Birdfeeding

Jul. 2nd, 2025 04:20 pm
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
Today is mostly sunny and warm.

I fed the birds.  I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.  Robins are foraging in the short grass that my partner Doug mowed yesterday in the house yard.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 7/2/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 7/2/25 -- I took some pictures around the yard.

EDIT 7/2/25 -- I watered the old picnic table, new picnic table, and telephone pole gardens.

Fireflies are out.  Cicadas are singing.





.
 
bluedreaming: (pseudonym - deathskirts)
[personal profile] bluedreaming posting in [community profile] fan_flashworks
Fandom: Stoker
Rating: M/R
Length: 100 words
Content notes: references to past canonical major character death (murder), callous reflections on bodies and decomposition, no sexual content
Author notes: The title is from SCIENCE FICTION by Les Murray and ON LEAVING THE BODY TO SCIENCE by Claudia Emerson.
Summary: In which India thinks about her uncle.

Read more... )

Things learned in June

Jul. 2nd, 2025 11:07 pm
tinny: Something Else holding up its colorful drawing - "be different" (Default)
[personal profile] tinny
June was a slow month, but better than nothing. :)

14 things, some animal trivia and other random stuff )
conuly: (Default)
[personal profile] conuly
On the day the world ends
A bee circles a clover,
A fisherman mends a glimmering net.
Happy porpoises jump in the sea,
By the rainspout young sparrows are playing
And the snake is gold-skinned as it should always be.

On the day the world ends
Women walk through the fields under their umbrellas,
A drunkard grows sleepy at the edge of a lawn,
Vegetable peddlers shout in the street
And a yellow-sailed boat comes nearer the island,
The voice of a violin lasts in the air
And leads into a starry night.

And those who expected lightning and thunder
Are disappointed.
And those who expected signs and archangels’ trumps
Do not believe it is happening now.
As long as the sun and the moon are above,
As long as the bumblebee visits a rose,
As long as rosy infants are born
No one believes it is happening now.

Only a white-haired old man, who would be a prophet
Yet is not a prophet, for he’s much too busy,
Repeats while he binds his tomatoes:
There will be no other end of the world,
There will be no other end of the world.

Warsaw, 1944


***


Link

(no subject)

Jul. 2nd, 2025 04:59 pm
watersword: "the trouble with you, Ibid, is that you think you're the biggest bloody authority on everything." (Stock: citation)
[personal profile] watersword

Face of sadness & rage: the public library here has had to cut its streaming services, likely in part because of the destruction of the IMLS, which funded a lot of that. This is a fucking travesty.

It's been too hot to bake, so I picked up a loaf of bread and am basking in the season's first tomato sandwiches. Bliss.

One thing I want to do before the end of the summer is borrow the ice cream maker and dehydrator from the Thing Library; my ice cream quest continues (Dutch Chocolate is perfectly fine but not a standout); blueberrying has not been scheduled but I have agreement that it sounds like fun from the people I want to go with. I am up to H.M.S. Surprise in the Aubreyad and enjoying myself thoroughly.

I love summer so much. I feel like a person.

china_shop: The popcorn scene from Guardian. :-) (Guardian - popcorn!)
[personal profile] china_shop posting in [community profile] sid_guardian
Poll #33318 Location, location, location
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 6


What's your favourite location in the show?

View Answers

the main room at the SID
4 (66.7%)

Zhao Yunlan's flat
4 (66.7%)

Shen Wei's office
1 (16.7%)

the Dijun's palace
0 (0.0%)

the Sky Pillar in its field of ruins
1 (16.7%)

the SID lab
0 (0.0%)

the Inspectorate lab
0 (0.0%)

Shen Wei's flat
2 (33.3%)

the streets of Dragon City
1 (16.7%)

the streets of Dixing
1 (16.7%)

the Dixing bar
2 (33.3%)

the Allied Forces Head Quarters (YOHE)
0 (0.0%)

other (please specify)
1 (16.7%)

When we first see Da Qing in Ye Olde Haixing Era, how long has he been wandering around looking for Kunlun?

View Answers

thanks to the Hallows' planning, only a few hours
2 (33.3%)

a day or less
1 (16.7%)

several days
0 (0.0%)

one to two weeks
0 (0.0%)

he kept getting distracted chasing mice and birds, so more than two weeks
1 (16.7%)

Shen Wei sent news of his benefactor (short hair; strange weapon) to Ma Gui and Fu You, who did the math and sent Da Qing out to find him, so less than an hour
4 (66.7%)

other (please specify)
1 (16.7%)

Happy Birthday to Me!

Jul. 2nd, 2025 04:48 pm
osprey_archer: (books)
[personal profile] osprey_archer
Today is my birthday! Happy birthday to me!

Yesterday I took chocolate white chip cookies to Dulcimer Gathering and everyone played me Happy Birthday. Today, I caught up on my correspondence while sipping my free hot chocolate at Starbucks, then spent the rest of the day happily puttering: a little cross stitch, a little dulcimer, a little reading with tea and the last of the aforementioned chocolate white chip cookies.

Next up: dinner with the family, and then I will be taking them on a tour of the Hummingbird Cottage! This is the first time that my brother and sister-in-law have seen the place with actual furniture, so I also spent some of my puttering time tidying so that everyone will believe that I live in an oasis of peace and cleanliness.

The herbs and the cherry tomatoes are growing well. There are little green tomatoes on the tomato vines now! Also, one of the tomatoes is next to a climbing vine of some variety, which has latched onto the tomato cage and as far as I can see tied itself there. Most impressed with the plant’s knot-making abilities.

Life advice

Jul. 2nd, 2025 04:35 pm
petra: A blonde woman with both hands over her face (Britta - Twohanded facepalm)
[personal profile] petra
Do not allow ants in your pants. They might bite you on the genitals, which would Really, Really Hurt. They do not make you fidgety; they make you miserable.
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Posted by Meagan Navarro

SpectreVision, the production company of Elijah Wood, Daniel Noah, and Lawrence Inglee, has teamed with Norwegian filmmaker Patrik Syversen on Dawning, Deadline reports today.

The genre-bender is described as a “Scandinavian prestige drama filtered through a horror prism.”

Dawning follows “three sisters who have withdrawn to their family’s vacation home in the wake of the youngest sister’s second suicide attempt. When news reaches them that their abusive mother has passed, the two elder sisters decide not to tell the youngest to spare her the burden. Things begin to unravel when a mysterious man shows up on the property, shifting the siblings’ perspective from one of introspection and analysis to something a lot more primal.”

Starring in Dawning are Kathrine Thorborg Johansen (Power Play), Marte Magnusdotter Solem (Lovable), Thorbjørn Harr, and Steinar Klouman Hallert (Sick of Myself).

In a statement on their new project, the SpectreVision partners told Deadline, “We were completely knocked-out by Dawning. The film shows a masterful command of its material, creating a fearless tone that is entirely its own. Bold. Riveting. Poignant. Terrifying. We’re grateful for the opportunity to work together on Dawning, and can’t wait to see what comes next from this team! Patrik enters the next phase of his career as a major new voice in international cinema.”

Said Syversen, “It’s an absolute honor to team up with SpectreVision. Their sensibility, love for cinema and quest for the subversive and idiosyncratic makes them a perfect fit for Dawning, a deeply personal film that in many ways feels like a new beginning for me as a filmmaker. I can’t think of a better company to start that journey with.”

Wood, Noah, and Inglee executive produced, with Syversen and cinematographer Andreas Johannessen (Rabbit Trap) producing.

SpectreVision is behind genre hits Mandy, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, Daniel Isn’t Real, The Greasy Strangler, and more.

Dawning recently wrapped production, so stay tuned for more as we learn it.

The post ‘Dawning’ – SpectreVision Teams with Filmmaker Patrik Syversen on Genre-Bender appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

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Posted by Alex DiVincenzo

With Jurassic World Rebirth in theaters now, its soundtrack is coming to vinyl from Mutant.

Composed by Academy Award winner Alexandre Desplat (The Shape of Water, Godzilla), the score is pressed on 2xLP colored vinyl.

“Continuing in the legacy of composers like John Williams, Don Davis, and Michael Giacchino, Alexandre Desplat brings the action-packed Jurassic World: Rebirth to life with equal parts bombast and tenderness,” says Mutant co-founder Mo Shafeek. “Beautiful piano melodies give reprieve from thundering percussion in this beautiful and essential addition to the Jurassic franchise.”

Due out on October 3, the album costs $40. A double-CD version, priced at $20, will be available the same day.

The seventh installment in the dinosaur franchise is directed by Gareth Edwards (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Godzilla) and written by David Koepp (Jurassic Park, Mission: Impossible).

Five years after the events of Jurassic World Dominion, the planet’s ecology has proven largely inhospitable to dinosaurs. Those remaining exist in isolated equatorial environments with climates resembling the one in which they once thrived. The three most colossal creatures within that tropical biosphere hold the key to a drug that will bring miraculous life-saving benefits to humankind.

Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, Rupert Friend, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Luna Blaise, David Iacono, Audrina Miranda, Philippine Velge, Bechir Sylvain, and Ed Skrein star.

Meagan Navarro wrote in her review, “Jurassic World Rebirth takes a step in the right direction, but the previous trilogy backed this franchise so thoroughly into a corner that it may be time to let this series go extinct.”

The post Alexandre Desplat’s ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’ Soundtrack Pressed on Vinyl by Mutant appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Stories I've liked, 2nd quarter 2025

Jul. 2nd, 2025 03:15 pm
mrissa: (Default)
[personal profile] mrissa
 

As Safe As Fear, Beth Cato (Daikajuzine)

In the Shells of Broken Things, A.T. Greenblatt (Clarkesworld)

The Name Ziya, Wen-yi Lee (Reactor)

Barbershops of the Floating City, Angela Liu (Uncanny)

Everyone Keeps Saying Probably, Premee Mohamed (Psychopomp)

Lies From a Roadside Vagabond, Aaron Perry (Beneath Ceaseless Skies)

The Girl That My Mother Is Leaving Me For, Cameron Reed (Reactor)

Laser Eyes Ain't Everything, Effie Seiberg (Diabolical Plots)

Unbeaten, Grace Seybold (Beneath Ceaseless Skies)

Unfinished Architectures of the Human-Fae War, Caroline Yoachim (Uncanny)

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Posted by John Squires

Ryan Coogler’s Sinners will make its streaming debut on HBO Max this coming Friday, July 4, and we’ve learned this week that Max will also be streaming the Black American Sign Language (BASL) version of Sinners alongside the original version of the film in the U.S.

Max notes in an official press release, “This groundbreaking release marks the first time a streaming platform will exclusively debut a film interpreted in BASL.”

“The release of Sinners with BASL is a major step forward in accessibility, representation, and visibility in streaming,” Max explains. “BASL is a distinct dialect of American Sign Language (ASL) with its own dynamic history and unique grammar, signing space, rhythm, facial expressions, and cultural nuances. For the first time, the Black Deaf community will have streaming access to a more immersive experience in their language. Max subscribers, who sign in ASL but are unfamiliar with this dialect, will also be able to follow along with this interpretation.

Sinners with BASL is interpreted by Nakia Smith, an influential voice in the Black Deaf community, who delivers a powerful interpretation with cultural depth and linguistic richness that aligns with the film’s themes and historical timeline. Rosa Lee Timm, Director of Artistic Sign Language, is a renowned performance artist and uses her expertise in sign language performance and visual storytelling to ensure cultural authenticity.”

“Accessibility within streaming is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Our goal at Max is to make these great stories accessible to all audiences in a way that is authentic to the content and the communities we serve,” said Naomi Waibel, SVP of Global Product Management at Warner Bros. Discovery. “Sinners with Black American Sign Language is an example of how culturally nuanced access can enrich the viewing experience for our audiences.”

“With ASL” titles, including Sinners, will be displayed on the Max app and indicated with key art featuring the sign language symbol. Look for both versions of the film on the 4th of July.

Written and directed by Ryan Coogler (Black Panther, Creed), the critically acclaimed vampire horror film stars Michael B. Jordan in a dual role as twin brothers Smoke and Stack.

Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, they return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back.

The post ‘Sinners’ HBO Max Premiere Will Include Black American Sign Language Version appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

July Theme + Request List

Jul. 2nd, 2025 08:45 pm
thisbluespirit: (dw - seven & ace)
[personal profile] thisbluespirit posting in [community profile] tardis_library
Recs of any sort may be posted at any time, but in addition we have monthly themes. [community profile] tardis_library's theme for June is now closed, and here is our new theme for July:


Seventh Doctor // Game

"You always know. You just can't be bothered to tell anyone. It's like it's some kind of game, and only you know the rules."


This month is the seventh month of the year and coincidentally, it's the turn of the Seventh Doctor to hog the spotlight. Bring out your favourite fanworks for Seven and anything and anyone from their era or works that feature games in any way, or, as ever, both.

Post your recs to the community in the normal way any time from now until midnight on 31st July 2025 in your timezone. (See Info & Guidelines for posting template and instructions). Recs posted for monthly themes have their own tag with banners at the end of the year for reccers who posted something for at least six out of the twelve themes over the year. (Just let me know if you prefer not to receive banners.)

When making your post, add the tag "other: monthly theme". (The mods can take care of any other needed tags if you prefer, but a challenge/theme tag could easily be missed.)

Our current Seasonal Challenge is Reccer's Bingo, which is open for sign ups for cards and posting recs until 21 September 2025.


Request List
Anyone may also request any specific recs they'd like to see. (e.g. "Fourth Doctor fic, not on Teaspoon," "Cheerful Bill Potts artwork," "Leela vid," "recent Ten/Rose," etc.) If you are only interested in one medium (fic/vid/art etc/), don't forget to specify.

Current requests:
* Classic Who fanvids, any Doctor/TARDIS team (music, no/minimal audio quotes preferred), especially out there on tumblr/YT - [personal profile] thisbluespirit
* Twelfth Doctor h/c that's not on AO3 (any pairing or gen) - [personal profile] ruuger
* Rose/Nine fic, any genre, anywhere - anon
* Jack/Esther fic (Torchwood) - [personal profile] chamilet
* Babyfic and/or de-age fic, any era/any team - [personal profile] romanajo123
* Fanworks in more unusual media (not Art, Fic, or Vids) - [personal profile] lurking_latinist
* Gen fic featuring the Doctor's scarf any era - [personal profile] liadt
* fic set after Planet of Giants that focus on the events of that story - [personal profile] scifirenegade


Make your requests in the comments here to be added to the list. (Anon commenting is on.) If you make a rec that fills any of these requests, please add the "other: request" tag to your entry so it can be found easily.)


Any other questions? Ask here or at the Info & Guidelines post, or PM the mod.

Featured Article: Diana Bennett

Jul. 2nd, 2025 06:01 pm
[syndicated profile] fanlore_tumblr_feed
Image of an open folder on a desk, on the left is a polaroid containing an image of Diana Bennett. There is also plant shaped clips and a note that reads 'week 27, June 27 to July 5'. On the right is a paper that includes the text from Featured Article post, plus another plant shaped clip. The Fanlore logo is in the upper right corner.ALT

This week’s Featured Article is Diana Bennett.

Diana is a controversial character from Beauty and the Beast TV series fandom. She was introduced in the third season of the show, after the death of beloved fan favorite character Catherine, as a potential new love interest for Vincent. This caused quite a stir in the fandom at the time. In response, some fans rejected the third season outright. There were some fans that liked Diana, but just didn’t like her in a romantic relationship with Vincent. To avoid the issue they would include Diana in their fanworks, but they would label them “Diana Appears as a Friend”.

Curious to learn more? Visit Diana’s page on Fanlore!

—–

We value every contribution to our shared fandom history. If you’re new to editing Fanlore or wikis in general, visit our New Visitor Portal to get started or ask us questions here!

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Posted by Michael Roffman

In 2025, the Halloweenies are celebrating the storied legacy of the Universal Monsters. Dracula, Wolf Man, Frankenstein, his Bride, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, the Invisible Man… all will be covered. In fact, each monster is getting their own month, giving the Halloweenies plenty of time to dig deep into their respective origins and chart their influence over the past century and some change.

Last month, the gang stalked the cellars for 1925’s silent blockbuster The Phantom of the Opera. This month, however, they’re cooling off by wading in the waters of the Amazon in search of 1954’s Creature from the Black Lagoon. Directed by Jack Arnold, the sci-fi creature feature marked a new beginning for the Universal Monsters. Or did it?

Topics include: the myth that molded the movie, how the Creature fits into the Universal Monsters pantheon, the ways the franchise fumbled a promising new future, the plague of too many doctors, the beauty of Julia Adams, all the failed remakes, and the controversy between Milicent Patrick and the true creature Bud Westmore.

Stream the episode below or subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and RSS. New to the Halloweenies ? Catch up with the gang by revisiting their essential episodes on past franchises such as HalloweenA Nightmare on Elm StreetFriday the 13thScreamThe Evil DeadChucky, and Alien! This year it’s all Universal, all Monsters.

Which creature is next? It’s a funny one.

You can also become a member of their Patreon, The Rewind, for irreverent commentaries (eg The Texas Chainsaw Massacre , Gremlins , Jaws ), one-off deep dives on your favorite rentals (eg Killer Klowns from Outer Space , Invasion of the Body Snatchers), and even spinoffs like their recent run Fortune & Glory: An Indiana Jones Podcast .

Facebook  |  Instagram  |  Twitter  |  Patreon | Store

The post The History of the Universal Monsters: 1954’s ‘Creature from the Black Lagoon’ Teased a New Future for the Franchise [Halloweenies Podcast] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

lylith_st: (Tape)
[personal profile] lylith_st posting in [community profile] fandom_icons

CANON:
Apple Tv Murderbot
CHARACTERS: Murderbot
ADDITIONAL INFO: Icons from episodes 1 to 8, beware of spoilers.
CREDIT TO: [personal profile] lylith_st


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Posted by Molly Templeton

News activism

Strange Horizons and DragonCon Among Groups Launching Project to Fight Copaganda and Surveillance Tech

Activists and authors are uniting to make a difference.

By

Published on July 2, 2025

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<p class="syndicationauthor">Posted by Molly Templeton</p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://reactormag.com/activists-and-authors-launch-a-project-to-fight-copaganda-and-surveillance-tech/">https://reactormag.com/activists-and-authors-launch-a-project-to-fight-copaganda-and-surveillance-tech/</a></p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://reactormag.com/?p=817472">https://reactormag.com/?p=817472</a></p><post-hero class="wp-block-post-hero js-post-hero post-hero post-hero-horizontal"> <div class="container container-desktop"> <div class="flex flex-col mx-auto post-hero-container"> <div class="post-hero-content"> <div class="post-hero-tags font-aktiv text-xs tracking-[0.5px] font-medium uppercase"> <span class="mr-3"> <i class="inline-block w-2 h-2 rounded-full mr-[5px] bg-blue"></i> <a href="https://reactormag.com/articles/news/" class="inline-block link-no-animation" aria-label="Link to term or tag News 0"> News </a> </span> <span class="mr-3"> <i class="inline-block w-2 h-2 rounded-full mr-[5px] bg-blue"></i> <a href="https://reactormag.com/tag/activism/" class="inline-block link-no-animation" aria-label="Link to term or tag activism 1"> activism </a> </span> </div> <h2 class="post-hero-title text-h1"><i>Strange Horizons</i> and DragonCon Among Groups Launching Project to Fight Copaganda and Surveillance Tech</h2> <div class="prose post-hero-description prose--post-hero">Activists and authors are uniting to make a difference.</div> <div class="post-hero-wrapper"> <div class="post-hero-inner"> <p class="post-hero-author text-xs font-aktiv uppercase font-medium [&amp;_a]:link-hover">By <a href="https://reactormag.com/author/molly-templeton/" title="Posts by Molly Templeton" class="author url fn" rel="author">Molly Templeton</a></p> <span class="post-hero-symbol relative top-[-2px] hidden tablet:block">|</span> <p class="text-xs uppercase post-hero-publish font-aktiv"> Published on July 2, 2025 </p> </div> </div> <div class="quick-access 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srcset="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/stop-copaganda-image-740x560.png 740w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/stop-copaganda-image-1100x832.png 1100w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/stop-copaganda-image-140x105.png 140w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/stop-copaganda-image-768x581.png 768w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/stop-copaganda-image.png 1184w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" /> </figure> </div> </div> </div> </post-hero> <div class="wp-block-more-from-category"> <div> </div> </div> <p>Surveillance is everywhere—from security cameras to smart doorbells, trackers in our phones to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/30/technology/trump-palantir-data-americans.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">alarming databases</a>. A group of privacy activists and human rights experts have now put together a toolkit for writers who &#8220;want to write more dynamic stories that challenge fascist repression via surveillance tech,&#8221; as a press release puts it.</p> <p>The Stop Surveillance Tech Copaganda Toolkit was created by privacy activists and human rights experts, working with a fascinating group of collaborators: the Decentralized Web (DWeb), DragonCon, RightsCon communities, and <em>Strange Horizons</em>. The kit itself is a collection of stories, analyses of the stories, reactions, &#8220;and incitement.&#8221; The toolkit&#8217;s appendices include everything from guidelines on contacting experts to a list of relevant books, movies, and films.</p> <p>The stories were selected by a panel of judges and include work by Christine Phan, Cecilia Ananías Soto, Rich Larson, Christopher R. Muscato, and Corey Jae White and Maddison Stoff. They appear both in a special issue of <em>Strange Horizons</em> and as a special issue of <em><a href="https://stopcopaganda.compost.digital/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">COMPOST Magazine</a></em>.</p> <p>In a statement, project editor and producer Lia Holland, who is also campaigns and communications director at <a href="https://www.fightforthefuture.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Fight for the Future</a>, said:</p> <figure class="wp-block-pullquote has-text-align-left"><blockquote><p>A lot of surveillance tech is snake oil—but when it works, it’s even worse for human rights. Decisions about whether these technologies come into our communities are being made by the rich and powerful—and with the complicity of storytellers in writing free propaganda for the corporations and governments intent on Orwellian control of every moment of our lives. It is untrue that most surveillance tech actually works as its marketers say it will, or that only the so-called good guys will use it. It’s well past time that creative people put our minds to disrupting these false narratives. This is our clap back to surveillance tech’s capitulation to fascism, and we’re calling for every storyteller to get on board.</p></blockquote></figure> <p>Writer Christopher R. Muscato said, “As creators, we bear responsibility in the narratives we enforce, propagate, or choose to dismantle. There is no such thing as a passive story, nor an apolitical one. Every word we commit to paper is an act of either acquiescence or defiance. As an author, I encourage my peers to more actively engage in the impact of the futures they are imagining, and I’m proud to be a part of a toolkit that offers a great place to start.”</p> <p>You can explore the toolkit <a href="https://stopcopaganda.compost.digital/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>.[end-mark]</p> <p></p> <p>The post <a href="https://reactormag.com/activists-and-authors-launch-a-project-to-fight-copaganda-and-surveillance-tech/">&lt;i&gt;Strange Horizons&lt;/i&gt; and DragonCon Among Groups Launching Project to Fight Copaganda and Surveillance Tech</a> appeared first on <a href="https://reactormag.com">Reactor</a>.</p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://reactormag.com/activists-and-authors-launch-a-project-to-fight-copaganda-and-surveillance-tech/">https://reactormag.com/activists-and-authors-launch-a-project-to-fight-copaganda-and-surveillance-tech/</a></p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://reactormag.com/?p=817472">https://reactormag.com/?p=817472</a></p>
[syndicated profile] reactor_feed

Posted by Stefan Raets

Excerpts Epic Fantasy

Read an Excerpt From Birth of a Dynasty by Chinaza Bado

We shall not forgive. We shall not forget. We will have our vengeance.

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Published on July 2, 2025

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<p class="syndicationauthor">Posted by Stefan Raets</p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://reactormag.com/excerpts-birth-of-a-dynasty-by-chinaza-bado/">https://reactormag.com/excerpts-birth-of-a-dynasty-by-chinaza-bado/</a></p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://reactormag.com/?p=817238">https://reactormag.com/?p=817238</a></p><post-hero class="wp-block-post-hero js-post-hero post-hero post-hero-vertical"> <div class="container container-desktop"> <div class="flex flex-col mx-auto post-hero-container"> <div class="post-hero-content"> <div class="post-hero-tags font-aktiv text-xs tracking-[0.5px] font-medium uppercase"> <span class="mr-3"> <i class="inline-block w-2 h-2 rounded-full mr-[5px] bg-blue"></i> <a href="https://reactormag.com/fictions/excerpts/" class="inline-block link-no-animation" aria-label="Link to term or tag Excerpts 0"> Excerpts </a> </span> <span class="mr-3"> <i class="inline-block w-2 h-2 rounded-full mr-[5px] bg-blue"></i> <a href="https://reactormag.com/tag/epic-fantasy/" class="inline-block link-no-animation" aria-label="Link to term or tag Epic Fantasy 1"> Epic Fantasy </a> </span> </div> <h2 class="post-hero-title text-h1">Read an Excerpt From <i>Birth of a Dynasty</i> by Chinaza Bado</h2> <div class="prose post-hero-description prose--post-hero">We shall not forgive. We shall not forget. We will have our vengeance.</div> <div class="post-hero-wrapper"> <div class="post-hero-inner"> <p class="post-hero-author text-xs font-aktiv uppercase font-medium [&amp;_a]:link-hover">By <a href="https://reactormag.com/author/chinaza-bado/" title="Posts by Chinaza Bado" class="author url fn" rel="author">Chinaza Bado</a></p> <span class="post-hero-symbol relative top-[-2px] hidden tablet:block">|</span> <p class="text-xs uppercase post-hero-publish font-aktiv"> Published on July 2, 2025 </p> </div> </div> <div class="quick-access post-hero-quick-access mt-[17px] tablet:hidden"> <div class="flex gap-[30px] tablet:gap-6"> <a href="https://reactormag.com/excerpts-birth-of-a-dynasty-by-chinaza-bado/#comments" class="flex items-center text-sm font-aktiv tracking-[0.6px] font-semibold uppercase translate-x-[1px] translate-y-[1px]"> <svg class="w-[22px] h-[22px] mr-[7px] icon-hover" viewbox="0 0 18 18" aria-label="comment" role="img" aria-hidden="true" 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12.6336C9.35967 12.6336 8.98468 12.4672 8.70151 12.1343C8.41835 11.8013 8.33034 11.4015 8.43748 10.9346C8.49871 10.6668 8.60011 10.309 8.74169 9.86129C8.88327 9.41359 8.99807 9.01946 9.08608 8.67889C9.17409 8.33833 9.21809 8.04943 9.21809 7.81219C9.21809 7.42953 9.11478 7.11193 8.90814 6.85938C8.70151 6.60683 8.40687 6.48055 8.02422 6.48055C7.54972 6.48055 7.14794 6.69866 6.81886 7.13489C6.48977 7.57112 6.32524 8.11448 6.32524 8.76499C6.32524 9.32367 6.4209 9.7905 6.61223 10.1655L5.47575 14.964C5.34564 15.4997 5.2959 16.177 5.32651 16.9959C3.74997 16.2994 2.47575 15.2242 1.50381 13.7701C0.531863 12.316 0.0458984 10.6974 0.0458984 8.91423C0.0458984 7.31473 0.440027 5.83962 1.2283 4.48884C2.01657 3.13807 3.08607 2.06857 4.43684 1.2803C5.78761 0.492029 7.26273 0.0979004 8.86223 0.0979004C10.4617 0.0979004 11.9368 0.492029 13.2876 1.2803C14.6384 2.06857 15.7079 3.13999 16.4962 4.49458Z" fill="currentColor" fill-opacity="0.2" /> </svg> </a> </li> <li class="flex"> <a class="flex items-center hover:text-red" href="https://reactormag.com/feed/" target="_blank" title="RSS Feed"> <svg class="w-[17px] h-[17px]" width="18" height="18" viewbox="0 0 18 18" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" aria-label="rss feed" role="img" aria-hidden="true"> <g clip-path="url(#clip0_1051_121783)"> <path d="M2.67871 17.4143C2.12871 17.4143 1.65771 17.2183 1.26571 16.8263C0.873713 16.4343 0.678046 15.9636 0.678713 15.4143C0.678713 14.8643 0.874713 14.3933 1.26671 14.0013C1.65871 13.6093 2.12938 13.4136 2.67871 13.4143C3.22871 13.4143 3.69971 13.6103 4.09171 14.0023C4.48371 14.3943 4.67938 14.865 4.67871 15.4143C4.67871 15.9643 4.48271 16.4353 4.09071 16.8273C3.69871 17.2193 3.22805 17.415 2.67871 17.4143ZM14.6787 17.4143C14.6787 15.481 14.312 13.6683 13.5787 11.9763C12.8454 10.2843 11.841 8.80097 10.5657 7.52631C9.29171 6.25164 7.80871 5.24764 6.11671 4.51431C4.42471 3.78097 2.61205 3.41431 0.678713 3.41431V0.414307C3.02871 0.414307 5.23705 0.860306 7.30371 1.75231C9.37038 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7.52631C9.29171 6.25164 7.80871 5.24764 6.11671 4.51431C4.42471 3.78097 2.61205 3.41431 0.678713 3.41431V0.414307C3.02871 0.414307 5.23705 0.860306 7.30371 1.75231C9.37038 2.64431 11.1704 3.85664 12.7037 5.38931C14.237 6.92264 15.4497 8.72264 16.3417 10.7893C17.2337 12.856 17.6794 15.0643 17.6787 17.4143H14.6787ZM8.67871 17.4143C8.67871 15.1976 7.89971 13.31 6.34171 11.7513C4.78371 10.1926 2.89605 9.41364 0.678713 9.41431V6.41431C2.21205 6.41431 3.64538 6.70197 4.97871 7.27731C6.31205 7.85264 7.47471 8.63597 8.46671 9.62731C9.45805 10.6186 10.2414 11.781 10.8167 13.1143C11.392 14.4476 11.6794 15.881 11.6787 17.4143H8.67871Z" fill="currentColor" fill-opacity="0.2" /> </g> <defs> <clippath id="clip0_1051_121783"> <rect width="17" height="17" fill="white" transform="translate(0.678711 0.414307)" /> </clippath> </defs> </svg> </a> </li> </ul> </div> </details> </div> </div> </div> <div class="post-hero-media "> <figure class="w-full h-auto post-hero-image"> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="740" height="407" src="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Birth-of-a-Dynasty-header-740x407.png" class="w-full object-cover" alt="Cover of Birth of a Dynasty by Chinaza Bado." srcset="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Birth-of-a-Dynasty-header-740x407.png 740w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Birth-of-a-Dynasty-header-1100x605.png 1100w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Birth-of-a-Dynasty-header-768x422.png 768w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Birth-of-a-Dynasty-header.png 1400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" /> </figure> </div> </div> </div> </post-hero> <div class="wp-block-more-from-category"> <div> </div> </div> <p>We&#8217;re thrilled to share an excerpt from <em><strong>Birth of a Dynasty</strong></em> by Chinaza Bado, the start of a thrilling epic fantasy trilogy centered around three families’ fight for power in Ahkebulin, a land where magic is feared, giants are real, and prophecy holds sway. <em>Birth of a Dynasty</em> published with from Harper Voyager on July 29<sup>th</sup>.</p> <div style="height:5px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <figure class="wp-block-pullquote has-text-align-left"><blockquote><p>After witnessing the massacre of everyone he’s ever known and loved, M’Kuru Mukundi, the sole surviving member of the High Noble House Mukundi of Madada, vows revenge. M’kuru flees to a small village where he hides under the guise of farm boy Khalil Rausi… unaware that the real Khalil’s father is the bloodthirsty General of Zenzele army, and under the direction of the King’s scheming son, Prince Effiom, was responsible for the murder of M’kuru’s people. When an imposter claiming to be M’kuru shows up in the village, the real M’kuru—now Khalil—must bide his time amongst his enemies, pretending to be everything that he hates in order to get vengeance.<br><br>In another part of the country where giants roam free, young Zikora Nnamani, the only daughter of Lord Nnamani, knows nothing of political intrigue—she wants little more than to be a fierce Seh Llinga warrior. But a well-known prophecy places too much potential power on her small shoulders, and—as far as Prince Effiom and the King know—she is the only living threat to their dynasty ruling forever. However, when a messenger arrives to “invite” Zikora to stay at the palace, her family is not in a position to refuse. Before she is taken away, she begins The Rite of Blessing, a magical inheritance that she will need to learn how to use, but that may also bring the world one step closer to the completion of the prophecy that Prince Effiom so fears.<br><br>Between scheming ladies at court, backstabbing princes on the prowl, and paranoid kings, M’kuru and Zikora must do what they can, no matter how terrible, to save their people and claim vengeance for their families. But they are just two young people against an entire kingdom—and a prophecy destined to thwart their dreams—and the last thing they can do is trust anyone… even each other.</p></blockquote></figure> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <p>“Who are you?” his mother asked with a wide smile. There was no fear or tears, just joy, something he could not understand, not with the sounds of screams from their maids and servants outside, not with the roars of the soldiers as they struck them down. There was so much blood that it produced a stench in the air that made him sick. How could anyone still keep a smile on their face? And yet, his mother, Lady Mukundi, found a way.</p> <p>“Who are you?” she asked again, but he could not answer. Instead, he flinched as he heard another shriek for help outside the door.</p> <p>“I am Neema Mukundi of Madada, the one born in prosperity,” his elder sister, who looked like their mother, spoke instead. Everyone said they looked almost identical, with the same round face and birthmark under their right eye. And although their mother was slightly shorter, and her hair held wisps of gray, her skin had not a single wrinkle.</p> <p>His mother’s dark eyes shifted to him, and she squeezed his shoulders once again before repeating her question softly. “Who are <em>you</em>?”</p> <p>“I am M’kuru Mukundi of Madada, the one who climbs over fear and death,” he answered softly, his voice barely above a whisper. Despite the meaning of his name, all he felt was fear, and all he sensed was death.</p> <p>“So, you <em>can </em>talk softly.” His mother giggled, pinching his ear gently as she always did when he was in trouble or would not listen or when he went around their home yelling. From the day his cries were first heard throughout Madada to this very moment, M’kuru had never once whispered.</p> <p>“Are you afraid, M’kuru? Is that why your voice has become so? I cannot have that. Tell me again. Who are you? Say it with all the air in your chest.”</p> <p>He stood straighter, held his head high, and spoke louder this time. “I am M’kuru Mukundi of Madada, the one who climbs over fear and death.”</p> <p>“Yes. Exactly.” His mother nodded proudly and shook him vigorously. “You are Neema and M’kuru Mukundi, high nobles of Madada, the daughter and son of M’Deba and Esha. You are fierce, steadfast, strong, and born with the wisdom of ages. That is who you are. That is who you will always be. They can never take that from you because it is in your blood!”</p> <p>She squeezed his shoulders tighter than ever, and M’kuru lifted his much smaller hand to hold on to her wrist, squeezing it in return.</p> <p>“My lady!”</p> <p>Four maids rushed in. On their uniform was their family emblem, the Liabrein—the now-forgotten bigger and stronger sister of the lion—with long, curved, saber-shaped canine teeth that protruded from its mouth even when closed. But on their emblem, the Liabrein’s mouth was wide open and its head turned upward. So ferocious—and yet it couldn’t seem to protect them now. The maids slammed the doors closed behind them as they gripped their blood-covered swords. Lady Mukundi did not answer them, never looking away from her son and daughter, not even as the two maids began to pour oil onto the ground and the walls.</p> <section class="wp-block-shop-the-book shop-the-book"> <h2 class="shop-the-book-headline">Buy the Book</h2> <div class="shop-the-book-content"> <figure class="shop-the-book-image-desktop image-cover"> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="450" src="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Birth-of-a-Dynasty.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full" alt="Birth of a Dynasty" /> </figure> <div class="grow shrink basis-0"> <div class="flex items-center"> <figure class="shop-the-book-image-mobile image-cover"> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="450" src="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Birth-of-a-Dynasty.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full" alt="Birth of a Dynasty" /> </figure> <div class="grow shrink basis-0"> <h3 class="shop-the-book-title text-h3">Birth of a Dynasty</h3> <p class="shop-the-book-author">Chinaza Bado</p> </div> </div> <button type="button" class="inline-block px-8 py-4 text-center btn tablet:py-3 text-h6 bg-red text-white shop-the-book-button" id="buy_book" data-trigger="modal" data-target="#modal-1751492260" aria-open="false" aria-label="Buy Book"> <span class="inline-flex items-center button-label btn-label"> Buy Book </span> </button> </div> </div> <div id="modal-1751492260" class="shop-the-book-modal"> <div class="shop-the-book-modal-inner"> <button class="js-modal-close absolute top-5 right-5 z-10" type="button" aria-label="close modal"> <svg class="w-[19px] h-[19px]" width="18" height="19" viewbox="0 0 18 19" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" aria-label="close" role="img" aria-hidden="true"> <path d="M1 17L17 1" stroke="black" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" /> <path d="M1 17L17 1" stroke="black" stroke-opacity="0.2" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" /> <path d="M17 17.0809L1 1.08093" stroke="black" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" /> <path d="M17 17.0809L1 1.08093" stroke="black" stroke-opacity="0.2" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" /> </svg> </button> <div class="shop-the-book-modal-content"> <figure class="shop-the-book-modal-image-desktop image-cover"> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="450" src="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Birth-of-a-Dynasty.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full" alt="Birth of a Dynasty" /> </figure> <div class="grow shrink basis-0"> <div class="flex items-center"> <figure class="shop-the-book-modal-image-mobile image-cover"> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="450" src="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Birth-of-a-Dynasty.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full" alt="Birth of a Dynasty" /> </figure> <div class="grow shrink basis-0"> <h3 class="shop-the-book-modal-title">Birth of a Dynasty</h3> <p class="shop-the-book-modal-author">Chinaza Bado</p> </div> </div> <p class="shop-the-book-modal-label">Buy this book from:</p> <ul class="not-prose ebook-links ebook-links-shortcode"><li><a class="btn" target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0DL9FRF9Z?tag=tordotcomgeneral-20" data-book-title="Birth of a Dynasty" data-book-store="Amazon"><span class="inline-flex items-center button-label text-h6 text-white font-aktiv">Amazon</span></a></li><li><a class="btn" target="_blank" href="https://www.anrdoezrs.net/links/7992675/type/dlg/sid/tordotcomgeneral/https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/9780063397606" data-book-title="Birth of a Dynasty" data-book-store="Barnes and Noble"><span class="inline-flex items-center button-label text-h6 text-white font-aktiv">Barnes and Noble</span></a></li><li><a class="btn" target="_blank" href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9780063397613" data-book-title="Birth of a Dynasty" data-book-store="iBooks"><span class="inline-flex items-center button-label text-h6 text-white font-aktiv">iBooks</span></a></li><li><a class="btn" target="_blank" href="https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780063397606" data-book-title="Birth of a Dynasty" data-book-store="IndieBound"><span class="inline-flex items-center button-label text-h6 text-white font-aktiv">IndieBound</span></a></li><li><a class="btn" target="_blank" href="https://www.target.com/s?searchTerm=9780063397606" data-book-title="Birth of a Dynasty" data-book-store="Target"><span class="inline-flex items-center button-label text-h6 text-white font-aktiv">Target</span></a></li></ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </section> <p>“Break it down!” a voice outside the doors hollered as the other two maids stood before them, lifting their swords.</p> <p>Only then did Lady Mukundi let go of her son, but M’kuru grabbed her hand again.</p> <p>“Come with us, Mother.”</p> <p>“A lady stays with her lord to the very end,” she said, and drew her hand back. She rushed to the end table, tossed it aside, and lifted the floorboards to show them the way down the stairs. “Go, and do not stop for anyone!” she hollered at them.</p> <p>Without a second thought, Neema grabbed her brother’s hand, took the sword entrusted to her by her father, and ran down the stairs.</p> <p>“Mother!” M’kuru yelled back as he was dragged into the darkness. Lady Mukundi’s smile as she watched them go never fell or wavered, and the light from her room was the only thing M’kuru could see as it began to go up in flames of red and orange, the heat from the fire so hot he could feel it on his face.</p> <p><em>Goodbye </em>was the last thing she mouthed to him before the hidden door shut.</p> <p>They ran, hand in hand, in the darkness, and soon that darkness felt like hell even though there was no fire in the passage, because the walls themselves warmed, growing hotter and hotter the farther they went.</p> <p>“We are almost there, Six!” Neema called out to him.</p> <p>She called him Six for the same reason she called her other brothers One, Three, Four, and Five—to tease them, knowing they hated it, and because as the only daughter of the Mukundi family, their baba would allow her to get away with it.</p> <p>He didn’t complain now, glad she was there with him. So focused were both of them on running, and because it was dark—and everything else that lived in darkness sensed the danger and the heat—she did not notice the snake also trying to make its escape until it was too late, and it bit her.</p> <p>“Ugh!”</p> <p>“Neema?” M’kuru called out when she let go of his hand and fell to her knees. “Neema, are you okay?”</p> <p>She unsheathed the sword, stabbing it into the head of the snake. He was unsure how she could see clearly, even in the dark, but Neema always had the best vision of them all.</p> <p>“I’m fine. We need to keep going,” she lied. She didn’t feel fine at all, but nothing could make her feel fine, not in this oven masquerading as a tunnel, so she dragged the sword along the ground with one hand, hoping to scare anything else away, and led her brother with the other.</p> <p>“Don’t worry, M’kuru. We are going to make it out of here. We’ll go south to Winneba. You’ve always wanted to go to Winneba to see the giants, right? Just don’t be scared when we meet them. Apparently, they are a very sensitive people, which makes sense, for their hearts are three times as big. The stories of them eating children aren’t true. They aren’t scary. The giants don’t even eat meat. They are vegetarians.”</p> <p>“How do you know?” M’kuru asked. “You’ve never been to Winneba either.”</p> <p>“I have a friend there. He’ll help us,” she replied, stopping to take a breath and wipe the sweat from her brow, muttering what her baba taught her, “Run north till you smell the fresh water, then push the lever in the walls.”</p> <p>She could smell the water, so she began to feel against the wall until she hit the lever. It burned, the fire enough to make even this metal hot, but she didn’t hesitate, and the ceiling above them cracked open.</p> <p>“Yes!” she cried, happy at the sight of the moonlight streaming in. Hinging her sword, she reached up and pushed as hard as she could, the earth slipping away. She pulled herself out, then turned back and pulled M’kuru out.</p> <p>When they both stood on the grass mound of the Bamboo Forest, overlooking their family home in the distance, they just watched as the fire raged through the house, glowing in the night and eating everything it touched. The crackling was so loud and the heat so harsh, even from where they stood on the hilltop it caused the birds to fly away. The smoke was so black it began to blanket the full moon. But to them, the fire was merciful in comparison to the soldiers, who had dragged anyone within their house out, one by one, and set them on their knees before slitting their throats.</p> <p>“We have to go. We have to go now, Six.” Pulling his arm, Neema tried to turn with him and escape into the forest.</p> <p>“<em>Zenzele!</em>”</p> <p>They both froze when they heard this roar, the hair on their hands rising as their hearts dropped to an even deeper pit in their stomachs.</p> <p>“Baba…” Neema whispered as they both turned back.</p> <p>They couldn’t speak or look away. They just stared at him, their baba, as half his body was engulfed in flames, with arrows in his arms and legs and a deep cut that sliced through his clothes into his chest. The sight of him, still gripping his swords and cutting people down, caused the other soldiers to back up, terrified of him.</p> <p>“<em>Zenzele!</em>” he roared again, with a strength that shook the heavens. Any soldier who dared to step forward was sent straight to hell as his blade cut them down one by one.</p> <p>“<em>Zenzele!</em>”</p> <p>Even when they managed to stab him, he did not fall. He merely removed their swords from his body and fought on. In his mind, M’kuru could not put that man and the man he’d watched only that morning, who spilled his wine over his hands and handed his mother a flower, together with the man at this moment, who no longer looked to be human.</p> <p>“Come!” he yelled to the soldiers. When he stepped forward, the soldiers stumbled back in fear… all but one.</p> <p>The man across from him sat on a large black horse, dressed in scaled red armor accented with silver spikes, one on each arm, one on each shoulder, and two upon his helmet. Upon his chest plate was the symbol of a sun with a spear in the center, and in his hands that very same spear with a crescent blade. The soldiers around him were dressed similarly—without silver but with the same red armor to tell everyone they were part of the Red Sun.</p> <p>M’kuru thought that man in the red and silver armor had to be the Zenzele their baba was calling out to. However, the man moved to the right, showing another man on a horse of white dressed in silver-and-gold armor, and instead of spikes on his shoulders, it was wings.</p> <p>“You.” Lord Mukundi laughed at seeing him. “Tell your father, Prince Effiom—for I swear by my blood that spills upon the earth and the ancestors who watch over us all—your lineage shall weep in agony. You will run to the ends of the earth in fear, and we will find you still. You will cry out for mercy and be given none! The heavens will not forgive, and Madada will not forget! The Mukundi <em>will </em>have its vengeance! This is our oath to you!”</p> <p>Prince Effiom merely waved his gloved hand, and the soldier with the armor of red and silver kicked into his horse, charging forward.</p> <p>“Let’s go, Six.” Neema tried to pull her brother away, but he could not and did not want to look away. He watched as their baba’s head was cut from his body with a single swing of the man’s sword. As Lord Mukundi’s body stood for a moment, part of M’kuru still expected him to fight and not surrender, even headless. But there was a limit to even his baba, and M’kuru watched as his baba fell to the ground alongside his brothers.</p> <p><em>We shall not forgive.</em></p> <p><em>We shall not forget.</em></p> <p><em>We will have our vengeance.</em></p> <div style="height:5px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <p class="has-sm-font-size">From <em>Birth of a Dynasty</em> by Chinaza Bado, published by Harper Voyager. Copyright © 2025 by Chinaza Bado. Reprinted courtesy of HarperCollinsPublishers.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://reactormag.com/excerpts-birth-of-a-dynasty-by-chinaza-bado/">Read an Excerpt From &lt;i&gt;Birth of a Dynasty&lt;/i&gt; by Chinaza Bado</a> appeared first on <a href="https://reactormag.com">Reactor</a>.</p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://reactormag.com/excerpts-birth-of-a-dynasty-by-chinaza-bado/">https://reactormag.com/excerpts-birth-of-a-dynasty-by-chinaza-bado/</a></p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://reactormag.com/?p=817238">https://reactormag.com/?p=817238</a></p>

(no subject)

Jul. 2nd, 2025 11:59 am
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[personal profile] greghousesgf
I was going to go out tonight but I'm too tired and I haven't even started cleaning the bathroom yet. I did get lots of groceries, also got a text from a friend while I was in the grocery store to join her for the afternoon of the Fourth of July at this bar she took me to before that has these flaming drinks. That place was really fun, nice friendly crowd and bartenders. When they did the flaming drinks we started going "Fire! Fire! Fire!" like Beavis.
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Posted by Meagan Navarro

Stern Pinball, Inc., in collaboration with Universal Products & Experiences, has announced that they’re wading into the waters for Jaws’ 50th Anniversary with a new pinball machine: JAWS 50th Anniversary Premium Edition.

The new machine will be playable for the first time at San Diego Comic-Con 2025 from July 2427 at the Stern Pinball pop-up arcade, located at Marriott Marquis Hotel. 

It features a reimagined playfield with glitter-enhanced artwork and brass powder-coated wireform ramps. This collector’s item also boasts a distinctive 50th Anniversary hologram sticker along with a unique translite and cabinet decals. The pinball machine is outfitted with a bold “Blood Red” armor kit, including matching legs, hinges, front molding, and side armor with standard premium shape.

Check out the new images below, along with an announcement trailer that gives a closer look at the 50th Anniversary machine.

“We’re honored to celebrate 50 years of Jaws with a new pinball experience that captures the heart and soul of the film,” said Seth Davis, President and CEO of Stern Pinball, Inc. “With the 50th Anniversary Premium Edition, we’ve added new cosmetic features that we know all pinball fans and Jaws enthusiasts will love just in time for the 4th of July!”

The new machine comes with a premium price tag, though, with an MSRP of $US 9,699.

Stern Pinball, Inc. is also bringing new content enhancements available across all connected Jaws-inspired machines, creating an updated code with new features, including Team Play and Co-op, where players can collaboratively play with friends, share progress, and more.

JAWS 50th Anniversary Premium Edition, along with existing Jaws Limited Edition games, Premium Edition games, Pro Edition games, and accessories, are available through authorized Stern Pinball distributors and dealers around the world, found here or on the official Stern Store here

What else can you expect for the JAWS 50th anniversary this Summer? A new documentary titled Jaws at 50: The Definitive Inside Story comes to National Geographic on July 10, followed by Hulu and Disney+ on July 11, while you can now grab JAWS on 50th Anniversary 4K Ultra HD. Special events will also be taking place on Martha’s Vineyard all Summer long.

 

 

The post Stern Pinball Celebrates ‘Jaws’ 50th Anniversary with New Pinball Machine Launch at SDCC appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

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Posted by Alex DiVincenzo

Get ready for an ocean battle between Godzilla and an all-new Mechagodzilla on August 1 when Godzilla The Ride: The Great Clash opens at Japan’s Seibuen Amusement Park.

Created by Godzilla Minus One writer-director-visual effect supervisor Takashi Yamazaki, the ride casts attendees as Godzilla surveillance crew members aboard the Goose Nest, the flagship vessel of the Emergency Defense against Gargantuan Encounter (EDGE) team, which houses the new Mechagodzilla, KIJU type 0‐G BREAKER-.

Lasting approximately 15 minutes, Godzilla The Ride: The Great Clash puts attendees on a mission to locate and engage the King of the Monsters on the Goose Nest’s advanced GOOSE drone ship capable of underwater, surface, and aerial navigation.

The splash ride will also feature an exclusive pre-show room with EDGE performers, large monitors showing Godzilla coastal attacks and detailed schematics of the Goose Nest mothership, plus a mockup of the KIJU type 0‐G BREAKER‐ in its hangar.

Godzilla The Ride: The Great Clash follows Yamazaki’s original Godzilla the Ride: Giant Monsters Ultimate Battle attraction, which is also at Seibuen Amusement Park.

Yamazaki is currently developing a follow-up to Godzilla Minus One for Toho.

For more kaiju action, Kong x Godzilla: The Ride is set to open at South Korea’s Lotte World Adventure in December.

The post First Look at ‘Godzilla Minus One’ Director’s Mechagodzilla Design for ‘Godzilla The Ride: Great Clash’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

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[personal profile] james_davis_nicoll


The June 2023 Dark Eye Megabundle featuring the English-language edition from Ulisses Spiele of the leading German tabletop roleplaying game of heroic fantasy, The Dark Eye.

Bundle of Holding: The Dark Eye MEGA (from 2023)

June Album Choice

Jul. 2nd, 2025 07:39 pm
glinda: a cup of coffee, with a snowflake drawn in the foam (coffee/latte)
[personal profile] glinda
June’s album is Last Summer Effect by Last Summer Effect. This album feels a bit like a cheat, but it is an album that came out last month, and I did have it on heavy rotation for the rest of the month because I liked it. The reason it feels like a cheat is that one of our freelancer’s at work is a sound engineer and worked on it, and the reason I even heard this album is that he dropped the Spotify link in our team group chat the day it came out with a plea to share it about/give it a listen. (By his own admittance they were the band he was in at eighteen, so he might even be playing on it too.) So I stuck it on in the background while making brunch after a night in the pub, to do a colleague a solid on the stats front and ended up really liking the vibe.

It’s kinda…It’s kind of an emo album I think. A bit Hundred Reasons I think, all crunchy guitars and soulful emoting singing. It’s not really my taste in music any more, but twenty years ago it would have been absolutely my jam and I’d have loved this album. (This album came out last month, but the only reason it couldn’t have come out twenty years ago is that the band would have barely been in double digits at that point, but my point stands, it should have come out on Chemical Underground some time between 2005 and 2009 - which is not far off given that the band were officially together between 2010 and 2013!) It feels like stumbling across an album released by a tiny band I saw at a gig when I was twenty, that I saw twice, followed on MySpace and bought a hand-burned EP off the band at the back of the gig. If one of those bands had miraculously got hold of some decent production values, the harmonies and production are pretty lush - Steve does know what he’s about. It sounds like sunny hungover mornings in friends flats after gigs, or big nights out. (The smell of stale sweat, flat beer and other people’s dead cigarettes hanging in the air.) I’m really not sure if there’s actually a market for this that isn’t millennial nostalgia, I probably wouldn’t have listened to it if they weren’t friends of friends, but that could go for a great number of bands I listened to from that actual period of time too. I keep putting it on to listen to while I do other things so nostalgia or not, so clearly present day me rather likes it too.
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Posted by Vanessa Armstrong

News The Last of Us

The Last of Us Game Creator Steps Away From HBO Show

Neil Druckmann stated he’s moving his focus to overseeing Naughty Dog, the developer behind The Last of Us and other games.

By

Published on July 2, 2025

Image: Liane Hentscher/HBO

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<p class="syndicationauthor">Posted by Vanessa Armstrong</p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://reactormag.com/the-last-of-us-game-creator-steps-away-from-hbo-show/">https://reactormag.com/the-last-of-us-game-creator-steps-away-from-hbo-show/</a></p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://reactormag.com/?p=817507">https://reactormag.com/?p=817507</a></p><post-hero class="wp-block-post-hero js-post-hero post-hero post-hero-horizontal"> <div class="container container-desktop"> <div class="flex flex-col mx-auto post-hero-container"> <div class="post-hero-content"> <div class="post-hero-tags font-aktiv text-xs tracking-[0.5px] font-medium uppercase"> <span class="mr-3"> <i class="inline-block w-2 h-2 rounded-full mr-[5px] bg-blue"></i> <a href="https://reactormag.com/articles/news/" class="inline-block link-no-animation" aria-label="Link to term or tag News 0"> News </a> </span> <span class="mr-3"> <i class="inline-block w-2 h-2 rounded-full mr-[5px] bg-blue"></i> <a 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9.41431V6.41431C2.21205 6.41431 3.64538 6.70197 4.97871 7.27731C6.31205 7.85264 7.47471 8.63597 8.46671 9.62731C9.45805 10.6186 10.2414 11.781 10.8167 13.1143C11.392 14.4476 11.6794 15.881 11.6787 17.4143H8.67871Z" fill="currentColor" fill-opacity="0.2" /> </g> <defs> <clippath id="clip0_1051_121783"> <rect width="17" height="17" fill="white" transform="translate(0.678711 0.414307)" /> </clippath> </defs> </svg> </a> </li> </ul> </div> </details> </div> </div> </div> <div class="post-hero-media "> <figure class="w-full h-auto post-hero-image"> <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="740" height="493" src="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/isabela-merced_0-740x493.jpg" class="w-full object-cover" alt="Isabela Merced in The Last of Us" srcset="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/isabela-merced_0-740x493.jpg 740w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/isabela-merced_0-1100x733.jpg 1100w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/isabela-merced_0-768x512.jpg 768w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/isabela-merced_0-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/isabela-merced_0.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" /> </figure> <div class="post-hero-caption post-hero-caption-horizontal [&amp;_a]:link"><p>Image: Liane Hentscher/HBO</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </post-hero> <div class="wp-block-more-from-category"> <div> </div> </div> <p><em>The Last of Us</em> television series adaptation came to HBO with <em>Chernobyl </em>alum Craig Mazin and the video game’s creator, Neil Druckmann, serving as co-creators. The show has done well, with <a href="https://reactormag.com/the-last-of-us-will-return-for-a-third-season/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">HBO picking up the show for a third season</a> before the <a href="https://reactormag.com/the-last-of-us-season-2-trailer/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">second season even aired</a>, but it looks like Druckmann will not stay on and see the series through.</p> <p>“I’ve made the difficult decision to step away from my creative involvement in <em>The Last of Us </em>on HBO,” Druckmann said in a statement published on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DLnTjIKswP3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Naughty Dog’s Instagram</a>, the company that developed the video game, which Druckmann serves as studio head for. “With work completed on season 2 and before any meaningful work starts on season 3, now is the right time for me to transition my complete focus to Naughty Dog and its future projects, including writing and directing our exciting next game, <em>Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, </em>along with my responsibilities as Studio Head and Head of Creative.”</p> <p>Druckman added, “Co-creating the show has been a career highlight. It’s been an honor to work alongside Craig Mazin to executive produce, direct and write on the last two seasons. I’m deeply thankful for the thoughtful approach and dedication the talented cast and crew took to adapting <em>The Last of Us Part I </em>and the continued adaptation of <em>The Last of Us Part II</em>.”</p> <p>Mazin had a statement as well, as printed in <em><a href="https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/neil-druckmann-exits-the-last-of-us-season-3-hbo-1236446316/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Variety</a></em>: “It’s been a creative dream to work with Neil and bring an adaptation of his brilliant work to life on HBO. I couldn’t have asked for a more generous creative partner. As a true fan of Naughty Dog and Neil’s work in video games, I’m beyond excited to play his next game. While he focuses on that, I’ll continue to work with our brilliant cast and crew to deliver the show our audience has come to expect. We are so grateful to Neil and Halley Gross for entrusting the incredible story of <em>The Last of Us Part II</em> to us, and we’re just as grateful to the millions of people around the world who tune in.”</p> <p>The <a href="https://reactormag.com/the-last-of-us-convergence-review/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">second season of the show ends on what could be called a cliffhanger (or an incomplete ending)</a>, leaving significant story from the <em>Part II </em>video game for season three. No news on when the third season will go into production, though Druckmann’s note suggests they&#8217;re starting the pre-production work now.[end-mark]</p> <p>The post <a href="https://reactormag.com/the-last-of-us-game-creator-steps-away-from-hbo-show/">&lt;i&gt;The Last of Us&lt;/i&gt; Game Creator Steps Away From HBO Show</a> appeared first on <a href="https://reactormag.com">Reactor</a>.</p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://reactormag.com/the-last-of-us-game-creator-steps-away-from-hbo-show/">https://reactormag.com/the-last-of-us-game-creator-steps-away-from-hbo-show/</a></p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://reactormag.com/?p=817507">https://reactormag.com/?p=817507</a></p>

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