawing is my 2021 favourite :) That year, the theme was “pieces of media/characters that barricaded a space in my head in recent times”.
Characters based on Hanani and Wanahomen from the book The Shadowed Sun, by NK Jemisin.
by Lori Lakin Hutcherson (@lakinhutcherson) In today’s Daily Drop, we explore the term “Afrofuturism” and its origin. To read about it and see links to sources, read on. To hear about it, press PLAY:
For real though I meme on Dekarta being a sexy gay Latino wizard, but it is actually so meaningful to me that N.K. Jemisin introduces a whole society that is unequivocally Latin American without miring it in the cultural cliches that are abundant even in works written by other latinoamericans. It means a lot to me that they just were, that they were heroes, they were scientists, they were queens, they were gods. All of the (albeit shamefully scarce) art I’ve seen of them makes a concerted effort to make them look accurate, and it’s wonderful seeing characters with my features in fantasy settings. Normally latine characters aren’t allowed to be in fantasy because they’re considered irreplaceable from their modern stereotypes, which is why you never see them in settings like Wheel of Time
The City We Became spent several months sitting on my bookshelf unread. I was busy with university homework. Last semester every one of my professors was assigning work like we were only taking their class. With not enough hours in the day to get homework done, books went unread. I really wish I had gotten tot his book sooner. This book deserves all the stars. It has found it’s way onto my list…
The City We Became spent several months sitting on my bookshelf unread. I was busy with university homework. Last semester every one of my professors was assigning work like we were only taking their class. WIth not enough hours in the day to get homework done, books went unread. I really wish I had gotten tot his book sooner. This book deserves…
Good morning, everyone! I hope your week is off to a wonderful start! :)
Apologies for not posting more last week, I was trying to take some time off of the internet and decompress a bit before diving into what is sure to be a rather stressful month. Last week also marked the 15 year anniversary of my dad’s death, so that’s always a weird time for me, as well. I’d love to hear how you all are doing! How’s life? Can you believe it’s already almost December?? How’s your weather?? We’re still getting warm weather here off and on, go figure.
In regard to the books (which is why we’re all here), there are a ton on sale, so seems like an awesome time to stock up on both new and backlist releases for really great prices if you need to get some more books to read! Also, I will link to and repost my deals post from last week because I’m pretty sure those are also still on sale, so lots of options. :) The Book of Koli is one I always recommend, and I’ve really enjoyed books by H.G. Parry! Also, I haven’t read them, but the entire Cursebreaker series (A Curse so Dark and Lonely, etc.) is on sale as a bundle, so if you’ve been wanting to read that it seems like a really good deal! There are just basically a lot of awesome books available to choose from, including some super new releases, as well as some really popular backlist titles (like The Fifth Season!), so definitely have a look. :)
Anyway, I hope you all have a truly wonderful day, and happy reading to all!
The Icepick Surgeon: Murder, Fraud, Sabotage, PIracy, and Other Dastardly Deeds Perpetrated in the Name of Science by Sam Kean - https://amzn.to/3D5qBCr
NOTE: I am categorizing these book deals posts under the tag #bookdeals, so if you don’t want to see them then just block that tag and you should be good. I am an Amazon affiliate and will receive a small (but very much needed!) commission on any purchase made through these links. If you’d rather shop at other bookstores, I am also a Bookshop.organdIndieboundaffiliate! :)
“There are none so frightened, or so strange in their fear, as conquerors. They conjure phantoms endlessly, terrified that their victims will someday do back what was done to them—even if, in truth, their victims couldn’t care less about such pettiness and have moved on. Conquerors live in dread of the day when they are shown to be, not superior, but simply lucky.” - NK Jemisin in The Stone Sky p.210
Back in the spring, I read and did a critical comparative analysis on both Cressida J. Heyes’ Self-Transformations: Foucault, Ethics, and Normalized Bodies, and Dr. Sami Schalk’s BODYMINDS REIMAGINED: (Dis)ability, Race, and Gender in Black Women’s Speculative Fiction. Each of these texts aims to explore conceptions of modes of embodied being, and the ways the exterior pressure of societal norms impacts what are seen as “normal” or “acceptable” bodies.
For Heyes, that exploration takes the form of three case studies: The hermeneutics of transgender individuals, especially trans women; the “Askeses” (self-discipline practices) of organized weight loss dieting programs; and “Attempts to represent the subjectivity of cosmetic surgery patients.” Schalk’s site of interrogation is Black women speculative fiction authors and the ways in which their writing illuminates new understandings of race, gender, and what Schalk terms “(dis)ability.
Both Heyes and Schalk focus on popular culture and they both center gender as a valence of investigation because the embodied experience of women in western society is the crux point for multiple intersecting pressures.
Another small stack of new releases you might have missed! These (and more) can be found on our webstore, or ordered over the phone. And don’t forget, we take preorders!
