in_interval | Reading

Posted by John Scalzi

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2025/08/01/what-the-hell-indianapolis/

https://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=56637

This sculpture? Terrifying. I understand it’s meant to be a celebration of famed basketball coach John Wooden, but what I see is a man driven to the ground in confusion as the upper bodies of the people around him are vaporized, possibly by aliens, possibly by inimical laser-wielding robots. It’s just deeply confusing and concerning, if you ask me, Indianapolis. And you just put it out in public like that.

Questionable sculpture aside, Indianapolis and GenCon have been lovely so far. Tomorrow is the big day for me, programming-wise, so this evening I will probably take it easy. I hope your first weekend of August will be delightful.

— JS

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2025/08/01/what-the-hell-indianapolis/

https://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=56637

resonant

Last time I saw my hairstylist, she had just bought four chicks and was embarking on a lifestyle of backyard chicken-keeping. She told me all their names. It was sweet.

Turns out chick-sexing is an imperfect art. Over the intervening month, she started to hear one of the birds crowing, but it took a while to figure out which one. It was Dottie.

My stylist called everybody she knew out in the county until she found someone who was both interested in rooster and zoned for rooster. When she was carrying Dottie out to the car to take him to his new home, he crowed a goodbye at the coop as they passed.

Out of the coop they heard some farewell cackling. And more crowing.

lomonaaeren

Title: Harry Potter and His Accidentally Saving People Thing
Disclaimer: J. K. Rowling and associates own these characters. I am writing this story for fun and not profit.
Pairing: Harry/Justin Finch-Fletchley, a few mentions of Neville Longbottom/Luna Lovegood
Content Notes: AU (Hufflepuff Harry, Harry is not the Boy-Who-Lived), angst, minor violence, canon-typical bigotry, canonical child abuse, humor, bullying, minor character death
Rating: PG-13
Summary: AU. Harry grew up with the Dursleys after his parents died in the war, but he isn’t the Boy-Who-Lived. His determination to have friends at Hogwarts leads him into Hufflepuff House. And his determination to protect himself and his friends leads to him saving the day, a lot—accidentally.
Author’s Notes: This is one of my “Songs of Summer” short stories. It will have three parts, to be posted over the next few days.

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runpunkrun posting in

fancake

Our theme for August is marriage of convenience!

These partnerships are made for practical, political, or professional reasons rather than personal ones, but they rarely stay that way...

Since this is a Flashback Round where we revisit a theme from the early days of the comm—marriage of convenience was a Cupcake Round back in 2014—this month it doesn't matter if a work has already been recced for this theme, go ahead and rec it again!

The tag for this round is: theme: marriage of convenience

If you're just joining us, be sure to check out our policy on content notes. Content notes aren't required, but they're nice to include in your recs, especially if a fanwork has untagged content that readers may wish to know about in advance.

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Reblog on Tumblr | Reskeet on Bluesky | Retoot on Mastodon

xkcd_feed

https://xkcd.com/3123/

Achilles was a mighty warrior, but his Achilles' heel was his heel.

https://xkcd.com/3123/

oracne

We had some big thunderstorms Thursday afternoon and the heat seems to have broken for now. Although humid, it was in the mid-sixties Farenheit this morning when I did my jog. I have opened windows!

On my jog, I have occasionally, rarely, had a male observer yell something catcall-y from a car or whatever, but this morning, I got a solemn thumbs up from a middle-aged woman whose car was stopped at the light, and a smile from a younger woman jogging the opposite direction while I was doing my cooldown walk. That was really nice.

yhlee

https://candlearc.com/candle-arc-comic-1/

:3

(The physical zine has additional bonus material not on the website.)

jlpt4_feed

http://www.jgram.org/pages/viewOne.php?tagE=hoshii

欲しい(hoshii)

Meaning: to want something (desirative)
Example: I want a car.

[ View this entry online ]

Examples:

靴がほしいのです。
I'd like some shoes.
「わたしは、妻と子供が欲しいので、家が必要なんだよ。」
"I want a wife and children, and so I need a house."
だれか話し相手がほしい。
I want someone to talk to.
もう一杯ビールがほしいな。
I feel like another beer.
デザートにアイスクリームがほしい。
I want ice cream for dessert.
君は何がほしい。
What do you want now?
領収書がほしいのですが。
I would like a receipt, please.
欲しい。
I want (you/it). [romantic nuance]

http://www.jgram.org/pages/viewOne.php?tagE=hoshii

jlpt3_feed

http://www.jgram.org/pages/viewOne.php?tagE=kotokara

〜ことから(kotokara)

Meaning: because
Example:

[ View this entry online ]

Examples:

店の前にいつも人が並んでいることから、人気のある店だということがわかる。
Since there's always a line of people in front of the store, I understand the fact that it's a popular shop.
町並みが昔のままに保存され、古い寺も多いことから、その町は「小京都」と呼ばれている。
Since the streets are maintained to look how they did long ago, and since there are lots of old temples, that town is called "Little Kyoto."
文字のことから看板のことまでご相談下さい。
Please feel free to contact us about anything from text to signboards.
皆さん、話がおしゃむ君のことから逸れてるんですけど｡
'Scuze me all, but the subject's about Oshamu-kun so you're getting off topic.
そういうことだから。
Because it's supposed to be like that.
このことから当然彼は潔白にちがいないということになる。
It follows from this that he must be innocent.
このことから彼は当然無罪潔白にちがいないということになる。
It follows from this that he must be innocent.
ふとしたことからその噂は嘘だと分かった。
Accidentally, the rumor has turned out to be false.

http://www.jgram.org/pages/viewOne.php?tagE=kotokara

scaramouche

I got a copy of Christopher Moore's Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal thanks to a tumblr post (this one). It's a madcap (a word used in a review blurb on the jacker) comedy that's mainly about Joshua of Nazareth's childhood and teenhood, i.e. the missing years, from the POV of his childhood best friend who got excised from the gospels.

( Under cut. )

Current Mood: mellow

pronker posting in

fancake

Fandom: Star Wars
Pairings/Characters: Kleya Marki & Luthen Rael from the Andor series
Rating: K
Length: 7,108
Creator Links: FFN Profile
Theme: Working Together

Summary: He was never meant to survive. So why is she risking so much to save the man who killed her family?

Reccer's Notes: Kleya does her duty, as does Luthen, in aid of the rebellion. When their wishes and deeds clash, it takes forever and a day to reach an equilibrium. I especially enjoyed the scenario of two rebels diminishing status once their seminal work concludes, because how do they fit in now? And do they want to? Fine characterization, and a what-if that we hope happens, in some other timeline, perhaps.

Fanwork Link: Questionable Provenance

Current Mood: calm
Current Location: sofa

emrinalexander

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emrinalexander

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yhlee

I realize most people reading this are not in the Baton Rouge area, but:

Louisiana Zine Fest tomorrow!

Date:
Friday, August 1, 2025

Time:
12pm – 8pm

Place:
Main Library at Goodwood
7711 Goodwood Blvd
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
map

Some prototypes as teasers :)

I'll be there with a sketchbook. We'll see if I can avoid having to carry too many zines back home! :)

jlpt4_feed

http://www.jgram.org/pages/viewOne.php?tagE=tsumori

つもり (積もり・積り)(tsumori)

Meaning: One's intention; conviction; belief
Example: I intend to do that; I am convinced that ...

[ View this entry online ]

Examples:

私は医者になるつもりです。
I intend to become a doctor.
出かけないつもりです。
My plan is not to leave.
会議には出ないつもりです
I do not intend to attend the meeting
そのつもりは全然ありません
I do not ever intend to do that.
1時間後に出発するつもりだ。
We will leave in hour.
3月末に私たちは結婚するつもりです。
At the end of March we will marry.
明日は家に居るつもりだ。
I will stay at home tomorrow.
あす（明日）一番にそれをするつもりです。
I am going to do it first thing tomorrow.

http://www.jgram.org/pages/viewOne.php?tagE=tsumori

jlpt3_feed

http://www.jgram.org/pages/viewOne.php?tagE=nikurabete

〜に比べて(nikurabete)

Meaning: compared to
Example: compared to past times...

[ View this entry online ]

Examples:

今年は去年に比べ、雨の量が多い。
This year, compared to last year, the quantity of rain is much more.
ノーパンクタイヤはエアタイヤに比べて寿命が長く、理想的です。
"no puncture" tires in comparison with air tires have a long useful life and are ideal
この作品は君の前のに比べて進歩している。
This work is an improvement on your last.
この本はあの本に比べて、ためになるばかりでなくおもしろい。
This book is not only more instructive but more interesting than that book.
それは以前に比べて格段に進歩した。
It has greatly improved compared with what it was.
コンピューターに比べて、ワープロは一つの目的にしか使えない。
Compared to a computer, a word processor has a single purpose.
古い機種に比べてこちらのほうがずっと扱いやすい。
Compared with the old model, this is far easier to handle.
昨年に比べて今年は春の訪れが早かった。
Spring has come early this year compared with last year.

http://www.jgram.org/pages/viewOne.php?tagE=nikurabete

mific posting in

fancake

Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Characters/Pairings: John Sheppard, Rodney McKay, Stephen Caldwell, Elizabeth Weir, Laura Cadman, Radek Zelenka, Lindsay Novak - the usual Daedalus and Atlantis suspects.
Rating: Teen
Length: 100,449
Content Notes: Contains descriptions of serious injuries, animal attacks, extreme environmental conditions, violence, murder. No AO3 warnings apply.
Creator Links: Sholio on AO3, Sholio's old SGA website
Themes: Working together, Action/adventure, Competence, Hurt/comfort, Novel-length, Epic work, Genfic, Worldbuilding

Summary: When a scientific mission goes wrong, the Daedalus crashes on an ice planet along with Atlantis's top scientists and a ruthless saboteur. Will rescue come before injuries and the elements take their toll? Roughly season two era.

Reccer's Notes: This is a gripping, full-blown novel. The Daedalus crash-lands on a Gateless, uninhabited, icy planet while carrying a number of Atlantis personnel (Rodney, Radek, Elizabeth and Cadman), while back on Atlantis, realising something's gone badly wrong, John, Simpson, Carson, Lorne, et al try frantically to locate them, then to reach them by puddlejumper. It's a thriller about surviving both a disastrous crash and the freezing, inhospitable planet, plus searching for the saboteur or saboteurs who caused the crash. There's tons of detail about how the two groups separately work together to survive, and to find and reach the crashed ship, and then once the relief party arrives their troubles aren't over, with the saboteur still working against them and the logistics of only having puddlejumpers to perform a complex rescue. Sholio weaves it all together masterfully and it's an extremely good read with excellent worldbuilding, better than most pro thrillers. Highly recommended.

Fanwork Links: The Killing Frost on AO3, or here

lomonaaeren

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scalziwhatever_feed

Posted by John Scalzi

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2025/07/30/view-from-a-hotel-window-7-30-25-indianapolis/

https://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=56631

And boy, if the state capitol wrapped in scaffolding isn’t a metaphor for something, I don’t know what is.

Anyway, hello, here I am in Indianapolis for GenCon, where I am a Guest of Honor for the convention’s writers symposium. For the next several days I will be on panels, dispensing what passes as my wisdom on the subject of writing and publishing. Oh boy! If you’re here, come say hello. If you’re not here, maybe wait to say hello until I am in your vicinity.

— JS

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2025/07/30/view-from-a-hotel-window-7-30-25-indianapolis/

https://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=56631