LemmySoloHer

LemmySoloHer , 15 days ago

Part One was available on Max about three months after the Blu-Ray release for it (Part One had digital copies released Jan 9 and physical versions released Jan 23, with Max getting it on about April 26).

I really wish they'd get specific about streaming dates but it does seem like Max is consistently getting this kind of stuff about three months after their initial release for purchase dates.

LemmySoloHer , 15 days ago

In Stardew Valley one of the questions the game asks during character creation is "what is your favorite thing?" where you can type anything you deem fit for you (and your character). Without knowing why it asks this (or completely knowing why) means that an honest answer like "tits" can happen organically or specifically just for the chuckles.

Throughout the game, every time you find a Stardrop that increases your total energy bar, you are reminded of whatever favorite thing you entered at the start of the game.

LemmySoloHer , 25 days ago

I have never heard of Leech (Ennes) or Starter Villain (Scalzi) but both sound intriguing in completely different ways. It's been a while but you might just have gotten me to start reading something longer form again.

Also, massive props for not just including some of the main books in the series starting with Leviathan Wakes but for also including Gods of Risk and The Churn on here. The Expanse is so compelling that those novellas really add an extra something special!

LemmySoloHer , 24 days ago

I think that's definitely one of the reasons Leech sounds so intriguing to me, I kind of just want to see how the unified consciousness is written as the main (instead of a side character) and as a parasite instead of a collective, especially in such an unusual mystery plot -- it's so different that I figure I gotta satiate that curiosity. After carefully checking out some non-spoiler reviews, I'm gonna go for that one first since I feel like I might need something light and fun like Starter Villain to recover afterward.

And I am with you on The Expanse books and 100% think it's because we watched the show first -- especially since that show brought the actual authors of the books into the writers room for the entire series (for anyone stumbling across this that are confused, the author "James S.A. Corey" is actually a pseudonym for the two people that wrote the books, Ty Corey Franck and Daniel Abraham). With the actual creators, plus an incredible showrunner that really helped them navigate how to keep the heart and stability of their story world while making some necessary changes for the medium, translated extremely well to screen.

But that also means we've essentially gone through the three main things that makes The Expanse so compelling already (at least to me):

1. First, the careful balance between "science" and "fiction" that considers so many details. It makes it realistic and believable while also understanding it's an epic fictional story. Stuff like the muscle difference of people depending on how much gravitational force they grew up with is fascinating, with Belters having lived their lives in low gravity stations and Martian military training extra hard in order to withstand the same level of gravity that Earthers are naturally conditioned to. Normally that would be extremely fascinating to read, but because the show did such a fantastic job at explaining it, it was more of a nod and an appreciation for the elaboration on the effects of it.

2. Then, the characters. Even with the differences, it's easy to see why so many people that read the books before the show ended up embracing the cast in its entirety after being initially put off. While Amos and Bobbie look a little more beastly in the books, most anyone that was initially put off admitted that the actor for Amos ended up being so true to that guy that him being too pretty for the part quickly faded from their minds. Same thing with Bobbie, as realistically the fact that casting found an actress with the height, ethnicity, muscle and real-world competitive fight experience to come close to the Bobbie character in the book is a miracle in itself (and my bias for having a massive crush on Frankie Adams as well as every actress in the show). For that reason, for the most part, instead of being fascinated by Amos' adjusting and growing, Bobbie's Martian education and patriotism and her exposure to the reality of the universe, and just wanting more Avasarala dialogue, it's kind of just reminding you why they are such fascinating characters instead of pulling you in to understand them -- after the show, in a lot of ways, we already were captivated at unraveling these people and already have done so.

3. Finally, the most compelling thing for me was the need to know WHAT HAPPENS NEXT! There are political stakes, thriller sequences, tough decisions, all done with the grace that causes someone to say "I can't stop now, just one more episode" or "just one more chapter" and keep going. Because of the show, we, for the most part, already know what's going to happen.

I found the books to be very well written, but with these three main draws already having played out in the show, they didn't give me that addictive rush I usually get from a good book that turns me into a page-flipping fiend that just can't put the damn thing down. That said, the elaboration is fantastic. I was confused by the guns on the space station in the show initially since they don't explain there is different ammo until either near the end of the first season or even later. When the books clarified, in satisfying detail, the plastic gyro rounds used on space stations that are designed to puncture human flesh but not pierce the walls of a space station, and that normal bullets are still used in other environments, was great. All this stuff about reducing gun recoil for use in space, etc., all were a treat to read. Even when not perfect, the added details on top of the thought they put into trying to convey some realistic use of the laws of physics, etc., elevates the believability of the books to a new level. Other than that, it is a lot of just "spot the difference" for us that have seen the show. It's interesting to say "oh okay so this is different from the show but I see how they're going to get there still" or "ah so they must have realized these events weren't enough to justify adding another character on the show with limited screentime, so they just rolled that character's actions into Camina Drummer's character, which worked well." Extra tech, characters, bigger differences, etc., are all nice to bring you in closer to this story universe I love so much, but at the end of the day the need-to-know stuff is mostly already in our memories.

I also think that's why, like you, I really enjoyed the novellas. They added so much extra to a story universe that I didn't want to leave yet. The Churn was actually the first thing I read because the reveal of [redacted]'s upbringing was so eye opening that finding out there was a novella further explaining just what made this person who they are today felt like a must-read addition to such an interesting character.

LemmySoloHer , 24 days ago

Definitely, in the show when we start meeting characters from their home city and really start to hear details about how they grew up it was such an eye opener. As soon as I heard there was a novella I smashed through it for the moment-to-moment details and really felt like I understood a lot about the character, by the end thinking "you know, all things considered, this character is actually far more well-adjusted than I gave them credit for initially" which, given the character, is saying something.

I squeezed in the first chapter of Leech earlier today and it's very much the kind of "different" that I've been looking for! Getting these insights into how a character with a consciousness across multiple bodies thinks and feels is fascinating. Also, the description of the autopsy very much reminds me of watching Castlevania where I'm impressed and intrigued while also knowing there is no way I could read this book and eat food at the same time haha.

Hmm you might have also convinced me to check out The Host after this. I'd adamantly stayed away from it because I got sent the first book from the big series she's known for in a care package and read it since the girl I was dating at the time really liked it, and it was one of the most miserable reading experiences of my life. Nothing against the swathes of people that loved her big blockbuster series, and I'm not saying reading them makes people dumber, but for me I found it harder and harder to think the further I got in and that terrified me. But, even the author herself said she wants to be remembered for The Host but knows people will only remember her big hit series instead. If it really is enough of a step up for her and others to say that, and it serves as a comparison to the kind of narrator perspective in Leech, I might just have to give her another shot.

LemmySoloHer , 27 days ago

The trailer for Prometheus is one of the biggest catfish movie swindle experiences I've ever had. I was enthralled by that trailer, I remember how excited I was when buying tickets to see it and getting in our seats. As the movie went on, reality set in. There are some cool scenes but they are so engulfed by insane choices and boring nonsense that I hope the How Did This Get Made podcast (the podcast that reviews 'bad' movies) does an episode on it someday.

I do think Fede Alvarez will do extremely well with the visuals after Evil Dead (2013), but Lee Cronin's Evil Dead Rise sequel was far better at mixing the wild and crazy stuff the franchise was originally known for with modern, shocking visuals. My guess is they'll keep the story reeled in and focus on iconic tropes and scenes in Alvarez's style, keeping it more safe and simple which is fine. But I'm all out of excitement and will just wait and see what actually does come of this.

Speaking of, Prometheus was so hard to sit through that I never watched Covenant because of my fear of seeing those elements continued, even with how much I like Danny McBride. Watching Shane Black's The Predator that released a year afterward did not help revive a lot of interest in that movie universe for me either. I've heard a lot of takes but I'm curious, would anyone here recommend watching Covenant?

LemmySoloHer , 28 days ago

I just looked into it, kind of surprised I didn't know Kilian Eng's name with so much work out there. Really cool stuff that also sent me down a rabbit hole of other stuff Floating World Comics has republished.

LemmySoloHer , 29 days ago

Sansa bonanza!

LemmySoloHer , 29 days ago

Well I wasn't prepared for the Marimo mascot that was made as an anthropomorphic Marimo with a serious algae bulge (listed in the cultural aspects section, which links to the wikipedia page for the mascot "Marimokkori").

LemmySoloHer , 1 month ago

I love all the Big MT stuff so much. Dr. 0 being voiced by the same actor that voices Dr. Rusty Venture on The Venture Bros. made every hilarious piece of dialogue in that place even better.

LemmySoloHer , 1 month ago

Genus: Boops

Species: B. boops

Binomial name: Boops boops

LemmySoloHer , 1 month ago

I'm pretty sure this was the plot of the movie Stealth (2005) starring Josh Lucas, Jamie Foxx and Jessica Biel.

LemmySoloHer , 1 month ago

Andean Cock-of-the-Rock is my new DnD bard name.

LemmySoloHer , 2 months ago

Yes! I remember the first one because I got super interested in translating that cool napkin from that Finland place you had in the photo. Glad to see you went for it with the homemade ketchup and brioche bun!

Also good to see you kept the kitchen demon with the red eyes (above the top right of the burger) from last time, I feel like it's part of your signature now.

LemmySoloHer , 2 months ago

I used Google Play Music for purchases/online music locker and loved it. I eventually became that idiot that never downloaded all their purchases before the switch to Youtube Music happened.

Now I can't even open Youtube Music because it loads up my GPM library and rubs in my face that I essentially paid to have a bunch of music pre-listed for streaming that now has unskippable ads that I can't listen to unless I leave my screen on and unlocked.

I was too broke and slammed to get a new external drive in order to get all my music downloaded and saved from GPM at the time of the switch, but I look back on it and think about how I could've skipped meals and stuff to have gotten something with just enough space to save that music.

LemmySoloHer , 2 months ago

I just did it and it worked! It's definitely a jumble of music files but it's all there, every last bit. Thank you, thank you so much. This has been weighing on my mind for so long, there are so many songs I can put back on my offline playlists now that I have them again. You're the best!

LemmySoloHer , 3 months ago

I haven't been super interested in the DC animated movies since the big reboot after JLD: Apokolips War in 2020 but this is very compelling news.

Matt Ryan's passion for playing John as much as possible has always delivered and I don't think I can turn down a chance for more Terry. I only wish I could hear Kevin Conroy yell "McGinnis!" one more time.

LemmySoloHer , 3 months ago

Doreen Green aka Squirrel Girl. I love a lot of comics but I seriously looked forward to every single issue of The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl (2015-2019). Ryan North and Erica Henderson became one of my favorite creative teams for making something that is so hilariously clever at times and just absolute fun all the time.

The North/Henderson team also did the graphic novel The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Beats Up the Marvel Universe.

LemmySoloHer , 3 months ago

This seems like a great lesson on not giving up on something that you don't nail down right away. Keeping the concept in your back pocket where you can pull it out and mold it every time your vision for the story gets clearer takes time but pays off once you have it.

Documenting the process with videos is a good tool for both accountability and understanding how this applies to actually writing the thing too. You'll probably hit those same kinds of roadblocks where something isn't working or just feels off as your draft progresses, but letting yourself reimagine those things as you go will drive it closer to what you want, bit by bit.

I'm excited for you in this journey -- it won't all be smooth sailing and you will be tested, but the patience and passion you've shown can take you to amazing places.

LemmySoloHer , 4 months ago

In the future, Activision will have completely taken over the bail bond industry.