Book Recommendations short fiction Seven SFF Stories About Artists and the Creative Struggle Making great art is never without challenges… By Ratika Deshpande | Published on February 7‚ 2024 Photo by Anna Kolosyuk [via Unsplash] icon-comment 0 Share New Share Twitter Facebook Pinterest RSS Feed Photo by Anna Kolosyuk [via Unsplash] The creative struggle is familiar to anyone who’s ever tried to make anything‚ no matter how small or seemingly ephemeral. Artists‚ cooks‚ bakers‚ writers‚ painters‚ musicians‚ dancers‚ designers—we must all contend with perfectionism and insecurity‚ the desire to make what speaks to us and the need to have our work appreciated by others. It’s a constant battle‚ one that doesn’t necessarily get easier simply with greater skill or experience. Artists share these struggles across time with those in the past as well as the future‚ and this is what makes stories about the challenges inherent in creating art so enduring and relevant. Here’s a selection of some of my favorite examples… “A Conspiracy of Cartographers” by Barbara A. Barnett The composer Guillaume is stuck. His most recent opera was a failure and the reviews were far from kind. But he isn’t entirely hopeless. He has a map he’d bought from the Mist Market‚ a map that promises to solve his problems. He’s convinced it will show him the way‚ literally and otherwise‚ to inspiration‚ and to that one masterpiece he knows he’s capable of composing. But the map’s answer doesn’t come without a cost‚ and the nature of creativity isn’t so simple… “Colors of the Immortal Palette” by Caroline M. Yoachim Mari longs to be part of the art scene in Paris—not by being in pictures but by painting them herself. But she’s a woman from Japan‚ which her peers don’t fail to notice. And Mari’s desires aren’t limited to being accepted and equal with her Western‚ male peers. What she wants is more time than a mortal lifetime holds—time enough to create art that will truly reflect her talents. Yoachim has written an exquisite novelette that explores the struggles of perfectionism and the longing for recognition. I found in it much food for thought about my own ideas around wanting my work to last and the desire to make it distinct‚ creating something that has my own unique touch without the work always being centred around my identity. “Perhaps in Understanding” by AnaMaria Curtis Another tale of a struggling painter‚ this short story by Curtis (who has become one of my favorite short story writers) explores the conflict between living the paths society carves out for artists—to either die broke and alone‚ or bow to the whims of a patron—and choosing one’s own way. What is truly important—freedom‚ recognition‚ validation‚ money‚ or being understood? Curtis explores all these themes beautifully and hopefully‚ in less than 5‚000 words—with a happy ending as a perfect cherry on top.   “The Guardian’s Head” by Tamara Vardomskaya Lumarine and her Master Merlinnet have been tasked by the queen to sculpt a giant statue of the Guardian of Nevarim to protect the city against the upcoming floods. The master and the apprentice cannot dally‚ for this year the waters are rising faster than usual. But completing the statue isn’t merely a matter of speed and skill. You also need the correct intent‚ because if the sculptors’ creation is faulty‚ the Guardian won’t be able to repel the flood. Great artists are known for giving each project the time it demands—but how do you focus and work and create when the lives of an entire city’s people are at stake? “Porgee’s Boar” by Jonathan Carroll Somehow‚ the painter Ruth Russell has found herself an admirer in Andrey Porgee. The gangster’s love of her work has brought her many customers from the underworld. None of them pay the asking price‚ and Ruth knows she’s in too dangerous a position to ask for more. Now Porgee wants her to paint a moment from his childhood‚ based on a photograph he provides. He must hold the memory precious to have it turned into a work of art‚ but what if he doesn’t like Ruth’s vision? A deeply human story about what art means to the artist and to the audience‚ and about the things written and read between the lines—or brushstrokes. “Great‚ Golden Wings” by Rachel Swirsky This is a sweet little story about a cinematographer who’s hoping to find a new patron—now that the older ones have abandoned him—in the king. But it is difficult to find an audience for blurry films of dragons when real magicians can conjure illusions on demand and in greater detail than any camera can. How long can an artist work with hope‚ with no patrons to support him‚ and no one who understands what it means to be able to truly capture the flight of a dragon? “The Passing of the Dragon” by Ken Liu We meet Kay trudging through snow towards the former house of her favorite poet‚ hoping the place will help her find a way out of her creative block and her struggle for recognition as an artist‚ when she sees a dragon. The glimpse only lasts a moment…and despite knowing that dragons are the stuff of fantasy‚ Kay is convinced that she really saw the beast. Its flight provides her with a new energy and she can’t stop trying to paint it. Kay is convinced that this work is her best‚ but does the world care? Putting your art out in the world is a terrifying prospect‚ and dealing with consequences isn’t easy when you are so deeply connected to a piece of art. This story felt like it stepped inside and changed something in me. I felt both relief and extreme recognition‚ and—despite the weight of Kay’s struggle—also an irrepressible hope. Some stories shake you so hard that their effects stay with you for days afterwards. This is one of them—a must-read. [end-mark] The post Seven SFF Stories About Artists and the Creative Struggle appeared first on Reactor.

News a quiet place The Trailer for A Quiet Place: Day One Is Here to Explain the Premise of A Quiet Place Again Do not let aliens hurt cats‚ okay‚ movie? By Molly Templeton | Published on February 7‚ 2024 icon-comment 0 Share New Share Twitter Facebook Pinterest RSS Feed Pause Play There are prequels and then there are prequels and then there are prequels the unnecessariness of which is just astonishing. The 2018 movie A Quiet Place is a science fiction horror movie in which people have to live very very quietly because the world has been invaded by alien monsters that seem really into killing humans. Also they have incredibly good hearing. I have never seen this movie or its sequel‚ because I am a big baby‚ but all the same I understand the premise. But that’s not enough‚ I guess‚ because now we have A Quiet Place: Day One‚ which will explain what led to this situation. What happened is that big aliens arrived and killed people! Why must we spend a whole movie explaining this! Why must we be shown Lupita Nyong’o carrying a cat that she is then not carrying in the very next scene! Listen‚ some of us are very sensitive to bad things happening to cats. And this cat is apparently named Frodo. Please don’t hurt Frodo. A Quiet Place originally came from the mind of writer-director-star John Krasinski‚ who co-developed Day One’s story with the prequel’s writer-director‚ Michael Sarnoski (Pig). There is no summary with the film’s trailer other than‚ “Discover why our world went quiet‚” a question which the original movies answered sufficiently. Nyong’o stars as a woman named Sam‚ who is visiting New York City (with her cat?). When the world goes to hell‚ she reluctantly teams up with a dude named Eric (Stranger Things’ Joseph Quinn) and‚ as we see in the trailer‚ eventually connects also with Djimon Hounsou‚ who was in A Quiet Place Part II. Denis O’Hare (True Blood) and Alex Wolff (Hereditary) are also trapped in this alien hell. A Quiet Place: Day One is in theaters June 28th. If you need a refresher on the many problems with the previous films‚ Leah Schnelbach is here to help. [end-mark] The post The Trailer for <;i>;A Quiet Place: Day One<;/i>; Is Here to Explain the Premise of <;i>;A Quiet Place<;/i>; Again appeared first on Reactor.

We welcome founding Image Comics partner‚ Erik Larsen to the podcast to talk about his childhood comic book creations‚ his experience in forming Image‚ the legacy of The Savage Dragon‚ how he came to publish CONTINUE READING... The post The WIZARD Files | Episode 41: Erik Larsen appeared first on The Retro Network.

FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—Sen. Ted Cruz has called for the Washington‚ D.C.‚ medical examiner to conduct a “proper investigation” into whether a D.C. abortionist illegally aborted babies in violation of the Born-Alive Infant Protection Act. Cruz‚ R-Texas‚ reacted Wednesday to a Daily Signal report in which a lawyer alleged that the Department of Justice had advised the medical examiner to discard the remains of five aborted preemie-sized babies. Those babies’ remains are from an abortion clinic in Foggy Bottom‚ a neighborhood of the District of Columbia. Pro-life activists believe the baby bodies are evidence that a D.C. abortionist was performing illegal abortions‚ but for two years now‚ D.C. authorities have stonewalled any questions about the babies’ deaths. “Tragically‚ the D.C. Medical Examiner’s Office is in possession of the remains of babies who were victims of late-term abortions‚” Cruz told The Daily Signal. “The DOJ is now pressuring the medical examiner to destroy evidence and dispose of the remains. Instead of investigating whether these late-term abortions violated the Born-Alive Infant Protection Act‚ the DOJ is focused on destroying evidence and prosecuting pro-life protesters.” “Destroying evidence is a grave threat to the rule of law‚ and it is another tragic chapter in the Biden DOJ’s sad history of having two justice systems‚” the Texas senator added. “The medical examiner should reject the DOJ’s lawless order to destroy evidence and instead conduct a proper investigation into whether these late-term abortions violated the Born-Alive Infant Protection Act‚ or‚ at minimum‚ allow for an autopsy by an outside group.” The Daily Signal reported late Monday that Thomas More Society lawyer Martin Cannon said he “got a call from the Medical Examiner’s Office indicating that the DOJ has advised them that there is no reason to keep those babies anymore.” Cannon‚ who is representing pro-life activists charged by the DOJ‚ told The Daily Signal that “the Medical Examiner’s Office accordingly tells me that if we don’t have an order to the contrary‚ by the end of this week‚ a court order‚ they will dispose of the babies.” The DOJ declined to comment on the matter‚ but the medical examiner’s general counsel‚ Rod Adams‚ denied to The Daily Signal that the medical examiner had communicated with the DOJ. Adams has not answered multiple requests for further comment. Cannon insisted that Adams had‚ in fact‚ told Cannon that he had communicated with the DOJ. “It’s pretty plain to me that Mr. Adams has communicated with the federal government during the case to inform them or get their input on my conversations with him‚” he said. Cruz previously accused the DOJ in August 2023 of “aggressively targeting” pro-life activists while failing to properly investigate the slew of attacks on pro-life pregnancy resource centers throughout the country. Have an opinion about this article? To sound off‚ please email letters@DailySignal.com‚ and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state. The post EXCLUSIVE: Cruz Calls for DC Medical Examiner to Investigate Aborted Babies’ Remains appeared first on The Daily Signal.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. As part of a bold move to safeguard free speech and uphold constitutional values‚ America First Legal (AFL) has initiated a series of public records requests aimed at unearthing the extent of Arizona government agencies’ involvement in controlling social media narratives. We obtained a copy of the records requests for you here. These requests target the Center for Internet Security‚ along with Coconino‚ Maricopa‚ and Pima Counties‚ and the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office. The inquiry seeks details on communications and takedown requests pertaining to social media content. The issue at hand revolves around recent elections‚ where federal and state entities‚ notably from Arizona‚ have actively engaged in monitoring and reporting what they classify as “misinformation.” Such activities involved the Secretary of State’s Office and county election officials in Arizona‚ who flagged content to the Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing &; Analysis Center (EI-ISAC). Coordinated by the Center for Internet Security (CIS)‚ the EI-ISAC acted as a conduit‚ forwarding these censorship requests to various social media platforms. Additionally‚ state and local government officials in Arizona have independently reported supposed misinformation directly to these platforms. This has led to a situation where government officials have been accused of effectively coercing and pressuring social media companies into censoring content and speakers that they deem unfavorable‚ potentially influencing the outcomes of Arizona’s recent elections. This entire scenario is seen by many as a glaring infringement of lawful free speech and is considered both unconstitutional and illegal. “Freedom of speech is a core American principle that is the foundation for so many of our other rights and liberties. No government official should ever get involved in policing what American citizens can and can’t say online. Arizona’s elections play an outsized role in national politics right now. State and county officials who have been trying to suppress citizens’ free speech are also unconstitutionally trying to meddle in elections. That sort of activity needs to stop‚ and these public records requests will help shine a light on the extent of their past activities‚” said James Rogers‚ America First Legal counsel. The post America First Legal Challenges Arizona Agencies’ Social Media Censorship in Defense of Free Speech appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. Yet another member of the Big Tech club is exposed for collusion with the Biden White House. It’s about Amazon now‚ and the censoring of dissenting Covid-related books. New emails that have just become public showing Amazon under pressure from the Biden administration‚ and‚ giving in to it. The emails saw the light of day thanks to a subpoena issued by the House Committee on the Judiciary‚ its chairman‚ Jim Jordan‚ revealed on X. The current White House went as far to interfere with the business of a privately-owned company as to make Amazon “to censor books that expressed views the White House did not approve of.” And when books are censored/removed/burned – the last point referring to literal‚ but also in the digital age‚ figurative action – it’s historically heralding a point of no return‚ at least for a democracy. What appears to have happened here is the Biden administration‚ ignoring restrictions on interfering in speech enshrined in the very Constitution Joe Biden swore on when assuming office – going to Amazon and asking for “anti-vax” books to be suppressed. The less relevant part of the story is that Amazon obliged – of course it would. It’s the White House role that is of true interest. And so‚ no surprise that Amazon (given what it has to lose) was the one that appears to have taken initiative in this business. According to the Daily Signal‚ Amazon “strategized for a meeting with the White House on March 9‚ 2021‚ openly asking whether the administration wanted the retailer to remove books from its catalog.” This is also a useful bit of chronology – true or false – should the administration elect to defend itself. “It wasn’t our idea‚ it was Amazon’s” – in other words. But – emails also reveal that Biden Covid team’s Andrew Slavitt got the ball rolling‚ so to speak‚ by writing – “Who can we talk to about the high levels of propaganda and misinformation and disinformation [on] Amazon?” It’s hard to ignore the reported level of Amazon’s willingness to ask “how high” when told to jump. “Is the [a]dmin(istration) asking us to remove books‚ or are they more concerned about search results/order (or both)?‚” an Amazon employee’s email is now cited on the web. Slavitt might yet become the face of the Big Collusion – given he has previously turned up in the damning Twitter Files‚ cropped up in to all intents and purposes leaning on Facebook – as apparently the go-to person when the White House needed social media to toe its line. “The House Judiciary Committee subpoenaed Slavitt on November 30 (…)‚” reports now read. “The White House instructed Slavitt not to appear” – as per the Washington Examiner. The post New Emails Show Amazon Caved to Biden Admin Pressure To Censor Covid Books That Expressed Dissenting Views appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. Bluesky has recently expanded from its invite-only platform to a public one‚ opening itself up to global digital engagement. Originally initiated as an exclusive project inside Twitter under the patronage of Jack Dorsey‚ the co-founder of Twitter‚ it is among some of the rising alternatives to platforms like Elon Musk’s X. The initial restriction to invitees only resulted in 3 million sign-ups‚ but now that everyone can participate‚ Bluesky faces the important task of establishing its credibility among heavy-weight competitors like Mastodon. Breaking away from the superficial similarity with X‚ Bluesky distinguishes itself with distinctive mechanics powered by a transparent open-source code‚ called the AT Protocol. This decentralized structure of Bluesky allows not only an insight into their developmental process but also offers opportunities for developers to contribute to the platform. Developers are encouraged to write their own codes utilizing the AT Protocol‚ upscaling flexibility regarding what can be created‚ including custom algorithms or even a novel social platform. Bluesky’s decentralized system provides its users with increased autonomy in terms of social media experiences‚ in contrast to centralized platforms. As an existing open-source and decentralized social network‚ Mastodon’s presence raises some eyebrows. Despite the shared objectives‚ the divergence in protocols used prevents collaboration between the two platforms. And while the decentralized idea means that users can ultimately roll out their own free speech instances and operate with other users‚ the central instance which most people use is heavily pro-censorship and worth avoiding if freedom of expression is important to you. The post Bluesky Is Now Available for Anyone To Join appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

The Cold War was at its coldest in the 1960s‚ with the United States and the Soviet Union each engaged in massive military buildups to prepare for possible war with the other. Both superpowers wanted to develop production aircraft that had the potential to deliver advanced weapons systems to the enemy. Among many projects‚ the Soviets wanted to build a new strategic intercontinental bomber capable of supersonic speeds. This interest was‚ at least in part‚ due to the awareness that the United States was developing a successor to the Boeing B-52 bomber—the Rockwell B-1 Lancer—that would eventually fill this same role. The Soviets were also alarmed by the United States’ development of the hypersonic North American XB-70 Valkyrie prototype bomber‚ which first flew in 1964. Multiple design bureaus submitted proposals for the new Soviet bomber. Some of them looked very similar to the XB-70. Ultimately‚ the Tupolev design bureau received the assignment to create the new aircraft‚ which would become Tu-160‚ known in the West as the Blackjack. Early in the development process‚ Tupolev realized that wings with variable geometry (swing-wings) would be ideal‚ and that those wings should be blended into the airframe at their roots. The swing-wings would allow the Tu-160 to maximize its lift/drag ratio during all aspects of its mission‚ from takeoff‚ to climb and attack and back to landing. The design of the tail posed significant technical challenges given how thin it needed to be for such a high-speed aircraft. Ultimately Tupolev decided on a cruciform tail with a divided rudder. The aircraft was powered by four Kuznetsov NK-32 turbofan jet engines‚ each of which could produce 55‚000 pounds of thrust in afterburner mode. The American B-1 Lancer helped spur the Soviets to develop the Tu-160. In its final form‚ the Tu-160 looked strikingly similar to the B-1‚ but the two aircraft have significant differences. Although both have a crew of four‚ the Tu-160 is much larger‚ with more than double the wing area and almost twice the thrust of its American counterpart. The Tu-160 has a top speed of just over Mach 2 (similar to that of the original B-1A) while current B-1B models top out at Mach 1.25. The Tu-160 also has a higher rate of climb than the B-1. Critically‚ the Tu-160’s armament was limited to either twelve Raduga KH-15 or six KH-55 nuclear-capable cruise missiles in each of two internal bays‚ both on rotating launchers. The B-1‚ in contrast‚ has three internal bomb bays and six hardpoints on the wings to allow it to carry a wide array of conventional and nuclear armaments as well as air-launched missiles. Neither aircraft have stealth capabilities‚ technology that didn’t exist at the time of their design. Although both aircraft started out with analog instruments‚ the B-1 has since been updated to a glass cockpit. While many B-1s and almost all Tu-160s were originally painted white (to protect against the flash of a nuclear blast)‚ modern B-1s have a dark blue or dark gray color scheme. It should be noted that the current B-1B functions as a low-level penetrator‚ which is a different role than that for which the Tu-160 was designed. Overall‚ the Tu-160 is a faster aircraft with an extended range‚ but the B-1 is more maneuverable and harder to spot on radar.  Of note‚ the Soviets did significant work to make the Tu-160 capable as a platform for air-launching space vehicles to put satellites into orbit‚ via a system known as Burlak. The idea was that the airplane could be flown to an air base in a country that had requested the service‚ and there a satellite of up to 850 kilograms could be fitted to a three-stage‚ liquid propellant launch vehicle. The mating of the rocket to the airplane would be done within the host nation’s borders to avoid the prying eyes of foreign governments. The Tu-160 could then air-launch the combined payload/rocket from altitude into any orbit desired. Despite some interest‚ the Burlak system appears to have been abandoned before it was ever used. Plans to use the Tu-160 as a launch platform for an aerial drone known as Voron also fell flat. The Tu-160 displays its heft at takeoff. At nearly 178 feet in length‚ it is considerably larger than the 146-foot-long B-1. The Tu-160 formally entered active service in 1987. Before the initial round of production stopped in the 1990s‚ a total of 37 Tu-160s had been completed‚ with nine of them serving as test models and the rest as operational aircraft. Critically‚ when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991‚ 19 Tu-160s (and their nuclear armament) became the property of the newly independent nation of Ukraine. While some of the aircraft were repainted in Ukrainian livery‚ their new owners had little use for them. The Tu-160s were extremely expensive to operate and maintain and the planes sat largely unused at Ukrainian military airfields. Russia soon found itself in the uncomfortable position of having to buy back its Tu-160s from Ukraine. Extensive negotiations ensued‚ mostly focusing on price‚ and by 1999 Ukraine finally agreed to sell back eight Tu-160s to Russia (along with their attendant nuclear-tipped cruise missiles) in exchange for debt relief. The Russians selected the eight aircraft they felt were in the best condition to return to their fleet. Of the remaining eleven Tu-160s in Ukraine‚ ten were scrapped (including at least one in a public demonstration) as part of the START II disarmament treaty. One Tu-160 was kept as a museum piece. Interestingly‚ during the time when the Russians were negotiating to buy back their Tu-160s‚ there was a brief period where it appeared that three of the aircraft would be sold to an American company‚ Platforms International Corp.‚ which wanted to use them for a private air-launched satellite venture. The Russians were outraged (and terrified) at the possibility of the planes being transferred to the West and pointed out that such a purchase would itself be a violation of START II. The deal subsequently collapsed.  The Tu-160 has only seen relatively limited operational use over its lifetime. Mostly used for patrols and as part of military exercises‚ several aircraft were briefly deployed to Venezuela in 2008 and again in 2013 as part of a show of force‚ and the planes first saw true combat in 2015 during the Syrian civil war. The aircraft have only been used in a very limited manner in the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Recently‚ some Tu-160s have undergone extensive upgrades and modernization‚ and a small number of new‚ upgraded aircraft (so-called Tu-160M models) are being produced again after many years. A living relic of the Cold War‚ the Tu-160 remains one of the most striking and remarkable bombers ever to roll off an assembly line.  this article first appeared in AVIATION HISTORY magazine See more stories Subscribe now  

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